I walked through the mist down a cobblestone street, ignoring the hunger pangs. Despite being miles away, I could hear Daven and his associate’s muddled concerns, intensifying its desire. Going on a diet was out of the question. Instead, I trawled Gearward Row in anticipation of the Herald of Chains and his 50 man arrival.

  Every doubt dissolved as I slid on the Grimstone Mask and fell into my element. Statuses belonging to Kelfloss’s guards crowded my vision until I cranked the filter up to only show level sevens and higher. They were stationed down the street in duos and trios.

  Two silhouettes stood in the center of the street. I raised my finger, and pointed.

  "Them."

  A dark puddle emerged beneath their feet. They fell through, and it snapped close. Their screams sounded as faint whistles, like steam sighing from a kettle at the brink of boiling. With the first snack secured, the hunger surged.

  "Behave," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Or I'll turn this bus right the fuck around."

  Hand shaking, I reached under my cloak, grabbed my scythe, flipped it, and draped the blade over the back of my neck. "What happens if I die?"

  I squeezed the handle tight, lining the blade up with my brain stem. "One hard pull and you'll never eat again. Personally, I prefer death to being your bitch."

  And just like that, the inner evil put a sock in it. The hunger reduced itself to a kitten's whimper. I holstered my scythe and continued my stroll.

  "Those three." I pointed, and they fell through the ground.

  "Hello? Did you hear that?" one guard said.

  "It’s the wind?”

  “The wind doesn’t sound that goddamned eerie.”

  The hired muscle held a torch out, wading through the mist toward me. "Who goes there?"

  The hunger nipped at my heels and I pushed it back down. "Wait," I said.

  "You can't be here," the guard said, but he still was too far away to see my mask or recognize the danger he faced.

  I closed my eyes and concentrated on the inner turmoil, proving a point to myself and what resided within. Like I was training an impatient puppy. Finally, it obeyed and the hunger subsided.

  Good.

  Now take the street.

  My shadow lashed out, extending far and wide from my feet. It claimed the 13 remaining guards in a heartbeat. One moment there, and the next, gone like they never existed.

  +220 XP

  +90 Karma

  ***

  The Herald of Chains arrived with 50 men in tow. He walked with the swagger of a man who had never tasted defeat. The walking also explained why it took them almost three hours to arrive. Like his name implied, chains rattled with every step. The interlinked metal hung over his shoulders, ran down his arms, and gathered in his tightly clenched fists.

  He towered over his forces, likely rivaling Garik's height if they were to stand side by side.

  "Are we too late? The patrols should've met us by now," Gunder muttered as he unfurled his chain and swung it at his side.

  The heavy iron chain picked up speed until it whirred like a circular saw.

  I casually stepped into the middle of the street, hands resting in my cloak's pockets. "Welcome Gunder and friends to your last night alive."

  He let the chain rip. It zipped through the air and Shadow Weave automatically slapped it down, much to his confusion.

  "Save your strength for the exhibition inside. From what I've seen, the place is pretty packed. I don't think there's room for the small fries."

  I snapped my finger.

  They're yours.

  The Herald of Chains launched two chains at once, and Shadow Weave deflected them instantly like he was lashing them pointblank at a wall. Meanwhile, the street fell out from underneath the back ranks—a blank tide rolling in, consuming everyone in its path.

  The remaining cannon fodder disappeared before they realized the street was eating them. Formation broken, they scattered in all directions.

  "Get inside," Gunder shouted, whipping his chain my way once again.

  I let the chain pass through the darkness, caught it, and measured his strength in a tug of war. I was pretty sure I had the edge, but his concentration lapsed, distracted by the surreal sight of his unit falling through the ground as the swirling darkness gave chase. It hopped from foe to foe until only the Herald of Chains remained.

  I felt the slack in his chain and I released it from my grasp. His gaze was no longer on me, but on my own morphing shadow. Its arms stretched outward, losing more and more of its human facade the further it reached.

  Not him.

  It halted its shapeless advance.

  "Get inside," I advised.

  With a snap, Gunder hurled his chains over a torch post, using it to pivot and hurl himself over my shadow, landing just beyond my stance.

  Like a gentleman, I let him pass.

  He ran through the industrial park until he reached the warehouse and hammered on the door.

  "Password?"

  "Open the door before I rip it down. The phantom's here!"

  The door raised slowly. Light poured out and the Herald of Chains ducked inside. More security lined the entrance, armed with crossbows and throwing knives.

  Deciding to live up to my nickname, I activated Invisibility, then double tapped Dagger Step, skipping past the weaklings. I loomed over the axis of mini-bosses, who were still in the middle of a card game.

  The Herald of Chains arrived moments later.

  "His magic swallowed 50 of my best fucking men and you're all inside playing games?"

