Dave knew that there were precious few months left until the God-Emperor’s invasion, but he didn’t want to screw up or lose anyone in the Crown Tower. Thus, he took his time to level up and gain more Phantomancy levels in his estate's dungeon and then dispense them amongst his friends while taking their skills in return.

Cedez was the hardest to take levels from, but he did it at night, while telling the dead highborn lords that he and the Empress needed to make war plans.

In nearly three weeks time, Dave, Cedez, Remicra and ten elkin stood in front of the white tower in the center of Shandria.

They were wearing extradimensional packs filled with supplies. Everyone was wearing Bakelite armor sets, reinforced with magisteel plates. A magisteel ring covered in runes sat on Dave’s finger featuring a small, silver-blue gemstone containing the spirit of Alaster Rim.

The ceremonial guards at the entrance to the tower parted as Cedez approached a large bell and pulled a hidden lever to make it ring out. An old, lanky man with a white cape and fancy white hat descended from the white marble stairwell after a few minutes.

“Which of you wishes to challenge the Tower?” The Keeper of the Crown asked, observing the group with his pale eyes. “Who is the leader of this group?”

“Greetings, Keeper Qaviosh Moeran of Crown Tower Arcane,” Svenn stepped forward and bowed to the man.

The female elkin body controlled by Svenn was wearing a fancy red cape and an elaborate magisteel armor set made by Remicra. “I am the reborn avatar of First Empress Nox Aestaernus, Svenja Ekström! I have come to lay a claim to the Crown of Shandria. The trusted entourage made up of heroes I have chosen stands behind me and I am ready to become Sovereign of our glorious city!”

“Very well,” the Keeper nodded in approval at Svenn’s vainglorious declaration. “Open the gate!”

The ceremonial guards rushed to open the white gate at the top of the large white stairwell. The metal hinges groaned open. This door had clearly not been unlocked for seventeen years.

“Good luck, Lady Ekström,” the Keeper bowed as everyone shuffled past him. "By the time you emerge, I shall have everyone of note gathered on this plaza in attendance for your coronation!"

A massive, blue, pyramidal hexagram was embedded withining doorway behind the gate.

Svenja reached out and touched it. There was no need to hide the armored elkin girl from the view of the Keeper or the door guards as Dave had given her a small part of Cedez’s soul and the Shadowmancy skill that came with it that was recognized by the Ward of Shandria.

Dave’s heartbeat accelerated momentarily as Svenja’s hand pressed against the hexagram. The Keeper raised an eyebrow as seconds ticked by. The runic pattern must have finally found the shard of the soul of Cedez in Svenja because it ignited with brilliant blue and silver sparks and the door slid open, revealing a dark, gloomy interior.

The Keeper and the ceremonial guard relaxed. Svenja and the rest of the party walked into the Tower Arcane and then the door slid closed behind them, cutting away the view of the city.

“Phew,” Cedez exhaled. “Had me worried there for a minute, Svenn. That took waaaay longer than last time.”

"Svenn only has a tiny fraction of you," Dave commented. "I wasn't sure that it would work at all."

Svenn simply nodded in reply, ten undead eyes examining the dusty interior of the tower made from white stone. Silver lights lit within every ornate chamber the group passed through. Carvings of Empress Nox appeared on the walls, depicting her decimating armies and vanquishing cities with the monstrous Shadow-beast.

Soon the group arrived at a stairwell leading up and began their ascent. There was only one way forward. Cedez had outlined the fairly straightforward path to them beforehand.

“This is a lot of stairs,” Dave voiced his complaint after the 10th landing.

“A sovereign can’t be fat and lazy,” Cedez stuck her tongue out at him.

“But they can be extra vain and murderous?” Dave asked, eyeing a marble carving depicting Nox looking smug and standing on a mountain of skulls.

“Many enemies had to die for the Shadow Empire to be built,” Cedez shrugged. “I gave the people stability and protection in a turbulent world. Two hundred years of it.”

Remicra squinted at the foxgirl, magisteel-covered fingers squeezing the handle of her great broadsword. The dragoness was ready to smack Cedez with the flat of her blade at any sign of betrayal.

