Chapter 36 - Into the shadows

Riins POV

Shadowfell, Region Unknown - Date Unknown

The sound of the wind hitting something broken was that woke me from the sweet nothingness, the feeling of a cold rough floor, the taste of stillness in the air and a complete lack of light, that was what surrounded me. Slowly I got myself up in a sitting position, darkvision did it's work and the room lit up around me in dark shades. Much like the smaller room I had been in before I lost my consciousness, the room was a mirror of that, twisted into a dark form of its true self. Plane of Shadows, it had been called in one of the books that I had gotten my hands on, a twisted world of the mortal realm, even the wind gripping the broken door seemed to be black. Looking around I could see none of my packed items, the only things in my position is the cloth on my back and the swords I had in my hands as I lost consciousness… Well, had better find myself some food.

I stand on uneasy legs as I begin to move away from the room, my grip on the swords handles increase as the broken door give away to a view of death or more like a deserted landscape twisted into a horrid form of its ‘true’ self. The shadow realm truly is a twisted version of the mortal realm, the words keep ringing in my head again and again. The mountain is nothing but a pile of massive rocks, as if a meteor had landed on top of it, broken and ruined. My stomach grumbles, for how long was I out? Looking around I start to collect broken off sticks to get a fire going. As my luck, would have it the sound of growling reach my ears moments before a shadow is being flung towards me. No, the shadow is not thrown at me but had by in self jumped towards me. The shape of a big dog appears before my eyes, as if stepping out of the shadows itself. Only one word comes to mind as I stare into the yellow glowing eyes, twisted. The amount of teeth’s in a jagged row, lagging any form of skin to cover them, the bones that has become spike like sticking out of the… Animal, it's a dark horrid form of a dog. The quick break in its momentum as I push myself to the side and it spins around letting out a feral snarl at me, as I let my sword slice into its side as I jump away. Thick… blood, like glue, slowly leaves the cut. It wastes no time in jumping at me once more with its jaws wide apart, ready to bid down onto my flesh. Animal, human, they are all the same when in the air, I push myself to meet the dog in its jump towards me, pushing my sword into the head, feeling the flesh and skull give away to the momentum of the jump and the sharpness of the sword. Only a short whine leaves its mouth before we are both thrown to the ground by the sheer force of its jump, with a heavy sound we tumble into the dirt. Well, I guess dinner is fixed.

You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [1] [Shadow Affinity]!

Hmm, no [Blood Knowledge]? Oh well, I don't have to luxury of thinking more into it now, not knowing what lurks out here. I drag the dead dog or hound as the world system calls it, in front of the broken door and begin to cut into its thick hide. After a good amount of work, I finally get the hide free from the meat and begin the work of cutting all the meat into easy to handle bits. I grab my stack of half-forgotten sticks and head back into the room. Once there I remove one of the broken stone plates acting as a floor, creating free access to the dirt beneath. Having dug out a hole I begin the work or putting sticks down and smacking two rocks together, trying to create fire. What feels like hours afterwards, I finally get a small fire going. The first real light I have seen in the place. Sticking the meat on a larger more durable stick I begin grilling up some meat, man in some way I really miss vegetables. A while after the meat is finally cooked enough to eat and I devour the lump with glee.

Ability to gain [Shadow Affinity] has been increased.

I have come to realize that this world does not have a day-night cycle, but is in a constant cover of darkness. Not that I did not know that, I mean I read about it, but still as they say seeing is believing. What I have come to believe as the ‘night’ of this world is the colder period of the so called ‘day’. At this time the wind picks up and the world grows even more unforgivable than in the ‘day’ time. I have been walking around slowly seeing more and more of the area around me, doing this I have seen what the writers of the books and scrolls ment by ‘a twisted and horrid realm’. The dog that I killed after arriving here is what you would call a lesser beast of this world. Like a twisted version of its former self, it feed on anything it can take down and runs from anything it can't. It's hide is a mixture of the normal skin and a type of natural hardened leather, woven together it forms a mixed skin of hide, that it wares as its suit of armour.

The room that I awoke in has become my base of operation. I have somewhat fixed the door, I'm glad that's it is a single door and not a double door, that seals the room from the rest of the ‘world’. What's left of the temple in this realm is broken stone pillars and large wall pieces, some of it I have used as a improvised fencing, that and some rows of spiked wooden sticks. I hear them in the night as the wind takes, they howl. I think of this as week one counting by the darken winds, yet it is beginning to flow together, as I see everything in shades of black and dark grey. I found a small pond of water around twenty minutes from my base, it tasted normal. I kind of had expected it to taste different than the mortal realms water.

