We have seen Edreg's thoughts, how he blames Zacyr for everything. But what about his group members? What is Rudeg like, why is Dancing Shadow named Dancing Shadow?

Perhaps we should see the group from the eyes of the one member who rarely speaks.

Kesi yawned as he finished up his food. The sun was starting to go down. It was almost time to sleep. He really enjoyed being in nature, and smiled as he eyed the lake they were next to. They had gotten fish from it using Kesi's quills as spears. He really liked feeling like he was needed for something.

"Hey, Kesi."

Kesi looked up as Dancing Shadow gently eased himself down to sit next to Kesi. The two of them smiled at each other as they heard Edreg and Rudeg a little bit away, both of them sparring. For a bit both Kesi and Dancing Shadow were silent, just enjoying the sound of nature. It seemed like forever passed before Dancing Shadow spoke, his gentle voice getting Kesi to smile more. "The two of us don't really get the chance to talk that much, do we?"

Kesi smiled back. "Yeah. It's really weird too, since I could actually have a conversation with you. Rudeg only wants to talk about how she believes we should be enslaving a few humans and forcing them to carry our stuff. I've tried to start a conversation with Edreg, but it always turns to Zacyr . . . and now Cody. I . . . I still can't believe that happened."

Dancing Shadow sighed. "My tribe believed that when people die, their spirit finds itself in their favorite place."

Kesi chuckled as he thought of that. "I don't know about that. Cody's not right next to Edreg's side at the moment, so that can't be true."

Dancing Shadow chuckled as they looked back at Edreg, who was parrying a blow from Rudeg's quill-staff with his claws. "That is true. Cody adored Edreg. He never failed to get me to smile."

Kesi nodded at that, although he noticed the pain still etched on Edreg's face. It really confused him. Edreg had never liked Cody before. "Didn't Edreg always threaten to kill Cody if he didn't act his age?"

Dancing Shadow chuckled at that. "So true. Edreg always got annoyed at Cody, but I've always noticed that he smiled towards Cody whenever he thought no one was looking. I think that he enjoyed Cody's presence, because Cody allowed Edreg to vent out his anger by yelling at him. What was more, Cody never took it personally."

Kesi smiled at that thought. Cody never really did seem to realize when he was irritating anyone else. It was a bit before they spoke again, but Kesi decided to ask something that had been bugging him for a while. "So what's your story, Dancing Shadow?"

Dancing Shadow sighed as he leaned against a large rock. "I've always been raised for fighting. My tribe wanted to beat a different tribe, and I was their answer. They trained me for a long time, and eventually I became a +Anima. They couldn't have been happier. Soon we stood on the battlefield, and . . . that was the first day I took a life. It wasn't just one life either. By the time the last of my enemies fell, I had taken twenty-seven lives."

Kesi gulped as Dancing Shadow looked off into the distance, a sad expression on his face. "Though I had defeated the enemy, I was the only survivor. Then the ring workers found me, I was too exhausted to fight them off . . . and I began killing again in order to stay alive. About . . . four days ago, I was moved to a new arena to fight the arena's champion, Toxic Sting. We were allowed to speak to each other, and both of us confessed our eagerness to fight each other."

Kesi flinched at that. "I . . . I wouldn't see you as the . . . well . . . bloodthirsty type, Dancing Shadow."

Dancing Shadow smiled at Kesi. "I don't mean like that. We were dulled by all the blood on our hands, we were hoping for a challenging fight. Of course though, the four of you rescued me before the fight could take place. Sarysi and I still want to fight each other, to see who is the stronger."

Dancing Shadow sighed as he looked to the sky, his kind eyes glazing over for a moment. "I was born to become a fighter, to defeat the other tribe. That purpose has been fulfilled. I will have no regrets if I die, I am no longer needed."

Kesi couldn't believe how matter-of-factly Dancing Shadow was able to say that. He truly did sound like he would have no regrets, but . . . Kesi looked the other way. It was so hard for him to understand what most other people thought.

"So what about Rudeg?"

Kesi looked back at Dancing Shadow, who warily eyed Rudeg. After they realized she hadn't heard, Dancing Shadow explained quietly. "I have never seen someone with skin as black as hers, nor have I seen someone so zealous. I can understand her being angry at humans, but she takes that to the next level. She loathes them and refuses to believe they can do anything."

Kesi sighed as he looked at the quill in his hand. "Have you heard of albinos?"

Dancing Shadow nodded, and Kesi sighed again. "Rudeg's pitch-black skin is caused by her having the opposite problem as albinos. Instead of her body having a lack of melanin, it has much more than normal, causing her skin to be entirely black. She's used to it now, and doesn't let it bother her."

As Dancing Shadow cocked his head, motioning for Kesi to go on, Kesi sighed. "I . . . I really don't know why she's so anti-human. It's very rare to see her out of her +Anima form, although it's happened once or twice. She just hates her human side."

To Kesi's relief, Dancing Shadow let the subject drop. As Edreg and Rudeg shook hands, indicating that they both were done sparring for now, Dancing Shadow cleared his throat. "Alright, Edreg. We should go to sleep for now."

Edreg nodded, and soon all four of them were lying down to go to sleep. Kesi smiled as Edreg mumbled to himself about how tomorrow, they'd find a way to kill Zacyr. That and Cody were the only things Edreg would talk about now. At the same time he also heard Rudeg praying to her god, promising to put the humans in their place. Kesi was so used to her doing that now that he didn't even lift an eyebrow, and it wasn't long before sleep overtook him.

Strange. Kesi's a rather pleasant kid to be in a group of killers. I guess there has to be one person in a group that plays the quiet type.