Shadow Clone Sorcery
Chapter 43: Preparing For War

“What did you get?” Penelope asked when they found a quiet alcove. They kept pushing for another half hour until they were sure nothing had followed them, hoping for easy pickings. Chaos in the depths often drew attention, and the mutants were clearly far more daring.

“Essence Of Currents,” El-Two answered. He expected her to ask and had the stalker carry the essence to Lukas and back. He held it out for the sorcerer, but she waved it away. The glass sphere contained a stream of water that flowed and twisted around itself, looping endlessly. “Would you like it?”

“We can discuss the division of profits later. Hold onto it for now.”

“Assuming we survive.”

“The pair of you are surprisingly competent,” Bass said. “I wouldn’t have trusted you to protect Penny otherwise.” He nodded in the direction the shadow construct had disappeared. “Did that thing contribute to the fight at all? Can he even fight?”

“He threw a few rocks and took out a few stragglers trying to get the high ground and dive from above,” El-Two answered. “I didn’t think he’d be much help in the melee.”

“Is it a genuine construct or a manifestation of the Soul ability?” Penelope asked.

“A bit of both, I think? They’re both summons.”

“Interesting. If you invest in gaining more constructs or granting them weapons, they could make for a brilliant offensive force. Sorcerers need familiars. If you get one from a shard ability, it will make your life significantly easier.” Penelope paused for a moment, massaging the bridge of her nose. “You have no idea how much work raising and nurturing this pervert was.” She nodded at her familiar. “It's all worth it now, but I almost gave up a bunch of times along the way.”

“You’re mean,” Bass complained. He had carried Penelope until they took their break and then returned to his housecat form. The familiar nuzzled his companion’s cheek. “Are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

“That spell wasn’t meant to be targeted,” Penelope answered. “I just pushed myself a touch too hard, I think.”

“I wish you hadn’t.”

“We needed to finish that as quickly as possible without warning the Wyrmkin or attracting anything or anyone else. It was necessary.” Penelope smiled. “I’ll be fine. Just need a moment to get rid of this damned headache.”

“Would you like—”

“Can you just give me a moment?” Penelope gritted her teeth.

“I’m sorry.” Bass’s ears flattened, and he lowered his head, retreating from her. He glanced at Elvis and El-Four. “I’m going to look ahead.” His ears lengthened, resembling the Common Depth Cat Lukas encountered in Penelope’s clinic. “Don’t move on without me.”

Elvis pulled wax paper-wrapped candied orange wedges out of his coat pocket. “Would you like one?” He asked. “They always help Luke when he pushes too hard.”

Penelope helped herself to a couple, unwrapping and popping them into her mouth one after the other. A satisfied moan escaped her as she chewed them, and a drop of the sweet juice they contained escaped her mouth and ran down her chin.

“Thank you,” Penelope smiled, placing a hand on Elvis’s. “I needed that. You really take care of your brother, don’t you?”

“Someone has to,” Elvis said. “He certainly isn’t any good at taking care of himself.”

“What was your metamagic ability again?” Penelope asked, turning her attention to El-Two.

“Arcane Threads,” El-Two answered. “It makes me more sensitive to spells, wards, and enchantments. Spell modification and intent casting are easier and will cause less mental strain.”

“Spell modification is a potent tool in any caster’s kit. Good bit of metamagic. Something of the sort would’ve made my early days much easier.”

El-Two also consumed a candied orange wedge. The glassy exterior exploded as soon as he bit into it, spraying the inside of his mouth with sweet, citrusy juice. It provided a decent pick-me-up and also helped with the growing thirst. They sat in silence for a while as Penelope breathed deeply and massaged her temples. Magic pulsed around her. Whatever technique or exercise she was using for recovery, she hadn’t shared with Lukas.

The clones kept watch. Elvis’s eyes drifted between their surroundings and his steel shield. Two sets of deep scratches ran across them. The shield’s integrity wasn’t in any danger. Instead, the scars added character to it.

Meanwhile, El-Two practiced Shadow Sight. It came easily now since El-Prime had cast it half a dozen times using Spellweaver to tweak the process and feel out the arcane threads. He studied their surroundings, looking for threats and El-Three. The clone was nowhere to be seen, leaving him to wonder if it was okay. Unlike El-Prime, he had no idea if one of the others perished.

He also attempted to shape and harden sections of Shade’s Mantle. Ambient magic was in abundance, and as an arcane specialized clone, he had no trouble absorbing and channeling energy. Spellweaver’s passive effects also helped him avoid the mental and physical strain.