Week Two

I got attacked by two dogs as I was out walking the area. I'm sure now that they process shadow magic in some form. They blend into the shadows like a chameleon would blend with the surroundings. I'm glad I spent that half year training like a madman. I jumped backwards and got rammed by the second one that was at this point still in hiding. The sword to most of the force behind the charge at me, but I'm sure that I got my ribs pressed. I repaid in full by stabbing my sword into it chest, piercing it's hearth. Letting go of my sword stuck in the beast I'm forced to retreat backwards once more as the other one charges towards me again. I avoid and a cat and mouse game begins, with me being the mouse… One of its bone spikes slash open my left upper arm, drawing blood. It jumps and I fall to the ground. Fending of the jaw of hell with my sword I'm slowly losing the battle, it is now or never as the beast draws back to once more bite at me. A turn of the sword and using the ground as a helping hand the dog charges to bites down and is speared by the sword. Covered by dirt and blood I treat by wound the best I can. I then begin dragging the dogs back to base.

You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! Congratulations! You have reached level 6! You are well ahead of your age and race. You now have the chance to select a free spell. Choice One, [Blood Magic: Blood Orb]. Choice Two, [Shadow Magic: Shadow Grasp], please select your choice.

Hmm, can I gain more information about the two spells? More information!

…

…

[Blood Magic: Blood Orb], create a orb from your own blood, controlled by your will. [Shadow Magic: Shadow Grasp], use your own shadow to hold an opponent grounded. Please select your choice.

Well, it says free spell so I must get the choice to gain the spell that I don't choose now later, right? Yeah, let’s hope so. [Shadow Magic: Shadow Grasp].

…

Spell [Shadow Magic: Shadow Grasp] has been granted to your memory. You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]!

A sharp pain pierces my head, making me fall to the ground hold it, fuck fuck fucking fuck! This hurts more than I broken skull. My sight goes black and when it returns I only see dark dots, fuck! No, warning label!? I get up from the ground, not that it matters much now, I'm fully covered in dirt and mud. Dragging the death dogs back, I drop to the ground holding my head, a fleeing look at the door tells me it's closed and to the best of my ability locked. I pass out from the pain.

Week Three

Experience: 525 Next level: 31.475 Strength 26 [+1] Dexterity 26 [+1] Constitution 13 Intelligent 25 Wisdom 20 Charisma 10

The hell… Oh man, you gotta be taking the piss on me… I stare and stare on the small window that show up in my mind's eye, yet nothing changes. I don't know what I'm most unsatisfied with, the amount of experience to I get a level or the really low stat in my charisma… Yeah, life sucks balls with hair on. It the system saying that I'm ugly? Looking down at myself I don't really see anything that would make me ‘ugly’ in that sense… It can't be my dick right!? I pull my pants out and take a hard-long look… Nope, looks normal to me, in some ways better than my old one… Man, can't believe I just said that - I send a small apology to my old body's lower part, but really it does, I mean the dick I have now, - fuck this is starting to confuse me… It's more or less completely straight from the base to the head, grabbing a feel, yep, a good size, I would say. Man, the system has gotten me to ramble on about my dick! Okay here and now let's not talk more about my dick and focus on something else… Like… My body? For a thirteen year old, I don't look bad at all, I think. I'm not thin or fat, my body is mostly finely trained muscles, some scars, yes, but nothing my makes me look plain ugly I would say. Well, I guess that I'm not a pretty boy or an ugly child, just normal I guess.

The weeks here have taken a toll on my clothing, so with the dead dogs I must make something that will replace the clothing I'm having on now. The intestines will be used as string, first they must be cut into long strips then put up to dry. I will treat the hide as any other hide and hand it to dry as well. Now, the waiting begins. Slowly the days pass and the growling and howls of the hound’s sound as I sit in my little hut waiting and taking care of the fragile intestines as I use as little energy as I can, before I must go out there among the beasts of the shadows.

I drink the last of my water from the water skin, today I will need to go out there, my cloth is of no protection from the attacks and my shoes are starting to look worn out as well. I need firewood as well, so I will need to go out. I put down the bone needle carved from the bone of the dead dogs, with a lot of hard work I might add. Grabbing my swords and the water skin I strap to my belt. I go the door.

