The Emporium,
Aygorzi, Merriheim.
8:34 a.m. 17 th Banem 1092.
The entrances to Aygorzi’s underground city were spread around the city as subway-like stairs that led beneath the earth to a network of tunnels. Kashi, the Maggots, and Brock (who tagged along out of curiosity toward the underground city) walked down the nearest subway.
Kashi examined the glossy finished walls, surprised by the change. A week ago, these walls were rough and stony like any other underground passage. But this time, it seemed work had been done to not only smoothen out the walls but also apply a layer of finish to make them more appealing to the eyes.
The passage’s lighting had also changed. Previously, it was lit by torches, creating a dark, dreary atmosphere. But now, overhead magelights flooded the passage with light. So much so that Kashi doubted he was really walking in L.N.E.
It felt like he was in a subway in the real world.
But Kashi’s shock had only just begun. The final step opened up to a wide platform in front of which there was a long depression and then a wall at the other side. Kashi looked to his left and noticed the depression led into a tunnel, and a quick glance to the right confirmed it was the same at the other side.
This… It really looked like…
Not believing his own conjecture, Kashi walked to the edge of the platform, where he saw a familiar yellow line. Ignoring it, he looked over at the depression, and just as expected, laid within the depression were twin sets of train tracks like an actual subway.
While Kashi wondered what was going on, a dwarf walked out of a room nearby and then ran up to them, eyes glowing when he saw the daeben at the forefront. “Kashi-dono!” he greeted with enthusiasm. “Are you here to ride the train?”
“Train?” Kashi questioned, eyes wide. “It’s completed?”
“A few prototypes,” replied the dwarf with an excited grin. “The project is in its final stage. We’ve been running simulations using the underground networks to ensure safety and test the trains’ limits.” The dwarf patted his chest with pride as he announced, “Just tell me where you want to go, and we’ll get you there in the blink of an eye.”
“We are looking for a member of our guild, Jade. She’s a mage that was working on the—”
“Jade-sama!” the dwarf exclaimed, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. “Of course! There isn’t a dwarf from the forge who doesn’t know Jade-sama. We would never have gotten this far so fast if it weren’t for her.”
“Uh, yes,” Kashi replied, with confusion. Sama? What did Jade do for these obstinate dwarfs to revere her so highly? “She should be at the forge, right?”
“Not exactly,” the dwarf refuted with a shake of his head. “Jade-sama has a personal workshop near the forge.” The dwarf scratched his chin in thought and then said, “But I suppose the forge is the nearest stop. Yeah, let’s do that. The train’ll drop you off at the forge. Any dwarf there can point you in the direction of her workshop.”
Kashi stared at the dwarf and then the tracks. Unable to hide his curiosity, he asked, “How does it work?” Even though he had designed the train, seeing it in reality still floored the daeben. He had to know if there were any interesting changes.
The dwarf grinned as he beckoned to them, “Come with me. I’ll show ya.”
The dwarf led the Maggots through the door he came out of into a small control room. The room, which was barely large enough for all of them to fit in, housed a large screen on the wall opposite the entrance. Light flashed along several lines drawn across the screen with a marker as if following a pattern.
Below the screen was a set of levers and buttons that neither Kashi nor the others could make sense of. A lone chair with a jacket draped over it sat in front of all the mess.
Kashi was the most confused. He’d designed the trains, but he had never envisioned something like this. He could not make heads or tails of what all these were meant to do.
Kashi, never one to shy away from learning new things, pointed at the screen and asked, “What’s that?”
“The Monitor,” the dwarf said as he grabbed and then put on the jacket. A name tag on the jacket revealed his name to be Byrion. “We use that to keep track of the trains’ locations at all times.”
Lunette stepped forward and stared at the screen in shock. This kind of technology should not exist in this world. It was far too early! “How does it work?”
“There are thousands of tiny mage lights behind the screen,” Byrion explained. “There are some things Jade-sama called ‘pressure points’ on the tracks. Whenever a train passes through, it triggers them, which lights up a syn… suncho…synco—”
“Synchronized?” Leila guessed.
“Synchronized!” Byrion confirmed with an embarrassed grin. “The triggered pressure plate lights up a synchronized magelight, which allows us to keep track of the train’s position.”
