Shifter

by John Sharp

  Chapter 20 – My Dream Girl

  Brother… The words are odd, as if they are from another language. It doesn’t fit my view of the world. It’s a word for someone else. Someone who can’t see into other worlds. One thing is clear to me. She is the other they all kept talking about. Moving forward on weak legs I sit down in front of her. Seeing her in the flesh for the first time I am surprised by the noticeable difference between her and the other Kiraten I’ve seen. She is darker skinned, with long pointy ears that I hadn’t noticed in my dreams. Slender with a heart shaped face she has the look of a person that has experience beyond her years. Looking into her deep purple eyes I am unsure how to begin. What do you say to a sister you never even knew existed? ‘Hi sis, sorry about missing all your birthdays but you were being held prisoner in another world and the long distance on my phone bill would kill me. Much like our relatives want too.’ Yeah that would work.

  “They saw it then,” the girl says, looking right at me. I already know what she means, my shadow. I nod.

  The girl sighs, lowering her head. “I’m sorry, Jerry of Primehouse Ageroth. I tried to conceal it from them using my own corruption. I thought if I set off enough false alarms they wouldn’t be aware that there were two of us. Morith came by yesterday and told me all. I had no idea your corruption was so strong.”

  Millions of questions buzz around my head, all fighting to be asked. All take a back seat to the one that landed me here.

  “Who are you and who is our father?” I ask.

  “I’m Sarrowind of Primehouse Ageroth,” she says. “Our father is Dalvine of Primehouse Ageroth. Only a few remember that name. He is known as…”

  “The Abomination,” I finish. “And please, call me Jerry. I don’t like that Primehouse crap.”

  She pauses, looking a bit shocked, then gives me a warm smile. “I will, if you will call me Sarrow.”

  “Sure. Sarrow, please, what can you tell me about our father.”

  “Our father was the first,” Sarrow says, closing her eyes.

  “The first what?” I ask.

  “The first blending of different creations since the time of the dragons,” she says, opening her eyes. “He is of Valerdon and Shalarom. I’ve never met our father, the same as you. I was told the tale often in my youth. It started the last great war between the people of those two worlds.”

  “The story is told as such. Long after the fall, a young, adventurous woman named Pahlice of Primehouse Ageroth went forth to do battle in other worlds. In Inti she had no equals among the Kiraten and her thirst for battle could not be quenched. Across the five worlds she battled everything, from the fierce creatures in Elysium to being known as a warrior goddess on Fomoria. Not content she sought out the Kiraten’s greatest enemies, the Drow in Shalarom’s world of Pandedonium.”

  “The Drow!” I exclaim. She can’t be serious. From my time in the library I had become very familiar with the creatures of legend. The black skinned dark elves had always been one of my favorites.

  “You have heard of them. Not surprising, using the tower many species that do not have the ability to shift explored the worlds before it was sealed. Shalarom has created many creatures of corruption. Some so terrible that they have no name,” Sarrow says.

  “You mean the tower of Babel?” I ask, remembering the dark structure.

  “Yes, that tower. Created by the Five after the worlds separated,” she says. “What do you know of it?”

  “Well, according to our fables it was a tower that was made to reach heaven,” I say.

  “Mostly correct, it did reach heaven. If you interpret heaven as the five worlds,” Sarrow says, giving me a little smile. “With a link to the five worlds, cities naturally grew around the tower in each world and commerce began. This did not last and various worlds began fighting. Then the fall happened and the Kiraten fled back to Inti, taking famed cities they constructed with them. All save for Babel, which was destroyed and rebuilt in Inti around the tower. Only the Primehouses retained the ability to shift and the tower has not been used for a long time after.”

  My mind races as possibilities expand before me. This tower connects all five worlds? Does it still exist on Fomoria? Why was it destroyed along with the cities? Expressing these questions earns a smirk from Sarrow.

  “You wish to know much, my brother,” she says. “You want to know of our family history and that of all five worlds as well?”

  “I’m sorry,” I say, feeling embarrassed.

  “There is nothing to feel sorry for. Your thirst for knowledge is refreshing rather than the Kiraten’s lust for battle.” She glances to the sky. Joining her I see the twin suns setting and notice for the first the guards looking down upon us.

  “I will finish telling you of our family. The rest will be for another day.”