“You didn’t do any of that,” Dave said. “Empress Nox did. Don’t deceive yourself. You're our cute, little Cedez."

“I am Empress Nox,” Cedez sighed. “I’m remembering more of myself with each day.”

“You’re also partially me, Remica and Svenn,” Dave said. “I’ve crammed as much of ourselves into you as I could. Hopefully it’ll mess up the Tower’s System nicely.”

“You did,” Cedez nodded, her tail swishing. “It… really makes me feel connected to you three on a level that’s beyond mere companionship. For this, I am incredibly thankful.”

“Maybe we should keep Cedez downstairs?” Remicra said to Dave. “Technically we’re all Shandria Sovereigns now, no?”

“There’s a clever golem Sentinel upstairs,” Cedez pointed out. “She exists to test the Sovereign. If Svenn fails or if you screw something up, I must be there or the Sentinel will kill all of you. Neither of you is able to wield her Divine Shadow as well as I can.”

“I still think it’s a risk bringing you with us,” Remicra said.

“You think I want to be the Sovereign?” Cedez raised an eyebrow. “You’ve no idea how genuinely glad I am that Svenn will actually be able to bear the crown now thanks to Dave’s incredible skill.”

“Oh?” Remicra peered at the foxgirl from behind her shiny helmet.

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

“I don’t want to rule Shandria,” Cedez said. “Honestly! Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“What do you want then?” Remicra asked.

“I want to make as many people as I can… happy, give them hope in darkness,” Cedez replied, “I want… a big, loving family, damn it. The kind that my parents gave me! Please, Remy. I know that you don’t want to trust me, but you’ve a part of me in you now. Please understand that I don’t intend to hurt anyone or to lord over people like Natalie did.”

Remicra’s posture softened.

“I want to grow my own garden by the ocean and sit in it reading romance stories and not have to freaking worry about every person’s problems that haunt my dreams every freaking Gods-awful night! I want to hold Dave’s hand without ripping his soul out of his body!” Cedez declared.

The dragoness nearly tripped over the next step.

“I get it, I get it, he’s yours,” Cedez said. “But you know what? I want to be there for him too, as much as you are! I want to support him, protect him, and be a part of his life…”

Remicra let out a weary low growl.

“I want to create a nice future for all of us,” Cedez whispered softly. “Give me a chance… please, Remy?”

The dragoness didn’t reply, ignoring the dark fox.

The group continued climbing the seemingly endless stairs of the Tower Arcane.

Finally, they reached another grand door, adorned with intricate carvings and shimmering runes.

"This is it," Cedez said, her voice tight with apprehension. "The door to the first evaluation room. Beyond this lies the first test for the Sovereign of Shandria."

Svenja stepped forward and pressed her palm against the door. After a minute the door slid open, revealing a massive chamber of white marble, gothic arched ceilings and intricate stained glass windows depicting the glory of Empress Nox.

A white, magisteel statue stood in the center of the room featuring the Shadow Empress.

As the group filed into the room, the magisteel statue lit up from within. With a whirl of gears, it suddenly stepped off the pedestal.

“Good tomorrow... me,” she said with a deep, hissy voice. The glowing eyes of the statue peered at Svenja, evaluating the armored elkin girl.

“You seem… weaker than the previous princess,” she said. “The door barely recognized you. Have you been wounded in battle?”

“I have endured quite an ordeal at the hands of Shandria’s enemy,” Svenja nodded, examining the statue through the magisteel helmet slits.

Dave stepped forward flanked by Remicra and Cedez, nine undead, armored soldiers surrounding them.

“What are you?” he asked.

The statue turned to him, raising a single eyebrow, not saying anything.

“Answer my hero's questions,” Svenja ordered.

“I am the last memory of Empress Nox,” the statue said, its face clicking after a momentary pause. “A small fraction of her, embedded in the crystalline matrix of this golem.”

“So it’s possible to make golems embedded with human souls,” Dave said thoughtfully.

“It is,” Nox affirmed.

“Why didn't you make a golem army to protect the city?” Dave asked, walking closer to the golem to examine it. “Golem Constabulary? Golem builders, cleaners, assistants?”

