different things. Tarris had a bad feeling about this.
* * *
Shadow infiltrated shadow in the stillness of the night. The moon rarely showed its face, but it did so tonight. Maybe it was a bad omen. Tarris watched Rya move through the deserted streets with purpose toward the outskirts of the city where their current mission was to take place.
Tarris felt that her spirit was restless, as was she, even though Rya held little emotion of her own. But Tarris suspected it was her own disquiet that Rya was expressing, the calm long forgotten and replaced with the apprehension of the coming events.
Tarris lay on her back and stared at the darkened ceiling. Even though she had sent her shadowed assassin on her way, her concentration was not what it should be. Corman had planted the seed of doubt in her, and she questioned her ability to keep him from doing something stupid. Either he was very ignorant or very arrogant. She suspected it was the latter but wouldn’t rule out the former either. The Council wanted to come out of this mission with their hands clean. A bloodbath would only fuel the accusations of the opposition in parliament.
Tarris tried again. She closed her eyes and sought out the deep part of her that resided in Rya. Tonight, most of all, she needed every ounce of concentration that she had.
Rya gazed at the small compound that was their target. Two guards stood at the gate, talking to one another. She sensed the arrival of the other members of her group, their emitted auras easily read by her own senses. This was their first mission as a team, and one that would test Tarris’s ability to lead.
Waves of energy spread out from Rya’s ghostly form to instruct the others to find their assigned targets and reinforce the need for stealth. Tarris smiled as Rya competently organized the attack.
Rya took up position on a nearby vantage point. She watched the white auras of her team spread out around the compound. Corman’s shadow, Gareth, hovered by her side. It was the calm before the mayhem.
No bloodshed, Corman. Tarris projected the order to her counterpart and tried to put as much threat as she could in her command.
Yeah yeah. Whatever you want. Corman expressed it not so much as a respect for authority but as a lazy admission and then an instant dismissal. Gareth casually swept forward toward the gate. Apparently Corman didn’t even care that the guards could see his shadowed avenger. And so it began.
Tarris watched Rya carry out her duty. She slid around the perimeter of the courtyard and through the shadowed crevices not illuminated by the floodlights. The residence was not in complete darkness as it should have been. It was as if they were expected. There could be more to worry about than a mere hiccup in their timetable.
Rya circled the outside of the building and sought out the darkened places that resided there. Finally she found her access point. A small vent had been left open. It was all too easy… and too convenient.
Tarris voiced caution as her warrior contemplated the tiny hatch. Shark’s shadow joined her and did not hesitate to enter, his caution dissolving like the harsh light in the dark of night. Before Rya could react, the vent closed with a bang to imprison the assassin inside. There was a brief flash before silence. They had to assume Shark had been “blinded.”
Ghostly eyes looked skyward to study the outside of the building. Rya had no choice but to go up, and Tarris sighed. Things were never easy. So far the mission had gone from bad to worse, so this turn of events, while unexpected, wasn’t out of the realm of her worst nightmare. Whoever had betrayed them would pay.
Slowly Rya climbed the wall. She reached for minute crevices to aid her ascent. From her vantage point outside a window on the second floor, she looked out over the illuminated courtyard and was able to easily pick out the members of her group. Efficiently, her unit moved to their assigned
* * *
Shadow infiltrated shadow in the stillness of the night. The moon rarely showed its face, but it did so tonight. Maybe it was a bad omen. Tarris watched Rya move through the deserted streets with purpose toward the outskirts of the city where their current mission was to take place.
Tarris felt that her spirit was restless, as was she, even though Rya held little emotion of her own. But Tarris suspected it was her own disquiet that Rya was expressing, the calm long forgotten and replaced with the apprehension of the coming events.
Tarris lay on her back and stared at the darkened ceiling. Even though she had sent her shadowed assassin on her way, her concentration was not what it should be. Corman had planted the seed of doubt in her, and she questioned her ability to keep him from doing something stupid. Either he was very ignorant or very arrogant. She suspected it was the latter but wouldn’t rule out the former either. The Council wanted to come out of this mission with their hands clean. A bloodbath would only fuel the accusations of the opposition in parliament.
Tarris tried again. She closed her eyes and sought out the deep part of her that resided in Rya. Tonight, most of all, she needed every ounce of concentration that she had.
Rya gazed at the small compound that was their target. Two guards stood at the gate, talking to one another. She sensed the arrival of the other members of her group, their emitted auras easily read by her own senses. This was their first mission as a team, and one that would test Tarris’s ability to lead.
Waves of energy spread out from Rya’s ghostly form to instruct the others to find their assigned targets and reinforce the need for stealth. Tarris smiled as Rya competently organized the attack.
Rya took up position on a nearby vantage point. She watched the white auras of her team spread out around the compound. Corman’s shadow, Gareth, hovered by her side. It was the calm before the mayhem.
No bloodshed, Corman. Tarris projected the order to her counterpart and tried to put as much threat as she could in her command.
Yeah yeah. Whatever you want. Corman expressed it not so much as a respect for authority but as a lazy admission and then an instant dismissal. Gareth casually swept forward toward the gate. Apparently Corman didn’t even care that the guards could see his shadowed avenger. And so it began.
Tarris watched Rya carry out her duty. She slid around the perimeter of the courtyard and through the shadowed crevices not illuminated by the floodlights. The residence was not in complete darkness as it should have been. It was as if they were expected. There could be more to worry about than a mere hiccup in their timetable.
Rya circled the outside of the building and sought out the darkened places that resided there. Finally she found her access point. A small vent had been left open. It was all too easy… and too convenient.
Tarris voiced caution as her warrior contemplated the tiny hatch. Shark’s shadow joined her and did not hesitate to enter, his caution dissolving like the harsh light in the dark of night. Before Rya could react, the vent closed with a bang to imprison the assassin inside. There was a brief flash before silence. They had to assume Shark had been “blinded.”
Ghostly eyes looked skyward to study the outside of the building. Rya had no choice but to go up, and Tarris sighed. Things were never easy. So far the mission had gone from bad to worse, so this turn of events, while unexpected, wasn’t out of the realm of her worst nightmare. Whoever had betrayed them would pay.
Slowly Rya climbed the wall. She reached for minute crevices to aid her ascent. From her vantage point outside a window on the second floor, she looked out over the illuminated courtyard and was able to easily pick out the members of her group. Efficiently, her unit moved to their assigned
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