To become a shadow (Private with Sly)

Unusual for the Nightwings land the sea of clouds was split and sunlight poured through illuminating the city beaneath. How fortunate for another, barely a dragon was walking through the streets, forced by the brightness to hide in their homes. The few that did were watched. In a building higher on a hill was Delillah, seated at a window she lazily observed the city and waited for another to arrive. Today, she wore no cloak but was still covered in obsidian matt scales.

There was a single window in the room from which came the only source of light leaving the rest of the room in darkness. There were several staircases, however only one lead to the room she was in. The building had been abandoned for several centuries, walls were only half and many objects that used to decorate the house perhaps stolen, dust covered carpets lay wherever you went and everything would have created the image of a normal abandoned building, where it not for the claw marks that decorated the walls and the doors that only hung half on their hinges, many shredded to bits.  Her head was held high as usual as her white eyes wandered over the streets of the city.

She had sent a message to her pupil several days ago and today she would begin to train him for that he should one day be able to have the honour to become one of the kings' shadows. Of course none of it would be simple, she would force her apprentice to use everything available in his body, mentally and physically, and how enjoyable it would be.

A few days ago, a letter found its way into the letterbox outside his den. It was only a natural thing, had it not bear a rather familiar mark on it. A week ago, he had the pleasure of meeting the first and only assassin of the Nightwing Empire. If he recalled, her name was Delillah. It was during the assassin tryouts, which he emerged as the victor. Oh the irony of it all. A healer of the Empire being chosen to become an assassin. For a brief moment it made him wonder the current power of the Empire if no one else shined above a mere healer. But then this letter arrived from Delillah. Upon seeing her name, his heart had skipped a beat. The contents confirmed that it was time he undergo his training.

And today was the day. Sly thought about taking the letter with him as it stated the address to meet her. But he figured it would make a very bad impression if he had to rely on a paper and not his memory. He was not sure what the demands and expectations were for an assassin within the Empire, but the look of Delillah's expression was enough to show him that it was a very serious task. Delillah was not the softest dragon he had seen, especially with how she had agitated Loque and somewhat looked down on everyone. Well was he not lucky to do a meet and greet with her?

The day was surprisingly clear and the Empire was busy as usual. But as he got closer to his destination, the number of dragons started to drop, the city getting quieter and the buildings slowly decaying. He found himself standing within the cold and poorer district, filled with slums and garbage. It was like a ghost town, with only the low howls of wind to break any silence. It was not long before he found a building on the hill, which was likely his destination. It was difficult to see, but within one of the many dark windows, two hawk-like eyes stared back at him like a wandering prey.

Sly took a deep breath before pushing open the large doors. There, he met a rotting grey hallway of many staircases. Looking up, they spiral and twist in all directions and seemed to only lead to one room each. Sly carefully looked at his surroundings. His arrival here may be one of those tests. There was nothing to see here, aside from a dusty sheet covering a broken bed and a half-torn carpet laid before him. The place smelled mouldy and it did not seem like anyone had stepped inside in ages.

Sly memorised how many floors there were in this building and counted up the floors to where he saw the eyes. One of the staircases led straight to it, and he climbed it towards that room. Once there, he took another breath before pushing open the one-hinged door, the very structure creaking. Sly showed no weakness, even if the room was rather dark. He knew Delillah was here, but she could have disappeared and moved elsewhere. Sly did not know what she was capable of. No matter. He kept his head high and held a rather calm expression, his eyes mixing between green and yellow as he scanned the room.

She sat and watched as he appeared in front of the house, he hesitated before he entered, good. At least he knew to respect what was to come. She wouldn't move as he walked through the building, listening she knew where he was, for he was too loud. A point they would have to work on and there would be enough time for that once they began.

The house groaned under his paw steps and as he entered Delillah turned to face him then seated herself again. She watched him survey his surrounding, again good. The fresh meat knew the first step, however he wouldn't realise that they were not alone. Her face was apathetic as two smaller dragons hid in the shadows of the room, even if one stared directly at them they were unnoticeable, that was after all the ability the assassin twins were known for. After her they were second in command, and for a reason. As deadly as one was alone, together they could bring down even the strongest dragon. They were her first trainees, taken into training when they just entered adolescence, which by now was several years ago.

