*The day after the events of the previous chapter.*

*3/21/90*

*KABOOM!*

"Very good, Mistress! Very good!" Flinch praised Silver after she destroyed the last standing target dummy the Shadows had set up in the Gulch for her Crystal training. “You’re getting much better."

Silver smiled smugly at the praise, pleased with her progress in using Crystals. Though she was reluctant to learn in the beginning months of the teachings, she eventually became dedicated to learning how to utilize her Barrier and the destructive power of Crystals fully.

The only real obstacle to the training was obtaining the Crystals for the lessons. The few places they could easily be found were in the Spirit’s more vulnerable nests. Areas where Crystals could be found in an ample supply were few and far between.

But it was not locating the Crystals that was the problem. It was making sure no Dustlings saw the Shadows making off with them. This proved very difficult, as the Overlord had to use some of its oldest and most intelligent Shadows for these risky missions, and they could only take a few Crystals and vials at a time or run the risk of being spotted.

They could get by with the small supply they had accumulated, focusing more on Barrier training than Crystal manipulation to ration their meager stock.

Silver's control over her Barrier grew stronger every day. Thanks to the knowledge taught by Flinch and, at one point, pushing herself to near death during training, Silver could now call upon a spiritual shield that protected her from harm. Her speed bursts could be summoned at will now and did not require the immense amount of focus and effort once needed. This was all due to focusing her Barrier on her muscles, something often done by Hunters and Trackers.

The Overlord was entirely surprised by how dedicated the Spirit female had become in her station as an enslaved teacher. When the teaching began, she reeked of fear and dread. She was awkward in her lessons, stuttering and flinching like an abused animal, earning her the name Flinch. Silver didn't help with that, always hissing and growling at the pitiful creature, taking joy in the amount of terror she exuded.

Her tormenting of the Spirit proved highly counterproductive, and the Overlord stopped it after it was forced to use the threat of the Centipede to make Flinch continue teaching Silver.

Flinch still smelled of fear, but the intensity of the emotion diminished as the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months. She still flinched and stuttered uncontrollably, mostly when frightened, panicked, or a Centipede came too close.

She even became accustomed to Silver's presence and vice versa. Silver was even beginning to develop an understanding of the Spirit language from Flinch, which she used in her raids to confuse and mislead her prey, herding them into chokepoints and traps.

The Overlord watched as another target was set up by a pair of Hounds, a Spirit effigy taken from a field of tall grass. It was clad in hole-filled rags stuffed with straw and a hat in terrible condition. Similar effigies were found in other areas of tall grass near Spirit nests all over Terrain. The Overlord couldn't fathom their purpose, but they made excellent targets for its heir's training exercises.

It watched as she channeled her Barrier into the red Crystal in her claws, tainting the crimson mineral with gashes of black. Then she raised her other hand towards the target, and a massive jet of black flame shot forth from her palm, enveloping the target in an avalanche of hellfire.

This unusual phenomenon first occurred when Flinch started having Silver practice with Crystals. The Crystals would change in color, adopting ridged spirals of black or red. The element's color unleashed was also altered. The red fire turned blacker than oil. The blue ice was made bloody crimson, the yellow lightning became angry midnight bolts, and the wind… actually stayed pretty much the same.

The elements unleashed by Silver were also far more destructive and sinister. The flames were ravenous and all-consuming, devouring everything in their path with terrifying speed. The ice became like thorny spikes, impaling anything in its way. The lightning would connect to multiple targets once it made an impact with the original one. And the winds she unleashed were akin to small hurricanes, picking up and throwing anything they could with frightening strength.

The Overlord made the connection fairly quickly that these bizarre deviations resulted from its blood flowing through her veins. It was very surprised that the blood affected Crystals in such a manner, but it was not an unwelcomed surprise. The Overlord felt the changes to be befitting of its heir.

Silver had also implemented Crystals into her assaults, but not in the traditional sense of simply unleashing the wrath of the elements on the Spirits and Greatwolves. Thanks to her Spirit appearance, she could sneak into Spirit nests with greater ease than the Shadows, make her way to their Crystal stockpiles, and detonate them after making off with several vials and Crystals.

