Shadow Clone Sorcery

Lukas had hoped his role in the battle for Reistein—and Fracture since they were dealing with the Void—would be over after he took care of the ritual and set the floor on fire. Much to his disappointment, other concerns awaited him when he fled the building.

“We shouldn’t be doing this, Master,” hissed the auditor’s apprentice. “He’s one of us. The guild—”

“The guild knows what we tell it,” the auditor replied. “Now, hush. Let me concentrate.” Haima stood at attention in front of the woman, his eyes emitting a faint pink light. “You will forget all about the Jotun and their link to your abilities and weapon. Is that understood?”

“Yes.” Haima’s reply came out in a dead monotone.

“You will forget all about the Void and Void Heart. The party dealt with a necromancer. Is that clear?”

“Yes.”

“The Shadow Seeker must be—”

“Master.” The apprentice grabbed the auditor’s arm. “You can’t do this. It's murder. You can’t have Lukas killed. We owe him and Morph for the mission’s success.”

“Morph is one of us. He can be bought and convinced not to take Aquila’s offer. The Shadow Seeker can not. We must eliminate him. Now, shut up and—”

The pair of women screamed when the door behind them exploded and a giant bone spearhead shot out. It struck Haima’s armored shoulder, shattering the metal and ice that covered it, knocking him down. He remained in his enchanted state.

“That was close,” the auditor said, looking over her shoulder. “Disgusting. That Morph is useful but horrendous. Too bad my enchantment didn’t take.” She watched him for a moment before returning her attention to Haima. “Let’s get this done while the musclebrains are still busy. Up Haima.” The warrior rose, swaying ever so slightly. “Good. Where were we?”

“Master. If you kill Lukas, his guild will get suspicious.”

“We just need to stage the scene right.” The auditor stepped closer to Haima and pressed her right index and little fingers against his temple. “You must eliminate—”

A bold Shadow Steel pierced the auditor’s neck before she could finish. The energy within is released, causing the soft tissue to explode outward, decapitating her. The woman’s apprentice screamed, leaping backward as her arms shot up to shield her face. Lukas landed softly in front of her, catching Haima before he could fall again.

“Do I need to do the same to you?” He asked.

The apprentice shook her head, eyes wide. Her mouth moved, but it took several seconds for her to get the words out. “I tried to stop her. I told her what she’s been doing isn’t right.”

“How much did she tell you about me or my guild?”

“Nothing. I swear. The interrogations were classified and beyond my pay grade. I wasn’t allowed to sit in. She only had me wipe your memories of the conversation.” The young woman shifted uncomfortably. “But I left breadcrumbs, so you remember the interactions. You can see that, right?”

“Why?” Lukas took a step forward, making the apprentice flinch. “Because what she’s been doing isn’t right. The Shadow Seekers and Union must know. I want the Frozen Phoenix guild to survive and thrive, but not like this. The cost is too high. We’re supposed to be the good guys. Stealing from the Jotun. Mind wiping allies. Murdering them in their sleep. We don’t do things like that.”

“Explain.”

The apprentice hesitated, but a Shadowfire sphere infused with fear greased the wheels. Her words came out rushed, unfiltered, and seemingly uncensored. “The mission where Haima found his shard. We were on it, too. The prime objective was to investigate a settlement our scouts had sighted. We found it. The ice wall containing Haima’s shard and the Void-thing was a prison or containment facility. I couldn’t tell.”

The woman screamed when Lukas grabbed her and pulled her to the side—another bone projectile shot through where the apprentice had stood seconds ago.

“Master enchanted the party to murder the Jotun guards who were nice enough to shelter us from the storm,” she continued. “Then, we stole whatever we could before their patrol returned. Haima was easy to enchant, and the rest of the party was physically weakened after encountering the Void-thing. Master had him kill everyone to conceal the truth.”

“Is Elena Fischer in on all of this?” Lukas asked.

The apprentice shook her head. “But Mathias was. She didn’t have him killed. Instead, she moved all of the Jotun loot to our wagon.”

“And that explains the attack.” Now that Lukas thought about it, he wondered whether the Jotun had ambushed them along the leyline. It would take considerable amounts of magic to control so many warbeasts simultaneously. Any mage capable of doing so without an external arcane supply would be too powerful for their party to eliminate.

“You understand that I can’t let this slide, right?” Lukas glanced at Haima. The man was out cold, but the threads of magic digging into his brain had long faded. He could only hope there wouldn’t be any long-lasting effects. Haima was his favorite party member after Mira, ranking well above Leisel, whom he had tired of. “The Shadow Seekers and Union need to know about this.”

“I’m willing to cooperate and tell them everything,” the apprentice replied. “It’s why I left breadcrumbs in you and Morph’s minds.” She hesitated. “I know the pair of you are somehow linked. I’m not sure of the details, but I felt it.”

“Let’s just say I planted him in your guild to investigate irregularities. Thank you for being so cooperative.” Lukas paused, looking between the woman and the dozen or so unconscious corpses around them. He clicked his fingers, and the clone accompanying him dropped down from the roof. “Kill them.”