There was a tense silence in the room as the Maggots struggled to come to terms with what they were witnessing.
“Oi, Kashi,” Syèl called as he stepped forward. “What the hell has Jade been up to?”
“I have no clue,” Kashi absentmindedly replied. “She was supposed to be working on the skyboat. I have no idea what gave her the idea to go this far. No, how she even got this to work.”
Kashi and Syèl’s shock was greater than the others because these two had actually done a lot of research into magic, compared to the other Summoned. Most of Ksahi’s magical knowledge came from Razznik. Still, they were enough for him to understand just how complex the seemingly simple system was.
The first thing was the pressure plate. For that to work, there would need to be a system that recognized weight and converted it to an order. Kashi surmised that if it was him, he would use a weight balance attached to a lever. When the train passed, the weight would push down the balance, which would rotate the lever or make it strike something.
However, from this point, Kashi was lost.
How did that striking transmit to the screen in the control room? And from the sounds of it, there were many control rooms, meaning this signal was simultaneously sent to several rooms. Kashi quickly scanned the room but did not see any wires that would suggest electricity was being used, so it was a wireless transmission?
That made even less sense!
Leila, noticing Kashi and Syèl’s frowns, said, “There’s one person who has the answers to our questions, so don’t think too hard.”
‘Ah, that’s right.’ Kashi realized he was going about this all wrong. He looked at Byrion and said, “When will the train get here?”
Byrion looked at the screen and laughed as he said, “Yer in luck. The train just rolled in. I’ll control know to let you guys through to the forge without any stops.”
“The train?” Kashi said, eyes wide.
“It’s here?” Syèl finished.
Both men looked at each other. Unable to hide their curiosity any longer, they turned around to run out of the room.
Unfortunately, Kashi and Syèl had pushed right up to the screen, which meant they were the furthest from the screen. By the time they turned around, the others had already rushed to the door.
Kashi and Syèl eventually made it out and were greeted by the sight of a beautiful, monstrous steel construct sat imposingly by the platform. The chromatic steel train was reminiscent of 18 th -century coal-engine trains with its harsh, jagged exterior and gear linked wheels. However, the one major difference was a distinct lack of a steam pipe.
Three carriages were lined up behind the engine car, soft, yellow light from within inviting the passengers on board. A dwarf walked out of the engine car and then beckoned at Kashi and the others with a shit-eating grin on his face, “First time seeing a train? Go on, get in!”
The dwarf’s invitation shook the maggots out of their shock, and they quickly scrambled to get into the first car. Kashi remained on the platform, however, staring at the train as his chest began to heat up.
Lunette noticed Kashi’s strange state and walked up to him. She grasped his hand, worry in her eyes as she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve always wondered how mangakas felt when their works were brought to life in an anime,” Kashi said as tears welled up in his eyes. “I think I finally understand. Nothing can express what it feels like to see your dreams become a reality.” Kashi realized what he just said and quickly wiped his eyes, nervously laughing as he then said, “Ah, what the hell am I saying? So sappy, haha.”
Lunette looked up at him and smiled. She didn’t say a word in response but instead gently squeezed Kashi’s hand to let him know he had her support.
Kashi looked down at Lunette’s hand, then up at her warm smile. The unease in his heart quickly settled, and he stopped laughing. Yeah, at least when he was with her, he did not have to pretend. “Thanks,” Kashi said as he squeezed her hand and then let her go. “I’m going to the engine car,” he said, pointing at the engine car. “See you when we get there.”
Lunette could see the excitement in Kashi’s eyes, like a schoolboy working on an exploding volcano for the first time. “Alright. Be careful,” she said and then walked over to the first car to join the others.
“Sure,” Kashi replied and then quickly ran to the engine car. “Come on, let’s go,” Kashi called to the dwarf as he jumped onto the car.
The dwarf chuckled knowingly and then followed the daeben.
The engine car housed a single room and two seats, one of which was in front of a control panel filled with different levers and buttons. The second was placed just beside the door, and it was clearly not mean to be frequently used.
The dwarf took a seat on the captain’s chair as Kashi stood next to him and grabbed onto the chair for support. The daeben examined the panel and spotted a screen with four colored squares drawn on it. The squares were colored green, yellow, red, and then blue. He also spotted a speedometer that tracked the train’s current speed.