They waited patiently in the shadows of the room. Delillah then spoke to the larger dragon "Tell me again, Slychotic. Why are you here?" She would move her tail centimetres, one might have guessed it as a simple gesture but truth was that it held a command. The twins would have seen the movement and lowered a layer of the shadow wall, just enough to perhaps be noticed by someone who was open to the possibility that they indeed were not alone. They were to see how strong Sly's senses were. If he was to feel the presence of the two, a swift and speedy tail would lash out from the shadows aiming for his side, then disappear back where it came from. Again they would judge his reaction. Meanwhile Delillah would not have reacted at all but simply watched Sly.

There seemed to be no tricks laid out before him the moment he opened the door. He was met with the same pair of hawk-like eyes staring back at him. Again, despite the window, the room was far too dark for him to make out any other features. Not that he did not saw Delillah before, but he could only just make out her silhouette. He stepped forward. Quite a peaceful room, if not dark as night and smelled like dust. It was a small room as well. He could not see how far he was to the walls but he could feel it.

Sly smirked a little, offering a formal bow to perhaps the queen of shadows. Something was definitely off the moment he walked in here. If he were not too careful with his situational awareness, he would not have given a second thought about this room and immediately greet Delillah. But as to what she had planned, it remained unknown. She had to be hiding something, right here in this room. Sly carefully scanned the room again, for the faintest of noises or a foreign scent.

Delillah then distracted him, asking why he was here. A simple question. Sly, with a proud chest and a smug smile, responded calmly, The same as the others who succeeded. The walls around Delillah brightened a litttle, the tone in colour changing a bit. Sly's eyes shifted the slightest as he noticed and, with perked ears, caught a harsh whisper of the wind near him. He sidestepped away from its direction, thinking it was a claw strike but never guessed it was a tail. The tip of it grazed the thinnest of layers of scale on his wings before disappearing into the darkness like a snake. It was far from a hallucination as he could feel the sting against his wing. Sure enough, he was right about this room being suspicious. A small room illuminated by one window in a clear day. If no magic was involved, Sly would have been able to see every spec of dust in here. But he did not explain any of that. It was perhaps a test against a trainee. Delillah would probably ask if she was interested.

Sly cleared his throat before picking up where he left off. To become a shadow.

Delillah held back a smirk when he bowed to her, so much respect. She began to like this dragon. She saw his hesitation as he entered and continued to watch him, he was clever and he owned the ability to adapt quickly to the ways of the assassins. We were all cunning, smart minded and unfair. Nothing was ever as it seemed in the company of one of us for we always played a game, no matter when or with who. The difference, however, was that we were the game makers not the players.

When Sly spoke, she realised, he only spoke as much as he was required to, never more than that. Soon after he spoke he was directed with the tail lash. Other than some before him he moved upon hearing something, but watching him she knew it was a guessed move, he was still hit and his expression of surprise on his face that it was a tail revealed a lack of imagination. She was unsure what he expected but she continued to sit still and watch Sly attempting to to scan the room.

For the sake of the fresh meat she flicked her tail once more causing another layer of the shadow to loosen. She then rose her head by centimetres as his next words caused a small smirk to appear on her muzzle. The young shadow knew what he wanted and she admired his dedication, she was to see how strong he really was. Time and intense training would show. She then raised a claw and gestured slowly around the room "Tell me then young shadow, how many dragons are in the room'"  Another simple question.

Silent.

And just as deadly as her own claws. No matter how ge answered her, the queen of shadows only showed her smirks. She she did not clarify if what he said ring truthful or determined, or if it was what she wantes to hear. Rather, she just moved on to the next question.

Sly almost discarded the shifting of her tail when the room brightened slightly again, as if responding to it. Then she posed the question, asking how many dragons were in the room. At least three. Sly knew what he saw and doubted it was a hallucination anyways. If Delillah did not intend for something to attack him, would she not question his reaction to nothing? Then again, the room brightened again, and he would have expected a second attack anytime, probsbly from another dragon. Sly did not possess the same awareness as the unknown but deadly Delillah, but thankfully he did not need it. Four, he answered rather quickly. He decided not to go into detail with explaining his reasoning. It could impress her, but it would also make him a show off. She seemed to prefer if he was mostly quiet until asked and give only the answer at its most direct form. Four dragons. Sly, Delillah, and two others in here, lurking somewhere.

Sly kept his ears open and eyes focused, ready as he would try and catch yet another shift in the room. This was definitely a test, if not training.