Her tactic killed two Spirits with one blow. It disoriented the others with the sheer amount of sound and debris it produced, and it robbed them of their most potent weapon, making them easy pickings for the Shadows.

What's even more impressive is how, after each slaughter in which Silver employed the tactic, she would burn the bodies and position them to make it appear as if the Spirits had set off the stockpile themselves. Coupling this with the Spirits ignorance of the Shadow's true nature, Silver ensured that any Hunters or Trackers investigating the destroyed nests would immediately assume it was a mass suicide performed by the doomed people to save themselves from the pain of dying by the claws and teeth of the Shadows.

The Overlord had chosen its heir well.

She employed this maneuver all across the northern half of Britannia. Silver had wiped out three dozen Spirit nests, one dozen Greatwolf nests, and many caravans and slain seven more Trackers in but a year. Their symbols now hung from her waist as trophies, advertising her prowess as a killer.

Very few Spirits or Greatwolves escaped her attacks, and the ones that ran were often hunted down and butchered before reaching the safety of another nest. Some Spirits did manage to reach the larger nests, however. It was inevitable. Silver was thorough during her raids, but even she missed a few survivors here and there.

Concern gripped the Overlord when it heard of the first time a Spirit had escaped Silver's grasp, and it immediately sent out a small Raven to locate the stray and whether it was a threat or not. The first was a Tracker who narrowly avoided joining its pack mates in a Serpent's digestive tract.

Thankfully, the Tracker was hysterical when the Raven found it. Weeping and screaming, even as other Spirits tried to help it. The other survivors were in similar states, driven to the point of insanity by Silver's shrieks and taunts. Their minds were shattered by the terror she inflicted on them.

It recalled what one Spirit that fled one of her more recent raids kept yelling as others dragged it away.

“The Siren is coming for me! It's coming for me! DON'T LET IT GET ME!”

Silver was building a reputation among the Spirits. An unseen Shadow whose screams ushered forth waves of Shadows and whose sweet, innocent voice lured the unsuspecting to their doom.

And that did not bode well with the Overlord.

The Spirits and Greatwolve's fear of a new Shadow would make concealing Silver's existence and its own even harder. The Overlord would need to keep her confined to the Gulch until the rumors of the Siren disappeared, but that was easier said than done.

Silver was an adventurous child and did not like staying in one place for too long with nothing to do. She'd become restless and agitated, desiring to escape the Gulch for just a few days for fresh air and a change of scenery. It had been a tremendous chore keeping her from leaving it when she was younger and not allowed to leave the Gulch.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The Overlord had pondered for weeks on how to quell the rumors and prevent more from popping up until it finally came up with an answer.

One that didn't require Silver to stay cooped up in the Gulch.

“That is enough for today, little Silver.” The Overlord spoke telepathically, walking over to the two. Flinch stepped back as it approached. Her face lowered in submissive fear. “Tell Flinch to leave us.”

Silver nodded her head and turned to Flinch. "No more today." She said in her high-pitched voice. "Father, say you go now." Silver raised her claw and pointed towards the west cavern entrance, instructing the slave where she should go.

"Y-yes, Master. As you wish." She bowed quickly before heading to the cave, her Hound escort behind her. Flinch may be bent to the Overlord's will and have become surprisingly accustomed to her new life as a teacher slave, but she was still a Spirit. The Overlord would take no chances with her.

“Come, little Silver.” It told its heir. “We are heading out.”

The Overlord called forth one of the Great Ravens roosting on the Gulch cliffs, commanding it to land in the canyon's center. The mighty bird landed with a thud, its strong wings sent dirt and dust flying outwards. It lowered its body to the ground as its master approached, prepared to be boarded by the Overlord and Silver.

“Where are we going, Father?” Silver asked inquisitively as she climbed atop the Raven, griping its thick feathers with her claws. “Are we going on a raid?”

“No, little Silver.” It told her as the Raven flapped its wings and shot into the sky. “We are heading to the far north, to the white mountains.”

It took a week of flying to reach their destination.

Unlike the southeastern forests of Britannia, where winter's bite was almost unnoticeable, the northern continent was completely clutched in the freezing grip of the cold season. Gray clouds clotted the sky and sun, while several feet of heavy snow covered the earth.