As Kashi watched, the green light suddenly lit up.
Seeing the light, the captain pressed a button, then spoke into a microphone, “We just received clearance and will begin moving to our destination. Enjoy your time on Aygorzi Line.”
At the same moment, Lunette and the others seated in the first car heard the overhead speakers’ announcement. The carriage seats resembled those found in modern-day subways, lining up either side of the walls, with handrails for standing passengers along the middle.
This particular train was designed for inter-city travel and thus had to prioritize space over comfort. Although it had to be said that the soft, leather seats were much more comfortable than those in real-life trains.
Meanwhile, in the engine car, Kashi’s eyes gleamed as he watched the captain gently push the throttle on the control panel. The train slowly picked up speed as the dwarf moved the throttle forward. The dwarf then held the throttle steady at the halfway mark until the train had reached a desirable speed of about 80 km/h. He then released the throttle, allowing it to fall back into its rest position.
The captain checked the speedometer and the screen. Assured there were no problems, he finally let go and turned to look at Kashi. “At this speed, we’ll get to the forge in about thirty minutes. I guess you must have a ton of questions?”
Kashi rapidly nodded his head, and he quickly asked the prickling question in his mind. “There’s no steam engine? How is it being powered?”
The captain grinned as he knocked on the control panel. “She’s got ten mana crystals in her belly. An array converts the crystals’ mana into electricity, which is then used to power something the guys at the forge called a ‘motor.’ The motor causes—a shaft I think it’s called, or was it crank?—Not sure of the details. But anyway, this crank-shaft thing turns because of the motor, and that causes the wheels to turn.”
Kashi pointed at the throttle, “And that?”
“This here’s called a throttle or accelerator,” the dwarf explained with pride. “She determines how much electricity gets pumped into the motor. If I push her, the motor gets more juice, and the train accelerates.”
Kashi blinked. “I get that. I mean, how exactly does it do that?”
“Uh…” The captain scratched his beard in embarrassment. “The folks at the forge said something about inverting BC to AC or something like that. I’m not too clear on the details. That’s above my paygrade.”
“Ah, sorry,” Kashi apologized as he realized his questions were getting a bit too technical for the train driver. “I’ll ask Jade for the details.” The daeben then decided to switch gears for a bit and ask something less technical. “The mana crystal. How do you recharge the mana?”
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“That’s the current problem,” sighed the captain. “For now, we have mages dedicated to charging mana crystals at the trainyard. Whenever a train is running low, it returns to the trainyard and swaps out for a fully charged crystal.”
Kashi frowned. “Will that system work when the trains are fully functioning?”
“No, that’s the problem,” the captain said. “It’ll cost too much to hire mages to replenish the number of crystals needed to power a city full of trains. Besides, this train only has three cars. If we add any more, the crystal will not be enough for a return trip.”
Kashi sighed as he scratched his head. “In the end, the problem’s still the same. We need to find a better power source than mana crystals.”
“I heard guys at the forge talking about using the cores of magic beasts, but there’s been pushback claiming it could cause extinction-level hunting if that is the only source.”
“I agree with that,” Kashi said with a nod. “Many years ago, there was a rumor that a spacewalker’s core could allow people to teleport across the continent.”
The dwarf frowned as he looked at the daeben. “What’s a spacewalker? Never heard of them.”
Kashi turned to the dwarf, a cynical smile on his face as he said, “…Exactly.”
The captain shivered as he realized the daeben’s meaning. Those poor spacewalkers had been hunted to extinction for their cores. There was no doubt a similar event would play out in this case, especially if the cores were the sole power sources for the whole continent.
Kashi sighed and then looked ahead at the tunnels. “Well, we’ll figure it out eventually. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there are no dead ends in this world, only alternative routes waiting to be found.”
“No dead ends… Ha!” the captain burst out laughing as he repeated the daeben’s words. “I’ll be sure to use that one on the wife next time she claims I’m working a dead-end job.”
“It’s your funeral,” Kashi replied with a playful snort and then turned his attention to the tunnels ahead, brimming with anticipation of meeting Jade.
