I am the Makers Shade.

[SinisterCake]

He was Barely moving, not even the slightest twitch could be seen in the lith solitus body as it hung in the murky pool of liquid. He had been there for some time holding his dwindling breath. They had watched with some respect, believing that this one that was not trained from birth to have as much potential as some of the neophytes that had preceeded him.

He closed his eyes and focused on his teachings, remembering the verses of the ones know as the Makers. In his mind he spoke out:


I am not the Light,
For there is the Shadow.

I am not the Just,
For there is the deceitful.

Know of me you will,
Know of me you won't tell.

I am Wrath's hand,
For the deceitful and the Just.

The Spirits flow within,
The Spirits flow without.

For my Life-Blood,
I Praise Hazak-Jar.

I am Shade,
I choose the Shadow,
I choose the Light.


From inside his mind he heard them speak, "Arise Shade, follow the dark before you. Therein lies ahead your final rite of passage".

"As you wish Maker." He thought as he opened his eyes once again and swam up the few meters to the surface of the rocky pool. He cautiously climbed out into the dark cavern and felt a draft from the east; a way had been opened out of this place.

His senses amplified the surroundings at his whim. He could smell the brimstone, the boggy smell of the murky pool and from where the draft came, the smell of rock grinding against rock as if an ancient doorway had opened after centuries of stillness.

His eyesight adjusted to the dark and he could see what ordinary man could not. Arched in a cat like stance, he nimbly crept over to where the doorway had opened; his naked flesh rising up in goose bumps with excitement, fear and anticipation of the challenge that lay in the chamber beyond.

[SinisterCake]

He could see moving in the darkest shadows a strong well built man who had it seemed, overestimated his skills of concealment. The man was shade; his stance and movement gave him away.

The best action would be to approach him from an unexpected place, so he leapt up the wall silently securing a foothold within its crevices. He climbed up it until he was at the ceiling; hoping that the man was still unaware of his presence.

He slowly entered the chamber, like a bat he moved till behind the unaware opponent. All he had to do was surprise and grapple him to the floor, the final rite would be complete. Just as he let go of his hold on the ceiling, a drop of sweat fell down onto the mans bald head. As he span in the air on his decent his eyes locked with those of his enemy’s.

The man flipped back as he landed, both of the combatants drew back in their stances, paused there staring at each other with no emotion, lower faces covered up by dark metal masks.

"It is the sighting… A draw which means it is time for blood to now decide the victor, it is the edict of the Makers… The blood of another Shade may only be drawn by Hazak-Jar’s law… Hazak-Jar dictates, a weapon has no edge, a weapon has no range and a weapon must allow the life blood to flow freely." They spoke in the minds of the Shades.

[SinisterCake]

He knew of what they spoke of. True tools of the Shade are fashioned from the corpses of the hunted; then blessed, infused with spirit and crafted by the hand of the Shade that gave life release from bondage.

As he and the green eyed man continued the stand off, circling around the chamber never leaving their backs open to attack from the other, two other ancient doors opened to the north and to the south. One chamber contained a couple of elegant Swiftail creatures, who’s resemblance was of a spiritual ‘unicorn’ shimmering in light which blinded both men for an instant. The other revealed two dark spidery like monstrosities, that were held back by bars from their frenzy. The Swiftails in their innocence stood unafraid, chained like domestic pets to their chamber wall. Both of the new chambers had the basis for primitive shade weapon components on shelves, glowing blue cave-men like drawings throbbed above them showing what must be done.

The men once again looked at each others faces, the green eyed one tilted his head from side to side clicking his joints, limbered up then moved to the Swiftails, looking to them and to his rival. The creatures looked up slowly with their wondrous big eyes that were so beautiful and slightly fearful now as, Thwack! The green-eyed man in a flash of movement brought down his right elbow down upon one of the creatures neck. There was a shrill as if an angel had been hurt, the body spasmed on the floor and the Shade leapt down on top of it, he plunged his index fingers into the eyes of the creature and into the brain. It screamed out seeming to say in some human language… ‘Please!!!! Noooooooo!!! Whoaarrghh!’; or at least it did to the other Shade who was slightly shocked by not the barbarity but by the stirring of emotion inside himself, almost painful as if his heart had broken slightly.

