Ame Perdue

Chapter Seven

The man dropped the cigarette at his feet, watching with faint interest as the dying flame did its best to bring the dry grass ablaze. If he had had the time, he would have watched the beginning of a forest fire take place, as it was, he simply walked away from the item, choosing to allow it to burn, or not burn, without him watching over it.

There was a smooth grace to his walk as he made his way through the forest. He wasn't actively trying to be unseen, but after centuries of training himself to be invisible, it was second nature for him to blend into his surroundings. It shouldn't have been possible for him to walk across the dry ground with hardly a sound, but he managed effortlessly. He didn't need to think about where he was putting his feet to avoid the dry leaves and trigs that were sure to crackle underneath his feet. To the rare soul that might have been able to spot him, it wouldn't even appear as if he was paying any attention to his surrounding.

Rather, he would have appeared blind.

His grey eyes were locked on a point in the distance, his pupils glazed over. He wasn't actively seeing the world around him, but there wasn't anything that he wasn't aware of. He didn't need to be staring at the twig to know that it was exactly thirteen and nine-fourteenths of an inch away from him. He didn't need to see the owl to know that the normally nocturnal animal was following him far above his head the creature's powerful wings beating soundlessly.

Although he wasn't seeing the world he was walking through, he was watching the paths unfold in his mind, seeing what needed to be done to creature the ending that he required. It was a skill that his companions hadn't yet mastered. Multitasking was second nature to him; he could lock himself within the depths of his mind for hours while never fumbling the task at hand. The only visible sign was the glazed look his eyes took on.

He vaulted over the roots of a large tree, not stumbling even as he landed on the sloped surface on the other side of the roots.

There wasn't anyone around to see him, but that didn't stop him from ensuring that he didn't leave a single trace of his presence for others to find. He was careful to keep his steps light, to avoid any branches that might snap as he made his way through the forest. Even a speck of evidence that he had been there was too much for him. The only evidence that he would leave would be what he wanted to be found.

Even with his careful movements, it didn't take him long to reach his destination. He had long since gained the ability to be able to move carefully, quickly. Breaking into a run, he propelled himself off the cliff. As he fell, every bit of him wanted to open his wings, or at the very least controlled the air around him to slow his fall. It took every inch of his willpower to resist using his powers to keep him from falling, the act of hurtling towards water going again his every instinct. He flipped himself in midair, angling his body to that he was nearly vertical as he dived.

The moment he felt himself enter the warm water of the lake below him, he kicked off, using his momentum to fling him quickly through the water. He peeled open his eyes, the water burning his eyes as he squinted. The dazed look had vanished as he focused on the world around him. It was difficult for him to make out the blurs around, forcing him to rely on his other senses as he propelled his way to the underwater cave. He ignored the bodies of the dead merpeople, using the faint taste of blood in the water to keep himself away from their bodies.

The bodies were scattered throughout the large lake, still hovering somewhere between the surface and the lakebed. He figured that it would be another day before they completely reached the surface of the lake. It had only been a day since he had slaughtered them, staining the once crystal clear water with red. With the warm water of the lake, it wasn't taking the bacteria in the bodies very long to grow, producing the gas that allowed the bodies to float. It took a fair amount of effort to weave his way through the bodies, pushing the ones away that he couldn't quite avoid.