As the door swings open I set off into a sprint towards the lake. I run in a quick tempo as I keep an eye out for the dogs lurking in the shadows. I can see the lake, but I know they are around, the moment I stop they will strike down, jaws wide apart and ready to rip away my flesh. Swords ready I do a quick full spin around, - they here!, I come face to face with a pair of glowing eyes and a set of sharp fangs heading my way.

Shadow Grasp!

As I yell out the spells name in my mind, I can feel my own shadow move about, like a part of you is sleeping and you start to massage it to get the blood flowing again. I feel a part of my grab hold of the dog's front legs forcing it head first into the ground before me. I'm in awe, yet I can't waste any time. I ram the sword with all my might down into the top of the hound’s head, destroying flesh and crushing the skull. I get to time to rest as a new attacker strikes from the right, my almost healed rips get a two hundred something lb. slammed into my body, destroying anything that might have healed. A good strike from below open its throat, a mix of the thick blood and the sound of air escaping the body in a wrong way fill the battleground for a short time before a new attacker make its move. With no room to move I use my trump card again.

Shadow Grasp!

Much like the first dog it slams into the ground a short distance ahead of me, now it become as battle of will and strength. I must move the body that is half on top of me and hold the feral dog’s jaws from getting any closer to me than they are. I lose focus for a split second, it strikes. A paw of jagged overly long claws strikes down towards me. I swing the sword with all the force I can from the bad spot I'm in. The sword get stuck on the bone, half inside the massive leg, but I stopped the strike. A wine and a growl is released from the dog as it's skin is priced and flesh sliced.

Shadow Grasp!

I get a hold of it once more, dark dots form in my view, over use of mana!? How much did the spell cost!? Fuck! I slice the back of the neck ending its life. I need to get back to the room now! Scooping up water in a hurry I move as fast as I can back towards the base, as my sight blackens and the sound of wind resounds in my ears. The door closed, I collapse in a mess of sweat.

You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]!

Note to self, don't use [Shadow Grab] more than two times a day and focus on the target of the spell when cast!

Week Four

For the past week, I have been mending my busted rib cage and trying my hardest to made clothing out of the hide from the hounds. Spending my time out only to collect firewood and only in the ‘day’ time, the time with the least amount of activity from the beasts that hunt. I have made a pair of simple pants, they are a slimmer version of my old ones, more tight fitting then before. The shirt was a whole different matter altogether, in the end I decided to made a long-armed shirt with a hood on it. Hoping it will give me more stealth since more of myself is hidden beneath the hide of the hounds. The sheer work of sewing with the beaded intestines and a crude bone needle took all of my patients, but in the end, I'm very happy with my work.

The connection of my swords keep getting worse and worse, but the question remains how do you mend a sword made of a type of bone? That got me thinking for quite a while. It says spirit bone, vein type, when checking its information window, so how about trying to infuse mana directly into the sword.

You have discovered a way to strengthen spirit weapons with vein type by yourself! By doing so you are granted +2 [Wisdom]!

The rest of the days I spent resting and mending my body and infusing all my mana into my swords.

Week Five

A week of resting had done well for my pressed ribs, and I had time to get my new clothing to sit well on my body. The mana I spent purring into the swords had granted me the skill [Mana Infusion], as I sat there putting mana into one of my swords the systems popped up with.

By continuously purring mana into an item of the vein type you have gained, [Skill: Mana Infusion]. The skill lowers the rate at which your mana is consumed when infusing an item that accepts mana.

And so, I spent my week, sitting cross legged in front of the slowly burning campfire with a sword in hand, in my new leather clothing. Resting, I needed time to get my ribs back on track again, if i kept on getting them damaged I would add permanent damage to them and not just the pressed, sore and half broken conditions they were in now.

Week Six

Two weeks of sitting still, only going out when water or wood for the fireplace was needed had made me a bit restless. By the time my ribs were fine and dandy I had a great need to run around like a mad screaming ‘I'm free, I'm free!’ but I did not do that as it would have been almost hundred percent suicide if done. I mean one is the all the beast would be ‘Oh, free meal’ and second would be that I would regret it just after having done it as I would have been looking completely and utterly stupid by doing so.

