Shade's First Rule

by A F Kay

  “Why did it take you so long to sense me?” Ky asked.

  “I guess because I was focused on Ruwen, and I felt safe in here,” Sift said.

  “You know better. Shade’s first rule: there is no safety.”

  “I know. I will do better,” Sift said.

  “We cross the Blood Gate in a couple of hours. You’re better prepared than most for the dangers there, but we can’t treat this like a vacation,” Ky said and then looked at Ruwen. “Hey, kid. How was the dungeon?”

  Sift took Ky’s shift in attention as an opportunity to step forward and reach for Ky’s neck. Ky slapped his hand away and punched at Sift’s face. Sift stepped to the side to avoid the blow and brought his hand down on Ky’s arm, quickly twisting and then bending forward. Ky flew forward, but instead of landing on her face, she tucked into a ball and did a somersault. In a few heartbeats, the two stood facing each other again. Ruwen couldn’t believe how fast everything happened.

  “Your parents brought him into the Clan,” Ky said. “You are his Sisen?”

  “Yes, as a condition for my advancement,” Sift said.

  “I’m relieved. I didn’t know how they’d react to him. Especially after hearing of our deal and the danger he poses.” Ky looked at Ruwen again. “Your odds of surviving just increased dramatically. Maybe even to 10%,” she said with a smile.

  Ruwen’s stomach turned. “That’s a joke, right?”

  “I wish you could have seen him fighting the chickens on two,” Sift said.

  “I did. Blapy gave me the memory as soon as I returned. It’s a Pyramid favorite. She said the chickens have been really strutting around with all the attention.”

  Ruwen’s brow furrowed. “Wait, what? What is a Pyramid favorite?”

  Ky bowed to Sift, and he returned it. She held out her fist, and Sift placed his hand on top.

  Ky turned to Ruwen. “This is Blapy’s kingdom. When you kill something, she brings it back, and they keep their memories. She keeps a library of all the best memories the monsters can replay whenever they want. It’s entertainment for them. Usually, the popular memories are of adventurers dying gruesomely.”

  “The monsters are watching my fights?” Ruwen asked.

  Ruwen remembered the odd behavior of Tiny as he approached Ruwen in the pit. It hadn’t made sense at the time, but now it was crystal clear. Tiny had been making fun of Ruwen’s attempt to kill the chickens. Ruwen’s cheeks grew hot.

  “Can Blapy share that with others? I’d love to show my parents,” Sift said.

  “Hey!” Ruwen cried.

  Ky looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure. I’ve never asked her. I wonder if she could display them somehow in the rec rooms?”

  “Let me see,” Blapy said.

  Ruwen jumped at the new voice. Blapy sat on his bed, her stuffed centipede resting on his pillow. A round crystal the size of his arm appeared in the middle of the room. It floated and pulsed with different colors of light.

  “Hmm, that’s not working. I’ll keep at it in my research lab while I finish up here,” Blapy said.

  The cute little girl made him forget that Blapy was actually an immensely powerful being. As she talked to them, she would be doing a hundred other things at the same time. Opening portals, rebuilding levels, making new levels, handling the alchemy lab, managing the thousands of monsters here, and creating a tool to display his not-so-proud moments. Ruwen’s shoulders slumped.

  “Why so glum?” Blapy asked Ruwen.

  “I’m just embarrassed,” Ruwen said.

  Blapy nodded. “Well, you should be. But you should also feel good. The early levels are rarely cleared. Even Sift ignores the chickens. It’s been over a thousand years since those chickens have put anyone in danger. Your lengthy…battle…has reminded them of their purpose, and that as small as their contributions are, they matter.”

  Blapy’s comments were eerily close to the worthlessness Ruwen had felt when fighting next to Sift. How perceptive was Blapy?

  “Are you calling me a chicken?” Ruwen asked.

  Blapy smiled at him and then turned to Sift. “I want you to know I was this close,” Blapy held her thumb and finger together, “to porting him into Fluffy’s shower. He was even in it at the time.”

  Sift groaned. “You should have! That would have been hilarious!”

