I sit on the walls looking out at the rapidly growing vines. Not that it matters as outside of my citadel is a ring of sunlight. Quite the useful little component, to control wind and clouds. With that nothing can get to us from the service and we don't have to deal with the sun dusting us. Thats good because death and war for some reason need the whole god damn army. Those two won't even tell us what their doing. Not a peep out of them for some reason. At least they got me and beast this kick ass citadel. It actually came from the death zone by ravenheart, the uh... I forgot what its called. I cant really look it up at the moment. I take out some beef jerky and I start eating. Having to get a new storage memory was annoying and it took a while but who cares. I do. I care. I might have to ask heart to get that memory maker another storage memory so they stop borrowing mine. Little brat never even asks.
I hop down from the walls, I look around the empty military camp, or thats what this seems to be from what I've gathered. I toss a ball up and down quite bored. I get to the middle of the camp where the component and the gate is. Funnily enough the gate is a pretty big... gong, I think thats what its called. I walk over to it and i active the component. Outside the walls the cloud barrier opens burning away everything. I then sit down as that drained a lot of my essence. Only having 1 cores worth of essence sucks big time. Anyways sucks to be everyone but like those other two guys... maybe three, considering that guy who also lives in god grave. He seems.... a little too edgy for me.
I walk into the commanders tent and I duck my head into a giant crack in the bone.
"Hey hoori! Everything going good down there?"
Beast looks up at me from a whole other god damn citadel. When did that get here? It seems the new citadel is finally done being prepared! That's so cool
"Yes"
I nod. I climb down landing on the ground looking around the, admittedly pretty damn nice citadel. It seems to be a pretty nice mansion from what i can tell. It seems the outside is covered in ash too. Creators gift is really useful i have to admit, being able to put a citadel in it. It doesn't even have to stay summoned to keep the citadel within it. Outside the citadel walls the jungle of death burns. That seems to be the component. I poke my head into the main room where beast is sitting on the floor. Low on essence it seems. I walk around for a while, yeah other then some cleaning and the like its pretty damn nice.
I hop back up to the upper citadel. I start walking around crunching on a bag of chips, i got heart to buy it. I jump onto the walls again tapping my foot. Bored. I am bored. What should I do now? I could make some stuff... hmm. I sit down, summoning my notebook and I start flipping through the older drawings. After a while I stop on a very odd one of a guy I dont remember making.
A oddly pretty black haired boy, about 17 maybe 18, with a quite sloppy signature, sunless. I lean forward studying it for a while. Sunless? I flip the page to the back, where there's a few little notes of him. Judging by those me and this guy were close. I wouldn't forget someone in changing stars cohort. So... so is this the person I've forgotten about? Sunless.... Isn't that the same name as the person who runs a shop back in bastion? The thing is I'm sure the guy running that shop is a master not a saint. Its pretty clear that the person should be a saint so them being a master doesn't quite make sense. I'll send a message about it, although its unlikely to be that guy, the time line makes some sense for him to be connected.
I go back to flipping after a while, sometimes I find more of this sunless guy. Until I get to the little drawing of something very funny. I snicker a bit at the movie. I flip the page looking at the back. I stop with a deep frown slowly crossing my face. The forgotten shores research report. I'll send sun to get that as I have no memory of making it. I sigh deeply leaning back. I really need a break from all the mind wipe stuff. Its exhausting deeply.
Back down in the hollows I open my eyes and I leave the new citadel. I go up to the upper citadel. I wave over to storm who has the notebook over their face then I make a ice PTV and I leave. I plan on meeting with the lord of shadows. On the way in use snow storm to keep the cloud barrier around me closed, with a small pocket of sunlight around me. Exhausting. Thats all this is. Although I doubt anything will happen on my part.
Back at the citadel. I sit there exhausted for a while. Then I sit up looking at the gate and the small opening in the sunlight at two figures. Seishan and a mordret. Not his main body it would seem. I sigh for a long time then I jump down.
"What?"
Seishan studies me, openly too. Is she trying to find a weakness that she can exploit?
"Oh hello again my dear rival-"
"Don't call me that harlot"
"It has truly been far too long since we saw each other. I have quite the offer coming straight from the queen of worms hersel-"
"No"
His smile becomes more then a little forced. Seishan speaks next a calm tone although she's got a weird look in her eyes
"And why not? You'll be forgiven for that.... very interesting incident. The war is coming and we both know it. I hope you aren't planning on teaming up with valor. That would be a shame, I would rather not have to go against you"
I shake my head with a groan of annoyance.
"Oh hell no I hate the valor higher ups just as much as the song higher ups. I am not teaming up with the king of child abuse. Its just i am not joining song either. Considering corny over here isn't in a transcendent or even a ascended body. I'll take that to mean you don't intend to fight me"
The two glance at each other. Mordret shickers then the
"Well yes that is true... I must point out that we are the ones within song who know you the best."
I lean back on the walls of the citadel.
"Well, why not han li Caster?"
She shakes her head
"He is busy at the moment"
I sigh deeply
"Well? I refuse. I am not joining song or valor. Not a soul can convince me to do so. Now you two should run back home."
The two glance at each other again
"Do not make me kick both of your asses right now"
I put my arms up to strengthen my point
"Oh really can nothing we can offer you convince you"
I laugh
"Go back in time and save those 20 million people who died in falcon scott"
She shakes her head with a sigh while mordret just keeps on with that stare. He's got a staring problem. One these days someone's going to do something about it
"If you don't leave now I will punch at least one of you"
He laughs as I take a heavy glance at him
"Okay okay I dont need that happening again"
The two finally start leaving. Soon with the sound of glass breaking the two disappear. Good god that is truly annoying.
