Chapter 23—Shadows

Rashawn looked over the ruins of Sector Three with a bit of unease. He wished he could say the devastation turned his stomach, but a loud part of him said this was all right. Someone out there in the Castle had bloody hands. They sacrificed Sector Four, and what happened in Three was almost a direct result. What was it all for? Assuming they even had an answer, how long would it have taken them come to this same conclusion in another situation? How long were the Rejects meant to be sacrifices, forever imprisoned lest they become something for themselves? As Rashawn followed Corrosion, he saw this creature as an inevitable reckoning. No one had to die, but as he looked to Sectors Two and One, Corrosion's words replayed in his mind. “Their Fault,” because none of this would have been possible without them. As Central Hall came into sight, he made his lantern glow. He might not have started this assault but he was certainly on its side. Castle Cerulean had to pay for this crime, and he was going to make sure the higher Sectors faced their trial…

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In the Cathedral, Fang looked upon the wounded Priestess Queen with one part disappointment, and the other, acceptance. The shadows still lurked around her but none spoke of fictitious memories, nor stood in otherworldly rooms. She could feel a part of them tugging at her like an expectation—eager minds waiting for a command. Was this how Assassin felt with his shadows? No, after a moment she was sure his were different. The thought of moving between them was too alien to her; his were his own, but hers felt like she was borrowing others. Or maybe making others? Or giving some form of rudimentary life to the darkness? Maybe Castle Cerulean wouldn't help her save New York, but if she could master this power on a grander scale, she might not even need the Enclave. Was this what devils could do? She listened for the question again, but hearing the same indecipherable noise, she focused on Valerie instead. Her will made Walker pick the woman up, placing the sword against her stomach to make Fang’s intentions clear.

“What did you just do to me?” She asked.

The Queen barked. “Why would I tell you, o’ wretched soul? You who turned so far from god that you are steeped in darkness. If I knew what you were I would have killed you right away!”

“Which means that even despite your powers, you can’t do so now.” Fang considered her shadows and how she broke the trance. "It's too dangerous, isn't it? That small moment was enough to let me do this. How much further would I go if you kept feeding the darkness?"

The queen kept her face even, unwilling to give another inch. Fang sighed. She revealed her hand too soon. She could take breadcrumbs far and the Queen was aware. Torturing her wouldn't help either, at best she'd get screams, at worst she'd get lies. At the very least, King and Ace could use her. Her light usage was arcane, and the two would surely be grateful for the information. A tether wrapped around her from Walker's body and Fang turned to the cathedral's doors. They flew open, and the silhouette that filled them froze at the scene on the other side.

The Queen cried out, “Brigid, do not concern yourself with me! This girl absolutely must die!” Fang wrapped a tether around her mouth and let Walker drop her.

“How dare you!" The Princess barked.

Fang expected her to charge, but her expression changed instead. Fear departed and understanding took its place. Chancing a glance at the Queen, Fang wondered if they could communicate silently. Looking back, she found a determined expression confirming that thought and another. There would be no diplomatic way out of this room.

She sent Walker after the girl, watching him turn into a bulky wolf as he bounded forward on all fours. As he leaped—jaw wide to tear her head off—she spun around, smashing a heavy mace into his side. Pews flew as he crashed into them. The other shadows looked at Fang, unable to answer her command. She pulled them into her own as she charged next, willing the Umbra into a sword. The mace fell down as she got close. Rather than block it, she stepped back, swinging for the princess's head as it missed. A pillar blocked her as it rose from a blue pool of light. As Brigid kicked away from it, Fang pursued, stopping as she heard a click. A part of the pillar was spinning, winding a mace toward the back of her head.

Walker rushed in, pulling her away before impact! They circled Brigid just as fast, and Fang jumped for the kill. Her slash stopped hard against an armguard. As she applied more weight, a part jettisoned away, pushing her back. Brigid made another mace and swung for her body. Wrapping the Umbra tight, Fang still felt it as she crashed through a column. Debris scattered around her as she hit the floor. Pain ran like wildfire up her back, but she hurried to her feet.

“I am truly sorry!” The Princess said as their eyes met. “You are but a lost lamb, tempted by darkness before you knew God’s Light! It is not your fault, but the fault of that accursed place on the outskirts. They chose this darkness in desperation for power, but know that this punishment shall redeem your soul!”

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“I did not come here for redemption, I came here for answers. If you're so confident that your God can save me though, why is it that you stand here instead of fighting for the people of the city?"

“Their salvation was on the horizon! Thanks to you and the other attackers though, it is likely to be delayed.”

Other attackers? Did she mean Ace and King? Were the two of them all right? As if staying here too long was a part of the plan, Fang decided to cut this short. The soldiers at New Dawn showed her this place had an army. Maybe she could survive this girl, but she wasn't confident she could meet their entire force. Time was ticking…

“It is a shame that your High Priestess felt the need to start this attack then. I would have prefer forging peace, but instead it seems you both are determined to kill.”

“It truly is a shame. I think peace would be better than anything else. I think even those who turned to darkness can be led back to God’s light. Unfortunately, it is my duty to strike down those who turn so far away. I am Brigid Klein, God’s Turquoise Paladin.”

