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Chapter Text

A cloaked girl sat on top of a dark roof, overseeing the crowded square below her. An untrained eye would only see a weathered gargoyle, setting his impenetrable gaze on the commoners and judging their actions, but to an experienced watch like hers, it would be immediately distinct that it was an unwanted watcher and not a stone, lifeless statue. She couldn't tell now, but there was exactly one pair of eyes that had already noticed her. A pair of bright, vivid eyes, peering on her and blazing with unfriendly intentions.

Niki studied every corner of the market, trying to burn the whole picture into her mind with as much details as possible. The market below was an animal market - donkeys brayed, cows mooed, goats bleated - and the smell was horrendous, the scents of unwashed fur, horse apples and manure combining into one pungent odour that covered the whole market. Niki only scrunched up her nose and watched even more closely. She was quite used to getting a whiff of this stuff, and the market's putrid smell wasn't that bad as at any other given day. The worst time to be here was summer because the heat didn't help in the slightest. Autumn, which was now, wasn't the best either, but give or take it was all she had at the moment.

Niki narrowed her eyes, setting her gaze on one of the mule merchants, searching for any hues.

There wasn't any evidence of colour - her whole world was in black and white, setting her everyday routine in a monochrome boredom that was occasionally broken by glimpses of hues that instantly disappeared by her blade in the victim's stomach. The hybrids she hunted down were always pathetic throwaways, stuttering pleas and begging for life when she trapped them in ominous alleys. A rapid strike with her dagger was all she needed to do, and before anyone could find the dead body, all they could notice was the waving of her cloak vanishing behind a corner. After they had found out that the victim was just a mixed-breed creature, with their weird droopy orange ears and a greasy fox-like tale, it was more than probable that they would leave the corpse to rot there.

The girl's eyes scanned the scene for one final time. This place was clear, time to move on.

Niki jumped up and stretched her legs. A grin appeared on her front, as a familiar itch blazed through her body that was stiffened by her unstirred squatting. The two daggers hid in the veils of her cloak dug into her thighs. It wasn't uncomfortable, but quite the opposite, as it became a sign of her ability to finally defend herself. When she didn't feel the duo of blades by her side, a knot of anxiousness emerged in her abdomen and the feeling didn't leave until she felt them in her hands again.

The cloaked girl started running. She dodged obstacles, snuck under windows and held herself on the tight parapets, climbed on massive columns and jumped across wide gaps with striped sails of stands below her feet, where owners started yelling just as she had bounced off them. It filled her with an addictive sense of adrenaline. Niki loved the rapid pumping of her heart, the deep drums of blood beating in her ears, the sharp and shallow breaths she took, the blazing fire in her lungs and the spikes of agony in her sides. This was her life. And she loved it.

Another square, crowded to the brim by swarms and swarms of people, old or young, rich or poor, it didn't matter. They were all uninteresting, dim silhouettes to her.

She reached for her cape to put it back on, as her sprints caused it to fall back and reveal the dark locks with a pale streak on the front that Niki had since she was born. The falling sun shone through the hair and the rays coming through blinded her for a moment, but she dropped her eyes down and looked on the square below. A loud caw could be heard above her - a passing crow, probably delivering an important note.

This market was almost the same as the first one, except it was filled to the brim with food. Merchants shouted, "Fresh pies! Fresh pies straight from the oven!" and "Apples! Pears! Plums! We all have it here!" and "Bread! The best in the entirety of Themis!" So they yelled and shouted to try and conquer their fellow merchant-competition, their goods emitting numerous smells, going from almonds, cottage cheese and freshly baked bread to cheese pies, meat sticks roasting above hot iron cots and baked potatoes. She preferred to be here the most - what could she say, food was food and missing piece of bread here and there wasn't really that rare.

No colours. Hm.

She was just about to get to another market, but only the creeping, whirling sense of eerie suspicion stopped her to continue in her ways. There was something, someone she searched for. So, she waited, squatting on an edge of a pub, as she guessed from the rummage that came from the inside, and looked for any signs of the fulfilling colours.

The dark slowly fell onto the busy city like a suffocating, heavy blanket, leaving only the streetlamps to light up the winding and confusing corridors which crossed between the towering homes and lively stores. Niki's gaze never left the entrance into the bar and went unstirred for the past hours, putting up to a level of a skilled hunter that patiently looked out for his unknowing prey.

Suddenly, a man appeared on the tavern's porch, stumbling with a flask of booze in his hand, and slowly went on his long and gruelling way to a next-door alley. He tottered uncontrollably, causing him to fall several times, although it seemed that something had always caught him just before he felt the hard bricks dig into his side.

Niki watched, seed of suspicion sprouting in the corner of her mind. The man had an oversized, leather coat, but the odd thing that stopped the girl was the whirling and waving from beneath the coat's back. All her instincts were screaming at her to follow him.

She jumped down as soon as the drunkard disappeared behind the street's corner. In complete silence, Niki quickly peeked on the state of the man, who had been limply leaning against the local's wall with the bottleneck on his lips. She wasn't sure completely if he was a threat or not, so a dagger in her hand was a welcoming reassuring.

Her feet swiftly took her to the man, and she jumped on him from behind. He huffed at the sudden weight on his back and stumbled forward, causing Niki to fall over his head. The girl's neck snapped back. Her eyes quickly wandered across the man's features to catch at least a glimpse of colour she oh so desperately craved. She needed to see the hues, as only those with animal roots had that brightly coloured bestial features that were only coloured stronger when more of the brute's blood circulated in their veins. But if Niki made a mistake and attacked a human, it would be a great disappointment for the Master.

To her horror, there wasn't even a hint of colour. They were dark like the night.

The man's hazed eyes peered into hers. There was a moment of silence before a wave of shame flushed over her.

"I- I'm terribly sorr-"

A rapid flash of something long striking the ground cut her off. Niki's head immediately turned to the unknown object. A long, lanky, hairy stick was sticking out of the pile of cobblestone next to her. Warm, purple hues glazed it with uneven lines.

Niki knew that wasn't a stick. And that the man leaning over her wasn't a human.

The hybrid's coat slowly raised up above the owner's head and fell down, revealing another seven of the slender purplish legs that ominously twitched in the air. He looked at her, and only now she could see the sparking purple in his eyes, before hid in the dark of the night.

