"You will not be left behind, Ganbatar. I will need my brother at my side when the campaign begins."
"Then why am I going to Dragos?"
Valdemar stared at the dim light at the end of the tunnel. "No one is being left behind when we leave for Leodia. I need for you to return home and bring my lady wife to me."
MASIKI STRODE INTO the brilliantly lit abode of The Man with Mirrored Eyes. It was a massive labyrinth of winding corridors and tightly sealed rooms, disorienting in its lack of visible lines that divided the walls, ceilings, and floor. Had she not known its paths by heart, it would have been easy to walk directly into a wall or tumble down one of its many sloped runways.
The door to the massive viewing room slid open. The Man with Mirrored Eyes stood in his black garb like a blot of ink. His hands were clasped behind his back as he stared into the fiery view of Narak, the prison that entrapped him.
"You have brought Mothros."
"Yes." She offered the weapon.
He did not even look. Mothros lifted from her grasp and glided over to his waiting hand. Only then did he turn. His long inky hair nearly obscured his face as he examined the sword. The onyx orb broke free of its binding at a gesture. It hovered in the air, dark and cryptic as the man himself.
The sword dropped to the ground and shattered. The pieces skidded across the slick white floors like shards of ice.
The Man with Mirrored Eyed never touched the orb. His expression was one of distaste as he gazed at it.
"Do you know what this is, Masiki?"
"No, Master."
His eyes seemed to darken, but it was only the reflection of the orb that floated in front of his face. "It is the essence of Anko. All that remains of him after his destruction."
Her breath caught. "The Shadow Prince."
"Yes." The Man with Mirrored Eyes circled the orb. She had never seen him appear uneasy, but he was close.
"I thought that you and he…"
"Merged? We did, in a way. Our consciousness combined into one physical vessel. His corruption is what led to my incarceration. Reynar and Riodran preferred to imprison me than try to purge his consciousness from my own. My crime was saving humanity, and for that I was exiled for eternity."
Masiki had heard that The Man with Mirrored Eyes had resisted all efforts to aid him in the end, but she was too wise to express the notion.
He nodded as if reading her thoughts. "Perhaps I was too proud at that point. Too distrustful. As I said, I was corrupted. But eternity is too long a time to be idle. So I worked at removing Anko's persona, siphoning it little by little and imprisoning it in this fusorb."
Masiki frowned in confusion. "If you removed the corruption then they should allow you to leave."
He gave a slight shake of his head. "They will never set me free. They were seeking ways to contain me long before the Battle of Khelios. The brothers and sisters I led from captivity, my friends and allies — all of them turned on me. Resentful of my powers, they sought ways to limit them."
His jaw tightened. "It has ever been my fate to find my own way. I do not need their mercy. I will escape from their inescapable prison. I will show them my powers cannot be contained."
Masiki said nothing. The orb hovered above the open palm of The Man with Mirrored Eyes. It seemed to whisper blasphemies with every moment of silence. The thrum of its darkness pulsed until she could feel it rattle the bones in her chest.
The Man with Mirrored Eyes gestured, a mere flick of his wrist. The orb sailed across the room and settled upon an ivory pedestal. A glassy globe immediately encircled it, freeing Masiki of its violating presence.
"That will be a tool for another time. For now, carry on as planned. We need only uncover the last three Geods before I make my next move. Continue to sow seeds of chaos, Masiki. When they sprout and bloom into full scale war, what lies hidden will be revealed."
Masiki bowed. "As you command, Master."
The Man with Mirrored Eyes turned slightly. "You never call me by my name, Masiki. Why is that?"
She hesitated. "I…don't know your name, Master."
"My chosen name?" His smile was thin. "Surely not, for it is a True name, and has power. But you know the name men gave to me."
"Surely you don't wish for me to—"
When he raised his head, his eyes flickered with strange lights. "It is the name that suits me for now. Say it."
Masiki bowed again. "As you command…Lord Stygan."
Enjoy The Darkest Champion?
THANKS FOR CHECKING out this installment of the Shadow Battles series. I truly hope you enjoyed your time in Erseta. I'd love to keep writing these novels, but I need just a little help from you. Reviews help a great deal in spreading the word, which in turn helps sell more books. Which in turn allows me to keep writing. It doesn't have to a long process: a simple 3–4 sentence review at sites like Amazon, Goodreads, and other sites can work wonders. Thanks again for reading, hope you stick around for the next installment.
ALL THE BEST,
— BC
Glossary
Alaric Aelfvalder: Lord of the Co'nane. Keeper of the North when the Aelon still dwelt on Erseta, Alaric elected to remain behind after the majority of the Aelon departed from Erseta for the upper realm of Nolavani. He rose to power after the civil war with the Guelph and during the Scourge of Leilavin when the previous lord was destroyed by the Reavers. Alaric then rescued the remaining Co'nane at the risk of his soul when he descended into Ersetla Tari in order to bond with Mothros, a powerful fusorb.
Alexia Admorran: five year old daughter of Marcellus Admorran
Anon Misral: an ambitious member of the Malic Sect, assigned to Vivienne of the Obdura Sect to aid in overthrowing the nation of Kaerleon. While there, Anon assumed the guise of the Imperial Captain to further his assigned goals.
Anko: called the Shadow Prince. Legend paints Anko as the eternal enemy of Talan the Dawnrider, presumably slain in the Battle of Khelios. He is sometimes depicted as an inhuman shadow figure, other times as a proud and jealous human lord of shadowy creatures. His origins are unknown.
Ayna Tlalli: an especially gifted Shama hailing from the Northern Steppes.
Brandon the Paladin: the last Paladin of the Five Sages. Brandon is especially noted in lore for forsaking the fusorb Nemon, freeing the entrapped lives the legendary sword held captive.
Reynar the Frey: The Grey Fox, great trickster and hero of folk tale and legend. Reynar was supposedly a man who lived in the Age of Chaos. Folk tales often depict him using his wit and cunning to escape from life-threatening situations while making his enemies appear as fools in the process. Often paired with a totem companion named Ash that most often took the form of a wolf.
Cully Golder: former Kaerleon infantryman, current innkeeper and tradesman in Letega.
Darroth Basilis: a warlord who became king of Bruallia, Darroth was notorious for his vicious acts of torture and a dangerously paranoid temperament. Responsible for establishing Bruallia as a military juggernaut before being assassinated by agents from Komura.
Dradyn: former soldier who retired to the quiet life of a groundskeeper for Lord Admorran in Royan.
Eagle Eye: a scout for the Onosho caste.
Endran Lucretius: the first king of Kaerleon, renowned in song and lore for his exploits and those of his legendary Lion Knights.