“Is that really necessary?” The woman asked, eyes widening. Lukas expected her to backpedal, but much to his surprise, she positioned herself between him and everyone on the ground.

“Anyone linked to this plot has a Void slug attached to their brains and spines. It's why they’re so strong and magically gifted for civilians. Even if we can save them, there is no telling if the parasites left eggs or alien magics in their system. There is no taking risks with the Void. Are you going to help? Or are you going to stand in the way?”

Her shoulders sagged. “I’m just the apprentice. I don’t know how to help.”

“What’s your name?”

“Tori,” she answered.

“Tell me, Tori. Can you sense that there is something wrong with all of these people?”

Tori nodded. “It wasn’t obvious when we first interrogated all of these people. The slugs might’ve been dormant, or maybe they become easier to detect while empowering their hosts. But I can feel the difference now. The psychic signatures are ever-so-slightly different from those of normal people.”

“And can you detect them from afar?” Lukas asked.

“My psychic detection range is only twenty feet, but it was always far more potent than that of Master’s. It's why she took me in.”

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“I want you to scour—” A monstrous roar came from within the building. It was Morph. The clone had turned himself into a titanic monster and was rampaging through the facility even though no threats remained. Much to Lukas’s surprise, the fleshy exo-suit kept going even when he dispelled the clone. “Morph might’ve lost control. He probably didn’t differentiate between local biomass and whatever came from the Void. I’ll deal with him. Take Haima and scout Reistein. Find anyone with a slug on their neck. Eliminate them.”

“That’s a lot of ground to cover,” Ria said, hesitantly glancing between Morph’s fetid creation and the town behind her. “Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“I’ll be fine,” Lukas replied. “Stick to the neighborhoods along the river.” He gestured to the general area he wanted covered. “Don’t cross the stream into the bit around the mines. “I sense powerful magic flowing under us. The Void Heart’s minions, much like their master, probably needed to stay close to it. I can’t explain why else the entire town isn’t out for our blood.” Fires and arcane lights glowed throughout the town, despite the late hour. Lukas saw faces in windows and even alarmed guards watching from a distance. None dared to approach, even though the roof was on fire. “I can take care of Morph alone. Haima concerns me more.”

The warrior swayed on his feet, still appearing under psychic control even though no arcane threads connected to him.

“He’s in a suggestive state and won’t remember a thing when he wakes up, but I’ll have him remember.”

“Can he fight?”

“His body remembers, and I’m already brewing a spell to restore him to normal.” Tori jumped again as the fleshly exo-suit’s rampage became more violent. It was now tearing at the floor. “Please don’t think poorly of me. I feared for my life with the master and had no choice but to play along.”

“Run along,” Lukas said, manifesting a Lightningfire sphere. “I can’t cast my truly destructive spells while you’re so close. Tori,” he called just as the woman started to jog away. She slowed, looking over her shoulder. “No one hears about this conversation. For your sake. I wasn’t here. We don’t tell Leisel, Mira, or anyone about this exchange. We’ll come up with a story later.”

Tori nodded before rushing away. Haima, despite his dazed state, had no trouble keeping up.

Once Tori and Haima were out of sight, Lukas passed the sphere to the clone.

“Want me to take care of it, boss?”

“Give me a minute,” Lukas answered, summoning the journal. Memories of dying clones from the basement level flooded him. The fight below was almost over. He was sure Mira would destroy the Void Heart. Her adaptation to the silver dragonfire had been swift. Lukas wanted her as an ally and future companion.

It had a lot to say.

Thunderstorm’s Eye has progressed to rank 9!

Storm Energy production rates have increased.

The many battles since he left the Gray had helped the Heart Pillar catch up to the Mind. It wasn’t yet ready for ascension to the next tier, but Lukas was sure it would get there before long. Spellweaver’s ascension was bound to accelerate the process.

Biomancy has progressed to rank 9!

Biomass compression abilities have increased.

Biomancy has reached the ascension threshold.

Perfect. Is there any ascension period for the Specialized Clones?

Negative. You may select an essence and a tier two specialization. Morph will materialize with them as soon as you next summon him.

Show me what you got.

“Don’t forget the new essences, boss,” the clone said. They had found one while digging through the warbeast corpses for the arcane crystals in their hearts and brains.

“You don’t need to remind me.”

Lukas ignored the Essence of Quicksilver. He had investigated the concept in depth while in Iskander and then again in the Gray. It was a material he sorely desired and didn’t mind Flukas trading the Essence of Currents for it. The magic metal was known for its speed and ability to conduct arcane energies. He hoped electricity would also flow smoothly through the metal. Earth silver was one of the best conductors, after all. Its natural resistance was significantly lower than that of iron or copper.

It’ll be perfect for the railgun and will have to wait for Alter Metal Mass’s third tier. Maybe Shadowsteel will evolve and allow me to summon Quicksilver.

