The Spy and the Beast (Zandelia)

by **Shadowfang** on March 26th, 2012, 9:50 pm

24th of Spring 512AV

Location: Crimson Edge Campsite

It was now almost noon. Although the sun peeked through the clouds there was a hint of a chill in the air. A pillar of light shone on the gathering of tents outside the city. Most of these tent's owners were not present, having gone out or into the city to go about their business. There may have been one or two people still inside their tents or doing menial tasks, but they were paid little heed. The being standing it the clearing near the middle of the campsite was only focused on one other.

Shadowfang stood still and silent, staring at the human who would be his trainer. The Zith's usual quiet and patient front was hard to maintain. The bright sun hurt his eyes, causing him to squint. Normally, he would have folded his wings around him to block the sun's rays but today they were completely folded behind his back. If he was going to do what he thought he would do today, they needed to be as out of the way as possible.

Returning his attention to the woman, he examined her with curiosity and a hidden feeling of slight awe. He had heard stories about the one-eyed woman from other members of the Crimson Edge. The stories ranged from tales of her strength and brutality in battle to rumors of her ghostly stealth skills. The latter was something he had already experienced firsthand. To be perfectly honest, Shadowfang had been surprised when she suggested that they train together, though he should be used to such things by now. Oddly enough, the hate that he was usually met with wherever he went was almost completely absent in the Crimson Edge.

Shadowfang was not here to listen to stories. He was here to accept training from the subject of those stories and, consequently, find out if some of those stories were true. What would they train? Combat? Stealth? He felt that the first option would be most likely. He did not voice his opinion, however; and simply waited for instruction from his teacher.

by **Zandelia** on March 31st, 2012, 8:43 pm

The day was young for Zandelia, her usual sleeping pattern shattered into mere fragments and causing her to doze erratically at best. It was a sad fact that, although the newer members – and prospects – of the Crimson Edge were a solid investment, they still took far too much of her time and effort to not have a negative effect upon her. She was happy that their band was growing, and in droves at that, however she had her own concerns to tend to and she was all too aware of matters slipping away from her without her direct intervention. She could feel eyes upon her, unseen and shadowy as they staked her, watching for their moments. She would be called paranoid if she had voiced such a feeling, however every instinct she held told her she was right in her assumptions – she was never alone now.

They must have found out about Garret, used him to mark my position, my movements. But they don’t know for sure yet, or else I’d have been attacked. No, they are making sure first she thought to herself as she sat in the opening of her tent, her eyes closed and her legs crossed.

Happily for Zandelia, however, she had found a way to meld the two disparate portions of her life together for a singular day – perhaps more if she had her way, and she did intend to. A Zith, by the name of Shadowfang was her key to doing so, a trial upon which she hoped to build a radically different perspective for the Crimson Edge to adhere to. She valued Cade, Mok and the warriors amongst them, never discounted their worth to the band. However, she also knew there would need to be more to their ranks in the future than weapons and blood. If they were to survive then there was a requirement for finesse too. She would try and forge that, from whatever materials were at her disposal. Shadowfang was the template for her vision, he just did not suspect it at that moment in time, standing there and gazing upon her. She opened her eyes to see him, revealing his presence for the first time.

“Well Shandowfang, or should I call you something shorter for expediency’s sake?” she asked him as she unfolded herself ad pushed her body to her feet, upright and stable now.

“No matter, you can be called whatever you like, there is no requirement,” she continued without much pause for an answer – she would find out soon enough at any rate, “the real question is what you want, isn’t it Zith?” she asked him, using his species as a name for a purpose.

“Everywhere you go you see revulsion, but here you do not, and it intrigues you I think. Whether I am right or wrong is, ultimately, irrelevant. The key point is that you are accepted, for the most part. It is something you will find little of, and so you come. Come to learn, come to fight and come to belong” she all but whispered as she walked closer to him, slowly and methodically as she eyed him up and down, gauging him and his faculties.

