Darkness pressed in on Elijah, so powerful that it verged on suffocating. His pulse quickened, his skin grew clammy, and his breathing became shallow. It felt like he was on the precipice of a panic attack, though he’d never been prone to that particular problem in the past.
“We ain’t meant to be here,” Kurik said, his voice quavering.
“That’s obvious, bro. Just put your big boy pants on and deal with it,” Dat responded.
“I ain’t never said I wasn’t dealin’ with it,” the dwarf argued. “Just pointin’ out that the atmosphere in here is all wrong.”
Elijah was inclined to agree. It wasn’t just the darkness, either. There was something cold and threatening about it, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Then, it dawned on him. “I feel like I’m a little kid whose nightlight just went out,” he said. It was like going back to when the dark held the promise of monsters and danger, even in his own childhood bedroom.
“It’s not pleasant. We all acknowledge it. So, let’s stop talking about it and get this challenge over with,” Sadie stated. Her voice was mostly emotionless, but there was a hint of frustration there as well.
Of late, he’d hoped that she had gotten the better of Sense of Sin, but it seemed like she had begun to backslide. Elijah couldn’t imagine living with something like that. It had to leave her feeling isolated, exhausted, and alone, even amongst people who could have been friends.
But she was right.
So, when no one objected, they pushed forward into the anteroom. That’s when they found the bodies. A carpet of shadow slayer corpses obscured the floor. Each one had been broken and burned almost beyond recognition. The burns were easily explained by the shaft of sunlight bathing the palace, but the twisted and broken bodies were a little more difficult to understand.
Kneeling beside one, Ron said, “This wasn’t done by an earthquake.”“How do you know?” asked Dat.
“I’m a trained physician, remember? These things were subjected to multi-directional forces. The explosion and the resultant earthquake wouldn’t have done that. At most, they would have been slammed against walls,” the Healer explained. “But these…they look like something toyed with them.”
“What could do that?” asked Sadie.
It was a good question. The shadow slayers weren’t quite as durable as some of the creatures they’d encountered in the Trial, but any creature – or force – that could twist them into knots was clearly powerful on a scale they’d only seen from things like the lava kraken and the umbrafyix.
Perhaps even stronger.
“Nothin’ we want to mess with,” Kurik answered, saying what they’d all been thinking. The escalating nature of the challenges meant that they could very well be facing a threat that they couldn’t handle.
Sadie didn’t respond, instead leading the group further into the palace. The flickering torchlight didn’t do much to illuminate the immediate area, but Elijah caught sight of a few tapestries that depicted shadowy figures preying upon unaware prey. Were those shadow slayers? Or something else?
The décor was opulent, though many of the interior design choices were just as alien as the architecture. Pillars where there should have been walls, ceilings comprised of multiple domes that made Elijah feel as if he was looking up at the interior of a cluster of bubbles, and golden statues of a serene-looking ka’alaki were the most prominent characteristics, but there plenty of others that made certain that Elijah felt entirely out of place.
Then there were the bodies.
The collection of corpses in the anteroom was the largest, but as they progressed through the palace, they saw plenty of others. And they’d all been similarly twisted out of shape. It was enough to make Elijah nauseous, especially when he saw their expressions. The natives of Ka’arath were not always the easiest creatures to read, but Elijah could recognize the results of extreme pain when he saw them.
But despite the admittedly creepy atmosphere, there were no living enemies to assail them. In a way, the anticipation was almost worse than having to fight their way through the halls. Making a tense situation worse was the fact that, from time to time, a cold breeze would inexplicably flow through the halls. Each time they felt the tickle of frigid air, their stress levels skyrocketed.
And still, no threats presented themselves. They had free rein of the area, which allowed them to explore to their hearts’ content. However, even Elijah found himself too distracted to do so. Instead, he and the others hurried through the halls, noting only that the palace remained empty – both of living creatures and furnishings. There was no furniture or anything else to suggest that it had ever played host to any occupants.
“It’s like it was built but nobody ever moved in,” Dat remarked.
“And they hired the world’s creepiest decorator,” Elijah added. “I mean, you all see these tapestries, right? Who reveres death like this?”
Ron asked, “Do they have death cults on Ka’arath?”
“I’m sure there are death cults everywhere,” Elijah answered. “But I don’t know if that’s what this is. If it was, I’d expect the tapestries to depict sacrifices or something. But none of these actually show any killing. It’s weird.”
“It’s irrelevant,” Sadie cut in.”
“Maybe,” Elijah acknowledged. “But maybe not. Figuring out what’s going on is usually a good idea.”
She flexed her jaw. “Fine. Let’s just not tarry.”