  Blapy nodded. “Three thousand years ago…maybe, but maturity has made me value good working relationships. Fluffy would blame me, not you two idiots, and I like our quartermaster’s efficiency. I’d hate to lose him.”

  “Agreed. Fluffy is more valuable than both of you nitwits,” Ky said.

  Blapy hopped off the bed, walked to Sift, and looked up at him. “Ky told me you’re going on a trip.”

  Sift nodded and tried not to grin. “She’s taking me through the Blood Gate.”

  “I’ve enjoyed trying to kill you, and wanted to give you a going away present,” Blapy said.

  Sift narrowed his eyes. “Will this mean you win?”

  Blapy stomped her foot. “No. This is a gift, not loot.”

  Blapy pointed to the bed, and a long shirt, loose pants, underwear, and soft shoes appeared there. They were light brown and looked thin.

  “Those look like Step clothes,” Sift said.

  Ky cleared her throat. “I asked her to find a solution to your naked problem. You can’t run around naked over there.”

  Sift’s cheeks turned red. “It’s not like I want to be naked. Blapy is always trying to kill me, and my clothes get in the way.”

  “Exactly,” Ky said. “Blapy is gifting you with something you’d need to go a hundred levels deeper to earn yourself. She is doing this on her own, as there are simpler solutions.”

  Sift looked down at Blapy. “Really?”

  Blapy nodded. “I want you both to come back. You two could be incredibly powerful, more than you realize, and I want the chance to kill you. The lower levels are almost as bad as the upper ones, and my monsters are bored.”

  “That is almost sweet,” Sift said, walking over to the clothes. He picked up the shirt, and his eyes unfocused as he read the notification. He looked at Blapy. “What does Harvester mean?”

  Ruwen perked up at the question. The book he’d found in the library had used that word.

  Ky answered. “It is an older term. People call them Cultivators now.”

  “Their name, like their mindset, keeps them caged and weak,” Blapy said.

  “But I can’t Cultivate,” Sift said.

  The shirt burst into flame, engulfing Sift’s hands. Sift held the blaze away from himself to keep from burning his clothes. After a few seconds, the flames disappeared. The shirt looked untouched. Ice formed on Sift’s hands, and the air grew cold in the room. Sift moved the shirt, and it seemed completely unaffected by the frigid temperature.

  “How?” Sift asked.

  Blapy sighed. “It makes me sad how far the world has fallen.”

  “Some believe leaving rampant chaos and unending war in the past is progress,” Ky said.

  “Nonsense. Nothing interesting ever comes from peace,” Blapy said.

  “The shirt?” Sift asked again.

  Blapy pointed to the shirt. “Harvesters would gather so much energy they would make the area around their body unstable. They needed clothes that would survive that, and not impede the energy’s absorption by their body. Your needs are similar.”

  “It’s the opposite of armor,” Ky said. “It lets everything pass through it. Hammer blows, fire, chaos bolts, punches, all of it will transfer directly to your body. It is useless or priceless, depending on the owner.”

  Blapy nodded. “Ky is right. I’ll just add that these reflect a tiny portion of the light spectrum to give them color and provide some privacy. You can change the color with a thought once you’re wearing it.”

  Sift’s eyes glistened. “Thanks, Blapy. This is the best gift ever.”

  “I’m doing it for the people of the universe. None of them should be sub
jected to your nakedness,” Blapy said with a smile.

  “One other thing,” Ky said. “I asked Blapy to make a chest tattoo for you. We are going to be traveling with a large group, and you’ll stand out if you aren’t Ascended.”

  Blapy held up a small paper with a black snake on it. “This tattoo will make you appear as one of Uru’s Ascended Fighters. It should mask your true nature from most people.”

  “Why didn’t I just do that instead of almost dying multiple times in here?” Ruwen asked.

  “This will only work because Sift isn’t Ascended. Not even Blapy can mask your nature once you’re Ascended,” Ky said.

  Blapy locked eyes with Ruwen. “Yes, hiding something like that would truly take divine power.”

  Ruwen rubbed his stomach and the birthmark there. “I see.”

  “How long will it last?” Sift asked.

  “I’ll remove it when you get back,” Blapy said.

  Sift removed his shirt, and Ky handed him the tattoo. He pressed it to his chest and then gasped.