“However, the way is hard. It will be simple at first, almost enticing. The more you learn though, the farther you go, the harder it becomes. You have a talent for stealth I know, I saw. Would you use that? Or would you prefer to tear things apart instead? Or perhaps a middle way, hmm?”

“I need and answer, or else I cannot teach you as properly as I can. So tell me, Zith, do you want to be a human? Or an animal?” she asked, wondering whether the racial barb would actually produce an honest answer or not.

He would be better suited to my way, but that is not possible at the moment. He has not earned the trust required, not yet she thought as she stood before him, hands upon hips and awaiting his response for what he really wanted out of their training together.

by **Shadowfang** on April 3rd, 2012, 2:32 am

Standing still and staring Zandelia right in the functioning eye, he listened to her though provoking monologue. He pondered, for a moment, over what name he would like to be called. He could request that she simply called him Shadow or Fang, but he did not. If she were to call him either it would not feel right, as if the name would only carry half of himself, if that made any sense. Zith would be fine for now, as there were not any other of the bat like creatures in the area now. Although she could not possibly know very much about him, every word she spoke was true. Everything from the lack of hate, to his very reason for being here.

Shadowfang closed his eyes in thought and stood quiet and still for a long time. Her final question had more weight to it than she probably realized. Then again, she could be playing mind games with him. Human or animal? What was he? He was neither, and both at the same time, the borderline between intelligence and instinct. Thoughts and theories swirled around in his head.

He opened his eyes and returned to staring into her one functioning emerald eye, and spoke. "I want to learn... I want to learn how to avoid unnecessary battles. How to move without being seen. But... if that is not good enough, if I get caught..." he paused and searched for the right words, unintentionally adding some dramatic effect. "I want to be able to destroy whatever is in my way." He paused once more and though about his answer. The "middle way." He had chosen he middle way.

His gaze shifted to the scarred side of her face and her disabled, broken eye. Only for an instant. He wondered what could have happened to the woman that could cause such a horrendous injury.

by **Zandelia** on April 8th, 2012, 10:58 pm

Zandelia listened to the Zith, preferring to think of him by the shorter name for the species than by his actual name for now. After all, she knew no other Zith with which to differentiate him from and it would serve her well to remind herself consciously that he was, to all intents and purposes, an animal waiting to unleash its strength. Whatever his word and his philosophies she knew that she would have to be careful around Shadowfang, the Zith, or else risk having her throat torn out in on fell swipe. She doubted that she had ingratiated herself to him enough to override his baser instincts – not yet. If she had her way though she would do so eventually, replacing his wariness for her with his trust, and with trust would come the desire to help her, and that was something she could use and dearly wanted to gain.

A Zith would make a very useful addition to my ambitions indeed. Their unique talents are most valuable in the cramped streets of Sunberth she thought to herself as she stood considering him for a few more moments.

“Very well,” she spoke to him calmly, “but the one thing you should know is that there is no single way to approach things, no left, right and middle. How you respond will depends upon the context of the situation, most things ultimately do” she continued as she put her hands upon her hips and let them shift to the left a little out of habit.

“I think it would be easiest to show you how to kill things first, stealth comprising of skill far easier to learn and master. The most difficult part is fusing the two and I must stress at this moment that you will not truly know if you have done that properly until you try it for the first time. Be aware of that fact” she cautioned him stonily, making sure to drive her point home fully – the more fear he possessed the more he would practise and perfect, a useful too towards perfection.

I will want the best, after all, if I want to compete on the grand stage she thought to herself as she strode the few short paces between them with a mind to both teach and affirm her dominance in kind.

“Silent killing is a hard art, a brutal one, but easily learnt. The simplest way is to come up behind your target unawares and so increasing the surprise and lethality of your strike. Those skills require stealth to complete, however the actual killing can be taught face-to-face in some cases. Stand still and no harm will come to you” she told him, now within arm’s reach, and awaited him to nod his trust to her momentarily.

