《The Black Empress》


 Omen Of War

    A little over two hundred years ago in the dead of night, a window opened itself somewhere, giving way to an unnatural part of the night, trying to slither in. Successfully so.


    The room inside was dimly lit by a candle, placed right next to a wooden cradle.


    If you looked carefully, you could see chubby cheeks, slightly blushed in a warm glow, peeking out of a soft linen blanket, littered with tiny stars. The girl, almost a toddler still, dreamt of great things. And wonderful things. And mysterious things. Of the bright big world she hadn¡¯t seen yet.


    Oh, great adventures snuck into her dreams. She imagined her future self travel the world, guarded by her teddy bear, as she was guarded by him now. He could not protect her from the darkness given shape, though. Nothing could. So he was no more than a silent witness in the end, held in her arms, beady eyes locked onto the ceiling and the skies beyond.


    The shadow now stood over her small bed, leaning in, whispering ancient syllables. Words of power, uttered in a language no mortal had ever heard. It had come here before, for countless nights, but this would be the last.


    As the being spoke, for a final time, her dreams started to bleed color. After two or three verses, everything in her inner world was shades of gray. Great things became mediocre things. Wonderful things turned ordinary. Mystery disappeared.


    The girl shifted uneasily in her sleep, but didn¡¯t wake. Not yet, at least.


    When thirty minutes or so had passed, the chanting stopped. The shadow seemed to have achieved its goal, whatever it was that it came here to do, all those nights. Could shadows laugh, it would have shown a sly, satisfied grin.


    ?You will be free, little girl. Free of the shackles that bind all living things. Grow strong, and restless. Then we might see each other again.¡° It murmured as goodbye, almost sounding melancholic, despite its monotone voice.


    Alira jumped awake, holding her stuffed guardian tight. She had been in the middle of fighting pirates on the sea, to save fair Lindelin, the princess in her golden castle. Just as she had won and was to be crowned hero for her deeds, the sea had become like stone. In fact, everything in her dream had suddenly forgotten its own colors, fading into darker shades of white. She panicked in the now gray world, and hence, awoke.


    Instinctively, she knew that something had been done to her. She didn¡¯t know what, or why, or even by whom, but she was certain. As certain as four year olds can be. Something in her was not like before.


    Alira tried to, but could not, for the love of the gods, find what exactly had been changed. Or anything different. But she was just a small child, after all. There was no way for her to properly understand, what the shadow¡¯s words had done. So, after making sure Teddy would still guard her, she cautiously waited for sleepiness to drown her mind again.


    Had Alira known how to conjure her status screen, or known how to read, for that matter, she would have noticed immediately. She wasn¡¯t exactly human any more. No, she was something.. else.. now, merely wearing her former appearance like a suit, concealing, containing the ever lasting night within.


    In the next few months, the incident was all forgotten. To her, it was a bad dream, nothing more, anyway.


    Unfortunately, consequences arose, after a bit more time had passed. It became apparent, that something about her was.. wrong.


    She had stopped aging. Not mentally, of course, but her body refused to grow up. Alira didn¡¯t mind too much, because as far as she could remember, her body had always been like this. How do you explain to a child not growing up is wrong?


    Her parents started to worry. About her future, about her health. They would always love her little sweetheart, no matter what, but the world, in general, was a cruel place. Being different put a target on your back, for no other reason than being different. A self supporting argument: Why did you throw the ball? Because you threw the ball.


    Stupid nonsense, but the kind of nonsense that would make her future life hell.


    So her parents, with a heavy heart, took her to the shaman of their little village. If someone could help, it was him, but his services required sacrifice, as a rule, paid in the blood of livestock. A sheep, or a cow, would do. Which was a hefty price for a simple farmer.


    Her father brought one of their three cows non the less, their beloved child more important to them, after all.


    The shaman¡¯s hut, located at the outskirts of their settlement, was nothing more than a simple tent.


    It was almost empty, except for a small stone altar with a magical fire, ever burning, beneath a large iron crucible on top.


    The shaman had seen that they would come, in the ashes he blew in the wind.


    ?Bring her here.¡° He waved.


    Alira¡¯s father, who had grown accustomed to the mysterious powers that all shamans and seers seemed to hold, wordlessly sat her down, right next to the altar.


    ?Good. And now, for the payment..¡° The shaman drew a ritualistic dagger, made of burnt oak, edged with weird lines. Runes, you might call them, but neither Alira nor her father knew what those symbols meant.


    He waved again, this time for the cow, to come closer. Oddly, it instantly did, almost dragging her father with it.


    ?Close your eyes, dear!¡°


    Alira did as she was told. She heard a faint squelching noise, then something red, dripping into the metal reservoir in front of her. After a few seconds, there was a thud, as the cow laid down its life.


    Her father sighed, he had just lost precious cattle.


    ?You can open your eyes now.¡° The shaman told.


    He slightly kneeled down in front of her.


    ?Give me your hand.¡°


    He reached into the crucible, the blood on the verge of boiling, then silently spoke some weird words, as he drew small circles on her palm, the occasional complex symbol mixed in.


    After the task was done, intricate patterns covered her whole hand, starting to glow in a faint red. Blood magic, in its primal form.


    The shaman held his left hand over hers, his skin copying the runes on her palm, only mirrored, in the form of, previously invisible, tattoos of black ink.


    His hand, full of animal blood still, started to shudder, uncontrollably, then the glow disappeared.


    Alira¡¯s father was startled when he looked into the shaman¡¯s face.


    It showed disbelieve, and a hint of fear.


    ?..I-I..¡° The shaman was speechless, which made her father very uneasy. He had seen the shaman perform countless rituals, like this, over the years, and never had he looked anything else than a blend of serious and bored.


    ?..I can¡¯t see anything..¡°


    ?Does that mean she is healthy?¡° Alira¡¯s father got his hopes up. Maybe he misinterpreted the expression he saw?


    ?No.. yes.. i don¡¯t know..¡°


    ?What?¡° He was baffled.


    ?It is not that i can see nothing wrong with her, it is that i can just see nothing. Nothing at all. That isn¡¯t supposed to be possible. Blood magic always works.¡°


    He still sounded gravely surprised, shocked even.


    ?What does that mean? Is my daughter alright??¡°


    ?As i just said, i don¡¯t know. All i know is that.. something.. is not allowing others to inspect her status. Something either impossibly strong, or, through pure chance, exactly negating this particular ritual. The latter has almost non existent odds though, so i dare say that some higher being, with unimaginable power, interfered with her fate, somehow, making it impossible to see.¡° The shaman responded in a dead serious tone.


    Alira¡¯s changed nature itself prevented lesser beings, like humans, to work any kind of trick on her, but the shaman had no way of knowing that, and neither did she. Nor her father.


    So in the end, after a long discussion that ultimately led to nothing tangible, the shaman suggested to raise her like a normal child, and he would check in on her year by year, to see if something changed.


    Her father, way less qualified in such matters, grudgingly agreed, as he had no real choice anyway.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The years flew by, the family happy still, until Alira became old enough to understand that she was different. Her friends, once small like her, now towered over her body. They, too, noticed she was strange and slowly, one by one, neglected to invite her to play, until she spent most of her time alone, or at home. Her parents tried to comfort her to the best of their ability, but they could not replace real friends, no matter how hard they tried.


    After a while, rumours began wafting through the village. Some spoke of a sad curse, some of a devil¡¯s child. Some, few, spoke of a miracle, however that made sense.


    ?Will i ever grow up?¡° Alira asked on her fourteenth birthday, in a room full of empty chairs. No one had heeded her invitation, despite coming of age being an important day. Normally, young casanovas could try for her hand in marriage now.


    Unsurprisingly though, no boy showed interest in a girl that looked like a small child. It was just too weird, and even if her appearance had met the gusto of a man, pedophilia was frowned upon, preventing such a person to make a move either. In the end, it was only her and her parents, like it always was.


    ?I don¡¯t know dear. But tomorrow the shaman will pay his recurring visit. Maybe he has news, this time.¡° Her mom tried to sound cheerful, but was unable to hide all of her worries.


    ?You always say that.¡° Alira retorted. Her life was not easy, so, sometimes, anger broke through her otherwise gentle being. She had never done something wrong in her life, and yet, people treated her like she was a crooked, evil thing. Even her parents received cold stares now and then, cultivating guilt in her young mind.


    ?Because that is all we can say, dear.¡° Her father intervened in a sad voice, seeing the mix of anger and desperation in his daughter¡¯s face. A look he had seen to many times in the last few months, so often in fact, that he almost couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. Why could no one help her? Was it their fault somehow? Her father spent sleepless nights, pondering, wondering, never finding an answer.


    The shaman, deeply moved by the circumstances of an innocent child, never stopped pondering the matter, either. As he knew way more, than common people, about magic and rituals and souls, he took the methodic approach. Every year, he had other identification spells ready, based on different types of magic. First, he tried rituals in his domain, blood-bound magic. When they all failed, he moved on to the other stuff he was taught so long ago, by his predecessor, who had passed decades ago. The shaman picked herbs, created hex-bags, dream catchers, totems, to no avail. Then he conjured spirits, asking to roll their dice in Alira¡¯s name, only to get the same answer every time, be it from a fox, or a deer, or a toad: ?Her fate is hidden in the shadows. We can¡¯t see.¡°


    Today, at her fourteenth birthday, he was at the end of his knowledge. The one last thing he could try was summon Galdir, the spirit of a legendary crow, around since olden times.


    He had sworn to do so only as a last effort, because Galdir did not belong to Gaia¡¯s children. All the other spirits he knew by name, which was required to call upon them, were neutral, in service of the goddess of life herself.


    The crow he was about to summon, however, was not. It was a twisted thing, an omen of dread, bound to Heojin, the god of war, instead.


    His specialization in blood magic was the only reason that he had affiliations to such an entity, in the first place.


    Galdir would do as told, when summoned, but if you were not careful, he would twist your words, until they spelled something dark. Using him to help with non bloody things was dangerous at best, devastating at worst.


    The shaman sighed. Summoning a creature of war required.. real.. payment. Not the lousy life of a few animals, but blood of a truly sentient thing. Like humans, for example. Or pixies. Unwilling to pay with a human life, he opted for the latter, sneaking into the forest nearby at night, placing wards to trap a fairy. When he witnessed a poor little thing fly into his ambush, his heart became heavy for a second. Offering sentient souls to dark forces was never easy on the mind, not even for him.


