Shadow 2: In Pursuit of Shadows

Two full years had passed until Ryikaria had finally finished deciphering the whole book before her. She felt exhausted after turning all the pages countless times but she had managed to uncover the hidden meaning behind the symbols and what the various words on the page were. So, what exactly is the truth, she thought as she read over all the translated notes she had compiled. Hours passed before Ryikaria reached the last page. She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes to see Nercyil standing over her. The sudden appearance made her heart skip a beat to the point that she started to feel herself fall back in her chair. Nercyil held her chair steady. Her expression remained unchanged as it always had.

“You should be careful.”

“Hard to be careful when you have the footsteps of a ghost. Are maybe I should say shadow.”

“It took you long enough.”

“Cut me a break, would you. I had to translate and decipher this whole thing using only one word.”

“If I’m being honest, you shouldn’ t have been able to decipher the book that fast. I fully intended for you to fail and give up.”

Ryikaria smiled.

“Guess that means, I’m gifted.”

“Or you simply refuse to fail.”

“So, what would it take to become a Shadow Taker?” Ryikaria asked as she looked into Nercyil’s eyes.

“For one, not dying.”

“Okay, sounds easy enough.”

“You still sound so credulous if you think it’s that easy.”

“At least you’re nice enough to insult me to my face,” Ryikaria said with a smile.

“I only return the gesture in kind considering how you did the same.”

“Well, glad we’re friends. So, what did you want?”

“You’re father wishes to speak with you and your sister.”

Ryikaria closed her eyes for a moment.

“Likely he wants to speak about what it is our noble family actually does.”

Nercyil didn’t speak a word as Ryikaria opened her eyes to notice that Nercyil wasn’t to be seen anywhere in the room. The way they can silence their footsteps is rather terrifying, she thought as she stood up from her chair. Taking the time to pick out a presentable outfit that consisted of a black floral patterned dress with a matching skirt and a pair of sandals with a single strap over the top of her foot. Tying up her blond hair in a pair of pigtails with two black ribbons, Ryikaria took a second to look herself over in the mirror. Once she was satisfied, she made her way out into the hall where she was greeted by her little sister.

“Did you ever finish reading that book Nercyil gave you?” Yiania asked.

“I finished it about ten minutes ago before she called for me. I was going to give it to you so you could read it but I think, we are going to experience the truth for ourselves.”

“Whatever it is, I’m right here with you, sis,” Yiania said with a smile.

Ryikaria smiled as she watched Yiania take her hand. The two of them nodded and made their way down the hall hand-in-hand until they reached their father’s study. Knocking on the door once, they were met with the thunderious voice that their father commanded loud and clear from beyond the door.

“ Enter.”

Opening the door, Riykaria could see her father sitting at his desk with Nercyil standing by his side.

“You wanted to see us, father?”

Throwing a rolled up piece of paper towards her, Ryikaria grabbed her left hand.

“What is this?”

“Information that you have already given to the enemy.”

“I… don’t understand.”

Ryikaria’s father continued to sit at his desk while he looked over various pieces of parchment.

“By holding out your left hand like that to grab the scroll I threw to you, you have given Nercyil information about your combat stance and in turn, made it easier for her to beat you.”

Nice try father but you and I both know that I’m right handed. I see what your doing, however, it won’t fool me, Ryikaria thought as she smiled.

“But sis isn’t—”

Before Yiania could speak another word, Ryikaria placed her hand over her mouth. Hide the truth even from your allies, she thought while she tried to maintain her cheerful expression.

“So, what is this scroll. Should I do a few hand signs and slam in on the ground to make something happen?”

“Fairytale non-sense. Read.”

Ryikaria opened the scroll and noticed the symbols on the paper along with the mark she had come to recognise as the Shadow Taker’s emblem. “We do not give up, nor show weakness. We protect the world from the darkness that they will never see. We live in the shadows and ensure that no one will ever have to endure the horrors that we face in the realm of Enfieria.”

Ryikaria took a second to process the words she had just read aloud. These people, they fight entities that most people don’t even know exist and they do it in a place that is beyond the borders, she thought as she rolled up the paper.

“I will become a Shadow Taker.”

“And you will die before you even get to The Pit,” Nercyil spoke in emotionless tone.

“Then train me,” Ryikaria said with determination in her voice.

“Me too!” Yiania spoke.

“The two of you are not ready.”

“Father, give us a chance to prove ourselves.”

Ryikaria’s father looked over to Nercyil. There was no exchange of words, only a single nod. Her father stood up from his chair and headed for the door.

“Very well. Follow.”

The two of them followed their father into the backyard where storm clouds were brewing in the distance.

“You have only one goal in this match. Draw blood from Nercyil’s body.”