  She gives a gentle cough and continues. “Pahlice went to Pandedonium to do battle with the Drow for it was said that the power of Shalarom is strong in them. This is where her story ends for she was never seen among the Kiraten again. All thought her slain at the hands of the Drow, until Dalvine of Primehouse Ageroth appeared, claiming what he called his birthright. Primehouse Ageroth itself. Appearing to the Kiraten by shifting into their meeting chamber it was immediately apparent that he was of their kind but more as well. Black as the Drow he had the Kiraten green hair and l eyes but his was of deepest purple. He stood proud and tall before the speakers, dressed in soft living flames that did not burn him. There, in front of all, he declared, ‘I am Dalvine of Primehouse Ageroth, born of the Drow and Kiraten. I have come to take my place as speaker for my Primehouse and to unite the people of the two worlds.’ Of course, the Kiraten would have none of it, obeying Valerdon’s wishes in all things. They saw this half breed upstart as an ‘abomination’ breaking the rule of the five and challenging Valerdon himself.”

  “Didn’t Shalarom care about the rule being broken?” I ask.

  “No. Shalarom is of chaos and corruption. The mixing of the bloods was of great amusement to him, along with the war that followed. The Kiraten, believing themselves to be the greatest of all creations welcomed the challenged that spewed forth from the tower after being dormant for so long. That was until the fighting actually began. Convinced of their own superiority the Kiraten were not ready for beings whose own shadows would be used against them.”

  Shadows…I grab my pendant, feeling a small twinge from my own trapped inside.

  “The war waged for many years, with large parts of Babel being destroyed. Valerdon gave his servants shadow wood to be used against the creations of Shalarom and the tides of battle changed.”

  “Shalarom didn’t help his side?” I ask, not liking how Valerdon continuously interfered even for good reasons.

  “Shalarom did not, for he knew that the Drow could never take Babel for any sustained period of time. It was all entertainment to him,” Sarrow says.

  “Why not?”

  “The world of Pandedonium would call the Drow back, making taking the city impossible to hold without extreme measures being taken.”

  “I heard Solarkar say the world would call them back before,” I say. “What does that mean?”

  Sarrow looks at me, head cocked slightly as if she was trying to figure out if I was joking with her. “Have you not shifted beings before? Living creatures that are shifted are compelled to return to their worlds after a certain amount of time. The act of crossing the worlds creates imbalance in their aura which can erode their health and kill them if not corrected by returning to their home world. The Kiraten can correct this with powerful sigil stones but even so, the effect is only temporary. They must spend an equal amount of time in their own world to remove the imbalance.”

  “That’s not true,” I say. “I shifted Whisper to my world from Elysium over six years ago with no troubles at all. The change in size took me by surprise but he hasn’t had any issues.�
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  Startled, Sarrow gapes at me like I had done the impossible. “Six years? Such a thing cannot be,” she looks hard at me. “You say he changed his size?”

  “Yes, you didn’t see him but much bigger than I am. I rode him all the way here but in my world when I shift him he’s so small he can ride on my shoulder,” I say.

  “Amazing,” Sarrow says, her eyes burrowing into mine. “Do you realize what you have been doing?”

  Feeling distinctly uncomfortable, I just shrug, “Shifting.”

  “You are,” Sarrow agrees. “But you are doing something much more. Something that I thought only the Five could do. You are changing the reality of what you shift. You are making it of the world you shift it to. This Whisper didn’t have to return to his world because his world was now yours.”

  “I was changing reality?” I say, stunned.

  She glances around nervously but we are alone except for the guards high above. “Yes, you are. I would keep this knowledge to yourself, Jerry. For this single ability Valerdon might destroy you despite the others’ decision.”

  “Don’t the five already know that?” I ask. “They knew a lot already when I saw them.”

  “The Five are aware of many events on their respective worlds. What they choose to share with each other is something else entirely. Palentor and Belaroth might be aware of what you are capable of but did not share it with the others for their own designs. I’m sorry you had to confront them. Such a meeting can be perilous.”

  “You can say that again,” I say, thinking back to the five statues. “Is there a place like that on each world?”

  “I do not know, brother,” Sarrow says. “I suspect not. Palentor gave his creations great wisdom to rule themselves and does not directly interfere. Melephos consumes his creations and his world is mostly empty. Belaroth shows no favor, treating all equally. Shalarom simply doesn’t care. Valerdon’s Kiraten are the best caretakers. They have a close relationship with their god and obey his will. The chamber is often used by Valerdon to convey his wishes. The Five do not meet until a matter that concerns all arises.”