Two halves of full body armor rose from light at her feet, closing upon her body. Mechanical clicks locked pieces in place, equipping them with sinew-like wires between the joints. Steel wings rose from her back, and turbines whirled within them. As they sped up, lines glowed from her shoulders to a crest on her chest. She lifted her mace like it was a bat, and Fang cursed her luck. She recalled seeing something like this in one of her classes. It was a suggested upgrade for their armor: with permanent Amplification, they'd have power suits. Two ballistae rose to flank the Princess, and as their aim adjusted, Fang went on the move.

The missiles came fast with explosive force—one smashing deep into the floor as she leaped away, the other almost taking off her arm. She dodged quick enough to feel the wind rush past her, falling right where Brigid wanted her as she soared through the air. The mace fell like a boulder, only stopped as Walker bounded over, rising to his feet. His Lycan form caught the swing, letting her rush away as Brigid pulled back. As the princess followed, the wolf took to the sky, landing on her back. He took joy as he slammed her face to the floor. The Princess’s fury was palpable as her head twisted. Walker tried to sink his teeth in, gnashing at the metal as she pushed up. Two shots fired, pinning him to the wall. Another flew to smash in his face, and his body went still as Brigid took flight.

Three more ballistae rose and followed the others, blasting Fang’s way. Pews and stone shattered as they missed, but she rushed on, confident she could turn this tide. She leaped to the center of the room, and the ballistae stopped. A smile came to her face that was too strong to hide, but it lived a short life as Brigid touched the ground. A steel wall rose and Fang's plan died. She tried to put Valerie in the crossfire, but Brigid was sharper than she thought. Now, caught in a trap of her own making she watched the bolts fly. She only had time to will the Umbra to save her. The sounds of bolts through steel were heavy with the rupture. Fang's body felt cold, but she realized with sudden relief that she was still alive. Looking at Brigid, she found her frozen again, fear seeping through her helmet. Fang had to look at herself to understand why—Lounger's arms were around her body with dark tendrils pushing the missiles away.

“It’s worse than my mother thought!” Brigid gasped. After another moment, Fang realized the bolts were coming apart, their firm metal bodies chipping away into flakes of light.

Only now did she wonder what happened to the power of the Priestess Queen. Now she wondered how it was that the Umbra broke that strange trance. Now, she wondered about Walker and how it was that he walked independently. She wondered about Lounger and the way the shadowy woman touched her face. What had this shadow said before? “Darkness had tasted the light of the Almighty Want,” right? One day it would consume it all? The flakes moved like water through the tendrils, making Fang shudder as they reached Lounger; as they reached her. Walker's body dropped into a cloud of smoke, flowing over Brigid's legs as it returned to Fang's side. She felt the light flow within him and watched as his body healed. Suddenly, it click! As a Dark Disciple, she eroded the Light, but here in Castle Cerulean there was more than she could ever destroy. Instead, she was blocking it, and blocked light made Shadows.

“You could never be saved by God’s Light!” Brigid shook her head. “You’re a pure adversary of it.” That confirmed it.

Walker bared his fangs.

“I took the name Fang because I was willing fight until the threats in this city lay dead.” She heard that indechiperable question again, but didn’t need to understand it. What she just learned was enough. “If I’m your Adversary, then I acknowledge that you’re mine.”

Walker howled and raced at Brigid; a cloud of darkness billowing off his back. A mighty swing came for his head, but one hand caught it as the other raked across her body. Horror poured like blood as the metal ripped. That did nothing to stop her arm. Another mace filled her hand as she swung, shattering the beast’s snout as she hit it from above. He tore the cover from her helmet, and she caved his head in. As claw still swiped to tear off more, she battered his body, shattering bone for each stolen piece. When he crumpled to the floor her rage-filled eyes fell on Fang. The Number, meanwhile, acknowledged the Shadow's limits—there was only so much the false thing could take.

With her armor healing, Brigid came at her like a jet. She leaped high into the air as the maces fell, leaving the princess tangled in briar. Landing at Walker's side, she pulled him back into her shadow. She turned to watch Brigid struggle next, but all the fury in her blow had buried the maces deep. Flower rose from the briar, placing a gentle hand on the helmet. The struggle stopped, and Fang could feel her horror again.

She spoke. “I have to thank your mother, to be honest. Without her, I feel like these memories would still be buried. I can’t recall everything clearly, but I know this. Walker is good for his savage fighting. Lounger knows how to interact with God’s Light. And Flower…” Mist rose from the Shadow’s mouth… no, maybe mist wasn’t quite the word for what Fang was seeing. “Flower is good at defeating opponents without having to harm their bodies.” Flower breathed pollen into Brigid’s face and the armor suddenly lost its sheen.

Piece after piece dropped from her until she stood only in her dress again. Tears poured, but Fang couldn't understand the sorrow. Sure, darkness turned her eyes into shiny black orbs, but she was still alive, and would still live on from this point. It was the kindest thing Fang thought she could do, considering it was the pieces of the armor that let Flower cast the spell. Spell? That word somehow felt right. She didn’t know what it would do, but it felt distinctly familiar. Calling the shadow back, she headed to the doors with a new plan in mind. If blocking the light could let her do this, it was very fortunate that there was so much of it in the castle. Perhaps Cerulean could help her save the city, after all. She threw them open and turned her eyes to the sky. She expected to see the strange night blue, but a crimson rot was running through it. It was only a guess, but it felt like the truth; The Crimson Prophet was here as well…

[Chapter 23 ends...]