Nercyil unsheathedthe dagger from under her skirt and threw it over to Ryikaria. The dagger was different then many of the weapons she had seen in the training room. It was black and appeared to be made of a light but durable iron that was unfamiliar to her. Either she has another weapon or I am way outmatched here, Ryikaria thought as she prepared herself for combat. Squaring off against Nercyil, she took note of how calm Nercyil stood. Her body didn’t move, aside from her hair that flowed in tangent with the wind.

I figured this would be a hard task but there is no way I can win against her. It’s impossible for me to even pick up on how she will react, Ryikaria thought. There was nothing for her to calculate which struck fear into her mind. Yiania had always made the first move which allowed her to understand what would happen.

“Shall I start off easy for you?” Nercyil asked in a mocking tone.

Nercyil stepped forward with her right foot in the same way Yiania did, Ryikaria went over the same calculations as she had before. Yet, she was able to tell the outcome was uncertain. Closing the gap between the two of them within three steps, Ryikaria was ready to follow through with her attack until she noticed a weapon in Nercyil’s left hand. I didn’t calculate for that, Ryikaria thought as she quickly tried to adjust her predictions. Blocking the off-handed strike as fast as she could, she noticed what Nercyil held in her hand. Is that… a fan, she wondered. In that moment of confusion over the weapon, Ryikaria found herself barely able to keep up with Nercyil’s strikes – blocking them at the last second before having to calculate another. If this is just her going easy on me then I’ve already lost. Still, I can’t give up, she thought as she tried to calculate an opening. After blocking another strike, she thought of all the different ways she could attack.

If this continues then I’m dead. I need to land one good solid, Ryikaria thought as she went over three different strikes that would land a hit if they followed through. Deciding on one without a chance to calculate the odds of success, she aimed for the neck in hopes of leaving at least a scratch on Nercyil’s skin. Yet, like a snake slipping from her grip, Ryikaria realised she had just missed by only a few millimetres.

“Your problem is you think too much.”

Within the blink of an eye, Ryikaria found herself pinned down into the dirt as the skies began to turn black. She could feel the iron fan against the back of her neck in a spot that could have easily left her crippled. This is where I would be dead, she thought as Nercyil’s words echoed through her mind.

“You’re not ready,” Nercyil said as she let Ryikaria stand to her feet.

Ryikaria thought about all the moves she could still make. Maybe, with a bit of luck, I can catch her off-guard, she thought as she stood to her feet. With haste, she prepared to grab the weapon from Nercyil’s hand. The loud booming sound of thunder echoed throughout the sky as rain began to fall. In that moment, Ryikaria found face pushed into the dirt and her left arm in an uncomfortable position.

“Okay, I guess that was pretty stupid of me,” Ryikaria joked.

“Indeed.”

“You’re done, Ryikaria.”

“Father, I can still fight.”

“Can you? Nercyil, break it.”

Another loud boom masked the roaring cries of anguish from Ryikaria’s mouth. The sharp pain in her arm thrived in agony like a fire baked oven. Okay, this actually hurts. Dang it this is worse then when I stubbed my toe, she groaned as she looked over to see another maid holding Yiania back. Feeling the rains drops pour down on her face, Ryikaria tried to steady her breathing.

“I would advise you to stay down.”

Nercyil’s cold gaze didn’t phrase Ryikarai as she tried to force herself back onto her feet with her good hand.

“I… will not… give up. I’m going to become a Shadow Taker, Nercyil. And you are going to train me—”

The blunt force of the iron fan hit Ryikaria’s cheek to point that she fell into the mud-caked grass. Pretty sure I just lost a tooth, she joked as she tried to ignore the pain.

“At this point you are just pathetic.”

Pushing herself through the horrendous pain, Ryikaria stood up once more. Her legs were as heavy as iron and she knew that one more hit would knock her out but she held strong in her resolve.

“ Train me…”

“You are persistent.”

Ryikaria watched as Nercyil made her way over to her. This is where she will finish me, she thought as her breathing continued to remain heavy. The sounds of the heavy pounding rain drummed down as she stared back into Nercyil’s eyes. A soft smile showed across her face, even with all the pain she was feeling throughout her body.

“I’ll be training with you tomorrow, bet my life on it.”

Nercyil showed no emotion in her face before she embraced Ryikaria in her arms. Of all the things, Ryikaria had calculated, this was not one of the responses. For a moment, she was taken by surprise before the sudden darkness of the world overtook her mind.

#

Waking up in her own room, Ryikaria felt her head throbbing while she tried to remember what exactly had happened. Looking over her room, she noticed there was no one to be found. Okay, I remember fighting Nercyil. She was faster then I could calculate. Still, that was insightful, she thought as she looked her body over. She had received many bruises and noticed that her left arm was wrapped tightly against her body in bandages that kept it from moving. Slowly standing to her feet and holding onto the bed, she could feel her legs were like boulders. They still ached which lead her to believe that only a day had passed at most since the battle.

