The night was dark as the full moon was partially obscured, hiding behind the passing silver clouds. The heavy billowing masses casted uneven shadows on the streets, creating finger-like silhouettes clawing into the city’s soul. A thick cool wind blew through the air, whistling as it rushed through buildings and trees. Gusts plastered Nichkhun’s platinum hair to his pale face, whipped his night colored clothes around him, then streamed behind him joining the full breeze as it brushed through NeoSeoul.

With the moon full in all it’s majestic glory, Nichkhun’s Krabi gleamed under the moonlight as he flexed his arm, bringing the heavy sword at level with his extended arm. Under the light, the Thai script carved on the curved blade shimmered, each bend, loop, curl and twist distinct on the sword as Nichkhun stepped closer to his moving target. His footsteps echoed loudly on the hard gray concrete of the roof deck floor, each dull thud a warning of the dangers his sword brought. Dust swirled around his feet, disturbed by his heavy stride, circulating around his combat boots before dying out and falling back to the floor. In the dark moonlight, one would not normally see what he was doing, but Nichkhun’s ears picked up every sound made around him. Every tick of the clock, every breath, every whirring of displaced wind alerted Nichkhun to another’s presence and he kept his sword and his guard up.

His target zipped past him, the air loud as it was pierced by lightning fast movements. Nichkhun would wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, and he stood dormant.

Rai dropped down to her knees, her exposed fingers from her gloves lightly touching the ground as she felt it quake ever so faintly beneath her. Nichkhun’s movements were hard, heavy, and deliberate. He knew no hesitation. Sliding her feet under her, her soft tabi boots made no sound as she crawled on the ground, staying away from the gales of wind that revealed her presence to Nichkhun. She knew he could hear the beats of her heart the same way she could feel his own. She her swords sheathed on her back, and slowly she drew them out. The sound of the metal scratching on the scabbard was more than loud enough for Nichkhun to hear, and Rai felt him face her and take one step towards her.

She tightly gripped the leather bound handles of her weapons tightly as she stood up, letting the wind reveal her more. Soft tufts of dark hair swept across her face, each delicate strand tickling her sensitive skin and she rolled her head to toss the offending strands away. Rai lifted her swords to her face, the hilts of each kodachi touching each other as the blades followed the axis of her forearms. She could feel Nichkhun’s heart beating faster, and she knew that it was only a matter of time.

…

Rai had been running for hours. Under the moonlight, she could not really see where she was going or what she was doing, but running was her only choice. Stopping would mean death for her. Stopping would mean allowing them to catch up. Stopping would mean allowing them a chance to capture her and kill her. The gash on her stomach only appeared to be a shallow wound, it didn’t appear to be very deep, and it was not even the length of her small palm. She remembered taking more than a cut like this and still being able to continue her training, still be able to do all her chores, still be able to fight. She shook her head in disbelief, searching herself as she ran for anything that could explain the heat that radiated off the cut, anything that would account for the burning sensations throbbing through her.

All she found was that one tiny cut, yet it was grave enough to cause her to slow from running. The flesh was heated to the touch, and the cool wet cloth she had put over it was now soaked in her warm blood. She wanted to stop to dress the wound, clean it carefully, and bandage it tight, but every time she would even think of stopping, fear struck her. If she stopped running, the shadows would get her. If the shadows got to her, then unspeakable things would happen to her.

branches loomed overhead as she ran through the woods. They loomed over her, threatening her with every step she made towards her exit point. The sea was close by, although she couldn’t smell the salty air just yet, she could feel the crashing of the waves on the beach strip. It was her only sanctuary. She only needed to get as far as the beach strip and she would be safe. Her brethren would all be there, and they were stronger as a group than alone- the shadows chasing her would retreat.

The lactic acid surged through her leg muscles creating a painful burning path through her sinew. Stumbling forwards, Rai could only bring her arms in front of her to somehow break her fall. The leaves crunched beneath her as she rolled on the littered ground clutching at her injury. Images of the wanton destruction at the Shinobi shrine flashed through her mind. The senselessness of the devastation left little room for her to believe that her master was still alive. No one would survive those flames or that carnage, no one survives the wrath of the shadows. Angrily berating herself, Rai held back the tears that dared to fall from her eyes. The pain in her midsection, and the betrayal she had felt staggered her. A brother had given away their secret village, a brother had dishonored himself.

Rai forced herself to stand up. She couldn’t stay long where she was. Standing on unsteady legs, she limped towards her destination. She walked slowly, and still panting, Rai drew her sword in a false sense of security that she was still able to defend herself. Travelling through the woods at night was madness, but taking the road would mean an instant death. With the moonlight filtering through the trees as her light, Rai trod the forest with caution; the idea was to reach the shoreline without meeting any shadows. She had to assume that the shadows were still after her. Once she let her guard down and be complacent, they were sure to attack when she was weakest. She was certain they were tracking her, that they knew her every movement. The light that sifted down to the forest floor gave her the illusion that she could see the ground beneath her. Roots threatened to trip her at every step, low shrubbery snagged at her feet, and the uneven terrain caused her to fall when she expected solid ground or when she hadn’t expected a sudden rise of the earth. Her only solace was the fact that she could still feel what was beneath her, perhaps more so than she would like.

