# Chapter 4
I wandered through the city's shadows for hours, unnoticed. Wei served as my eyes in the sky while I tried to avoid contact with the people below. Finally, when the sun had completely set, I could move almost freely through the darkness.
I walked toward a building alive with colorful lights—the sounds of clinking bottles and cheering voices creating different melodies in the night air. But something else caught my attention: a woman's scream. Though not loud, it was enough to grab my focus.
I moved toward the dark alley where the scream originated. Wei perched atop a tall pole, watching from above. As I drew closer, I could see a terrified woman on the ground and a young man wielding two short daggers. A pocket knife lay nearby on the ground.
The woman struggled to reach the weapon, but the man overpowered her again, raising his dagger to strike between her ribs. The scene immediately reminded me of what happened at the factory. Not wanting to let that horror repeat itself, I kicked a small rock toward his raised dagger, sending it flying through the air.
As he craned his neck upward to see what had happened, I sprang from the shadows. I caught his dagger mid-air and sliced his throat before anyone could speak, blood spattering across the woman's face. I dropped the weapon and crawled back into the shadows within the blink of an eye.
The woman, still confused and in shock, pushed the lifeless body off herself and attempted to flee. I had no interest in chasing her, but Wei suddenly dove from her perch, striking the woman's face with a heavy blow. The lady fell to the ground.
She tried to stand, but Wei struck again—more softly this time. The woman grabbed the fallen pocket knife and swung it at Wei with surprising skill, moving like a professional swordsman. Wei dodged, but the woman was quick, preparing to strike again.
I jumped from the shadows once more, grabbed the woman from behind by her robe, and slammed her against the wall. She collapsed, her pocket knife clattering to the ground.
Still uncertain of Wei's intentions, I picked up the weapon and examined it. My breath caught—it bore the same leaf pattern as my father's staff. Shocked, I looked at Wei, but she was staring at something else: the body of the young man I'd just killed.
I bent down and lifted his shirt slightly. There, on his skin, was a tattoo of a paw—just like those I'd seen on the claw assassins. Instead of fury, I felt a smile of satisfaction cross my face.
I turned toward the unconscious woman, lifted her onto my shoulder, and followed Wei to a dark, abandoned farmhouse. I placed her on a pile of dusty hay, then found a piece of rag near the entrance. Dipping it into a water bowl I discovered covered in the house, I squeezed out the excess and used it to clean her face.
*What a beauty,* I thought to myself. *It's been so long.* As I lifted her again and wrapped my hands around her slender waist, I felt warm liquid on my palms. I tore open the abdominal section of her robe and used the wet rag to clean the blood around a cut. The wound wasn't deep, but as I touched it, she stirred and moaned.
Immediately, I retreated into hiding and watched her wake up, confused and surprised.
"Why was he after you?" I asked from the darkness.
At the sound of my voice, she frantically felt around until she found a shovel, pointing it in the air while turning in a complete circle.
"Relax," I said. "I'm not here to harm you."
But she didn't lower her guard. "Show me your face," she demanded.
Wei flew in and perched on a piece of wood. The woman slowly approached her.
"Hey, you were the bird from earlier. Did you bring me here?" But Wei didn't flinch.
"Don't be afraid," I spoke again. "We're not here to harm you—just to ask questions."
She pulled out a gas lighter and flicked it on, continuing to turn in circles. "Step into the light. Let me see your face."
I reminded her that I meant no harm, mentioning the cut on her abdomen and that she needed rest. Finally, she dropped the shovel and sat on the floor.
"I need to get back to Li Ming," she said.
I recognized that name and repeated it with an invisible smile. "Is he at the temple?" I asked.
"Yes, that's why I need to warn him."
"And who was the man who attacked you? Why?"
"He's a member of the—"
"Claw gang," we both said simultaneously.
She looked around suspiciously.
"Why was he after you?" I pressed.
"Those of us trained by Li Ming are sworn to protect the innocent from the claw gang. We try not to cross their path, but Li Ming made us take an oath to always protect the weak from them. That's what we've been doing."
"How many are there?"
She chuckled. "What do you intend to do with their numbers?"
"Destroy them," I replied simply.
"Thousands," she answered, then tried to run toward the door. "I really need to report to Li Ming."
I didn't stop her, but she screamed in pain before reaching the broken wooden door. I caught her before she fell, then melted back into the shadows.
"What *are* you?" she asked, surprised.
"You need rest," I answered. "We'll go see Li Ming in the morning."