    Alira, despite past experiences, got her hopes up once more when someone, who could only be the shaman, knocked on their door. She just couldn¡¯t help it, he was her only chance for normalty, after all, she thought.


    As her father opened up, the first thing they noticed was an ominous bird.


    All black, eyes like embers, sitting on the shaman¡¯s shoulder.


    Its aura was drenched in despair, filling her parents with a deep, basic fear. Just looking upon the crow made their instincts wail, causing them to flinch backwards, subconsciously, trying to flee.


    She herself felt something else beyond the initial dread.


    ..Despair? .. No.. Familiarity.. Yes.. Like the crow and she were alike, a tiny bit at least, by some unknown circumstance.


    It crept her out, while simultaneously, made her feel whole. For the first time in her life, however briefly, she didn¡¯t regret that she was different.


    Then the notion passed.


    ?That is enough, Galdir.¡° The shaman commanded.


    Almost instantly, the confusing blend of feelings in her settled down. She threw a glance at her parents, which seemed to calm down as well. The air had cleared, the aura vanished.


    ?Listen closely. This is the last option, i know of, to maybe help you. This is Galdir. Unlike the peaceful spirits before, he is an omen of war. So be very, very careful. I would have liked better not to make use of one like him, but i can not, in good conscience, leave a possible way to help you untested. A decade is a long investment, after all. It is of grave importance that you don¡¯t speak to him, unless i tell you to, you understand?¡°


    The shaman seemed slightly uneasy, his breath a bit ragged.


    ?..¡°


    ?Do you understand? All of you? War spirits are powerful, and they will always try to lure your mind into dark places. Don¡¯t let him tempt you.¡°


    ?Y-Yes.¡° The family whispered in unison, intimidated by the creature in front of them. The elders of the village sometimes told stories of past days, of the great wars of ancient times. There was one thing the stories, myth or real, had in common. Spirits of war were, without exception, merciless creatures. Stronger than even a dragon, driven only by their thirst for blood and souls of the fallen. Valkyries, the elders called them. Either black-winged beauties, luring good men to their deaths, or skeletal riders on undead horses, ravaging through the fields of battle, sparing no soul. Or crows, picking at the mutilated remains of what their siblings had unleashed. Seeing such a dangerous myth, right at their doorstep, made them shiver, as they were reminded that some forces are not to be trifled with. The only thing that kept them sane right know, was the faith they had in their shaman. He had never uselessly taken risks for the village. In fact, without his help, the settlement might have died out, a few times at least. So they decided to trust him, for now.


    The crow had also looked around, while the shaman introduced it, analysing all people present. His fiery glare locked onto Alira for a second.


    Then Galdir struggled. The shaman¡¯s commands bound him, prevented him to move on his own volition. So, instead, he spoke. His voice like faint thunder, a tale of distant crisis, inducing goosebumps on everyone present.


    ?Why did you summon me, lowly blood-binder? There is nothing i can do that the one over there can¡¯t. Let me go, now!¡° He tipped a claw towards Alira.


    What?


    The silence was almost tangible. Her parents seemed in shock, while the shaman just looked dumbfounded.


    After a few seconds, the shaman regained his posture and responded.


    ?What do you mean by that?¡°


    ?Don¡¯t insult my intelligence! Do you really want to see one, of my standing, bow down? So desperately, that you had to bring one.. like.. her? You either are insane, or very stupid, blood-binder. Now free me, before you regret this.¡°


    Again, stunned silence.


    ?..I-i don¡¯t understand..¡° Alira¡¯s mother attempted to speak.


    ?Silence! Don¡¯t talk to him!¡° The shaman interjected, shouting.


    ?Ahaha, woman. How dare you speak. You are worth even less than the one that called me here. Mortals like you should just bow their head in wait, and rejoice when their lives are taken... Mhmm¡­ Unless you want to bargain? For your soul, perhaps? It is lost, without my help, you know?¡°


    ?Don¡¯t listen to him! Just keep silent, please¡­¡° The shaman waved to Alira¡¯s mother, to make her shut up.


    ¡°..Galdir, i summoned you, so that you could read her fate, because i can¡¯t.¡° The shaman pointed at Alira.


    For a brief moment, the crow looked.. perplexed? Hard to tell the facial expressions of a bird, really.


    Then Galdir burst into laughter.


    ?Oh ho ho, i take it back. You really don¡¯t know, do you?¡° Now he sounded actually amused. Still a voice like thunder though, the melody of a storm, ever so slowly creeping closer.


    ?So, can you read her fate, or not?¡° The shaman lost a bit of his patience. Keeping a spiritual beast, on Galdir¡¯s level, bound, took a hefty toll on the body. Time started to run dry, as he felt his mana drain quickly.


    ?No. And even if i could, i wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯d rather take serious backlash for disobeying the summoner¡¯s bond, than offend a thing like her. I value.. existing.. you know.¡° The crow told slowly, after hesitating to answer.


    ?Do you know what is wrong with me?¡° Alira couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. That forsaken crow seemed to know.. something.


    ?Don¡¯t talk!¡° The shaman, on the verge of collapsing from mana exhaustion, weakly shouted.


    Alira seemed to have caught Galdir off guard, so much so, that he almost stuttered a bit.


    ?W-Wrong? Oh exalted one, i dare not find fault in someone of your standing. Forgive a simple one like me, for not behaving properly in your presence. That damn bond prevents me from acting freely.. i wish not, to show disrespect..¡°


    Seriously? Alira¡¯s mouth fell open. The crow actually tried to bow its head, fighting the shaman¡¯s control, while answering respectfully.


    She quickly adapted, it almost felt.. natural.. to have powerful entities kneel in front of her.


    ?Obey me, until i say you can go, omen of war.¡° She tried to sound like the kings, true rulers, in the bedtime stories her father had told her as a child.


    Right now, she discovered a side of her she didn¡¯t know existed. It felt.. normal.. like breathing, to command the crow.


    Her parents looked at her, alienated. That was not the daughter they knew. Suddenly, they were tempted to believe the rumours told about their child. A devil¡¯s child. Not human, just looking human. After a second though, they pushed away such ridiculous thoughts. Of course it was her daughter, how could she not be?


    ?No.. he will deceive you..¡° The shaman now had to kneel, to keep in control of the bond.


    ?Blood-binder, shut up. You know of the unbreakable contract, yes?¡°


    The shaman nodded, speechless, his eyes opening wide. Then the crow looked directly into Alira¡¯s eyes.


    ?I, Galdir, Harbinger of War, humbly wish to form a contract. A contract that must be honored. A contract that can not be broken. Hereby, i swear allegiance to your every word, exalted one. Please accept this token.¡°


    Before Alira could wonder, what token, a small coin, glowing silver, left the crow¡¯s chest.


    It hovered over to her, and she took it, after hesitating a moment. It felt warm to the touch.


    ?The contract is valid. [If my services are no longer required, please show mercy and return my soul. It is a great honor, to serve one of your kind.]¡°


    The last part (AN: the part in [..] braces) Galdir spoke in a language, no one in the room, not even the shaman, knew.


    But Alira did. She understood and had never heard the words before, at the same time. Which felt so indescribably weird, she shifted her feet nervously.


    What, exactly, am i? She wondered.

 Masquerade

    I was playing eternal chess with one of my siblings, when something tucked on my essence. Weakly at first, but with a force ever growing.


    Oh? Seems that someone offered payment i am not allowed to decline. It had been a while, decades at least, since someone had tried to summon me for real, not afraid to pay an adequate price.


    "Brother, i need to heed this call."


    "Oh? Unusual for one of us to be summoned, in times of relative peace."


    "Yeah, it is odd. Take care."


    "Yes, you too, Galdir. See you at the next grand battle."


    Whilst i travelled through the veil between the worlds, i was kinda hoping to see a circle of wanna-be mages, or whatever, foolish enough to call upon me. That could be fun, for a while. And then, i would just return home, dragging their helpless souls with me. Maybe conjuring this or that disaster on the way.


    I was utterly disappointed. The one who called for me, appeared to be a blood-binder. Weak, yes, insignificant even, but he knew his business, unfortunately. As soon as i arrived, i felt the same blood offered as payment form shackles, that were almost impossible, at least for me, to break.


    Great. An old school summoner''s bond, well crafted.


    "What is it you desire?" I asked, grudgingly, knowing the fastest way to get out of this, was hearing his desire. And maybe twist it a little..


    "Oh great spirit, obey my command. In turn i will release you, after you granted my wish."


    At least he knows the proper phrasing..


    I sighed internally, rustling on my mental chains a bit. "Not that i have a choice. So, what is it you need me for?"


    Hopefully, the task given would involve a high body count. A pixie''s soul might force me to answer a summoning, but that was about it.


    Where i was from, the souls of what you killed were yours to claim, as additional payment. That was customary. Most entities with serious power, calling upon me or my siblings, knew that. But did this lowly mortal know this, too?


    "Unfortunately, i do not seek violence of you.."


    Really? Fuck you, human. Don''t you know what spirits of war, like me, are to be used for?


    "What then?" This better be good, or you will regret it, blood-binder.


    "There is someone you might be able to help. For now, sit still on my shoulder."


    The last part was aided by the summoner''s bond and so i had no choice but to take place on his shoulder. Damn.


    In silence, we walked through a small settlement, not even worth wreaking havoc in. Not enough souls to be worth the effort. After a few minutes, we stood before a farm house.


    After two knocks, the door opened, revealing a family.


    Are you serious? Calling me to help a useless mortal, that''s way too daring. Even a human king was barely worth my service, but a fucking farmer? It''s decided. You will pay in your own blood, when this is over, insolent little blood-binder. Who the fuck do you think you are?


    The blood-binder used the bond to make me stop emanating hatred. I will eat my anger, for now.


    While he overbearingly explained what, and who, i was, i inspected the residents.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Worthless human male.


    Worthless human woman, probably his whore.


    And a child, also fucking worthle... WHAT?


    By reflex, i immediately tried to genuflect. Oh shit! The blood-binder''s bond prevented me to move, still. Not good.


    Was this his plan, all along? On the off-chance it wasn''t, i needed to tell him, or this could end bad. Very bad.


    So i did. (AN: He told the shaman that everything he could do, the girl could do as well.)


    He was silent for a while. All humans were.


    Then he asked what i meant. Did he think i was stupid?


