Lumen once again entered the realm of her father that had become almost like a second home to her in the last few years. She certainly spent as much time here as in her own realm, though strictly speaking, she was always present in her own realm since it was like an extension of her. Order had once again pushed another light deity into challenging her position, and the challenger this time had actually put up a respectable fight. The angels drifting away from her had really cut into her strength, however being one of the original top ten deities came with certain benefits and she had managed to prevail.

Usually such challenges did limited lasting damage to the losing party, but Lumen’s patience was starting to run out. She had not been gentle with the challenger this time and had drained most of the divine power the deity had managed to amass, making the god fall steeply in the rankings until his power recovered. That recovery could take anywhere from millennia to eons, depending on the amount of worship he received. She had wanted to set an example to show that the kid gloves were off and that any future challenges came with consequences. Order should have a little more trouble finding volunteers now. On the downside, it didn’t exactly endear her to the other deities. Hopefully Dee would be able to do what she asked in the next century or five.

“There you are sister.” Umbra stated as the being of light came to the dreary campsite. “You almost missed the best part.”

“Oh, I would have to kill Lux if I missed this.” Lumen replied, suddenly in a better mood and sat down to look at the image above the fire. She had been eagerly expecting this.

The image showed Dee and Razark walking through a large temple, with Razark leading the way. “Now be aware that I’m not sure if Shraeska wants to help. My recommendation can go a bit both ways with her.” He was saying with a slightly abashed look.

Dee’s eyebrow shot up. “An old lover?”

“NO!” Razark replied in a hurry. “No. Not a lover, just…well. A friend of sorts.” He continued in a calmer tone.

Before the two even managed to announce their presence, the door banged open. “Razark! You old rascal, what brings you here? I heard your separation with the order wasn’t all that peaceful. Even the freelancers are looking for you for a little chat.” A female draconian stood in the doorway grinning at Razark before she noticed Dee. “Well, if it isn’t my old patient. How are the arms treating you? Still working alright?”

“Stellar. Just like new.” Dee replied with a growing smile and waved her hands around for a small demonstration. This draconian was not exactly like most of her kind. Dee could also see why Razark would deny an affair. Draconians were much like Saurians in appearance and required very particular tastes if one was to get attracted.

“Is she the one?” The draconian asked while pointing at Dee.

“The one what?” Razark asked with suspicion.

“Well didn’t you originally get kicked out of the order for fraternizing with your underage disciple?” The woman asked with her toothy grin widening. Dee and the draconian both knew she was just teasing Razark, but the poor man was too flustered.

“NO! Gods damn the grandmaster for still letting that rumor spread. It’s all false! Just an excuse to give plausible deniability!” Razark claimed angrily.

“Awfully quick to deny all romantic affiliations.” Dee said with a faked disappointment in her voice and shook her head.

“Perhaps he’s trying to avoid taking responsibility?” The draconian suggested. “Are you a womanizer Razark? Is that it? You sleep around and then deny any and all connections. You get what you want and then run?”

Razark gave up with a sigh as he realized his defeat. “Shraeska, please. We’re here on serious business.”

“Well, you did say please, so I suppose I should encourage that good behavior at least. Come in, both of you.” As the two passed, the priestess seemed to sense something. “Well, well. The last time I saw you, you were definitely much weaker, and now you feel like an immortal. Congratulations are in order. Nice job. If I’m not mistaken, you might be even stronger than me now. Being a full healer doesn’t exactly do wonders for my battle ability.”

Dee simply looked at the woman with a questioning look. She was surprised that the priestess had seen through the protections set by Xinglong, and she was hiding her strength with the Authority as well.

“Oh don’t worry. It comes with the territory when you’re an expert healer. Your senses get really strong to compensate for the fact that most people hide their strength and wounds even when close to death. Yet the information is necessary for saving their lives, so we have been forced to develop our own ways to compensate. I can’t actually feel your strength, but I can feel a sense of danger that was not present before, and my blessing is telling me that I should not pick a fight with you.” Shraeska explained.

“Smart blessing.” Razark mumbled. “She kicked master’s ass just a while ago.”

