Syndra was bored.
The voice that was prattling on in the background no longer held what little vestiges of her interest there were to be had, and she was running out of things to look at in the room. She'd catalogued every color in the oriental carpet, every swirl in the art on the walls. She'd even counted every freckle across Karma's nose. She dropped her head to rest to rest on the heel of her hand, squishing her face in an exasperated sigh. The voice was quiet, soothing, the air in the room was warm, and she was so comfortable…
"Syndra."
Karma snapped her fingers in front of Syndra's face. Her eyes flew open and she jerked awake, focusing her bleary eyes on Karma's face. She looked disappointed.
Good.
"Have you been listening to anything I've said?"
Syndra yawned and rolled her shoulders, stretching.
"Yes. I've been very bad, I understand."
Karma sighed, the corner of her mouth turning down just slightly.
"I guess we're done here. Until next time, Syndra."
Syndra grinned and leapt out of her chair, wasting no time in her exit from the room. She stopped just briefly to bow to Karma at the door, and then she was gone.
She practically skipped into the forest around Karma's house, finding the path that led deeper into it. She always felt extraordinarily elated after visiting Karma; she was just disrespectful enough to get let out early, and being stuffed in a room with Karma for more than 20 minutes always made her appreciate the outside a little more. She paused a moment to close her eyes and breathe deeply, letting the air lift her spirits and the sun warm her skin. The trees above her had small leaves and thin branches, allowing the suns light to filter through, onto her and the path. She waved a hand and the spheres she carefully hid away around Karma appeared around her, the embodiment of her mood. They swirled and dipped in the air, larger than normal, casting light shadows across Syndra and the earth below her. She held out a hand for one orb to perch on, and launched it higher into the air, watching it spiral slowly before returning to her side.
Syndra walked until the path ended at the edge of the forest, where the ground around her was torn and uneven and shrouded in constant shadow. She pulled the wandering spheres around her, carefully arranged them for her to stand on. She took a moment to find her balance, and instructed them to carry her upwards, toward the floating fortress that Syndra called home. She admired the foreboding, simple architecture, bathed in the diminishing sunlight, swathed in greenery and flowers, spreading their smell that reached even Syndra, not quite close yet. She was eager to be home, and urged her spheres to go faster. She aimed for the side of the fortress her gardens were on, touching down outside the garden walls, breathing a sigh of happy relief.
The inside of the garden was home to tall plants that draped their vines from one garden wall to another, shading the ground below. Flowers hung everywhere, dripping from the walls, hanging on other plants, growing from dozens of pots on the ground. Their thick fragrance wafted through the air, creating an interesting melody of scent. It was Syndra's favorite place to be; it was quiet and shady, always breezy and warm. She could sit here for hours, did every day in fact, just to meditate and think. It helped her focus.
She picked her favorite sapling to sit beneath, it's fan-like leaves spreading above her, freesias growing by her legs. She set her headdress aside, allowing what little sunlight there was to warm her cheeks. She closed her eyes, breathed in slowly, then exhaled…
She sat there quietly until the sun on her face disappeared, and the night ushered in colder air. She clipped a few of the roses (red for today) on her way out.
The fortress was dark and quiet, the only sound being flower petals rustling in the wind. It was soothing, edging her towards sleep. She increased her pace across the darkened courtyard, eager to finally get to her room.
Syndra's room, like everything else about her, was simple but grand. The bed was big enough for several people, but decorated simply in a soft blanket, covered in a few large pillows that Syndra loved to sink in to after long days. She had a divan next to the doors of her balcony, also littered with the pillows Syndra favored so much. She placed the flowers in a crystal vase on a stand by her bed, pausing to inhale the faint fragrance before returning it to its spot. She hung her headdress on its designated spot on the wall, then dressed for bed. She opened the balcony doors to let in the light breeze that brushed against her skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps, and then climbed into bed.
She nestled against all the pillows around her, pressing into the fluff and comfort. She sighed happily, enjoying the warmth and the bliss that going to bed after a long, rather unpleasant day rewarded. She waited until her eyelids struggled to stay open and her libs felt heavy, before finally and happily giving way to sleep.
Eradicating the kinkou had not been as simple as Zed thought.
They were stubborn; his scouts had been finding small bands of renegades all day.
They refused to die.
He sat on his newly acquired throne, assessing the room he'd won with blood and death. It was too ornate, too many useless pieces of art crowding the walls. It'd have to go, all of it.
One of his scouts entering redirected his attention. The ninja stopped a respectful distance away from him, bowing low and waiting.
Zed inclined his head. The man cleared his throat.
"We've tracked down the rest of the kinkou… But Shen and a few others escaped. We cannot find them. "
Zed's fingers twitched, constricting around the arm rests of his chair. Shen was still alive? He'd thought that after the slaughter, the slaughter that began with his father's death, Shen would no longer be around to pain him.
But.
Although the incompetence of his students was… aggravating, to say the least, Zed was intrigued at the opportunity presented to him. Shen, alive. He could hunt the annoyance down and once and for all assert his superiority over him. He could finally best him…
Zed vaguely felt his shadow creep up behind him, latching on to the chair and the malicious thoughts swirling through his mind.
Yes, Zed rather liked the idea of Shen on the run. It'd be a challenge to find him, and Zed liked challenges. Although the student couldn't see Zed's face, he could see the shadow's eyes, which must have changed with Zed's mood. The man shifted uncomfortably.
Zed waved a hand, dismissing him, and he wasted no time in exiting the room.
"We will find him. And he will die."
The shadow laughed, crawling up the walls to the shadows in the corners and disappearing.
It was a while before anyone else came to see Zed; the new arrival waited before him. Zed gestured at the walls.
"All the superfluous decorations; gone before I return tomorrow. That goes for everywhere."
The ninja nodded, and Zed finally decided that he could leave the room. He walked outside the temple and into the night. It was warm and breezy, the kind of night Zed usually favored. He used to spend them outside, alone, meditating after he was done with his students for the day. He wondered how he'd spend them now. But he was tired, too tired to think about that or appreciate the weather. He needed to find somewhere to sleep.
He was at a loss, for a moment. He wanted somewhere isolated and private. Naturally, the master's old rooms seemed appropriate. They were separated from the main structure, spacious, and simple enough that Zed wouldn't have to tear out all the old decorations. He found the small temple, hidden away in the dark behind drooping trees and covered in leafy vines that masked the building's exterior. He opened the door, entering the inky interior. It smelled of incense and wood, a homey smell. It took a moment for him to locate one of the torches on the wall, using it to find his way to the main bedroom.
The room was bare except for the large bed dominating the center of the room; there was a bathroom connected, but Zed ignored it. He put the torch back on a hook on the wall, blew it out, and collapsed onto the bed. He sighed as his sore muscles relaxed, sinking into the thin blankets. He allowed himself a couple seconds to lie completely still. He didn't realize before how much everything hurt; his arms, his legs, his head.
He tore off the mask and let it fall to the floor, fingers gingerly probing the raw wound that stretched across his face.
He flinched.
It stung badly, the skin around the initial cut throbbing. He tried his best to ignore it as he closed his eyes, focusing on deep breaths. But even is his body could relax, his mind was racing. He could feel the shadow that was not there this morning, lurking in the corners of his mind. It whispered disgusting, horrific things, quiet enough that Zed could still feel himself edging towards sleep, but loud enough so that for the first time in his entire life, nightmares haunted his dreams.