    My pride was hurt, being led into such an obvious trap. My anger rose again, demanding to be expressed. So i threatened the, probably insane, blood-binder.


    (AN: He asks the shaman, if he is insane, or just stupid, and says that he will regret it, unless he is unsummoned right away.)


    Suddenly, the woman started to talk. What the fuck? Worthless human whore, how dare you address me?


    The blood-binder was allowed to, as an exception, because right now, i was bound to him. But a lowly human, with no power over me? Ridiculous.


    Just as i put her into place, i noticed a flicker in her soul. Great misfortune awaited her. Hm.. a bargain? If she was gonna loose her soul anyway, she might as well give it to me, right? I proposed so, but the blood-binder demanded that she ignored me. That fucker.


    (AN: He tells her she will loose her soul, unless he helps her.)


    Then, i doubted my ears for a second. The one who called me demanded that i read the little girl''s fate.


    It dawned on me. This was not a trap, was it? He really thought she was just a girl, didn''t he? I couldn''t help but laugh in his face.


    (AN: He asks rhetorically, if the shaman really didn''t know.)


    Wait.. THAT is the favor he summoned me for?


    Oh boy. He asked me again. Damn. Creatures like me might twist our words, but being directly asked by someone who bound you, demanded a truthful answer.


    Which was a problem. I didn''t know, who exactly the girl.. no.. thing, masquerading as a girl.. was. But one thing i could tell, with absolute certainty. She was more a dark thing, than i was. There was a chance, that she even ranked above the one who created me. (AN: Heojin, the god of war, created him.)


    In front of such a vastly superior entity, preventing me from showing proper respect came very close to blasphemy. And possibly suicide. Reading her fate? Way out of my league. Even if it wasn''t, offending someone strong enough to make the whole world have a bad day, when pissed off?? No thank you. I''d rather take the painful backlash of disobeying bound commands.


    Yep. Let''s tell him that.


    (AN: He tells the shaman that he values .. existing.)


    Without warning, the supreme thing directly asked me a question, designed to mock me. Fuck! Is this because i didn''t pay her the respect she was due?


    (AN: She asks if he knows what is wrong with her. As he doesn''t know, that she doesn''t know, what she is, he thinks it is mockery.)


    Right now, i didn''t feel very good, in my role. Would i die here, today? Permanently? The possibility became more real by the second. Shit..


    Very careful, to not provoke her further, i tried to explain myself. Also, i tried to bow, despite the massive pain caused by violating the summoner''s bond.


    (AN: He says that he doesn''t dare find fault in a being like her and that the bond prevented him from bowing earlier.)


    "Obey me, until i say you can go, omen of war."


    Damn, that was close. I let out a relieved breath. She had just stated the price to pay, for my insolence. Actually, serving one like her was something i hadn''t done in centuries. Amongst my siblings and I, having a powerful master was a great honor, so i got kind of excited. Not only was i spared, but with high chance, i would witness grand events unfold once more, while in a front row seat myself.


    But the damn blood-binder had to accuse me of trickery. Why now, seriously, fuck you! Luckily, his mana seemed to have gone bye-bye, which made the bond weak enough to let me act on my own. At least a bit. Still, now i had to prove to the dark thing, that granted me mercy, that i honestly accepted her terms.


    Shit. The only option i could find, was forming a contract, signed with my soul.


    I really didn''t want to loose my soul, even if temporarily, but in the end, there was no other way. After a short mental battle with myself, i offered her an unbreakable contract.


    (AN: He says he humbly wishes to form a contract, after informing the shaman about his intentions. The shaman''s eyes open wide in surprise.)


    After a brief pause, she accepted the token that represented my soul.


    For better, or worse, heh? My fate is not in my hands anymore now. While she was in a forgiving mood, maybe i should humbly request, that i get my soul back, preferably intact?


    To additionally comfort her, i uttered my request in the tongue of her kind. A language, older than the gods, and way more dangerous.


    (AN: He requests her to show mercy and return his soul, should she no longer require him.)

 Massive Migraine

    I was commanded to leave the blood-binders shoulder, after he had disbanded the bond between us. Boy, did he look relieved, when i flew over to the girl, that was no girl, who wordlessly put me on her arm.


    The humans were awkwardly trying to gloss over what had just happened, eyeing me cautiosly, while my new master flawlessly played along, the image of a perfectly harmless child.


    Damn she was good. But i started to wonder. What, the frozen hell, did someone of her prowess do in an insignificant human settlement, on the boundaries of nowhere? Acting as the daughter of people, who bore no weight, none at all, on the Scales that decided the world?


    There were a few options, i could think of.


    My favorite:


    She was scheming. A plan even i could not grasp, despite having the experience of a thousand lifetimes. I expected nothing less, and this would just be marvelous.


    Still, other possibilities existed and one of them, in particular, made me shiver.


    Exile. Or hiding.


    As creature of war, i couldn''t feel fear, but this came close. Because who, the fuck, was so far beyond the scope, that he could pass down judgement onto one in her paygrade?


    I wanted to know, which option it was. To be able to serve, to the best of my ability.


    This was a legit question to ask, for a subordinate.


    "Master, dare this one speak?" I spoke up.


    The girl froze, for a brief moment. I only noticed, because her arm tensed up for the shortest blip of time. Did i do something wrong?


    "Call me Alira. Your name is Galdir, right?" She responded, almost meekly.


    "I humbly submit, that is correct, master." Calling her by her name, that was just gravely inappropriate. Even though it was probably not her real name. I was not sure the real her even had a name.


    "Geez, don''t be so stiff. As my familiar, there is no need for it, really." She sounded way less meek now, slightly annoyed even. Oh damn, i am not gonna be elected employee of the month this way.


    "Understood, master.. Alira." I couldn''t bring myself to completely disregard honorifics.


    "Good enough.. so, what is it?" She sighed.


    "Might i suggest to have the remainder of this conversation in private? It is of utmost importance." Can''t have lowly mortals listen in, on what i imagined to be the greatest description of a scheme in centuries, if not ever.


    Her so called ''parents'' looked uneasy, but she and, surprisingly, the blood-binder, backed me up.


    "Mom, dad, it will be fine. Don''t worry so much."


    "He made a contract that can not be circumvented. She will be safe. Galdir is her familiar now, this will have to happen sooner or later anyway." The blood-binder added, visibly calming the parents down somewhat.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "If he does something, call for us!" Her father told, as she left towards her room.


    ...


    "So?" Alira had set me down on her bed, taking place right next to me.


    Her room was so unworthy to be called that, it made me cringe. A simple bed with a straw mat, a ragged linen blanket, a small closet, scrambled together in a room with the dimensions of a carriage. One like her deserved to live in castles, made of space and time itself. Filled with all the riches of the world, legions of butlers and maids at hand, offering only the finest luxuries.


    I snapped back, keeping her waiting any longer would be very impolite.


    "This one desires to serve to the best of his ability, so he needs to know the general plan."


    "I suppose, you are right. Let me think on how to answer." She responded.


    Silence, for a few seconds. Her expression contemplative.


    "First, i need you to answer me a question, if you can." Of course i would, she was my master! A supreme one, at that.


    "Of course, master.. Alira. Ask me anything!" I remembered she insisted on being called by her ''name''.


    She slightly blushed.


    "Do you.. eh.. know, what i am? Because i honestly have no idea."


    What?


    My brain failed to process her question.


    "This one apologizes, but could you repeat that, please?"


    "Ahh.. this is embarrassing.. i asked if you know, what i am? Because i don''t." She blushed even more.


    Okay.


    So i didn''t miraculously mishear what she said before.


    But, seriously, WHAT?


    Surely, this was some kind of joke. Or test, maybe?


    Not that it mattered, she demanded an answer and as her subordinate, bound by soul, i had to respond.


    "A lowly one, like i, can''t see your status. My nature allows me to assess the difference in our powers, which is immeasurable. Also, because i am, what i am, familiarity takes a hold when watching upon a creature of the same alignment. To summarize: All i know is, that you play in the league of dark forces, in a paygrade far beyond my own."


    Hopefully, that was sufficient as an answer.


    The girl, that maybe really was just a girl, after all, looked dumbfounded. In other words: She looked, like i felt right now.


    Was that even possible? To be one like her and not know? What the fuck?


    "Do you know, how i can find out?" She disrupted my thoughts, eager to learn more.


    Oh damn. What did i do? Giving her my soul? Shit. She really knows nothing. Fuck, fuck, fuckedy FUCK. I mentally facepalmed. Bound to a normal girl, what a disgrace. And i wasn''t even just bound. She had a contract, forcing me to obey as long as she wanted...


    Still, i needed to answer.


    "That is kind of easy, Alira. Just conjure your damn status screen, your race is written on it." To hell with honorifics! No way she deserves to be called master. I was normally bound by social rules, but she herself offered me to ''not be so stiff''. A loop hole, that brought me relieve right now, as it enabled me to talk casually, a bit insolent even.


    "My what?"


    I did another mental facepalm, as i saw the glorious future i had imagined fade a bit more.


    "Your status screen? Surely, you know what it is, or are you a fool?" Was my response, in a mocking tone. I felt betrayed, so i didn''t care.


    Without transition, her whole being turned cold.


    "Did you just call me a fool, you insignificant crow?" She said, calmly, devoid of what made her seem human moments ago. Oh, and she spoke in the old language.


    Fuck me. Was she a supreme being, or a human girl? She just kept switching between darkness and innocence.


    I quickly made a note, though. Don''t mock her, bad idea.


    "This one apologises, master." Back on the respect track, until i figure out, what exactly this shit is.


    "Good.. ..How do i see my status screen?" She smiled a bit.


    Great, my master is a shy girl again. This will give me a massive headache, i can feel it.


    "Just think something along the lines of ''My Status'', with the intent to conjure it."


    She visibly concentrated for a second, then her smile grew wider.


    "It works!" Alira almost shouted, happily.


    Then her expression turned dire.


    "Say, Galdir.." She began.


    What now? I resignated a bit.


    "My race kind of says.. eh.. Eternal Shade?! I-i.. am not.. human?" She started to cry a little.


    Yes. This was a nightmare, designed to give me an everlasting migraine. I was sure of that now.


    I would have guessed a lot. Maybe she was a demon general. Or a real trickster. Or even a goddess, like my creator. But a true shadow? That alone, was reason to doubt i was not dreaming.


    A fucking true shadow, that didn''t know what it was? Owning my soul? Come on, fate, really? The odds of that are zero. Not slim, nor low. Actually zero. Couldn''t happen.


