32. The Quartermaster's Quest

Lukas faced a week after the ascension of his Soul Pillar. The time to fulfill Kwame’s end of the bargain had come. He approached El-Four after a week of constant training. It had been a fruitful week. They practiced the shortsword and three-stage spear, with and without a shield. Much to Lukas and the clones’surprise, the quartermaster also included the Shade’s Mantle in his lessons. 

The minor shard ability—as Lukas learned they were called—stuck to clothes, but arcane specialized clones’ regular manipulations had helped them learn that it could also hang loosely over them, like a cloak, without adding additional weight or hindering movement by a great amount. Kwame believed that with enough training, they could turn it into an offensive and defensive tool.

Hardening edges and subtly manipulating them could trip up opponents. The full coverage also masked movement, making it hard for opponents to discover stance changes or small movements. It also created a large target full of mostly air. As long as Lukas or the clone continued moving, enemies would struggle to land a hit. 

The training was tiring but not a big deal for the clones. Lukas rather liked the prospect for his low-mass minions. He could feel his body improving and slowly getting close to a state capable of replicating moves and maneuvers from his memories of combat. 

Then, on the sixth day of their intense training, Kwame brought it up. 

“The expedition is in a few days,” the man said. “I think you’re ready. Can you clear yourself of all commitments the day after tomorrow?”

“Bit sudden, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry. They moved it up abruptly. New information. An opportunity they can’t miss. And all that malarkey. You won’t have to do anything. Just show up and play along until I give you the signal. You can help if you want afterward. Your skills are good enough to help you survive. But given how long you’ve been at this, I wouldn’t blame you if you take cover or flee instead.” He nodded at the billowing mantle. “You’ll have no trouble covering your tracks with that thing.”

“A deal is a deal.” The clone sighed. “I had a magic lesson with Esther, but I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“She’s a good egg.” Kwame grinned. “I’m sure she will. You’ll need to be light on that day. Not your slow and heavy state. Don’t forget.”

“Got it, quartermaster.

Lukas’s dilemma involved deciding whether to follow or stay put and let El-Four take on the expedition. It didn’t make sense to endanger himself since he now had clones to spare. At the same time, he didn’t want to ruin things with Kwame and the guild just in case the clone prematurely disappeared. In his low-mass state, El-Four would be especially fragile and vulnerable. 

When the day of the expedition came, Lukas resisted at first. Resolving not to go in the clone’s place. But then another clone—built to play the role of Elvis—gave him an idea.

“You’re going into the undercity, and the Shade’s Mantle is perfect for blending in. Why not take another one of us and watch from a distance? If El-Four dies, you can send the clone in and pretend that he used a single-use shadow-walk spell or something.” He shrugged, making something up. “If you get in trouble or attacked by something else, use the clone as a sacrificial pawn and slink away. It should give us the chance to push Shade’s Mantle and see if we can pull off Penelope’s magic muting modifications.”

“You’re supposed to be the brains,” El-Four said. “Not the brawns.”

“It’s an excellent plan.” Lukas nodded. “Very well. Elvis.” He pursed his lips. “Magic Elvis.” He hated the name, but the clones insisted he use it and found it hilarious. “Go to your respective smithies. Do your regular duties.” Lukas turned his attention to the other two clones. “El-Four, you’re sticking with Kwame. El-Three, you’re with me.”

“Yes, El-Prime,” the clones said in unison, throwing up identical mock salutes.

“Most of you already know what this expedition involves,” the expedition leader announced as everyone gathered at a side entrance of the guardhouse. It seemed the event was big and well-funded enough not to stand in the usual lines. “Some of you joined last minute. And a handful have incompetent or negligent teachers.” His eyes wandered over to where El-Four and Kwame stood. “So, I’ll go over it once more.

“This is a delve as much as competition. We, teachers and masters, are accompanying you as supervisors to ensure you don’t get overwhelmed and nothing too powerful finds you.” He pulled a shimmering piece of clear but luminous pearl out of his coat pocket. “This is what you’re looking for. The Crystal Oysters are opening early this year. Something seems to have disturbed their slumber. So, the pearls will be few in number, and competition will be harsher. You’re not just up against each other, but there will be other critters targeting their magic-enhancing properties. We’ll keep the big and uglies out, but the small fry are yours to ward off, defend, and avoid. Any questions?”

“Do we get to keep the Pearls?” El-Four called out. A wave of murmurs washed over the two dozen armed delvers. “I can’t be the only one thinking it, right?”

“Of course, it’s a Shadow Seeker runt,” someone in the crowd said.

“No. You collect one and report to me.” The expedition leader’s tone didn’t change. He shot Kwame another glare. “Once you turn it in, you have officially completed the task. Speed and quality will determine your position in the competition. Alongside how many and what critters you fight off or put down, of course.”

