Consort's Gambit

Artemis stared out of the window of the carriage, watching as the scenery specific to Margraves, the sprawling hilltops, the patches of heraflowers, the fields grazed by herds of cattle and sheep, and the children that ran around, laughter filling the air, all passed him by.

In the 'daytime', the crystals on the cavern ceiling would shine brightest, giving a semblance of light over the Blackbaast, and so flora would blossom in multitudes, enough for the beauty of the region, certainly enough for survival.

It was a tradition of the Witch-King, of which there was many, for the current ruler to travel across the Blackbaast on a pilgrimage, spreading a new species of flower or other sort of plant throughout the continent. August Lunastre had done this years prior, his father decades before. It was one of the most recognised and beloved traditions of the Witch-Kings of the Blackbaast.

Eunisia Eternius, the Euniceflower, was the flower that August had spread throughout the continent many years ago. While Artemis had no recollection of it, it was definitely true that he had come to Margraves at the time. Of course, due to Artemis's reclusion, it was natural that they had not met. But now, this was a man he was going to see with the intention of marrying. Wasn't it too unnatural an occurrence? 

He held one of these flowers between his fingertips, as gently as he could bear. Its petals were soft, cloud-white in hue, with specks of gold and lilac against its shades. The reputation of the Witch-King was fierce, iron-handed… but could such a person paint a picture so beautiful? 

"We'll arrive at the Lingering Light soon, young Master. Would you like to stop for the night?" Cercival called through the window at the front of the carriage, holding the reins between his hands. The horses chosen for the journey, Leist and Harmen, were Artemis's childhood horses. He had grown up alongside them, and they would accompany him on his way out of Margraves. It was only natural.

The light of the crystals high above had begun to settle, and the Blackbaast was cloaked in the shade of night once more. Artemis nodded his head. 

"Yes, let's rest for the night. There's only a few more days before we arrive, anyway."

Soon, the carriage stopped amidst sprawling ruins, a city of obsidian stone that had almost been burnt away in its entirety. This was another tradition of the Witch-Kings, although it had been different in August's case. While his predecessors had ordered that all denizens of the Blackbaast bring every light source to the City of Lingering Light, extinguishing them simultaneously and bathing the continent in darkness, August had done it differently. He had ordered that they all be lit simultaneously, making the City of Lingering Light the brightest point on the continent for only but a moment. 

However, in the process, it had caught fire, and burnt itself to ruination. While it was an accident, it was a welcome change for the people of the Blackbaast. It showed that August was a different sort of a ruler, a different type of person from his predecessors. The iron-fist that the Witch-King ruled with, it seemed softer in his case. 

Artemis stepped out of the carriage into the cold nighttime air, pulling the collar of his furred cloak close to his face to avoid the sting of the frost. When he let out a heavy sigh, a cloud of smog escaped his lips, and his cheeks became a mottled red.

An alcove, perhaps once a courtyard, was where they had stopped for the night. Nestled into a pocket of many surrounding ruins, iron-wrought fences had been blanketed by ivy and gorgeous blooming violets, and the grass was tall and danced about like the sea's waves in the evening wind.

An endlessly flowing spring of crystalline water, glimmering in appearance, sat in the center of the courtyard, and dozens of trees surrounded them, blanketing the area in a canopy of emerald leaves.

Artemis stepped into the courtyard, his blade hung at his side, and his cloak wrapped tightly around him to avoid the cold of night. Cercival followed behind him, carrying a tarp and a bundle that would be used to construct the tent they would stay in for the night.

He glanced at one of the trees, a shift in hue catching his attention out of the corner of his eye.

That tree… wasn't it behind us?

It dove at Artemis suddenly, forcing him to lurch to the side to avoid the blow. Losing the wooden hue, it resembled more a splash of liquid within the air, swirling iridescent colours shooting out towards him like spears. Multiple creatures had appeared. They had sharp metallic shards swirling about within, causing his blood to fly outwards as they slashed against his skin.

He knew these creatures well! They were uncommon in Margraves, but he had seen them on hunts while fulfilling his side of Lark's contract!

Mimic Shades!? Don't they usually lie North of here? In the City of Lingering Light… why have they settled here?

These creatures mimicked colours, blending into the environment like chameleons. They were amorphous in shape, but had thousands of microscopic blade-like teeth swirling around within them. If they managed to wrap around a person's limb, it would be shredded as they thrashed about, absorbed into the liquid flesh of the shade. They were creatures who roamed in packs… to have encountered them at all, it was extreme misfortune!

