[Fsh] B2 Chapter 41: Inheritance of Shadow

Shiver watched, as Caledon called his Fear, and sapped the vitality of the thralls that drew close to him. Even as she warded off a smaller spider before her, she smiled at the sight.

There was nothing that felt as good as finally being empowered. Rewarded for the accursed Fears they were tormented by. In Anhedonia, Fearshapers were consigned to their nightmares. As satisfying as obtaining insight and enlightenment was, it was ultimately a realm of reflection. It did not afford them any direct power, save for when they received their first invocation upon their descent.

Trepidation was the polar opposite.

Still, as happy as she was for the Brimstone, she watched as the vampress’ other thralls secluded in the deeper parts of its nest and web rapidly falling to the ground and awakening from the force of their clash.

Most relevantly, they were very incensed. Shiver really couldn’t blame them. She could even relate, to some extent – seeing the melting flesh on the Vampress’ legs that had been cleaved by Virgil’s slash. So similar to the sight that had started it all – the Highlord of flame standing over the Marta, Pov and Blaze’s bodies.

“Good times.”

[Shard of the frostwolf]

The spider that was forcing her Phobia’s blade closer to her face let out a shriek as her ice shard embedded itself into its cranium from above. Interestingly, their massacre of the smaller spiders, which were potentially the vampress’ offspring hadn’t netted them additional invocations.

There’s a limit to how much Tranquillity withdrawals can stretch things.

Seeing that Vale, her Fearshaper of blades and Virgil were holding their exit, she called out to Caledon.

“Lordling! Get up here, now! Get to the tear!”

At the sound of her voice, Caledon’s head snapped to her, and he removed himself from the throng of spiders that were beginning to surround him.

“Bladey, with me.”

Vale’s Fearshaper of blades stood next to her, having been bestowed its moniker. Even in the heat of battle, with spiders threatening to overwhelm Caledon, and Vale threatening to faint at the sight of them, Shiver couldn’t help but cast a quick glance at the revenant.

“Happy with the name?”

Bladey grin shone. Just as you would expect from a skeleton.

Not that Shiver cared one bit.

“Glad to know you’re pleased with it. People have the gall to tell me that I hitch them with obnoxious nicknames.”

Her ice shards were spearing through the spiders rushing towards Caledon, clearing him a path to the Virgil’s tear.

Only for it to wink out.

Feardamnit. That isn’t good.

Her head snapped towards Virgil, whose concentration had been broken by spiders that had flanked him and lunged at him. The Fearshaper of stars had them handled, easily, but Caledon needed another exit.

Here goes nothing.

[Shards of the frostwolf]

Planes of ice began to grow in mid-air, makeshift steps for the lordling to hop on, towards the exit.

---

Caledon read Shiver’s intention to leap onto the planes of ice she had created. Providing him with a way out.

“Brilliant. She’s going to hound me for popsicles now.”

Caledon rushed towards the first plane of ice. While it cracked, it held his weight, and the spiders that were amassing behind him began to leap towards him. Slightly crouching, he deflected one of the brood that flew true with his ebonwood shield, precariously maintaining his balance.  

He slowly ascended, leaping from plane to plane as Shiver created them. With each that he ascended, the ice planes falling away to prevent the spiders from reaching him. He was still in danger from the ones that were falling from the roof, along with the frozen cobwebs that were crumbling down.

Then, his gaze fixed on something that emerged from one of the dark corners of the cavern.

Another Vampress. Then, another. They emerged from the corners of the cavern, their web and brood disrupted. He watched, as hazy, dark red beams were emitted from them, latching on to their hatchlings.

“Shit, shit, shit.”

In such a vast cavern, it was only logical that it was populated by more of the creatures. Leaping to the final ice plane, he saw Shiver meet his gaze, her hand outstretched towards him.

He jumped.

Then he saw the girl’s face twist into a kind smile.

Shiver summoned her Phobia, and pointed its tip towards his oncoming chest.

Perhaps, a few weeks ago, the sight would have provoked a modicum of hurt, born of betrayal. Even before he had awakened as a Fearshaper, his hallucinations would sow distrust, and affect his perception of his loved ones.

No more.

You will not twist my trust in them. Begone.

Caledon didn’t attempt to avoid the extended blade of frost. Instead, he welcomed it, and stretched his hand towards Shiver.