Niki's dagger swiftly cut through the limb next to her, earning a yelp from its owner, and used her second weapon to thrust it into the man's heart. It was a quick work; the hybrid was no match to her.

The spider hybrid (or that was what Niki thought, guessing from the number of his legs and from his altogether looks) gave out an animal-like screech, showing the girl his previously hid fangs in his mouth, and tried to step back on his legs. Niki pulled out her weapon and jumped on her feet, watching the hybrid collapse on his coat with twitching legs across the whole alley. The bottle he had held shattered in contact with the hard rock, spilling the alcohol all over the cobblestone.

Only a quick glance was all she needed to know that the hybrid was definitely dead.

Niki took in a deep breath and looked around, trying to spot any unwanted eyes that could've caused her problems. With a safe way out, the girl bounced off the inn's walls and climbed onto the roof she previously squatted on, hiding her daggers in the veils of her cloak and putting her cape back on, as it had fell in the fight.

There was nothing left to be said.

Niki let herself silently vanish into the night, might to look for a new prey, might to head back to her former home.

A pair of deeply painted eyes had watched it unravel with great amusement.

~•~•~•~

The Master sat on his throne and played with a couple of strings, stretching them, and crossing them in varied angles and ways. His looks were reserved for his little one, who had been training on the courtyard since she had arrived on his grounds in the dead of the night.

The Master was pleased with her progress, as he was the one who had coached her from the day one of her stay here.

Niki's training in the dark was focused on her aim with a crossbow. She had become better with it in recent weeks, but her urge to learn it to perfection kept her under the night's sky for hours on end.

The dummies she had been training on were impaled to the brim with long and heavy arrows, which caused her the largest struggle. Niki's short and light figure had its benefits and its flaws, like being able to dodge strikes quickly, but having problems to keep a broadsword up. So, to carry around a hefty weapon like this with a stack of weighty ammunition on her back wasn't an easy task. Niki's monochrome vision wasn't the best addition to hunting in the dark too.

The training girl narrowed her eyes and focused her vision on the dummy furthest in the back. A moment of silence followed after, as she put all of her attention on the target.

"Go a little more up."

Niki listened. An arrow in the dummies' head right after caused a smile to appear on the girl's front. With a corner of her eye, she noticed a man standing behind her back.

"I aimed for the heart." The girl playfully remarked and put down the crossbow, knowing well she had tried to hit the head.

"I'll definitely trust that." The man behind her placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Niki laughed and turned to him.

Beneath his light locks, a set of piercing eyes settled on her. His mouth and nose remained covered by a neckcloth, preventing Niki to see his face in its entirety. The rest of his outfit was a long-armed tunic, loose pants, dark gauntlets, and a pair of high, laced shoes. Around his neck a necklace sat with a pendant hanging from it, remaining a mystery of what was inside it as she had never seen it.

The Master.

"I've heard you had a successful hunt." He stated. Light of a lantern in his grasp threw sharp shadows onto his front as he spoke.

Soft steps rustled by, probably a guard, and Niki noted that they still weren't completely alone. So formalities all over again it seemed. The girl scoffed in her mind; she had hated this so much.

"Yes, Master." Niki's gaze wandered onto her daggers, which were still stained with the hybrid's blood. It wasn't the best treatment that she could give the steel, but Niki knew that the daggers would be fine, given their special way of creation. They were forged and formed in the hottest of flames, made out of the best damascus steel, and damped in the blood of hybrids. It almost seemed like the daggers would welcome and enjoy the opportunity to feel the beast's gore drip again from their tips.

"I've told you many times - you don't need to call me Master."

"Sure..." Niki sighed and picked up her crossbow, closely studying the cryptic engravings on the dark wood that showered her with golden, glistering rays.

"Good. Well... continue your training. When you're finished, meet me in my rooms." The Master nodded and headed back, leaving the girl, in the dark, to her never-ending drill.

Niki was pleased that the Master knew about her round and abouts.

~•~•~•~

The Master was waiting.

The plan of the city was clearly unravelled before him, with varied figurines of units and beasts scattered all around the map, and with a lantern holding one of the corners and casting a soft light on the paper below.

The map showed every street and square, every hybrid clan's headquarters and every one of his available troops.

As Niki noticed from peeking behind the door, Master's gaze was lingering particularly on one section right next to this district. Threads around his fingers stretched, he seemed to be contemplating the next move with his troops.

When Niki decided it was the time to step in, the Master eased the threads in his hand and then only continued to watch over the map.

With light steps, she ended up by the map too and, in silence, looked on the district that seemed to bother Master.

Themis, the city shown before them, was big. It had always surprised Niki just with its sheer size, with the number of little twists and corridors that navigated the houses and slums, which, with the ever-growing population, had become even build on top of each other, creating the perfect environment for her travels.

So, having a map long a couple of metres and with figures and marks standing almost everywhere, it had sometimes become for her even overwhelming.

Like now.

Niki blinked and squinted her eyes, trying to focus. The today's intense training hadn't helped her with her troubles, making her head fuzzy and vision blurred, but she still tried to take the whole picture in. And even though she had tried multiple times again and again, her stubbornness didn't let her off that easily.

It took a long time before she looked back up and saw Master's impenetrable gaze studying her, making her flinch a little. It took a small chuckle out of him, his tensed shoulders dropping down.

"Little hunter couldn't stand a small scare?"

Niki jokingly scoffed. "Aw, shut up." Her elbow lightly poked him into his ribcage, the overwhelming tension evaporating in an instant. They were in his rooms, meaning no servants nor warriors could storm in and interrupt them, so a lighter and more laid-back atmosphere took hold. Niki relished these moments; she could be finally her true self and show Master how she really felt around him.

Master nodded again and sighed through his neckcloth, turning back at the troops he was once pondering about.

"What's the problem?" Niki gently asked, noticing Master's furrowed eyebrows. Something was clearly bugging him.

"Look at D7."

Niki followed his instructions, her eyes landing on a district just right next to theirs.

Eccad.

The second most powerful of all of the three districts. And also the last one of remaining places of hybrids' revolts. In the district's heart, there was the most enemy troops she had ever seen on the map. They were all there, in one place.

"That's... unsettling." The girl choked out; her eyes still locked on the district.