  “Return to your rooms!” Comes a booming voice from high above and we both jump.

  “We will continue our talks on the morrow. I’ll show you to your room,” Sarrow says. Rising to her feet she leads me down halls series of short halls and I can’t help but notice the lack of guards.

  “Where’re all the guards?” I say, thinking of my old mental institution.

  “There is no need. There are but two ways out. Over the walls and through the gate and both are watched at all times. If we try to leave we will be killed, which is why I’m sure they leave it so tempting.”

  “Here is your room, brother,” Sarrow says, opening a door at the end of a short corridor. “I shall see you in the morning. You are free to wander as you please, but at night be careful unless you have permission.” With that she turns around, opening her own door right across the hall and leaving me alone.

  The room is spacious and nothing like the cell I was detained in before my judgment. A comfortable bed and wardrobe rest in the corners with spider webs on the ceilings. Like the entire castle, the room has a hard stone floor and unyielding walls. I do have a small window that has a view of the courtyard. Falling onto the bed a small puff of dust erupts around me, irritating my nose. My need to clean fills me, so I spend the next several hours cleaning as best I can. Once that is done, my thoughts I naturally turn to Sarah and Whisper. Feeling the tears come, I know that I’ve lost them.

  The next day I am actually surprised with breakfast which included a plate of raw vegetables that taste surprisingly good. Then that is it. Nothing else is required of me so I spend all my time with Sarrow as she fills me in our family history.

  “So, what happened after the Kiraten took back Babel?” I ask, picking up where we left off yesterday.

  “Not much really. The Five tired of the wars and the problems caused by the tower, so they created a powerful seal. The seal prevents the tower from traversing the worlds and cannot be broken unless a majority of the ancient ones will it. That was the last great war.”

  “Things didn’t end there, did they?” I say.

  “You are correct. Father, feeling cheated of his destiny, began moving in secret, recruiting others to his cause. They say he wanted to conquer all five worlds. His followers grew among the Drow and even the Kiraten. They say he went mad, the power of his corruption driving the sanity from him. In his later years he took my mother by force, intent that his seed spread and his legacy live on. She was Galdwin of Primehouse Ageroth. He kept her imprisoned until my birth. I cannot fathom the horrors she must have endured. Discovering his intentions the Kiraten rescued my mother and Yawrith of Primehouse Ageroth was given the duty of hunting our father down no matter what world he resided in. They found him trying to undo the seals on the towers and during the resulting battle fell from the stairs into the endless void.”

  So my father is dead. The news isn’t a surprise but still I wonder what I should be feeling. Anger or perhaps some type of validation at his death, I just feel nothing.

  “What about your mother?” I ask, then in a softer tone I add. “What about mine?”

  “After she was rescued, the shame of baring the abomination’s offspring was too great and she killed herself. She would have ended my life as well if it weren’t for Morith who shielded me from harm. Beseeching the judgment of the Five they granted me mercy. I was given the title Shame of Valerdon and allowed to live here until the end of my days.”

  “Not much of a mercy,” I say.

  “Better than the alternative,” she counters. Ok, good point there. “As for your mother, I’m sorry I do not know. I was unaware of your existence until the night we first met through our shared corruption. After the episode I secretly had Morith investigate your existence. I was given the Razoha long ago so I was unable to search you out, brother.”

  “Yeah, Solarkar gave me one of those too. What about your shadow?” I say, my voice low.

  “My shadow is not great like yours, brother. It cannot stay away from me for long and tires easily. It stays inside me until I command it. The corruption has gifted me in other ways. I can feel and touch other corruption at times when the mind is open if the distance is not too great. My connection to you through our shared blood allows me to reach out to you easily when you are closer to Inti.”

  I think about the dreams and nod. Remembering the last add, “In the last dream you were being tortured. Why?”

  “There are Kiraten known as farseers who specialize at detecting corruption from the last war. They fear corruption might still plague us. To mask your presence I was using my own corruption to run interference. I was not strong enough and they became aware of what I was doing. They set a trap using my own power to draw you in. Morith found what they were doing and saved me from being killed. He invoked that I didn’t break the conditions of my imprisonment and the Five would frown upon the action.”

  I lower my voice conspiratorially, “How can we escape from here?” Surely she should have some plan in the works and maybe I could help.

  “Brother, there is no way out. We shall stay here until our deaths or the worlds collide,” Sarrow says sullenly.

  “I can’t accept that,” I say, shaking my head. The thought off never seeing Whisper or Sarah again is abhorrent.