The blade sank into its chest, then the image of Shiver he glimpsed flickered.

“Looks like I’ll have to try harder.”

Shiver’s face twisted to form his mother’s smile, on the day she had returned from the Archcity of Dreams. Then, his Fear fled him.

Then, with a flicker, everything returned to normalcy.

“Nicely done, Caledon-“

Caledon slapped Shiver across the face. Shiver looked at him with wide eyes, as she rubbed her cheek.

“Shiver would have caught that. Get out of my head.”

Reality flickered before him, and the hallucination finally dissipated. Shiver was a few paces in front of him, calling out to him.

“Oi lordling why are you punching the air? We have to get a move on!”

Virgil was waiting for Caledon, intending to bring up the rear. Caledon nodded to the man in silent thanks, as he followed Shiver and Vale as they made their way back to the shores.

Virgil Starstrider stared at the cavern before him, crawling with Vampresses and their spawn, having been awakened by their battle.

Virgil whispered to himself as he brought up the rear.

“I’m so sorry, Vale.”

He gulped, the Highlady’s orders still ringing in his ears.

---

They burst out from the dark cliffs, onto Gloamshores’ sands in sheer relief. They panted, exhausted from their recent exertion.

Even after they stepped through another one of Virgil’s tears, which created some distance between them and the cliffs, they continued onwards at a relatively quick pace.

Mercifully, the other denizens of the Gloamshores gave them a wide berth, and they didn’t spot encroaching shadow wolves, moonbeasts or any of the creatures that called the Inheritance their home.

Shiver patted Vale on the back as the girl drew in ragged breaths, when they finally came to a halt.

“You’re as unfit as ever, my lady. Reminds me of the good old days in the Archcity of Anhedonia, running from a certain frosty Terror.”

Then, her eyes narrowed and she frowned, as Vale continue to draw in heaping breaths.

“Vale?”

The girl’s eyes shot open, and her breathing finally began to steady. Shiver reached out, grabbing onto one of the girl’s arms to steady her.

“I-if I have to face another spider, I’d rather send myself to the griefwalkers.”

Shiver let out a soft sigh of relief at the girl’s words. She turned to Caledon.

“Congratulations Highlord. That seems like a pretty useful invocation. That punch though…”

He nodded, his face falling.  

“My Fear. It wore your face for a moment, and extended your Phobia out to impale me.”

Shiver grinned at him.

“Your trust in me warms my frigid heart. Feel free to punch it the next time it shows up. I’m fast enough to catch it.”

He returned her grin, some of his mirth returning to him.

“That’s exactly what I did.”

Shiver drew closer to him, examining the wound on his arm that had been partially healed over. She called her Fear.

[Woundstill of the frostwolf]

Caledon’s eyes widened as the meagre bleeding ceased, and came to a standstill.

“Now, why don’t you use that invocation on me, let’s see what we got.”

Caledon’s eyes widened, as did Vale’s and Virgil’s. He shook his head, rapidly backing up a few steps.

“N-no Shiver. I won’t use it on an elf. Besides, we’re still out in the open.”

“We’re fine. Look! None of them are following us!”

The cliffs in the distance were still crawling with spiders. Incensed from the disturbance they had imposed. The now tiny sight of the creatures entering and exiting the cliff’s pockmarked surface still made Caledon’s skin crawl, and Vale threatened to keel over again.

“No Shiver.”

“Aw, fine. Maybe later then. On to the next hunt?”

Virgil interjected.

“Caledon, your arm?”

Caledon looked over the wound where the vampress’ venom had burned into his skin. The bleeding had stemmed, thanked to the [Bloodlink of the vampress] he had created, linking it to the thralls around him.

The idea of enervating other creatures by linking himself to them was as terrifying as it was fascinating. Caledon was already wondering about the bounds of what the invocation would allow.

One thing was for sure. Just as the Highlady had promised, it had opened up a new dimension of his Fear.

The physicality of corruption.

“I’ll bandage that up. Let’s take a breather before our next creature.”

When Shiver moved to drop her pack on the ground, Virgil held up a hand. He opened yet another tear, and a few provisions fell through.

“Wait a minute Starboy… if you could do that the whole time, why did we need to trek through the shadow woods?”

Virgil raised an eyebrow at her.

