Shadow

         Shadow stepped out of the dark castings from which she got her name. The black robe she wore pooled around her feet like moonlight. The merchant shivered, his jewel-encrusted rings clicking together rhythmically.  
         “Are you the assassin?” The merchant squeaked out. 
         “Who else would I be?”  
         The merchant nodded, the extra skin on his cheeks bobbing. He hid his hand in his pocket, counting out an amount of coins without looking foolish to the assassin. Shadow rolled her eyes, waiting impatiently for their night meeting to be over.  
         He finally withdrew his hand. Contained within it were three gold pieces and five silver. Shadow’s gaze never moved from the merchant’s face. 
         He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes flickering to the money in his hand. He looked hopefully at the assassin, but he quickly moved his gaze to the side. 
         “Will it be enough?” 
         Shadow took the coins, the merchant letting out a breath of relief.  She counted the coins, knowing that she was being overpaid. Seemingly satisfied, she dropped them into her pocket. They clanged against the dragon scale, creating a metallic ring. 
         “It will do. Who is the victim?” 
         “His name is Yzmar, a merchant lord in Trebek. When will it be done?” 
         Shadow tilted her head towards the moon as if it will tell her the appropriate date. She longed to spread her wings and smother the source of light, as beautiful as she found it. “It will be done within the week.” 
         “A week? Why not tonight? I-“  
         Shadow glared at him. “Within the week.” 
         The merchant swallowed, remembering his fear. “Within the week it is.”  
         She stepped backward, disappearing into her namesake.  

         Shadow stood on her favorite cliff, a light wind blowing her midnight-black hair behind her shoulders. Waves lashed the sharp spikes decorating the bottom of the cliff, spray becoming air born. She breathed in the ocean-scented air, for once at peace.  
         Shadow reached into her pocket, feeling the coins. She took out the silvers, feeling the picture etched onto the front with a thumb. She knew the image well; it showed a dragon engulfed in flames, its mouth open in a silent scream of pain. Human archers stood a hill, a single torch burning next to them. 
         Shadow bit her tongue, tears for the nameless dragon filling her eyes. With all her might, she flung the five silvers into the ocean, nothing more than a glitter marking where they were in the air. She watched the silvers disappear into the ocean. They were painful reminders of the trials that the dragons had to go through - and were still.  
         Shadow stepped to the edge of the cliff, watching spray fly. She jumped, the extra material on the robe crackling behind her. She watched the spikes draw ever closer. 
         Dark scales erupted across her skin, hardening it into an almost invincible armor. Muscle tightened and multiplied. Wings sprouted from her back, growing larger every second.  
         She spread her wings and glided away from the cliff, one claw dipping into the water. The water parted as if welcoming her. She twisted her body, the end of her tail switching back and forth. She dove upwards, intent on blocking the moonlight. 
         The tiny village froze, every nocturnal citizen looking up at the Obsidian Dragon framed in the sky.  

         Shadow fingered her dagger, the hilt worn with use. She had landed just outside Trebek the last morning. After having spent the day in a cave she owned, she felt refreshed and ready to carry out her job.  
         She slipped inside the large house from the servant door in the back. Tuning into the target’s heartbeat, she crept to the staircase. She set her foot on the first step. 
         A loud creak echoed through the empty room. She withdrew her foot, looking around to see if anyone had noticed.  
         Candlelight flickered from the stop of the stairs.           
         Shadow swiftly hid behind an overstuffed armchair decked in decorative blankets. As the candle-bearer moved down the stairs, she counted three creaks, two almost immediately as he began the descent.  
         The sleepy-eyed servant squinted, surveying the living room. Jeweled vases and expensive pieces of furniture littered it. Apparently not noticing anything out of the ordinary, he flopped down on the armchair Shadow hid behind. 
         After a seemingly endless wait, the servant's breathing slowed and deepened, indicating that he was soundly asleep. Shadow crept out from behind the armchair and continued on her way. She moved silently back to the staircase, this time taking care not to step on the first stair. She slowly gained ground, Yzmar’s heartbeat growing louder and louder. As she gained the top of the stairs, she took care to step lightly for fear of wakening the sleeping servant.            
         Shadow found herself in a long hallway. She walked forward, listening to the heartbeat. She stopped in front of the door that it seemed to come from.The door opened noiselessly.  
         Yzmar slept in a gigantic bed next to a door that apparently led onto a balcony. Shadow drew her dagger and moved towards the sleeping merchant lord. His chest rose and fell, his breathing deep and easy. She thrust the dagger into his chest, twisting it for more damage. The merchant’s chest rose no more.  
         She stepped outside. Jumping from the balcony, she quickly discovered that there was barely enough height for the transformation. She rushed it, her belly grazing the street before she was able to spread her wings. She headed back to the first merchant, ready to report a job completed.