“How’s your arm?” Penelope asked, just as he was shaping another shadow sphere. “Did the armor hold up?”

“Nasty bruise,” El-Two answered, adjusting his vambrace. The claws had shredded a section of it, but only sliced a couple of inches of skin. “The scratch would’ve been way worse if it were any deeper. I can leave it as it is and disinfect it later. But if I suffer anything worse, there is the belt buckle. It will fix everything, everywhere, all at once.”

“Come here.” Penelope sighed, waving the clone closer. She rubbed her hands together, mumbling under her breath, and then blew into them.

“I'm okay. Really.”

“Did you see their nails?” She asked, rolling her eyes, scooting closer to him with gold and azure wisps dancing in her right palm. “They swim in dirty water, tear, and eat raw flesh. Don't wait to clean the wound. Do it as soon as possible.”

El-Two complied, surprised by the sudden tenderness. He removed the vambrace. A weeping, angry red line lay underneath. Its edges had a green tinge.

The sorcerer pressed a hand against the wound, and instant relief washed over the clone. The stinging subsided straight away, and the stinging faded soon after. Aches and pains from straining himself during the fight also faded.

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“Thank you,” El-Two said when she pulled away. “Was that not a strain?”

“Not at all.” Penelope smiled, waving dismissively. “You played your role and watched my back so I could finish my spell. It could've been catastrophic for all of us if something had interrupted the casting during a crucial moment. Imagine the spikes flying off uncontrolled, failing to differentiate between friend and foe.

“My job as the party's primary caster isn't just to take out the big bad or masses, but also to ensure you're in shape to fulfill your role. If you need a quick patch-up, tell me. It doesn't cost or strain me much. And I'd rather you save the vet’s spells for emergencies. Is that understood?”

“Yes, ma'am!” The clone saluted and got smacked playfully for it.

Elvis shot the pair a mischievous smile before returning his attention to the darkness ahead.

“Bass is on his way back. Put your armor back on. Water yourself if you must. Get ready to move. We might not get another break until after we've dealt with whatever lies below.”

Before strapping on his vambrace, El-Two helped Elvis with his breastplate. The clone had removed it momentarily to check for damage and fix a dented segment. It was hampering his already limited flexibility.

“Thanks, little brother.” Elvis grinned afterward. “You're always so sweet to me.” El-Two gave him a death glare. His fellow clone knew that he couldn't play along. El-Prime never would, and they needed to maintain their roles in front of Penelope. “Stick with our dear sorceress if I don't make it down there. She's good to us. Much to learn. Much to see.”

“Don't talk like that, you dolt.” It felt odd to make conversation in front of Penelope. El-Prime had instructed them to have some brotherly exchanges, whatever that means. “We're going to come out of this alive. We always do.”

Lukas and El-Four watched in silence as Bass rejoined Penelope and the clones. They took another handful of minutes to get themselves together before moving on. He hoped Penelope wouldn't ask El-Two to identify anything else anytime soon. Excuses like he needed to conserve magic wouldn't necessarily hold up.

Lukas wrapped his finger around the thread attached to El-Four figuratively. He hadn't noticed it before, as they were a constant presence in the background, but it had become clearer during practice prior to the delve. Faint arcane tethers connected him to all of his clones. He pulled, and the clone went from a low-mass state to neutral.

He had crept close to the fight and done the same to El-Two during the battle, giving him speed when he needed to attack and putting him in a neutral state while defending. The manipulation minimized any damage the clone took and didn’t slow him to a noticeable degree. It wasn't ideal and required micromanaging, but it would suffice until they gained access to the shard abilities.

Lukas returned to the clone to his low-mass state.

“I wish you wouldn't do that so often, boss,” the clone whispered. “It's disorienting when we're not ready for it or know the change is coming.”

“That's the point. We're going to practice this whenever we're at rest so you lot get used to it and can adapt accordingly.”

“Why are you so mean to us? First, you break up with Kat without warning. Then, this. Next, you're going to—”

“Shut up and pay attention. They're moving again.”

The duo took off after the group, their energy and magic restored during the rest. Absorbing ambient energies while also using Silencing Shadows slowed the process. Only a trickle found its way in as they circulated everything through and around them, attempting to make it look like they didn't exist at all. So, they continued to burn energy conservatively.

The pair carried light packs. Lukas’s contained all of his money while all the essences he owned sat in the rolled ritual leather tucked away inside of his coat. Meanwhile, El-Four’s was laden with bottles, flasks, and waterskins. None of the fluids were for drinking.