  “I shall show you around but you will find nothing,” Sarrow says standing. All that day we explore every nook and cranny of the castle. She patiently waits as I desperately search for secret doors, trying to push anything that could be a hidden lever. Nothing. Days pass into weeks as I try to think of any escape plan that doesn’t end with being impaled on a spear.

  With nothing else to do besides planning pathetic escape attempts, Sarrow and I do some sparring. She surprises me with her skill and grace, beating me soundly each tim
e. I begin to wonder if I could ever beat a girl in a fight.

  Resting one day in the fourth week of my imprisonment under the shade of a tree of the courtyard with Sarrow, I ask something that has been bothering me.

  “I was told that Solarkar had a lot of potential as a shifter. Is that true?” I ask.

  “Yes, he is the greatest shifter in over three hundred years. His power surpasses the imagination,” Sarrow says sipping water from a small brown water skin before passing it to me.

  Taking a deep pull I handd it back to her. “Really? I thought he was rather weak. Even after shifting over the entire Bartendor clan and Sarah I could still hold me own against him. That’s not including all the younglings I shifted.” In our time together I told her everything. It’s a relief to have it all out in the open. Besides, neither of us is going anywhere. Sarrow has a natural curiosity that I find most Kiraten lack. It’s refreshing as we ponder the mysteries of vision and Solarkar’s actions.

  “Weak,” she scoffs, patting my head. “Oh little brother, if only you knew.”

  Much to both our surprises I found out that she is nearly thirty years old! Apparently the mixed blood had slowed her aging to a crawl, even for a Kiraten. I wonder if I will live a long time or just the standard amount for a human.

  I shrug, “I wasn’t impressed at all. If I was rested I could easily beat him a hundred times over.”

  “I do not doubt it. Even with a Vorscha assisting him, the disturbance you cause in reality aids your power,” Sarrow says. “Your very presence weakens the reality around you.”

  My heart stops and the blood drains from the face at the word vorscha. I had heard that before. It’s the name Solarkar used for the bugs used in vision. I had forgotten it until now.

  “What are the Vorscha?” I say, my voice suddenly hoarse.

  “Symbiotic creatures that the Primehouses use to boost their shifting potential,” Sarrow says.

  Solarkar is growing shifting bugs and giving them to humans? Why? It’s not like he could… The final piece falls into place and I just stare at Sarrow, horrorstruck. He can’t be…

  Noticing my sudden change in mood Sarrow looks intently at me, “Brother, what is wrong?”

  No… it can’t be, but I have to check. “Sarrow, you said you feel a disturbance around me. What does it feel like?” I ask.

  She frowns for a moment before answering. “A bit nauseating, like the room is spinning. I’ve gotten used to it now so I don’t even notice anymore. You were unaware of it?”

  “Yes,” I say. “How come Tarith or Solice didn’t tell me? For that matter, why didn’t the Five?”

  “They are not of the Primehouses, so they can’t feel the reality around you. The Five might not be aware of it. The statues they use at Babel are simply puppets, limited in ability and senses. If you stood before any all would become transparent.”

  Now, the most important question, “Why do you think I make such a disturbance?”

  Again she frowns at my tone but answers. “I suspect it is your human nature,” Sarrow says. “Before the fall the Kiraten took many human slaves, never sending them home. They allowed the imbalance to kill them before taking new ones. Treating them like disposable tools. In order to fight this, Palentor changed humans along with the world itself. Humans became anchors in reality. Most Kiraten could not shift one at all. Even the world itself repels shifters. I suspect because you are part Drow and Kiraten the opposite holds true. Instead of resisting shifting you actually create a disturbance around you, weakening the barrier between worlds making shifting easier. I imagine any shifter near you would see a remarkable increase in their power.” She smiles but I feel everything collapse.

  I stand up, angry at myself for not realizing it earlier. “Shit!” I scream, hitting the tree I am under. The pendant around my neck comes to life like a Mexican jumping bean. I ignore it. The truth of what is happening on my world overwhelms me. It might already be too late.

  “What is it?” Sarrow says, alarmed.

  “Solarkar is trying to bring Melephos to my world,” I state as fact.

  For a long moment Sarrow just stands there shocked before bursting out laughing. “Jerry, such a thing is impossible! The Five cannot cross the worlds! Even an army of shifters couldn’t move one for more than a few days before the world called it back. Such large powerful beings are strongly repulsed by any world other than their own. It was designed this way since the worlds separated.”