“No arguments there,” Elijah said, holding up his hands in surrender. He certainly didn’t want to antagonize her, even if he had no idea why she’d suddenly turned the hostility up. Still, he wasn’t going to ignore obvious clues to their situation, especially if going that route would put them in greater danger. ṟâＮоᛒÈs
So, even though Sadie clearly wanted to move more quickly, he spent extra time inspecting each area in its entirety. Only when he was satisfied that he hadn’t missed anything did they move on. Fortunately, the torches lasted quite well, and they didn’t run any risk of running out.
Hours passed while they moved from through the halls, exploring each room in turn. But they only found more of the same.
Until that changed.
Ron breathed, “What the…”
It was a large stone plaque, upon which had been engraved what Elijah belatedly realized was a poem:
In the veil of night, where the silence grows,
The shadows dance, and no one knows,
Silent whispers, a breath, a sigh,
Where light fades out, the dark draws nigh.
Beneath the moon's cold, silvered gleam,
The penitent move like a deadly dream,
No footfall sounds, no blade does sing,
Yet death arrives on unseen wing.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
They dwell where shadows fold and creep,
In alley’s crook, where the city sleeps,
Cloaked in shadows, they wear the dark,
Eyes like embers, and frigid hearts.
A fleeting flicker, a darting hand,
A life is stolen, a fate is planned.
Their deeds are whispers in the night,
A fleeting glimpse, gone with the light.
For shadows keep their secrets well,
And in them, silent assassins dwell.
No dawn can chase their steps away—
They fade like myths with the birth of day.
Our vows in darkness, permanent,
We are the subjects of the Shadeborn Covenant.
“Assassins,” Elijah said aloud after reading the poem. “That’s what this is. This is the headquarters of hired killers.”
“Almost sounds religious,” added Ron.
“It’s super creepy, bro,” Dat stated.
“Does this change anything?” Sadie asked. “I’m as interested as anyone else, but isn’t this just a distraction? We need to kill whatever is at the center of this palace.”
Even as she spoke, the ground shook.
“I agree,” Elijah said. “Just file that information away. Maybe it’s relevant, but maybe it’s not. Either way, we need to move on. Just…wait…”
Elijah wasn’t sure if it had happened due to the quake, or if it had always been the case, but one of the stones near the base of that plaque had shifted. It was only enough to create a tiny crack, but that gap, small as it was, allowed Elijah’s senses to penetrate the walls. Until that moment, he’d felt nothing in there, but now, he could feel a crawlspace. Fortunately, there were no monsters in there. However, he did feel something else. Something peculiar.
“What is it?” Ron asked as Elijah stepped closer.
“Just a minute,” he answered. Then, he retrieved a spare dagger from his Ghoul-Hide Satchel and rammed it in the tiny crack. The space was so small that even the slim dagger could only penetrate an inch or so. However, he hoped that was enough to give him the leverage required to pry the stone free. He pushed, but the thing remained stubbornly intact.
“What are you doing?” asked Sadie.
Frustrated, Elijah shook his head and turned to answer. He told the group what he’d felt inside the wall, adding, “It can change everything. It might be the clue we need to figure this challenge out.”
“I think I might be able to do somethin’,” Kurik said, unshouldering his own pack. The thing was huge – almost as big as his torso – and it contained all manner of trap-making materials. Kurik opened it, then practically dove inside. Over the next few moments, he muttered to himself as he rummaged in the pack. Finally, he announced, “Got it!”
When he pulled free, he held a small tube that reminded Elijah of toothpaste.
“Uh…what is it?” Elijah asked as Kurik tossed it to him.
“Explosive paste. Just spread it where you want it, and the second it interacts with ethera, it’ll blow,” Kurik explained. “You have about a quarter of a second to get clear. Good luck.”
“Sounds dangerous, bro.”
“Well, it is. And I can’t use it yet.”
“Why do you have it, then?” asked Ron.
Kurik shrugged. “Best to always be prepared.”
Elijah shook his head, then crossed the room – which was around forty feet wide – and crouched next to the opposite wall. He put his hands over the back of his head and bent down. Finally, he announced, “Alright. I’m ready. The rest of you best get clear, too. Don’t want to go pickin’ up pieces of you.”
Elijah looked at the tube in question, then back at Kurik. He’d seen the dwarf fiddling with traps that could stop powerful creatures like the Immortal Halima in their tracks. If he was suddenly cautious, then there was a good chance that the explosive paste was far more potent than Elijah had first suspected.
But could it do the job?
