I just realized this chapter was missing. So hope you enjoy this chapter.


I had been sleeping peacefully after the past three weeks of training. Not a day went by where I had any break, with at least five sessions per day, learning about self control and occasionally training in the practice of martial arts. I surprised myself, since I had not once revealed my power. Shade had not even tried to come out, but he still haunted my dreams. Such as the dream I was having before the Kestrel woke me up, and quite rudely. As in, flipping the bed. I was given such a fright, I thought that I would have blacked out, and then come back to reality to find him dead by the demon inside.

I started when I found myself and the bed turning over, gasping from fright as I stood up frantically, looking around for the attacker. I found Kass standing there with an amused look on his face. I glared at him for a second, and sighed, exhausted from his constant teachings.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, stuttering ever so slightly, if at all. He ignored my question and went to his pack. It was a small backpack, leaning against the walls of the small makeshift house. He sifted through it until he found what he was searching for. A pair of small radios. He tossed one to me, and I caught it, almost dropping it clumsily.

"It's time to let you have a break. That's so you can contact me." I couldn't believe it. He was going to give me a break? I must have skipped a breath, and immediately I was heading to the door. Then he spoke again. "But I'm coming with you." Those words stopped me in my tracks. Now I had to deal with him coming along. All I wanted was to have some time alone, even it was physically impossible with Shade being around all the time.

I sighed, and waited at the door for him. He spent a long time gathering supplies, as if he were preparing for some disaster to happen. I was dumbfounded to find him only carrying a couple of things, taking in the fact he had spent almost five whole minutes searching for things around the home. He had a lot of stuff in his home, most of which I hadn't noticed the first time I had arrived. On him, he had a utility belt around his waist with several items on it. On his talons he had brown gloves covering them. He had a pair of glasses over his eyes, and from next to the door, he retrieved a brown cloak. I really found it to be looking odd, but I'd seen enough off things to think this was common. I had to expect that we would be heading into trouble, because of his gear, and that instilled fear in me.

"Don't be such a wuss, kid"I heard. At first, I thought it was Kass. but he was busy playing with his gear. "What, you not used to me no more? Well that makes me feel loved"the voice inside hissed sarcastically. I mentally scowled at it.

"You better stay out of this" I growled back, in my mind.

"No worries with me. I won't intervene. Unless you need me. Just say so, and I'm out...Besides, I can't beat your mind now. You've kept me back this long, haven't you?"I'm not sure why, but I could have sworn he snickered at the end.

"I mean it" I received no reply, but I felt his feelings, which were carefree. Kass pushed the door open, and we both went through. The light of the sun burned into my eyes, being absent for the past weeks of training. I had to raise my wing to the glowing orb in the sky, blotting out the sun from my sight with only a bit seeping through the feathers of my green wings.

"Why did you never give me a break?" I mumbled, unsure if Kass had heard me. If he had, then he chose to ignore. I looked to where he was to find him gone, and panicked slightly before finding him down the street. There were people walking everywhere, almost stepping on me. For some reason, the kestrel did not choose to fly, but instead walk. I wasn't sure what to make of it, so I just followed along, narrowly dodging the human's feet and the shoes they wore. If I was to be stepped on, whoever does step on me would probably fall over due to surprise from my pained squawk that I would make.

Though once we cleared the crowd, Kass spread his wings and took flight. His speed was like nothing I had seen, and by the time I had lifted from the ground, he was several blocks down. At least he had the decency of going in a straight line and stopping to look back at me. I soon reached him, huffing and puffing from exhaustion. If I never had to use my wings in those training sessions, I would have caught up in no time.

"It seems that we must work on your stamina next, as well as durability to travel long distances." I had moved my head up to scowl at him, but he had turned around and gone ahead by the time I had looked up. For every one of my wing beats, there was a wave of exhaustion that came over me. I soon found myself trying to catch my breath again, and luckily he had stopped, this time landing on a roof made of tin sheets.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked. All he did was give me a sideways glance, then looked down to a market below. I knew then that this was our destination. Kass leapt from the roof and dived down, landing neatly on the ground effortlessly. Me, on the other hand, almost ended up in a large melon on a stall behind him. No matter how hard I tried, I was still tired. I thought I had heard Shade make some witty comment, but I had managed to block out his voice, thanks to Kass's discipline training.

