Shadow Cave

The Demon runs at us at full speed after only four days all we have managed to do is scrape it here and there. I still can't get a hold of my bow and Night's our only hope. Of course, they'd give their son an easier weapon to use. We have collectively died twice thanks to the cave it wasn't permanent. The broken bones, on the other hand, are healing too slowly for my taste.

"To the left," Night says.

I take a deep breath and pull back the bowstring as I exhale, I let the string go an arrow finally flying out. It hits the demon on its scaly shoulder sending it back an inch. Night comes from behind leaping into the air one of his sword's pierces through the demons back the other on its head.

"Finally," I say, as the demon collapses, "what took you so long?"

Night hisses at me, "if you had agreed to be bait you would know," he pulls his swords free and jumps of the beast. One furry leg twitch and so I pull back the bowstring another arrow zooms past burring itself into the beast brow.

"At least you finally figured out how to use it," Night says wiping his blades clean, "you know the more energy you use the more arrows you can call out."

"This is my first time seeing let alone using a bow that draws from one's energy," I say, "can we get out now?"

No answer, just like there was no answer when the demon came down on Night's chest crushing his rib cage. I didn't think he'd but he wouldn't let me give him a quick death. Insisting if he had to die, he would. That's how we learned if we died, we would just come back. I guess when I first trained here, I wasn't dreaming after all.

"It's not a week yet," Night says, "We still have three days," he walks past me slides down the cave wall

I walk over and sits next to him, "what was it like?"

"What?"

"Losing your parents," I say, "then being raised by them."

He leans his head against the wall eyes closed he brings his knees up, "Even though I was raised on a battlefield I was angry. They were my parents why would they leave me," he sighs and looks at me, "when the King found me, I was contemplating suicide. He struck me across the face and said, "if you can beat me, I will end you myself." "

"Obviously I failed."

"And the Princess?"

"She wasn't born yet," he lets out a small laugh, "I'm older than mother."

"She said they took you in."

"If you knew who she is you'd understand," he says letting his head fall back against the stone. "What about you?"

"I was in a way raised by the Princess; my I guess mother decided I needed to be an assassin and sent me to her for training. I've lived all over when an old man asked me where I was from and I told him everywhere and nowhere. He thought I was lying."

"You told me you're a flower spirit."

"I was, Raksha disrupted my cultivation the moment she touched one of my petals there was a surge of power and then I was this," I wave my free hand around me, "I got to train with different Masters but your mother was the first. Tossed me in an ice cave with nothing but my skin told I needed to find my way out."

"Shadows have a different way of raising young-lings, and you were sent to become an assassin. How else would you learn hardships? Also, odds are it was all in your head."

"What?"

"Mother has this way of making you see things that aren't there, Father those too."

I look at him as I process what he just said an idea forms, "I could kiss you," I say, jumping to my feet, "what if the shadow cave is an illusion?" I tell him when he gives me a quizzical look.

"Only they can break the illusion," he says.

"No."

"No?"

"If this is an illusion then perhaps, we can bend it to our will, After all we figured out how to kill the demon. I think this was more about getting used to working together."

Night stands up sheathing his blades against his back he says, "If I agree to whatever your scheming will you kiss me?"

"Of course," I say, extending my hand. He shrugs but places his hand in mine. I smile and bring it to my lips.

"I guess I should have specified," he says with a laugh, "so what's the plan."

"Let's merge our magic," I lift my bow up and pull back the bowstring, "stand behind me and place your hands over mine," he those as I say ignoring the way his touch makes me feel I let go four arrows zoom-out into the abyss. There's a hiss then smoke a wave of energy knocks us back.

Luckily for me, Night breaks my fall he lets out a small grunt as I begin to choke. The acrid smoke that builds up makes my eyes and throat burn.

"What did you idiots do?" the Princess asks. The smoke starts to clear making it easier to breathe.

"Illusion," I manage to get out.

"What are you talking about?" she asks.

"You're not real," Night says, "mother smells differently."

The fake Princess laughs, "then who am I?"

The smoke has cleared enough for me to see the demon isn't where Night left it.

"Shapeshifter," I spit out, "it wasn't a demon it was a shapeshifter."

"It's infected so it smells like a demon," Night says helping me stand.

The shapeshifter smiles at us as it transforms into a three-headed chimera with a dragon's body.

"For fucks sake," I lift my bow, "let's try this again."

The creature's mouths open and flame shots out.

"Lion heads shouldn't do that," I pull back the string and this time three arrows fly out.

"Not bad," Night says as the arrows pierce through the head on the left, "my turn."

"Wait," I say, before he can attack, "again," he realizes what I'm saying and steps behind me. This time eight arrows zoom out hitting there mark the creature turns to dust. Then the world goes black.