“Would you like to teleport right into the jaws of a vampress?”

“Maybe if I could obtain some invocations from it.”

Shiver’s look of dejection gave Virgil just a moment of pause, before he let out a huff of breath.

Shiver grinned.

It was the closest she would be to getting to a laugh out of him.

---

“So, Virgil. Just whose Inheritance is this? Compared to the Academy… its purpose isn’t exactly obvious to me. Aren’t Inheritances meant to be born of the wishes of Fearshapers?”

The group had settled down into a makeshift camp a distance away from the dark waters. They settled down, their backs to a sand dune which bordered the shores. Cygni, Virgil’s guide prowled at the top of the dune, keeping a lookout for creatures.

Virgil sighed, realising that his job had not ended with his assistance with the Vampress. Had he not intervened, in his brief flash of rage at his guide being endangered, Vale was confident she would have been spider food.

Vale rewarded his diligence with more questions. This particular one, she was sure, was foremost on everyone’s minds.

“He was a Fearshaper of shadow.”

Shiver snorted.

“Here I was beginning to think it was a Fearshaper of sunshine and rainbows.”

Virgil smirked as Shiver frowned momentarily.

“Hold on a minute, does the Dreadwood have Inheritances from Fearshapers of sunshine and rainbows?”

“I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for you. Neither would the “plant bitch”. In any case…”

Virgil turned his gaze to the eclipse in the distance.

“The Gloamshores were the Inheritance of Nostrum Evershade. He was a Fearshaper of shadow, a terrifying one. The Evershades were an old family known for their mastery of shadow, but their house faded into obscurity centuries ago. Likely felled in one of the many wars of control. I heard, that in his Dreadwalk, he had been capable of blotting out the sun with his Fear.”

“Was he killed sunbathing?”

Vale nudged her.

“Shiver, shut up.”

“However, Nostrum’s greatest legacy wasn’t his Inheritance. It was the Terror that he birthed.”

Shiver, who had no doubt been preparing another obnoxious remark stopped in her tracks. Together, they stared at Virgil, the familiar word resurfacing once more, after so long.

Terror.

“His waking nightmare did block out the sun. For an entire week. It plunged Elucidor into darkness. Premature winter winds ravaged the lands. Crops died, and famine wracked the land. Only mitigated by…”

Virgil shot Shiver a small smile.

“Fearshapers of sunshine and rainbows. Those that Feared the sun, specifically. Finally, Elucidor’s Dreadwalkers responded, and subdued the Terror with Nostrum’s own assistance.”  

Shiver raised her hands, and she spoke for all of them in her incredulity.

“Back up minute. Terrors… are waking nightmares of Dreadwalkers?”

A chill washed over them, as they recalled the creatures they had glimpsed in the Archcity of Fear. The winged Terror, a silent halo of black flame burning above it. The very sight, prompting them to gouge out their eyes, to free themselves from its presence. The wolf of shadow that prowled its silent streets, bleeding shadows in its wake. Finally, the academy guardian itself.

Despite their journey, through Anhedonia, and now in Trepidation, it only felt like they were beginning to comprehend Elucidor in the height of Fearshaping.

Virgil nodded in the affirmative to her question.

“Is it really so surprising? Fearshapers bring their nightmares into reality, and when they walk in Dread, their nightmares walk to them. The scope and threat posed by them, depends on the power of the Fearshaper. Some of them, were even benevolent, and cooperated or were made to cooperate by their Fearshapers.”

Caledon and Vale exchanged glances, as Shiver muttered under her breath.

“Sentient popsicles. Sentient popsicles.”

“Shiver… what in Insanity are you doing.”

The girl stared at Vale with pleading eyes.

“Trying to call my Dread. Can you imagine if your popsicles came to you?”

Caledon interrupted Shiver, his mind still swimming from Virgil’s revalations.

“Do the Terrors intrude into reality… at the will of their Fearshaper? It sounds like Nostrum hardly intended for his Terror to block out the sun.”

Virgil shook his head, and Caledon gulped, and tightened his fists.

The more that he was introduced to this world that had been so carefully kept from him, the more he was beginning to understand the accord between the noble houses.

If a single Fearshaper’s waking nightmare was capable of blocking out the sun for a week, potentially plummeting the land into darkness and creating widespread famine, what destruction would the Fearshapers of old have wrought when they warred over the temples?

