A thief can be a dangerous enemy, an assassin even more so, but a shapeshifter? To cross a shapeshifter is nothing short of a death sentence. For even assassins have limits, they can change their appearance but not their species; sneak up on you in the dark but not in plain sight. And they will always be human, you know who to be wary of. But shapeshifters could be anything, when you're on a shapeshifter's hit list it is the most torturous final days of your life.
Metamorph; an epic tale of a game of cat and mouse where a shapeshifter and an assassin fight for control and a charm that contains more power than either of them first realise. Murder, deceit, trickery, lies are just normal everyday things in a world of shapeshifters and there is an uprising coming for control of the world.
Chapter 1 ThievesThe thief crept through the night into the cave. He could not tell you his real name if you had asked him. He had spent so much time in different guises and gone under so many false names he had long since forgotten. His senses were on high alert as he continued through the tunnel.
It was pitch black but his night vision was well adjusted and he could see comfortably. But this heist was more risky than most, and he was not doing it for the money as usual. This time his pride was on the line to retrieve the artefact he sought. Among his many alter egos he had one in particular he favoured and in it he went by the name of Beau. So he liked to imagine that was his real name. It could be but he would never know.
This situation was not one Beau ever thought he would find himself in. He was in the lair of a shapeshifter. Deadly creatures that, in his eyes, were not fit to be called human.
But their species had died out not but two decades ago when he was only a boy in the 'Great Cleanse'. Where every last one had been snuffed out and killed. For they had one minor flaw, they each bore a scar of their birth form somewhere on their body. It could be anywhere and anything. Those with the mark in plain sight could hide it simply with the fur of an animal aspect.
Another way many were caught out was because they disliked holding shape. If they held it for too long they became fidgety and uncomfortable. But it could take up to three days for this to happen. However had any survived, which was all but impossible, it was most likely they had modified around this defect. Shapeshifters were clever and highly adaptive; their main purpose to humans was as hired assassins. But the humans rarely knew if they were dealing with a real assassin or a shapeshifter. Though shapeshifters often had a much better reputation.
They could get right up to a person, disguised as anything. As long as it was living and capable of movement they could imitate it perfectly.
Regardless of this fact it was well know of the shapeshifter's lair Beau was now in. And he was here to retrieve a charm owned previously by one of the demons. A piece of jewellery; specially made by the shapeshifters that will morph as they do to always fit their body.
Many such artefacts had been made during the time of the shapeshifters. But most were gone now, destroyed with their owners or lost to time. Only a few charms survived. It would fetch a hefty price had he been willing to sell it. But it was know a thief skilled enough and brave enough to retrieve a shapeshifter's charm; as they were known; was a professional. And it would show he meant business harbouring the charm. And Beau was the best of the best.
So it went without saying he had to obtain one, at any cost. After a short walk along the tunnel Beau came to the central chamber. It was full of treasure collected over the years by the shapeshifter. All of it would be booby trapped so he wisely left it as it was. Besides their unique talents shapeshifters were know for their skill in all 'undesired' trades. Such as thieves, assassins, spies and other such jobs that required deception in abundance. As well as their skill in traps, no one but a shapeshifter could touch any of that loot and live.
At the far end of the cavern there was a shrine and Beau walked confidently towards it. It was his height and had a great bronze eagle ready to strike inside. And looped neatly on the bird of prey's foot was the shapeshifter charm. It was a dragon, long and slender; the body was about the width of his finger and long enough to loop around his wrist. The dragon looped around once before an unseen force held the head and the tail together.
His hand shot out to grab it instantly before he consciously restrained it. These charms were the most valuable thing in the world, to their shapeshifters especially. It was not likely that it had simply been left here unguarded and with no traps or such to guard it. But Beau could see nothing to trip should he grab it. But it was not only the possible danger that stopped him from taking the charm. It was in the form of a dragon.
It meant that this tomb belonged to The Dragon, king of all shapeshifters. It was rumoured that The Dragon was the most ruthless, conniving and dangerous killer in history. It was impossible to catch, its kills were never messy with no lose ends. Anyone who crossed it was never seen again. How it had managed such anonymity no one, even other shapeshifters did not know. It was the best, full stop, end of story. He couldn't possibly steal the charm of The Dragon. He couldn't, he thought it over and over again when his hand shot out and snatched the dragon charm.
Years of being a bandit had highly developed what most in the business referred to as 'thief reflex'. Beau waited for some horrible trap to spring and decapitate him but after a few minutes nothing. He breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the exit hardly believing his luck. He was so enveloped in the idea of escaping he didn't notice the trip wire. Under any other circumstances he would have; but he had been too preoccupied.
A large swinging trap began to fall in his direction. But years on the street avoiding guards' crossbow bolts had sharpened his reflexes. Using inhuman speed he dropped and the mallet swung over his body. He felt the wind rush by with it and in a second he was back on his feet and dashing for the entrance of the cave. As he stumbled out of the cave he fell to his knees gasping from exertion and relief. His celebration was cut short as he felt the familiar coldness of sharp metal on his neck.
Beau cursed loudly and stood up slowly his hands held above his head. The person wielding the dagger quickly stood behind him. Bending his arm at an uncomfortable angle and pressing the dagger harder to his throat.
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