I was commanded to leave the blood-binders shoulder, after he had disbanded the bond between us. Boy, did he look relieved, when i flew over to the girl, that was no girl, who wordlessly put me on her arm.

The humans were awkwardly trying to gloss over what had just happened, eyeing me cautiosly, while my new master flawlessly played along, the image of a perfectly harmless child.

Damn she was good. But i started to wonder. What, the frozen hell, did someone of her prowess do in an insignificant human settlement, on the boundaries of nowhere? Acting as the daughter of people, who bore no weight, none at all, on the Scales that decided the world?

There were a few options, i could think of.

My favorite:

She was scheming. A plan even i could not grasp, despite having the experience of a thousand lifetimes. I expected nothing less, and this would just be marvelous.

Still, other possibilities existed and one of them, in particular, made me shiver.

Exile. Or hiding.

As creature of war, i couldn't feel fear, but this came close. Because who, the fuck, was so far beyond the scope, that he could pass down judgement onto one in her paygrade?

I wanted to know, which option it was. To be able to serve, to the best of my ability.

This was a legit question to ask, for a subordinate.

"Master, dare this one speak?" I spoke up.

The girl froze, for a brief moment. I only noticed, because her arm tensed up for the shortest blip of time. Did i do something wrong?

"Call me Alira. Your name is Galdir, right?" She responded, almost meekly.

"I humbly submit, that is correct, master." Calling her by her name, that was just gravely inappropriate. Even though it was probably not her real name. I was not sure the real her even had a name.

"Geez, don't be so stiff. As my familiar, there is no need for it, really." She sounded way less meek now, slightly annoyed even. Oh damn, i am not gonna be elected employee of the month this way.

"Understood, master.. Alira." I couldn't bring myself to completely disregard honorifics.

"Good enough.. so, what is it?" She sighed.

"Might i suggest to have the remainder of this conversation in private? It is of utmost importance." Can't have lowly mortals listen in, on what i imagined to be the greatest description of a scheme in centuries, if not ever.

Her so called 'parents' looked uneasy, but she and, surprisingly, the blood-binder, backed me up.

"Mom, dad, it will be fine. Don't worry so much."

"He made a contract that can not be circumvented. She will be safe. Galdir is her familiar now, this will have to happen sooner or later anyway." The blood-binder added, visibly calming the parents down somewhat.

"If he does something, call for us!" Her father told, as she left towards her room.

...

"So?" Alira had set me down on her bed, taking place right next to me.

Her room was so unworthy to be called that, it made me cringe. A simple bed with a straw mat, a ragged linen blanket, a small closet, scrambled together in a room with the dimensions of a carriage. One like her deserved to live in castles, made of space and time itself. Filled with all the riches of the world, legions of butlers and maids at hand, offering only the finest luxuries.

I snapped back, keeping her waiting any longer would be very impolite.

"This one desires to serve to the best of his ability, so he needs to know the general plan."

"I suppose, you are right. Let me think on how to answer." She responded.

Silence, for a few seconds. Her expression contemplative.

"First, i need you to answer me a question, if you can." Of course i would, she was my master! A supreme one, at that.

"Of course, master.. Alira. Ask me anything!" I remembered she insisted on being called by her 'name'.

She slightly blushed.

"Do you.. eh.. know, what i am? Because i honestly have no idea."

What?

My brain failed to process her question.

"This one apologizes, but could you repeat that, please?"

"Ahh.. this is embarrassing.. i asked if you know, what i am? Because i don't." She blushed even more.

Okay.

So i didn't miraculously mishear what she said before.

But, seriously, WHAT?

Surely, this was some kind of joke. Or test, maybe?

Not that it mattered, she demanded an answer and as her subordinate, bound by soul, i had to respond.

"A lowly one, like i, can't see your status. My nature allows me to assess the difference in our powers, which is immeasurable. Also, because i am, what i am, familiarity takes a hold when watching upon a creature of the same alignment. To summarize: All i know is, that you play in the league of dark forces, in a paygrade far beyond my own."

Hopefully, that was sufficient as an answer.

The girl, that maybe really was just a girl, after all, looked dumbfounded. In other words: She looked, like i felt right now.

Was that even possible? To be one like her and not know? What the fuck?

"Do you know, how i can find out?" She disrupted my thoughts, eager to learn more.

Oh damn. What did i do? Giving her my soul? Shit. She really knows nothing. Fuck, fuck, fuckedy FUCK. I mentally facepalmed. Bound to a normal girl, what a disgrace. And i wasn't even just bound. She had a contract, forcing me to obey as long as she wanted...

Still, i needed to answer.

"That is kind of easy, Alira. Just conjure your damn status screen, your race is written on it." To hell with honorifics! No way she deserves to be called master. I was normally bound by social rules, but she herself offered me to 'not be so stiff'. A loop hole, that brought me relieve right now, as it enabled me to talk casually, a bit insolent even.

"My what?"

I did another mental facepalm, as i saw the glorious future i had imagined fade a bit more.

"Your status screen? Surely, you know what it is, or are you a fool?" Was my response, in a mocking tone. I felt betrayed, so i didn't care.

Without transition, her whole being turned cold.

"Did you just call me a fool, you insignificant crow?" She said, calmly, devoid of what made her seem human moments ago. Oh, and she spoke in the old language.

Fuck me. Was she a supreme being, or a human girl? She just kept switching between darkness and innocence.

I quickly made a note, though. Don't mock her, bad idea.

"This one apologises, master." Back on the respect track, until i figure out, what exactly this shit is.

"Good.. ..How do i see my status screen?" She smiled a bit.

Great, my master is a shy girl again. This will give me a massive headache, i can feel it.

"Just think something along the lines of 'My Status', with the intent to conjure it."

She visibly concentrated for a second, then her smile grew wider.

"It works!" Alira almost shouted, happily.

Then her expression turned dire.

"Say, Galdir.." She began.

What now? I resignated a bit.

"My race kind of says.. eh.. Eternal Shade?! I-i.. am not.. human?" She started to cry a little.

Yes. This was a nightmare, designed to give me an everlasting migraine. I was sure of that now.

I would have guessed a lot. Maybe she was a demon general. Or a real trickster. Or even a goddess, like my creator. But a true shadow? That alone, was reason to doubt i was not dreaming.

A fucking true shadow, that didn't know what it was? Owning my soul? Come on, fate, really? The odds of that are zero. Not slim, nor low. Actually zero. Couldn't happen.

Except that it apparently just happened, to me.

Oh boy.