  “It’s the drug vision. I had forgotten it until now, but Solarkar is using vorscha to make it. He’s giving it to humans.” Sarrow frowns, still not convinced. “I felt it the night my mother died. I had thought it was the fact I was so scared at the time but that’s not it at all. The world was spinning and I felt nauseous. It’s the same as you feel around me. Vision changed those people not into monsters but into pockets of disturbed reality. It’s not about them killing each other. Hell that is probably just a undesirable side affect”

  “Jerry…” Sarrow begins.

  “Think about it,” I say, interrupting her. “What if there were a dozen beings with the same disturbance in reality that I cause all right here. What would happen?”

  Sarrow chews her lip, “I don’t know. It’s possible that the barrier between worlds might weaken a great amount.”

  “Now, imagine thousands of humans in a small geographic location all exhibiting the same disturbance,” I say.

  Sarrow’s blue skin goes nearly white. “The worlds might actually start permanently merging at places.”

  “Then Solarkar, aided by that disturbance, could shift Melephos,” I say.

  “It might work,” Sarrow concedes. “Melephos’ world of Sheol is the closest world to yours. Even so Melephos couldn’t leave the area, he would be overwhelmed by the imbalance and would have to return in a few days.”

  “What if he brought the people with him?” I ask.

  “I suppose but if they are killed…By Valerdon’s wrath, you’re right! He could consume them still living, fusing them into his body. The changed humans would stabilize Melephos outside the disturbance zone and he could stay indefinitely.”

  I nod my head. “Solarkar gets his kingdom and Melephos gets a new world to consume.”

  “This is bad,” Sarrow says.

  “Let’s go see the Five and the Primehouses. They must know of this,” I say.

  “Brother, they will not listen to us.”

  “What?” I blurt. “But we know what Solarkar is doing! Surely they will want to stop him!”

  “The Kiraten will not care about Solarkar’s actions on another world. It is insignificant to them.”

  “No, they will listen. They must!” I cry and Sarrow simply shakes her head sadly. Running to the nearest wall I crane my neck up cupping my hands around my mouth.

  “Hey guard, I need to talk with someone! I know what Solarkar is doing!”

  The shadowy figures above pause for a moment before lifting something high in the air. Squinting into the sky I try to see what they are doing when I get a face full of the chamber pot they emptied on me.

  “Shit!” I yell, wiping the waste from my face.

  “Yes, it is,” Sarrow says, wrinkling her nose. “I told you they would not listen.”

  “Go talk with that, Bastard of Primehouse Ageroth!” Comes booming laughter from above. The contents of another chamber pot rain down upon Sarrow, but she nimbly jumps aside.

  “Clean yourself,” Sarrow says once we are safely out of range. “I will talk to one of the more friendly guards and summon Morith. If anyone will listen, he will.”

  After I wash up I find Sarrow. She tells me she had to summon this Morith but it could be several days before he would get the message and perhaps more to arrive. I don’t want to wait. I can’t wait. Images of a giant, monstrous figure, worse than Godzilla, rampaging over my home, threatening Sarah and Whisper
keep intruding on my mind. So I pester the guards, dodging tossed waste. It isn’t until stones are being thrown that I give up. The days pass slowly and though Sarrow rightly points out that there is nothing we can do I feel my world’s dooms clock draw ever nearer to midnight. On the eighth day Morith comes, and all hope I have fails.

  Morith is an elderly Kiraten with a long, flowing green beard and bald head that seems common as Kiraten age. Wearing robes, he has a silver chain necklace and other finery about his person. His blue skin is weather-worn, giving it nearly a purple tinge, especially around old scars from a lifetime of battles. His eyes are bright and aware as he enters the courtyard with two guards just behind him. The sneer he gives us is not a welcoming sign.

  “Shame of Valerdon and Bastard of Primehouse Ageroth, why have you summoned me?” Morith says in a bored voice, suggesting he has more important fungi collecting he’d rather be doing.

  “Thank you for coming, Morith of Primehouse Ageroth,” Sarrow says, dipping low and I follow her example. “We have urgent tidings for you on the actions of Solarkar.”

  “How did you arrive at this knowledge being confined here?” Morith says warily, the wrinkles in the forehead deepening.

  “I have spent long hours with my brother discussing his many adventures. Only now, after long converse, have the waters cleared and Solarkar’s intentions been found,” Sarrow says.