Shraeska’s eyes widened just a bit. “Well then. Did he tell you his name finally? I realize you can’t tell me, but I just want to know he had to tell someone. He was so smug about no one being worthy enough to hear it back then.”

Dee nodded in confirmation but continued. “I might have beaten him last time, but I think I would not have such an easy time next time.”

“Still, that’s saying something. Ah, I think I know why you’re here then. Poor Razark has always been a bit of an idiot when it comes to holy powers and judging by the feeling I’m getting, your blessings have reached the level of an immortal, so you’re not a lughead like him. Wise choice. You’re here to find out what happens now since the lughead doesn’t really have immortal priest friends aside from me.”

Dee decided not to correct the misunderstanding about her becoming immortal due to her holy powers since the holy symbols had been connected with her totem anyway. Besides, if she had been immortal purely for that reason, then how could she have beaten the old man with no immortal level holy spells? Shraeska would figure it out eventually. “Yes, well, like you said, I’m in the need of some guidance. My holy spells training never got all that high ranked. I was a paladin after all, and the basic training didn’t really cover everything. A priestess tried to teach me more holy spells when I was a child, but despite being the priestess of a God of Knowledge, her own rank and thus access to spells was a bit limited.”

“Yes, I can see how that would be a problem, though I’m surprised you got this far without finding out. I can show you some of the higher ranked spells, though for immortals things are a little different. Truly you should have found out about this by now.” Shraeska explained genuinely surprised and looked at Dee a little weirdly.

“Why?” Dee’s eye twitched a little in annoyance as she had a sneaking suspicion what was going on.

“Here it comes!” Both Lumen and Umbra cheered, and even Death had a small smile on her normally stoic face.

“Well, no matter the deity, by the time one becomes immortal, you become important to the deity as a servant. Usually that comes with an upgrade to your blessing, especially as you dedicate your totem to their service. They will personally impart you with their knowledge. The spells and abilities you get depend on the blessing and the deity. I’m somewhat surprised your deities didn’t explain this already the last time you prayed. Usually only the priests of deities high ranking enough to support immortals get that far in the first place, so that should not be a problem.” Shraeska explained.

“GODS DAMMIT!” Dee cursed with a sudden outburst as she exited the room to fume in peace.

“There we go!” Umbra declared victoriously while lifting her hands in a cheer.

“That’s what you get for praying so rarely.” Lumen also stated sagely. “I’m anticipating this meeting with some pleasure.”

“Wait for your turn sister dearest. We agreed that I would go first since she got trained by the servants of the light gods.” Umbra was practically beaming with pleasure. And considering she was the Goddess of Darkness, she naturally radiated more of the dark void she seemed to be surrounded by.

“I have another idea.” Death suddenly suggested. That caught the other three by surprise. “How about if I handle her training in the darker side of spells, while you can go ahead and show her how that damn blessing of yours works. We know you’d rather do that anyway. I don’t need to instruct her with my blessing, so I can do the general spells.” The same restrictions that had kept them from instructing Dee on the blessings no longer held so strictly. The only problem was that Dee had to come to them, seeking help. They couldn’t just volunteer the information.

“Why do I have a feeling there’s a catch here?” Umbra asked with suspicion. She was someone who dealt in plots and secrets after all.

“You’d figure it out pretty quickly anyway, so I might as well tell you. The darker holy spells fall more into my field, considering your blessing covers the other things nicely. Also, if she focuses more on my spells, those same spells benefit from my blessing. It’s a win for everyone either way.” Death explained simply. She wasn’t wrong, as some of the most powerful offensive holy spells of the high rank used the element of death. Darkness and chaos were better for confusion and debilitating your opponent, both of which could be achieved with Umbra’s blessing anyway. She neglected to mention that using mostly death spells would be a tribute to her as a deity, but they all understood that much.

While the goddesses argued, the situation in the temple remained. “I get the feeling there’s some issue here?” Shraeska asked with a questioning tone.

“Let’s just say that her relationship with the deities is not the simplest one.” Razark replied, deciding to obfuscate the truth a little. “She’ll calm down and be back pretty soon.”

“Well, I suppose we can’t all have a harmonious relationship with the deities. Though I suppose I should’ve known a disciple of yours would have problems with her deity.” Shraeska stated sagely and said a small silent prayer in her head.