Several minutes later, Kashi gazed out of the car’s windows, eyes wide as the train exited the tunnels, running across a track elevated several meters above the ground. Down below, the underground dwarven city spread out, illuminated by mage lights hanging from the ceilings above. The daeben watched the busy dwarfs going about their day, with only a few casting momentary glances at the train. Evidently, the dwarfs had gotten used to the sight and no longer found it as novel a sight.
The train-tracks were supported by large pillars that lined the city’s length until the tracks dug into another tunnel. Kashi noticed structures that resembled train stops along the tracks, but they were not yet in commission. Later, with the help of these stops, the dwarfs would travel from their city to the one aboveground with ease.
The city eventually disappeared from view as the train burrowed into a tunnel. The underground dwarven city utilized tunnels to keep sections of the city away from each other. This design was to ensure the entire civilization was not jeopardized in the event of a ‘cavern collapse.’
Moments later, the train exited the tunnel into a spacious cavern with hundreds of dwarven blacksmiths rushing about with metals and forging materials. Off to the side, a giant cauldron tipped over, pouring molten iron into a large metal cast with a depression that took the shape of a boat’s keel.
Kashi breathed in the pungent stench of burning metal and cupped his ears to the deafening clanging of metals. These were the telltale sounds of a dwarven forge, a place Kashi was all too familiar with.
The train came to a stop at a raised platform. Kashi and the Maggots exited the train and saw Otto Knutsen waiting with a wide grin. “Kashi-dono!” Otto greeted with boisterous laughter as he ran forward and grabbed the daeben in a bear hug. “You’re back!”
“Not for long, I’m afraid,” Kashi stated as he patted the dwarf’s back. He waited for Otto to release him and then said as he pointed at the vehicle behind him, “I see you finally got the trains working.”
“Of course!” Otto rubbed his nose with a proud snort. “There’s nothing a dwarf cannot craft with the proper blueprints and time.” The dwarf grinned as he added with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “The trains aren’t the only things we got working.”
“No way,” Kashi exclaimed as he grasped Otto’s shoulders. “Is it really done?”
“Completed final tests yesterday,” Otto confirmed. “You want to see it, don’t you?”
“Do I want to see it?” Kashi mockingly repeated. “Let’s go at once!”
*cough*
Kashi looked over his shoulder, only then remembering he’d come with a group. He mentally thanked Leila for the coughing prompt, or it might have been embarrassing. “I’m going to inspect the new skyboat,” Kashi informed the others. “You can come along if you want, but if not, feel free to look around the forge. There are lots of cool weapons to pick from. You can even order a custom-made item, and I’ll foot the bill.”
Kashi waited for a few seconds, but seeing as no one made any move to leave, he turned to Otto and said, “Looks like everyone’s coming. Please lead the way.”
“No one would want to miss something like this,” Otto replied as if chastising the daeben’s question. He then turned around and walked down the stairs, calling over his shoulder, “It’s this way.”
Otto led the group through the forge to a massive seven-meters tall and three-meters wide iron door. The dwarven craftsmaster knocked on the door, and it swung open from the inside with a loud, grating noise. The thick doors opened to a new cavern blocked off from the rest of the forge because of the secret projects within.
This cavern differed from the forge in one major way. There was a body of water at the opposite corner, large enough to fit two football fields. A line of small boat-like vehicles was moored at a pier. However, these were not the most eye-catching things in the cavern.
No, that honor belonged to the 68-meter-long (223 ft.) boat floating above the small lake. The magnificent vehicle looked something like a cross between Victorian-era frigates and early airplanes. A pair of spinning vertical propellers at its sides kept the boat in the air. In contrast, a stationary, horizontal propeller at the boat’s rear lay dormant. Evidently, this propeller would have been in charge of pushing the boat forward.
The large boat also utilized three-mast sails, which were not drawn, to catch the wind and aid flight. Finally, a pair of wings made from tough sails hung just above the propellers. Currently, the wings were ‘tucked’ into the skyboat’s sides. This was to avoid getting caught by the propellers’ sucking draft. They would unfurl when the skyboat was in ‘forward flight’ mode. At that time, the vertical propellers would rotate until they were horizontal, adding to the forward momentum. The wings would catch the incoming draft, forming an uplift to keep the boat airborne.
Modern-day VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircrafts inspired this design. However, the dwarfs had taken a lot of liberties through the aid of magic to simplify its use.