"I know. But- look at C5. It's a side branch of the new clan, and we still don't have much information about them. They're a wild card, which," The Master peered ahead, his mind clearly occupied by something. "...which worries me."

Although Master didn't say something overly commanding, there was a request hidden in his words, and that to inquire information about this exact clan. She put her cape on, hiding her face in a veil of darkness.

Master shifted and pointed at the headquarters of another hybrid clan, whose residence sat in the third district, tracing a line between them and Eccad. "They have strong connections to other clans, probably through their leader. And..."

The Master glanced at her, the small and yet experienced warrior that he had guided himself. He twisted the threads for one final time.

"...not now. You should get some rest."

Niki sighed but didn't argue with him and put her cape back down. She knew it would be pointless to say something against his word.

With a nod, she answered in affirmative. "Okay."

Master's eyes locking back at the map below, Niki took it as a sign to leave.

"Good night."

Behind her receding back, a wry smile stretched beneath Master's neckcloth.

Chapter Text

Niki woke up relatively early, the sun hadn't even shown up. In her dim room, books scattered across the floor, she changed into her casual clothes - leathered pants with knee pads, which were often helpful than not while travelling through the varied districts, a dark-ish (when Niki asked what colour it was, the Master answered brown, but Niki had only seen brown once, and that on a weasel hybrid's tail - so it was quite hard to recall the colour) baggy tunic, a pair of flexible shoes, which were her source of proud boasting to others, and her cape.

She wasn't a fan of skirts or dresses, instead she usually wore boy's clothes. It was more practical, and it didn't really get her in way, so she had deemed it as the best option. Niki was raised more for twelve years as a boy too, with her enjoying things as fighting, so a push towards a more 'boy-ish' things was quite expected.

After Niki had prepared, she headed towards a lower floor of the house she called her home, nodding at guards passing by. Jumping from wooden stairs, Master suddenly appeared in Niki's vision and gave her a death stare.

Her face red, Niki dropped her gaze down. Master had said multiple times that he was fine with Niki running around outside of the house, but when indoors, she needed to follow rules. It had bugged her since, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

When Niki realized that Master's gaze was still locked on her, he gave her a kind look, but that quickly vanished too.

"Good morning." The Master said, straightening up. Niki gave him a nod back, noticing he had a thing he wanted to say.

"I suppose you're going there." His fingers fiddled with a familiar group of threads, his mind occupied.

"Yes." Niki was already feeling that she was late, she had wanted to be on her way as soon as possible, but the sun had already appeared from behind horizon.

Sensing her longing for the city outside, the Master let the girl go.

Niki was on her feet once again.

~•~•~•~

Barely standing on a windowsill, Niki clawed at stones above her for support. Eccad seemed to have more stony buildings, which she was glad for, but the main issue she suddenly had to face was roofs.

It bothered her so much. Rooftops were her place, they were instant ways in and out, but due to poor work, she suddenly lost that certainty too. The thatching was loose, meaning any could come adrift at any point and take her with it. Niki was skilled, so that wasn't that much of a problem. More threating was the fact she was in enemy's territory, and there was a solid chance of running into a hybrid patrol while on the roofs. Not to tempt her luck, she had decided to stay low.

So, there she was, jumping from one parapet to another, whilst trying to remain unnoticed as possible. It was- so- painfully slow.

It was already noon, and Niki still hadn't found anything. Streets beneath her were still dull, left of any colour, and the people going by were still a boring smudge. Although there were sometimes hints of pastel and muted colours, they had always passed her by. She tensed at every small flash of hue she glimpsed at, but other than that, there wasn't much else going on. The girl was here to investigate, not to fight.

After a bit of travelling around, she had finally settled on an edge of one of the homes, just next to the longest and widest street, which seemed the artery of Eccad. Carriages clattered on the cobblestone below, horses snorted and indignant shouts sometimes cut off the endless hum of the street. Dust and grime leniently whirled above the noisiest part of the path, and next to it, couple of stalls and merchants stood by, desperate to catch some potential customers.

Her body finally getting relieved of her numerous aches, the girl finally got the chance to study this district closely. She hadn't had that many chances to do it before, as it was rare to get quests in Eccad. Maybe to its edge, but honestly not to its heart.

So, Niki overlooked the street stretching before her, her gaze curious.

It wasn't a pleasant view.

There was something sudden about the way the picture had burned into her head. Something eerie, something ominous made her hair on her arms stand up.

Her eyes darted from one side to another, her form tense. One hand on her daggers' hilts, a weird sensation quaked with her being.

The Eccad's street was fairly usual. People haggled with merchants, horses' hooves clapped on the rock slabs, which were the only difference from Siris' streets she could spot, and loud laughter came from the inn just behind a corner. The masses of rock and stone used on homes were a quite of a difference, but this street wasn't too much of a change.

Except the brightly vivid pair of eyes she had spotted by one of some merchant's store.

Pink. They were vividly pink.

They had peered right into her soul like a set of burning flames. It had forged a print into her mind with ease, leaving her startled and with only question - to whom did they belong to?

Guessing, Niki was fairly certain they didn't have friendly intentions. She was in Eccad, after all - in a hybrid-infested district. And every hybrid was an enemy to her.

Niki sighed. The chase had begun.

With a couple of skilled steps - one hand on the roof, right leg down, let go of the parapet with other hand - the girl covered by her cloak landed on the hard tiling, drawing couple of stares from the people standing by. She didn't wait and immediately started making her way down the wide street, slithering through the bodies and sometimes slight shoving the others away.

Her eyes were fixated on the spot she had seen the hybrid at - a simple shop on the left side of the street, selling wicker baskets.

Niki was running over to it, and midway, she noticed a brown, fluffy tail peeking from behind someone's robe. She clenched her teeth and stopped just before the merchant's little counter.

A glassy look landed on her, the trader's eyes flaring like a golden coin in noon. Niki wasn't here to buy a basket though - she was here to hunt.

"Sir, have you seen where did the..." Niki pondered. "...the latest customer of yours wonder?"

The merchant licked his lips. "No."

The girl placed a one coin on the shop's counter. The merchant didn't even move a muscle. Niki tried again, her head down, so the trader couldn't look and memorize her face.

Three coins were finally enough to loosen his tongue.

"Turn left on the next corner."