It was cold, too. Even with her higher tolerance to dramatic climates, Silver was freezing. As such, she was very grateful for the winter cloak her father had weaved for her. She wore it over her red hood, unwilling to part with the old cloth. Its thick, insulated fur kept her small body cozy-warm despite the frigid temperature, and its white color helped her blend in with the equally white landscape.

Silver had seen snow before; of course, the lands to the north of the Gulch would sometimes receive snowfalls during the winter, but besides very few places, it was never guaranteed to fall and mostly just amounted to a few inches when it did. The Gulch itself was too far south to ever have a lot of snow. The only real sign of winter in the canyon was the drop in temperature and overcast clouds.

The northern continent was different, though. Snow was everywhere. On the ground, the rocks, the bushes, and even the tree branches supported high columns of the frozen liquid with dozens of icicles hanging from underneath.

The snow was so high when Silver jumped off the Raven that her whole body, from the belly down, was consumed by the white, frozen sea. Her father had to pull her out of the snow after she failed to free herself from its cold embrace. Gripping her by the hood, It gently placed her on the unbroken snow.

Silver could only sit there in awe of the world around her. She had never once left the Isle of Britannia before. She had traveled nearly every corner of it save the largest Spirit nest and a few islands off its coast, but never had she left it.

It was exciting.

But before Silver could begin enjoying this new environment through exploration and play, her father addressed her.

“Silver,” It began. “For many years, I have raised you to be my heir. Teaching you many things you will need to know when I am gone, and you take my place. You have shown me time and time again that you are worthy of being the Mistress of Shadows. Slaughtering Spirits and Greatwolves with effective and brutal tactics, using every resource available to you, and showing no quarter to the enemy.”

It pauses for a moment, simply looking at Silver calmly before continuing. “But you still have much to learn and accomplish, little Silver. And I will not always be here to help you. Therefore, I have come to a decision. You shall stay in the north for one year….”

“By yourself.”

Silver could only gawk at her father with wide eyes, unsure she heard him right. “W-what?!” She barely whispered.

“You must learn to fend for yourself, little Silver.” It said stoically. “You have relied on me for many things, but I will not be here forever. This will determine if you can survive without my guidance and protection. You shall command and use all Shadows on this continent as you see fit.”

'B-b-but Daddy!' she stammered, running up to him, panicked and confused. 'W-why are you doing this!? Have I upset you? Please, I'm sorry if I did!' She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

Her father placed its mighty hand upon her head and rubbed it gently. “You have not upset me, little Silver, and this is no punishment. But there will come a time when I will fall, and you will rise in my place. I must be sure you can truly lead the Shadows when that time comes.”

It knelt down and placed its forehead against her own. “Do not worry, little Silver.' It spoke gently. “I shall return for you in exactly one year and bring you back to the Gulch.”

Silver couldn't help but start whimpering. She hated being away from Daddy! It was scary! But she also wanted to please him. His tone said he had so much faith in Silver that he knew she would survive the long year of isolation to come, even if she didn't.

It wasn't just the loneliness that frightened Silver. The northern continent was the location of the most aggressive Spirit nests in the world. They possessed mighty armies of Hunters and other kinds of warriors and iron golems to defend their borders. Flocks of metal birds, big and small, patrolled its skies. And their builders were constructing new weapons every day.

Silver could not understand why her father would have her perform this trial here of all places. He had told her that they were far less lax than the Spirit continents and far more vigilant. Even Silver's usual terror tactics and concealment measures could be discovered by them if she wasn't careful.

Why have the trial here!?

The Overlord sensed her distress and confusion and pulled her into an embrace. “I do not want you to wage war against a foe you are not ready to face while you are here, little Silver.” It said. “I want you to survive.”

“Do you understand?” It pulled her away to look her in the eyes. “I know you are vicious, I know you are strong, I know you are cunning. Now I want to know that you can live without me. The north is very dangerous, but if you can survive here, you can survive anywhere.”

“And I have faith in you, my daughter.”

Silver felt her lips quivering as he said those words. She was touched to hear Daddy praise her with such kind words. He expected her to survive this, expected her to face the challenges in her way, and expected her to emerge from the north stronger than ever.

And despite her strong reluctance to be alone for one year, Silver wanted to meet these expectations. She wanted to show her daddy she would do all he wanted and that he had not misplaced his trust in her. That she could survive on her own.