  "What about the patrols?" Toom asked as he stood up, readying his halberd.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Dead or gone. I've never seen any spell like that, and his raw strength is ridiculous. Steel yourselves. He's formidable."

  The word formidable poked a small hole in Toom's confidence, and had the Shadow Warden frantically scanning the warehouse.

  "I haven't sensed any mana signatures," Ember said as she laid down her hand. "Nothing suggesting what you have claimed."

  "I don't sense it either" Malik added.

  "None of you will. His mana signature is undetectable," Veigan said from the table, hiding behind a stack of silver.

  He threw his cards down, and sighed. "He's also a maniac. I suggest you do what he wants, then go far away from here."

  Garik stood behind Veigan, unbothered and silent.

  "Who are these two?" the Herald of Chains asked.

  "The messengers who delivered his letter."

  "A letter?" Gunder squeezed his chain tight. "Explain."

  "The phantom declared he would be coming back tonight for another payment and requested that we bring more reinforcements. The Fated Twins are contrarians. If I asked for assistance because the phantom wanted me to, they wouldn't have sent anyone. So, I left that part out."

  "Let me clear up the confusion," I said, deactivating Invisibility in the corner of the room beside a squad of flabbergasted guards. "I have big plans. This is just a quick stop at the convenience store for honey buns and energy drinks before a long road trip."

  I lost them with the bad metaphor.

  Ember launched a blazing white orb out of her palm, Gunder swung his chain, Toom threw his halberd, Malik cast a silent incantation, and the Shadow Warden tried covering up the fact he had pissed himself by spilling a glass of water from the table onto his pants.

  I dodged the orb, the halberd, ducked the chain, and activated Abyssal Veil, which was then dispelled, cancelled out by Malik’s spell.

  "I've come to realize my goals cannot be attained without thoughtful delegation," I announced, as a squad of four guards lunged at my spine.

  I whipped out my scythe and plucked their heads from their shoulders in a split second.

  Veigan covered his eyes, squirming in his seat, while the mini-bosses formed a defensive arc, acknowledging my speed by increasing the gap between us.

  "But how can I expect anyone to work on my behalf, if they don't know what I'm capable of? That when I say I'm planning a seismic shift, they believe I can pull it off. Even if we have to start with a shitty, underground crime network."

  "He's right, you're a maniac." Kelfloss crawled underneath the table, hugging a lantern tight against his chest.

  "I'd rather not kill all of you right away. I want to showcase my true powers. Though, let me apologize up front. I am sorry. Tonight, you will all die. But take solace in knowing it’s for the greater good.”

  They launched another round of attacks, chain, white orb, spear, and even the Shadow Warden joined in with a throwing knife. I slipped through them all in an effortless dance, collecting another group of guard’s heads as they stumbled too close.

  Eight decapitations captured everyone’s attention, and rallied the rest of the hired muscle toward the action unfolding in the center of the warehouse.

  "I wish Daven sent everyone. Oh well, I guess this will do for an exhibition."

  "Die fucker!" the Herald of Chains howled, and the low hanging fruit charged in.

  Veigan joined Kelfloss under the table as all hell broke loose. Ember launched a quick series of white orbs. Molten heat warmed my mask as I sidestepped the spell, aware the redhead was leading me into the Herald's chains. Toom was aiming for the follow-up with yet another spear. At the same time, Malik held out his hand, mouthing a spell.

  Agility Burst.

  "No more debuffs."

  I appeared before Malik and snapped his wrist in half, shocking everyone with my sudden increase in speed. The air split behind me as I let Gunder's chain connect. The iron wrapped around my right arm, while his second chain smashed into the side of my ribs, shattering its links.

  I shot across the room, dragging Gunder with me, his heels screeching across the ground.

  "I’m sick of mages.”

  "No!" Toom shouted from behind.

  Gunder tried to loosen the chain coiled around him—whether for style or leverage, I wasn't sure, but it was too late. I clotheslined Ember and a handful of guards who were unfortunate enough to get between us. The chain took off the top of her head and split through the torsos of the goons.

  The Herald finally let the chain go and I dropped it, switching to my scythe. I sliced and diced my way through the warehouse. With Agility Burst active, I moved as a blur and the unfortunate guards fell in a flash.

  I admired the scythe’s blade and how it cleanly cut through flesh and bone, shining even when it was splashing blood in a rhythmic glory. The entity's jealousy rose within, and I battered it back down.

  These are all mine.

  I evaded a few more chain whips from behind as I finished off the low level guards in a smooth sweep. By the time they turned for the exit, they were laying in pieces while Daven's supposed triple A team of badasses watched in helpless shock as I decorated the stolen merchandise in blood.

  "I wanted a clean, organized exhibition, and you lot fucked it all up." I walked back toward the survivors, cocking my head at Veigan. "Are you watching this?"