  A thick snake with indigo scales wrapped around Sift’s torso. The head appeared on his right shoulder, mouth wide, ivory fangs glistening with venom. It looked so real Ruwen took a step backward.

  “I thought you wanted him to keep his clothes on. He’ll never put a shirt on now,” Ruwen said.

  “Is it awesome? Show me, please,” Sift bounced on his feet.

  A full-length mirror appeared in front of Sift. He took a step toward it and ran a hand over the snake’s head. He traced the coil as it wrapped the front of his body.

  “Blapy…this is…I mean…you really,” Sift was quiet for a few seconds. “I love it.”

  Ruwen saw Ky give Blapy a wink.

  “Well, I’m glad it’s okay. It’s just something I made last minute. Nothing like the thought I put in the tattoos you leave uncollected in my dungeon.”

  Sift’s eyes grew wide, and Blapy grinned.

  Sift’s name floated above his head now, and Ruwen focused on him to see what else appeared.

  Name: Sift Whistler

  Age: 17

  Class: Fighter

  Sub Class: Unarmed

  Class Rank: Initiate

  Level: 10

  Health: 210

  Mana: 120

  Energy: 453

  Sift’s attributes were listed as well, but Ruwen skimmed them since he knew they were fake. He chuckled at the last name. Blapy just couldn’t resist poking people. The little girl, as if knowing he had thought her name, faced him.

  “Your turn,” Blapy said.

  “Me? You didn’t need to get me anything,” Ruwen said.

  “I know,” Blapy said, and then pointed to Ruwen’s bed. His cloak lay across it, and he noticed the hole had been fixed.

  “Thanks for mending my cloak,” Ruwen said.

  Blapy nodded. “I gave it a hood, so you have something to protect the rocks in your head, and added a couple other things as well.”

  “That is awesome,” Ruwen said as he walked over and picked it up.

  Tring!

  The Black Pyramid has gifted you…

  Name: Hooded Pacifist’s Cloak of Wandering

  AC: 25

  Quality: Special

  Durability: 50 of 50

  Weight: 1.0 lbs.

  Effect (Passive): 10% Perception, 10% Detect Traps.

  Effect (Passive): Everything within 50 feet is immune to Location magic.

  Effect (Passive): Hood enhances all senses by 10%.

  Effect (Triggered): Once per day can harden into a 150 hit point shield.

  Restriction: Weapons of any kind are prohibited.

  Description: Why can’t we all just get along?

  The cloak had been great before, but now it was fantastic. The problem with hoods is they blocked your vision and impaired your hearing. But this cloak actually enhanced them. And, as the number of people who wanted to kill him increased, not being able to locate him with magic would be a real plus. The increase to Armor Class and the shield were welcome as well. This was indeed a special cloak.

  “Hey! There’s a sheath built into these pants. Is that for Io?” Sift asked.

  “You shouldn’t indulge him,” Ky said to Blapy.

  Blapy shrugged. “It makes them both happy. Call me sentimental.”

  Ky faced Ruwen and sighed. “So, against my better judgment, I’ve agreed to Blapy’s other gift. We will need to discuss the rules before you use it, but Blapy has a compelling argument for you having it.”

  Ruwen turned back to Blapy, who held a black rock about the size and shape of his finger. It looked very similar to the one Ky had used to draw the door that brought them here. His hand shook as he took the rock from Blapy. He immediately opened the notification.

  Tring!

  The Black Pyramid has gifted you…

  Name: Portal Chalk of Blood

  Quality: Epic

  Durability: 5 of 5

  Weight: 0.5 lbs.

  Effect: (Active): Create a connection with the Blood Gate.

  Restriction: User must bear the mark of the Black Pyramid.

  Description: Not every door should be entered.

  Ruwen gasped. This gave him the ability to come back here.

  “Thank you,” Ruwen said.

  “Ky will show you how it works,” Blapy said.

  Blapy glanced over at Ky and Sift. Sift was showing her how Io fit perfectly in the sheath.

  “Sift has spent his whole life here, and more time in the dungeon than almost anyone. I’d be sad if someone other than me killed him. You understand?” Blapy asked.

