Shadow Clone Sorcery

Lukas couldn’t tell whether it was a part of the Aquila guild’s training regimen or if Mira and Xander were equally dedicated. The pair rose an hour before the rest of the party every morning. While everyone clung to the final minutes of slumber, they exercised and ran individual combat drills.

Xander split his shield into two so it looked like he was dual-wielding tower shields. Bashes, thrusts, and swings followed. Every surface, edge, and corner was a weapon to him. A clone followed him away from the camp and watched him from the shadows. The man kept his torso bare, wearing only shoulder pads and a pair of metal bands that crossed his chest and back. Lukas was shocked to learn that both had spikes on the inside that forever dug into Xander’s skin.

Steam burst from the man’s body when he removed them, and he gave himself a snowbath, grabbing fistfuls and rubbing them over all exposed skin. The blood smeared and came away. By the time he finished, the wounds were gone. Lukas’s skin crawled as he went over the memories of Xander pulling on the spiked parts of his outfit again. There was no wince or grimace. The fresh wounds didn’t bleed or seem to bother him.

Meanwhile, Mira started with push-ups and squats, followed by staff drills. The observing clone detected magic flowing through her body. She wasn’t just drawing in ambient energy but also enhancing herself with Body Reinforcement magic. Silver dragonfire joined the mix, strengthening and protecting her in the same way it did the constructs created with her fortification magic. Once done, she went down to the river to clean herself. Lukas used the time to approach her.

“Are you free to talk?” He asked Mira.

“Depends,” she said, flashing him a cheeky smile. “Are you going to join me?”

“I don’t think that’s best for party dynamics.”

“Is the thing with you and Liesel serious? Is she done with you, or are you in the doghouse?”

“No to the first and I don’t know to the second. I prefer to avoid relationships with colleagues, and we were involved before we started working together.”

“So, if you two don’t work out, after the job—”

“Probably best if we don’t get into hypotheticals.” Lukas laughed. “It’s not that I don’t find you attractive. My priorities lie in growth and personal pursuits. It's the latter that has brought me here. It's about your dragonfire.”

“Oh? Has your golem—”

“The shadow golem should reach the city in a few hours, but he hasn’t been instructed to visit the sorcerer. This is to do with some things I haven’t shared with her. We’ll have to share a binding oath before we go any further. This is information that can’t get out.”

“But the Revolution already made use of swearing oaths of secrecy,” Mira said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not sure that covers what we’re about to discuss, and this is information I don’t want shared with the Revolution either.”

Mira frowned. “I’m not sure how I feel about this. I know you’ve just met them, but they’re good people. Ephram wouldn’t experiment on me. Their prime objective is arcane and technological progress.”

“Regardless. This is private to me, and I’m taking a great risk approaching you.”

“Fine.” Mira sighed. “Do you have the necessary bits, or should we draw up an oath together?”

“I have something.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a sealed roll of parchment. Lukas had lied. The Stormtrooper clone had already reached the Gray using enhanced Haste, pushing himself until the point of near destabilization. The Shadow Seeker’s guild shop sold secrecy scrolls and was open all night long. “It won’t kill you, but the mental strain and arcane overload have the potential to damage magic circuits if the oath is broken.”

“I’d say that’s worse than death, but fine.” Mira broke the seal and read through the document. Once done, she pricked her finger using the pin of her guild brooch and wiped the drop of blood at the bottom. Lukas did the same with the Shadow Seeker’s badge. “So what is it?”

“I lied to you about why my magic behaves like dragonfire. It’s not because I trained observing the Cold Fire Sorcerer.” It was a lie. Lukas’s Shadowfire and Stormfire mimicked Penelope’s magic. “It’s because I was sent to Fracture by the Great Silver Dragon. Her blood doesn’t run through my blood, but I served her for decades before she rewarded me with freedom and power. I’m intimately familiar with how her dragonfire works and her enemies. There is a lot about her and dragons that I know which I’m not allowed to share or admit.”

Mira’s mouth fell open. Her lips moved, but no words came out.

“Silver dragonfire is different from all others. It doesn’t carry the characteristics of an element or substance. It's pure arcane power. The silver flames reshape whatever they touch, altering their qualities or reinforcing and empowering them. I’ve seen it solidify into the purest of arcane crystals and do things that I still can’t explain.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“And you think I’m her descendant?” Mira finally managed to get out.

“I wasn’t sure about it, so I’ve been observing you,” Lukas answered, sitting down on a flat rock by the river. He didn’t have a lot of time before the rest of the party awoke or Xander returned from his snow bath, and spoke faster. “The way your magic behaves and feels confirms my suspicions. You’re her descendant. It's likely you awakened your dragonfire long ago without realizing. Because of the silver flames’ nature, you never realized. It explains why your magic reserves are so deep and your energy so potent, and also why the Black Dragon’s Flames comes with such a physical and mental toll.”

“The two dragonfires are at conflict inside of me,” Mira whispered, her eyes drifted to the rushing river. She hugged her arms, face betraying that she was struggling to process everything Lukas had just said.

“It’s not just that. Dragons compete with one another. Their flames do compete, but usually one is more potent or has an elemental advantage and adopts or transforms the other to cause a melding.”

Lukas didn’t remember anything he had learned about dragons and was now making things up as he went. However, his words felt like educated guesses, and he spoke with confidence.

