• A hint of shadow ever present under the light of a pale moon, darkness gliding along past closed door and boarded windows with not but a sound. Not but a figure of the blackness could be made out as it slipped in and out of dim flickering lights bordering the streets.

    Ducking into foreboding alleyways, to avoid the suspicion of the tall guards, whose lanterns cast revealing spots of light, oh dreaded cursed light. To be seen now would be disastrous. The shade lingered for a moment and than sprinted down the dead-end, up and over the wall it seemed to glide a glimpse of coattails was all that could be seen. Turning softly in the air the shadow landed with deft ease and sprinted off to its next patch of darkness.

    There it found its way to a manor house, the sound of soft sweet singing could be heard echoing quietly from its otherwise silent shroud. The shade seemed to taste the air flicking its tongue from its mouth a moment, leaving a bittersweet taste upon it. It seemed to know that the dogs were on patrol tonight, so up it went over the hedges, bounding the garden wall, up the side of the manor where it seemed to climb like a spider would its own web.

    The Shade stopped its ascent at the highest window on that side of the manor. Gazing into the window before it, sat a person of angelic reverence, long amber hair flowed elegantly past her shoulders, carefully brushing its full length, and her slender arms were daintily covered by a thin evening dress of pure white spun silk. A candle flicked a light in her eyes, like life itself dancing gracefully amongst those emerald green orbs, cast with flecks of gold.

    The shade stopped for a moment, drawing in her beauty, before producing from under its coat a dart and hollow tube. Slipping just the end of the dart to in its mouth, the shade brought the tube to its lips, inter joining the two parts, and gave a short quick burst of air that sent the dart flying through the window glass, to inject a deadly course of venom into her. She never had time to even glance at what shattered her window, before the dart came whizzing at her, aimed carefully, almost lovingly, at her neck... only it did not strike her. The sound of heavy boots could be heard echoing from somewhere just past the Shades view, and in the next instant a man skidded to a halt between the shade and the girl, his hand reaching outwards. Without hesitation, and a grace that defied his size, his strong hand plucked the dart from the air, as a child might a paper glider.

    This new fellow, his hair raven black, with eyes like somber brownstone, gazed at the broken window, only to catch a glimpse of coat tails descending down the wall with a kind of malice, and sinister hiss as the shade slipped from the wall and to the garden below.

    When it was discovered what the commotion was over, the master of the house ordered the servants to bring the wine from the cellar in honor of their newest bodyguard’s successful protection of his lovely daughter. Though it was only after much confusion and distress was it discovered neither the daughter nor her protector would be drinking. For wine would keep her up all night, and the bodyguard commented that wine would dull his senses and that he would need to be focused and vigilant.

    As each mouth greedily drank from their goblets topped to the brim with sweet flowing wine, their bodies seemed to grow weary and tired, before each one fell fast to the floor. Dead. A snicker was heard from outside a manor window, as the shade let out a delighted hiss, as it was its doing that the wine had been poisoned earlier in the week. As disappointing as it was not to get the daughter or the one who interfered with that task, it turned figuring most a prize was better than not having a prize at all.

    This phantasm slipped from alleyway to alleyway, climbing across rooftops, to slip into its next patch of shadow. It moved as deathly silent as a ghosts shadow seeking out its contractor, the one who had the money promised for its unique service.

    The shade made a slight clicking sound, as it vowed that someday it'd be back to finish this job. That’s the way it always did things.