More, could he get clear in time to avoid being blown to bits? Both were good questions, but he reasoned that there was only one way to find out for sure. So, once everyone had planted themselves in the next hall – Kurik decided that the other side of the room wasn’t quite far enough away – Elijah shifted into his guardian shape. Then, he knelt next to the crack and, after taking a deep breath, opened the tube.
Without hesitation, he squeezed it, depositing a dollop in the crack. Then, he wheeled around, used Bestial Charge, and raced away. He made it one step before a powerful explosion erupted behind him. Most of the shockwave was directed elsewhere, but even so, Elijah was sent rocketing across the room until he rammed into the opposite wall. He hit with enough force that, if he hadn’t just upgraded his Body cultivation, he might have broken bones. As it was, he only jarred a few teeth loose.
“Ow,” he muttered, thankful he’d had the presence of mind to use Bestial Charge. The shield had protected him from the worst of the impact, but the sudden start and stop had definitely hurt.
He glanced back at the wall, and as the shadows swirled, he saw that the crack had only barely widened. The walls of the building were just that strong.
He lumbered forward, his gaid one appropriate to a drunkard, until he felt one of Ron’s healing spells land. His thoughts cleared, and his mind came back into focus. It seemed that even as powerful as he was, he wasn’t immune to concussions.
When he reached the crack, he bent down to inspect it. It was now about an inch wide, which was far from enough. However, further inspection told him that it had loosened quite a bit. So, he shifted back into his human form – because his claws were far too large to fit – shoved his fingers into the gap, and pulled. It moved a little, but it took another few minutes of tugging before, at last, it came free.
Finally, his prize was within reach.
He eagerly grabbed the crystalline leaf and pumped his fist in celebration.
“So? What is it?” asked Sadie.
Elijah pushed some ethera into the guide, and a notification appeared before his inner eye:
The Shadeborn Sect Established in the second century of the thirty-fourth age, the Shadeborn were a sect of powerful shadow-attuned assassins. They did not work for money or power. Rather, they employed their talents for more important reasons. First among those motivators was the pursuit of the ideal form of their craft. Perfection was not attainable, and yet, they were driven to strive for just that. Their methods were ever-evolving, and their results were peerless. The second reason was more complex. They thought of themselves as arbiters of justice. Like the mythical Angel Inquisitors, they took it upon themselves to police the powerful, killing any who went too far in their own pursuit of progression. However, all sapient beings are prone to corruption, and the Shadeborn Sect was no different. Soon enough, the two primary reasons for their existence came to odds. Standards of justice relaxed, and for the right price, they became much more flexible. Innocents were killed, and over the centuries, the sect’s power grew until they were one of the preeminent forces on Ka’arath. Then the man who would become Lightning Emperor appeared. At that time, Yloa was only a promising prospect – barely a demigod who’d still garnered the support of those who wished to usher Ka’arath into a new age – and yet, he refused to bow. He would not acknowledge their power. And as a result, they attempted to kill him. They failed, but they slaughtered much of his family, sending him down a dark road of revenge. The Shadeborn Sect and their allies fought back, but they were a whetstone for the blade that Yloa became. His ruthlessness in the pursuit of vengeance is one of the primary reasons for the rebellion that followed. Only one elder of the Shadeborn Sect survived the culling. Even the mighty Lightning Emperor was incapable of killing her, for she had truly embraced the shadow, forging a connection with the Umbra itself. To keep her contained, Yloa ordered his most prominent Tradesmen to build a counter to her power, which would not only confine her to the Vale of Whispers, but also serve to weaken her if she ever stepped out of bounds. However, in her desperation, she opened a portal to the Umbra, allowing a host of shadowy parasites through. They infected the outer members of her sect, infusing them with great power that allowed them to slaughter the Tradesmen as well as their guards. The mechanism was complete, but none aside from the Lightning Emperor himself was strong enough to enter the Vale of Whispers and survive. So, it remained unused, save to quarantine them from the rest of the world. Thus is the tragedy of the Shadeborn Sect. They began with the noblest of intentions, but fell to corruption that, in the end, transformed them into monsters. Learn this lesson well, for it is a tale that has been repeated on nearly every world throughout known history. |
Elijah finished reading the guide. “Well, there’s good news and bad news,” he said, looking up at his companions. “Which one do you want first?”
“The bad news, bro. Always start there so we have something to look forward to.”
“Well, I think I know what caused all this damage,” he said before describing the last surviving elder of the Shadeborn Sect. “She’s ultra powerful, and she’s probably not happy with us.”
“And the good news?”
“Well, she should be weakened,” he said, reasoning that the weapon mentioned in the guide described the braziers they’d lit. “So, we might have a chance of survival.”
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