Cutting Corners

Dragging the knight's rusted armor over, I set it down and peered inside. Four gleaming soul shards lay nestled within a web of viscous, tar-like darkness that seemed to pulse in the hollow shell.

I glanced to the side, watching as Regis tottered toward me with the knight's severed hand, the same viscous darkness dripping from the wound.

Not far away, one of my shadowy tentacles reached out and gently placed the severed arm that had been lost at the start of the battle. After the wave of darkness swept it aside, I'd had to search around a bit to find it.

(Are you going to turn its body into a memory?) Sunny asked as the tentacle dissolved into ash. Regis placed the hand beside the rest of the body.

[No, I've got something even better in mind.] I replied, reattaching the hand and arm to the main body.

Grimacing at the twisted horn still lodged in the knight's visor, I yanked it out with effort and secured it back onto the helmet, mending the armor to the best of my ability.

Regis observed silently, then sat on the ground.

"So, can we keep the soul shards, or do we have to leave them in there?" he asked.

I shook my head with a sigh. "No clue. Makes sense that they'd need to stay with the body, though."

I shifted my gaze to the memory itself, feeling an uneasy chill as I stared into the misty surface. The sensation of being watched lingered in my mind.

Backing away, I lifted the knight's body, tapping my foot on the ground to tell the shadows to augment me for extra strength, now with the added strength i raised the body overhead.

The groaning of metal filled the air, and Regis cheered from behind me.

"You've got this! Show that hunk of metal who's boss!" His voice was playful, though his eyes held a hint of wariness.

With a grunt, I took another step forward—then, to my surprise, several shadowy hands emerged from the sarcophagus, reaching for the armor.

Startled, I held on tightly as the hands gripped the knight's body, and I was lifted along with it, pulled upward by the eerie grasp.

Mortified, I released the armor and dropped to the ground, landing with a graceless thud. A shock ran up my spine as I hit the floor, while Regis, doubled over, cackled, rolling back and forth.

Scowling, I turned just in time to see the sarcophagus lid close. A raspy, disturbingly inhuman voice drifted out, "Ahhh… indeed… chivalry is dead… tasty cretin…"

The voice hummed with chilling delight, then fell silent after the display of… humor?

I blinked in confusion, watching as Regis paused, curiosity crossing his face.

He stood up and cautiously approached the sarcophagus. I joined him, inspecting it from top to bottom as Regis sniffed around and scratched at its surface, his claws leaving no mark.

(What's with you and summoning things that talk?) Sunny quipped.

[Not intentional,] I replied. [This one caught me off guard too.]

Moving to the side of the sarcophagus, I pushed on the lid, but a hiss sounded from within, making me recoil.

Regis snarled, the fur along his spine prickling as he turned to me. "What's the deal with this thing? What exactly were you thinking when you created it?"

"I think about a lot of things when I make these!" I protested. "Don't blame my intrusive thoughts for this thing's personality." I gave the sarcophagus a kick, and it hissed in response.

(So… what's the plan for this thing? What will it do with the knight's body?) Sunny asked.

I shrugged, deciding to spook him a bit. [Oh, this lovely piece of work can turn any Nightmare Creature I put in there into an Echo.]

Sunny paused, his emotions shifting to a nervous edge. (Any creature's body?)

Slightly confused by his sudden nervousness, I replied, [Yeah…]

With a spark of excitement mingling with that unease, he asked, (Didn't you stash the spawn of that thieving bird in your memory? So… wouldn't that mean—)

My mouth dropped open, and I caught a glimpse of Regis' fiery gaze going still and his flaming mane abruptly stopping in place.

"Oh… Oh… OHHHH…"

**************

Walking through the camp toward the meeting house. I entered, noting that the receptionist was off-duty—no meeting was scheduled for today so she helped around the camp.

Inside, I surveyed the small, circular room. A large, aged wooden table stood in the center, its surface starting to rot. Wooden chairs surrounded it, equally weathered by time.