Uncertainty made her peer into the darkness until her eyes hurt, she listened to the sound of the night, hoping to make something, anything. Scrape upon scrape of branches against each other, the rustle of the leaves, sounds she had been used to now caused her to halt in her tracks and raise her sword. She strained her ears to listen, her breathing stopping for moments until she was certain that it had only been the wind.

Slowly, weariness crept upon her arms and legs, and she dropped to the forest floor, her legs splayed under her. Wavering shadows to her left formed into concrete beings and she held her breath once more resigning herself to her fate.

“Raijin!”

Rai looked up at the sound of the familiar voice calling out her newly given name. Relief washed over her as Suijin, a shinobi brother, kneeled by her side. He pulled her closer, inspecting the gash on her midsection, a visible frown forming on his face. His hand pressed down on the open wound, and Rai gasped loudly in pain as his hand made contact with her burning flesh. His hands were cold like ice, as the kanji, the writing character, of his name suggested. Suijin slipped an arm under Rai’s knees, the other supporting her back and he stood up, looking around him first before running off towards the safe house at the beach.

Fatigued, Rai did not remember much about the trip, only regaining her bearings and realizing where they were when Suijin gently laid her down on the beach. The salty water seeped into her clothes staining the water a dark crimson. Like a thousand needles, the salt water pricked her skin causing Rai to silently cry out in pain.

“Shhh,” Suijin soothed the pain, dipping his hands into the warm water and once again pressing it against the open wound. The pressure momentarily stopped the pain, and Rai clutched desperately at his arm in an attempt to dispel the remaining ache.

A loud scream followed by the distressed crying out of her brethren bolted both Rai and Suijin from the water. Rai’s eyes widened until they appeared to pop out of their sockets at the realization that their safehouse had been betrayed as well. She struggled against Suijin’s grip, flailing her arms and reaching for her sword. “Sui, we have to help them!”

Suijin’s face fell heavy and he shook his head. “I will go, you stay here.”

“I can fight!”

“No, not like this. Raijin, stay here.” His voice was filled with concern, telling her not to question his decision, to never argue with her leader.

Stubborn as she was, Rai only waited until Suijin was far enough into the rocky shores before following him. Her footsteps were weak, and she trembled as she walked, but her intent was strong. The hand not holding on to her wound held tightly on to her sword, Sadame. She only needed a little more time, just a few more hours, maybe even minutes until dawn breaks and the shadows would perish. She staggered forward, her sword now limp, creating a thin trail on the sand

She saw Suijin hard at battle, though her sight was now failing. She lurched towards him in an effort to help, but stumbling, she fell face first, her hands reaching out and clawing the sand. Her vision blurred completely as Suijin screamed one last time. Rai felt it. Every beat of his heart, each thud slower than the last until it stopped. With the last of her strength she opened her eyes in one last attempt to identify his killer. A gleaming blade with inscriptions she has never seen before passed through her line of sight, and hair almost white.

…

Rai leaned backwards, shifting her weight on her back foot, as she wielded Sadame in a reverse grip in her left hand, and the sword of the slain Suijin, Izayoi, in her right. She lifted both, hilts almost to her nose as her feet slowly slid across the floor. Nichkhun was unmoving, his sword now lowered at an angle, but Rai knew that meant he was ready to attack her. Without warning Rai lunged forward, spreading her arms out as she dove through the air, one knee touching her chest.

As she expected, Nichkhun sidestepped towards the left, and as soon as Rai’s foot touched the ground, she twisted towards him, swinging her arm in a wide arc. Rai sliced through the air repeatedly, each strike of her sword hitting metal. The loud clashing of swords filled the rooftop, drowning out the sound of the wind and the grunts from each fighter. Every impact of Nichkhun’s sword against Rai’s sent tremors down the female’s wiry arms until the sheer effort of holding on to her swords drained her.

A sharp clanging of metal on the ground came with the sunrise as Rai dropped to her knees, her elbows barely holding her up. She lifted her eyes to face Nichkhun, but he remained expressionless, not even winded in the least from their lengthy sparring session.

Rai’s chest heaved with the effort it took for her to take in the much needed air her body was crying out for and she gulped in large breaths as her dry lips formed the words needed to speak, “This isn’t over.”

“It is for today.” His voice was devoid of emotion as he eyed her on the ground. “Let me tell you again why you always lose.”

Rai’s eyes flashed with lightning as she jutted her chin out to meet his eyes.

“You need to control your temper Rai, anyone could read right through you.”

[B/N]: Static's descriptive elements at their best. Introducing... Rai. =)