    Except that it apparently just happened, to me.


    Oh boy.

 Chapter IV: Encounter

    A deer''s POV


    ...


    Something tore me from sleep forcefully. At first, i merely thought it was yet another of the shapeless nightmares i used to have for a little over ten years now, but then i felt it. A wave of chilling cold, a faint breath of death, wafting through my lair.


    This corruption! Someone sacrificed, i just knew. Not simply a chicken nor a cow, but a sentient thing. Which in turn meant, that said person tried to gain the favour of a dark creature, maybe even summon it.


    As keeper of the forest, i couldn''t allow that. Corruption had to be purged, right away, before it could take a hold and bring disaster. Speaking from experience, gifted to me by my long life, it was improbable that there would be no bloodshed involved. So i had to fix it, before the body count reached the tree tops, so to speak.


    I peeked outside. It was early in the day, the sun¡¯s red morning glow bathing the forest before me in a warm light.


    Sighing, i stood tall on my four legs and started trotting towards the general direction the chill i felt had originated from.


    Wasn¡¯t there a small human settlement over there? I pondered my memory while running.


    Yeah, i think their shaman even requested my help once, five years ago, for the sake of a little girl.


    Right. That girl.


    That girl, with a fate that was hidden, stashed away, behind a veil even i couldn¡¯t see through. She was but an innocent little girl though, so i didn¡¯t see the need to investigate further.


    In hindsight, what if the shaman.. wasn¡¯t he a blood-binder? .. grew desperate enough to call a spirit of war?


    While i didn¡¯t know for sure, the events started correlating in my mind.


    If that was what happened, part of the blame might go to me. You can¡¯t expect a short-lived mortal to see the bigger picture, but one as i should at least have a faint concept of how fate used to play itself out.


    The closer i got, the stronger the chill in my heart grew. Like a slither of ice, lodged into my core, spreading ever so slowly. I got a bad feeling about this.


    After an hour or so, i had reached the first fields of that village and stopped for a brief moment, to consider my entrance. Eventually, i opted to act as the imposing lesser divinity i was. So i ignited my antlers in a blue flame and cast a spell that enchanted my voice so that it carried a sliver of my might. Then i walked on, slowly, determined.


    Soon, the first farmer spotted me and fled towards the settlement, with a worried cry.


    ...


    Alira''s POV


    ...


    Galdir somehow looked like he felt massive pain. Not that i cared.


    I guess he did expect this course of events as much as i did ... he didn''t, at all.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Well, at least i got some information now. I wasn''t human, for example. That should have made me feel confused and panicked, for a second it actually did, but then the new side of my personality took over yet again.


    I stopped for a brief moment, listening to my own mind, feelings and all. There was only a cold silence. No feelings, none at all. Just objectivity, and slight annoyance. About what, i couldn''t say. That should make me worried, but to be honest, it was satisfying somehow. Like i was superior to the world. Calm, collected, strong. Except i had no idea what an Eternal Shade was. Was it really like this? Supreme in might? Or were those delusions, created by my own subconscious, to protect me from the trauma that would follow, were i to keep thinking in human terms?


    As i was pondering the matter, a commotion made way to my parent''s doorstep. There were excited shouts, too muffled to understand them, but clear enough to know something unusual had happened. Besides the whole Galdir mess, i mean. Father and the shaman had opened the door by know, having a quiet conversation with whomever had arrived.


    Back when i was younger, i made a game out of pretending i had super powers, including extreme hearing.


    Why not? I thought. Out of an unspecified whim, i pretended to understand the words spoken downstairs, a dozen meters and a few walls away.


    "..a beast has arrived in the fields, shaman. The smith knew that you were here, so we ran over as fast we could." (A young man, slightly out of breath)


    "What does it look like?" (The shaman, calm with a hint of worry)


    If my new me was capable of feeling shocked, i would be shocked right now. Instead, the satisfaction in me rose by a few feet. I understood them clear as day, as if i was standing between them.


    "Like a deer, his antlers made of a blue fire." (Another man, middle aged, with a more even breath)


    That certainly was news, i thought. Waiting for the story spun downstairs to continue, Galdir disrupted my concentration by speaking up.


    "I think, i know what it is, master." Galdir seemed slightly nervous, barely enough for me to notice.


    The unrelenting anger that suddenly drowned my mind, anger towards Galdir for interrupting my interests, made my face distort for a split second. Enough for Galdir to see, apparently, as he hopped a step back from his position next to me.


    Thing is, he didn''t calculate for the bed to be too short, and he stumbled down, flapping with his wings in an, albeit desperate, attempt to stay afloat. It looked hilarious, dissolving most of the momentary anger i felt towards him.


    Calm again now, i asked him in a demanding tone.


    "So, tell me, then. Before i lose my patience." Why i appended that last sentence was a mystery to me, but it felt good to underhandedly threaten him. Which raised a few questions about my new personality, i would have to answer for myself sooner or later. Not now though, burning deers were far more interesting at the moment.


    A little taken aback by my sudden mood swing back and forth, Galdir answered, his molten eyes flickering in deep shades of orange. Mesmerizing, somehow.


    "To this one, it sounds like one of Gaia''s children to me. So called peaceful protectors of nature." The last sentence, Galdir almost spat in disgust.


    Aha, clearly not one of his friends then, i concluded the obvious. By association, not my friend then either, was it?


    The anticipation of battle made me shudder in excitement.


    Oh, oh. I really needed to analyse my new character. I never even had one physical dispute in my life, and yet now, all of a sudden, i wanted to inflict endless pain and dance on the graves of my enemies.


    While i thought a cautious ¡°Oh, oh", i didn''t feel the fact behind that, for i couldn''t bring myself to really care. Violence sounded like a promise to me, not like something that should be prohibited. Only the stubborn principle, that was the result of my upbringing and education, rung the alarm bells somewhere deep inside my mind, though i didn''t plan to heed their call at all.


    It was clear now, what had to be done. My face, that recently felt like a mask, designed to hide the vile inside, distorted into an eager smile. Well, to others it would look demonic, not eager, i was sure.


    "Dear crow of mine, how do you feel about teaching a lesson, that nature apparently has forgotten?" The lesson was simple. Peace washeresy to the true gods. The black gods. Or should i call them shadows?

 A Lesson To Be Taught

    A deer''s POV


    ...


    It seems that i had made the right choice, to approach the way i did. Clearly, the scared farmer had called together the people i needed to talk to. And the others, too.


    On the boundaries of the settlement, marked by a few run down wooden barricades, that i doubted could even stop some of the lesser beasts, i was expected by a small crowd, plastered with nervous faces. In front of them, stood the shaman that had appealed to me before, in the name of that fateless girl. Next to him, was an elder of the village, presumably the chieftain, if i still understood human customs correctly. Both of them had more neutral faces, used to not showing their state of mind so openly.


    It went as i predicted, so far. As i stood before them, silently, the shaman bowed his head deeply, gesturing the elder to follow suit. After they showed me the respect due, the shaman addressed me.


    "How may this humble village be of service to you, honoured child of Gaia?" He spoke, calmly, as was to be expected of one in his profession.


    With a little luck, this could be resolved still, without resorting to harsher means. Just as i was about to answer him, my senses informed me of a hateful presence, closing in. Out of reflex, my body tensed, the bad feeling i had before rising, like a small tide. Seems the hope of solving this easily was short-lived, huh?


    "This one demands, that you explain the corruption summoned into this village." I spoke, very serious now. My tone made some of the weaker willed humans wince unwillingly, instinctively bowing their heads.


    "We.." (Shaman)


    As the shaman opened his mouth, about to answer, a voice spoke up, cutting him short.


    "Hasn''t anyone told you, to mind your own business, protector of nature?" The last part drenched in mockery. Unfortunately, that sound, like the distant growl of thunder, was all too familiar to me.


    A harbinger of war had actually been summoned, great ...not. This would escalate into a dire battle, that much became clear to me instantly. Damn. Always the rocky road, huh? Guess it could not be helped, after all, when dealing with forces, that required real sacrifice as a rule, just for them to appear.


    "Hasn''t anyone told you, Valkyrie, that you are not welcome here?" I retorted in a low voice, while still looking for the owner of the yet bodiless voice, the flames of a justified anger igniting inside my soul.


    The humans present, including the two up front, chose it better to stay silent, merely throwing fearful glances around, only moving slightly, to make room for a child to walk up towards me.


    That child! It was the little girl, i was thinking about earlier! Had she not grown up? Weird, but i didn''t have time to spare a thought. Seeing the forsaken crow on her shoulder, i blamed the shaman. You fool, what have you done?


    Clearly, the dreadful omen had taken control of her, because the shaman, who else would know how to summon such a thing, failed to bind it correctly, or overestimated his own ability. If this was really the case, and it sure looked like it, it was no wonder her fate was unreadable. Puppets to the greater powers don''t have a determined fate, after all, as their owners play with them on a whim.


    Still, this was not tolerable. My inner eye fell on the blind spot that was the girl, and there was indeed proof of .. something .. dark. I still couldn''t grasp it, but the faintest aura of pure darkness shone through, even if barely. The crow, however, leaked black ooze, like dense smoke rising from a chimney under a cold winter''s sun.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She had been taken over, there was no way for me to save her any more, unfortunately. Corrupting, wasting away, innocent life always infuriated me. This just boosted my anger towards that rotten creature, and its masters, for that matter. Why did they exist? Not even Gaia herself knew the answer to that question. Or at least, she didn''t tell.


    My mind snapped into cold focus. I had to take action, preferably this instant, and hope this would just go down quickly, before more souls were lost.


    Without hesitation, i spread the flames above my head down all over my body, and jumped forward with a speed, humans had no way of following.


    Valkyries were another matter, though. Their might was not a joke, it was as real as my own, some of them even surpassing me in raw strength. I just had to hope that this one was below my pay grade. If it wasn''t, this village was as good as lost already. And so was I.


    It happened as was to be expected, the crow reacted with almost no delay. The lava in its eyes began flowing down its beak, with an absurd speed, drawing glowing runic circles and edges across its whole body.


    In the blink of time, i required to close the distance to the puppet and the bird, i realised some of the formations, now burned into the black feathers, woke to fulfill their purpose. A wave of ominous power stopped me dead in my tracks, just in front of the former girl.


    Shit! This Valkyrie had to be an elite one, hadn''t it? Damn. This would be a hard fight.