"We are here." He started towards a stall with a large black cloth draped over the top of it, dropping over all the sides. He went behind it, and I followed to find him holding it up for me. I arched forward, almost losing balance and stumbled in. I quickly corrected myself, acting as if nothing happened. But it was a bit too late for that, as I heard a snicker ahead of me. In the center of the floor was a small block with three others around it.

To the right was a female Hyacinth macaw, who was oddly enough a bit on the short side. She had one pearly blue eye, with the other being a dark red. Her plumage was dark blue, with bright yellow markings. In the center was a tall Harpy Eagle. He had dark brown eyes and a muscular build, with several shades of feathers covering it. His upper body was a slate black, with a pale grey head and a white underside. And to the left was a Chestnut Woodpecker. He had emerald green eyes, and scratches lining his beak. His body was a chestnut brown, with his rump, flanks and the rest of his underside being yellow. There were several scars on his face, one just below his eye and another long one going from the back of his head to back of his beak, curving around. Out of all of them, he looked the most menacing.

Kass edged me forward, almost forcing me to take a seat. I was seated between him and the Hyacinth, with him being next to the menacing woodpecker. It was quite an odd bunch, I mean, who knew woodpeckers could be scary? Not me, yet here I was, constantly eyeing the creepy bird out of fear.

"My friends" Kass began, looking back and forth between the other members at the table. They stared to him attentively, while I had a confused look on my face. "We have found the one who can help us against our enemy. This young gentlemen," he gestured to me with both open wings "can help us. We now have our fifth member." My eyes shot to him, filled with utter shock and confusion. I hadn't even consented to joining him!

"You expect this boy to help us?" the woodpecker queried with a hissing tone. Even though he was agreeing with me somewhat, he was still scary. "He looks as if he can barely lift an apple!" he added. I was rather insulted, but it seemed that Kass was more so. His face was suddenly twisted with anger.

"Hold your tongue if you cannot use it wisely! I have trained him, and I am sure he can lift two if he wished to!" The woodpeckers beak snapped shut, glancing away with a dark expression upon his features. Kass turned back to the others, calm in an instant. "Now, to continue. For so long, have we been searching for him. For so long, have we been searching for the one that wields dark powers and becomes one with shadow." I froze as he spoke those words. How did he know? He gave his answer right away, obviously noticing my sudden movement. "Yes, we know of your powers. I knew as soon as I looked upon you. And now, we can achieve the greatness we have been searching for!" He stood up, with the others rising with him. "Soon, our enemy shall know what defeat is! To freedom!"

"To freedom!" The others but the eagle chanted, raising their clenched wings. I continued to sit there, staring with a blank expression, confusion swirling in my eyes. They're chanting was soon interrupted as we heard footsteps outside.

"How did they find us?" the Hyacinth exclaimed, her face filled with terror. The others launched themselves from their seats, and just in time as a group of attackers barged in. They were armed with an assortment of blades.

"Take them all!" the leader ordered, then proceeded to point his blade towards me. "The master wants him alive." I gulped, now standing and facing him, my eyes fixed on his icy gaze. There was a small moment of silence, everyone being still. Then, all that changed in a second.

The woodpecker was the first to make a move. He charged forward, his wings changing in an instant. They became a glistening steel, the feathers merging into one to form two thin blades. He lurched towards his closest target, and with a quick cross swing, he sliced his victim into two halves. Next was Kass, throwing his wings into the air, then swinging them forward. I was amazed by the mystic purple glow that came from the feathers that flew across the room. Upon contact, they exploded in an array of lights, going off simultaneously. As the bodies fell, smoke rose from the contact point. The eagle flipped the table over me, forcing me to duck. And a good thing too, or otherwise my head would have gone flying from a bullet by his dual pistols. The Hyacinth somehow appeared behind the leader, snapping his neck with one fluent motion. And that was it. In those few mere seconds, not a single attacker got a hit on any of us.

"I vote we scram" the woodpecker suggested.

"I second that." With that, we left in a hurry, leaving the mess behind.