Troubling Times

Decade

Birds chirp as I lay out my trap the sun is merciless today blazing like there's no tomorrow. Those fools are always following us, trying to see what will do next. Let's see if they can figure it out, after all, they pride themselves on their so-called skills and high cultivation.

"This is a bad idea," Pearl says for the tenth time today, "Mother won't like it."

I finish setting the trap and step back, "As long as you don't tell her, we'll be fine."

She sighs but climbs up the oak tree with me, it doesn't take long for Penelope, and her cronies to emerge from their hiding spot. Pearl holds her breath as they step into my trap. They howl and scream as they struggle to break free. Ren attempts to break free by cutting the net only to have his blade bend.

"Who did this?" Penelope shouts.

"You'll regret it!" Kara throws in, "do you know who we are?"

Pearl and I jump from the tree with little ease, "I'd say our dinner," I pretend to inspect our catch before lowering my red hood.

"You," Penelope tries to claw at us but she's too high up.

"Ruby, it seems we caught big fish," Pearl tosses her lilac braids over a shoulder.

"Not what I was hoping for," I sigh, "I really, wanted a rabbit."

"You know, that's the one meat ama won't let us eat."

"Not for food," I say, "I just want a fuzzy companion."

"Cut us down?" Ren growls.

"Cut yourselves down," I say, turning to find Master Jing and Senior Disciple approaching from the west.

"Master," we great.

"Master, please get your disciples justice," Penelope pleads.

"What justice?" I ask, "we were trying to trap a rabbit and they ruined it. Always the victims."

Master Jing looks as if he were looking into the abyss, ignoring us he continues on his way. Senior Disciple shakes his head and continues on his way.

"Somethings not right," I say.

"Agreed," Pearl says.

I cut Penelope and her cronies loose before heading in the direction Master Jing and Senior disciple went.

"What's wrong with them?" Pearl sends through our telepathic-link.

"I don't know," I send back, "just stay close."

"Okay."

"Wait for us!" Kara shouts as she and the others chase after us.

Master and Senior disciple stop at the sound of Kara's voice. I throw up a Veil of Shadow hiding us from sight. That's when I see it, Master's eyes are inky pools of black the white in his eyes is gone. Senior disciple sniffs the air his milky eyes landing on us.

"Can he see us?" Pearl sends.

"No," I send back, "but he can smell us."

"I got it," she sends back as she pulls her scent pouch from her waist, she reaches inside summoning a gust of wind she lets the dried herbs fly away. She then proceeds to do the same to my scent pouch, Penelope's, and Kara's scattering our scents in every direction. At least the others have the commonsense to remain silent.

"Whose there?" Senior disciple asks, his voice not his own but rather the voice of many.

I shake my head sensing Ren's shift, "don't say a word," I send them, their mental shields barely existent. If they're startled by the sudden intrusion they do not say.

"I know you're there?" the demon says his eyes lingering on my veil of shadow, "just come out to play."

Pearl shakes her head but out of all of us present, I'm the only one that can't be killed or possessed.

"Hold the veil, as I taught you," I send as I step through praying to the Underworld that the veil holds long enough for Pearl to take over. None shadows can learn to control them but it takes great merit and Pearl's magic leans more to the light side. Being a healer and all one doesn't need to know how to manipulate shadows and darkness. But being raised by Raksha means there is no choice in learning every art form there is.

I walk towards the demon, hoping against Fate that Pearl and the others find a way to leave, "What have you done to Master Jing and Senior Disciple?"

The demon gives me a cruel smile unbefitting of Senior Disciple's naturally composed demeanor. "Aren't you a pretty little thing? Tell me where did your friends go?" he tilts his head sideways inhaling deeply, "I don't think I've had one like you before."

"I don't have any," I say, letting my claws descend I take another step, "and you never will."

He lets out an ear-piercing screech as he sheds Senior Disciple's skin revealing a massive demon with yellow teeth and patches of scales and hair here and there as if he were some kind of hybrid, there's a horn protruding from his spine and a snake's tail from his tail bone.

"What the fuck is that?" Pearl asks, dropping the veil.

"Seriously?"

"What?" she says, "like, I would ever leave you."

"Sometimes, I wish you would," I say, "and to answer your question, a demon that's been altered by magic."

"Clearly," Ren says, "why isn't Master moving?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say whoever is possessing him wants him to watch as his students are torn to shreds by this thing," I motion towards the abomination before us.

"How do we kill it?" Kara asks.

"Let's find out," I say, letting my red cloak drop and shedding my human skin for my wolf form. Someone gasp probably Penelope. While it is known that Pearl and I are different, none in Seven Peaks school is aware of our ability to change forms.

"You don't need to do that?" I send, to Pearl as she drops her violet cloak.

"Precautions," she sends taking the form of a massive jaguar.

When we were still little, Raksha sent us to train with a jaguar named Elena. One of the younger jaguars bit Pearl sending her into a feverish state until her body succumbed to the change. That was the first time in a long time we ever saw Raksha angry. Had Pearl not pleaded Antonio would be dead.

Of course, that didn't stop Elena from having him kneel on his bare knees in the sand, under the blazing sun for three nights and four days. Then making him undergo a trial of tribulations no one that young should ever experience. All thanks to a stupid mistake, a mistake that could have claimed Pearl's life.

The demon cackles a rancid stench filling the air. I can hear the voice of the dead trapped within his vessel. Pleading for mercy.