    I manipulated my blue soul-bound flames into the shape of a whip, slashing down on the girl''s left shoulder, the current residence of the corrupted bird.


    Out of the orange runes, a dozen tiny, fiery leashes formed, wrapping around the whip, trying to consume it.


    Up to this moment, the battle hadn''t even lasted a second. The human spectators, just now beginning to register what was going on, began panicking, running for their houses, or standing still, dumbfounded. Out of the corner of my eye, i saw the shaman and the elder prepare to organise retreat, which i was grateful for. Even if i lost here and now, there might be some survivors, if they just fled fast enough and in a calm manner. The chance was low, though.


    Focusing back onto the fray, i conjured more blue shackles, reaching for the crow.


    The tiny, deep orange lines moving around the crow, like a bundle of wriggling worms, managed to hold back my snake-sized leashes, preventing me from hitting the crow. With satisfaction though, i saw, that ever so slowly, i gained the upper hand. More orange threads disappeared, than blue ones. This battle went on, for a second more, a long time in fights like these, before the crow let out a high pitched cry. Yes! Finally, i had hit the bird head on, smashing it clean off the shoulder of the girl, that stood there like a statue, unable to do anything.


    The crow got knocked behind and to the left of the girl, skittering over the floor a few meters, before stopping itself with its wings. It raised the head, those evil eyes glaring, brimming with anger. Then, the bird¡¯s line of sight shifted towards the girl, and something akin to.. uneasiness.. showed in them momentarily.


    As far as i knew, that was as close to fear, as war spirits were capable of, so i followed its gaze.. and froze. My attack had not been so clean, after all. I had hit the left side of the girl''s face. A face, that by now had distorted into a wicked smile, a smile which would give the grand reaper himself shivers. Where my flaming leash had hit, her face.. crumbled.. like ash, blown in to the wind. Underneath was.. nothing.. but blackness, devoid of anything.


    The monotone laughter of the girl, who i had realised by now was not a human, corrupted or otherwise, made me regret my life''s choices. I was not fond of swearing, but.. FUCK.. is all i could think of. I had made a huge mistake in my assessment of the situation. The crow was not the master, the girl not the slave. It was the other way around.


    The worst part was, that i still could not feel anything off her, but that faint tinge of darkness. How high up the ladder must she be, to hide her presence that perfectly?


    This was not good. Not good at all. Whilst i was still pondering, in that half second passed since i hit the crow, wether i should abandon this village and run, or try fighting a battle i couldn''t win, the girl spoke up, in an amused, yet indifferent tone.


    "I believe there is a lesson to teach you, servant of nature." She was barely done speaking, when an aura, so vile and dark, it threatened to swallow the world, enveloped my senses and devoured every impression i had of my surroundings.


    I am sorry, Gaia.

 Deadlocked

    Alira POV


    ...


    A perfect darkness had spread around me, and yet, i could still see everything. My vision was not hindered at all, if anything, it had gotten sharper and more detailed. With my new-found visual acuity, i looked around.


    The deer, fallen before me, its blue flames extinguished, together with its life.


    The houses and barricades of the place that had been my home since birth. The only place on the vast earth i knew.


    The villagers, my neighbours, my parents, the shaman, laying around unconscious, where they fell when they succumbed to the living night, that swallowed the village, and part of the world beyond, from one instance to the next.


    That living night, i realised now, that was me, or at least part of me.


    "Master, isn''t this enough? The lesson has been taught, this one thinks." Galdir deferentially voiced.


    Ah. Yes. And the crow, the only thing remaining awake, besides me.


    I turned around, the fiery glow of the runic symbols, still covering his body, visible to me, their light conveyed by the strange physics that ruled supreme right now, right here. Orange lines of molten gold, flowing in the dark, chasing each other. Almost hypnotic.


    It was then i noticed, that his feathers stood on edge, his breath ragged.


    "Yes, it is." I responded, my mind still processing the events that had just unfolded. Events i had played a central role in.


    Absentmindedly, i willed the shadows back inside the human mask i wore, where they had escaped, through the cracks resulting from that deer''s attack. Controlling the shadows felt as natural to me, as moving a limb, but i didn''t spare it a thought at the moment.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Rather, i thought about the deer. That damn deer. While my new self was satisfied, even eager for more bloodshed to come, my former self cringed hard. I couldn''t actually feel the matching emotion, but the principles, i had been taught from my parents, still stood tall in my mind. Myself disagreeing with myself led to a deadlock, a standstill, i had trouble to break free from. Killing the deer was wrong. Killing the deer was right. That is what i had to decide.


    Objectivity shouted something about self-defence and other rationalising ideas, which might factually be true, but were mere justifications in the end. When i had unleashed the dark, i wanted to harm, i wanted to kill, and it had nothing to do with objectivity, but with a searing hatred towards my prey, a hatred i couldn''t control. I didn¡¯t even know why i hated that deer so much, i just did, even now.


    On the other side of things, two principles that were educated into my mind stood out the most. First, killing another sentient being was mostly wrong, because society depended and thrived on not killing each other needlessly. There were exceptions, of course, like the aforementioned self-defence, but the lines were blurry. I didn¡¯t even try to talk it out, rather than resorting to deadly violence, for example. Second, equal exchange, or whatever you call reasonable quid-pro-quo. Well, here the quo was the deer attacking the crow, scratching me by accident probably, while the quid was death. That didn¡¯t sit right with the image i had of the world.


    If that was all, the conclusion would be killing the deer was wrong, but somehow the hatred towards the deer felt righteous. Like my subconscious knew something obvious, something that logically and emotionally explained, why it was NOT wrong to kill it. Also, i knew i should feel remorse, but i was incapable of actually feeling anything anymore, except anger, and annoyance maybe.


    I pondered the matter for a few more minutes.


    To keep my sanity in check, i decided to write it down as the correct choice in the end. I had defended my familiar, something important to me, right? This would be my official explanation for others and myself, from now on.


    Geez, i had a foreboding that my new character would make me enter a lot of those standstills, in the future.


    By now, i had soaked up the whole artificial night dominating this place minutes ago, and the sun''s rays arrived again, like they used to, on a day in Spring. The day was warm and nice, except the mess i had caused, of course.

 Sentient Metal

    Nature has a peculiar way of handling things. Or well, Gaia did. After all, the lesser servants of nature, like the deer was one, were but the tip of an intricate machinery, designed to uphold the balance, everything under the light was based on.


    And so, it was not much of a surprise, really, that the events that had occurred in the middle of nowhere, at the borders of humanity, in a tiny settlement, triggered an alarm of sorts. An ancient spell, like magical tripwire, spread all over the world.


    That magic reacted to one thing, and one thing only. To a servant''s soul corrupted, devoured by the everlasting night.


    ...


    On a wild mountain, in a temple forgotten by time itself, the sound of otherworldly bells wafted through a grand hall. At one end of that lavishly decorated hall, filled to the brim with gold and other precious metals, stood an ornate throne.


    For a thousand years, nothing had disturbed the dusty silence of this place, and yet now, something stirred. On that exalted chair, a thing awoke, torn from sleep by the sound of that atavistic spell.


    Listening, sighing, the ancient being slowly rose from its seat. It knew, that the time had come to act once more, as was to be expected. After all, there was but one true constant in the world: The bells would always ring again, some day.


    Duty called, the sole purpose sworn to fulfill. With an almost mechanical motion, the being leaned to the right, picking up The Tidebringer, a weapon forged by Hephaistos himself and enchanted by Lux, personally, aeons ago. A weapon, specifically designed to fight back the shadows, that would otherwise swallow the world whole.


    "Old friend.." the being spoke to the nearly unbreakable katana, with a thunderous voice like metal, clashing upon metal. "..i am in need of your service once more. To purge the corruption, that has stepped out of the endless night behind reality, yet another time."


    As if to heed the call, the syllables carved onto its white edge started glowing in a faint blue, pulsating, almost resembling a beating heart.


    With a violent whistle, the air filled the gap where the entity had stood just a blink ago. Armed with a divine weapon, the ancient being rushed towards the foe, a foe that had to be stopped at all cost, lest the world would end, its instincts guiding it into the right direction.


    ...


    Alira''s POV


    ...


    Everyone still laid unconscious, and so i wondered aloud. "Galdir, will they wake up, soon.. or ever, for that matter?"


    After brief hesitation, the crow spoke. "Until the curse of darkness laid upon them is cleared, it is unlikely, this one humbly submits."


    Great. I was at a tipping point, yet again. What to do next? I was trying my best to ignore the lust for bloodshed and ruin and conquer, my new self forced into my mind. To be honest, it was annoying. While per se, i had nothing against ruling the world, my priorities right now needed to be more immediate. Remedy the situation. Look for the next logical step.


    Step towards world domination!


    Ahhh! Shut up, me!


    Anyway, yeah. The best would probably be to just leave this place. But where to go? Just as i was looking for an answer to that one, a bad feeling rose from the depths within me. Not fear, no, i somehow wasn''t capable of fear anymore, but some kind of deep uneasiness.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Geez, what is it now? Annoyance fought down the bad, undefined emotion. Only that it soared back up to unknown heights again, almost instantly. Out of a whim, probably born from the uneasy itself, i turned around, watching out onto the fields at the southern end of my former home. That''s right, not my home anymore, i decided just now.. or had it already been decided for me, when Galdir appeared? Or even before that? I didn''t know, and it didn''t matter, something more pressing had just come up.


    Run.


    That popped into my head.


    I am not ready yet, to take on something of that strength.


    That also popped into my head.


    I need to flee.


    In fact, this were the only thoughts occupying my mind, when i saw the bright wave of light, that came crashing down over the steep hillocks at the horizon. It was the image of an ocean, like i had seen pictures of, in my favorite bedtime books, years ago. Only this flood was a pure white, not the greenish blue i remembered. Also, it moved impossibly fast. In the split second passed since turning around, this white tide had already reached the outskirts of the village.


    Fortunately, the inherent knowledge, that had somehow allowed me to reign in the shadows i leaked before, gave away yet another piece of golden wisdom. It basically opened a door for me. Quite literally. In the surface of the world around me, cracks tore open in a blink. The exact moment before the light, i somehow knew would hurt me badly, reached the place where i stood, everything turned to nothingness. The canvas, reality is painted on, had withered away and i found myself in the eternal night behind.