  “The actions of Solarkar are now of little importance,” Morith sniffs dismissively. “Whatever his actions, he does not threaten Kiraten lands or likely ever will. He will remain exiled and the matter is considered closed.”

  “Please, you must listen,” I say desperately. “Solarkar is going to shift Melephos to my world. He must be stopped!”

  “An audacious plan,” Morith muses, looking critically at me. “Even if it’s true, that is a matter for Palentor and your kind, not for us. You will stay here until you expire and that is all.”

  “You can’t…” I begin but am interrupted at a nod from Morith. Suddenly, one of the two silent guards surges forth, kicking me hard in the stomach. Bending over, I tumble to the ground as Sarrow watches passively. On the ground Morith comes over, spitting on me as I struggle to my feet clutching my stomach.

  “Bastard of Primehouse Ageroth, do not think we don’t know your plan,” Morith says. “You intend to escape over the walls tonight, hoping to save your female friend. Don’t worry I will talk with the Primehouse about assassinating her.” It’s like my heart has been kicked this time and I feel my pendant nearly fly off my chest. A red haze seems to fill me at his words. He can’t be serious.

  Scoffing at me Morith turns to Sarrow. “I have relocated the spare guards to the walls, Shame of Valerdon. You shall not escape this night.”

  “Of course not, Morith of Primehouse Ageroth, my place is here with my brother,” she says, bowing low.

  “Don’t send for me again,” Morith says. With a twirl that sends his robes fluttering as he leaves, the guards trailing behind him.

  “He was your hope?” I say coughing. “He was worse than all the others.”

  “He can’t show that he is my ally and yours as well,” Sorrow says.

  “Ally? With friends like that who needs enemies,” I say.

  “Do not be concerned for your companions on Fomoria. That was a message is all,” Sarrow said making sure we are relatively alone. “Morith wishes for us to take action this night. He also referred to the extra guards. He only used that word to speak of the guards in the old tunnels connecting this castle to Babel and the Primehouses near the tower.”

  “What?” I nearly shout before lowering my voice again. “There is a tunnel out of here?”

  “Yes, but it goes into the heart of the Kiraten stronghold. The entire area is protected from shifting and the Primehouses would kill us on sight. During the war it was heavily used to launch surprise attacks to retake Babel from this stronghold. There are a series of heavily barred doors from the opposite side that block the way. Even if the guards are removed, the reinforced doors cannot be opened. It is a poor route of escape.” Sarrow closes her eyes in thought. “I have noticed your pendant twitch when you are agitated. Just now it nearly flew off your chest. Does that happen often?”

  “When I get mad mostly,” I say rubbing my stomach. Man that really hurt.

  “Normal corruption could not even hope to do so much. If you feed all your fear and hate into the pendant, perhaps your shadow could free itself. Even so, what good would that do?” Sarrow muses.

  Excited for the first time in weeks I begin to see what Morith really did for us, the idea blossoming in my head. “My shadow could open the doors in the tunnels. It would be easy if the guards are gone. Then we could take it all the way to the tower and go back to my world!”

  Sarrow shakes her head slowly. “It will not work, brother. I told you the tower has been sealed and only three of the Five could…” She suddenly stops, her eyes going wide. “You could unlock the tower!”

  “Me,” I say stupidly.

  “Yes, you,” Sarrow confirms. “You have three of the Five in you. You could unseal the way.”

  “But I don’t know how,” I say.

  “I do not know how either, but there is a chance! The first chance I’ve had since my birth to be free. Surely you wish to return to your world as well?”

  “Of course,” I say.

  “Then free your shadow and we’ll leave tonight,” Sarrow says excitedly looking like a child experiencing her first Christmas.

  “But how?” I whine. I feel so useless.

  “Gather all your emotions and give them to your shadow tonight in your room. Please brother, this is our only chance.”

  “Ok, I’ll try,” I promise, having no clue what to do.

  The remaining hours until night stretch into long periods of unbearable waiting. It’s like I had itching powder in my undies. When I hear the call to bed I eagerly go to my room. Changing into a set of black robes I sit cross-legged on the bed, frowning at my pendant. Sarrow said the reason they gave it to me is that it is a part of me. It could potentially leak out if I get too far from it. I was plainly told after my first day here that if I didn’t wear it at all times, I would be killed, assuming I was trying to free my shadow. So it remained around my neck, giving only slight jerks now and again. Can I really free him? I think back at how my shadow always enjoyed my anger, saying how much stronger he felt afterwards. Is that it? Can I free him by getting mad? Well, I have plenty to get mad about, that’s certain.