It actually didn’t take all that long for Dee to calm down and be back. “Alright. I’m calm now. I’m ready for some instruction whenever you are. Luckily I learn fast. I don’t suppose you have a dark priest you could introduce me to for the same favor? I happen to have a dual blessing.”

“Truly? Well, as it happens, I actually do. Or should I say we have some mutual friends? The person I’m thinking will not work for free, though they shouldn’t ask too steep of a price from an immortal as strong as you. They don’t have the courage. I’ll be glad to teach a psion as I’ve always heard of the learning abilities of your kind, but never got to test them in practice.” Shraeska stated. She was a more open-minded priestess than many others of those serving the light gods. She had nothing against the dark priests on principle. So as long as they acted properly, they would have no trouble with her. She was a healer, not a templar.

“I’m pretty sure the Four Winds can foot the bill on this one. You did them a rather major favor with the Beholders and Qiraj. Without you, the whole thing would’ve turned into a mess.” Razark pointed out. “Just…ask someone else besides Smoky.”

-----------

Dee found herself in the moon palace made of dark marble that she had come to associate with Umbra. This time she was already inside the palace and was standing in a garden, surrounded by black roses. “Still the same unicolor motif.” She said mostly to herself.

“You commented on the same thing the last time you were here. Or to be more precise, you thought about it. Pity I can’t read your thoughts anymore. What fun things I might find inside.” A voice came out from a black gazebo placed a short distance away. The goddess made of pure shadows and darkness was looking at her with some amusement clear on her face.

“You called it an occupational hazard as I recall.” Dee stated waving at the dark surroundings. “You know why I’m here I presume.”

“I know. However, there’s something that needs to happen before that. This resentment you seem to be gathering against us needs to stop. I can see why you would want to reject your future destiny, as you hate being controlled. However, you need to realize that you will never shake the control of others before you reach the level of absolute power. Until then, there will be demands and expectations placed on you, if not by us then others. Power begets those that want a piece of it. What you also need to realize is the difference between malicious demands aiming to control you or benefit from you, and those willing to trade with you fairly.” Umbra explained her point calmly.

Dee waved for her to continue. “My sister and I have placed expectations on you, but you realize well that it’s mostly because you are the most appropriate one to deal with those expectations. With your little stunt with our holy symbols, we’re now both committed to this path. However, we are willing to compensate you. That will help you on your path towards the absolute power you require. We are not the enemy, even if we may have given a different impression at times. We might, in fact, end up being your best and only allies once you leave Pantheon.”

Dee considered Umbra’s words for a while. What irritated her was the combination of two things. Yes, the goals of the two goddesses aligned with hers to an extent, so it made sense for them to work together. However, she wasn’t asked. She was simply set on this path before she had a proper idea of what it would entail. The other thing was her now natural distaste for anyone trying to control her and push her in the direction they wanted. Yet, Umbra was not wrong. She and Lumen were not the enemy.

“Fine. I will do my part and keep in touch more closely.” Dee finally agreed. What was done was done. “You know why I’m here.”

“There’s still the one thing I said needed to happen. Your resentment is just a part of it. We all know what your totem stands for, and that you will not serve us. That doesn’t mean we can’t treat each other with civility. You’re asking something of us. What is the civil thing to do in such a situation?” Umbra tried pushing her luck a little, but it was to drive the point home.

Dee knew what she meant. This would be a step towards a new path in the relationship between her and the gods. Yet, it was a step she needed to take. “Please.” She stated simply but sincerely.

“I’d be happy to help.” Umbra replied with a smile. “Now, we have divvied up the parts that we need to teach you, and it’s my job to help you understand my blessing better. Yes, I realize you came here to find more holy spells, but this will help you accomplish the same goal of using your holy power more effectively. And it will help you with the blessing at the same time, so it’s a dual benefit.”

Dee once again gestured the goddess to continue. She was here to learn to utilize her holy power. The method was somewhat irrelevant as long as it was effective. It had to be said that the gods were the experts in this, so she deferred to their judgement. It was in their interest for Dee to grow in power as well.

