by Scar, Rick
Overall, those two days were almost wasted. ‘Almost’ was due to a brilliant but painful (just like always) idea that crossed his mind on what to do if his guess about the need to achieve a higher rank within the Order would prove true.
***
On the third day, when the bored Raven decided to visit the library, he was surprised at sensing a hidden object or trap nearby. The rogue looked around, trying to grasp where the signal was coming from, but he failed to locate it. That was how this skill worked: it gave a faint signal, but if your search attribute was below the minimal threshold required to locate this secret, you got no further information. In this case, you either had to level up your search attribute or examine the area very thoroughly to reveal the secret through luck. Only if your search skills were high enough did you see a brief flash indicating the direction of the hidden door or trap. That was how he’d found the ‘Back and Forth’ scroll.
But now, the first seemed to be the case. Raven did not have much choice other than to inspect the room thoroughly—in the hope that his Search would be triggered again, or his increased Luck would help him to locate the secret. Instead, he’d wasted three hours, which totally ruined his mood and made him itch to blast that damned library. Who would stay calm in his place, knowing there was a hidden secret so close but failing to locate it?
I’m going to stay here anyway until I get a satisfactory specialization. Then I’ll be able to leave for the throne.
“Here you are!” Turning to the voice, the rogue saw the glaring Rinnah. “I’ve been searching the whole castle for this man, and he…By the way, what are you doing here?” She finally noticed that Will was down on all fours, peering beneath the bookcase.
“Looking for you. I thought you were playing hide-and-seek with me, as the one hiding. But you were the one seeking. Typical! What a misunderstanding.” Dusting off his knees, the rogue passed by her, heading for the entrance.
“Um. Why were you looking for me beneath the bookcase?” the bruxa asked in bewilderment, forgetting her anger for a moment. Realizing he was just making fun of her, she grabbed Raven by the collar and dashed out of the library, telling him as she ran: “You nasty kitten. Pray you get killed by the head, or I will kill you. Get it?”
“Sure. I must kill the head for you to kill me. You’ve made that pretty clear. I’ll do it,” Will said as he dangled on the sprinting sister’s back like a doll, his breath stopping as she turned.
“I see you’re joking,” she hissed, “but use whatever little brain you have to keep such jokes to yourself when you are around the Great Shadow.”
“Yes, I see. I will.” The rogue was so depressed at failing to locate the secret that he made no effort to stop the girl and walk on with his own feet. I will blast the damn library. As soon as I get any explosives.
Chapter 108. The Great Shadow
A t last their run was over. Standing, Will faced a tall door painted with unknown animals.
Raven knew what was behind that door; he’d been there before. It was the hall for general meetings. The door was usually open.
It was not until now that he noticed Rinnah had her golden robe on. The colors of the adepts’ robes matched their ranks; gold spoke of a Disciple. Robes were habitually worn at official ceremonies, meetings, and other occasions, although it was not prohibited to wear them at other times.
“Judging by your dress…is the Order’s head back?”
“Yes, kitten. Although I have known you only for a short while, I like you, so take my best advice: leave your normal behaviors at this threshold and be respectful with the Great Shadow. You say you’re immortal, but I’d still rather not see your body parts flying all over the hall.”
“I’m no idiot. Don’t worry. I’ll get it right. And I’m not coming empty-handed.”
“I really, really hope you will, Raven,” Rinnah replied, looking tense. “We’ll be called in soon.”
***
Ten minutes later, they were invited in.
The hall was typically well-lit, but now it only had the blazing fireplace and a few candles on the long table in the middle of the room, leaving most of it semi-dark.
Apart from him and Rinnah, there were three people in the hall. The head of the Order was seated in a red leather armchair, and two of his most loyal adepts stood nearby. His right and left hands.
As Will walked by Rinnah’s side, he could feel the power emitted by the three men pressing on him as Cerberus’s had once done. Coming closer, Raven was finally able to make out their faces.
The head was a middle-aged man, and his black, gray-streaked hair was slicked back. In his right hand was a small book; he hadn’t turned a single page while the two entered. He had a slim, fit body clad in a robe gleaming with all shades of Dark. A small scar crossed his forehead, paralleling his brows. His deep-set eyes watched the fire; he did not seem to be breathing at all.
Or he really doesn’t need to breathe. He might well be a vampire—as the Order’s founder was. Will had already heard that story; Daltaro had told him it on their first night here.
The Great Shadow’s assistants (or whatever their titles were) looked like two men slightly older than the rogue. Both wearing dark robes, they stood behind the head’s armchair, as identical as peas in a pod. Both had white hair, golden eyes, and very pale skin. Turning their heads towards the entrance, they kept their eyes on the visitors.
Stretching her arm in front of Raven to stop him, Rinnah took a step forward and went down to her knee. Bowing slightly in this position, she spoke: “Great Shadow. I’ve asked you to meet this stranger because he has a story worthy of you hearing. Please let him speak.” She kept her head down, without looking up.