“A great deal of cost and expertise was required to build me,” Nox replied, tapping a magisteel, laurel leaf crown on her head. “I only awaken to test the Sovereign. It would be foolish to use a diamond-encrusted crown as a shovel to dig a ditch.”

“But you can dig ditches,” Dave said, examining the complex machine. “You seem to possess full limb mobility, speech and intelligence to converse clearly with us.”

“Your minion is a curious one,” the Crown artifact said, turning back to Svenja.

“You’re a masterpiece of magitek engineering. Why weren’t more like you built?” Dave asked. “Why the charade with the reborn Sovereigns, why aren’t you sitting on the throne?”

The golem turned back to him.

“I am… merely a static, rough copy of Empress Nox,” she said. “I was deemed… inflexible. Being inflexible does not win wars, does not connect well with new generations of Shadow nobles. I got old and retired from rule, entombed myself in the great mausoleum in Illatius, where I dream forevermore of being young and beautiful.”

“Are you connected to your real self or the Ward of Shandria?” Dave threw another question at the golem.

“No,” she shook her head. “I’m a standalone, experimental construct, not designed to rule anyone or anything. There are eight others like me in the other major cities of the Shadow Empire. I cannot leave the Tower and will deactivate as soon as the Sovereign is crowned.”

“Who made you and how?” Dave demanded.

“I was made two hundred years ago by the golem research division at the Illatius Arcanarium,” the golem said. “My creator’s name was Borolish Klipp and I executed him after these nine golems were built.”

“Why?” Dave’s eyes went wide.

“Artificer Klipp served his purpose in building the necessary golems. From the reports I received, he was plotting against the Shadow Empire,” the construct explained. “A secret scheme of his was exposed to overthrow the Shadow nobility to institute a Magocracy Republic. He and the rest of his treasonous archmage friends were executed two centuries ago and the knowledge to build more artifacts like me was lost.”

“Unfortunate,” Dave mulled, now standing within reach of the golem.

The golem’s head turned to Svenja. “If you brought this amusing fool to distract me with inane questions, it won’t work. If you wish to gain the crown, kill one of your minions now, prove to me that you’re worthy of making sacrifices for the Greater good of Shandria.”

Svenja didn’t move.

“Blood is required to open the way to the crown,” the golem said, crossing her arms smugly. "Use your shadow blade to decapitate one of these idiot heroes and the door to the next level will open. Maybe that armored dragoness. She looks like a goodly kill."

“I’m not a minion,” Remicra stepped forward, raising her great sword. “I’m the Sovereign of Shandria.”

“What?” The mechanical head clicked towards Remicra.

“No,” Cedez said, stepping forward. “I’m the Sovereign of Shandria.”

“I’m the sovereign of Shandria,” ten mouths of Svenn spoke, one after the other.

“Impossible!” the golem’s head clicked from one person to the other in confusion. “There can only be one Sovereign here! What trickery is this?!”

“Don’t destroy the golem, we’ll need her,” Dave ordered. “Remy - she’s metal, grab her wrists and hold her down!"

Remicra grabbed both hands of the statue, quickly pushing her down into the floor.

“You have deceived me!” the mechanical copy of Nox wailed, unsucessfully trying to escape from the metal-controlling skill of Remicra. “How?! You will not get the crown! I will not open the door to the next chamber for an imposter!”

Dave placed his hands against the back of the golem and reached out with his Phantomancy. He saw a brilliant violet-blue spark within the flailing construct’s body.

“I’m the Sovereign of Shandria too, you idiot,” he exhaled, pressing down on the golem with Alaster's gravity so it would not be able to escape. In another minute he ripped the magical echo of Empress Nox out of the construct and pushed the large green star belonging to Sherlock into the golem’s crystalline core.

The golem’s body relaxed.

“Got it,” Dave exhaled, getting up. “You can let go of the golem now, Remy. It’s ours.”

“Ours?” Remicra asked, releasing the statue of Empress Nox. “What do you mean?”

“A pleasure to meet all of you in person,” the golem rose from the marble floor. “I’m Sherlock.”

The detective looked down at himself and then back to the group.

“This is a rather unexpected boon,” he said. “I would prefer a less feminine body, but it’s best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Thank you, Dave. It was a rather confining enterprise to exist entirely within your skull for so long.”