Shadow Clone Sorcery

Lukas didn’t remember the last time he was in such a position.

When the first day on the road came to an end, and they set up camp, he had hoped for some alone time with Liesel. Morph had volunteered to keep watch, and Lukas had also volunteered four ‘shadow golems.’ He claimed it was his new limit following the ascension to tier three. No one questioned him, and they favored the idea since it meant they could sleep through the night. It was a rare luxury on the role. Liesel especially liked the idea since guild work and arcane exercises had kept her busy in the city. She, too, seemed to want one-on-one time with Lukas.

“Hope you don’t mind me joining you,” Mira said, joining the pair by the campfire. She paused, hovering over the flat stone that Liesel had raised to act as her and Lukas’s seat by the fire. “Could you make some room? I’m tiny and don’t need much. I’ll squeeze in.”

The pair exchanged uncomfortable glances. Lukas wasn’t sure how to react. He needed to extract information from Erin, but also wanted alone time with his new partner. Liesel made the decision for him, sliding aside to make room for Mira. The younger woman squeezed in between the pair.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling sweetly. Mira turned her back on Liesel and addressed Lukas. “I didn’t want to ask around Xander. The black and blue flames. They didn’t feel draconic but appeared so. Do you have dragonblood, too?”

“Not at all,” Lukas replied. “I’m a humble mage pursuing sorcery. I’ve been emulating the Cold Fire Sorcerer as I train. That’s probably the reason you mistook it for dragonfire.”

“You’re doing more than emulating her, though. The way your magic moves…” Mira hesitated, glancing at Xander. The man was already asleep by the other fire. He had wolves down his dinner as soon as it was ready and then spread out his bedroll. The crackling campfires almost drowned out his soft snoring. “...it’s a lot like mine. The spheres, too.”

“Lukas’s arcane senses are keener than most,” Liesel commented. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he studied the flow of the sorcerer’s magic while training under her. He copied her.” She pressed her hand to the floor, and the stone rippled like it was water. He heard a soft hum. “He saw me use this twice weeks ago and spotted him early practising the same. I can’t speak for his talents in any other respect, but he is a brilliant student.”

“You give me too much credit.” Lukas chuckled. “I’m nothing more than an excellent copycat. My talent doesn’t lie in learning, but the willpower to push through mindless repetition and practice at the cost of sleep.” He nodded at a Shadow-Mantle draped clone sitting atop a nearby boulder. “I have my Soul ability to thank for my growth. They take more tasks off my plate than one would assume, leaving time for practice and study.”

“Can the golems use the same abilities and magic as you?” Mira asked with her eyes wide.

“Yes to spells, no to abilities.” Lukas sniffed at the aroma rising from the pot boiling over the cooking fire. Ravenous after the day’s walk, he had already eaten a sandwich of sourdough, cheese, and cured meats. Now, the stew was almost ready, and the empty half of his stomach demanded attention. It demanded warmth and filling. “They can only utilize Shadow Mantle and the connected conjunction ability, but that’s it.”

“I’d say that’s more than enough,” Liesel said. “It makes me wonder whether I should invest future tier ascensions in minion creation. A rock golem or two might not be as versatile as your shadow minions, but they might open up far more options.”

“I wish my magic allowed for such developments.” Mira pouted.

“Are you kidding? You didn’t just shape us a campsite, but a fortified shelter with traps.” Lukas left Mira’s side and refilled his bowl. He didn’t join the women on the flat stone bench and sat cross-legged on the floor instead. “You made the area flat and comfortable. Moved boulders, giving us walls. I wouldn’t have bothered with tents if I knew you were also going to make us sleeping quarters. Speaking of which, why is Xander sleeping outside?”

“He, apparently, runs too hot to sleep in a shelter or house,” Mira said, rolling her eyes. “Xander quarters is at the top of one of the guidhouse’s spires. The only time I’ve ever seen his windows closed or him actively seek shelter is during storms like the last one. It's probably something to do with his abilities. Shields. Healing. Toughness. I don’t know what his Mind Pillar does, but the other three alone have helped him become a tier four.”

“I think he’s just weird,” Leisel commented. She looked Mira up and down. “You’re not a local either, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“The hair and skin fit, but your features aren’t those of a local. Anyway, everyone who groups up around here has heard the stories. There are a few mountain sects that have lived like Xander for generations. There are bloodlines with the ability to survive the worst of colds. They’re born in it and spend lifetimes embracing the elements and becoming one with it. Some say they’re born with it. Others claim it's nurtured. I wouldn’t be surprised if Xander comes from one such sect or tribe.”

The women went off on a tangent that didn’t interest Lukas. He half listened, paying more attention to Mira’s work as he ate. She had built miniature shelters for everyone to sleep in and protect the goats. They were three-sided pyramids with a hinged opening. It looked like simple earth shaping, but the magic flowing through the surfaces suggested they were far more. Lukas had stuck his head in, and the internal warmth came as a surprise.

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Mira’s efficient use of magic was also a pleasant surprise. She had used the environment strategically to secure the campsite. Boulders helped shield against the wind, and new angular walls somehow kept the wind out. Altogether, she had raised four, turning an outcropping into a campsite that could very well serve as an outpost or home.

It was a hidden spot, just off the road. The surrounding boulders hid it from sight. One of the stalkers had found it. Thanks to Mira’s handiwork, the fire wasn’t visible either. Lukas had a stalker confirm as much.