“Start by sending your senses into the shadows. The key to truly utilizing them is simple yet profound. You need to realize that the shadows are all one. There aren’t an endless amount of separate shadows, instead there’s just one shadow that is everywhere. Once you become one with the shadows around you, you become one with all the shadows. I know you experimented with moving either yourself or some objects between shadows when you realized they were connected, but that you failed because you didn’t realize that there are no separate shadows. Once you or an object enters the shadows, you can exit elsewhere as the shadow is the same everywhere. There is no need to move between them. Everything stems from the realization that shadows are one.” Umbra explained in an almost hypnotic voice as Dee had closed her eyes to concentrate better.

It had to be said that the current surroundings were optimal for such training as shadows and darkness were everywhere. She could see herself and the goddess from multiple angles as she looked out of the shadow. The shadow had eyes and she could use them. She tried moving herself to another place. It seemed like a small orb of shadows surrounded her and consumed her as she disappeared from her old location, and another similar orb of shadow grew at her destination and seemed to spit her out. The process wasn’t fast, but she could improve on that. Perhaps not enough to become effective in combat, but still. She had a feeling moving objects would be easier.

“Is there a limit?” Dee asked. This seemed faster than her portals. She somewhat answered her own question as she tried seeing further away and eventually seemed to run into a wall of sorts.

“You may have noted just now that there is. The limits always depend on the individual. Your control of the shadows is stronger than most, but it is limited to a certain area. That area seems to be equal to the area your Domain extends to. It’s pretty far for practical purposes and will continue to grow as your Domain does, but this can’t be used in the same way as your portals. That’s not the point. You will figure out all the implications on your own. We can discuss this further as you pray and come back here. For now, we have another matter to talk about before you move on. There is much more for you to learn, but this should come first.”

“Another matter?” Dee asked. She had a hunch about where this was going.

“Yes. The spirits in the shadows. When you were fighting the Beholder, you brought your enemy into the shadows, which allowed the spirits to attack. However, most enemies would not just allow that to happen. If the Anshar wasn’t there, the Beholder would not have allowed it to happen either. It was distracted and thought it had a counter to whatever you were doing. But the spirits don’t have to remain in the shadows. You can bring them out with your power and command them.” Umbra explained.

“How strong would they be outside the shadows?” Dee asked considering the possibilities.

“That depends. While in the shadows, they don’t really have a body. You have to give them one when you bring them out. Their power is directly related to how much of your holy power you put into giving them a body. If you give a little, they will come out as a simple shade. If you give enough, they might come out as a Shadow Dragon. This is something you need to test elsewhere as this place is obviously within the realm of shadows. But you only needed a push. The rest you will want to figure out yourself anyway.” Umbra truly knew Dee’s personality. Dee would rather figure things out herself than blindly trust what someone else told her. That way she would know the limits and might even improve on what she learned.

“Judging by your look, there’s something else.” Dee suddenly noted the difficult look on Umbra’s face.

“Well, I didn’t really want to tell you this, but I made a promise. We all know your Domain and totem are heavily influenced by the element of death. As a result, you can influence the spirits from the shadows as well. They don’t really care and just want to be of service. This doesn’t make you a necromancer exactly, but do keep in mind that you could create a spirit of death or a reaper just as easily as a shade or any other shadow creature. They can be a combination of both elements as well. Just don’t try to create something like a skeleton or a zombie. Those are undead and against Death’s will.” Umbra explained with a sigh.

Dee decided to surprise the goddess as their little lesson was drawing to a close. “Thank you.” She stated simply.

“You’re very welcome. You’re going to Lumen next. She might not mention it, but she is being pressured rather heavily. I don’t think she has more than a few hundred years left before Order can oust her. She’s an enemy, but still my sister, so I’d rather keep her around than have some pompous god of light that serves Order in her place. Just something to keep in mind.” Umbra decided to show some sympathy for her sister, as she knew Lumen was too proud to say anything.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I won’t make promises, but I will keep that in mind.” Dee replied.

“That’s all I ask. Off you go then.” The goddess waved her hand, making Dee vanish from her realm. She looked at the world below. “I sense great changes are coming soon anyway. You might not have much choice but to leave when that change comes. I can sense the servants of the sun making their move, and the sun always has a nasty habit of dispersing the shadows.”