“Do we get rewarded more for working in groups?” Someone else asked.

“No,” the expedition leader answered. “We’ll consider your individual performance, and if you get a pearl, the points for it will be divided equally amongst all participants. However, your chances of success are higher in a group, and if you’re good enough, you might make it to multiple loaded oysters.”

Multiple conversations broke out among young competitors and their mostly older teachers. None of the former group appeared much older than eighteen. Allied guilds broke into clusters. Only the Shadow-Seekers duo and two other pairs remained on their own. None of them moved toward each other or any other group. Kwame said nothing. Neither did El-Four.

Meanwhile, Lukas and El-Three watched from a dark corner of the undercity entrance. Their Shade Mantles covered their clothing and every bit of uncovered skin. They were loose but didn’t dance or move despite the breeze blowing through the entrance. Lukas split his attention between listening and watching and practicing the spell Penelope had taught him.

The pair had their first proper magic lesson not long ago. Since Penelope believed Lukas intended to focus on the stealth side of magic, she started with ‘Skuga Thogh’ or Silencing Shadow, as she called it. The ordinary version only added a silencing effect to shadow spells, but she guided them through intent-driven modification meant to also mute arcane signatures. The best part of it was that it didn’t consume large amounts of magic or the Shade’s Mantle.

“You’re not burning magic or completely making it invisible,” Penelope had explained. “In fact, most teachers advise against the move since it's counter-intuitive. If your spell looks and feels like an arcane void, it will stand out like a beacon to anyone with adequate arcane senses. Instead, you want to guide ambient mana through and around yourself.”

It was easier said than done, but Lukas had a clone practicing it non-stop during the four days since the lesson. He hadn’t known about the expedition, of course, but he hoped to master it before the auction. It would likely prove invaluable if he needed to hide or flee.

Instead of constantly drawing in ambient magic, Lukas constantly his own through his body and the Shadow Mantle. The exercise sparked memories of learning body reinforcement magic. It was the first step in the process. Unfortunately, Lukas failed to recall the rest, and his experimentations bore no fruit. 

When ambient magic touched the mantle, it mingled with his own but didn’t fuse. They remained two distinct entities: oil and water. Then, it drifted off him, only marginally losing speed. Lukas’s mastery of the spell and modification were far from perfect, but it was his first complicated part of intent-driven magic, and he was glad to use it with relative ease. He doubted he’d be able to maintain the effect if things got too hectic, but they had plans to run in such a situation.

When Lukas told Penelope about the delve, she told him that his surprising progress was enough to avoid detection in the lower to mid levels of the undercity. But he needed to be careful against human mages as there was the risk of them detecting the minor disturbance. Unfortunately, the expedition group appeared to have four mages: two older men accompanied their teenage-looking apprentices. The stereotypical robes, staves, and luminous foci gave them away.

To err on the side of caution, Lukas and El-Three hung back and gave the expedition ample time to move ahead before following. The veil of shadows over their eyes made it easier to follow all movements. It was the first piece of magic Lukas and his clones had created on their own after their arrival to Fracture. It was a derivation of the Light Eyes spell Esther helped him figure out.

While stretching shadows over his face, one of the arcane specialized clones noticed a subtle change in the world. Dark patches weren’t as dark. They had a faint dark-blue tinge, and he could see more in the area than without the veil. Elvis’s talk of dark light resonated with the clone, and he floated the idea of using the same intent-driven model of Light Eyes.

The result wasn’t as effective but serviceable. Lukas and the clone enjoyed a clearer view of obstacles in their past and all nearby lingering critters. They got to see more without their eyes glowing violently. 

Focusing on both spells at the same time left Lukas with a dull but gradually intensifying headache. As a result, he was glad whenever they encountered mushroom forests or especially bright luminous wall crystals that sent fractal lights far and wide. Traversal slowed since the duo had to seek out more shaded areas. The expedition’s rear watch would undoubtedly grow suspicious on sighting shadow-draped figures walking through bright patches.

As the expedition delved deeper, the teachers spread out in all directions, sticking to twos and threes. Lukas was surprised to spot Kwame pairing up with the expedition leader. The first smiled and talked animatedly, while the other’s lips barely moved when he replied. The larger Germanic-looking man barely looked at his counterpart as they spoke. It didn’t seem to deter Kwame, who continued chatting. Lukas couldn’t, of course, hear anything they said. He was too far, but the dynamic increased his curiosity related to the Shadow Seekers’ interest in the expedition.

It was clear that Kwame had no intention of bringing a winning candidate. Big Mouth appeared younger than Lukas’s new body but wasn’t approached. It wasn’t clear whether it was because the man was a magic user and summoner or Kwame specifically wanted someone capable and willing to run away instead of actively taking part in the expedition. The quartermaster hadn’t shared what he intended to do.