She let her hand shift forwards and approach his neck with thumb and two forefingers extended in a vice-like shape. She paused slightly as he seemed to hesitate, but then pressed onwards until they were fixed around his windpipe in an almost gentle touching. She picked the correct spot, not sure before if Zith even had it but learning they did now, and let her fingers and thumb probe at the soft and fleshy part above the larynx of the creature. She pressed lightly, just to give him an idea of how tender the area could be under the right pressure, keeping eye contact with him as she did so to reassure him she was no threat at that moment.

“Feel that? That’s the way you crush a windpipe. Requires careful positioning, but not too difficult to learn through repetition. It takes little pressure to truly crush and kill the target, however choking and unconsciousness is also possible – sometimes preferable,” she began to instruct, “it is actually easier to do from behind and always remember to place your other hand around their chest to stop them pulling your hand away. I would advise placing one legs between their so you can trip and keep them off balance as and when required” she finished her verbal instruction with a smile, pulling her fingers away.

“It is a silent method if done right, which is of use to both yourself and me as it calls little attention to us. Now, the second way is more violent, slightly noisier but always fatal. I speak, of course, about breaking the neck. Now, I don’t want to hear how people say they have ‘done’ it, there is only one correct way to go about it. I’ll show you now, the method at least” she went to stand behind Shadowfang now.

“You place your right hand along their jaw with the ear tucked between your thumb and forefinger and the palm curved around the underside of the jaw line. Then your left hand must be laced in an almost vertical manner along the side of the head with the base of the palm curved around the corner of the jaw,” she demonstrated with her hands upon Shadowfang, “and then you pull sharply with your right hand and push firmly with your left, all the while maintaining a firm grip. As you do this you must be swift and twist the neck in the follow-through. Target is eliminated and will fall to the floor, you will need to cushion his impact” she finished.

“Now,” she stated as she came around to stand in front of him once again, “I have given you two ways to provide quiet death with no weapons at all. Demonstrate on me, without actually doing it mind you, and I’ll call you taught the methodology for now. The practise will take time. As you show me, tell me why you chose me to teach you Shadowfang, I am hardly the kindest of tutors” she finished as she stood, ready to give her own trust to him as he had done to her, the beginnings of something she could use.

by **Shadowfang** on April 12th, 2012, 11:37 pm

Shadowfang's entire body tensed when Zandelia closed her fingers around his throat. Her touch was gentle but firm, applying pressure to the tender spots on his windpipe. Her eye told him that he has nothing to fear, but tension spread throughout his being regardless. She may have only been showing him how to preform this task, but he felt that, if she chose to, she could kill him right then and there, and there would be nothing he could do about it. He absorbed her spoken instruction like a sponge, glancing down at her own neck to try and locate her "sweet spot." A small smile, then the hands pulled away. Despite being perfectly safe, he could not help but heave an inward sigh of relief.

No sooner had he relaxed did she walk behind him and gently grab his head, putting hands on his jaw and the side of his face. He listened to her continued instruction as best he could, feeling her hands on his face and trying to envision where they would be on another person's face. The hands left him again and Zandelia stood in front of him. To his surprise, she ordered him to demonstrate his newfound knowledge on her. She was essentially putting her life in his hands, trusting him completely. The reason why someone would trust someone who was almost a complete stranger this much was beyond him. Then again, he had trusted her in the same way.

He took a step forward and reached for her with his right hand, hesitation for only an instant, then placed his fingertips on her windpipe, being careful not to poke her with his claws. He massaged her throat, feeling for the spot that she had grabbed on his. "It is not... a matter of kindness. I chose you because you are... skilled and willing to train me." He found the place where her windpipe narrowed and squeezed, applying the same amount of force that she had used on him. He searched for the next words to say, cursing his lack of proficiency in the Common language. "I have heard that you... know what you are doing." At her approval of the placement of his hands, he positioned himself behind her and put his hands on her head in the same fashion that she had.

