Shadow Clone Sorcery

“My name’s not Hammer,” the hammer-wielding vanguard member said, wincing as the auditor’s apprentice tended to his wounds. “It's Haima. Hai-Ma. Is that clear?”

“No need to get testy, Hammer,” Morph said, soothing the goats. He stroked their woolly necks. “What do your golems say, Sneak?”

“Four sets of giant tracks,” Lukas answered, glad that Morph was playing his persona well. “Fifteen warbeasts. Six survived and fled. I wouldn’t let our guards down, though. Just because I can’t find more footprints doesn’t mean there are no other giants.”

“They could be riding the warbeasts,” Liesel stated. She and Mira sat on top of the wagon. “We can’t rest for long, especially if there are more giants around. It's best to keep moving. At least until nightfall or we find a suitable spot to set up camp. The longer we’re out in the open, the longer we’re at risk.”

“I agree,” the auditor said, through the wagon’s window. Scratches covered her face, probably from getting knocked around inside the cart. Her apprentice hadn’t shown himself since the fight ended. No one could be sure whether she was alive, and he didn’t ask. But Lukas couldn’t help but feel something was off. Some part of him claimed she was okay, but he wasn’t sure where the thought had come from. It wasn’t instinct, that much he was sure of. “This delay will have set us back significantly. We’ve rested enough and need to get moving.”

“Doesn’t contribute and likes to blab,” Xander grumbled. A steady stream of steam continued to rise from his body, slowly knitting closed the wounds that covered his body. It wasn’t clear whether he had burned too much energy during the fight and could now only use slow healing, or there was more that he didn’t want to reveal. “We all need rest. I vote we prioritize finding a secure hiding place that we can fortify.” His attention turned to Mira, who had given up trying to cover her face. “You can manage that, right?”

Mira nodded. “My reserves are deep. It's the mental strain that’s the issue.” She paused, scanning all the faces around them. “I’ll be fine in an hour or two.”

“Let’s push ourselves to go as far as possible before the day ends,” Lukas said. “For all we know, these giants might be the reason for the disruption in Reistein. I’ve sent a golem back to the Gray.”

First, Lukas asked the journal to send messages to the clones on his behalf. It refused, demanding completion of quests. He had no intention of dancing to his tune. Now, at tier three, he had clones to spare, and using them all for combat was overkill. Lukas still had Morph and three more. If push came to shove, he could always dispel Zwei and the extra clone assigned to protecting the workshop.

“To report to the guild?” Liesel asked, her eyes lighting up.”

“Yes. We might need backup.” Lukas hadn’t yet decided whether to tell Penelope about his discoveries regarding Mira. The clone was to check the Hidden Compartment for a signal before visiting her.

“Won’t being short of a golem be a detriment?” Mira asked.

“If there were to be an emergency, I could always dispel the golem and summon a new one,” Lukas answered.

“And you have the magic for that?” The auditor frowned.

“I preserve the bulk of my magic for golem creation and disruption spells. They’re far better casters and combatants than I am. I’m merely a puppeteer.”

Liesel frowned. Her expression betrayed her distaste, but she said nothing. He couldn’t tell whether it was because of the revelation, the bluntness of it, or because he had spoken directly to the woman.

The party packed up the medical supplies and the animal feed before continuing on their way. Haima and Xander led the wagon, and the mages followed, sitting atop it. Lukas followed close behind them along with Morph. The clones moved alongside the party, scanning their surroundings for threats.

Meanwhile, Lukas rechecked the journal. The text hadn’t changed. It was clear now that all the portals he was offered after his first quest were because of Lady Silverspine’s key interests in the area. He believed that her sleeping cousin was the primary reason for his time in Iskander.

Initially, Lukas thought that the Draco Lily or draconic text was why he was offered a portal to the Gray. He had come to realize that the journal didn’t know what the ‘interests’ were in an area. It likely followed the strongest energy signatures that matched its master. Now, Lukas couldn’t help but wonder if Mira was the reason the journal wanted him in the Gray.

You have found a rare descendant of Lady Silverspine. Dragonblooded individuals are more common than the residents of Fracture think. However, individuals with her dragonfire burning within them are far too few to count.

Mira is one such rare individual. She is a far rarer flower than the Draco Lily that must be protected and nurtured. The Great Black Dragon’s flame has tainted her. It desires to consume all of Mira’s silver dragonfire and cement its place on Fracture.

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This cannot be allowed.

That’s not a lot of information to work with. How the hell do I proceed? What is an acceptable outcome? Is killing her to keep the silver dragonfire from being tainted an option?

Unknown.

Killing Mira is an option, but not preferred, and a possible last resort. Ideally, you should purge the black flame from her. Alternatively, you could help the silver dragonfire become powerful enough to tame, control, or just contain the rest.

Empower the silver dragonfire? Pull up Penelope’s journal of rituals, specifically the one she used to help Shae.

It won’t be enough. You’ll need powerful reagents to specifically empower the silver dragonfire and not the black flames, too.

