Path of the Deathless

182 (I) Dark [I]

-Valor Thann182 (I)

Dark [I]

Shiv eyed the faint glint of Necromancy charging Adam’s arrow and tried to keep himself relaxed. He didn’t know what had Adam this spooked, but he could guess.

Instead of saying anything, Shiv summoned a swirl of Vitae atop his palm and then blinked out of context for a moment. When he returned, Adam did a double-take, and the notification registering Shiv as the Deathless flashed as well. “How’s that? Can fake-me do that too?”

A haggard breath escaped Adam as he let his bow go slack. He marched toward Shiv, and the two Pathbearers following in his wake trailed behind. Both of them had their eyes locked to Shiv, and the Deathless stared back without any hint of fear. The burning bone guy looked a bit out of it with how the two bright spots he had for eyes kept flickering, but the Chronomancy-quilled goblin had the vibe of a proper killer.

Shiv communicated through his flat stare. She was unimpressed. That changed when Shiv drew upon his Shape of Monstrosity and activated his Dread-Tainted Feat. Then, the goblin’s eyes went wide, and she started vibrating at intense speeds. She caught a glimpse of what he did to Daughter, and when she took a step back, Shiv couldn’t help but offer her a near-feral grin.

“Young Lord Arrow,” the Raven leading Shiv said, trying to intercept Adam. “Please, hold. I wish to know what has happened with—”

Adam the Raven as his body briefly turned fluid. Shiv blinked before letting out a laugh. “Shit, Adam. Did you evolve your Physicality? Is that why you’re all soggy now?”

“Shut up, you bastard,” Adam said with an exhausted sigh. After he passed through the Raven, he released the Hydromancy comprising his body in a burst of moisture. It didn’t splash down around Adam like a waterfall. Instead, it formed a faint shroud around him—became something he could call upon at any moment.

Shiv was about to ask Adam what kind of Skill Evolution that was when the Gate Lord slammed into his chest and hugged him. Shiv blinked. He was usually the one to initiate these, the rare few times they happened. The mocking smirk on Shiv’s face faded, and in its place came a grin of genuine joy. “Rough day, huh?”

“The godsdamned worst,” Adam replied.

Shiv patted Adam on the back, indifferent to all the eyes on them. He didn’t care that there were dozens of Legendary-Tier prisoners who knew how much he cared for his friend. He didn’t care that they were still in this miserable shithole of a prison. He didn’t care that the Ascendants were probably right on Adam’s ass, and another ugly fight was coming their way.

The Deathless had found his favorite asshole again, and now, some of the loneliness inside of him winked out like an extinguished candle.

“Shiv. Telepathy.” Adam’s muttered request made Shiv cock his head, but he didn’t hesitate beyond that. He projected his Psychomancy into Adam, and then found himself surprised as time itself seemed to stop. Yet this wasn’t a feat of Chronomancy but an accelerated perception of some kind, as his body was still frozen. More importantly, it was Adam doing it.

he replied. Shiv could feel the Gate Lord’s skull slowly fill with building strain and heat. The cost to this skill was making itself known.

And these were the times that Shiv remembered Adam was a prodigy. he wondered.

Adam suggested.

And then Shiv remembered their minds were linked. Shiv made the noise of a chicken, and felt Adam’s annoyance rise.

For this moment, at least, all was good in the world.

Adam quickly caught Shiv up on everything that he'd missed. As the Gate Lord recounted Blackedge’s escape and his near-death at the hands of the Tarrasque, Shiv shuddered with fear. That shudder became a trembling avalanche of building rage when Adam told him about what Stormhalt had planned to do.

Shiv said casually.

Shiv felt Adam’s mind churn with confusion and then with disbelief.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Shiv hummed thoughtfully.

A low growl of agitation and amused disbelief came from Adam.

Shiv provided.

Shiv asked. A pang of absolute disgust came from the Gate Lord.

At the mention of the Udraal’s name, Shiv’s mood darkened.

Adam said, sounding less certain than Shiv.

Shiv grunted with displeasure.

The world had switched to a sort of top-down view that pierced through the ceiling. From there, Shiv eyed the goblin and Pyromancer that accompanied Adam.

Adam sighed.

Shiv said.

Adam asked.

Shiv paused and winced.

Adam didn’t reply to that with his usual vim. Instead, a faint hint of the depressiveness boiling inside him spilled over. A headache was beginning to build in Shiv’s skull as well.

Adam sighed.

Shiv should have asked this question earlier, but he had a feeling he knew the answer.

Adam replied.

Shiv nearly spat something thoughtlessly reassuring when his Psycho-Cartography stopped him.

Psycho-Cartography:

Shiv finally said.

Adam hummed listlessly. It was only then that Shiv felt the sheer amount of stress and trauma Adam was holding at bay.

The Gate Lord laughed.

Surprise bloomed in Adam. It was the heat of hope veiled by a fog of doubt.

And soon, something was burning inside Adam: A realization that not all of his gods were heartless monsters, aside from the Starhawk.

And now Shiv was beginning to feel excited. Before this point, he was stumbling around blind with vague plans. Now, with Adam back and their knowledge combined, possibilities and options were branching out before Shiv’s very eyes.

A spike of pain cut through both of their rising hopes.

Adam hissed.

Shiv frowned slightly.

Adam scoffed.

Adam ended his Commander’s Foresight Skill, and time resumed. As soon as Adam pulled away from Shiv, a loud gasp came from behind Shiv. He winced.

“Wait… What did you call him? Adam? Young Lord Arrow?”

Shiv spun on his heels and held up his hands to Urri, whose eye was wide open as he stared at Adam. “Yeah,” Shiv said. “Young Lord Adam Arrow. One of the many Young Lord Adam Arrows in the Republic.”

“A very common name,” Adam added, peeking out from beside Shiv.

The huge Vulteg stared at the two of them as Shiv continued his bullshit spree. “Way too many Adam Arrows. Honestly, his dad's… just a dumb piece of shit for not choosing another name. Could’ve called him anything. But his dad is just… not a smart man. Hells, I’d even call him kind of a massive dick.” Something sharp hit the back of Shiv’s head. He ignored it.

Urri’s stare turned into a glare as he studied Adam Arrow some more.

Incoming message from Lord Scorn:

ARROW! YOU FUCK! YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY FROM ME? I CAN FEEL YOUR ASS, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE! I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE HIDING UP AN ASCENDANT’S ASSHOLE! I’LL KNOW! MY HATE HAS SPROUTED FREE FROM MY BODY AND GROWN EYES AND NOSES AND EARS TO TASTE YOUR FESTERING MANA SIGNATURE YOU BOW-FUCKING FUCK! AND NOW, YOU’RE GOING TO SUFFER. SLOWLY. SWEETLY. FOR-FUCKING-EVER!

“Oh, hells,” Adam muttered.

“Damn,” Shiv said, trying to maintain a facade of ignorance. “I don’t know who this guy is, but he really sounds kind of pissed off about one of the many Adams in—”

Urri moved. Shiv intercepted. And a flare of azure light consumed by the tunnel they were in. The huge Vulteg crashed hard against Shiv and stopped dead once more as all the force he exerted was converted into Overflow Tides.

“TREACHEROUS !” Urri screamed in Shiv’s face.