What is the meaning of good or evil? Who drew the first lines? Why is it so important for men to abide by laws, when they only limited those that the world defined as good? Those laws meant to protect all seemed to only limit those that bore no ill will to the world. It saves no one from evil. Edwin frowned. He hated the thought of a world without law and justice. He felt that his new pattern of thought was right. He had lived his life opposed that way of thought entirely. Now that he was one of the Masked, he knew that would have to change.

He smiled. Part of him had always admired heroes in the tales that he had heard about men that took judgement into their own hands. He was turned away from that concept though. It was dangerous and reckless. It took away the chance for true justice. Edwin couldn’t see truth in that anymore.

Edwin shook himself from his thoughts. He had long left the Blight and entered the Palewood. He found a well-worn path and followed it for several miles. He felt that he was getting closer to Shyra with every step.

Edwin thought that it had something to do with the connection between their roles as a Hunter and Seeker. It made sense in his mind. They were supposed to be a team after all.

A small shack marked the first home in Va’el. Edwin tucked his daggers out of sight. He didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention. He reached to take off his mask, but once he touched the mask, he decided against that. He need to hide who he was.

He crept off of the path to the shack. It looked abandoned. He wasn’t surprised. It was too dangerous for most sane people to live in the Palewood.

A hand touched his shoulder, and Edwin spun as fast as he could with his dagger in hand.

He was met with Shyra’s smiling mask. “Welcome Va’el Edwin. I’m glad that you were smart enough not to venture further into the town. You would scare our prey with your mask.”

Edwin frowned. “I thought that a masked man would be likely to cause panic anywhere he went. Especially with a mask like mine.” The bloody lines scraped across the face of the mask were enough to scare most soldiers let alone villagefolk.

Shyra nodded in agreement. “This is where we’ll be staying though. Spooky enough to attract very few, except for the foolish.”

Edwin thought that he picked up a hint of jest in her voice. Is she calling me a fool? He thought. “Who is the purpose behind the visit to this place?”

Shyra led the way into the shack as she spoke,”You are Edwin. You don’t understand enough to be able to use the extent of your abilities yet. The Palewood is the perfect place to train you to use them though.”

“Shyra, just speak straight with me. I am not a child. I can handle whatever you throw at me.” Edwin felt sure of the truth in that. He may not yet be as fast, but he was a skilled fighter, and he had faced enough horror to harrow the hardest of men in his time as a guard.

Shyra faced him. “You are a fool, Edwin. You would risk your life in more ways than you know if I just let you run rampant with your abilities. I’ll not lose another Hunter to stupidity.”

Edwin nodded. “Very well. Teach me. I want to learn, but do not coddle me. I am no babe, even if I am a fool.” He couldn’t seem to get mad at the woman despite how she treated him.

“Let us begin your training then. I’ll show you how foolish you really are.” Shyra grabbed Edwin’s hand and pulled him toward the darkest corner in the room. She marched as if the wall wasn’t in her way. Edwin tried to pull away, but she drug him easily.

Her body melted away in the shadow. Edwin stared in horror as his body was pulled into the darkness and melted away.

He felt cold flow over his body as if he had been dropped into the northern ocean. It made him cold to the bone.

He opened his eyes to a strange sight. The ground of the shack was almost glowing white. Shyra stood in the center of the room with her arms crossed. She looked different though. She was flushed more than normal. Her clothes were shades of grey and black.

Edwin looked around the room. Everything was just as it was before except there were only shades of black, grey, and white. The ceiling matched the floor. A pair of black footprints that faded slowly led to the spot the Shyra stood.

“What did you do Shyra? What is this place?” he asked. His voice was calm, but seemed to roar like thunder in this strange reality.

Shyra placed a quieting ginger over where her mouth was under the mask. Her reply was a whisper that came a loud as if she spoke normally. “This is the Land of Shadow. It is closest to the real world in the Palewood. That is why the shadow is so feared. We must be quiet here though. It is more dangerous than anywhere in the real world.”

Edwin sighed softly. The heavy breath echoed in the room. He was beginning to see why magic was considered evil. It brought more danger than it prevented, especially around women.

Shyra waved for him to follow out of the shack. The world outside was much like it was inside the cabin. The forest was black, while the ground and sky were nearly blinding.

She again placed her finger over her face to remind him to be quiet. She led him into the heart of Va’el. Edwin thought that Va’el was unchanged like the rest of the things that he had seen. The only difference was that the world was drained of color everywhere.

Edwin felt uneasy. He had trouble wrapping him mind around the strange things that he saw. The shadowed trees seemed to shift and move in the corners of his eyes.

Shyra seemed to dance through the strange world. Edwin knew from her comfort that she had spent a large amount of time in the strange world.

Dark footsteps marked the walking paths recently used by those that were in the real world. It was strange to watch people walking but with bodies invisible to the Masked eyes.

Shyra waved for him to follow. They walked to the northern edge of the town. She stopped to point at a pair of footprints. These were a sickly green. Shyra whispered a loud explanation,”This is the man that we have come to deal with. These are the footprints of our target. They will always look similar to this.”

Edwin whispered a loud reply,” That is fine and well, but how can you tell that those were left by a man?”

