Chapter Text
It was a warm night. The moon was shining and no cloud was in sight. Yet in the forest there was thunder. The empress had sent Zane to investigate. His mask was covering almost all of his face. Only his blue eyes weren't covered by the black cloth. His pale skin was a lot more obvious at night than he would have liked. He sighed and jump from the tree top to bamboo and so on. The sound of thunder growing ever closer.
Suddenly a tree close to Zane was struck by lightning. He quickly jumped a few trees back. He swiftly jumped frow the tree top to a branch. His ears ringing. He sat down and listenen to his heartbeat. It was faster than normal. Breath in one two three breath out one two three breath in one two three breath out one two three he thought to himself. He calmed down after two minutes. The ringing in his ear was gone. That's when he noticed. The thunder. It wasn't there anymore. Zane climed higher up the tree and jumped over to a bamboo and climbed it.
He could see clearly now. The tree that he sat on only seconds earlier was one of the trees surrounding a clearing. The clearing was completly covered in ash. Burnt logs and stumps were all over the clearing, some still gleaming and smoking. He looked around but couldn't see anyone. He jumped onto a burnt stump after a few minutes. He looked around closer. There were no footprints. Zane looked up. Standing on a stump in the middel of the lighting he could see all the possible escape routs easier. There were a lot.
He sighed silently. What did i expect? He thought and continued looking around. She's a ninja from the most elusiv clan. The last one. Maybe i should just give up. He shuck his head. No. The empress put her trust in me. I can do this. For my empress. My love. His gaze had landed on a perticular escape rout. One leading away from the palace and to the nearest village. He jumped back up to the next best tree and ran back to the palace. If the rumours were true he could get her to come to him.