The journey hadn’t yet come with many challenges, denying him the opportunity to push Spellweaver. In his experience, stress and life-threatening situations were when he had most of his breakthroughs. The clones couldn’t claim the same. It seemed the same quality that made them fearless and willing to throw their lives away for Lukas also got in the way of desperation-born creativity.

It felt counterintuitive to put himself in danger now that he had doubled his number of clones, but Lukas needed to get Spellweaver to tier two. A second conjunction ability connected to his Soul Pillar would significantly expand the clones’ capabilities. They’d have access to it, Shade’s Mantle, Shadow Steel, and whatever other shard ability he granted them.

“Lukas?” Liesel snapped him out of his daze. “Lukas? Are you listening?”

“Sorry. I got lost thinking about how to get my Mind ability to the threshold for ascension to tier two.”

“You really are obsessed with magic.” Mira chuckled.

“It’s time to stop thinking about work,” Liesel said. “Take your shoes off.” She patted the still-empty spot where he had been sitting earlier. “Warm your feet by the fire. Ability ascensions take time, especially the Mind Pillar. Be patient.”

“Do you already have an essence picked out?”

“Essence of Arcane Shaping,” he told Mira, refilling his empty bowl. Lukas enjoyed the warmth in his stomach. “I’ve had it since Iskander for when the ascension comes. The wait is agonizing.”

“Just give it time.” Liesel rested her head on his shoulder when he returned to his seat. Mira also moved closer, making him uncomfortable. While on the Realm of Greater Beings, the clones occasionally indulged in multiple partners. But it was never to Lukas’s tastes. If Liesel noticed Mira’s hand linger on his knee for a moment too long, she didn’t say. “Your arcane prowess is already respectable. Ability ranks are just a bonus to us mages.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a party with so many mages,” Mira stated. She leaned against Lukas.

“That’s because Lukas isn’t technically a mage as far as the party is concerned. He’s filling all roles that might involve stealth. The fact that he does so with shadow magic and golems doesn’t make much of a difference to the guild or Union.”

“Speaking of guilds, Mira, are your superiors okay with you socializing with us as much as you are?” Lukas asked. “Do they have you wrap up and cover yourself to the point of becoming unrecognizable, or is that all you?”

“It’s them.” She sighed, fidgeting. “Xander told me off for talking to you before. I’m only here now because he’s fast asleep. It's not right. Guilds shouldn’t have the authority to dictate who I befriend and socialize with.”

“They don’t,” Liesel stated. “They can dictate mission decorum, but only when it's relevant to the job. What is it they want to keep secret? Are you related to someone important?”

Mira shook her head. “It’s my magic. Lukas has seen it. It's powerful. Rare. Dangerous. They want it secret, so no one poaches or uses me.”

“And what do you want?” Lukas asked.

“To be free. To do whatever I want, whenever I want, and not live on someone else's terms.” Mira’s voice quivered. When she continued, it sounded like she had a lump in her throat. “Rev—I mean, my scribing teacher gave me the tools to do just that. I just need to get good enough and save enough money so I can leave. Maybe go to Iskander or the Schwartzberg capital and make a name for myself as an independent mage.” She looked up at Lukas, eyes full of tears. “But you’ve seen what happens when I use the dragonfire. My mind can’t handle the strain. It knocks me out and taxes my body too.”

“Don’t push yourself to use magic that your body can’t handle,” Liesel said, reaching across Lukas and taking Mira’s hand. “That’s how people end up shortening their lifespan. Nurture your Body and Mind abilities to gain resistance. I’m sure the guild has diviners who can help you pick the correct essences when the time for ascension comes.”

“Since the talk of dragonfire is out in the open, I told Penelope about you,” Lukas told Mira. “She was surprised and confused. What you said shouldn’t be possible. All individuals with draconic heritage, Wyrmkin, and dragonblooded, can only inherit magic and fire that’s connected to their ancestors. Adopting another dragon’s magic would require rewriting your very being. Your arcane and vivomancic signature.”

“I thought so too,” Mira replied, her voice small. “But the Great Dragons are like gods, right? Maybe that’s how he changed me? I wanted this. It was painful and uncomfortable, but it's worth it so I can be the greatest there is.”

“That’s not the issue,” Liesel stated. “When someone or something makes the impossible possible, there are often consequences. Maybe the strain on your mind and body is a result of that? What if your internal dragonfire and whatever you got from the Great Dragon are in conflict within you?”

“I…” Mira frowned, eyes moving up from her feet to the fire. The flames danced on her blue-gray irises. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Were these benefactors of yours helping you, or were you an experiment?” Liesel asked.

“Ephram wouldn’t do that to me,” Mira said. She finally moved away from Lukas and stood up. “I’m sorry for interrupting your evening. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about what we discussed. Ephram and the guild will be furious if they find out I discussed the Great Dragons and my magic.”

“Your secret is safe with us.” Lukas smiled, glad that she was no longer glued to his side. He watched her return to Xander’s fire. She walked past him and disappeared into the nearby stone shelter. Relief washed over him. At the same time, he wanted nothing more than to hypothesize the possibilities with Penelope. “Now that it's just the two of us, should we retire too? I’ve been looking forward to it being just the two of us.”

Liesel smiled mischievously. “I thought for a moment you wanted to invite Mira to join us?”

“Did you want that?” Lukas asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m open to new experiences.” The woman laughed, snaking an arm around his. “But no. I was an only child and never learned how to share.”

The pair retired to the shelter together. A clone had made the space comfy with their bedrolls and furs. Lukas created a pea-sized Stormfire sphere for light, and their much-desired alone time followed.