could, it seemed, but they said it was bad for the brain to not deal with those things as naturally as possible.
You know, most people would probably think that someone laughing after severe physical trauma is either a good sign or a sign of madness, Stewart Cantel said.
Says the dead man in my head.
Point. Cantel laughed. I am a little surprised that your overprotective subconscious didn’t come out and kill everyone yesterday, though.
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He was in no true danger. The pallid one was in control the entire time.
Oh goody, we get to include it in conversations now! Cantel said.
Do not mock me, fragment of what once was.
Ouch. The former High Commander went quiet.
Get along, you two, Shade admonished. None of us are going anywhere anytime soon.
That is one reason I felt it reasonable to talk at this time. I feel that referring to me as It, That Thing, or Creature is no longer acceptable.
Alright, do you have something you would like us to refer to you as?
I do not, but I find the other ways… troublesome.
Simon would have a field day with this conversation, Cantel interjected, referring to the Arch Mage of the Protectorate, the man who had cast the Shaping that had placed a copy of the former High Commander inside Shade’s mind.
I can only imagine, Shade replied. What do you name a part of your own mind? Shade-esque? Or maybe it should be the name of the boy he had no memories of. Not-quite-Victor? He shivered for a moment as he realized that would also be a good name for himself, and he threw that whole line of thought out the window. It came to him then. Remembering the first true interaction he had with the voice, he recalled something that had been said.
Vitiosi Dei.
Throwing my words back at me. Alright. We’ll talk about this later. He approaches.
We’re going to need to have a conversation about how you know these kinds of things someday. Shade hopped out of bed and started getting ready, forgetting that he had been beaten to the brim of unconsciousness the day before. He winced as his body protested the rapid movement. It wasn’t surprising when he received no reply from Vitiosi.
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Good Luck.
Thanks, Shade mouthed back.
You are the son of Analya Theromvore and Lagelion Daystar? And a champion to three gods? You didn’t think this was worth telling me?
Victor Deus is all of those things. I’m just a boy who woke up as a slave in a mine, Shade responded.
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Do you have any idea what this means?
Yeah, that I’m about to get beaten up again probably.
Not that. This is just standard introductory training that anyone thinking about joining Special Forces would have to endure. Stewart Cantel somehow became louder, to the point that Shade was having trouble hearing his own footfalls. Not only are you the half-Elven child of two extremely important people, but you are the champion of three gods. No wonder people are trying to kill you.
Well, I can’t do anything about any of that, Shade replied.
Yes you can. You can train your ass off and be ready for when they come, because they will come. Keeping secrets like this doesn’t last forever. Someone always finds out eventually, and each of these secrets that gets revealed is going to increase the danger to your person exponentially, the former High Commander explained. You are going to need every skill and trick that we can learn from these people if you want to get out of this city alive.
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Again, I’m glad this is making one of us happy.
Well, you can’t blame me for enjoying training, or for feeling like what is about to happen is a small slice of karma for keeping secrets from yourself.
You aren’t part of me yet.
Aren’t I?
Great, now I really do feel crazy.
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If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
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Assuming we believe his boast, the question becomes what kind of man lives that long? Cantel asked.
Good question, Shade replied.
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I’m not having fun anymore, Stewart Cantel said. This guy is a bona-fide sociopath.
I’m not so sure, Shade said, as he stared down the length of Jason’s sword. I think that if he meant us any harm, or hadn’t planned all of this out meticulously, Vitiosi would be going on a rampage right now.
Oh, well as long as Vitiosi likes the guy, we’re all good. Cantel didn’t even try to mask his sarcasm.
The sword and the whetstone both lose pieces of themselves when they come together, but the sword is stronger because of that exchange.
What the…
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Son of a bitch, Cantel said.
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He’s right. Or at least, I think he is. I don’t know a whole lot about Shaping myself, but I remember listening in on a lecture the Arch Magus gave to a young Nimus Mithriannil. An image of a man with the eyes of a Dragon sitting near a fireplace listening as the Arch Magus spoke popped into Shade’s mind as the former High Commander recalled the event. I’m not even going to pretend like I understood a tenth of it, but from what it sounded like, if a Shaper with a strong enough will were connected with another spot, it would be analogous to something he called quantum entanglement, and the two points could be bridged.
That was well-put for not understanding it, Vitiosi added. He isn’t wrong, though.
Great, so now we have to wonder why he didn’t even bother to bring up that possibility. Shade rubbed his forehead with his hand.
‘Cause he’s a conniving old bastard, Cantel groused.
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