A few cabinets lined the walls, storing spare soul shards, and in one corner, a couple of barrels, now emptied by Effie, rested haphazardly.

Keeping a neutral expression, I sat in one of the creaky chairs, leaning back as it groaned under my weight. Gazing at the ceiling, I drifted into thought.

'We have a decent number of artisans, but nowhere near as many as Bright Castle does. And ours aren't as skilled as theirs, either.'

 Blinking, I glanced at the braces of my armor, running my fingers along the intricate engravings.

'Memories are another problem. We have some with strong memories, but none powerful enough to compete with the castle's residents. They even recently killed an awakened demon… just to show off.'

A slight smile tugged at my lips as I recalled my own battle with a demon. 'Sure, Pleiades and I took down a demon too, but ours was already wounded. It's not really the same.'

Sighing, I felt my expression darken. Just thinking about him and his antics soured my mood. The only time I wasn't completely thrown off by him was when Sunny spoke on his behalf.

'I do prefer Sunny over him, that's for sure.'

Standing up, I walked over to a cabinet and took out a map. Unfolding it on the table, I studied it. It was old, given to me by Caster, who'd received it from a seasoned hunter.

In the north of the map of the Dark City, a grotesque, misshapen skull symbol marked a location—the Slayer's Rest. Cassie herself had confirmed that the Slayer held a shard memory.

According to the map, there was a statue along the path leading to it. Our first expedition would take us there; we'd defeat the Slayer and claim the shard memory.

With both Sunny and Pleiades now among us, it would be that much easier. And no doubt, Pleiades would have his own preparations for the shard holder.

With everything essentially planned, I supposed I had a bit of time to relax… but the silence was unsettling.

'I'd rather be fighting something than sitting alone with my thoughts.'

I tried to keep my composure; showing vulnerability would tarnish the image I'd worked hard to maintain. But the quiet battles in my mind could be as fierce as any fight with a blade.

Brushing my hair aside, I studied the shorter strands, remembering how it used to fall to my shoulders.

The sting of my defeat against Pleiades was still fresh in my mind. Loosening my grip on my hair, I folded the map and returned it to its place.

A soft creak sounded from the door, and I turned to see Caster enter. His emerald eyes met mine, and a pleasant smile crossed his face.

Masking my thoughts, I met his gaze with a calm expression as he approached with that familiar, easy demeanor. Instinctively, I raised my guard, though I kept it hidden.

"Lady Nephis, I've been looking for you everywhere," he said, his voice warm and unassuming. "We just received some good news. A few hunters I've become close to have decided to join our camp."

I forced a soft, practiced smile. "That's good. How many?"

"Only ten, I'm afraid, but it's a start. I'd suggest having them join our expedition. They'd be of great help" he added with an optimistic gleam.

I paused, silently calculating. 'Is this part of his plan?'

The thought of those hunters surrounding me during battle flashed through my mind, with Caster ready to strike when I was least prepared. Or perhaps he intended to attack us during the journey, when the chaos of the expedition would make it harder to defend against a sudden betrayal.

With effie, cassie, kai, sunny and pleiades being with us we would be greatly outmatched, it wouldn't be to difficult for them to end us.

'But then again, maybe that isn't his plan at all…'

 Keeping my suspicions buried, I replied smoothly, "We'll need to speak with the others first. I wouldn't want to go recruiting behind their backs."

Caster's smile deepened, and he gave a small bow, a touch too earnest for my liking. "Apologies. I was just excited to see more people join our forces. I didn't mean to be presumptuous."

'Filthy swine' I thought, but merely waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine. Is there anything else?"

He shook his head slightly, still wearing that amicable expression. "Nothing more, Lady Nephis. I'll be here if you need me."

With that, he stepped back, leaving me to my thoughts. The wheels of suspicion turned in my mind as I considered his motives.

Caster's warm exterior had never fooled me—not entirely. And with the expedition approaching, I'd need to keep my allies close and my eyes on him.

Next Chapter: Vile Plan