Secrets in the Shards: Chapter One

What woke him this time around was not the internal stirrings of the body or mind. To the contrary, it was the downward slant of sun against the lids of his eyes. It both warmed the outer flesh and warned of the day that was to come, silently speaking of the ill deed he was to enact. Not once before had he struck down another sentient being that wasn't to be devoured for nourishment and energy. Never had he stolen the flame of life in an act no better than murder. It fell heavily upon his shoulders and even briefly made his movements sluggish, weighing down his conscience with a simple stroke.
Lifting a hand to gently caress his sore jaw, he took a moment in making sure everything was in place. Two daggers forged of the finest ivory and and obsidian. A pouch of poisons, both liquid and power--just in case he did not kill him within the first fatal blow. At his other hip was a small bag that contained rations of dried meat, vegetables and fruits. Carried in case there wasn't good hunting to be had. Then lastly, a small locket he wore about his neck. Within, it held an image of both his parents on the left. To the right, a picture of the one human who hadn't been disturbed by his... differences, and had lived with him for near four years.
Curling his fingers around the heart-shaped locket, he murmured a brief call of thanks and promised he would slay their killer--even if it brought him too close to deaths door.
Casting a glance through the upper portion of the trees leaves, he watched as a dreary gray cloud hustled silently across the bright green sky. It was out of place. And yet it had somehow found its own way to fit in with the downcast mood, setting the scene with a more-or-less pleasant backdrop.
Shifting in his perch, he looked down the dirt path that led past the surrounding side-road fauna, winding and twisting about like a snake. For a brief second, it paused underneath where he was crouched. Then it continued on into the distance, dipping down and fading from sight. It would be the way he intended to go when he was finished with him.
Returning his attention to the land ahead, he finally noticed a small speck beginning to fade in on the horizon. At first, it vaguely resembled any shape he had known. But upon closer inspection and the nearer it drew, he knew it was the man he had been waiting for. There was one difference, however: This man appeared to be... a woman. He hadn't expected to have gotten the two genders confused. Perhaps they were the same as he, able to freely decide which sex they were?
Shaking his head, he decided it did not matter and concentrated on remaining relaxed rather then tense. It would wear him down quicker than anything, and the woman would not be getting what she rightly deserved. With a furrow of the brow and a twitch of the lips, he awaited her to come where he was and at least pause or rest underneath his tree.
Her time had finally come.