Otto proudly described the ship’s design to the stunned Maggots as Kashi stared longingly at the flying craft. When Otto finished his explanation, Kashi pointed at the flying craft and cheekily requested, “Can I get on that?”
Otto’s eyes shone as he pointed at a machine that closely resembled a crane. But on closer inspection, the ‘arm’ was a series of stairs. “We could go that way, or,” he then pointed at the little dinghies, “we could use those.”
Syèl eyes bunched together as he stared at the boats, “Wait, isn’t that the boat Jade used to fly over the arena?”
“Yes! Yes, it is! We call them skycars.” Otto affirmed with a satisfied nod. “I can’t put in words how proud we were to see that boat flying over the arena.” The dwarf pulled on Kashi and Syèl’s arms as he half-walked, half-jogged over to the boats. “Come, come! You have to try it out for yourselves.”
Kashi and Syèl let themselves get dragged by the dwarf to the pier, where five boats awaited them.
The mini skycars were beautiful, with a deep black coat and red highlights, the Hopeful Maggots’ official colors. Peculiarly, the boats were crafted with metal, unlike the wooden skyboats. The skycars housed a single leather seat at its center and a large fin-like tail behind it. Unlike the skyboat, there were no signs of any wings or propellers on the skycars leading the Maggots to wonder how they functioned.
That is, except Kashi, who already knew how these worked. The skycars were made from an earlier draft originally intended for the skyboat. However, he let Otto have his moment, as the dwarf explained to the rest of the Maggots.
“I know you’re wondering how these work,” Otto said as he gestured at the boats. “It’s simple. The engine utilizes mana to power a levitation array, allowing the skycar to ascend or descend, depending on how much power is sent to the array.” Otto then pointed at the skycar’s sides. “You cannot see them currently as they are submerged underwater, but there are exhausts at either side of the skycars that expel air backward, which in turn propel the vehicle forward.” Otto rubbed his nose as he then added, “If you want to stop or slow down, there are exhausts near the front of the skycar that expel air forward… and you get the rest.”
Catching a problem, Syèl couldn’t help but ask, “Hold on, if you can use the levitation spell, why not use it on the big boat? What’s with the propellers?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Otto replied with a grin. “We were wondering the same ourselves, but after a few tests, we ran into the answer—”
“Energy consumption is too large on the skyboat,” Kashi said with a smile, causing Otto to nod with eager eyes.
“Yes, exactly, Kashi-dono!” Otto praised and then turned to Syèl. “Casting Levitate on a small skycar doesn’t require too much energy, compared to the monstrous amount required for a skyboat laden with passengers. Also, the amount of wind force needed to push the skycar is peanuts compared to the skyboat.”
“Oh, I see,” Syèl muttered in understanding.
“If the propellers are more economical, why not replicate them on the skycars?” This time, it was Leila who asked.
“This design is much cooler,” Kashi answered without hesitation. “Propellers are clunky and ugly on small vehicles.”
“Ah, beauty over efficiency,” Leila replied with a nod. “I can understand that thought process.”
Kashi nodded. “Besides, propellers are dangerous. We wouldn’t want our customers accidentally chopping off people’s heads, or gods forbid, their own.”
Leila nodded and then looked at Otto. “How long until you can mass-produce these?”
“Well, we can begin mass-production at any time,” Otto responded. “But we will need a new facility dedicated to exactly that. Also, acquiring materials and workmen will be costly.”
Otto’s words confused Leila, who assumed that Kashi and the dwarfs were in a working agreement. Why would they need workers?
Kashi noticed Leila’s frown and explained, “My agreement with the dwarves was to help design the prototypes for the trains and skyboat for free. Beyond that, the Maggots’ll have to foot the bill for continued construction.”
“Of course, it’s not like we’ll leave you high and dry,” Otto quickly added, so she did not get the wrong idea. “The dwarven royal family will definitely invest heavily in the facility so they can reap a portion of the profits, but the dwarfs and other workers need to be paid.”
Kashi nodded. “To make things clear and transparent, we’ll create a company dedicated to crafting the skyboats and trains. As for its name… Hmm…” Unbeknown to Kashi, the Maggots visibly cringed as they awaited his decision. “How about… Franky’s Water 7 Forge?”
Otto blinked, confused as the Maggots visibly and mentally facepalmed. “Who is Franky?”
