Evernight looked at those before him and smiled beneath his mask. "Are you here to kill me?"

"What do you think, flower boy?" A voice said. He was one of the three assassins standing before him in the near darkness, under an almost full moon.

The three assassins were Awakeners, Evernight knew because they were famous. Three brothers that used the poison energy technique, were called the Scorpion brothers.

They were dressed in black clothes that were too big for them, their hands to their shoulders were bare, showing corded muscles that shifted with every breath.

Evernight didn’t see any weapons on them but then again it might be beneath their clothes and it’s not like it’s a difficult thing to call a weapon.

He frowned beneath his white mask, he knew the flowers in his mask socket unnerved people. Even hardened assassins, he turned his on them, making them shift on the dry soil.

He had been dodging assassins for a while now, he didn’t know how or why but a bounty must have been put up for his head in the underworld.

Not like there was much difference between the underworld and the after-apocalypse world again.

It would be useless to try and know who put up the bounty, everyone that Evernight could think of except maybe two or three people, wanted him dead. Or captured. Not much difference.

The Scorpion brothers must have a much deeper intel, much more so that it scared Evernight a little because they had cornered him just before the entrance to where HE was.

Evernight he had chosen this place for HIM and he was quite proud of himself but somehow it had been compromised.

It was once a huge building made of cream bricks but now it lay crumbling, with bent doors and dented roofs. It was in a secluded place too, deep forest surrounded them except for the ground near the building where the soil was dry. No plant would grow there. For as long as HE was angry.

"What do I think?" Evernight spread his hand. "I think of a lot of things to bother myself with such a question."

One of the brothers snorted behind the clothes warped around his face. Why they bothered with it Evernight didn’t know, they were well-known killers after all.

"I have been told that the Flower boy is prone to silliness and would resort to sprouting nonsense when cornered." The brother to the left said.

That word again, the Flower boy. Evernight hated it, it was the name he went by years ago when he started making a name for himself in the underworld. He had thought it a good name then when he would defeat his enemies with flowers.

He didn’t think so now, the name sounded...weak to his ears but then again that was how he looked. Slender with long straight fingers, people tend to underestimate him.

"I heard he had such an ugly face he had to use a mask." Another brother said.

Evernight sighed. "Let’s....let’s just do this but before that can you please tell me who gave you this intel?"

"Since you’re going to die, no one gave us. We stumbled on it when we were looking for clues on how to find you."

Evernight frowned. So an anonymous tip? Because he doubted the Scorpion brothers would ever find this place themselves even if it was shoved down their throat.

Evernight felt a spike of alarm, could it be one of the gang?

Evernight had to take care of business here and change HIS location.

He checked his core, the pink core glowed deeply to him mentally and the flowers in his mask reflected it. Evernight raised his hand and gestured in the air, he felt the tiny rip in the air fabric and pink leaves started filling the surroundings.

"Finally ready?" One of the brothers ssid. Green bright flames erupted from their hands, covering them from shoulder to fingers. The clearing lit up in green and where the green fire fell on the soil, it hissed and blackened.

"So this is the famous poison hand of the Scorpion brothers, where it touches it kills." Evernight marveled.

The brothers said nothing and with quick feet, they moved into a triangle formation around him.

With a thought, Evernight made his leaves harder than steel and in the same breath, with a quick practiced hand, he drew his spell in the air.

The reaction was fast, the leaves covered him, forming armor on him. Soon he was covered in leaves that looked like dragon scales on him, the pink leaves didn’t copy his form to make the armor. It made something different around him.

The armor legs were bigger, fashioned like an Ox’s hooves, which made him taller, the hand was big and ended in long thin hardened leaves. Claws.

His helmet was made to be a lion’s head.

His armor was impenetrable, even the air he breathed was been filtered by a spell. This armor was the natural defense and offensive for poison users, the only problem was that he couldn’t use any other spell when he was using the armor.

All this happened in seconds, the brother in front of Evernight clawed the air and huge green energy in the shape of a huge claw rained down on Evernight.

Evernight dodged left, towards the brother on the left, his hand extended but something smacked him from the air. At first, he thought it was the claw’s energy but when he stood up he saw a huge rope made of bright green essence in the hand of the brother on the left.

So that was how they wanted to play. Evernight thought. They used a triangle formation and put him in the middle so they could attack him as he focused on one of them.

Unfortunately, Evernight didn’t have time. He had to return to East Haven tonight.

Evernight dissolved most of his armor, leaving only his legs, his right arm, and his helmet. Dissolving some parts made other parts stronger.

Then with a bust of concentrated speed, he took off one brother’s head, ripping it off the neck with a dull pop and bust of blood.

The two brothers screamed and let go of any strategy, just as Evernight wished. He lifted his hand and with a thought the armor in his hand smoothly took off and blasted towards another one, taking his heart from him.

The last brother reached him, hand outstretched with flaming poison but Evernight had already begun another spell. The leaves from his now collapsed armor spell covered him like a small dome, pulsing with essence.

Poison bounced off it like water to feather, inside the dome, Evernight struck the shield and the leaves erupted outwards with a blast. The last Scorpion brothers were shredded.

Everything yawned, gestured and the leaves all disappeared. He picked his way through and headed for the building.

Inside the building was dark but Evernight saw a pink-taintedinted vision as he walked among the rubbles. He soon reached the big chamber where HE was. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The air pulsed like heartbeat, Evernight felt HIS anger like a heat. A man sat on a throne-like chair, but his face was casted in darkness that even Evernight couldn’t see.

"You are late." The voice didn’t come from the man sitting, it came from all around. It was deep and rich, smooth. And cruel.

Evernight went to one knee. "I...I had some unforeseen disturbances. My Lord"

"Is that so? And why are you playing with those assassins? Nevermind. What news do you bring." The man asked.

"Everything is going as you planned, My Lord," Evernight sighed softly.

"And the little weapons?"

"I have used the fate card and chose their techniques as you ordered, My Lord." It had been a tricky thing to use such an object of power in East Haven but Evernight was proud to have pulled it off.

The voice grunted and a flash of white teeth in the darkness. "What about the old monsters?"

"Do you mean the...gang, My Lord?" The voice didn’t reply, so Evernight hurriedly continued. "They... seem to be aware that you are back and they have started making moves."

The voice chuckled. "Oh?" Was all that was said.

When no further instructions came, Evernight bowed and made his way outside. He realized he was trembling a little. He sighed as he looked at what remains of the Scorpion brothers. "Time to find a new hideout.... no a new shield."