Is this where you offer me what I need?

Lady Silverspine hasn’t collected the Draco Lily yet. She shouldn’t mind if a petal is requisitioned for our purposes. You will find most of the necessary ingredients on the road, and you have essences to spare.

I’ll need you to buzz when I or any of the clones are near the reagents. And also transmit messages between us.

It’s not that I don’t want to transmit messages between you. My script doesn’t allow it.

Your master is a royal bitch, isn’t she?

The journal didn’t reply.

I half expected you to tell me off for ‘slandering’ the mistress.

Lukas had much to think about. Nothing was compelling him to take the quest. He could focus solely on the guild mission, disregard the rest, and continue with his life. The journal’s current abilities were already good enough for him. At the same time, he had grown to like Mira. She was sweet, seemed innocent, and had the ambition to do good. Lukas wasn’t the charitable sort. But he didn’t want to see her consumed from the inside. Also, he wasn’t sure if the Revolution genuinely meant to help her or if she was the subject of experimentation.

First, Lukas needed to figure out how to broach the subject with Mira tactfully. He would need to reveal information regarding the silver dragon’s fire and also explain how he knew about it. He wasn’t ready to reveal much about himself to Mira. Lukas barely knew the woman.

I’d like to help her. Not for the quest rewards, but because it feels like the right thing to do. The fact that Silverspine will benefit from it isn’t the worst thing ever. There are worse entities. Fracture is going to be my home. I can’t let the black fucking dragon ruin it.

The party started at dawn and continued until dusk, pausing a couple of times to water the animals and take a break. Due to the skirmish with the giants, they missed their second stop. The goats didn’t complain. Their eyes occasionally darted around, hesitating when the road curved around boulders or cliffs, as if they were afraid of whatever lay ahead. It took the auditor’s coaxing to keep them moving. Her apprentice hadn’t revealed herself yet. It wasn’t yet clear whether the younger woman was awake or alive.

The fight with the giants appeared to have shaken everyone but Xander. Only he didn’t seem surprised by their existence. Lukas overheard him and Haima talking about how everyone wrote off the species as a part of the Yggdrasil myth. Apparently, no one believed him.

The question only left everyone with more questions. If a civilization of giants existed in the mountains, they avoided human civilization and had successfully stayed far enough away to go unnoticed for decades, if not centuries. No one asked the question, but Lukas was sure everyone had it on their mind.

What drove them out of hiding after all this time? Did something drive them out? Or are they seeking something?

The party likely believed they didn’t want them to reach Reistein, but Lukas couldn’t be sure. He wondered whether they served a higher power and were after someone in the party or whatever cargo the auditors carried. The Shadow Seekers weren’t concerned about the Frozen Phoenix guild for nothing. Guild names seemed to have meaning behind them, leaving him to question whether his current benefactors had a connection to the frost giants. Morph had brought back a finger for Inspector’s Compendium.

Frost Giant

Also known as Jotun, they originate from the icy realm of Jotunheim. Ice and magic run through their veins. Countless cataclysms have ravaged their world. It's one such disaster that likely brought a slice of the realm and its inhabitants to Fracture. They’re mostly secretive, self-isolating people. However, the Jotun will go to great lengths to protect their territory and interests. They’re known for crossing endless realms to pursue those who have wronged them or to retrieve stolen goods.

Lukas found it interesting how reality in the greater realms was mythology on Earth. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same on other mundane worlds like his. While in Iskander, Lukas had read about the existence of fairies and creatures from Celtic folklore. Dragons and sea serpents appeared in European and east asian mythologies.

The details had long faded, but Lukas recalled how some of the Greater Beings made him feel. When he first encountered Hermit of the Bamboo Sea, he remembered thinking of the man as a mystical figure from an eastern novel. There were others, but memories related to them were hazy.

Fracture was more than a wild, untamed world with endless opportunities for ordinary individuals to pursue godhood. It was a land of mystery, begging to be explored and understood. Lukas discovered that doing just that brought him joy and excitement. Studying and figuring out magic and related crafts also made him happy. It was nice to find a purpose besides just pursuing power. Freedom had no meaning if he didn’t find something to do with it.

The party pushed on even after dusk came, using Mira’s magic, enchanted gear, and Stormfire spheres to light the way forward. They only stopped after a clone found a decent camping spot. It was on a narrow winding path that branched off from the main road, inside a cavern of dark grey stone.

Morph and the clones took charge of keeping watch and protecting the beasts.

Mira fortified the campsite and built shelters.

Liesel met with the auditor.

Xander tended to his equipment.

Haima and Leisel prepared dinner.

Everyone was far too tired to laugh and exchange stories like the previous evening. The party ate in silence. It came as no surprise when Leisel went to bed alone and closed her shelter’s entrance. Lukas didn’t need to be told he wasn’t welcome. He had much to think about and wasn’t in the mood for amorous activities. So, he didn’t mind going to bed alone. Lukas had grown to solitude over the decades. It was an old friend who never let him down.