“Thank you for your job in the Taargada Forest, Rinnah. You’ve done well—as usual.” The head’s voice was deep and oozed power, as befitted a great one like him. “I think we’ll soon be able to discuss your promotion to the shadow-bound rank. If no trouble comes from these strangers you’ve brought here, sure.”
“Thank you, Head.”
“Now stand and go and wait outside. I’ll hear him in private.”
“From light to shade,” Rinnah said.
“From shade to dust,” the Head replied with a gentle smile.
Saying her part, the girl stood and, bowing slightly to the Great Shadow’s right and left hands, she then walked out. The two waved their heads slightly, greeting her back, and then froze again like statues.
As the door closed behind the bruxa, the hall lapsed into silence.
“So, messenger. I’m Umbra the Third. Since you are our guest, please sit and tell the story you have for me, and let me know why one of our sisters asked for you.” The head made an inviting wave of hand towards an armchair next to his.
The last thing Will was up to was being defiant. He intuitively realized they’d send him to the respawning point (currently located in his castle bedroom) before he would even be able to wink. The three men were apparently Level 150 or higher.
“Greetings to the Head. Thank you for your time.” Coming to the armchair, the rogue sat down, behaving as appropriately as he possibly could: not only out of fear of getting killed on the spot, but also because he wanted to be admitted into the Order. “My name is White Raven. I’m a Messenger of Gods—as you already know. On my journey I discovered the remains of your adept. Hearing his last will from the gods, I promised to take his bones to you personally. So…” Retrieving the bones he’d previously put into a neat small box, he handed them to the head.
The young man on the head’s right made a barely perceptible gesture, and the box appeared in his hands. Opening it, he examined its contents for a few moments, then he frowned and bent down to Umbra’s ear, whispering something.
“Um. I see.” The head shifted his gaze to Raven. “Those really belong to a deceased brother of the Order. Where did you find him?”
“In Skiavra.”
“Skiavra?”
This time, another young man
, the one on his left, bowed to his ear, informing about the village.
“Oh, I see. That’s rather far away. Uh.” The Great Shadow peered into the fire, pondering something. Will decided not to distract him, waiting for him to resume the talk.
About a minute later, the head shifted his gaze back to Raven. “Remembering all the brothers we had at that time, I have reached a conclusion that the junior adept whose ring you’re now wearing was on a mission related to the Holy Empire, previously known as the Holy Land. Did you find any other items with his body?”
“Yes. The chest in his hiding place had a piece of the map showing the Order’s location and a compass.” Will retrieved the mysterious item he’d stored since then, never having gotten the chance to use it.
Compass
Rank: Silver (Enchanted)
There is a secret shadow path.
It’s there, alright, but not in sight.
A simple thing holds simple math,
Just look at it through the light.”
The compass vanished from his hands just as the box did, taken away by the ‘right hand’. Will wondered how he did that. It could be some telekinetic skill, but the whole of it happened too fast to be able to tell for sure.
As the young man scrutinized the compass, his eyes widened slightly, a bloody line crossing his iris. He passed the compass to the head, and the hall lapsed into complete silence once again.
“Now I see.” Putting the compass on his left palm, Umbra examined it in the firelight. “This item belonged to a loyal friend of mine who disappeared 80 years ago. He must’ve failed to solve the riddle and passed it on to his son.”
The Great Shadow turned his head slightly to the right and nodded. The compass appeared in Will’s hands.
“Maybe you can solve it—the riddle that escaped my old friend. Is this all you found?”
“No. There also was an encrypted message where he laid out what he had learnt about the Holy Land scheming with the Latian Empire against the Order.”
“Alas, we didn’t get this message from him back then.” The leader shook his head. “But we’ve protected ourselves by leaving for our new home. Is this all you have to tell me?”
“Please forgive me for asking…but haven’t you already heard this from Rinnah?”
“Why would I? I have a direct witness here to tell his story. Rinnah’s part was only to bring the guest here.”
“Oh, I see. Then I’ll tell you the story from the very beginning. I’m going to destroy the Swarm.”
The three all watched the rogue. After a few moments’ pause, Umbra replied. “The prophecy”—he waved the book in his hand—“hints at the Messengers being immortal. But what use of it when you will die, again and again, while approaching the Swarm? Never mind you, even I can’t get close to the Queen. The true light powder is raining from all the palace ceilings incessantly, covering everything. There are lots of guards attacking everyone—even the Swarm’s own members, upon passing a certain barrier.” The head stared at his guest, waiting for a reply.
“I must specify that I’ve already killed one of their kings.”
The assistants’ brows arched for a moment.
“Killed a king?” Umbra asked, frowning. “So, this is true. This is exactly the piece of news that made me come back. I’ve already told the adepts to find out how one of the Swarm’s kings died…and the direct source of his death is here in front of me. Kyle, cancel that order while all the brothers and sisters are still here.”
The young man bowed, transforming into a shadow-black panther, and vanished.
“Now, tell me everything. From the start.”
