Chapter 31 - The War Room
A portal back to Shi opened, and Almawa spoke in Yana’s mind.
“You have completed your Shadow Lark mission. Rewards will be given now.”
Yana smiled. ‘Almawa really can’t enter the Dune Domain.’ Her smile fell when Sisma let out a sweet, terrible cry. It was like honey that covered advanced rot. The sound bore into Amber and Yana’s heads, but Devon was unaffected.
Sisma flew up into the air, her shadow folding in on itself and streaking to her as a thin stream of smoke. Sisma combined with her shadow, magic knotting around the Lark and her shadow. She let out another call; this one was soft and warm.
Her shadow pulled from her, but maintained a thin connection, and went back to the castle. It was even more massive than before, and now silver eyes looked out over the domain. Where their silver light struck, odd edifices rose from the ground.
Yana’s shadows rose from the dunes to enter these twisting monuments of black shadows, and the structures rose high into the dark sky.
Sisma was creating a city within the domain.
Sisma drifted down in wide circles. Her feathers were now even more black and her face, now unseen, was cast in shadow. She landed on Devon’s shadow and bounced from foot to foot in excitement.
As Sisma had undergone her change, Yana rose a soul depth level. Her body tensed as if she was being electrocuted, but she did not feel any pain. She felt her soul sea swell and she grew a bit taller. Her slightly grey skin darkened to a steel grey with a silvery shine. Her shadow elongated, widened, then went back to normal, but the edges now twitched with an ethereal eagerness.
When all was done, Almawa spoke again.
“Your soul depth is now at Shadow Soul. Your Shadow Lark is now an adolescent.”
Yana took a deep breath, and she and Amber walked through the open portal. When they got to the other side, Yana opened her system.
SOUL SYSTEM
| Name | Yana Pallindrone |
| Soul Depth | Shadow Soul (0/2000 to next level) |
| Rank | Shadow |
ABILITIES
| Dimensional Step | Adept |
| Shadow Unite | Initiate |
| Shadow Walk | Adept |
| Shadow Control | Adept +5 |
| Shadow Step | Adept |
| Shadow Dispersal | Adept |
| Discernment | Adept |
| Seer | Adept |
MAGICS
| Shadow Light | Level 2.5 |
| Spell Weave | Level 2.5 |
| Shadow Manipulate | Level 3 |
| Shadow Create | Level 4 |
| Fate | Level 2.5 |
| Illusion | Level 3 |
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
| Dimensional Door | Level 2.5 |
Pets: 3
Starguide
Name: Starlight
Abilities: Star Walk, Star Void Magic
Level: Advanced
Dimension Wraith
Name: Jasmine
Abilities: Wraith Walk, Shadow Web Trace
Level: Adept
Shadow Spark
Name: Mag
Abilities: Shadow Attack, Shadow Flame Storm, Shadow Spice, Shadow Refill
Fire: Level 3
Level: Advanced
Familiars: 5
Shadow cat
Name: Amber
Abilities: Shadow Step, Shadow Weave
Level: Adept
Dark Fae
Name: Tasha
Abilities: Shadow Dimension Walk, Void Step
Level: Advanced
Marked Demon
Name: Demon Dust (DD)
Abilities: Shadow Kill, Void Rip, Void Stall
Level: Advanced
Shadow Doll
Name: Alisha
Abilities: Shape Shifter, Shadow Flame, Shadow Weave
Level: Intermediate
Shadow Demon Dog (currently in metamorphosis)
Name: Heli
Abilities: Shadow Lash, Shadow Body Flame, Shadow Growl
Level: Novice
Dune Domain stats
SECRET ITEMS
? Dark Heart: 3rd Unbroken Soul Depth needed
? Winter Soul: Soul of Truth Depth needed (Location: Truthless Lie Tower in Shi)
? Diamond Shadow Case: level 1
MISSIONS
MANDATORY:
1. Collect enough memory shards to reach a soul depth of 1st Unbroken Soul (No timer). Rewards: 1 familiar and 1 pet evolution.
2. Sisma: complete
3. Reach Blessed-Soul soul depth
? 20 days for completion
? There will be a punishment for everyday late.
? If you fail or give up your system will be reset.
She read over the information and her heart sped up. She had completely forgotten about the secret item. She nodded, thinking she would be going to the Truthless Lie Tower soon.
She willed the Dune Domain Stats to open.
Dune Domain
Level: Night Cast
Shadow Lark”
Name: Sisma
Level: Shadow Adolescent 0/20,000
Abilities: locked
Domain Keeper:
Shadow Cat – Devon
Level: Novice
Abilities: None
Yana almost rolled her eyes. “Your brother never developed an ability?“
Amber was silent, but Tasha burst out in laughter. Amber looked to her mistress.
“He is a scholar.”
Yana shrugged. “Knowledge magics.” She walked to the massive door and it slowly swung open—Tasha burst into another bout of laughter.
“Come on, you two. We need to talk with Ka and Joe.” Alisha did a small flip and was back on Yana’s shoulder. She realized that the shadow doll had moved, but she was not startled by her return either.
DD fell in line with them as they walked down the long corridor to the war room.
The underground syndicate’s complex was vast and full of magic. It had been an alchemist's lab before the syndicate took it over. The walls breathed around them. The building understood friend and foe, and it chose who it would respect and who it would protect.
From the beginning, it had befriended Starlight and Yana—that is why Starlight made her deliveries to Simms so easily.
Now the halls all rose and widened to accommodate the tall Yana and the bulky DD. The magic hummed in greeting and the air seemed to warm in anticipation.
The war room was large and cavernous. It was partial modern, partial rock—as if it were a building face put into a large, open, rocky, mountainous space.
The walls here seemed alive as well and conformed as needed. On the back mountainous wall was a living, fluid map of Shi. Yana stood before it, looking at Shi and the different underground organizations. Besides her own, there were four more underground organizations; her goal was one syndicate.
Amber and Tasha had already absorbed two of their more powerful rivals, and the last four had been on guard since.
Joe was a large beastkin, with a head that was a cross between a water buffalo and a rhinoceros. Above his wide nose was a black horn, and two large alabaster white horns rose just above his ears.
He watched Yana cautiously, still unsure of his place in her organization.
“Joe, do we have the resources to buy any of the gangs?”
“Yes, boss. With our new intel, cleaner, and assassin divisions, we have more than enough. But you are our greatest asset.”
Yana paused, her eyes still stuck on the living representation of the Truthless Lie Tower. The tower was black and spiraling. It pulsed ominously on the map before her.
She breathed in slowly and spoke.
“What do you mean?”
“You already have a reputation, boss. The other underground organizations are nervous, but I am sure two of them will reach out to you first. The other two will be willing to do as you say as well but…” Joe shrugged, as if she would understand what he meant.
She nodded and looked to Ka. “I want all four of them to be under our syndicate before the end of a month on the Halo of Genesis.”
Ka nodded respectfully. “It will be done, Fate-Seer.”
“If it can be done easily…” Yana shrugged non-committally. “…let it be easy. Call me if you need me. Joe, I need all the shadow memory shards we have. Take them all to my main quarters. I have a mission to complete in the Truthless Lie Tower.”
Ka and Joe’s eyes widened. “Yes, Boss.”
“Do you need men to go with you, Fate-Seer?”
Yana looked to them both but said nothing. It sent a shiver down their spines, and they both took involuntary steps back.
Yana smirked, her eyes narrowing. “Amber, Tasha, DD, with me.” Alisha braced as Yana performed [Shadow Walk].
Ka and Joe took another step back when a cold blackness pressed against them.
Their new boss seemed more and more frightening by the minute.