Artemis raised his other arm to cover Cercival, grimacing. "Remain behind me, Cercival."

The contract, Lark! Has it been effectuated!? Are you satisfied!?

In response to this, his eye pulsed with pain, not frequent or numerous, just once. It was as if the Spirit were responding with satisfaction. 

Good, then let me use your power once more. I don't know if it's possible to get out of this alive, but if I can protect Cercival… I can't live for my own purpose, but this man has never done anything other than uplift me, even at the cost of himself, knowing I wouldn't amount to much! 

Demon Mask of Atman… no, 'Gambit' isn't enough. Lark, I want to summon you personally. Are you too lazy to answer my call?

As Artemis raised his hand outwards towards the approaching shade, a terrifying black mask spread outwards across his face. Its obsidian-metallic sheen had an illusory silver glow, and his left iris past the mask swirled like a stormy sky.

Good boy… Artemis chided inwardly.

"Young Master, is that…?"

Artemis nodded his head, frowning. "Yes, but don't tell anyone of this. I'll trust you with its secret."

Suddenly, shadows wrapped around him, carrying that same stormy sheen as he grew rapidly in size. What was once the terrifying demonic black mask now resembled the snout of a wolf, his legs growing in size and sprouting terrible claws. His furry tail, which simultaneously resembled hundreds of shadowy tendrils flicked about, and his eyes, dozens in number, flitted around as they observed the approach of the mimic shades. His mouths, numbering five in total, gnashed their horrid razor-like teeth, drool pooling towards the ground. 

This was Lark's form, and Artemis had allowed him to wrap himself around his body, while still retaining its control. This was the other half of the contract, one that all Spirit users remained capable of, the full summoning of the Spirit itself. 

From atop a dilapidated building to the right, August and Gwennaude looked over the proceedings curiously. 

"Ah, he's quite capable, isn't he? A Spirit user, isn't that cute?" August teased, watching as the mimic shades surrounded Artemis.

"Will you interfere?" Gwennaude questioned, raising an eyebrow. He held his hand over his blade, ready to draw it and join the fight at any moment.

"Does that look like the sort of man that needs our assistance?"

Artemis was a wolf on the battlefield- no, it was more than that. He stood larger than life when the Spirit surrounded him. He looked more like a Demon from the depths of the Underworld.

"If you want to test his character, then it might serve you well, anyway."

August smirked.

"Quite right, as always."

Artemis lurched towards the crowd of approaching shades, swiping his clawed hand towards them. It sliced cleanly through the amorphous flesh, causing them to splatter against the ground in heaps of iridescent matter. Of course, this wasn't enough to kill them. They would only reform themselves, they weren't single living organisms, more like colonies that grouped together into one mass. 

In this form, he felt intensely powerful, but the sudden switch in his possible senses was nauseating, a deep vertigo causing him to become dizzy. After all, he wasn't really a creature with dozens of eyes, so such a change was too much for him to handle. 

Suddenly, burst of bright golden light shot through the crowd of shades, systematically, in a zigzagging line as if a lightbug had begun to race straight through them. The shades had caught on fire- silver fire, that seemed to burn ceaselessly, spreading throughout the crowd as they fell, shrieking, until their cries silenced. 

Standing in the center of the horde of fallen mimic shades, was a shadowy figure that had his back turned towards Artemis and Cercival. He glanced over his shoulder towards the two, revealing his countenance in the dimming light.

The man had a head of shoulder-length black hair that had been tied up behind his head, and he wore a pitch-black layered cloak that had flower petals sewn into its seams. He wore a black mask with a mouthpiece resembled interwoven worms, and he carried a bastard sword with a quaint silver sheen in his left hand. 

This blade raised itself as Artemis struck towards the man who had suddenly appeared. Sparks flew through the air as his horrific claws clashed against the sword, revealing the face of the man who had removed his mask. He looked quite silly, a smirk obvious as he stared up at the gigantic wolf. What kind of figure would seem so entertained in this situation?

"Sit, dog. What kind of puppy would bite the hand of the one who saved it? A stray, perhaps." August teased, holding back Artemis's swipe with his blade. It had an illusory golden glow to it, as if the crystals in the cavern sky had descended onto the ground below. It was almost blinding, it was true radiance.

Recognising the arrival of a man, not a monster, Artemis stepped backwards, releasing his grasp of the blade, his claws sinking deep into the soil below. He stared down at the strange masked man from above, curious. Cercival, behind him, chimed out. "Who- who are you, Sir?"

August glanced at the elderly man and the giant wolf before smiling genially. 

"I'm just a wanderer."