He gently turned her head from side to side, going through the motions of this death-dealing technique. If he wanted kindness, he would not have come to her. In fact, he could not think of anywhere he could go where he could find someone who would be kind to him. He suddenly realized they he had tightened his grip on her head while he was becoming lost in thought. He quickly adjusted, releasing her head and mumbling a quiet apology. He needed to focus if he was going to learn from her. He promised himself that he would not let his mind wander again. Doing so in a real situation could result in dire consequences.

by **Zandelia** on April 17th, 2012, 2:28 am

Zandelia closed her eyes as she felt Shadowfang’s hands set about their given task, that of probing for and imitating the causes of quick, relatively painless death. His hands were rather more slender than hers though she was wary f the claws that seemed to always protrude slightly out of the end of his fingers. She found it amusingly interesting how he took the time to make sure he did not prick her skin with them, as if he was either too respectful or too afraid to risk injuring her – however minor the injury might have been. She was still trying to work out his agenda, the thoughts behind his motives and what he hoped to gain. His words spoke of a pragmatic disposition, however she wondered if it was not so much pragmatism as it was a seeking out of someone similar to his own philosophies. Zandelia’s experiences with Zith so far ha d taught her how dangerously close their thought patterns were at some times.

Yes, good firm grip of the windpipe though still a bit fumbling. Still, good actions and could be perfect with applied practice. Firm positioning upon the jaw too for the neck breaking, he is a good student, diligent and keen. A positive, but dangerous, property of personality she thought to herself as she turned around smoothly upon her heel to face Shadowfang, pulling a spare dagger from her boot left boot as she did so.

“Good work Shadowfang, I shall choose to use your name so long as you show yourself to be more pliable at learning than most of the humans in this city,” she told him in conclusion to his actions and by way of complimentary building trust with words, building upon the actions already taken, “but you fumbled a little as if your concentration was not absolute. An enemy will not stand there while you feel about, remember that well” she continued in a sterner tone.

“Now we move on to the use of knives in silently killing your opponents, as and when required. There are two ways again in doing this, both requiring precision but useful for tight situations where death is the only option left to you” Zandelia continued with calm tones now

“The first thing to know is that, despite what others mya tell you, you never slit a throat. It is too messy, too noisy and draws too much attention as it cannot be hidden. Never do so unless absolutely necessary. No, on to the two correct ways then,” she told Shadowfang, walking around behind him with dagger in hand, “firstly you can go under the ribs to pierce the heart and lungs with one smooth and swift strike. If you feel the back of your ribcage you will find a spot where the muscle is not that compact, usually just after the ribcage begins its ascent to meet the spine. Here is where you strike. You can effectively use the ribcage itself to guide the blade in its entry and exit, sliding it along the bone smoothly. With a long stiletto you can pierce both heart and lung with one motion,” she said before demonstrating him with the butt of her weapon rather than the blade.

“Bleeding is internal and leaves little initial mess to be picked up upon if you are quick disposing of the body itself. Now, the second way is via the neck again, this time by sliding the blade in between the vertebra and severing the spine at the base of the skull. This is an instant kill and does not allow the dying person to even make a sound if done correctly. Still, placing one’s hand over their mouth for stability just before you strike is useful,” she indicated, prodding the butt of her dagger just beneath the base of Shadowfang’s skulls and indicating the correct spot for administered ceasing of breathing privileges.

“And as to your response, you could have picked others,” she noted to him as she gave him her blade and stood in front of him once again, “but you chose me. I can get things done better than some, but not better than most. However, there are...other...things I have that others do not. Perhaps you were hinted at about them and that is why you chose me?” she asked him in a small and probing way.