Kashi patted the dwarf’s shoulder. “The greatest shipwright in history, and the first man crazy enough to make a boat fly. I’m praying all our ships will be as sturdy as the Sunny-go.”
Leila stifled a self-deprecating laugh. She must have been a fool to think Kashi would come up with a good name on his own. “Fine, but is the seven necessary?”
“Franky’s Water Forge?” Kashi spelled out, looking at Leila like she had lost her mind. “Does that even make sense?”
Leila mentally threw her arms in the air as she surrendered to fate. “Yes, you are absolutely correct. Without the seven, it makes no sense. How could I have possibly thought otherwise.”
“I hear your sarcasm,” Kashi replied with a snort. “But I’m going to pretend I heard nothing since you’re obviously wrong here.”
“Okay, I suppose we are calling it Franky’s Water 7 Forge,” Lunette said, struggling to hold back the laughter bubbling up her throat. She figured she would never get over Kashi’s inane naming sense, which was such a contrast to his badass figure when fighting.
Meanwhile, Shadow tugged on his sister’s sleeves. When she turned around, he whispered, “I did tell him he’s scariest when he’s not fighting. Who knows what other crazy stuff he’ll get into next.”
Kashi, choosing to ignore the increasingly loud snide commentary, climbed into the cockpit of one of the skycars. As he took his seat, he marveled at just how comfortable the chair actually was. The daeben spotted a seatbelt and clicked it around his waist, then looked at the control panel.
The skycar’s dashboard, which remained dark, had a slot that resembled a keyhole. Kashi looked at Otto, and the grinning dwarf presented him with a crystal key that had been carved into an intricate design. The daeben inserted the key into the slot and then twisted it.
Hummmmm!
Kashi grasped a pair of handlebars sticking out of the skycar’s hull as the skycar came to life with a low hum. The dashboard then came to life, revealing a set of trackers, which kept track of the speed and altitude of the skycar.
Next, Kashi used his feet to check out the four pedals underneath, two per foot. The two inner pedals governed the ascent and descent of the craft, while the two outer pedals determined its speed. Finally, a steering wheel sticking out underneath the dashboard controlled the large fin behind the ship.
Following Kashi’s lead, Syèl jumped into a skycar, leaving only three. At this point, the Maggots realized that not all could get in, so they decided to double up. Kashi set down the skycar, allowing Lunette to get on and sit in front of him. Meanwhile, Syèl and Shokō paired up, leaving Absalon, Shadow, and Larsial looking at the last two boats (one was reserved for Brock as a guest).
Shadow and Absalon were the quickest to react, with each grabbing a skyboat before Larsial could think. Larsial, still not feeling completely in tune with the rest of the guild, felt like she did not have the right to be there, especially when she looked at the magnificent skyboat.
The Hopeful Maggots were a guild that never ceased to create miracles. Furthermore, each miracle seemed to exist only for the betterment of the continent. Compared to them, what had she been doing all her life? Simply looking out for her survival. It did not matter who had to die in the process as long as she lived.
But these Maggots were not like her. A mind that could think of creating something like the skyboat could not be a selfish one.
Larsial hesitated, then began to take a step back, but a voice suddenly reached out to her, like a lantern amidst the darkness.
“What are you waiting for? Get in.”
Larsial looked up, shocked to see Shadow’s cold eyes glaring at her.
The white-haired assassin did not mince his words as he harshly repeated, “You’re keeping us. Get in already.”
However, to Larsial, those mean words were some of the warmest she had ever heard. That was because she could see that at this moment, Shadow was not looking at her as a potential threat or enemy, but rather a guild member who was making Kashi wait.
Speaking of which, Larsial turned to see Kashi with a lazy smile on his face. The Hopeful Maggots’ Guildmaster nodded as he mouthed, “You’re one of us now, aren’t you?”
Tears poured down Larsial’s eyes as she nodded and walked over to Shadow’s car. She took her seat in front of the assassin as she affirmed her conviction in her heart. “I am a Maggot now.”
“Now?” Shadow said as the skycar slowly levitated off the ground. “You became a Maggot the moment you fought to save both mine and Kashi’s lives...”
Larsial’s heart skipped a beat, causing her to look over her shoulder into Shadow’s ice-cold grey eyes. “Thank you.”