Chapter 45

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(A few years later (She's almost 18 now)

(Sorry for all of the time skips)

Storm's POV

I ducked into the shadows as my shadow fox.  “Come on, she's got to be somewhere around here.”  The group leader announced to the others.  I used the shadows to climb up a tree before changing back into my nature fox.  My belt still held the sheath for my blade and my dagger.  My sword had an obsidian blade, though it was mixed with celestial bronze and enhanced gold too.  The handle was enchanted and allowed the sword to change with my forms.  A level three loyalty enchantment helped me keep the sword on me too.  The sheath for my sword, also enchanted, allowed me to easily fit it in my pocket, keeping the sword out of sight if I wanted.  Right now, the gemstone on the handle was green.  It showed I was using my nature form.  I made sure to keep my necklace tucked under my cloak.

I pulled my dagger out, cutting a small branch down and throwing it into another tree about three yards from where I stood.  The dagger's blade was obsidian as well, though I mixed some adamantium in it thanks to some help from Jess.  The metal was not easy to find so I was thankful she allowed me to use a bit of what she had.  The group below me heard the branch falling through the trees.  As I had planned, they thought it was me and moved accordingly.

“She's in the trees, heading south.”  The hothead said.  If I wasn't wearing armor, I would have jumped them by now and ended this whole thing once and for all.  It took way too long to find this spot and I wasn't going to give up so easily and finish this whole thing off.  But the armor was heavy and slowed me down enough I would risk getting caught instead.  I waited a bit for the group to leave, making sure they hadn't set some kind of trap up.  It had to be around here somewhere, or they wouldn't have tracked me this far.  I jumped down, snapping a twig by accident.

I changed back into my shadow form just as a fireball came soaring through the trees.  My belt stayed on.  It was made specifically to stay on when I changed forms, shifting with me no matter which form I used.  The group came back in my direction.  There goes my advantage.  It took so long to find this area too.  “She tricked us again.  Go check to see if she's found it yet.”  The leader ordered quickly.  Even better than what I had planned.  I jumped into the shadow of one of them so they'd lead me right where I had to be.  They went to an encampment, which obscured a mini tent from view.  I jumped into the shadow of the tent.  Where was it?

I waited for the two to go inside the tent before coming out of the shadows.  There it was.  Just what I was looking for.  I ran over, right as another fireball hit me.  I flew back a few feet and changed back into my human form.



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“Oh come on Max!  I was this close!”  I growled, getting back up.  Max just chuckled.  “You shouldn't have revealed your position then.”  He replied.  Everyone else came out of hiding.  “How'd you get over here without us seeing you?”  Sky asked.

I dusted my suit off.  “You always seem to forget I have a form that allows me to hide in the shadows, Sky.”  I replied.  Sky shook his head.  “Either way.  That was the closest you've gotten to beating us.”  Ross commented.  I sighed.  Max always did that.  “You've managed to find my flag on multiple occasions.  I haven't gotten yours once.”  I accused, looking pointedly at Max.  Jin took a timer out, stopping it.  “Eight and a half hours.  That's the longest time you've avoided us detecting you.  I'd say that's a great improvement.”  He stated.  I sighed.  Not good enough.  When I finally got their flag without being stopped, that's when I would be done.

It's been a few years since I joined the Skyarmy, not like I had the choice in the first place but I accepted it either way.  Not that I've ever forgotten about The Few, Everest and her family, or my own family either.  I've stayed and trained with them in order to keep myself alive.  I was the last known multi-hybrid.  That meant the Skymedia people would never stop looking for me.  They wanted me dead, and the hope of multi-hybrids surviving again along with me.  That wouldn't happen before, and it surely wouldn't happen now that I've been training for so long.

The rule of these ‘capture the flag’ matches was somewhat simple.  It was me against Ross, Sky, Jin, and Max.  Adam and Barney would use our clip coms to track our movements and alert the others if we went out of bounds, resulting in a foul.  The flags were a gemstone each group chooses rather than fabric due to the frequent use of elemental manipulation thanks to Max and myself.  Mine was a moonstone due to the fact the gem had to do with the moon and my parents disclosed I was born during a full moon.  The guys' had an onyx, mostly because there couldn't be multiple gemstones for one team.  Each gem had a trigger that alerted Adam when it was lifted off the podium they were placed on.  That ended the game.

It also ended if I got hit, or managed to hit each of the guys.  If Max got hit, he would be out and the others would keep playing.  Since I was my whole team, it would end the match.  We cleaned up the match, which involved me putting Max's fire out, and headed back to the Skyarmy base.  I went up to my room to change.  My room has been altered quite a bit since I arrived here.  The walls, once grey, now depicted a forest scene on one wall, a castle on the wall with the door, a river on the wall with the window, and a city outline on the wall my bed faced.  My bed against the wall left of the door.

The forest represented my forms.  The river was how I first met Everest and her family.  The castle showed my family and how we thrived even after being attacked, and the city represented The Few and Jess.  My bed just had a starry night cover, and the dressers were a light grey color.  There was a lamp next to my bed, even though I never really used it.  I had a closet, which was almost hidden from sight.  It was in the wall with the city.  Inside were several suits I used for missions or trips with the guys, and another door.  The door led down to Jin’s enchanting room.

Not that he knew it was there in the first place.  How else was I supposed to enchant my items without them knowing?  Of course, they did find out I managed to enchant some items eventually, but they will never know how I get down there without being spotted.  One of the very few things they had yet to find out about me.  Luckily, it seems like I found all of my forms.  I hadn't discovered a new one in years.  But I did find I could summon wings in any form, and make them disappear.  Unless the form came with wings, much like my galaxy wolf.  It hurt quite a bit to keep those wings away for an extended amount of time.

I also found my hair turning white at the end was the result of a mishap while I was being sent to another dimension as a pup.  Jin was able to fix it, leaving my hair completely black.  I missed having white tips for a while, but I would fit in more like this so it wasn't a complete loss

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