“The less you know, the better is for you. If things go awry and you’re captured, coming across as a witless pawn forced into a dangerous situation than a willing participant.”

The first threats appeared an hour into the expedition. It was a tribe of five-foot-tall troglodytes. They resembled Neanderthals but were significantly more hairy. Loin clothes didn’t seem like a concept their civilization had yet discovered or cared for. However, their weapons of bone or local crystal tied to sticks appeared far from crude. 

The teachers didn’t help. Some hung behind, observing from afar. While others moved onward, likely confident that their candidates would fare just fine. Kwame and the expedition leader were in the latter group. 

El-Four performed just fine. He was far too fast for the troglodytes, and his skills with the short spear had improved significantly since joining the Shadow Seekers. He took out the first to rush him with an accurate thrust to the neck. Then, caught its companion club on his round shield. El-Four released his spear, drew his mundane shortsword, and cleaved through the creature. It was clear from the distance that the clone had utilized the speed and sharpness spells despite the lack of the enchanted weapon. It likely left him with a mild headache, but Lukas couldn’t help but feel proud.

A third knife-wielding troglodyte snuck up behind El-Four and attempted to grab him, weapon poised for a throat stab. His arms passed through the Shade’s Mantle as the clone danced toward another opponent, taking the spear with him. He got it in the foot, creating an opening for the struggling apprentice mage, before spinning around and driving his weapon into the pursuing knife-wielder’s stomach. 

The tribe was large, and the fight dragged on, but Lukas and El-Three didn’t watch and linger. They circled around the battlefield, briskly following Kwame. If the fighting clone perished, he’d know instantly and was ready to dispel the body. 

It didn’t take them long to catch up to the quartermaster and expedition leader. Since neither mage teacher seemed around, Lukas dared to sneak closer to the duo. Hoping his modified Silent Shadows wouldn’t fail him. He lost his nerve just out of earshot and sent El-Three ahead. When neither man reacted, he crept closer.

“I’ve vetted every guild representative personally,” the expedition leader said. “The only untrustworthy one is you. These are all good men and women. They’re not going to murder children to increase their guild’s chances of earning pearls and climbing the ranks.”

“Yet last year, four candidates died of questionable causes while under the supervision of some of your present, esteemed colleagues,” Kwame said. “And then their guilds went on to win. It might be a coincidence, but the Shadow Seekers’ job is to ensure it and, if not, bring the perpetrators to justice. You’re obligated to cooperate according to—”

“I don’t need you, of all people, telling me that.”

“Good, because you know what we have to do if I see signs of teachers or students attacking each other. Yes?

“We take them into custody,” the expedition leader said through gritted teeth.

“Or execute them on the spot if there is any sign of resistance.”

“I understand.”

Is that the real reason people hate and shit-talk the Shadow Seekers? Are they secret police of guilds, taking the law into their own hands? Hold on a moment! Did Kwame bring me in as bait? Or does he trust my survival skills that much?

The pair ceased conversing. They stiffened, and their eyes scanned their surroundings. Lukas and the clone hurriedly slinked backward, focusing their attention on Silence Shadows. Lukas caught movement out of the corner of his eye. It was a human. The figure darted away back toward the battlefield left behind. Kwame broke away from the expedition leader and sped in the same direction. The larger man followed, audibly grumbling.

When Lukas and El-Three returned to the site, the battle was over. All candidates appeared unharmed, and some spoke animatedly among themselves. He was surprised to find El-Four chatting with the female apprentice mage he had assisted. She hadn’t joined any of the other alliances. 

You better not be trying to arrange a hook-up.

A couple of teachers called out to the group, ordering them to keep moving. A couple directed them on which way to go. A white-haired staff-wielding teacher hung back. His eyes glowed as they swept over the cavernous section of the undercity. Lukas couldn’t tell whether the man had detected him and El-Four’or was looking for something else. They didn’t wait to find out and hurried after the expedition. 

A couple of short tunnels later, everyone ended up in the open expanse of the undercity. They were so high above the base level that it was barely visible. Lukas only saw patches because of the giant moving lights. They looked like turtles with luminous crystals growing out of their backs.

The expedition followed still functional elevated waterways, heading lower. After another hour, they ended up at a monstrous lake—or perhaps a reservoir, Lukas couldn’t tell—that sat high above the undercity’s ‘ground level.” At its center sat a giant pile of partially open or clamped-shut oysters. Each was as big as Lukas. Narrow natural bridges ran between the island and the shore. 

Lukas spotted non-human movement along it, and the waters were also wild. Undercity’s residents were already either fighting for or on their way to the prize.