Life Through Her Eyes

Life Through Her Eyes by Joseph Steele

I've been near him for some time now and wish I could say I'm a bit closer to him than when we first met. In ways I am closer to him ... I can feel what he's feeling even though he won't admit it. Still, the two of us intentionally keep up a wall of protection so neither will feel the sting of whatever fate might have in store to rip into whats left of my soul. I do not believe this shall ever change. We take comfort in the company of the other, though neither of us would ever admit it, I am sure. That is just the way we have decided to work through this arrangement of ours. Males have meant nothing to me from my past life and never would I have thought one could peak my interest enough to bother with the lot. They all seem obsessed with what little they have between their legs and some false need to boast upon accomplishments to make others notice them and worship the very ground their filthy feet have fell upon. He was different ... Misery carries with him a pride that I can't help but admire and at times, curse. It will be the end of him one day I am sure. Perhaps that is why I continue to hold so tightly to the wall I have built up around myself. How will I take it when he dies? I will be alone again ... will I continue to travel as I do now? I do not know. I am not some lost puppy though, rest assured. He has a goal it seems and a desire to travel while I do not care one way or another, thus it means nothing to me to do so. Still, adventuring with him and going through everything we have, I have fine tuned my art into a tool which I can use to dispense the mightiest of foes, coming leaps and bounds in my training that studying with my former sensai could not have done. Some things must be learned through experience. I will prove that the only time I will ever live in someone's shadow is when I'm using it to stay hidden until my blade reaches their heart from whichever angle presents itself. It is that reason I do this now. As my body becomes one with the shadows around me, I pick my path carefully, the vague light given by the moon and stars the only thing I need to see without fault. These humans cannot say the same thing, I understand, as I pass by guard after guard, all unaware of my presence. They think their master is safe from me? I know otherwise. I have mastered the ways of the ninja spy, a path I took back when my Crinti masters in the Shining South found my prodigal gift with the shadows and decided to use me accordingly. They had even hired a skilled rogue from the nearby eastern lands to train me in the mystic path of the ninja. I can defy the very laws of gravity and physics not with some spell, but with my own inner power and ki. I can gain access to places thought impenetrable and garner information that no one wishes me to have. If such things are a game, than I intend to be one of the greatest players. Misery has taught me one thing that I do indeed believe. In order to gain true freedom, you have to be strong enough to fight for that freedom at every step of the way. And despite how great I might be with my twin ninja-to in straight battle, I find that sometimes the easiest way to quiet someone is not by steel, but by the knowledge you hold over them. I have had my turn at slavery and never again will I be subject to such a thing. Whatever I have to do, I will. This is not a world for the weak or those too scared to stand up for themselves, I have learned, but one where you have to be willing to do what is necessary for yourself. This is what I am doing, as I run through the labyrinth that is this ancient lord's castle who holds an artifact I shall finally put to use rather than letting it sit in this place, collecting dust and wasting away without being used for it's intended purpose. A pair of ninja-to, lost after the fall of a great assassin from the east who had challenged this entire castle and it's tyrant lord for some wrong that had befallen him. I am not familiar with the entire story, but despite how close the assassin came, he could not overcome the entire army. Still, from what my sensai had told me before her passing, these weapons allowed him closer to the lord's own head than previously thought possible. Weapons are created to be used, not as a collection piece or some lofty trophy underserved. I will look out for myself no matter the cost and bring myself to a place where, as Misery said, I have true freedom from those around me who would push me to their whim. I cannot care for those who stand in my way. No matter their story or their reason for where the are, by choosing their path they have become my oppononent, an obstacle to overcome. And as I look around me where I stand to view the dead bodies which have fallen before my blades, those of the common guards who were just doing their jobs and trying to provide for their loved ones, I realize this one simple truth ... ... they should have trained harder. - Azaelyn Velrose

I've been near him for some time now and wish I could say I'm a bit closer to him than when we first met.  In ways I am closer to him ... I can feel what he's feeling even though he won't admit it.  Still, the two of us intentionally keep up a wall of protection so neither will feel the sting of whatever fate might have in store to rip into whats left of my soul.  I do not believe this shall ever change.  We take comfort in the company of the other, though neither of us would ever admit it, I am sure.  That is just the way we have decided to work through this arrangement of ours.  Males have meant nothing to me from my past life and never would I have thought one could peak my interest enough to bother with the lot.  They all seem obsessed with what little they have between their legs and some false need to boast upon accomplishments to make others notice them and worship the very ground their filthy feet have fell upon.  He was different ...

Misery carries with him a pride that I can't help but admire and at times, curse.  It will be the end of him one day I am sure.  Perhaps that is why I continue to hold so tightly to the wall I have built up around myself.  How will I take it when he dies?  I will be alone again ... will I continue to travel as I do now?  I do not know.  I am not some lost puppy though, rest assured.  He has a goal it seems and a desire to travel while I do not care one way or another, thus it means nothing to me to do so.  Still, adventuring with him and going through everything we have, I have fine tuned my art into a tool which I can use to dispense the mightiest of foes, coming leaps and bounds in my training that studying with my former sensai could not have done.  Some things must be learned through experience.  I will prove that the only time I will ever live in someone's shadow is when I'm using it to stay hidden until my blade reaches their heart from whichever angle presents itself.

It is that reason I do this now.  As my body becomes one with the shadows around me, I pick my path carefully, the vague light given by the moon and stars the only thing I need to see without fault.  These humans cannot say the same thing, I understand, as I pass by guard after guard, all unaware of my presence.  They think their master is safe from me?  I know otherwise.

I have mastered the ways of the ninja spy, a path I took back when my Crinti masters in the Shining South found my prodigal gift with the shadows and decided to use me accordingly.  They had even hired a skilled rogue from the nearby eastern lands to train me in the mystic path of the ninja.  I can defy the very laws of gravity and physics not with some spell, but with my own inner power and ki.  I can gain access to places thought impenetrable and garner information that no one wishes me to have.  If such things are a game, than I intend to be one of the greatest players.  Misery has taught me one thing that I do indeed believe.  In order to gain true freedom, you have to be strong enough to fight for that freedom at every step of the way.  And despite how great I might be with my twin ninja-to in straight battle, I find that sometimes the easiest way to quiet someone is not by steel, but by the knowledge you hold over them.  I have had my turn at slavery and never again will I be subject to such a thing.  Whatever I have to do, I will.  This is not a world for the weak or those too scared to stand up for themselves, I have learned, but one where you have to be willing to do what is necessary for yourself.

This is what I am doing, as I run through the labyrinth that is this ancient lord's castle who holds an artifact I shall finally put to use rather than letting it sit in this place, collecting dust and wasting away without being used for it's intended purpose.  A pair of ninja-to, lost after the fall of a great assassin from the east who had challenged this entire castle and it's tyrant lord for some wrong that had befallen him.  I am not familiar with the entire story, but despite how close the assassin came, he could not overcome the entire army.  Still, from what my sensai had told me before her passing, these weapons allowed him closer to the lord's own head than previously thought possible.

Weapons are created to be used, not as a collection piece or some lofty trophy underserved.  I will look out for myself no matter the cost and bring myself to a place where, as Misery said, I have true freedom from those around me who would push me to their whim.  I cannot care for those who stand in my way.  No matter their story or their reason for where the are, by choosing their path they have become my oppononent, an obstacle to overcome.

And as I look around me where I stand to view the dead bodies which  have fallen before my blades, those of the common guards who were just doing their jobs and trying to provide for their loved ones, I realize this one simple truth ...

... they should have trained harder.

- Azaelyn Velrose