Raven Feathers
Chapter 1: Assassin

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My name is Kahira; I'm 20, with hair of raven feathers. I've been told it's somewhat golden beneath the sun, like wings fanned out beneath it, the light shinning right through my strait locks in all their darkness. I suppose they like that simile for it always suits my personality. I'm dark in ways, but still with a collection of light, even if it seems to pass me by. I'm told my eyes are a transparent green, almost as though my soul is a ghost, or my emotions had been clouded over by the rolling fog of some misunderstood pain. Your eyes can give away everything if you let them; they're the portals to your very being.

My ethic values may be non-existent however, specially considering my current employment. I am an assassin. Yes, I get payed to run round killing people, with style you must note. We are the killers of the good and bad. Sometimes we're the good guys, and sometimes we're the bad. It doesn't matter. Why would it in a world like this? You strive to live. What side you take is of no importance. It shan't make anyone or god take mercy on you, and I don't believe in heaven. It isn't as though your toying in a corny superman comic after all.

To my comrades I'm like a Raven, soaring through this endless chain of murder set out for us. Battle after battle, my battered wings hold up, forever I fly. In killing terms I'm referred to as Nevermore. For once I decide your time to taste my blade has come, nevermore shall you cry or breathe. I suppose it also has something to do with the poem called "The Raven" by Edgar Alan Poe. They want me to follow those words like a religion. On that note they even say when my Nevermore alter ego arrives I'm immortal. I can be weak or powerful, but no matter what I'm stubborn as hell's furious flames. My resolve never lessons, no matter what the circumstance. I've been known to take severe blows, to be dragging my bloodied broken body just to finish on top. To think, I perceive myself as shy. I suppose in the minds of others I'm more of a lethal weapon of mass murder. But it appears no one really gives themselves the credit deserved. If being a lethal weapon of mass murder is even a good thing, whatever the answer it's certainly useful.

I guess I should clear up who it is "they" are. "They" of wish I speak are my comrades of course. There aren't currently many of us in this particular assassin group. You'd assume assassins to be cold and solitary. If so I suppose we must be one of the more social of them. There are six of us including the dog and me. Yea, we have a dog, his name is Eryth, are you further shocked? He's quite cute actually. He's a LabGolden Retriever mix, with one blue and one green eye. He's a good size, Golden with a black spot around the green eye. He has a fierce personality to all he dislikes, but if he likes you he turns into a plush toy, whereupon he flops onto his belly, tongue extended.

Another is Azure; miss "save the tigers!" She's one of those vegetarian, rainforest obsessed people. Her and her ambition of saving the world. She's probably the most ethically correct out of all of us, though she has her flaw, she hates humans. The only ones she spares are children, and if she feels a good and loving mother now and then. She thinks that us humans are destroying this world, polluting and corrupting it slowly yet ruthlessly. If you become her friend she's harmless enough though. Even through her name nothing about her is of the azure color, she has amber eyes and copper hair. Actually she's incredibly beautiful, and I rather envy her…but she's azure-less all the while.

There's Crazie as well. His name describes everything really, though I doubt it was his birth name. We've, from all I know, all long lost our parents and past. In a way that might prove to be why we have the immoral job we do. Well, as I've said Crazie is crazy, with violet eyes, and untamed light brown hair with electric green tips, his favorite color. Out of all of us he has the least morals. He'd do most anything to make something go BOOM! He has proven to be the comedian of the group though. Most of us aren't much for jokes and incredibly unsophisticated wisecracks. I always have a feeling there's something beyond his immature outer shell though, something more drawn out.

It's always been amazing to me how oriented we are, no one is really in charge, but it anyone was to be it'd be Tonic. He's the only one who can really pierce the fog of my eyes. Tonic is 25, with piercing blue eyes, and dirty blonde hair just long enough to be pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. Similar to Azure he's very much ethically correct, all but his unwavering hatred for the better half of the human race. Of course some pity has befallen him, though not much has stuck.