Whether he knew in advance or not is irrelevant besides who talked about it, he will still be of use to me indeed she thought as she waiting for Shandowfang t complete his second round of tutelage.

by **Shadowfang** on April 22nd, 2012, 12:44 am

Shadowfang accepted the dagger from Zandelia and, once again, pondered over her question. He could not recall ever hearing anything that made her stand out among any other potential teachers, only whispers and horror stories. The memory of hearing about any other "things" she had escaped him. He grabbed her shoulder and placed the hilt of the dagger against her back near her spine, holding it the same way she had. He slid it from her spine to her side, following the gap between the ribs he had chosen. "I do not know." He repeated the motion several more times, sliding the hilt against her back to make certain he got it right. His answer was simple and honest. Anything he might have heard that was strange about her, he would have forgotten under the assumption that it was not important.

He shifted and clasped his hand over Zandelia's mouth, drawing closer as he placed the dagger at the base of her skull, pressing down on it. Certain that he had performed the act correctly, he stepped away from her once more, and held the dagger out towards her by the blade, offering it to her. "And if it is a shortened name you want from me... you can just call me Shang." he said, suddenly remembering the pet name that his adopted sister had made up for him so long ago. It had been such a long time since he had heard that name and the memories associated with it came flooding back; all the lessons, lectures, examples, and other "guidance" the other Zith had tried to pound into his head over the years.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face for an instant and he suddenly realized why he had chosen Zandelia as his teacher. She was familiar. All the stories and rumors revolving around her had subconsciously reminded him of one of the only beings he could have called a friend. He briefly debated on whether or not be should share this information with her, wondering if it would come back to haunt him. Then he shrugged inwardly. What could she possibly do with his reasons that could bring harm to him? With luck, it might actually make her more open to teaching him. Even with this mentality he was still wary, so he only shared a half-truth. "You reminded me of someone. Someone who I trusted very much."

Okay, so maybe he had told her more than just a half truth, but he felt confident that she would not go through the trouble of training him if she only planned on killing him.

by **Zandelia** on April 25th, 2012, 11:21 pm

Zandelia let herself relax a little bit more as the session continued, her teaching seemingly falling upon dedicated and attentive ears, tufted with fur though they were. She had not aught anyone such techniques for some time, could not actually remember the last time anyone had really come to learn from her for the sake of learning from her – besides the girl Ana. She was cure Shadowfang had his own motives of course, her mind debating what they could be as she felt him prod ad poke her with the hilt of her dagger as he set about trying to perfect, in practice at least, what he was willing to absorb. Still, Zandelia knew more than most that there were always hidden agendas and half-stated facts behind the motives of Sunberth’s residents. It was something the city either cultivated in newcomers or entrenched within its long-term denizens, in many ways it was the soul of the decrepit city.

Someone you trust though? I’d be careful whom you give your trust to Shadowfang, it could end up costing you more than you know she thought to herself as she gazed upon him intently, her single eye trying to read his hidden depths, perhaps feeling a flickering of something unsaid, but chose to drop the issue for now.

“Well, there are worse people to trust I suppose,” she spoke gruffly as she hid her smile and elevated emotions from him, knowing all too well that she desired to cultivate him for her own purposes, “though I’m no safer than others either…Shang” she smiled at him a little, softly as if he should understand her after spending a few moments only in her presence.

“Now, killing as all to the good when you want someone dead, or when it is required or there is no other way,” she continued the lesson as the tableaux of unspoken words between them stretched too long through time, “but it is always better to disable than to kill. Dead people can’t answer questions and nor can they be profit to you – outside of actual bounties upon heads” she spoke, her voice growing back some of its feigned enigmatic tones now.

Not to mention the fact that you can’t get me good information if there is always a blood bath. I need you to keep those of importance alive she told herself mentally as she slipped her dagger back into its sheath and set about thinking how best to teach the Zith the next portion of her trickery.