  I remember my mother’s harsh names for me. I try recalling her ‘boyfriends’ treatment of me. When that doesn’t work I drift forward in time to school where it was hell on earth for me, with daily torments of all sorts. My pendant dances in my hand but that is all. More. I need something more. I think about the day my mother died. I think about Solarkar and all he’s done. It isn’t until an image of the future comes to me of Solarkar holding a knife to Sarah’s throat that something happens. Suddenly, a soft crack rings through my room, like someone dropping a mug of coffee. Looking down I see a small fissure in the pendant’s lock, just above the sigil. Just a bit more. Holding onto the image of Sarah and Solarkar I feel my anger reach new heights as I imagine the blade sinking into her neck and a flood of crimson spreading across her clothes. With a resounding explosion the pendant flings open, blackness erupting from it.

  “Finally free!” Shadow exclaims, forming a dark silhouette near me.

  I have never been so glad to see him before and with his freedom I feel suddenly whole. Not complete, I won’t feel like that until I am back with Sarah and Whisper, but something has definitely been filled.

  “Welcome back. I found a way home but I need your help,” I say closing the pendant and putting into my robes.

  “Help?” My shadow says as if the idea is absurd. I actually missed his attitude a bit. “Why should I help you? This
is all your fault to begin with.”

  “You can kill any Kiraten that gets in our way,” I offer.

  My shadow laughs and the sound is so evil that the walls seem to cringe away from it. “Now that is what I like to hear! When do we begin?”

  “Now,” I say grinning. “Let’s get my sister and get out.”

  “Sister?” My shadow says, startled.

  “It’s a long story lets go. I’ll fill you in on the way,” I say. Opening the door I see Sarrow there already, pale and wearing a thick lavender robe that could completely hide her features.

  “I felt a great corruption far more powerful than the dragons. Was it…” Sarrow says then stops, looking at the dark silhouette just behind me. “… your shadow.”

  “So, you’re the sister,” my shadow says, getting right up close to her. She flinches as he looks her over, swirling around her like a cloud of gnats. In response her own shadow surges out of her mouth and eyes. The two dark beings study each other for a moment before separating. Sarrow coughs as hers goes back inside.

  “It’s weak,” my shadow comments. “But serviceable, I suppose. Perhaps I could teach it how to be much more.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Sarrow says, shrinking back.

  “Oh, but it is, little girl,” my shadow says, giving her his trademark evil grin.

  “Come on, let’s move,” I say. Sarrow, still disturbed by my shadow, quickly takes the lead.

  The night is cool and dark, with shadows including my own stretching along the empty corridors. I keep excepting a platoon of guards to appear to skewer us at any moment but nothing happens. Perhaps this Morith really did put so many guards on the walls that we could escape effortlessly. I’m not so delusional that I think this likely, but one can hope. Sarrow said the tunnel entrance is deep inside the keep at the center. There are usually some guards there but never many. After all, this would lead us further into enemy territory, not away.

  “The entrance is beyond this next room,” Sarrow says in a low hush, as we press tightly to the wall near a door a short distance away. “We might be able to make a distraction and lure any guards out. Then we could…”

  “Forget that! I’ve had enough hiding,” my shadow says rather too loudly. Without waiting he slips under the door. For a second I hear nothing and I am sincerely hoping the room is empty.

  “Surprise, motherfuckers!” My shadow says and I know it isn’t. A few cries of alarm then a sound like tums dissolving in water. A moment later the door opens with my shadow leaning casually in the doorway.

  “Well, you coming or not?” My shadow says, grinning. Shuddering, Sarrow rushes past my shadow, never looking at him and immediately going to the back of the room. Entering I see this might at one time have been a royal greeting area with tall ceilings and old tapestries hanging on the walls. Now it is a makeshift break room, with tables and various goods stashed around. In the middle of the room is a large circle of black like someone had perfectly smeared fresh charcoal in that area. Sarrow is fumbling at a locked door sunken into the floor.

  “Find the key. It should be in here somewhere,” she says, scanning the room.

  “No need,” my shadow says joyfully. Doing an exaggerated jump in midair he dives right in front of Sarrow, filling the lock. Sarrow cringes away as the sounds of tumblers disengaging fills the air and the lock clicks open. Pooling out of the lock my shadow immediately goes between the doors into the space beneath. “Hurry up! I want to play more!” He’s enjoying this far too much.