“The Great Black Dragon is the antithesis of the Great Silver Dragons. They’re opposites, nemesis, mortal enemies, or whatever you want to call it. They exist to cancel each other out, and she sent me on countless jobs to extinguish all black flames. I can’t do that to you, though. Her descendants are rare, and I need to find a way to purge the black dragonfire from you or find a way to empower the silver dragonfire so it comes out superior and capable of controlling the black.”

Mira plopped down next to Lukas, hands clasped together so hard her knuckles had turned white. “So, I wasn’t useless and a failure,” she whispered to herself. “My teachers, the scholars, and guild trainers…they were all just ignorant. They experimented on me and endlessly tested me because they don’t know better.”

Tears streamed down Mira’s face. “Thank you,” she said, reaching over and taking Lukas’s hand. “I understand you’re sharing this with me at great risk to yourself. Thank you for doing so for me.”

“You believe me then? You’re not worried I’ll try to kill you?”

“You’ve had plenty of opportunity to do that.” Mira chuckled, wiping her eyes. “You could’ve dragged Liesel out of danger and let the warbeast eat or trample me yesterday, but you didn’t. It would’ve been easy and nobody would’ve blamed you.” She exhaled loudly, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. “So, thank you, and I’m sure I’ll have to thank you more. So, how are we going to empower the silver flames?”

“There is a ritual for enhancing dragonfire,” Lukas answered. “I’ve never done it myself but watched Penelope use it several times.” He flashed an embarrassed grin. “I may have ‘borrowed’ her ritual journal and copied elements of it, too. My golems spent yesterday collecting ingredients, and my former benefactor let me keep a rare Draco Lily petal for personal use. I didn’t know what to do with it, but I know now.”

“A Draco Lily?!” Mira exclaimed. “The Aquila readers were going on about sensing one in the mountains but failed to divine its location. Revolution sent mercenaries to find it, but they came back empty-handed, claiming…” Her grip on his hand tightened. “They claimed shades stole it. That was you!”

Lukas grinned. “It's a potent ingredient, and I couldn’t allow it to fall into the wrong hands. I sent it to the mistress.”

“You’re full of surprises. You’d really use something so rare and valuable for me? Why? What do you want in return? Is this all for your mistress? Does—”

“Slow down with the questions.” Lukas laughed. “No. This isn’t for my former employer, and I don’t have any ulterior motives besides ensuring the Great Black Dragon’s flame taints this world just as I’m starting to settle in and have fun.” He squeezed her hand back. “You seem like a decent person with grand ambitions. I’d rather not see your embers stomped out or corrupted before you can even start on your journey.” It was mostly true. The journal had promised a grand reward for the completion of the job. “Maybe an ally. That’s what I want in return. However, the ritual will demand essences, and if you can contribute any—”

“Of course! I have a few in my pack. One is reserved for my Heart ascension, which feels close, but the rest I’ve been saving for bartering in Reistein. You can have them if you want.”

“I’ll probably just need the one for the ritual,” Lukas said. “A golem went back to the warbeasts and carved arcane crystals out of their brains and hearts for the fuel. We just need the right paint and a little bit of your blood for the ritual circle, and we’ll be set. But remember, no one can know about this. It needs to stay just between the two of us.”

“My lips are sealed.” Mira mimed stitching her mouth shut. “Regardless of whether the ritual is successful, I need you to know how thankful I am. Just learning the possible truth of my draconic heritage and understanding my dragonfire is enough. The guild thought my compatibility with fortification magic was anomalous, but it all makes sense now. Perhaps I can figure out better ways to use it offensively or defensively now.”

“You probably won’t find direct combat uses for silver dragonfire. However, there are ways to circumvent these limitations. Maybe conjure something or shape projectiles out of materials around you, alter, shape, and reinforce them, before projecting at your foes. It seems the fortification magic has taken you down a fairly limited path.”

“I suppose I understand now why most dragonblooded walk the path of sorcery,” Mira said. She didn’t undress. Instead, she pulled up her skirt and dipped her feet in the river. The woman shuddered, goosebumps rising on her bare forearms. She cupped her delicate hands, leaned forward, and splashed icy cold water on herself, splashing Lukas while at it. He didn’t mind. “Magehood and wizardry are far too limiting. Understanding and intent will be vital to wield this power.”

“That’s how Penelope does it,” Lukas told her. “I’m heading back to camp before Liesel wakes up or Xander returns. It's best if they don’t find out about us sitting so close together by the riverside, holding hands, and talking in whispers. Assumptions will be made. Dramatics will follow.”

“Understandable.” Mira laughed. “I’ll see you back at camp. Before you go, when should we do the ritual?”

“Perhaps after we find out what’s going on in Reistein or after we return from the Gray. It's likely to drain or knock you out. We should save that for when combat isn’t in the cards.”

Mira nodded and started to undo her blouse. Lukas gave her privacy and marched back to camp. Clones concealed by Shade’s Mantle sat in the open around the cave. He felt their eyes on him and moved on without acknowledgement. It wasn’t as easy with Morph. He sat with Haima by the fire, the latter of the pair stirred a pot of steaming porridge.

“Been peeping, have we, Sneak?”

“Shut up, Morph,” Lukas replied before disappearing into his shelter.