Instead, Lukas pulled out the essences he had earmarked for Biomancy. First came the Essence of Dragon.

Dracomancy

• Biomancy will lose the ability to adopt the qualities of everything except for dragons, wyrms, wyverns, and all related races.

• Minor utility abilities are available.

“That’s not the worst thing ever,” the clone accompanying Lukas commented, leaning over his shoulder to get a better look. “But you’ll have to kill off Morph.”

“Too useful.” Lukas sighed. “A clone that can become draconic would be amazing, but the face-changing abilities are far too useful. I like his versatility, too. Maybe the dragon essence is too powerful. It seems to be overriding the base shard’s abilities.”

Your assumptions are correct.

“You planning on saving it, boss?”

Lukas nodded. “I think if we find the correct compatibility, then it won’t override the base shard, and maybe Thunderstorm’s Eye is it.”

“Possible.” The clone shrugged. “Thunder dragons. Lightning dragons. Storm dragons. We’ve encountered or heard of them all. No reason for it not to work.”

“My thought exactly,” Lukas said. “Let’s stay optimistic. It shouldn’t take long before Heart reaches its ascension point. Let’s move on.”

Biomancy

• Gain the innate ability, Predation. Mimicry of sensory organs and natural weapons will come naturally to Morph.

• Control over one’s body and stress reactions will significantly improve.

“No name change is good sense, right?”

“Correct,” Lukas said. “I always expected the Essence of Predation to be super compatible. This might be the winner.”

“What if the Essence of Beast Magic is even better?” The clone asked. “So, Morph’s draconic aspirations are quashed. But he could still become a warbeast, right?”

“Only one way to find out.”

Biomancy

• Gain the ability to copy the abilities and magical organs of magic beasts. You will need to have encountered them. A piece of their bodies can be used instead of memory.

• The ability to compress, shape, and manipulate biomass will significantly improve.

“Damn.” The clone whistled. “That’s a hard decision. Super predator senses or get magic beast powers? Assassin or blue mage?”

“Assassin is great, but—”

“Morph can get the sensory organs through Mimcry.

“Or practise,” Lukas added. “It's not the same for abilities and organs of magic beasts. The fact that Essence of Beast Magic would allow calling back memories or physiology with a preserved body part also frees up Mimicry slots. A tooth or bone fragment can do the job.”

“Let’s lock it in, boss,” the clone said, glancing at what could now be best described as a flesh golem. It violently beat the floor, trying to get through.

“You heard the clone, journal. Let’s do it.”

It’s done.

Power radiated from Morph when Lukas resummoned him. He manifested with his face already in the desired form. Morph stretched and flexed his muscles. “Holy cow, I feel powerful. Essence of Beast Magic was the right choice.” A loud crash drew all eyes to the building’s interior. Did I do that?” The clone asked, eyes widening as he stared at the rampaging behemoth of flesh, bones, and keratin spines.

“That’s what happens when you don’t distinguish between Void flesh and biomass, genius,” Lukas said.

“My bad, boss.” Morph genuinely appeared embarrassed. But Lukas was also an excellent actor, so he couldn't be sure if the clone was pretending. “Taking command of that much biomass and creating a flesh mecha was so exhilarating, I got carried away. Just living the ol’ armored titan fantasies. You get it right.”

“We can't take that kind of risk with Void organisms and materials. It could've reached the soul fragment.” Lukas pulled a piece of warbeast skull from the journal’s Hidden Compartment and tossed it to Morph. “Flukas and the party should be done with the Void Heart by now. Take that thing out as soon as possible. But—”

“I’ll be careful with what biomass I absorb,” Morph interrupted, running ahead. “I promise not to draw any Void flesh into myself.”

“Go on,” Lukas said, nodding at the other clone to enter. “Give him a hand.”

Though tough, the fleshy juggernaut wasn’t too much of a challenge to take down. It had spikes and bone plating, but without Morph, it could not repair damage and absorb fresh biomass. An opening salvo of Stormfire spheres blinded the monster and cracked the armoring around its head and shoulders.

Morph took his time picking up new biomass. He gained a couple of feet in height, growing wider. Instead of a hastily made exosuit of flesh, he grew extra arms and his skin darkened, matching the tough rhinoceros-like hide that covered warbeasts. Instead of bony, his armor appeared keratinous, more akin to a rhino horn or an elephant’s toenails. Similar plating had covered the Jotun’s pets.

It felt unnecessary, but Lukas allowed the clone to flex his new muscles. The party below was done and was likely to take their time recovering their strength and ensuring everything was adequately destroyed before returning to the upper level. For all they knew, Morph was still fighting off the horde and occasional behemoths. They trusted him to hold the line.

It didn’t matter to Lukas. The party trusted Morph and would believe whatever they told him. He returned to the inn, happy about the evening’s results. The Void Heart was eliminated. Once the party burned everything in the basement, his quest would be complete. Now, he just needed an opportunity to ascend his Mind Pillar. Figuring out how to complete the quest involving Mira would come next.