Virgil paused, as he looked to the golden ring of the eclipse that lingered high over the dark horizon in the distance. The scar of light that dripped from the ring burning in the sky of dark.

“Archterrors.” 

The idle chatter induced from Virgil’s revalations came to a standstill. The gentle sound of water breaching black shores reached them, as they stared at the Fearshaper of stars. The attention he had captured with the utterance of a single word.

“Terrors capable of threatening nations, entire Archcities. Threats of the dreams of old monsters, that brought our civilisation to the brink of collapse. The Evershade was just one of them. Beings that defy all reason, the mere glimpse of them capable of inducing Fears in the Fearless, to drive elves to Insanity.”

“Do any of them still linger?”

They waited as Shiver casually delivered her question, their hearts thundering in their chests as the silence drew on. Virgil only continued to look out at the waters, with a wistful expression.

“Who can say. Even in this waning world we live in, who knows what monsters lurk in the dark. How many hundreds, or thousands of Inheritances that lie undiscovered. Containing treasures and horrors alike.”

Caledon tightened his fists, as he reflected on the actions of his father. The gambit of the great houses.

The Rampage was an indiscriminate act of ruthlessness, designed to collectively traumatise the elven population, in order for Tranquility to take root.

Necessary to alter the course of history itself.

Caledon knew his father. Even his final act of kindness and mercy, directed towards Marta, Pov and Blaze spoke to the man’s character. If even he felt that the massacre had been necessary, just what sort of world was Elucidor when Fearshapers reigned.

Vale interrupted his thoughts with her own question, one that he had been intensely curious about ever since he had glimpsed the man’s Fearshaping.

“Virgil what about your family? The Starstriders? Your Fear was… astounding.”

Shiver smirked as her gaze fell on Vale. Even though the girl was pale from the physical exertion, she still had an angle with her questioning. Virgil seemed to have noticed it as well, if the huge sigh it prompted was any indication.

“My family… was lost to the Rampage. From what Highlady Solastra has told me, they played a crucial role in ushering the age of peace. As for precisely what they did…”

Virgil shrugged.

“The Highlady hasn’t dignified me with an answer. Frankly, I don’t really care for one. I was from a branch family, and as noble an ideal as they pursued, they were no paragons of virtue towards my mother and father. Then, my parents disappeared, along with the rest of them.”

For a moment, they sat in uncomfortable silence, as the reticent Fearshaper of stars sighed. Only to be punctuated by Shiver’s sage nods of acknowledgement.  

“That much I can agree with you on. Shitty families that abandon you can be Feardamned. We should take after the plant bitch, find a sizeable corn cob, and stick it right up their collective ar-”

Vale coughed slightly, interrupting Shiver before she could continue further.

“There is one thing, Virgil. In Brimstone, and in the Archcity of Fear, I glimpsed something. I saw Phobias like yours. The first, in Aveline Veringold’s vault – a greatsword covered in stars. The second…”

Vale hesitated as he met his eyes.

“Was in the Floors of Dread, in the Archcity of Fear. A dead Fearshaper leaning against a column, with a similar Phobia to yours.”

Virgil’s eyes darkened, as he puzzled over the girl’s words.

“Perhaps… there are more of your family out there still… I know that it’s cruel to give you hope…”

Virgil smiled, at the girl’s attempt at comfort.

“Thank you, Vale. As… “shitty” as they are, I hope they’re out there as well.”

---

“What is that? Head chef, can you hear it?”

Head chef Spicefury had just completed his shift. Solastra had prepared a banquet for the elves that reveled in the mansion of madness, a regular affair that he had been tasked with in his duties. All that he knew of the elves within, was that they deserved their revelry. His job was to design delicacies worthy of their palette.  

Spicefury turned to Ifree, as he heard a scratching sound coming from the room that they had walked past. Ifree, his sous chef gasped at the noise, holding a palm over her open mouth.

“It can’t be… a rat?”

“Silence. Any rat that produces a noise this loud will be doomed to meet the edge of my cleaver. This… is no rat.”

His eyes narrowed as he peered at one of the guest rooms that Highlady Flora Solastra had arranged for. The rooms that belonged to the guests that had arrived from Brimstone.

This one, belonging to Vale Revenant.