He walked to the other trembling Swiftail who stared back at him, looking as though it was weeping while his opponent started to chant words of the ‘blessing’ and ripped off the long horn from the others corpse. He reached out slowly, the creature pulled away but couldn’t move further due to the leash that shackled it to the wall. He moved again closer and touched its mane, gently caressed it, the trembling began to cease and the creature looked to him as if to ask ‘I am safe?’. He nodded slightly and then looked to the other dark violent creatures that were now pacing back and forth along their barred enclave. The other Shade looked up and in his eyes he could see that the large man mocked him. He made his choice and walked to the side where the spider-creatures awaited him. Bars fell blocking off the area with the other Shade and the Swiftail; the hairless Shade continued with haste to fashion the horn, shouting out the ritual so that the other would know he was nearly prepared. He knew it would not be an easy fight, and that the other would be ready perhaps before he had even slain one of the foul creatures.

[SinisterCake]

He ran at full tilt towards the spider creatures who were screaming and hissing as the squeezed under the bars that were rising. His heartbeat like tribal drums, pushing him to run harder; the spiders ahead scuttled with great speed with kamikaze like intent. He leapt up in the air as the first spider went airborne, kicked out just above the things abdomen, and flipped from it backwards and unfortunately downwards to the other spider which had run past them. The creature he had kicked was frantically trying to get itself off of its back with little success, the other however leapt up at the man who had barely set foot upon the ground.

He managed to grab the front two forelegs of the beast but staggered back to the wall his skin cut by it in a few places as the man started to shout out the blessings. He threw his whole body weight down, ended up wrestling it on the floor while the other spider was slowly flipping its bulk against the cavern wall, desperate to get back on its feet to kill its prey.

As he continued to recite, there was a ripping sound of muscle and sinew, the creature screamed as the Shade ripped off a front right leg from the socket, dark almost translucent blood pumped out. He clubbed the spiders head as it was unable to dodge him and was about to finish it off when the other jumped to his back, managing to rake its fangs down the mans back but not pinning him down. The Shade held back the scream as best as he could hoping the other Shade had not noticed, it came out as a whimper and a shaking of his body as blood slowly trickled out from the wounds.

There was a shrill from the other Shade his weapon completed, the bars opened and he charged over to where the other was, blinded by rage he ignored the second spider who stood for a moment as if to assess who to attack. He looked up as he recited the final word, realising that if he were to complete the ritual of blessing, his enemy would be upon him - he continued, skewering the leg-less creature through the head with its own limb.

‘The fool!’ he thought as he saw that the other creature scuttled to attack the screaming Shade from behind - he leapt towards his opponent managing to grab the wrist of his weapon hand as it descended downwards. It was to late to manoeuvre further to fend of the attack of the spider as it jumped up and pinned the Swiftail-horn wielding Shade with its fang’s, and wrapped its legs around them both.

All three fell to the ground, trapped in the spiders grip, the manic Shade was in pain but with hate in his eyes he was trying to pierce his enemy, they struggled like that for what seemed an eternity, fangs digging deeper and deeper, the bald Shade losing his strength little by little. When the other shade could risk his energy, he gave an almighty shout as he drove home his Spider limb weapon into the side of the creature, again and again he stabbed it till it lost its grip.

With the small amount of strength he had he moved from under the dying man and tried to tent to his wounds. He knew it was too late to help him, he felt the leaving of the soul and shook his head in disappointment. From his teachings he knew that he had missed out on an honourable fight, perhaps he had even failed the final rite of passage? Looking at the other Shade only added to the anger that was building within, and as a insult he did not take the fellow Shades soul unto his owns bidding. He crawled over to the middle of the chamber and rolled over to his stinging back and looked up to the caverns ceiling as the area began to light up to signal the end.

Two healers attended to his wounds as the other Shade was wrapped up in ceremonial blankets, their Opifex faces were identical, perhaps they were twins.

"Hazak-Jar’s Law states, that you are not the victor… And yet you have completed your final task… You will be named Sightsee-" He flinched slightly at the word when he heard it, sounded somehow as if it were more then just familiar, as thought it were his own before.

"You have been named such for you sighted your enemy… When presented with the choice of which life to take, you saw the suffering in the Swiftails eye’s… And when your enemy was intent on your ending, you tried to help him. For us there is no right or wrong to the way of the Shade, but there is wisdom and ignorance." He stood up and looked upwards as if being able to see the Makers.
"You have taught me well in the ways of Hazak-Jar my makers… With the memory of that I shall not fear the outside Lands, I shall embrace them with open arms." He kneeled down and bowed his head in respect.
"Then you are ready… You will seek out other Shade’s, you shall be the eyes and ears of the Makers… Know that we are always there and we stand with you between the Shadow, between the Light. Go now, we send you to the visitors place…"

He blinked and found himself upon a glass bridge, he had to shade his eyes from the glaring sky, he saw the vegetation, the terrain for the first time, and was overwhelmed by emotion as if seeing God before him. ‘I am borne… Hazak-Jar guide me’ he thought as he made his way to a white marble platform to which the bridge connected…