***
Bonus fragment
Let’s Talk About Dal…
“While we have nothing to do for a while anyway, maybe you will tell me what’s going on between you and Dalt—”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the bruxa replied instantly, before the rogue could even say his companion’s name in full.
Peering at the painted animals on the door, Will scratched his chin and continued: “So you have noth—”
“I can’t wait to be summoned.” Rinnah seemed to be interrupting him on purpose, to prevent him from asking any questions.
“Well then. I just wanted to tell you about his plans,” Will said, fingering the door. “But if you have no idea wha—”
“What did he tell you?” the bruxa snapped, betraying her curiosity. Then she coughed and added casually: “Not that I really care. It’s just to keep the conversation up.”
“What a beautiful door. I’d rather get one like this for my castle.”
The girl squinted at him, tensing up in anticipation of hearing Daltaro’s plans.
“Do you know any custom maker of such doors?” the rogue asked, pretending not to notice her stare.
“I don’t, kitten. You wanted to tell me something about your friend, didn’t you? Maybe you will tell me that so I can keep the conversation going? I have zero interest in discussing stupid doors.”
“Oh. Sorry. Let’s talk about Dal…”
She smiled slightly but her smile froze like a stone statue’s at hearing his next words.
“…Dalmatians living in the castle where I’d love to install this great door.”
“…”
“You’re totally right. Better talk of dal…lying nobles who can delay my reforms when I ascend to the throne.”
A shadow fell over the bruxa’s eyes. Looking down, she barely contained herself, oozing a desire to drain this boy of all his blood, up to the very last drop.
“Um. I can feel some breath of cold air in here. So we’d better have a talk of my dal…liance with the Far East. It was really, really hot there. I’d love a bit of that warmth now.”
“Arrgh.” Gnashing her teeth, Rinnah finally exploded. “You scum! Tell me now what you’ve heard from my ma…Cough, cough! The Devil take you! What a little vermin you are.” Realizing she’d betrayed herself, she put her hand to her forehead, shaking her head, and suddenly, she shot another fist out, sending Will flying.
Chapter 109. From Light to Shade, from Shade to Dust
“S o the King of Adamarona is dead?” Umbra rasped. “Bad news. Nicky, go find your brother and call a council of masters and followers. I’ll join soon.”
The assistant bowed and, transforming into a bat, vanished into the shadows.
“May I know why this news disturbs you so?” Raven asked.
“I don’t think so, no. Although you’ve delivered a valuable piece of news, you’re still an outsider to the Order. Even if you were a low ranking member, you still wouldn’t have been allowed onto the council.”
“I don’t know the exact reason why one of the Swarm kings attacked me. The only thing I do know is that the Latians were after some obedience crystal created by the Dolf emperor. You know its story, don’t you?” Raven said.
“Yes, I know it. The Age of Obedience. It was a dark and cruel age. But what do the Latians have to do with anything?” the head asked and then answered it himself. “Sure. I forgot they descended from those monsters. So the flies want to bend the continent to their will again?”
“One of their spies mentioned the cursed Swarm before we killed him.”
“They’re seeking not only the crystal but the amplifying device too, I suppose. But why now? They haven’t been searching in ages. Until…” Umbra glanced at the other man. “Oh, I see it. Until you, the messengers, came.”
“Yes. I want to help you and all the other races avoid the new Obedience Age.”
“We’re not weak, stranger. You’ve returned the bones of our brother, but we would have long been dead if we trusted every passer-by. You will need to prove you are worthy of helping us. Prove you can save the world. The Messengers of Gods who will succeed to legendary heroes. The Messengers of Gods who will unite or destroy this world.”
“Destroy the world?” That was the first time Will had heard anything like that.
> “Haven’t you read the prophecy?”
“Actually, I haven’t. Since I came to this world, I’ve been too busy gaining strength.”
“Then read it now.” He slammed the book shut and tossed at Raven. “Page 21.”
Will applied Inspection.
Book: The Prophecies of Gakhan’El, an Oracle
Description: This book contains all rhymed prophecies ever uttered by the Great Oracle Gakhan’El
The rogue opened the book and located the relevant page.
Year 0085 on the Separated World Calendar
3rd month of Skerra (Spring)
Day 8
The shattered world
Will rise from ashes strong.
The keys are scattered all around,
But each single one is closely guarded.
The Dark will come apart at once
To let in Messengers of Gods,
The whole universe will praise
Them as successors to the Greats.
They’ll have the power to decide
To save the world or let it die.
“Interesting,” Will muttered. “Thank you for showing me that. How can I prove I’m your ally and strong enough to help?”
“We are all children of the dark. And you are not. You would never have been allowed into the Order if you weren’t a messenger. But since you are, it will be up to the Darkness to decide. The founder of our Order created a special room and said in his will: Welcome every pure mind, pure heart, and pure soul. Do you know what that means?”
Considering this question as rhetorical, Will said nothing.
“Pure mind. We are those once gone astray, turning ourselves into what we now are. But we know there’s always a chance to restore our past selves if we really want to.” The head placed his finger against his temple.