“Now, there is one nice little trick that will make all of these techniques easier in application, one which foolishly gets overlooked by many to their detriment,” she spoke as she made her way behind Shadowfang once more, “and that is of the weakness of the knees. Attacking them head on is hard, but from behind it gets much easier. Observe” she told him as she lifted up her right foot and used the balls of it to press into the back of his knee, forcing it downwards as it gave a little until it was pressed to the floor. She wondered if, by the noise he made, he was surprised and chuckled a little throatily.

“See, why make a job harder by letting your enemy stand tall against your attacks? From here he is at your mercy, deliciously so. From here a blow to the back of the head with a hard weapon is always good,“ she tapped the back of his head just above the nape of the neck then, “or you can choke them into submission like so. One forearm wrapped around the neck and the other locking it in place by wrapping the elbow around your closed fist” she finished as she entwined her arms around his neck and squeezed a little to show him how it cut off the air flow.

She stepped back then and extricated herself from his personal space, hoping he would not have taken too much affront at her actions. She was a firm believer in learning practically after all, and in her book you either learnt well or you died quickly. It was a mantra that was repeated by most successful people she was sure, successful taking upon the meaning of still being alive in that context. She walked around to stand in front of him then and put her hand upon his shoulder, a gesture she felt he might have been comfortable with now and would provide some means of more personal bonding between them. She was not teaching him so he could work for another after all – she would be forced to kill him first and thus waste her time.

“See how it makes things easier, that simple maneuver. It puts them at a disadvantage and gives you command of substantial leverage in your battle. It is much easier to strike a man, or choke him, unconscious when you don’t have to worry about him struggling free too easily” she told him, her gaze locking with his own and wondering if he would ever know the dual meaning behind her words, the way she sought to make him her won tool and no one else’s.

“Now, show me and then we can move onto the more…direct forms of disabling and disarming,” she finished as she waited for his demonstration to commence, “and tell me…Shang…why would I remind you of anyone? I can’t think of many women with one eye and a more unique moralistic perspective in this city. Well, none that you might know at any rate. Someone from afar then?” she asked him, seeking to use his concentration upon other tasks to leverage further requisite information from his jaws.
D

by **Shadowfang** on April 27th, 2012, 4:00 pm

Surprised was an understatement. He was almost fearful of the fact that she had only had to put a very small amount of pressure on his knee in order for it to buckle under him. He gave a small sound of astonishment when her arms wrapped around his neck and effectively closed his windpipe, keeping him from either exhaling or inhaling. He rose to his feet as she left him. If she was worried about overstepping any boundaries, she needn't be. He was used to the more physical methods of teaching that she preferred to use. If anything, Musca had been even more rough in her lessons than Zandelia.

He paused and stood still for a moment. "Yes... Someone from afar. I think someone you could grow to like if you ever met." He did not bother to explain why and just dropped the subject, leaving her only his cryptic reply. He moved behind her again, used to the drill by now and lifted one foot. He placed his toes against the crook of her knee with the balls of his feet on the top of her calf and pushed. Once again, he was surprised at how little pressure it took to bring someone to the ground with this technique. As Zandelia fell, he caught her be the neck in his arms and squeezed.

He kept squeezing for just a second longer than she had, cutting off her airflow for that much longer. He had suddenly been overcome with a desire to get information about her as well. His rough method of doing so was brought on by an abrupt feeling of distrust. Even though his logic still stood strong, that she would not go through the trouble of training him if she only wanted to betray him, his instincts told him that this woman was far more hostile than she seemed. He kept his foot pressed against her leg, pinning her down, while his arms were wrapped around her neck, ready to cease her breathing with a small squeeze. It seemed a bit funny to him that she was being trapped by her own training. Of course, Shadowfang did not plan on killing her. Much like herself, he only wanted information. He was simply more threatening about getting it.

"I think it is my turn to ask questions. Tell me, Zandelia... why would you choose to train me?" he hissed, putting emphasis on each pronoun. He haunched over, leaning his face close to hers, and whispered into her ear. "And what are those other... things that you were speaking about?"

He was surprised at how second-nature such a method of questioning felt to him.