    The last image, burned into my eyes still, filled me to the brim with anger. The same primal hatred triggered by looking upon that deer, just more intense, if that was even possible. In the midst of the rising tide that threatened to consume me, i had seen the outlines of an humanoid entity, holding a katana.


    "That was a close call, master."


    In this place devoid of sensory input, i was surprised to hear a voice next to my ear. I tried to focus my eyes, and the same strange circumstance, that allowed me to see in the forced night earlier, began working its magic again. Galdir sat on my shoulder, his eyes two torches in the dark. He almost looked grateful.


    "It is good you flew over to me in time, crow." I stated, matter of factly.


    "If you hadn''t waited, that forsaken light would have burned me to a crisp. This one offers his utmost thanks."


    Huh? I didn''t remember waiting, at all. Seems that the autonomous part of my new self got it all right though. Nice. And somehow disturbing.


    "What the FUCK was that, anyway?" I almost shouted, still fired up by that unexplained hatred.


    Wow. Swearing was something i didn''t do before, like, ever. Always something new, to keep it interesting, huh? Go me.


    "Shit, i don''t know, master. But that light scorched my wings." Galdir broke out of his dignified ''this one thinks'' role for a second, while raising one of his wings.


    It looked badly burned.


    ...


    Keth Amir''s POV


    ...


    I had almost reached the place, where the shadow allegedly revealed itself. Yet, when i arrived, i couldn''t sense it. The only thing that registered on my mind, was the black aura of a Valkyrie, and that of a girl, also bearing a faint darkness in her being. Well, some unconscious humans too. Anyway, those two still awake were not my problem, at all. While probably being aligned to the dark forces, they themselves were creatures that belonged to nature, albeit not the nature associated with Gaia. As such, i had no obligation to fight them, as long as they didn''t attack me first.


    Still, i drew my weapon out of caution, releasing its might, while rushing towards the exact spot, my instincts told me, were the center of current events. I made up my mind about asking that girl, or threaten her, to tell me where the shadow had gone, though.


    To my utter surprise, just before i reached her, she vanished in a Void Gate, dragging along the crow that had flown towards her in the last moment.


    Something was wrong. Very wrong.


    I was as dumbfounded, as sentient metal like me can get. What the damn?


    My senses still told me, that she was but a normal girl, maybe a little dark, nothing more. Except that a human girl could never have conjured a gate into the nothingness. Also, there was a shadow here and she was here and coincidence like this didn''t happen.


    But a shadow, powerful enough to hide from one, like me? Bearing Tidebringer, non the less? Ridiculous.


    Even more ridiculous the fact, that she fled. Why would someone that strong flee? Unless she wasn''t that powerful. But then again, why could i not identify her as the shadow, she had to be?


    As i said, something was oh so very wrong here. I would need to report this, to Gaia herself. But first, i decided to purge the curse that had befallen the humans here. To me, it was easy, and no one innocent deserved to sleep forever, plagued by nightmares. Also, it gave me a little more time to think on the circumstances i just witnessed.


    ...


    "The shadows must kneel, brought down by the white tide ever rising." - The Tidebringer''s insignia, carved onto its edge.

 Chapter VIII: The Black ..Orphan?

    The city of Es''kar truly had it all. Befitting of the capitol of the biggest human kingdom, you could find almost everything on and off its streets. Be it people, from the lowest scum, to the royal family. Or goods, for every profession, for every price and in every quality. Orinstitutions. Oh boy, how humans love their institutions. From chess clubs, to bars, to brothels, to guilds. And everything in between, be it the royal guard, or a bakery, filling the street with the smell of authority, and fresh bread. An ever boiling conundrum of everything humanity had to offer.


    The most noteworthy thing, however, existing in this city at this particular moment in time, was a crack. Not that anyone was aware,


    that this particular crack,


    in that particular wall,


    in that particular back side alley,


    in that particular district,


    was, in fact, not a crack, but acrack.You see, if someone was to break down that wall, right now, the crack would still stay put. Because it wasn''t in the wall. It was in everything, in the skin of the world itself. Something ..tried to enter from the outside of things, tried to slither back into existence.


    Slowly, the ragged line split, like the mouth of a beast, revealing the darkness behind. In that perfect black, two embers burned, unblinking.


    That jarred frame spat out an odd duo. A little girl, maybe four years old, judging by the looks. And a crow, with molten rocks as eyes, searing everyone dumb enough to look too deeply into them, sitting on her shoulder.


    "Great, what now?" Resounded the voice of an annoyed child.


    As the most noteworthy thing, existing in this city at this particular moment in time, ceased to be, fallen shut like a closed door, a faint thunder heeded the girl''s call.


    "This one deferentially suggests to avoid revealing thetrue nature of master. The light might still be on our tail and mywings hurt, still."


    The girl''s head wobbling slightly, she seemed to agree.


    "Yes, Galdir, that much we have discussed already. Though, we are in need of short term goals. Like food, and shelter. Or something akin. This is the main city of humanity, you said?"


    "It is indeed. Yet..." He stopped in the middle of the sentence.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "What is it, crow? Speak." The annoyance in her voice made way to cold superiority, demanding an answer.


    "This one can''t imagine anyone denying master the hospitality due? Not that humans can do anything but kneel. Even in front of this one, they are insects. In front of master, they are nothing."


    The girl let out a chuckle, dismissing the cold, while brushinga blackcurlbehind her ear.


    "Haha, funny, Galdir. And how do you propose i make them show ''proper'' hospitality, without revealing myself?"


    The crow looked.. how crows with bad ideas used to look like.


    "This one apologises for his proposal." The crow answered after a brief delay, which made the girl chuckle more.


    "It''s alright, Galdir. I was thinking about looking for an orphanage to stay at, or whatever. For a few days at least, untilwe come up witha plan that''s worthy to be pursued."


    You could see in Galdir''s eyes, that he was very much protesting against that statement, albeit silently. After all, how could one like her deserve to be put into an orphanage? That was outrageous. His objectivity won, though. He understood the need to lay low, he even said so himself. Also, the fact that a few days was a very long way from forever, helped defeat his aversion to this. Lastly, he didn''t have a choice anyway, what master commanded was law. Literally unbreakable, as she held his soul, for now.


    "Understood, master." he growled. Not because he still didn''t accept the idea, but because his voice was basically just a growl, a treat he shared with all of hissiblings.


    "Okay then, on we go!" The girlstarted walking out of the alley, with eager steps.


    ...


    Galdir''s POV


    ...


    It seemed the conclusion, master and i had come to, was right. That damn enemy, wielding that strange white tide as a weapon, was alerted by her revealing the shadows within.


    Well, at least it didn''t follow us here. The way it behaved back then, it sure wouldn''t hold back here either. So, because we were not attacked yet, it couldn''t follow us, i guessed.


    Ever since the deer so eloquently told me, that i was not welcome in that village, my hopes for a grand future had somewhat regained colour. Master seemed to obtain more and more traits of her race, banishingthat childish, human naivety from her mind, part by part.


    Maybe, this was actually an opportunity, after all. An opportunity to influence a thing, that otherwise could never be influenced. While i truly saw myself more as a servant, than a counselor, having the ear of one like her could prove useful in the future.


    The more i helped her, the more she owed me. That was fact. Another fact, i derived from the set of rules i myself followed, was, that, while master could not feel attachment anymore, she would always honour debt. And the principle of loyalty, as thosewere practically the only two things,that enabled beings with no solidarity, like us, to cooperate effectively.


    In this moment, i reconsidered bleeding out the blood-binder, for his insolence. If he never crossed my path again, i wouldn¡¯t hunt him down either. A favour, for a favour, after all.


    Maybe, at a later point, i could ask master to summon a few of my siblings. That way, they would owe me, too.


    Not so bad, i thought. Despite my aching wings, after-burning still, my mood lightened, although this were plans for a distant future yet.

 Triple Profit

    In Es''kar, most areas were kind of okay. As okay and secure, as medieval cities can provide. Of all places where she could''ve ended up in, the place, where Alira had left the great dark beyond, was the worst imaginable for a weak child, all alone.


    Basically, she looked like the perfect victim. Looked like it, that is. Good then, that she wasn''t really weak. Or a child. Or alone. In actuality, few humans could stand before her pet, and none before her herself. Thanks to luck, the thugs around didn''t know they had, she couldn''t exactly show off her new, dark, overwhelming powers at the moment, though. So, to anyone with wicked thoughts, about slaves and orphans and shit, fate was granting mercy today. Well, kind of.


    The first contact Alira made, was a drunk hobo, laying right in the next alley. She approached him, bearing the illusion of an innocent, friendly, desperate and lost human child. Huggable. Or abductable, depending on the business you were in.


    "Excuse me, Mister?" She aggressively poked the sleeping man with her foot, a gesture that belied her sweet voice.


    He didn''t react at first, but after a few more kicks, each harder than the last, the drunkard came to.


    "..What?" He babbled, obviously confused. In front of his eyes, he saw two tiny feet, wrapped in dirty sandals. Probably one of those fucking beggar bastards, he thought.


    "Leave me alone, fucking bastard child. I don''t have coin for you." For him, the conversation was over, and so he closed his eyes again.


    "Excuse me, Mister? I am not a beggar. Nor a bastard child."


    Was she a bastard child? She wondered though, for the briefest of moments. Because two humans don''t usually give birth to Eternal Shades, did they? At least as far as she knew. But she didn''t know anything tangible regarding this, so she left it be, for now.


    The man, now getting angry, for being denied the rest he required to sober up, opened his eyes again, a brow twitching.


    ¡°LISTEN, YOU LITTLE FUC-..¡± His outcry, a pathetic excuse of rage, was cut short when his glance wandered upward, only to be met by two fiery gems, staring back directly into his soul.


    ¡°w-what t-the fuck?¡± he whimpered, as his instincts began to wail, warning him with all their might, of that black bird, sitting on the child¡¯s shoulder. Frantically, he tried to stand up and run away. Unfortunately for him though, he was still drunk as fuck. Because of that, his so called escape was more a mix of scrambling on the floor with the occasional upright step mixed in.


    Alira facepalmed, after she had watched him ¡®leave¡¯ and cry for help a few seconds.


    She totally had forgotten about the effect, war spirits used to have on normal people. An annoying mistake.


    ¡°Galdir, hide your aura, will you? Otherwise, no one will ever talk to me.¡±


    The crow shifted uneasily. Because of him, master had failed momentarily, in extracting information from that worthless human. While he was still considering wether he should chase after that male, and make him talk by force, Alira continued.