Niki nodded. Without any other formalities, she was trotting again, her eyes wide for any signs of vivid colours. Her face hid behind a cape, it felt like a blanket of safety that kept her anonymous. She had understood many times why the Master chose a mask to hide away his features - so in his steps, Niki had chosen a cloak to do the very same thing.

Turning left as the merchant had told her, Niki searched the smaller street for the mysterious person she was so intrigued about. Bitter taste filling her mouth, the street, the houses, and people were all dully gray, meaning she had lost the track.

She had found herself in one of the less well-known parts of Eccad. Some of the men who were leant on the stone walls were already drunk, judging by their dulled eyes, regardless that it was the middle of the day. The others were just using this alley to get to another market or a plaza, too scared to hurry through the dust and carriages that could easily run someone over.

But as Niki weaved through the crowd, keeping her head down, the girl noticed something... unusual.

Small droplets of blood stained the tiling beneath her. With their vivid red, she could easily see another clump of those just metres away. And then another. And another.

Her legs scurrying, she kept on sneaking, one hand on the daggers. Finding her way into an even narrower alley, the blood trail suddenly stopped unceremoniously, no indication where the originator could have gone.

Niki looked around. To her right - nothing. To her left - nothing. There was no way down. So, the only option was the rooftop.

She clenched her teeth. It was important to not be caught, but this could possibly be the most important piece of information she had ever gathered.

A deep breath out, Niki charged against the wall and bounced off it, remembering to change legs one after the other. Rebouncing on the other wall, she was almost at the top.

She was pleasantly surprised to see the trace continue on the hot roofs, the blood slowly evaporating and leaving pastel red crusts behind them. It wasn't great that the blood wasn't as new as she would have liked, but she took it as it was, nonetheless.

A couple of crows watched her, bead-like eyes digging into her back and studying her curiously. Niki flicked them off with her arm, and looked as a couple of dark feathers dimmed the shining sun. However, she quickly remembered to not trail off and track after the blood stains.

Her eyes glued on the roof, looking for clues if this or that thatch was about to fall off or not, she followed the trail. After a minute of not looking around herself, Niki realized that the patrols were still a large threat. More careful and quicker this time, she persisted.

Couple of alleys jumped and uncountable number of roofs ran over, just before a courtyard, the blood spills vanished. Without a clue, Niki decided to investigate the closest thing by - the courtyard.

After a quick check if no one was following or watching her, she swiftly glided down with the help of a gutter. Once she was down, it was time to hide and wait.

Niki found a perfect place behind a bush, where a small hole was, letting her to make a place for herself and remain covered.

The one thing she feared the most right now was if the hybrid she had followed had a strong sense of smell. Even cover wouldn't help her in this situation, without wind and other smell for protection.

Niki waited.

The sun slowly swung to the girl's left. The rays shone in her face, and she watched as they played with her light streak of hair and danced between the locks.

She was facing north. With nothing to do, she had checked million times if it was right. As anticipated, it was.

The air was still. Niki didn't know why it was bothering her, but it was slowly turning her insane.

She looked around. Bushes, grass lawns, flowers... It was all great. But what it truly missed... was a tree. A beautiful, greatly branched tree, with the right amount of support for her but enough space to let her to freely look around and admire the view. It felt childish, but this inexplainable longing couldn't get that easily off her thoughts.

Themis lacked trees. It had bushes, grass, flowers... but not trees. After she had somewhat grown up, it suddenly made sense why it was like this. The trees simply wouldn't last long enough to grow. Funnily enough, the population of Themis was getting bigger and bigger. Mines that mined necessary materials were thining their resources. Stone and rock weren't that easily accessible and nowadays not everyone could afford them. So, the next in play was wood.

Trees would be just chopped down if planted in Themis.

Niki shook her head, trying to clear it. This was a mission. She needed to pay attention to every single detail. Otherwise... the Master wouldn't be happy.

A minute passed of complete silence.

Then, suddenly, two beings came into her view. Or to be more specific, two hybrids. They all had long cloaks covering their entire bodies, although Niki could still spot some of their hybrid signs.

Niki would be lying if she said that she didn't feel a surge of joy when looking at hybrids' colours. Her eyes remained locked on them, one little part of herself enjoying the various hues.

Both of them let go of their capes, revealing their true identity, while quietly whispering to each other.

One of them had a black and white face, his eyes vividly green and red. A fluffy tail twitched from beneath his cloak, and as the hybrid slightly shifted, purple particles silently whirled all around him.

The other had a cloak too, although he looked glad to get rid of it and hold it in his hands. Niki understood quickly why it was as a pair of ebony black wings was suddenly stretched from behind him. He also looked to be a little older than the first hybrid. When the bird hybrid turned his head to look at the other, he flicked with his feather ears, revealing to Niki another of his signs of being a hybrid.

Niki tried to memorize as much as she could, it was information that would be later given to Master and she wanted to catch as many details and nuances as possible.

After a while, she noticed from the hybrids' stances that they were certainly waiting for something to happen. Or rather, for someone to come.

And, as Niki had predicted, they were waiting to see another hybrid.

A cape casting a dark shadow on their face, a hybrid emerged from the same door the other two had also come through. Only sign of them being an actual hybrid was a pair of pastel pink hooves peeking behind their long cloak.

But what caught Niki's attention was a massive hammer in the hybrid's hands, the hybrid carrying it with ease. As they came closer to the other two, the duo fell silent and beckoned, welcoming them.

"What happened?" The bird hybrid spoke up and shifted his dark green wings, worry glazing his voice.

The incomer scoffed, their hand coming to the shadow of their face. "Another clash with Siris' mercenaries. It was just a friendly skirmish though." As their arm came back down, Niki noticed a bloody smudge on the back of their hand.

So, this was the person she had been following.

But as the black and white hybrid was about to say something, the newcomer raised his hand and silenced him. "Lethe, another time."

Like on a command, Lethe and the bird hybrid tensed. Niki wondered what had caused their sudden alert.

"And you, Zephyrus, keep looking. We'll find where they reside eventually."

Zephyrus silently nodded.

Niki suddenly noticed how the newcomer kept his hands close, his fingers flicking as in some sort of code. The other's gazes were quickly flicking between them and their surroundings, Zephyrus' hand landing on a hilt of a rapier belted to his waist.

Niki realized quite lately they might know about her presence. And as Lethe sniffed and peered through the bush she was hiding in, signing to the other two hybrids, Niki decided this was the time to get out. Now.