  Toom took the baited opening, lunging in low with his halberd pointed at my gut.

  Wraith Phase

  Ice rushed through my veins and I became weightless as the lights dimmed, shifting through the spear’s tip. I misjudged my speed and overshot the dodge.

  “What was that?” Toom disengaged and slapped his armored chest twice.

  An orange glow shined beneath his flesh, illuminating the inside of his cheeks like he was sucking on a flashlight. He grunted in a strange rhythm, generating an uncomfortable aura of heat.

  Wraith Phase ended and my weight returned, along with the warehouse's bright lights.

  "His speed faltered. Now's our chance,” Malik cried through clenched teeth.

  "Fatal Rotation." Gunder's chains blurred overhead, making me wonder if he was about to take off like a helicopter.

  Enough games.

  Dreadshade.

  The lantern Kelfloss had been holding exploded along with the rest of the abundant lighting. Popping sparks showered the warehouse like fireworks. I sliced through Gunder's chain with the darkness, sending tiny pieces of iron flying in all directions.

  Malik raised his one good hand and I sighed. "Don't do it."

  "Illuminate!"

  Malik's last functioning hand blew apart like he had been holding a stick of dynamite. His pained screams were on the verge of giving me a headache. I impaled him with a shadow spike, which popped out through the front of his face, startling Toom out of his grunting, power channeling trance.

  Veigan scrambled out from underneath the table, his jaw dropped, eyes pulsing out of their sockets. Pure shock and awe.

  Shadows curled off my shoulder, and seeped out from under my feet. Unlike during the entity's feeding time, I possessed full control and the shadows settled around me, forming a steady aura.

  Toom rocketed his massive frame off the ground toward me, halberd aimed for my head. I manifested shadow threads, dismantling his spear. Meanwhile, I raised my right hand and a shadowed hand mirrored the motion. It stretched out of the ground and wrapped around his ankle, searing flesh.

  Toom screamed as I yanked him from the air with too much force. He slammed downward, momentum driving his face into the stone, bursting his brow apart upon impact.

  I palmed my forehead, annoyed by his fragility. I had planned a monologue, but it would feel weird giving it to just Gunder, and Kelfloss who were already one more good scare away from heart failure.

  "This is another mess..."

  The Herald of Chains lunged for Veigan, looking for leverage only to find Garik's knee in his face. Nose bloodied, Gunder stumbled back and I slashed his legs apart with a quick round of shadow chops. He collapsed, bleeding out fast. I ended his misery, severing his head with a passing thought.

  "Where did the Shadow Warden go?" I asked.

  I scanned the warehouse until Karma's Gaze gave him away. Above us, the Shadow Warden lurked or hid, depending on how you looked at it. But from his accelerated heart rate, and trembling muscles, I assumed it was the latter.

  A spike emerged out of the ceiling, turning his safe spot inside out. Intestines rained like party streamers, splattering Kelfloss and Veigan, who finally took full advantage of his raincoat.

  "For such fancy titles, they weren't worth a damn. The money, Kelfloss?"

  "There's over 20,000 gold in ten lockboxes in the wagon outback."

  "You already had it prepared?" I asked.

  Kelfloss took a deep bow. "Of course, I did. I warned them. They didn't listen. I swear to Galdir..."

  "Don't bother. I assure you he's not listening. And did you clean up the Royal Guards?"

  "Yes. As far as the Royal Guard is concerned, those four fled. They're now wanted for insubordination." He gulped and mumbled an apology, eyes closed, sweat and blood dripping from his brow. "Daven will hold me responsible this time, and I'll be replaced," he whispered.

  "Take a few days off. When you hear word of his death, continue business as usual. Me or one of my associates will be back on a regular basis to collect payments."

  +1370 XP

  +415 Karma

  Another drop in the bucket.

  I stepped past the bodies, seeking fresh air out through the back of the warehouse. As Kelfloss promised, a wagon stacked with strongboxes awaited me along with two horses.

  Although the entity's hunger never shut up, its volume had decreased since its feeding. Whether tonight was an appropriate amount of kibble was yet to be determined. Still, walking an undefined edge brought no joy, only uneasiness.

  My own blood lust had taken a backseat and tonight's scuffle failed to scratch the itch. I wished Daven had sent stronger opponents. Instead, I settled for 20,000 gold and a messy exhibition that traumatized Veigan further, rather than convince him of my cause.

  Garik came outside beaming, runny makeup staining his teeth black, and Veigan followed wearing a grim frown.

  "Great work tonight." I placed my hand on Garik's shoulder. "Go pick up Viessa, she's on the roof of the Sentinel's beverage bottling factory three blocks south."

  "Yes, Boss," he said as he dashed away.

  I cleared my throat and peered down at the mage. "Let's go for a ride."