Chapter 40: The Sovereign’s Command
Yana stood on the obsidian ridge, the miniaturized Truthless Lie Tower hovering effortless above her cool grey palm.
She looked to her companions and nodded. Without a word Tasha, DD, and Amber bowed as one and DD used [Void Step] to take them all to her Shi headquarters to oversee operations.
Yana stood on the ridge and contemplated for a long moment – both the tower and the Winter Soul on her mind.
She turned to the Princess. "Come. It is time for you to know your new home."
With a thought, the portal to the Dune Domain opened. It was like black glass before them, round and quiet. They stepped through, leaving the volcanic heat of the ridge for the vast, shifting sands of Yana's private realm. The air here was different—it hummed with Yana’s own soul-signature and the subdued vibrancy of shadow. Immediately, Devon and Sisma appeared, sensing their mistress. Sisma, as usual, sat upon Devon’s shoulder. The protector and the keeper eyed Vora with suspicion while quietly awaiting their mistress’ words.
Vora’s panther-like ears twitched as she looked at the horizon. "This... is not a shadow realm. Yet the shadows here are more vibrant than any other shadow I have know." She narrowed her eyes as she allowed her senses to roam free, searching for the boundary of the domain, when she found none she lost her breath and shuddered. “This place is even more vast than The Truthless Lie Tower.”
"It is mine," Yana said simply. Then she raised her hand and the tower leapt forward and took its place within the walls of the Dune Domain castle. Its darkness, glass, sand, and water sides melded into one and the tower turned dark obsidian with tan, blue, and crystal veining running through it. It also grew taller, and its power shifted and rooted into the depths of the sands around the castle.
Yana looked to Vora and spoke slowly, her black eyes gleaming dangerously. “And this is no longer the Truthless Lie but rather the Bound Truth of the Dunes Tower.” She cocked her head. “It is mine as well, as are you.” She looked Vora in the eye for a long while. Then the Pra slowly turned and began walking across the huge black dunes.
Sand slowly shifted beneath her as she moved forward and allowed her shadow senses reach out into the Dune Domain. She stepped like a predator and the scent of lower ranking shadows itched her nose and made her skin tingle.
Yana watched as Vora as she moved further away from her. She saw the princess’ shadow magic move out in a circle and grasp her domain. Yana smiled because she knew what the Pra Princess was about to do. She allowed her magic to settle and let Vora exert her power. She looked to Sisma and Devon. “she will be a General in my army. This will be her new home, the three of you must bond.” The protector and the keeper bowed as one and Sisma’s giant shadow took flight from the castle to hover over Vora.
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The Princess did not ask for permission; she simply began to exert the authority of the Pra class. She sensed Sisma’s shadow and understood it to be an ally – an ally that didn’t quite trust her yet. She summoned the shadow shifter and the shadow snake. The shadow shifter rose in it natural state – an amorphous black cloud, flashes of lightning at its core its only true form of communication. The shadow snake rose beside it, menacing but now fully tamed and obedient to the dunes. As they stood before her, Vora’s panther tail lashed with a rhythmic intensity.
Then, it happened—the innate ability of the Warrior Shadow Class. From Vora’s shoulders and spine, hundreds of ink-black Command Tendrils snaked out. They didn't just touch the commanders; they pierced through them, weaving a network of shadow-silk that connected Vora to the shifter, the snake, and every one of the shadows Yana had brought from the tower. From there the tendrils swept across the Dune Domain and connected to the strongest shadows. They all accepted her commands and came forth to stand before her.
Vora stood at the center of this web, her eyes glowing with a renewed, predatory focus. She was no longer a lost princess; she was a General organizing her legion – and these were her first commanders and captains.
As Yana watched the efficiency of the display, the Dune Domain itself vibrated against her feet. The consciousness of the sands spoke directly into her mind, bypassing her ears.
‘Mistress... you are regaining yourself quickly. We open ourselves to you more and more. You just need to raise your soul depth by two more levels and three more of your items will be revealed to you.’
Yana’s hand went to her chest, where the Winter Soul rested within her. She felt its power, it perpetually dormant power waiting for her use. Memory shards, she thought. The Winter Soul has kept pieces of me I’ve lost. That is how I’ll grow.
As she stood thinking Sisma let out a soft call and the dunes trembled beneath them. Shadow after shadow rose from the black sands and stood in row upon row at attention, waiting on commands. From the two commanders black Tendrils reached out and chose captains and from the captains subordinates were chosen.
All of them were grouped by Vora and all of the connections were made tangible by her webbing. The webbing slowly disappeared from view and integrated into each given shadow soul. Vora had direct control of them all. She also understood their wills and their loyalties and could punish at will.
Devon walked to her side, Sisma still on his shoulder. His shadow and knowledge magics spread out before them and the domain quieted like a child quieting due to a lullaby.
The three stood side by side for a short while then the Dune Domain shifted. Black sands rose high into the air and the grains came raining down on the three of them. The black sands of the Dune Domain sunk into their flesh and began to circulate with their magic.
There was no pain, their was no change, there was just the promise of growth, of power, and of everlasting life.
The three were now allies, serving the domain and Yana.