    ¡°Also, can you.. turn off.. the fire in your eyes? It seems to positively intimidate weaker creatures. It is a pain, but we are not here for violence, crow, for the moment at least.¡±


    Did she deduce his thoughts? Or was it coincidence? It was her former education, but he couldn¡¯t know that. Not that it mattered, anyway. Master ordered no violence, so no violence it was.


    As Galdir shifted his aura out of range, now not perceptible any more by humans without the third eye, he answered.


    ¡°This one¡¯s aura will no longer be a hindrance. Unfortunately, this one is not aware of a method to.. turn off.. his eyes.¡± He bowed slightly.


    The girl, that still wasn¡¯t really a girl, sighed. ¡°Then, close your eyes. Until i say you may see again.¡±


    The crow did as told, of course. Alira walked out on to the next alley, a seemingly sleeping bird on her shoulder. Let¡¯s try this again, she thought.


    ¡­


    A thug¡¯s POV


    ¡­


    Me and my brothers had scored it big yesterday. We were just discussing how to turn the contraband into something more useful, like money, when someone tucked at my trousers.


    Slightly taken off guard, i turned around, only to be even more surprised. In front of me stood a small black-haired girl, maybe five years old, all alone. Well, she had a sleeping bird on her shoulder. If it was her pet, or had just decided to rest on her temporarily, i couldn¡¯t tell.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Clearly, she wasn''t from around here. The children here, almost all beggars or thieves, knew better than to approach people like me and my comrades.


    So, what was she doing here, then? It appeared suspicious to me, that one defenceless little girl would just pop up, right after we pulled a coup. Was she bait, or distraction, maybe?


    I threw a glance around. The small and dirty street seemed, well.. like it always seemed. Rotten humans, walking around quickly, their faces disguised, minding their own business only, avoiding to get too close to each other. Well, except the whores, of course. It was barely past noon and yet they had come out of their holes, to sell their holes, already.


    All in all, i couldn¡¯t make out anything out of place, that would feed my suspicion.


    The two thugs standing with me, had by now noticed my distraction, and so turned towards the girl as well.


    ¡°Excuse me, Misters?¡± The girl spoke up, in the sweetest voice. The sound fit her perfectly, but.. somehow.. something about her felt ..wrong. She was way too careless.


    ¡°What is it?¡± i responded, in a neutral tone. As long as i didn¡¯t know the game played, it was always better to be polite. I wished, my comrades understood that too, sometimes. They were brutes, through and through, with pea-sized brains, at most. That was also the reason, i planned all the heists and robberies.


    Hence, it didn¡¯t catch me by surprise, that one of them looked over to the other, with a sly grin. Before the girl could explain her point, the other.. a fool, in hindsight.. returned the wicked smile, and grabbed the free shoulder of the girl.


    ¡°Who do we have here? Are you lost?¡± He said, his intentions clearly conveyed by his expression, despite his gentle tone.


    To my surprise, the girl didn¡¯t show a hint of fear, nor uneasiness even.I would put it off as childish naivety, was there not that faint annoyance, seeping into her voice.


    ¡°Yes, i am lost. Do you know of any orphanages around here?¡±


    Brute number one chuckled. A lost orphan? A cute little girl, at that? This was practically free money, if collected and sold as a slave. Or so he must''ve thought. To me, it was very clear by now, that something just wasn''t quite right here. Things too easy to be true, usually ain''t true, after all.


    The grip on the girl''s shoulder tightened. "Why don''t you stay with us? We will find you a new home."


    It was the next happenstance, that confirmed my suspicion.. no.. surpassed it, by far.


    The girl mumbled something, along the lines of "..fuck this..violence.. after all.. see..¡± The rest i didn''t make out and i wasn''t even sure i understood that part correctly, because what the fuck.


    Still, it send shivers down my spine. For the shortest blip of an instance, i hallucinated the girlish mask fading, being replaced by a chilling dark.


    ¡°What did you say, girl?¡± My dumb brother in arms asked her, now not faking to be friendly anymore. She looked at him, now displaying her annoyance openly.


    ¡°I said: Okay, fuck this. Violence it is, after all. Galdir, show them. You may see again.¡± She spoke, slowly, her voice now as cold as the feeling i had about her, moments ago.


    ¡°Who is Galdir, huh? Yourbrother or something? He can''t help you now!¡± Shouted the one holding her. Oh, for fucks sake, comrade! How can you miss the fucking pointlike that?


    The innocent looking little girl just did a complete one-eighty, talking about violence in such a calm manner, it sounded like a promise that she would always keep. And i believed her.


    Shit, this was bad. I wanted to speak up, maybe stop events from going off the rails more, when vile despair washed over my mind and soul, rendering me unable to speak. And move, except my eyes.


    A voice, like the whispers of a storm, responded to the question asked.


    "This one is Galdir, of course."


    Inevitably drawn by those whispers, i glanced towards the point they originated from. I immediately regretted that. Before me, the black bird¡¯s eyes opened, slowly, like two fiery suns rising, scorching my sanity.


    Oh fuck.


    Still unable to do anything, i glanced over to my so called acquaintances. They didn¡¯t fare any better, than i did, obviously. Caught in that aura of death, i could see fear rising in their eyes. Even their dumb minds had realised by now, that they made a, probably deadly, mistake.


    In a frenzy, i watched in horror, as glowing leashes started flowing out of burning writings, that apparently had just willed themselves into existence, right onto the bird¡¯s black wings.


    While brother one and brother two succumbed to the fiery whipping released upon their bodies, their eyes told ¡®Scream!¡¯, but no sound came out their mouths. They basically laid down their lives in an eerie silence, only two faint thumps notifying the world of their passing.


    Shit, shit, shit! The panic in me managed to swallow down most of my rational thought. I closed my eyes, awaiting to be pierced by unforgiving flames.


    Yet, nothing happened. Well, something did. The aura vanished, and i could move again. But i didn¡¯t. I just stood still, hoping to the gods, that this nightmare was just a fucking dream. That hope was short-lived though.


    ¡°Are you not gonna open your eyes? Or at least, tell me where i can find a.. goddamn fucking.. orphanage?¡± Her voice. Sweet again, like the melody of a beautiful harp. Except the swearing.


    Still, the few seconds passed had brought back a tiny part of rationale. If i just answered her, just let this all be over, maybe i would get to live?


    Eyes closed still, i pointed to the right.


    ¡°T-Two blocks into that direction. First street to the left. Then you r-reach the Gwin district. There are orphanages there, just follow the main road.¡± Fuck me for stuttering, but at least i didn¡¯t shit myself.


    ¡°Okay, thank you, Mister. .. Galdir, be blind again.¡± She sung in response.


    Apparently, she had waved back her ominous pet. Did this mean, i was allowed to keep my life, after all?


    I cautiously opened one eye, then the other. That demon girl was nowhere in sight. The only proof that she was real, were my dead comrades.


    Nah, not really comrades. I called them that, for politeness¡¯ sake, not because i felt attachment.


    They were more like .. henchmen.. i didn¡¯t have to share the profit with, now. Thanks to the girl, my winnings had tripled.


    Not that i would want to meet her, like, EVER again, not for all the riches in this goddamn world. This one encounter would serve me with enough nightmares, to last for a couple lifetimes, already.

 (Un-)holy Shelter

    Alira POV


    ...


    Just as I was about to be convinced, that all humans, bare my parents and maybe the shaman, were either despicable or stupid or both, wasting away their lives in their own filth, the surroundings got notably better. No more sinister alleys where children need cover in fear, waiting to be taken and sold. No more thugs, or at least way less of them. No more complementary piles of waste, decorating the run down houses left and right. Ah, and no more run-down houses. The houses here, while simple, looked well taken care of actually.


    Honestly, all the people, I had ever known, either ignored me or bullied me or, more recently, tried to kidnap and sell me. So I was honestly surprised, that the next encounter was nothing of the sorts.


    It was exactly like Mr. Only Survivor of Galdir had told me. The first orphanage was easy to spot, right where he had pointed me to. On a clean copper slab, patched over a small iron gate, a descriptive text was engraved.


    GWIN DISTRICT - STATE ORPHANAGE OF THE HOLY CHURCH


    Good enough.


    Hatred rose out of the seemingly infinite deep and dark well that was my subconsciousness, mixing with hilarity sprung from my conscious mind. I was quite sure by now, that I was very, and I mean VERY far on the opposite side of holy. I imagined that any random priest you asked, would state it blasphemy of the highest order, just having me lay my eyes upon that gate and the compound beyond.


    I suppressed a chuckle and fought down that momentarily useless anger, that seemed to be triggered hard every time I witnessed something aligned to the light, be it servants or, apparently, even structures, while I took a few steps towards and through the gate.


    Interestingly enough, state and church seemed to be intertwined closely though, good to know. Another thing I noticed, was that no one stole that big copper plate, so I concluded the people feared and/or respected the church a lot. Or the state. I suspected the first though, fearing the gods was more likely than fearing a human regime, after all. Humans truly are maggots in that regard, because, really, neither was to fear.


    The compound was basically a small church integrated to the side with what, I figured, was the bedrooms for the orphans and maybe the employees, a small garden in front. In that garden, a small paved path led from the gate to the church, branching off to the house next to it as well.


    Soon enough, the encounter I mentioned earlier took place.


    An older nun, obviously a member of this orphanage''s staff, came walking towards me. Her face displayed a mixture of friendly and concerned, taking me off guard more than the new me liked.


    It was clearly not faked niceness, but the honest kind of nice. The heartwarming kind.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    If I still had a heart, that is.


    Which I might still have, after all, I noticed. Confusing as it was, in the depths of my mind, buried below all the hatred recently filling my being, a tiny string played the melody of comfort. Almost inaudible, yes, and yet.. definitely there, right next to the bells of conscience, that rung just the tiniest bit, when the deer had died. And again, to mourn the two thugs whose lives I had taken, using Galdir as a proxy.


    The song, that lost little string played, was captivating, somehow.


    That feeling quickly dissipated though, leaving behind an undefined uneasy, accompanied by a slight headache.


    Wiping away those thoughts, as the nun now stood before me, I fell into the role I decided to play for the moment.


    ¡°Hello, dear. Are you lost?¡± She spoke, in a gentle tone.


    Looking like a four-year-old came in handy right now, as no one expected a small child to make perfect sense.


    So I faked shyness and tears, babbling straight on.


