The Blue Tigers have a long history of not being very good...

Author's Note:

This piece was inspired by a headline I found in a newspaper. It continues the story in my dream thread, but you don't have to read that to read this.

"The Blue Tigers have a history of not being very good to shadows..."

"Well, duh. They're Trues."

Faolan sighed. "Do you have to speak in that condescending tone of voice?"

"What did you expect me to do? You stated the obvious!"

"A simple nod of the head would have sufficed."

"Quiet."Lana growled softly at the quarreling boys. The two shut their mouths quickly. The authority in her gait was present even in silence. Glancing over her shoulder at the group she inhaled deeply. It was her, Faolan, Naomi, Artur, and a few other shadows for the job. Manageable. But still vertigo-inducing. Not that it phased Lana. Not in the slightest... 

The girl concentrated as a Dao guard passed underneath them, his deep blue sash bringing out the colors of his personalized mask. Slowly, she pulled her own mask over her face, lingering on the touch of it's leather beneath her fingers. 

Hers wasn't like the normal True mask it was trying to imitate. It was indeed personalized, but it belonged to no house, no title, no name. No name except her own. It was brown leather patched up, and measured so it would only cover the upper area of her face. It had been carefully crafted, made someone who knew what they were doing but not made for a noble. No. It was made for Lana.

She tensed as she remembered Faiz, but relaxed as his words ebbed and flowed. His constant advice through her childhood, preparing for a moment such as this. 

Turning her steely dark gaze to her group, she signaled for them to pull their masks up. Theirs were attached to their clothing, unlike anything a True would wear. Covering the bottom half of their face but leaving room for their eyes. They stared back at her, intense concentration filling their own lums. 

She looked back below her, extending her forearm to rest in front of the group, feeling the weight of their eyes, all preparing for the signal.

A tap of her fingers against the cold metal bars. Crouching low, she saw the rest out of her peripherals take their action. She leapt over the bars and onto the Dao guard below, chaos following in her wake. Before the Dao could yell or scream, she'd already managed to lock him in a chokehold, unsheathing her Philosian blades. The Jade Dagger had become the bringer of chaos for the night.