While I sat inside and waited I came to think about my plan here, in my extreme excitement of getting to another realm, I kind of lost it and just went with it. To my great regret, I don't know how to get back home, well that not quite right I know how I get home, just not know. Does it make sense yet? Good! Now let's find out if there are any settlements near here, they should know how. One of the books authors, wrote that there are many ways to ‘walk’ among the planes. For Shadowfell, one of the options are a Darkstone, a magic stone that connect one point in the mortal realm with one in the shadow realm, but with this method both must be place one have been before or the previous owner of the Darkstone has been to. So, with no money I need something to banter with if I find people here. Luckily, I know that most inhabitants here speak common, so as far as that goes I'm not going to have any problems in talking to them, that is if I can find anyone. The ones I'm most likely to find using a Darkstone is some kind of elf race according to one of the books, they were described as ‘Shadow Cursed’ known as shadow fey or a more commonly used name for them is Shadar-kai. They seem to be the main users of the Darkstone's and might also be the one who has designed them for all I know, even if the books said nothing about the method to craft or create a Darkstone.

The Shadar-kai, is one of the native people of Shadowfell, usually slightly taller than an average human. They are supposed to have a gray skin tone and dark eyes, their culture seems to embrace body piercings and tattoos, according to the book's author. He also states that they live a society working by the rule of meritocratic, - a rule based on power and prestige of deeds, I like these guys!

The Shadow Curse, is a curse affecting the very soul of a being. If a Shadar-kai is anywhere else than Shadowfell, when stunned or knocked unconscious, a part of their soul is sent back to the Plane of Shadow. A shadar-kai missing parts of his or her soul is a weakened member of the tribe. The author states that, ‘The curse has made shadar-kai bitter and prevented many from staying on the Prime Material Plane’. But for those of them that wish to stay on the Prime Material Plane or the Mortal Realm in Daily speech. The Shadow Curse can be prevented by a using a item called ‘Gal-ralan’, which in essence is a ‘iron armband with needles’ that kept the shadar-kai's soul and body connected but also caused constant pain. With that I see they almost all the race chose to stay and alive their lives in the Shadow Plane.

Another option is a gate, but again not something I can made myself as it involves runes, while I would very much like to know how to write and use runes, I simply have no clue where to look for them or anyone who might know how to use them. But when I read about a gate and runes I was like ‘Wow, so much like that old movie with a space gate!’. But after reading the note the author had done on this part, it worked more like a door then anything.

The third option and what I hope to use is called Rift Walking or Shadow Crossing. Shadow Crossing is used by performing a simple, [Shadow Passage Ritual]. Saying that, ‘Places where the boundary between the world and the Shadowfell are thin are known as shadow crossings.’ Must mean that there exist more or more is created as time goes by. I mean, ‘Some intersections are naturally occurring, the result of ancient planar conjunctions or catastrophes. These crossings often occur in low-lying, deeply shadowed spots—forested hollows, mist-blanketed bogs, or the bottoms of caverns and ravines. Other junctions form in places where the forces of death are prevalent—graveyards, battlefields, and other places that bore witness to mass death.’ can't really mean anything else, can it? My only problem on this is that while the author had the way ‘here’ covered, - ‘Where shadows lie thick in the world, you can push aside the veil and step into the Shadows.’ The way back was not in any of the books he wrote. But the book did state that ‘On rare occasions, travelers have stumbled into it by accident’. But what is does says it that when active, shadow crossings permit travelers to shift from the mortal world to the corresponding location in the Shadowfell, - Again my problem… What interest me the most is, ‘Few shadow crossings are continuously active. Most activate only under the right conditions, such as certain times of day, certain days of the year, or when various celestial phenomena take place, eclipses or new moons, to name a few.’ But if I do manage to find a crossing then according to the book, ‘Travelers can activate a dormant crossing, by using the Shadow Passage ritual, - which by my own opinion is much easier than having to create a new portal or using one of those pesky Planar Portal ritual.’ had a good laugh at that one. But most important is the note, ‘When you perform this ritual, you shift yourself and up to eight allies from Mortal Realm to a corresponding location in Shadowfell or from the Shadowfell to a corresponding location in the Mortal Realm’.

But for all this to happen or for me to get a chance to get home I need to locate some people. For that to happen I need to move from where I'm currently at. But for me to move I need to be able to carry items or anything other than my swords and a handful of firewood, so that made me think of the options I have. After much thought, I came up with the idea to create a backpack out of one or two skins from the hounds, since they seem to be the easiest to come across in this area. Having decided on a plan of action I went and settled in, waiting for night to fall. As the winds grew darker I began to hear the howling of the hound, marking my time to hunt. Having found the area near the pond to be the most crowded spot, I got myself ready and headed out.