That his daughter was truly worthy of him.

“Okay…” Silver finally said, moving into another hug, which her father gladly accepted. “I'll do it.”

“Do not despair, little Silver.” It told her, rocking her back and forth in the embrace. “The year will pass faster than you think, and when it does, I will be here, waiting for you.”

Silver sniffled as she struggled to keep herself from outright sobbing. “C-can you not leave yet, though?” Silver whispers timidly, nuzzling into him. “Can you at least stay till tomorrow morning?”

A soft click-like purr escapes his maw. “Of course, little Silver.”

And so Silver and her father spent what was left of the day together. They explored the snowy land around them. Their landing area was near a mountain range where Silver passed the time, pointing out the many bizarre shapes the ice and snow took on the rocks.

Afterward, they simply played in the snow. At first, they simply drew images in the snow. Then, they became engaged in a brutal snowball war. Silver had provoked the conflict by launching one of the frosty projectiles at her father and hitting him right in the head. Her father retaliated with a massive snowball of his own, which knocked Silver off her feet.

Now Silver was using her superior speed and agility to strike at her father from all angles, dodging his snowballs left and right while returning fire with a rapid string of her own. The Overlord's larger body and incredible strength made him a difficult foe to topple. It took its daughter's throws without flinching, aiming its shots carefully before unleashing a devastatingly powerful snowball throw her way.

After much fighting, both sides finally called for a ceasefire.

Not long after, some of the local Shadow Hounds and Bears appeared, drawn to the presence of their creator. Having never seen Silver before, the child before them confused these Shadows, having the body of a Dustling but the scent of a Shadow with no signs of being a Great Wolf. Eventually, they realized she was the heir of their creator and bowed respectfully.

Silver had a joyous time playing with all the Shadows, play-fighting with a few of the younger Hounds, and riding around on the Bear's back, cheerfully laughing as her father watched from the side.

Before Silver knew it, the day was over, and night had begun. The clouds hid both the sun and moon from sight, so she was unaware of the time change until it happened.

And if it was cold during the day, it was freezing at night. Silver and her father curled against the great Raven's warm body, its large wing draped over them protectively, shielding them from the frigid air. The other Shadows took position around the bird, watching for danger.

Silver was very tired, but she didn't want to sleep. She couldn't spend more time with her father if she fell asleep. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but they were so heavy, and it felt so lovely when they closed… Maybe for just a few minutes…

“No!” She thought to herself, eyes shooting open. “I must stay awake! I must… must… stay…”

Zzzzzz….

And so the heir succumbed to her body's desire and fell into a peaceful sleep.

The following morning, Silver woke up with a carefree yawn that turned sour when she remembered what would happen today.

Daddy was leaving.

Silver knew it was happening and even came to terms with it, but she still didn't want him to go. He chased the dream terrors away, kept her safe all these years, fed her, nurtured her, and so much more.

To be away from him for a whole year was a very frightening concept.

But his reasoning was sound. Silver was to become the next ruler of the Shadows, an unstoppable, unknowable being that no Spirit, save Flinch, has seen and lived to speak of. She could not become this being if she were overly reliant on her father. It'd become a crutch that would hamper her throughout her reign.

This was a necessary ordeal Silver had to go through.

“You promise you'll be back in exactly one year?” Silver asked her father as he prepared to leave. “Right here?”

“Yes, little Silver.” He answers comfortingly, “I will return to this same clearing on this same day one year from now.”

“Okay…” She responded, still feeling depressed and scared.

“I have faith in you, little Silver.” He told her. “Don't ever forget that.”

With those words, he turned to mount the Raven, but just as he was about to climb onto its back, Silver rushed up and hugged him tightly.

“Goodbye, Daddy.” She said with a sniffle. “I love you.”

Not wanting to endure the pain of watching her father fly off, Silver bolted into the surrounding woods as soon as she finished her farewell. The Shadows followed after her, growling and huffing as they ran behind her.

Hot tears trailed down her face as she ran, too warm for the cold air to freeze them. She wiped them away with the back of her right claw.

“Have to stay focused.” Silver reminded herself, pushing the sorrow out of her mind and replacing it with determination. “Can't disappoint Daddy.”