  Grabbing two swords from the ground made of polished silver with dim sigils on their surface I toss them to Sarrow as I pull the doors open. With a loud creak that I wamas afraid would alert the entire castle, the doors come open revealing dark, dusty stairs. Handing me her sword back, Sarrow quickly rummages through some supplies, bringing out a clear sphere that projects a soft, white light when she activates a small sigil on its surface. Rushing down the stairs I follow behind her, shutting the doors as I go. Feeling like I am in a crypt, we descend the stairs into the gloom below. Sarrow and I walk down each step silent as mice, afraid that any sound might travel, giving us away. My shadow has no such worries, humming he quickly goes ahead, leaving us alone. Soon enough we reach the bottom to a lengthy corridor with walls of earth and stone. With rushed steps we make our way to freedom. After a few minutes of silence Sarrow speaks.

  “Even the legends do not depict the shadows of the Drow as being so powerful. The tales describe shadows that acted as spies, planting disinformation and sometimes even influencing others with dark urgings. Never ha’ve I heard of them actually killing and enjoying the deed. The Primehouses were right to fear your corruption, brother,” Sarrow says.

  “Most of the time he’s not this helpful,” I say. “I guess he’s really bored.”

  “Aiding us for self-amusement,” Sarrow says, shaking her head. “It’s like Shalarom has been reborn.” With no response to such a comment we walk on in silence.

  The first door is open by the time we get there. A discolored, black patch just beyond tells me it had been guarded at one time. Trying not to think of the Kiraten who just died at the hands of my shadow we continue on in the damp air. Hours pass and we go by several more open doors. Some have the signs of my shadow’s kills while others are untouched. I wonder if I should feel sorry for the Kiraten but find that I really can’t. Aside from not caring about the fate of my world, imprisoning Sarrow and myself for simply being born, and treating all life as inferior, I just can’t make myself worry about it. They brought this upon themselves. Finally we reach the last door and a spiraling staircase just above. Waiting at the exit is my shadow, craning his dark head upward.

  “You move too slow,” my shadow complains. “I already checked out the area ahead.”

  “And…” I prompt.

  “And what?” My shadow sneers. “You never told me where we are going.”

  Oh… “Sorry, I got carried away. We are going to the tower in the center of the city,” I say.

  My shadow gives a nod, “I thought that might be the case. It is more than what it seems. The path to the tower is clear. Only a few wander the roads and the night is dark. I don’t know about the tower itself.”

  “Why not?” I ask.

  “The tower’s doors are composed of shadow wood,” Sarrow says. “Remnants of the last war to keep the corruption of Shalarom at bay. I do not know what lies beyond.”

  Taking a deep breath I center myself. It is time. I’ve had enough of Inti to last a lifetime. “Let’s do this,” I say, ascending the stairs with Sarrow just behind me.

  Lights flicker in the dark stairwell, plunging me into moments of absolute blackness as Sarrow’s light is blocked by my body. Despite my shadow’s all clear I am tense waiting for something to go wrong. In a moment of darkness the stairs abruptly end as I discover by hitting my head on a rather solid construct above.

  “Ouch!” I cry.

  “Shut up, fool,” my shadow hisses. “When I said traffic was low I didn’t mean nonexistent.”

  “Sorry,” I say, rubbing my head.

  “Wait here. It is not in my best interest to see you become a head on a pike,” my shadow says, slipping into the seams above. Sarrow shifted the light and now I can see the faint outline of a trap door.

  “Be ready, brother. For tonight we shall be free.” A minute passes by before I hear the call.

  “Come out,” my shadow says softly. “But be quiet.”

  Bracing myself, I gently shove the door up. The sound of old stone sliding on more old stone makes my skin crawl. It sounds far too loud to me. Soon enough the way is clear. We are in a bare, rather dusty room with stone walls on all sides and old crates stacked in the corners. Spider webs are competing with the dust and straw matted ground to see which could cause the most mess.

  Lifting myself out of the floor, I clumsily crawl out, getting dust al
l over me. Sarrow, with the grace of all Kiraten, leaps nimbly up, not getting a single spot of dirt on her robe. Getting to my feet I dust myself off, sword at the ready.

  “Move it,” my shadow says, slipping into the room from the large, heavy door in front of us. “The way is clear right now.” Needing no encouragement I go to the door, pulling it open and entering the chamber beyond.