Shyra looked at Edwin. He could nearly see her condescending look as she spoke,”No women has a foot that big, nor do women wear boots of that style.”

Edwin suddenly realized how foolish he had made himself look. “Oh,” was all that he could muster in reply.

She took his hand and led him to a spot next to a tree that was less white than the rest of the ground. “This is a shadow in this land. You will have to learn how to use shadows in both worlds to be able to travel in and out of both worlds. Step into the shadow and feel with your mind for the tear between the two lands.”

She stepped into the white shadow and melted again. Edwin’s face was growing tired of frowning, but he knew that he needed to prove himself to his Seeker.

With a sigh, he stepped into the shadow. He stood still, he wasn’t sure how to reach with his mind. He thought of the real world and began to shudder at the difference between the two worlds.

In his mind, he was the two worlds and a line between them. He suddenly could see his reality in the shadow. He stepped forward and felt his body begin to melt away. His eyes closed as he was embraced by warmth.

A searing pain in his left arm made his eyes shoot open. He hadn’t left the shadowland yet. He saw red blood seeping from a gash in his arm.

He drew his black dagger and looked around wildly for his assailant. He caught a glimpse of something large crawling through the dark trees above him.

Whatever the shadowed creature was, it was much larger than a human. It had at least for long, thin legs. It almost reminded him of a spider but much larger.

Edwin wasn’t sure that he wanted to fight a shadow beast. He dove back into the white shadow. He reached desperately for the real world and dove through into it as fast as he could.

Heat and blinding light came over him as he faded into reality. He crashed into Shyra, who was waiting right outside the shadow.

She lept to her feet and pushed him into his back. Her fingers and eyes ran over his body with unimaginable speed. “What happened to you?” She asked with urgency in her voice. “Were you bitten by anything?”

Edwins arm seared like fire. Through clenched teeth he spoke. “No, nothing bit me. There was something in the trees. It scratched me but that’s all. Just a scratch.”

She ran her fingers over the wound. She sighed with relief. “I told you that it was dangerous there. A bite could have meant death if you were without a Seeker. That was an Amzani. They are extremely dangerous. You could have died.”

Edwin chuckled. She didn’t want to take it easy on him, but he liked the challenge. “Let’s do our work, Shyra. Where is this man at?”

Shyra nodded approvingly. “You are as bloodthirsty as you mask. I though you would fit together well. Follow me.”

Edwin was sure what she meant, but he could feel the mask begging him for blood. It made him happy. He knew that it wanted to bring justice just as he did.

They assassins walked to the spot where the footsteps were in the shadowed land. There were no footprints in the real world, just a dusty path. “I see nothing, Shyra. What was the point of finding the prints, if we see nothing in this world?” Edwin asked.

Shyra chuckled. “So much to learn Edwin. Don’t think so quickly. You are a Hunter and I a Seeker. Your mask will help you kill. Mine helps me find. I see things that no Hunter can. Now follow me and mind your tongue. It may not seem like there are many people in Va’el but there are hidden ears everywhere.”

Edwin shook his head. He was realizing slowly how little he actually knew, and he didn’t like it.

He followed Shyra as she tracked the target. They pair dipped out of sight between the short buildings whenever they heard any movement.

Shyra stopped near the center of town in an alley. “This is his home,” she whispered. It’s time for you to practice a new trick. Enter the shadow, push through this wall, and then exit the shadow. I want him dead with as few witnesses as possible.”

Edwin nodded. He took a deep breath. He wanted to move quickly in order to avoid attracting the Amzani that he met before.

Edwin steppes into the shadow with his mind focus. Cold washed over him. He opened his eyes and stared at the grey wooden wall in front of him.

He placed his hands against the wooden wall and slid through the wall clumsily. The blinding floor made it hard to take in the room well. The were only two sets of footprints. It looked as though a woman had just left the room, while the target sat in a large, high-backed chair.

He needed to act immediately if he was to leave no witnesses. Edwin stepped into the white shadow behind the chair. He slipped from the shadowed land and was embraced by the warmth of the real world.

Knife in hand, Edwin stared at the target. He was a plump, hairless man. The man had no clue that Edwin stood armed behind him.

Edwin gripped his knife tightly. “I am death,” he whispered.

The man jumped at the sound of Edwin’s voice. The man was too slow though. His body slumped in the chair. A red stain spilled over the white seat.

The woman entered the room carrying a silver platter covered with heaps of fruit and steaming meat. The tray clattered loudly on the floor when she saw the masked man standing over her dead master.

Edwin realized that the woman was chained. He could see bruises on her arms that were hidden under white lace. His anger boiled. “What is your name?” He asked through clenched teeth.

The woman looked at the ground. “I am Leyha. Without a master, what purpose do I have sir?l

The woman’s word cut at his heart. “How long have you been here?”

Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She spoke through sobs,”I was taken from my family at birth. I was Gaendril’s father’s slave until he died. Then Gaendril inherited me. I do not think that my family knows that their daughter is even alive.”

Edwin walked to the woman and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Go to them. They may not know you but they do remember you. Trust me on that.”