And last there is Gray. I suppose he must be around 20 like me, second youngest, though most mysterious. No one knows anything about him, neither has anyone ever heard him speak a word. He has a complex armor set up, all connected through latches and belts. His face is another mysterious thing; no one has ever seen it. He keeps it hidden beneath a black cloth that hooks to the rest of his suit behind his neck with a two small latches. Though his dark brown hair is somewhat visible. When I'm bored I often try to figure out how it is his armor works. I've also noticed in my bored studying, that the black cloth hiding his face from view is lighter around his eyes, a rectangle of different material, so he can see. But it must be different for him; everything must be gray and duller. Being assassins we already sneak around in the dark. I have no clue as to how he can see at all, but he does. He is stealthier and stronger than me by far, even more so than Crazie and Tonic. He leaves us all perplexed and it's obvious his past has been miserable, though we know we cannot do anything to fix it, or at least I do. The rest don't pay much attention normally; accept for the occasional times they take to tease him.

Currently I'm sitting with a hot mug of Coffee, gazing out the window. It's very early, the morning sky is bright and bleak, and the sun has not yet had its chance to paint it. I can hear both Azure and Tonic's newspapers ruffling behind me as they turn the page; hear their sips of coffee. Crazie is sitting, his CD player so loud I can hear the screaming booming into his ears from the few yards away from him, I'm surprised he even crawled out of bed at such an ungodly hour. He doesn't have a coffee, he's hyper enough as it is, we're afraid if we let him have any he'll combust or some other odd interaction will take place. Eryth is asleep at Tonic's feet, tired out from his earlier cat hunt. Gray is somewhere unknown, being an assassin I normally pick up on all the noises in the room, though Gray is almost always noiseless, being an assassin too I guess that should be normal, that on our daily routine's we're all noiseless. But I think the rest of us fall out of it, maybe it's just his paranoia, or his depression's mentality. Gray doesn't have any coffee either, for in order to drink it he'd have to reveal his face. Which I'll clearly state again he does not. We've never seen him eat…though I know he must when we're not around. Perplexing as he may be, he's still human.

There are birds fluttering outside the window, calling the wind, casting it prayers to let them weave into its wonder. I can see a nest high in a tree right outside the window, baby birds chirping for their mother to return to them with food. It's a hard world; soon they'll be kicked out entirely, without a second thought. There's a shortage of love, not many can acquire it. I smiled slightly. All of us here were kicked away from our nests too early, never had the love. Is that why we ended up this way? Why Crazie is insane and Tonic is ruthless but mature? Why I'm shy and Gray doesn't talk? Why Azure preaches for a greater good and Eryth whimpers beneath the table for no reason sometimes?

We still have bright, multicolored Christmas lights hanging from the overhang of our shabby home, when it's the middle of March. It clashes rather horrifically against the peeling dull paint of our home. Recently Tonic has fixed all the leaks. It's not that we don't get enough money to afford better. I think it may be because we're too lazy to do anything…or maybe because if any of us ever get caught and are on the wanted list we'll be more inconspicuous. No one has nice homes. Tax's and all the corruption Azure preaches of every morning explains why this world is so poor and hopeless. Nonetheless I love my home, our home. It's falling apart just like we have, always will, and still are.

Suddenly I hear the scraping of Eryth's small claws against the linoleum, he wants to go outside with Gray. I hadn't even heard him open the sliding glass door, the one that leads to the deck, it's only broken in a few places, Tonic claims he'll fix it when summer decides to show itself. Gray courteously leaves the glass door open a few seconds longer so Eryth can get out into the fresh air, then he slides it shut. I expect to hear it's soft thud when it connects with the frame, but there is none. Gray walks silently to the edge of the deck, leaning his weight against it. The cold air that was let in while the door was open still lingers around me, and I hug the bathrobe around my pajamas and me tighter. I guess Gray isn't cold though; he has all his armor and cloth. He's always suited up for missions, never takes it off…never reveals his face. Eryth has begun stretching his stiff muscles.