Fighting through the soreness and making her way to the door, Ryikaria opened it only to be greeted by Nercyil. Beside her was Yiania who had a worried look on her face.

Without warning, Yiania embraced her older sister gently, ensuring she didn’t cause any more damage to her already damaged body.

“How long was I out?”

“Only a day. Your father has given me permission to train the two of you.”

Ryikaria smiled.

“I look forward to it.”

“You won’t be saying that when we begin your training in a bit.”

“But sis isn’t better yet, Nercyil,” Yiania said.

“It’s okay, Yiania. Shadow Taker’s need to be ready to face anything, right?” Ryikaria smiled.

“To shed some light on what it like in Enfieria, there are creatures that can kill you with only their smallest finger. Some are even able to dig into your mind and thoughts. No Shadow Taker has ever went into the realm alone because it is considered suicide.”

“His anyone ever tried it though?”

“Only one went in. She was skilled but never returned home.”

“Do you know what happened to her?”

“The body was never found.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Yes, now get dressed. We have a lot of training to do before we head for The Pit.”

“I have only one question. Why did you leave, Nercyil?”

Nercyil was silent for a moment before she turned away.

“When you see what I have seen, you will feel the same way. Many of us Shadow Takers feel the same way but we know that no one else will do it. That said, there are some that live for it.”

Ryikaria didn’t speak as she took in the words that Nercyil had said. Guess I’ll have to wait and see which of those I am, she thought.

“Both of you meet me in the training room once you’re dressed.”

Without another word, Nercyil headed down the hallway, disappearing around one of the corners. Ryikaria looked to her little sister. She knew that Yiania would refuse to stay at home if she told her not to come with her. They both had that same resolve of never giving up no matter how bad things got. All she could do was smile and support her sister the best way she knew how.

“Shall we get dress? I don’t know about you but I don’t want to keep the teacher waiting,” Ryikaria joked.

With a nod, Yiania left the room while Ryikaria took a moment to get dressed. Once she was in a presentable enough outfit, she made her way to the training room with her sister. Entering into the training room, the two of them noticed that Nercyil was nowhere to be found. Ryikaria scanned the room carefully. I bet she’s behind us right now, she thought. Turning around quickly, she noticed that there was nothing behind her.

“What’s wrong?” Yiania asked.

“Nothing.”

Turning to the front of the room, Ryikaria noticed Nercyil leaning against the wall, her gaze fixed onto her eyes.

“Jumping at shadows, Ryikaria?”

“Considering the way all of you Shadow Takers can disappear without a sound, can you blame me?”

“No, however, you would do well to hide that fear,” Nercyil said making her way towards the two of them.

“So, how do you plan to train me when my arm is broken?”

“That is the stupidest question I have heard you ask today.”

Without warning, Ryikaria felt the pain of something hitting her chest and knocking her back onto the ground. Looking up, she could see Nercyil staring back at her with cold dead eyes.

“You will train until you drop. I don’t care if every bone in your body is broken. You do not give up.”

Ryikaria smiled as she stood to her feet. Her heart felt like it had skipped a beat from the impact but she was still alive. Blocking out the pain as best she could, Ryikaria steadied her breathing and giggled like the little girl her age.

“Are you kidding me, Nercyil. That didn’t even hurt.”

“ Be glad I’m only using my human strength.”

Rushing forward with a light step, Nercyil closed the distance between the two of them. In that moment, Ryikaria calculated what moves Nercyil would throw at her.

“Stop overthinking it.”

Dodging out the way from a left hook, Ryikaria tried to follow up all the various attacks that could happen.

“You’re asking me to do something that’s within my nature.”

Another follow up strike from Nercyil’s right hand forced Ryikaria to duck to avoid the blow.

“That’s the point. In battle, you don’t have time to think. There isn’t time to feel pain in a f ight, you push through it. You only stop to feel it if your enemy is dead.”The sound of bone cracking forced Ryikaria to scream out before hitting the floor with a loud thud. She had dislocated the bone that had yet to heal properly. While she took a second to catch her breath, she noticed Nercyil looking over to her sister.

“Do you plan to sit on the sidelines and let Ryikaria fight alone?”

With determination, Yiania rushed full force at Nercyil and proceeded to attack her. Like an annoy fly buzzing around with no purpose, Nercyil swatted her to the ground with a single slap. Yiania could feel the pain radiating on her face. She could feel it quickly starting to swell and form a bruise.

“The two of you need to be better then this.”

Ryikaria took a second to close her eyes. If I can’t see, it’ll force to feel. I can then act on my other senses instead of my mind, she thought as she removed the bandage wrapped around her arm. Even though she was in an intolerable amount of pain, she placed the cloth over her eyes and tied it tightly until she was unable to see.“ Looks like you finally took my advice.”

“Learn from the best, as they say.”