Shadow Slave

3019 Séance

Effie sighed.

“Damn cheater.”

As she did, the two of them heard the sound of hurried steps rushing toward the secluded rampart. She winced and kicked one of the balls lightly.

“I guess that’s my cue. I am supposed to be at the waterfront in a short while, welcoming the gathered crowd and warming them up before Nephis takes the stage… my subordinates love nothing more than parading me in front of people. Something about making their blood flow faster.”

She glanced at Sunny and asked.

“Did you find me just to chat, or did you want something?”

Sunny shrugged.

“No real reason. I guess I wanted to know if you are joining me for Cassie’s thing — if so, I would have caught a ride in your shadow. Getting there by myself is a hassle, considering how thorough the defensive array is.”

Effie shook her head.

“What’s the point of my going there? It’s not exactly my field of expertise.”

Sunny grinned.

“Fast-flowing blood is a bit of a universal advantage, though.”

He grimaced and then took a step into the shadows.

“Well, see you later then. Oh… this ceremony. Golf? I liked it! Hit me up if you ever want a rematch…”

Just a moment before Effie’s attendant appeared on the rampart, Sunny dissolved into the shadows.

He traveled through their dark embrace and appeared in the grove of ancient trees that rustled quietly in celestial winds. The Ivory Island had been turned into a sorcerous fortress in the past year, its Components intertwined with a layered defensive array to prevent anyone from entering the Tower of Hope uninvited… or leaving it without the permission of its master.

So, Sunny could not use Shadow Step freely here anymore. Still, it did not take him long to make it to where he wanted to go — he simply hid in the shadow of a scholar hurrying across the emerald grass and followed him into a spacious chamber inside the Ivory Tower.

There, a group of people was gathered, standing in the shadows along the wall. They were men and women from all walks of life, both mundane and Awakened — sorcerers, engineers, linguists… the few remaining Spellsmiths of the fallen Clan Valor were here, as well as the most prominent spelltech pioneers. Sunny even noticed a couple of River People, easily recognizable by their garments.

[You are here?]

Cassie was standing in the middle of the chamber, in front of a complicated runic circle. Bright sunlight poured through the windows and illuminated her breathtaking figure, her hair glistening like liquid gold. Hiding in the shadows in the corners of the chamber, Sunny answered with a thought.

“I am.”

He hesitated, then asked in a curious tone:

[Why are you doing this today, though? Everyone else is taking a break.]

Ahead of him, Cassie sighed and raised her head.

[Because getting all these people into one room was far easier today.]

Sunny gave her a mental nod. That was a good enough reason, as far as he was concerned.

In the center of the room, Cassie inhaled deeply and then addressed the gathered luminaries.

“Thank you all for attending. You already know what is about to happen and why, so I won’t repeat myself. Be alert. I don’t know how long my essence will last, so every moment is precious.”

After the hum of whispers died down, she turned to the runic circle and placed her hand on the hilt of the Quiet Dancer.

A cold wind blew across the chamber, and by the time it ceased…

There was a man standing in the runic circle.

Sunny studied him with keen interest.

The man was of a modest stature, his posture slightly bent. He wore a strange garment woven out of green fabric, while his wrists and ankles were adorned with golden bracelets. His skin was dark, and his hair was hidden under an embroidered head covering.

He was leaning on an iron staff, looking around with intelligent, penetrating eyes. Cassie bowed slightly.

“Welcome. I am Cassia, Song of the Fallen.”

The gaze of the man lingered for a moment on the dark corner where Sunny was hiding, then shifted to Cassie.

He spoke in a low, curious tone:

“How peculiar. A beautiful blind goddess is visiting my dream… or am I visiting her dream?”

The Spell translated his words, but Sunny could tell that he was talking in an odd and unfamiliar dialect. It was difficult to understand, but not impossible — not that there was a need to.

The man turned his head, looking at the blue sky beyond the windows.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“…I am not dreaming of Mictlan, then.”

Indeed, the man was a native of Godgrave — one of the many memories of whom Cassie had inherited when she received her Aspect Legacy.

Cassie nodded.

“Nor are you dreaming. I have summoned the memory of you from the depths of time. And once our bargain is over, you will cease to exist, becoming a memory once more.”

The man chuckled.

“If that is the case, you have nothing to bargain with… Lady Cassia, Song of the Fallen. After all, if all that awaits me is oblivion, then there is nothing I would want.”

Cassie slowly shook her head.

“Not oblivion. Remembrance.”

She hesitated for a moment, then added:

“I do not think that a man like you cares about being remembered, though. However… what about curiosity?”

The man raised an eyebrow.

“Curiosity?”

Cassie smiled faintly.

“If you agree to my demands, I will satiate your curiosity… Inti of Mictlan, Child of the Sun. Thousands of years have passed since the time you were born in the bones of the Sun Killer, after all. Aren’t you interested in learning what happened in those years? What sorceries have been created, and what feats we of the Flame have performed?”

He smiled.

“Sounds enticing, indeed. But the bargain depends on what you want from me. What can a humble Transcendent offer a mighty Supreme?”

Cassie studied him intently and then said in a quiet tone.

“You were the sorcerer who created the asuras — the enchanted suits of armor that the Awakened of Mictlan wore to battle beings far more powerful than them. That is what my people require, as well.”

She inhaled deeply.

“I want you to teach me how to build asuras.”