I don't need to turn my head to know that Tonic has finished sifting through the paper and has gone to refill his coffee cup. I finish my own coffee and stand, dropping it into the sink, finally turning to actually see everyone. Azure is positioned slightly differently than I imagined, only by a few strands of hair though. Crazie is sitting on top the counter, violet eyes closed, silently mouthing the words his CD is booming, I can hear the words too, faintly but yet still distinctly. He listens to punk. Every so often he borders to metal if you get him into a foul mood. Though it's a rather difficult task I have to admit. I myself have never done it and neither has Gray or Eryth. Only Azure and Tonic can achieve such heights. Tonic really doesn't mean to though, he just hits Crazie in weak spots, even if it is unconsciously.

Abruptly Azure slammed down her paper, clearly outraged. Crazie turned off his CD player, setting it aside, sensing a soon to come cue. I wondered idly if I should have followed Gray outside.

"What crime has been committed to your precious tigers this time?" Crazie questioned jokingly. Azure glared at Crazie, amber eyes aflame.

"They've been laying off hard working people, upping taxes, not using founds for anti-pollution groups." Tonic stated calmly, finishing pouring his cup of coffee. "Murdering innocent lives, you know the normal every day stuff she gets worked up about." Tonic sat back down. And it was true she nagged about the world everyday after finishing her paper. Azure glared at Tonic too.

"Well it's wrong. I can't just sit around and watch this corruption take place!" Azure defended haughtily.

"Well, sitting here everyday screaming about it aint gonna get you no where." Crazie nonchalantly told her.

"Like you do a lot to help out." Azure growled, receiving rolled eyes or a muffled sigh from everyone in hearing range, they all knew what was coming next. "Our mother Earth is suffering. Can't you all feel it? It's so constricted. We're suffocating it. Nothing's free!" Azure demanded passionately. I wonder sometimes if she sits up at night thinking up these speeches she belts out to us every morning.

"Yea, I feel it too." Crazie said, acting as though his eyes had cleared, grasping towards the light. "It feels damn good, don't it?" Suddenly his face fell from enlightened to sarcastic all in one movement. Sometimes I wonder if Crazie sits up at night making comebacks for Azure's persistent passion.

Azure glared at Crazie again, before she stood angrily, the chair falling over behind her, causing everyone who wasn't already looking in her direction to quickly change their line of view, even Eryth and Gray outside looked at her though the glass door. Azure grumbled, grabbing a few papers and stomped towards her room. I could see a slight reprehensive edge to Crazie. I knew he didn't like to piss her off, but he couldn't really help it. It was just the way he was. I'd always gotten the feeling that he wished she'd like him. We all knew she'd never take any sort of interest in someone like Crazie though, that is besides a demonic hate, and faintly I think he knew this as well.

There was a silence, before everyone returned to what they were previously doing. Gray turned back to focus on whatever it was he was under that dark wall of his, the wind toying with his dark hair.

I let out a deep sigh and pretend, like I do every morning, that the argument had never occurred, ignoring the dense hate distorting the air around me. Crazie suddenly jumps off the counter, looking to be in a cross of annoyance, resentment, and regret; he shakes his head.

"That girl never stops…" With a yawn he runs a hand through his messy hair and walks towards his room, knocking once on Azure's as he passes, telling her to 'chill out' then closes his own door behind him with a anger that betrayed his pseudo serenity. Tonic glances knowingly at me.

Gray comes back inside, leaving Eyrth to run around in the cold, hunting down something that rustled in a bush.

"It's safe now." Tonic tells Gray jokingly as he leans against the counter. "You always manage to get out of the trouble…" silence. "I wish I could do that." Tonic gave a furtive glance at Crazie and Azure's closed doors. I followed his gaze, and saw Gray shake his head out of the corner of my eyes. Suddenly punk comes drifting from Azure's room, and soon after a louder punk rock resonates from Crazie's. Azure turns hers up louder, than Crazie follows suit.

"Shall we go check and see if there's any missions?" Tonic asks. We know when to get out of harms way.

"Sure…" I reply with a shrug, "let me get dressed."