Back with beast i ride for a day. Right through cloud openings as I just keep it closed around my head. I slowly come to a stop next to a group of motionless figures. I close the cloud barrier above us and they all fall. 7 figures in total, 6 fire keepers and changing star.
"Nephis"
She looks up
"■■■■"
I nod to them all
"meeting the lord of shadows it seems. I'll take the fact you passed by me and made no offer to mean that the hound master knows its useless to even try"
She studies me for some time then nods
"Yes its quite well known you have a distaste for the great clans"
One of the fire keepers pipes up
"You know after the stealing"
I glance at the one who spoke he almost seems to shrivel up. I nod still it does makes sense
"So ■■■■ why are you looking for the lord of shadows?"
I scoff
"Can I not meet a neighbor?"
She looks away
"Do you have any other reason?"
I shake my head
"No. And no I wont attack you. I am not that unreasonable. I'll even escort you there"
She nods
"I will take the help."
I dont stop when going into the pure darkness. Everyone else does. Makes sense they dont seem to get what it is. When I do I feel a flood of soul essence enter my soul. A shard of shadows domain. I stop waiting for them.
"Well?"
They all get off their mounts and summon light memories.
"Do none of you have anything to let you see in the dark?"
They all look at each other
"Uh unfortunately heat seeker none of us do"
I scoff
"Hire someone who can get you some. I heard there's a few memory traders around bastion."
It seems to get pretty awkward fast. I hear something about a eye candy Cafe. Who would name a business that? I send a message in the chat about the lord of shadows, those two must know something. Their job was to find out more information after all.
I look over at a large creature rushing at us. Even faster is a... how did that get here? Its one of the moving statues from the forgotten shores. I remember they all got wiped out by a band of fallen beasts back then....? Hm. Now from what I know their the stone saints, and there where once more of them outside the forgotten shores. But I have never seen nor heard of more of them. So... is the lord of shadows who has been forgotten? Lines up with everything thats been heard of the guy. So he killed one of the stone saints.... is it the stone saint that killed the spider that had been the death of my first cohort? I can't really ask.... I'll have to figure that out myself.
We end up following the stone saint. I lean over to the group
"A stone saint. So what do you all think?"
Neph reacts with quite a bit of shock
"You know what that is?"
I scowl
"Of course I do. Have you already forgotten? The shores, a group of them controlled the plaza"
She studies the stone saint for a second
"Then.... then what else do you know?"
I keep riding at a walking speed, mostly because I do not want to desummon it yet
"its not a echo"
She nods
"I could have guessed"
I lean on the handles. Its like a ice shard i think. The reason im so sure is simple, its too strong. It clearly went up in power since the forgotten shores. I've only heard of one kind of echo that grows in power, ice shards. So does that mean the lord of shadows has a divine aspect, or at least a sacred aspect. It seems likely that the lord of shadows who is missing.
I walk into the temple. Its pretty nice ill admit it. Although not as nice as one of the two citadels I have.
"Nephis of Valor, welcome. I did not expect to be visited by someone as exalted as the last daughter of the Immortal Flame. And heat seeker the ever elusive thief as well although i quite expected you"
Cool mask.... I'll make sure to get either sun or heart to look it up.
"Greetings, Lord of Shadows. I hope you don't mind being addressed this way… or would you prefer I call you something else?"
The saint takes a long pause before speaking again
"I would not. But you can call me Shadow."
I nod towards him
"I don't see how could i not meet a fellow neighbor and only other clanless saint"
He stays silent at the comment from me
"To what do I owe the honor of being in the presence of Lady Changing Star? What do you want with me?"
When she speaks i nearly choke
"Then, Lord Shadow. I won't be coy... you asked me what I want? It's simple."
God damn idiot! She even has a little smile in her tone. I know her kissless dweeb self doesn't mean it like that but still.
"I want you."
Even worse. Even worse everyone knows it too.
"What, exactly... do you mean?"
Even the lord of shadows knows how bad that sounds.
"Allow me to clarify, then. I, Changing Star, invite you to join the alliance of Transcendent warriors and serve under the banner of the King of Swords, protecting and expanding the domain of humanity in the Dream Realm as one of his champions."
She steadies herself from clearly not knowing why he paused
"I trust I do not need to list the benefits of pledging allegiance to one of those who have achieved Supremacy. These details can be discussed later, anyway. Resources, assistance, powerful Memories and Echoes, soul shards... nothing is out of the question. You won't be undervalued, Lord Shadow. No one survives in the Dream Realm alone, after all."
Idiot. I am around idiots all of the time.
"Ah. Thank you for the clarification."
After some fighting that I do not partake in we leave the temple. I pull her aside pretty quickly
"Last daughter of the Immortal Flame, adopted daughter of the king of Swords, changing star, nephis. Watch your words"
She frowns
"And what does that mean"
I lift my helmet looking her dead in her eyes
"You said and I quote 'Then, Lord Shadow. I won't be coy... you asked me what I want? It's simple. I want you."
She seems even more confused by my words
"And?"
I face palm god damn it.
"You made it sound like you wanted to have sex with the guy. And you know how bad it is for me to have noticed it"
She goes red in pure embarrassment
"That is not what i meant"
I sigh
"I know. Watch your words you fool."
How awkward is escorting her going to be....?