Niki heard the rapier get pulled out as she rapidly shot up the stone wall. In the hurry, one of her hands almost slipped, but she didn't get thrown off tracks by it.

She looked back, her eyes widening as the cloaked hybrid with the enormous hammer was the closest one behind. Her cape fell off, but there wasn't time to put it back, and Niki just jumped up to catch the edge.

Once up, she darted over a set of dark-roofed buildings, trying to remain careful where she stepped, although it was impossible in these circumstances. Her feet just darting under her, breath quick, a screech suddenly cut through the air above her. Head up, Niki sharply inhaled, wings of a hybrid stretched full way in her view.

Zephyrus came down in an attempt to slash at her with his rapier. Niki sharply turned and dropped on the thatching of the roof.

Her feet lost support. She collapsed, realizing it was probably a loose part she had stepped on.

The girl heard a swish just moments after she started sliding down, letting her know as a warning what could possibly happen if she stopped now.

Niki realized she was at the end of the roof and used her momentum to get to her feet and leap, just barely closing the distance to grab onto the other rough roof.

The thatching painfully dug into her stomach, and she huffed at the hit, her fingers scrambling for any support. But as her gaze lingered on pile garbage close by and not that far down, Niki decided to let go. The roofs weren't as safe as she had fantasized in the first place.

Landing in the pile of garbage, Niki almost gagged at the smell. But even through the horrendous odor, a wave of relief crashed over her. She didn't feel any pain, so she must have landed better than the last time she had tried a similar bit.

Niki bitterly grinned. Her wrist still hurt at the thought.

Swiftly swimming through the garbage, the girl found her way into a busier street, the evening sun showering her with its rays.

Looking back, a silhouette appeared in the dark alley, a hammer in their hands, and a set of eyes staring at her.

A set of sickly crimson eyes.

Niki shivered.

~•~•~•~

"I- I don't know who it was." Niki looked down, voice quiet. The Master finally let her to step into his rooms, and now she was scolded under his scrutinizing gaze like a badly behaving apprentice.

Niki thought that Master might only have a bad mood.

"Really?" The Master quirked a brow, his expression unyielding.

"Yes. I can only tell you how they looked, that's all I have." Niki sighed, then continued after the Master twirled with his fingers in a 'go on' motion.

"They had a large hammer. That's a sign we could build onto. And then... they had... hooves? I- think?" She shrugged, flushed that there wasn't that much she had remembered. Her eyelids started to fall down, but Niki tried to stay alert and blinked a couple of times to turn away the sleepiness.

The Master furrowed his eyebrows but didn't say anything in the matter.

"They were the leader. Undoubtedly." Niki continued on, hoping the Master might remember. "With them, there was a hybrid called Lethe-"

The Master waved her off. "Don't tell me names. What we need is their species."

The girl gulped. "Well... I saw a bird hybrid and then a one I can't really point my finger at... he had little purple things floating around him and a tail-"

"Ender. That's an ender hybrid." The Master growled. Well, he really didn't have a fun mood to begin with. But Niki's curiosity took hold, the exhaustion she had felt suddenly evaporating into thin air.

"Ender?" She tilted her head.

The Master sighed and rubbed the root of his nose with two fingers - he had known she would ask.

"If you want to know more, just look into the library. There'll be surely some books covering the topic. But- what did you say? A bird hybrid?"

Niki's eyes sparked with joy. She had at least got something out of the Master, better than nothing.

"Yes!" The girl shouted. Niki quickly shut her mouth, taken aback how loudly it sounded.

Master's mask slightly shifted; Niki's eyes met for a second a warm gaze. But as she spoke up again, the friendly atmosphere vanished in an instant.

"A real one too."

The Master hummed. "They're even more dangerous than I thought."

There wasn't much else to say, so Niki stood silent, not wanting to interrupt Master in his pondering. After a while, the Master spoke up for the final time.

"They're strong. Niki, I need you to inspect more. Try finding connections between the leader and other district's hybrid groups. If we can cut them off, it will be a struggle for them." The Master chuckled.

Niki was already opening her mouth, but the Master raised his arm with a finger up.

"Hush. You've already told me enough. Get something to eat, rest, tomorrow is another day. Sleep well."

Chapter Text

Next day, another market on the Siris' border.

This time, the building below her wasn't an inn, but a trading complex, with the highest quality silks and exotic fruits that were above an average burgher's earnings. The market was weirdly silent, as aristocrats and noblemen elegantly walked by and uninterestingly looked on the posh goods laid before them, beautiful maids pursuing after them with eager fervour to help their ladies and lords.

She scanned the square for like a thousandth time, but her patience couldn't be conquered easily by boredom. And from experience, the endurance of her attention was always rewarding.

So, Niki awaited.

Her gaze lingered over the view. Yesterday, as she was for the first time fully absorbed into the Eccad's walls, Niki realized just how much she preferred Siris over that district. Siris had more wood built into itself, which, lucky for her, meant more stability and certainty, as these walls and roofs where the ones she had trained and started on. Rocks and stone were more dominant in Eccad's ramparts, but also were more unfamiliar and, what she thought was a fairly weird experience, were cold. Through her fingers, Niki absorbed the cold from cobblestone walls and roofs and ground, and it just didn't feel... alive. It was dead, stone-cold dead, and with that, every being passing as well as lost a part of themself.

The girl shook her head. Enough of this.

Niki eased and tightened the grasp on a wooden beam beneath, flexing her fingers, and slightly moved. Her body was becoming number to her dislike, and, to combat it, she needed to regularly exercise.

Her eyes looked over the market once again.

Suddenly, a blood-curling scream cut through the noon's air. Niki's head snapped to the right of the market. There they were - a group of, presumably, hybrids, armed with halberds and making their way through the retreating crowd. Shouts and threatening growls came from the gang, and once they even lunged forward with their weapons into the mob.

Niki watched it with disgust. These riots were happening here on the daily basis, but they had still somehow surprised Niki that hybrids could do such things.

A cat was leading all of them, two yellow-brown eyes sparking in the market, yelling obsolete things at the running people and laughing when a group of Master's soldiers finally came to tame them down. The hybrids taunted them a bit, even injured one of the guards, and then, which Niki grudgingly admitted, put up an actually noteworthy fight. Fur and coloured blood was streaking down the cobblestone, the threatening snarls now changed to muted yelps and cries of pain. It was only few minutes before the guards had it under control, and they silently dragged the bodies on a near-by cart before heading to one of the stations to treat their wounds.