    ¡°..I-I don¡¯t know.. *sob* .. papa is g-gone.. *sob* .. mama d-doesn¡¯t move any m-more..¡±


    The look on the old woman¡¯s face grew darker. It was obvious, that she hated the world for what it did to children sometimes. She must¡¯ve heard this kind of story over and over in her profession, after all.


    She leaned down towards me, patting my head.


    ¡°Calm down, child. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°A-Alira¡± Time to pause and snot away a little. I rubbed my eyes.


    You could see the nun¡¯s heart melting away right now. She decided to take it easy on, what she thought of, an almost toddler.


    ¡°I am Griselda, but you can call me auntie if you want. You have a nice birdie there, Alira.¡± She pointed towards the seemingly sleeping crow, that, in reality, was so much more than a bird.


    ¡°I-It just flew to me, and n-now it is my friend.¡± I starting petting the Harbinger Of War, pretending to calm down a little. The nun smiled a sad smile, thinking her plan to make me ease up a little was a success and started to gently press on the matter at hand.


    ¡°Do you need a place to stay?¡± She asked, avoiding to bring up what she conceived as a depressing story of my dead parents. This is easier than I imagined, I thought.


    I let the tears well up a little again. ¡°Y-Yes. My h-home is g-gon... Can i-i really stay... a-auntie?¡±


    That childish ¡°a-auntie¡± sunk into her heart deeply, i could see that. Not being capable of feeling guilt sure was a useful tool sometimes. Basically, i could tell whatever lies i saw fit, without feeling anything.


    Except that i actually felt the reminiscence of guilt, lodged somewhere into my core. Damn it. It seemed that after i had changed, the effect suppressing my feelings eased just a little over time. My new me hated this, yet my former self welcomed the tiny blips of feel, like a man dying of thirst welcomed the rain. I would really have to sort out the nuances of my current state of mind, soon. Since Galdir¡¯s appearance, i didn¡¯t have a moment of rest, bare the few moments in that black behind everything. And fortunately, it looked like i would have time on my hands soon enough, as the elder nun nodded in response. It was like she suspected, after all. I was all alone, at least in her view. I was just satisfied, my ploy had worked out so far.


    ¡°Sure, Alira, dear. The others are having their afternoon lunch right now. Can you follow me inside? Or do you want me to carry you?¡± She asked while giving me a hug.


    ¡°I can f-follow auntie.¡± I gave her a shy smile.


    ¡°Shelter and food secured, at last, bitches!¡± I shouted silently, to no one in particular.


    Galdir stirred a little, feeling his master¡¯s satisfaction.

 Paradise Will Perish

    Somewhere not exactly in this world and yet still part of it, grew an ancient forest. Time and seasons didn''t hold sway here and so this forest only knew the eternal spring, always green and warm and filled with a lush variety of peaceful animals and all sorts of trees and bushes and flowers, emanating a sweet scent.


    If any human was wandering about, he would think of this place as paradise, clearings with springs of clear water being the perfect place to settle. the forest around providing festive meals every day forever.


    And well, it was. The actual paradise, I mean. Somewhere in this place favored by nature itself, in the core of the forest, beneath the sea of treetops, laid a temple.


    Made of living oak, its decor was made of flowers and vines. A hall, filled with chairs woven from branches, was the only room inside. The entrance was an exaggerated tree-hole, reaching down to the floor and taking the shape of a gate.


    Similar to the metal temple on top of that unsubdued mountain range, where the guard had woken, this place hadn''t been disturbed for times untold either.


    Yet now, a woman sat on one of the oaken chairs. A gentle hue lit up her eyes, as deep a blue as her hair. Looking into them was akin to looking upon the skies on a perfect day, and into a calm ocean, at the same time. Her body was slender, yet well formed, her curves reminding one of the gentle slopes of evergreen fields, her dress, green in color like the nature around, complementing the noble pale of her skin. All in all, her appearance made her seem like an avatar of nature incarnate.


    Gaia. That''s what mortals used to call her once. And still did.


    She knew something was about to happen, she too had heard the bells declaring the darkness, from outside the world, had shown itself again. After all, she had woven that atavistic spell herself, long ago even by the standards of an immortal. Gaia was aware, that one of the guardians she had created, with the help of Hephaistos and Lux, guardians designed to fight back the shadows, had just entered this forest.


    True enough, a second later, the bearer of Tidebringer fell on one knee before her, in a gust of wind.


    "This one has a message for nature''s master." Resounded a metal voice.


    It stroke her odd, that a guardian would report to her directly under normal circumstance, so she concluded something unusual had occurred.


    "Raise your head and speak, please, golem." Her voice rang like small bells, like a seductive melody that would forever be stuck in your head.


    Unimpressed by that magical voice, the guardian raised its head anddeferentially reported his findings. As he reported the findings of a little girl, that had to be a shadow, and his inability to identify her as such, Gaia''s expression turned dark, with a hint of worry. The oceans in her eyes started to boil, blue flames dancing on the surface.


    If what the living metal had just told her was correct, dark times laid upon future days, for she knew, that shadows, like the girl had to be one, were not the usual foe. No, things like her were powerful on a scale, even the gods had to fear.


    The memories had gotten hazy over the course of millennia but were still clear enough to know, who had appeared in the world again, after that long a time.


    The true shadows were back. Not the normal shadows, who, while strong, couldn''t equal the gods, no, but the real living night, the overwhelming foe.


    A circumstance, the gods, including herself, had wished would never come to be again.


    She shuddered, as she remembered the last encounter she had with those... things.


    It had started as a small threat, lesser shadows seeping through cracks in the world, devouring a small part of reality here and there. The mortal race''s heroes were enough to drive them away, in the end, with a little personal help from the gods. Thebattle went, like the gods were used to. They were clearly superior to those mysterious shadows, having no problem to gain victory. After that incident, the world was as it was before, peaceful, with the mortal races quarreling about.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    But then, out of nowhere, the gods were caught off guard. Unbelievable as it was, the shadows that crept through the borders of reality again, managed to fight themon even grounds. Unlike their weak counterparts, those true shadows held a power equal to their own. Never since the beginning of time had they ever met a foe who could fight them toe to toe, so the shock was grave. Only thanks to the fact, that the gods outnumbered them in the end, did they manage to push the shadows back out of the world, back into the endless void they came from.


    Ever since that reminder, that they were by no means the only supreme things around, the gods had prepared alarms and spells and weapons, should they ever have to fight an enemy as strong as thestarless night again. They declared shadows forbidden in existence and put in place the warning system, she herself had created, being active since then.


    Gaia, and the other gods, for that matter, didn''t know if there were more of them, after all, or where they originated from. All she knew, was that dire times were coming if one of the greater shadows really had stepped out of the dark again.


    She hoped, that this time, that shadow acted alone.


    Was that even to hope, though, she pondered.


    Because if this was one of the dark entities that appeared before, it surely hadn''t forgotten the defenders of this world. So either, it was not alone, just scouting, meaning more would intrude, soon.


    Or, this one hadn''t been here before, which meant there existed more than those encountered before, meaning the gods had justmade contact with yet a new, previously unknown, absurdly powerful enemy.


    Anyways, the shadows were back, probably. Which was bad.


    The only thing she didn''t understand quite yet, was the fact it had fled before the golem. Why would it do that? No way, a shadow too weak to take on a guardian, would have the ability to hide its presence from the golem''s senses. So, why? Not knowing the motivations behind what had apparently happened, made her uneasy.


    More important at the moment though, was to inform the other gods, and prepare for the war that would be likely to unfold in the near future.


    She cursed under her breath, then spoke to the servant.


    "Thank you, bearer ofTidebringer. What you reported spells trouble. Wake the other bearers. I will contact the others like me. Go, now. And be nature with you."


    Dismissed like that, the golem bowed and vanished in another whistle of air.


    Deep in thought, Gaia absently wished open a portal to the smith god''s realm. Then she walked straight into the silver surface, causing it to ripple like a pebble thrown into a pond.


    With the gentle sound of water falling, the portal stitched the world around itself back together.


    While traveling through the arcane ether, the source of all known magic and attached to reality as a gateway from one place to the next, she continued to ponder...


    The war gods had dealings with lesser shadows before, back in the days of creation. They only admitted to that, though, after the incident that almost ended the world. Born from the need to cooperate in order to survive, Heojin, the god of war himself, shared the information he knew.


    While the shadows were devourers, they respected power, as long as it was far above their own.While that condition was met, you could converse with them quite normally. Due to this fact, trades had taken place between the war gods and the darkness, language being the first. An interesting fact about the tongue of shadows was, that it carried a violent and raw power, a power which didn''t spring from the arcane ether, but equaling magic in its might, twisting the world around the speaker. As long as the speaker was a shadow, of course. The gods had no problem learning the tongue, but couldn''t reproduce that effect, at all. To them, it was just another language.


    More interesting the fact though, that the language of darkness appeared to be older than time, for Hypocura, the god of secrets, had found a few of its syllables carved onto the canvas the gods had used to paint reality on.


    Once, he speculatedinebriated, that the shadows just had always existed, unlike the gods who did actually pop into being one day and that from this circumstance would follow, that those dark entities actually created the gods, thereby being their makers, thereby being thereal gods. While true, that the gods didn''t know why they themselves existed, or who made them, no proof of a connection between the endless night and their own birth was ever found and so they gave up on finding an answer to that one, as it seemed impossible to gather any kind of information on that subject.


    By the time she finished her thoughts about the information Heojin had shared so long ago, she found herself in a stone hall, full ofblazing wrought ovens and weapon stands,dwarves running around everywhere, carrying metal and coal and tools.


    As always, she thought, he is quick on the uptake. To her knowledge, those ovens hadn''t been fired up in a thousand years, and yet now, maybe an hour after the alarm had rung, he was already mass-producing weaponry again.


    "Oh-ho-ho, who do we have here?" A guttural voice resounded behind her.


    Opening her arms for a hug, she whirled around, jumping into the embrace of a stubby older man, towering four feet above her.


    "Hephaistos! It is good to see you!" She laughed.


    Then, after a brief moment, her expression turned serious again.


    "We need to talk. Can you have your dwarves send messages to the others?"

 New chapters soon!

    Sup guys, I had a busy few days, and few more will follow.


    So expect the next chapter early next week, sorry for the delay.


    I hope you still enjoy this story and look forward to presenting you new text </img>Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Stay strong, and please have mercy on me!


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