Deadly

Chapter 2

Quickly we all bent down on one knee and put our right fists over our hearts in unison. It was customary to show respect to the elders since they hardly ever came down from their floors, not even for meals which they ate upstairs too. We've all only ever seen the elders two or three times, once when we were visited by one of them, asking if we would like to go to the Institute, and another time if we wanted to take a break from assignments. Libra, her brown hair tied up in a bun, like always, very pale skin and her sign on her left cheek, Capricorn, blue-grey eyes and shoulder length, wavy, blond hair, and Cancer, bald with a white beard and moustache. I've probably seen them the most since I lived here at the institute my whole life from the day I was dumped at their gates, so they're all I have, or need. But even for me this situation was weird since they were never seen together before. Something was wrong.

I was the first one to speak out of our group.

"The target was exterminated perfectly Libra. Not a scratch on him." I reported.

"Very good Scorpio, I'm glad. And your report Geminis?"

"We had a small hiccup with Aiden's misting, but we had no problem with taking out the target." Ava replied nervously while Denny cringed.

"Well I guess we should explain our sudden appearances then." Capricorn said in a highly amused tone. "You all look on the verge of a war." Looking around at our group, I can say that Libra's statement was actually very accurate.

"We would like to inform you that a new student is coming to the institute." Cancer announced. "His name is Dylan Aries, he already shows promise as a Shadow so we have decided to take him in and train him. Please make sure that he knows as much about the institute as possible." A chorus of 'yes's echoed around me.

"He will arrive tomorrow at ten o'clock so I want at least one person to meet him." Libra commanded, "Scorpio it is compulsory that you meet him, so I expect you to be here at ten tomorrow morning."

"Of course Libra." I assured her, confused.

"You will also have a training session with him at two. Be there."

"Yes Libra."

"Dismissed then." And the elders went back inside the building.

"What's so special about the new kid then?" Wayland wondered out loud, while I blocked his weak attempt at a mist.

"I really don't know, but for some reason Libra wants me to meet him." I replied.

"I always win, Wayland" I added as I froze Wayland's shoulder with a partial koald touch.

"Maybe she wants to show off the Darke's best assassin." PC called over, while attacking Kat with a fyre.

"I don't think the Elders would do that, they're too proper and formal." Daemon disagreed, fighting off Denny's more successful mist.

"Focus people, you can talk when you're not training. You have to be ready for anything out there." Tarius barked at us. Sagittarius was always a bit strict with us, but he was the best trainer the institute could find since he used to be an assassin as well. That was probably why he still looked buff at the age of forty one.

"I still think they're formal", Daemon muttered.

After our evening training session we headed to the common room for dinner, spaghetti bolognaise and salad. During dinner we continued our discussion about the new guy.

"He might be already trained." Ava suggested.

"Then why would he come here?" Wayland argued.

"He could be a transfer."

"Then he wouldn't need to be trained that much." Kat reasoned.

"Maybe he is some sort of criminal and Libra wants Jayde to watch him, just in case." PC guessed.

"The institute is too strict for that." I replied.

So the conversation more or less ended, but it didn't stop the thoughts that kept circling my head.

That night I couldn't sleep, it was stupid but I wanted to know why Libra wanted me to meet Dylan. Why was it so important? Did they have a plan for me or something? What was I supposed to say to him? 'Hi and welcome to the institute, here you will train to be a Darke assassin'? Not bloody likely. I was the best Shadow they had for crying out loud I thought I was supposed to get better treatment than having to meet someone at ten on my day off! Why was he so important...?

The next morning I got dressed into a dark blue long sleeve shirt and jeans, and went down to the gate to meet Aries. I found that Daemon and Wayland had decided to show up too. Wayland was being nice, but I sensed competition and jealousy in Daemon, since everyone was calling me the best Shadow, well technically I was but I'm not that vain.

"Meeting Aries too?" I called to Wayland.

"Yep. Guess someone has to, that's the same gender!" he added hastily as my eyes narrowed.

"One thing I do not get is why he's so important." Daemon grumbled.

"I was thinking the same thing actually, and it's really starting to frustrate me." I admitted to him. Why he's so important, and why he's coming to the institute now.

"C'mon guys! He might be awesome! Just be cool", Wayland told us.

"If you want to be cool then you could ask me to give you a koald touch!" I growled.

"No thanks, I think I prefer my body to not be trapped in a paralysing layer of ice. I prefer warmth, which reminds me...here, breakfast tea, milk and sugar. I had a feeling you would need it." Wayland handed me the steaming thermos, from which I drank and emptied in five gulps.

"Thanks Wayland." I said gratefully. "What about you guys?"

"We had some coffee before we came down." Daemon replied.

"Oh, 'kay, who wants to practice while we're waiting?" I asked eagerly.

"I guess we might as well Wayland." Daemon said sounding equally eager.

"Three, two, one, aller!" Wayland shouted.

Then I was weaving through their jabs and blows misting through the tiniest cracks between their kicks and jabs. I materialised behind Daemon and gave him a cold touch, making him fall into Wayland who swore as I shot fyre at him. With him distracted by the fyre I darted to his side and gave his a koald touch too. Both of the guys on the ground swearing was just too much and I started to laugh really hard as they struggled to un-paralyse themselves. Pretty soon they joined in as well so that all three of us were almost crying. As I regained control of myself I was able to notice that we were being watched by a guy who was standing only two metres away.