Niki sighed, shook her head, and continued in her watch. The people slowly poured back in, and upon a mark of one of the disgusted peers, someone brought in a bucket of water and washed off the blood. The hybrid gore left was colourful to Niki, like their hybrid traits and eyes. From the stream of washed blood mixed with water and the human guards' grey gore, Niki saw hues of brown, yellow and even green in the blend.

It wasn't long before she settled back into her established routine, looking, and studying all newcomers' eyes and clothes to catch even a glimpse of any colour. It felt like hours, before she finally shifted a little. Her legs were screaming at her, so she moved them into a new position and yawned, calculating in her head for how long she had been here and when to go to another market.

There.

It was only a flashing glimpse that would normally be unseen, but it was all she needed to take in to be on her feet. Niki's eyes peered straight on the person, who instantly vanished in the masses of mob coming in and out of the square. The cloaked silhouette moved fluidly between the bargaining dealers, but Niki was hot on their heels, as she never dropped her gaze off them.

The picture of two, sickly vivid pink eyes played in the girl's head repeatedly, feeding her determination to follow the hybrid.

The girl's feet quickly took her across roofs. Only when her victim aimed into a desolate alley, she had enough courage to jump down and swiftly follow them.

The cloaked stranger stood in the middle of the corridor, their back facing the opening to a street, and waited for the girl to appear. Niki cautiously slipped behind the hybrid and now stood there with the two daggers in her hands.

"Welcome, hunter." The hybrid's head tilted, revealing a corner of their glowing eyes. Instead of the bright pink that Niki awaited, a dark, bloody red stared on her with a sick sense of amusement. The non-human's other features were hiding in the darkness of their cape, causing Niki to wonder which type of hybrid this was.

"Why the silence? I hoped we could have a nice, civilized conversation- But you're not here for that, are you?" A snicker came from the man's lips. "In fact, you've come to kill me."

Niki left her lips pressed together and only clutched her daggers tighter.

"Maybe I'll have a little fun with you, while on it. I haven't had human blood in a while- "

The girl shook with despise. What kind of an animal, what kind of a monster would do a thing as drink your enemies' blood? A human would never allow himself to do such an act. This was only one thing from millions of reasons to hate and hunt down hybrids - they weren't humans, they were only mere animals and they acted only by the calling of their beast's instincts. Humans' mission was to get rid of them, to get rid of the filth they brought everywhere they put their greasy feet on.

The beast finally allowed for the girl to see his face in its entirety, as his hands quickly flashed and brought his hood down. With a large hammer, which was previously hidden underneath the cloak, the hybrid turned around and faced Niki.

His violently red eyes caught the girl's attention, as small streaks of the pinkish hue danced between the beast's narrowed pupils like they enjoyed the view on the much smaller enemy than him.

Small tusks sticked out of the corners of the man's mouth. One was partially broken and other had a deep scratch across. Their colour weren't special, it was a bone-like yellowish pink with few smudges staining it.

Another spot of colour that was apparent even from afar was the hybrid's hair. A long braid on the back showed up, before tucked under the cloak. The rest of his strands were coloured to a muted pink hue, and only the braid was bloody like his eyes.

The man had a simple tunic and Turkish styled pants - nothing out of the ordinary.

Only the rattle of the pigman's coins, which he had hid somewhere on his body, alerted Niki to quickly move out of the way. She dodged the blow that came down much more rapidly than anticipated, and stroke with her own pair of weapons.

Niki wasn't used to fight against an opponent that would answer her with the same fury and speed as her, she was impressed in every way that his hammer didn't really slow him down. The man she fought was clearly trained and experienced with his hammer, judging from the quick blows and lunges he attempted every moment. But Niki was trained too - hybrid's furrowed eyebrows and impressed glances on her movement only implied that she was right.

A step out of the way of the thrusting hammer, failed blow with her daggers that bounced off the enemies' haft, hybrid's try of sweeping her legs that she immediately jumped over and his duck under the girl's two knifes kept both moving around in circles.

Sweat started forming on both fighter's foreheads. The combat exhausted the two quickly that no other. Niki dodged every blow coming from the hybrid's side, and the man blocked every strike coming from the girl's daggers.

Niki's moves were visibly slower than before. She knew that someone on the street would sooner or later notice their fight, so this needed to end fast. Her opponent knew this too.

Suddenly, the pigman jumped on the brick wall of one of the buildings and brought himself up, using his hammer as a support. Niki took the opportunity and climbed up too. But what she didn't know, this was an intricate trap.

A kick in her side sent her flying to the ground, where she instinctively landed in a roll and turned around to see the hybrid's fist before her. The man's blow landed perfectly on her left cheek and brought her down. Niki whimpered from the pain and rolled over, only to be stopped by the hybrid's leg. In an instant, her hands fumbled over the daggers' handles, only to find gaping nothingness between her palms and thigs. Niki realized she was trapped.

"Are you looking for this?" Hardened steel hovered over the girl's neck, the cold emanating from it. The hybrid's gaze lingered on Niki's face and studied it profusely with a spark of interest hinted between his moves.

"You're a strong one. No doubts why he chose you especially." The beast pressed his lips into one narrow link, the vivid eyes glowing through the harsh shadow casted on his face. "Your life hasn't begun yet, and you're already fighting. Such a sad sight. You should run around with other children and enjoy your youth, while it hasn't ended yet."

Niki's eyes blazed with resentment. "My childhood had left me long time before this. These streets would be safe for others if you weren't here."

The man knew exactly that she was talking about his people and not him. He brought the blade closer to the girl's throat.

"Shh now, I'll tell you a little secret. Tell your master-" The pigman thought through his next words. "I respect your choice. But- she will see the truth eventually. You can't break a resilient soul like hers." The man's eyes locked on Niki's clenched teeth, causing a snicker to escape through his lips. "Prepare to face her, old friend."

With that, the pigman stood up from his kneeling and threw the two stolen daggers on the stone below. Niki's intense and confused gaze followed the hybrid's back, as he turned around and walked out into the street, hiding his weapon and face in a dark shadow of his cloak.

She was in trouble. And even more if the man she met knew her Master.

