Shadow Clone Sorcery
Chapter 4: Hunters Become The Hunted (2)

“I forgot how tiring this used to be,” Lukas commented.

El-One nodded, clutching his side as he struggled to catch his breath. “You need to get one of us on daily workouts and some sort of weapons training once we’re out of this mess. This body is in bad shape. It might have a pretty face but damn is it horrible.”

“What do you expect? We brought the kid back from the dead.”

“No excuse. You’d think having blood that opens important storeroom doors meant he’d get decent exercise or at least some training to do his job better.”

“None of the other bodies look as malnourished as this guy. Let’s give him a break.”

“Do you need to catch your breath, boss?” The clone asked.

Lukas shook his head. “Can’t afford it. Someone will find the archer—” He kicked the corpse lying at his feet. “—or one of these two sooner or later. Then, the entire flock will descend on us. It’s just a matter of time.” He struggled onto his feet and stretched. Satisfying cracks sounded from his shoulder and spine. “Our best bet is to find the blade as soon as possible and hope it comes with an escape route.”

They didn’t bother hiding the corpses. The manor had seen a fair bit of combat but most of it seemed concentrated on the upper floors. Anyone that saw the blood would know something had happened, and they’d likely follow the trail to the bodies. Instead, they pushed on, speeding through the floor and checking every nook and cranny. The journal didn’t react but that didn’t mean there weren’t secret passageways to lower levels.

Instead of finding their target, the pair discovered new clothes, tools, weapons, and coins. Lukas couldn’t tell whether the raptors didn’t want any of it or deemed them low priority and left everything within for later as they had with the storehouse. They grabbed a couple of backpacks and filled them with new clothing, money, and whatever other valuables they could find and easily carry.

Another pair of searching raptors got in their path. This time, the duo circled around them to get in their path and launched an ambush. They held their breaths as the creatures approached, ducking behind statues on either side of a long, ominous corridor. The pair seemed less thorough than the last and missed their hiding places without checking and didn’t suffer daggers to the gut or face as a result. Lukas and El-One rose silently once the raptors passed and struck swiftly. Once again, the new weak body, its lack of training, and any sort of strength deterred them.

El-One already had no use of his left arm. It had hung limp since the last fight. He failed to finish his target in a single strike and ended up taking a short sword to the shoulder. Lukas had no choice but to intervene after eliminating his target. The raptors were stronger, faster, and better trained, but likely overconfident following their victory. After putting down his target with a swift but jerky throat slice, Lukas rushed to the clone’s rescue.

Stolen story; please report.

To El-One’s credit, he kept a tight hold on the enemy’s forearm, keeping it from retrieving its weapon while claws slashed at his chest and face. When Lukas came, the raptor had to go on the defensive. It managed to land a nasty scratch on his right bicep, ripping the shirt further and leaving burning lines across the pale skin below. In exchange, it suffered a kidney stab.

Lukas’s knife faced resistance for a brief moment as if he were trying to push through a rubber sheet. Then it popped and his blade slipped through like it was sinking into jelly. A pained, almost human gasp, escaped the raptor and it released El-One before trying to backpedal only for Lukas to twist and rip out his blade. The brutal attack drew a gasp and widened the victim’s eyes. He saw the certainty of death in them. Then, the pair attacked their target in unison from opposite sides and it went down soon afterward.

“Dispel me,” El-One said, collapsing.

“Or, I could use you for bait and make the bastards think I’m dead.” Lukas took a step back and looked the clone up and down. “You can cling onto life and pretend to be a corpse, right?”

“Spare me the torture, El-Prime,” the clone begged. “Don’t you want to find out? Dispelling might get you some of my magic back. Magic. We like magic, yes?”

“I don’t know,” Lukas said, leaning against the statue he used for cover. “Experimentation is best left for later. Probably when my life is on the line. We—” He paused when something clicked. Lukas turned around just in time to see blood seeping into the polished stone statue. Previously invisible runes glowed. “I don’t think this body belonged to a mere kitchen helper.”

El-One groaned, climbing onto his feet. He studied the runes closely. The statue’s surface rippled when he touched it. “These guys loved blood locks, didn’t they?” He commented. “Maybe we were the manor lord’s valet. Or the virgin blood bag meant for opening locks and fuelling rituals. Would make sure why it's so malnourished.”

The statue parted like a venus fly trap’s mouth, revealing a sloping passage lit by dim crimson crystals. The journal vibrated as soon as Lukas stuck his head inside.

“I told you we were right to start in the basement,” Lukas whispered. “Powerful, dangerous weapons are almost always in the basement.”

“You make it sound like I said otherwise.” The clone’s knees wobbled as he followed Lukas. He stumbled at the passageway’s threshold, almost falling on his face. “This means we’re almost—”

Lukas dispelled the clone. It was no good to him in its current state. Much to his relief, the magic that contained the soul fragment returned to him. It was approximately four-fifths of the amount he had spent—by Lukas’s best estimates. His new body’s magic senses were far from keen. He guessed the injuries suffered by El-One damaged the arcane shell’s integrity resulting in a loss of energy.

The passageway transitioned from manmade to natural formations the deeper Lukas went. The crimson crystals became less effective as obstacles blocked their light and reflecting surfaces became more distant. Lukas shivered and fought to maintain his focus. The shoulder wound had reopened again and the cumulative injuries slowly added to the bloodloss.

I don’t know if I’m going to make it.

Lukas tried using Arcane Clone again but failed. He successfully ripped away a third of his soul but failed to gather enough magic to contain it. The passageway was energy rich but he struggled to recall effective absorption and containment exercises. He could feel his stores trickling toward full but it wasn’t enough. Exhaustion worsened his frustration. He remembered everything he used to be able to do but not how he did or learned any of it.

This is what you wanted. Freedom and power have a cost. Suck it up and pay it.