Opening the door, I begin my run towards the pond, swords in hand and eyes open. I don't have to look long as only a few hundred feet from my house, I'm attacked by the first dog, making me break momentum from my run to do a full stop so that I can jump backwards. Their attack pattern is simple, too spot once you get the hang of their movements, making them easy prey. For that is what they had become to me, prey, made food and clothing, nothing more. The hound turns to attack me again as I slice one of its legs off, not my aim but hey what can you do. A high-pitched whine is let loose from the dog, soon a feral growl is send my way. A few more side steps and some close calls and I bring down my foe.

You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]!

I return for the night with my prey in hand.

Week Seven

The week is spent hunting down one hound after another getting enough materials to craft a good-sized backpack. Three more hound die by my blade in the following week and I add a long slice in my right low leg to my growing collection of scars.

You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]!

Slowly the skin from last week are starting to be ready for working.

Week Eight

Working on the hide of one of the hounds I use the in-between time to create more tread from the hound’s intestines and to my great annoyance I will need to craft at least two more bone needles at the rate I'm working them. I begin to work the bones into smaller pieces from which I can select the most promising bits from. One hide is ready now all there is left is waiting for at least one more so I can begin my work of sewing together a traveling backpack.

Week Nine

As I sit and sew patches of hide together I don't see much change in the weather, in fact I don't believe that this realm has the whole mortal realms year cycle, from spring to winter. I'm starting to see better in the dark or should I say I'm starting to see colors outside the house without the help of the light from the fire. My only conclusion is that my prolonged eating of ‘shadow dwelling animals’ had made a change in my body and the way light and darkness is processed within my brain. While doing the mindless work of tanning the hide and creating thread form intestines, I have come to think about the fact that I don't really know where to look for people. I know that there are supposed to live people in the woods, as so I guess that will be my best bid on finding anyone at all in this forsaken place. While I do say forsaken, I have nothing against it, in fact I feel quite at ease here.

Week Ten

I finished my work travel backpack today, while waiting for the rest of the hide to be ready I have smoked all the hound meat that I got from the past weeks. I packed them into what remained of my old cotton shirt, I did my best to wash it before packing my meals in it, just so you know.

Week Eleven

Today begin my first day of travel into the wildness that surrounds me, my goal? Civilization or any clue as where it might be at least. I know from the few records that was written down in the books that a few big cities exist with Shadowfell, now the only thing I need to do is find one of them or even a small town or village. I begin to walk in a steady pace along the animal trails that exist with the forest, hoping that I somehow with find a road or the likes.

This week alone I have been attacked by eight stupid dogs and I took down what I think or at least hope was a deer. It had antlers, so since it was smaller than a moose, in my head it was instantaneously catalogued as a part of the deer family. I found that [Shadow Grab] works wonders on fast but weak animals like the deer, when the only thing you have is a pair of swords to work with. I also learned that anything over two uses of [Shadow Grab] has me dizzy and down with motion like sickness, from over using my mana.

You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Hound] by doing so you have gained 450 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]! You have slain a [Shadow Deer] by doing so you have gained 10 experience! You have gained [2] [Shadow Affinity]!

Still thinking back on that last one ten experience is nothing compared to one of those fucking dogs or even a giant spider, no offence little one. While walking along on my way, I have been thinking about how to get in contact with my little one, all I know is that no distance can break the familiar bound since it's created by some kind of ancient magic or so father told me, now I can only hope that it holds true.

Week Twelve

I have been walking in a steady pace for the past two weeks are so, a few hounds has been trailing close behind me for the past few days without getting close enough to launch an attack, yet close enough not to lose sight of me and in turn I of them. I don't know if they smell the blood of their kin on me or they only see me as food but getting followed by a growing group of beasts is starting to become a serious matter. I can no longer ignore them as their numbers are now over ten, not something I can handle with ease. I will have to play it the smart way and wait for any stranglers that stray from the pack and kill them off.

Elisa's POV

Flood Village, Flinty Region - Early Summer.

Three seasons has passed us by since I saw either of my beloved family, Raval is according to his letters still working on the new weapons for the coming war but fear that even the weapon markers will be send to the front. No word has come from my sweet child, I fear the worst but hope for the best. I pray to the goddess of the wild to guide him home to us. It is hard to believe that our family has grown by one, Ellette has been a great help with the little one, a girl. I have given my sweet little baby girl the name, Laila. It is an old name meaning ‘guardian of the wild’ and I pray that you will come to know your father and older brother… So as I pray I hope that by naming my newborn by one of the goddess old names that it will please her.