~•~•~•~

"...prepare to face her, old friend." Niki dropped her head down as she finished talking, feeling Master's gaze pierce through her and skin her down to the bone. Master tapped his foot on the cold stone below his throne, gazing on the silks in his hand. The pendant around his neck faintly swung.

"So, you've met him." He hummed and peered straight on his little one, who had failed him for the first time. Niki only nodded, not confident enough to speak up.

"It's noon. Find him. I await you at midnight." Master clearly stated, his eyes wandering to the city's plan on his left.

The girl's cape waved behind her, as she stepped out of Master's room.

"Whenever you are, Protesilaus... You won't escape again." The Master whispered behind her, as he stood up and walked over to the map.

He took an old, dusty figure out of his hoodie and placed it onto the plan.

Chapter Text

"You know, Niki, there once was a peaceful land. This land was a home to people and hybrids alike and they all lived in harmony and ease. But then..."

"Bad people came!" Niki yelled; her hands thrown up in the air. Dream looked at her softly, pulling her closer into his lap.

"Yes, yes Nik. Bad people came." Dream chuckled. "Bad people came, and they wanted to destroy it all. So, hybrids and humans joined together against those bad people. Everyone knew war would be inevitable. But then-"

Niki cut in. "What does invi- inveta-"

Dream smiled, his mask down. "Inevitable? That means it can't be escaped. It will just happen no matter what."

"Okay..." Niki whispered, her warm yellow eyes landing on Dream once again, thirsty to hear more of the story.

"But then... the hybrids betrayed us. In the time, when we needed their help the most, hybrids betrayed us and stabbed us in the back!" Dream pretended a gasp, the girl in his lap staring at him with wide eyes.

"The war suddenly became endless, and it took decades before we finally won and took our land back. But we still remember the bitter taste of their betrayal. We still remember what they have done. So, remember Nik- never trust any hybrid. They're not friends, but enemies. They have hurt us. They need to pay for it."

"But Dwee- that's not nice..." Niki slightly wiggled in his embrace, a cute, small frown on her face.

Dream stroke her hair, softly smiling. "Imagine this... someone would steal your dagger..."

"He's called Otos." Niki scowled even more, crossing her arms.

"...someone would steal your Otos and then pick a fight with you using your Otos. Hmph? How would you like that? Would you try to get Otos back?"

The girl thought for a second, the frown on her front slowly vanishing. "Yes?"

Dream nodded in affirmation. "This is the same. We are just the justice they deserve."

~•~•~•~

Niki was waiting again.

It would make no sense to visit that courtyard again, even more if a couple hybrids already knew about her and maybe even awaited her there. But still, she needed to find the pigman leader or find some information. So, the first place logical to search in was... an inn.

Eccad's inn was full to the brim and had stuffy air, which was expected, but what felt odd to Niki was how cold it was there. The whole inn was encased in stone so much that it looked like a reused cellar, which might even be. Wooden stools and tables were randomly thrown all over the place, with one corner dedicated to the innkeeper and his counter full of drunkards.

The girl stood at the farthest corner from the innkeeper, her back against the stone, and watched people come and go, looking from beneath her cloak's hem.

"We are just the justice they deserve."

The Master's words played in her head as she anticipated the leader's arrival. It was a flashback to a 'fairy tale' he had told her long ago, when she was still little. If it was actually true, she didn't know, but at least some parts sounded authentically. Or it would finally explain Master's undying resentment towards hybrids.

Yawning, Niki noticed a newcomer to the pub, accompanied by two men that threw menacing stares to everyone that dared to come closer than five steps.

Niki wasn't new to these sorts of games; she instantly knew this was probably a leader of another revolt. And with their larger form and broad shoulders, there was no way around the fact this person held importance.

The newcomer sat in the corner to her left, easing and relaxing like this was their home, even though they could be in someone's viewfinder at any time.

Strangely, once their cape was down, she revealed to be a human, and not a hybrid. Her eyes held no signs of hues and there weren't any hints on possible parts of her body which could be hybrid's. Dark skin, dark curly hair, the woman stretched and rolled her shoulders, gazing around the inn with a look of a predator.

Her eyes once landed on Niki's hidden form, but the stare didn't last long, meaning the woman probably wrote Niki off as uninteresting or non-threatening. That was perfect, in Niki's opinion. She wouldn't suspect a thing if something bad was to happen.

Relaxed stance, the leader looked to be waiting for some company. A possible deal or an allyship, it didn't really matter. What was more important - this leader could know about the pigman.

The question is - how will she get to this kind of information?

After a bit of waiting, the other leader, which Niki suspected it was a leader and not a goon, came around. His posture straight, hands covered by light gloves, the man looked to be nobler than most of commoners sitting around the inn. His hair was neatly arranged back and was smoothly dim in the inn's light. He had a dark waistcoat, which was sitting on top of a light, silky shirt. His pants were simple and narrow and reached down to his elegant, polished shoes, which clapped on the cobblestone floor of the inn.

He stopped in front of the other leader, hands behind his back, and slightly bent down, greeting the woman. She threw her eyes up and waved him off, beckoning for him to sit down.

To Niki's annoyance, their following conversation was too quiet for her to eavesdrop. Only few words had made their way to her ears, but most of them were still muffled too much for Niki to be certain that she heard them right.

"...it is just a play... you think so?... others are helping... Eccad... blades... revenge... not secret enough... Thelis is the safest... no, it's too risky..."

Not a single thing was dropped about the pigman leader, driving Niki crazy. Finally, the thin man stood up, offering the woman a hand.

She brushed him off and stood up on her own, but his hand remained stretched. Rolling her eyes, she pressed it and shook with it. The man needed to suppress a face of disgust when watching the grime get smeared all over his gloves, Niki silently chuckling to herself.

Heading towards the door, the man glanced at her, two icy-blue eyes piercing through her skull like needles. So, this man was a hybrid.

With a disappointed sigh, Niki left the inn with close to no information on her hands.

Roaming around evening Eccad, she watched the shops get slowly closed down, numbness and dullness spreading over her like a virus.

Noticing two people stand in the dim street, she slowly approached them. They looked to be two mercenaries, Niki guessing from their low-level equipment, and they looked to be also drunk.