She nodded. “I watch them when I can. I have never left this house, but I have seen them through the windows. Gaendril made it a game to torment me by making me watch them and reminding me that I would never know them.”

Edwin felt tears trying to find their way out. “Go to them, Leyha.”

Edwin dug through the pockets of the dead man until he found a for the shackles that the woman wore. As soon as she was loose, she ran out of the room.

He heard her open the door and leave. His turned his focus on the dead man. Instinct seemed to take over his body. He dipped his fingers into the man’s blood and ran it over the marks on his mask. He felt the mask drinking the blood and satisfaction ran over him. He understood why he and the mask were a good pair. They both were bloodthirsty.

Shyra was suddenly standing next to him. “In and out, you sentimental fool. We should leave before people come to see where the slave women are coming from.”

Edwin nodded. “I didn’t realize that there were more. Let us be off then. One witness is enough to spread the word that the Masked bring justice.”

He stepped into the shadow. It felt oddly natural this time. It was beginning to feel almost natural to step between the two lands. The cold seemed less shocking and the warmth was less pleasant with each step as the duo ran from their victim.

They stepped between the worlds nearly a dozen times before they were out of Va’el. By the end, Shyra was laughing. She was so much like a girl at time.

Edwin was smiling at the woman though she couldn’t see it. “How was that?” Edwin asked once they had stopped running.

Shyra replied softly with a gentle hand on his shoulder,”You did well, Edwin. It would have been messier had the woman decided to attack you. It is not unheard of for slaves to reject being freed. I would have hated to have you suffer taking the life of an innocent. Especially this early in the process.”

Edwin nodded. He wasn’t sure how he would have taken killing Leyha either. It was strange that people would reject being freed, but people were strange.

Shyra’s hand slid from his shoulder up to his mask. “You and the mask have bonded well. You are even taking in the altering from the shadowland as well. Can you feel the difference?”

Edwin wasn’t sure of what the woman meant. “I could feel the mask share my satisfaction at the work that we did, but I don’t know anything about a difference coming from the shadowland.”

Shyra moved quickly. She spun and plunged a dagger for Edwin’s stomach. He saw the movement. He wouldn’t be shown up again.

Edwin sidestepped carefully and grabbed her wrist. He trapped her arms with his and held her tightly against his chest. It felt nearly instant.

She gasped against the pressure. “You couldn’t have come close to that before. The shadowland grants additional strength for your mask. And you in turn. It is important to shift often between the two worlds.”

Edwin let the woman go, but she kept her body close. Edwin didn’t mind having the beautiful woman so close. He felt drawn to her every moment anyway. The connection between their masked was nearly overwhelming.

She ran her fingers down his mask slowly. Once she reached the bottom, she hesitated before pushing away. “I forget that a mask doesn’t represent a man fully. You are so different than my last Hunter and yet so similar.”

“I can tell that you two were closer than you let on,” Edwin replied softly. He could understand how lonely this life could be. It was even harder to resist the attraction to a companion when the connection between the masks of a Hunter and Seeker were so strong.

His mask was screaming at him. He could feel how badly it longed to be close to the other mask in that moment. Edwin grabbed the woman firmly at the hips a touch his mask to hers.

They both gasped as emotion flowed over them. Edwin felt intertwined with her being suddenly. He felt all off her pain, shock, sadness for the loss of her former Hunter and her strong attraction to him. She could feel his attraction to her as well. He sensed it.

Shyra pushed away again and slapped him. “You shouldn’t have done that. It isn’t fair to either of us. You do not even know my face, Edwin. It would have been nice to at least let us know each other better before binding us together like that.”

She said so many strange things. “What do you mean binding us together? I couldn’t resist the urge. I am sorry if I did something wrong. I know it was strange.” He truly didn’t mean any offense by his actions.

She shook her head. “It was going to happen eventually. The way we speak of masks makes it sound and almost feel like they’re alive. They amplify our own abilities. They are not separate beings. The connection that we have between our masks is amplified emotion. It will continue to grow stronger still, but what you just did is reserved for Hunters and Seekers that are wed.”

Edwin’s mouth opened, but he was at a loss for words. There was a time and place for things of that nature, especially among wed. He had accidentally done one of those things out of place. “I- I am sorry. I didn’t not realize that I was doing something wrong. What does this mean?”

Shyra gently squeezed his arm. “It means that we need to talk to Tilrer. I knew from the moment that we met that you were going to be mine.”

Shyra leaned forward and touched her mask to his. Affection, trepidation, and desire flowed over him. They paused, masks touching. The emotions swirled between them, changing and shifting slowly. Fear was replaced by calm. Desire shifted to peace and affection grew nearly overwhelming.

Shyra pulled away. Edwin shook. He hadn’t ever thought that love would be a serious part of his life. He had been a slave with hopes of becoming a master. His life would have been arranged for him.

Freedom and spending his life as a killer with Shyra suddenly felt more right than anything ever had. They would make a dangerous and beautiful pair he thought.

“Let us go home then, Shyra. Lead me, my Seeker,” he said with as much warmth as he could muster.

She nodded and took his hand with both of hers. She began leading him to the Masked. His new home with Shyra.