  Ruwen didn’t, but he nodded.

  “Good, because I’ll blame you if something happens to him,” Blapy said and then in a louder voice, “I did it.”

  “Did what?” Sift asked.

  A grey portal appeared on the wall, but instead of being shaped like a door, it looked like a window. The grey faded, and colors emerged.

  “Oh, no,” Ruwen said.

  Sift and Ky laughed as the window portal showed Ruwen chasing the chickens around swinging his staff, but it only lasted a few seconds before a very young-looking Ky appeared.

  “Oh, no,” Ky said.

  The young Ky lifted her dagger and prepared to attack a large grey mushroom. As she moved to strike, she tripped on a rock and landed face first behind the fungus. Sift burst out laughing, and Ruwen couldn’t hide a smile.

  The pictures changed again, and this time Sift came into focus.

  “Oh, no,” Sift said.

  In a quickly moving montage, Sift battled different monsters but always ended up covered in something destructive: fire, acid, lightning, more fire, some kind of whirling bladed tree, and more fire. In every instance, Sift ended up naked.

  Blapy looked pleased with herself.

  Ky shook her head and muttered. “Shade’s first rule: karma is an echo, and it speaks your name.”

  Chapter 36

  Ruwen followed Ky and Sift as they walked toward the Blood Gate. Blapy didn’t allow portals to that area for security reasons. They’d eaten dinner with Sift’s parents, but most of the discussion had centered on Sift and travel advice. No one brought up Ruwen’s Cultivation incident.

  He asked Ky something he’d wondered since coming here. “Why does Blapy need you?”

  Ky looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

  Ruwen flushed. “Sorry, that came out wrong. I just don’t understand the relationship.”

  Ky nodded. “Adventurers from all over our world want to come here. Blapy has the best loot, hardest challenges, and gives the most experience of any dungeon. The issue is getting here. That’s where I come in.”

  “Blapy can’t get them herself?” Ruwen asked.

  “Blapy can’t leave here. Trapped isn’t the right word…more like bound. So, I’m like her face in our world. I feed the beast.”

  “You bring people here?” Ruwen asked.

  “Yes, many. There are over twenty parties in
Blapy’s depths right now,” Ky said.

  “But I never saw anyone,” Ruwen said.

  Ky shook her head. “The top levels are mine, and you need my mark. Those parties can’t come up. They can only go down or exit.”

  “How does that benefit you?” Ruwen asked.

  “That is a good question, my young Spy,” Ky said. “Blapy obviously gets entertainment and new items to clone. I have the most secure hideout in the world, and the price for entry into Blapy is usually information. Blapy and I both love what we shouldn’t have. It cements our relationship, I think. But there are powerful items in the world that people know how to keep from us. Blapy and I both want them. Shade’s first rule: goals are like air.”

  “That’s another thing, why are all the rules number one?” Ruwen asked.

  Ky smiled. “Shade’s first rule: there’s no second rule.”

  Ruwen waited a few seconds. “Okay, that didn’t help.”

  “It means all the rules are important. Ignoring any of them might cause disaster,” Sift said.

  Ky nodded at Sift.

  They walked in silence for a few steps and then Ruwen opened his mouth to ask another question.

  “Stop!” Ky said. “You are worse than Tremine. You’re like some kind of information sponge. Let’s finalize your build before we cross over. How much did you leave unspent?”

  “I have four attribute points from reaching level five, and I still have my spell and ability points from levels four and five,” Ruwen said.

  “An odd and an even level is three spells for each Class, which means you have six spell points and four ability points to allocate?” Ky asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Good. For your attributes, increase your Dexterity at least once per level. Preferably twice. Are there any abilities you desperately want?” Ky asked.

  Ruwen immediately thought of the last two levels of Hey You. He knew that wasn’t critical though, so he just shook his head.

  “Excellent. My recommendation is two points in Fade and two in Fabricate. For Fabricate make yourself appear to be a level two Worker. That is so close to the truth that it will fool everyone. As you advance in levels, you’ll need to increase the level of Fabricate to keep the illusion. Fade is probably good at level two. If that gets too high even your friends forget you.”