Niki had faith in her ability to defend herself, so that was why she looked to be so reckless from an outside perspective. Two daggers by her side, touching them gently, the girl took a deep breath and headed towards the two men.

"And then- and then Richard said he saw the Blade!" A new wave of laughter rose from their little group. Both of them seemed to be engaged so much in their conversation that they even didn't notice the girl hiding in the shadows.

"Can you imagine that? Just doing your normal round and 'bout, and then- BAM! The Blade shows up!" They both dissolved into booming laughter, until one of them peered straight on the girl.

"What-" He gurgled, spitting out specks of saliva. "What is a girl like you doing here? At night?" A sick smile stretched on his front, but Niki ignored it. The other man turned around to see to whom exactly his friend was speaking to, muted purple locking with Niki's eyes.

"Who were you talking about?" The girl asked.

The first mercenary scoffed and took a step forward, tottering as he went. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know, you-"

His hybrid friend stopped him with an arm and stood before him, his eyes clear of any dullness, unlike his friend's.

"Let her speak." Two purple antennas stuck out of the hybrid's head, instinctively twitching a little as he spoke.

"You mentioned the... Blade? Who is that?" Niki softly said, her hands still securely touching the hafts of her daggers. The hybrid squinted his eyes suspiciously, arms crossing on his chest. "Everyone knows who the Blade is."

His drunk friend joined into the others annoyance. "That pork roast-"

Pork roast... The Blade... is it the pigman leader?

Niki had already had suspicion before, but this only proved her right. She nodded.

"Thank you."

Purple, distrustful eyes still warily watched her. His friend on the other hand decided to almost fall on Niki, half-running half-stumbling forward. The girl tried to step out of his way, but his hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Niki's voice harsh, she threw the man's hand off her without a second thought. "Don't touch me again."

From behind, the hybrid mercenary gave her an apologetic look. "Hey man, we should-"

A moment later, the drunkard's arm was back wrapping around her.

Daggers out, Niki decided this was enough. The damascus steel shone in lantern's glow, sparks bouncing off.

Picking his friend and almost throwing him behind the mercenary's back, the hybrid stood menacingly in the soft light, a two-handed sword drawn out. One pair of arms held the heavy sword, and with that, another pair of arms lay out on his chest defensively, pastel purple streaks unevenly glazing it.

"Leave." The hybrid breathed out, the sword in his hands pointed on the ground between the girl and him. "Please."

What? He... didn't want to fight?

Niki hesitated. He was a hybrid, but... his whole body was screaming discomfort. He didn't want any bloodshed for sure. It dumbfounded Niki that he didn't immediately attack, as she would expect from a hybrid.

That what The Master had told her, at least. That all hybrids were some kind of a blood-thirsty animal. And couple of times, it even made sense, like with The Blade. But now... this was the first time she had met a hybrid that put down a choice of a battle.

So, it was Niki decision if she wanted to fight or not. That was a decision she wouldn't normally deal with.

She eased the grip around her daggers and flexed her fingers. She should instantly fight, kill him, feel the blood- But was it really something she wanted to do? The Master would want it for sure... And it would be a great shame to not make the Master proud...

The hybrid for sure noticed the emotions flashing on her face. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to do-

Like an instinct, the girl's arms lunged forward, stroking the air between her and man. She stared the hybrid down, peering right into his pastel purple eyes.

Furrowed eyebrows, the hybrid took one step forward, his second pair of arms scrunching in a surrender motion. "I... I don't want to fight." The sword testified words, still pointing down.

Niki blinked. He gave her a second chance.

The drunkard babbled behind his friend's back. "Hey Purp, 'ere's a frog." The hybrid pulled one of his hands behind him, one finger raised as to wait.

With a deep exhale, Niki left her stance and cautiously made couple steps back, making sure she would be ready if the hybrid was keen on trying to suddenly slash at her.

Back in the bigger street's shadow, she hid her weapons and looked on the hybrid for the final time, who was putting his sword back into a case on his back, two other hands stabilizing his drunk friend by his shoulders.

Niki headed home.

~•~•~•~

"So?" The Master asked with discontent, eyes darting on the girl in front of him. His fingers were lazily pulling on the strings stretched between as he usually would. His legs were thrown on top of the another, a magnificent throne under him.

"His name is The Blade." Niki informed, straightening up her posture, eyes blazing.

"Y'sure?" The Master scrunched his eyes, gaze surfing to the map on his left.

"Yes."

The Master scoffed. "It's a pseudonym. Those hybrids you met? Zephyrus- Lethe- you think those are real names?"

"Could be-"

"No. Those are all names from Greeks." He sighed, his voice changing from anger to more of a sad undertone. "Niki Nihachu, I am disappointed. To your rooms."

~•~•~•~

That was a pseudonym.

Really.

Oh, she had messed up so badly.

Hugging her knees, she sat in her room, cold soup waiting for her on the floor. It was past midnight for sure and she needed to sleep, but she just couldn't. Eyes red and puffy, Niki slightly swayed, lost in her thoughts.

She failed, she failed-

She failed the Master.

Niki failed her Master.

Should she try again? And not fail this time?

Perhaps.

Tomorrow.

Niki mentally facepalmed. It was already pass midnight; she knew that.

So, today. But after sleep.

Chapter Text

Hi!

Not so great news coming. I've decided that I'm going to put Nemesis' hunt on hiatus, due to me feeling that it's not... so... good. In the later chapters, I really went out of the story's way, and I think I need to backtrack a little. Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long for me to start posting again, it's just that I need to think. Btw, the posted chapters should remain how they are, althooough there might be some small changes, idk how it goes...

In meantime, I'll post smaller stuff and one-shots :D btw thanks for all the support on the other fics! Great to see how many people like to read the things that come out of my brain at 3am, its really touching *wipes a tear off my face*

Anyways, have a nice day yall! :D

Chapter Text

Heloo guys!
Sorry about the ping.
I know it's been a while since the last update, ehe, but I promise you, this book is on its way! A very, very slow way, but a way nonetheless.
This is to anyone who has been wondering if this book is still getting developed: yes, it is, it wasnt abandoned or anything like that, just my dumbass cant write anywhere else than a bus ;-; so ye
Also, I won't and honestly cant tell ya that it will be out soon, cause it just wont. Cant lie to you guys. It will be a couple of months for sure.

Have a good day or night!
Enjoy whatever you're reading :3

Later bye