When passing a phaser, Lukas successfully approached the creature without detection. It was nearly impossible to see in its high-mass form, blending perfectly into the dark as it seemed to absorb all light. However, refined magical senses and arcane senses led him straight to the great-dane-sized specimen. It failed to detect him through Silencing Shadows. “Bryna. Frar.” Lukas’s arm blurred as he drew and slashed the runic shortsword in a single movement, decapitating the creature.

It didn’t drop an essence. Lukas didn’t care. He wanted to test his personal strength against the monster and came away from it successfully. It wasn’t giant and mutated, but he had seen smaller phasers trouble delvers with far more experience and accomplished trainers than him.

After killing the creature, he and El-Four closed in on Penelope, Bass, and the other clones. The Elder Wyrmkin’s camp was close. Draconic energy mingled with the ambient magic, leaving Lukas with a mild sense of dread. Now that he had a Mind shard, he hoped to learn more spells. High on his list of priorities was Mind Magic, but more for personal defenses and locking away traumatic memories. If he ever encountered the Void again or its sanity-draining inhabitants, he wanted to be ready.

He also hoped to pick up body enhancement alongside a few offensive spells so he could stand his ground in a fight. Esther had advised that he revolve his early spells around his shard and essence-born abilities since they’d always cost less and come naturally to him, unlike unrelated concepts. It was sound advice, but at the same time, Lukas didn’t want to limit himself, especially when he had mage clones to work tirelessly and practice whatever he needed. Also, he had doubts about clones enjoying the benefits of spells related to his other shard abilities when they didn’t have access to their essences or themes. It was all still very complicated, and Lukas still had a lot to learn, understand, and figure out.

“Good,” he whispered after following Penelope and the clones for a while. “El-Two and Three are taking them down the long way. Should we circle ahead of them?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, boss?” El-Four asked. “If we get pinned or caught, there won’t be any backup or rescue until Penelope catches up.”

“I’m sure. We’ll just have to be extra careful and not make any unnecessary moves. Stealth and sabotage aren’t her or Bass’s strong suits. They’re most likely to be loud and attract attention as soon as they make their move. We need to be ready and in place with ours when the time comes.”

“Got it.”

The clone and he moved as fast as safely possible, avoiding brightly lit areas and staying away from any and all creatures. They passed a slime bigger than the inn and a monstrous troglodyte with a lizard snout and most of its fur missing. Silencing Shadows concealed them from all. Maintaining the spell still demanded concentration, and burning Haste drained their magic stores faster than either of them could replenish it, but they couldn’t afford to slow down or make mistakes.

It seemed Bass’s recent visit to the depths had concerned the Elder Wyrmkin. The familiar claimed to have only wandered close enough to sense them, but that probably meant his arcane signatures had been picked up by them, too. He was an intimidating presence even when in his house cat form. A trio stood at the mouth of the main tunnel system leading to the cavern where they lived and worked.

Fortunately, the clones had found an alternate route when fleeing during their visit. It was a long, winding path, barely wide enough for one person. Lukas and the clone had to shuffle through it sideways while keeping their breaths shallow.

Traversal took annoyingly long, but since he didn’t hear El-Three’s whistles, he was sure the others were still far behind them. They emerged above the area between the Wyrmkin’s camp and the ritual laboratory and the silver dome protecting Silverspine’s cousin.

The area had changed significantly since the clones’ visit. There were far more Wyrmkin, and instead of a camp, it looked like the beginnings of a village. There were huts, a butchery corner, a kitchen with Wyrmkin processing fungi, meat, lichen, and moss, and then a meeting area where several huddled together, speaking quietly amongst themselves.

The ritual laboratory was also rife with activity. Five naked Wyrmkin stood around it, pulsating with energy, while a writhing phaser stuck in its neutral phase lay in the center. Its spasming arms gained length and girth. Unlike the great-dane-sized specimen, Lukas had not long slain, it also had a long, spiny tail and a lizard-like head. Prominent scales covered its neck and spine.

“They’re refining their process,” El-Four whispered. “This can’t be good, boss.” He removed his pack and checked its padded and wax-sealed contents. “We need to stop them. Things might get ugly if they finish.”

“No. We need to trust Penelope and Bass. Things will end poorly for all of us if we move prematurely.”

“What do you want to do then? Just sit here while they finish and unleash that thing?”

“No. We’re going to get close, and I’m going to try to unravel their defenses. That was the entire point of rushing this shard ability and me coming down here. If their arcane protections are down, Penelope can do her job better. And we can sabotage the laboratory.”

“Got it.” The clone sighed, not bothering to veil his annoyance. The pair carefully descended, moving slowly and staying low, desperate to stay out of the silver dome’s glow.