Me, My Spirit, And I [Book 1 Complete]

Flying Dwarves were not what Lusha typically thought of when they thought of the short, stout, hairy craft folk. The Dwarves of Sierrallas met many of their expectations for what a Dwarf should be, but there were distinctions. Unlike in many stories John had read, the Dwarves of Sierrallas were expert enchanters. Specifically runic enchantments, which were one of several distinct enchanting types.

Magic was embraced by the Dwarven people as it was by practically everyone on the planet. Earth Mages, Nature Mages, Warders, and Enchanters were essential to surviving in the harsh conditions found in the Ice Fang Peaks and underground in the Depths of the world. The Dwarven skyships were developed to ease travel between the deep mountain valleys where much of their food was grown and their animal herds were reared. Overland travel through the glaciated Ice Fangs was treacherous while carving tunnels between valleys was time consuming and difficult.

Lusha knew the basic levitation enchantments used on the floating barges and magical lifts found in Westlin, but skyship enchantments were an order of magnitude more complex and specialized. The Dwarves had been building them and iterating on the designs for centuries, but they were an insular and secretive people. This was especially true of anything to do with crafting and enchanting.

Over the years Shada's Shadow Company had developed an unusually open and productive trade with the Dwarves. This was despite the fact that thousands of miles separated the nearest Dwarfhold and the city of Westlin. There was an entire contingent of Dwarves that rotated in and out the Shadow Companies doors for training, research, and occasionally consultation about rare materials dug up from the Depths.

The mutual respect and cooperation meant that when Lusha requested a meeting with a high level representative as 'Mr. Shadow' he got it quickly or as quickly as a multi-thousand mile trip allowed.

"Yolden Hammerfell! It is good to see you gracing the halls of the Shadow Company again," Kariss said with a smile. She held her arms open wide in welcome while turning smoothly to direct the Ambassador to an specially prepared meeting room.

"Miss Kariss, it is lovely to see you as well. I see that your Company has grown remarkably since last we met." Yolden's brown eyes were drawn to the lobby's centerpiece. "Is this real?"

"Of course it is real?" Kariss asked in a questioning manner.

Yolden raised his bushy eyebrows before squinting in confusion. "Miss Kariss, I know a diamond when I see it. This thing is absolutely massive. I had read reports, but nothing really does this justice…" Yolden trailed off as he examined the rest of the display.

A golden miniature hoard complete with treasure chests, gold coins, and precious gems sat at the center of the lobby. Above it hovered a massive crystalline dragon suspended by magic. The dragon was a solid diamond with strategically placed colored diamonds to give it more life, like its ice blue eyes and pink diamond tongue. The wings held a rainbow of pale translucent colors. Mirror backed glowstones reflected light onto the diamond sculpture and cast a dazzling display of color on the domed ceiling. Few people could enter the Shadow Companies without stopping dead in their tracks to admire the stunning visage.

"Ah, I see. Our Mr. Shadow is capable of making diamonds and gemstones of practically any size. This particular piece was grown in stages and pieced together by gem smiths after being carefully cut and faceted. It took years to complete. Beautiful isn't it?" Kariss was being nonchalant, but she knew the effect the statue had on people. It was a stunning piece of art and an incredible example of Shada's Material Mastery that left a strong impression on anyone who saw it.

"That is understating it by quite a bit, Miss Kariss." Yolden couldn't hide the awe in his voice as he circled the hoard and kept glancing up at the dazzling diamond dragon.

"We have a miniature Duplicated souvenir version available should you like one. They come complete with the hovering enchantment and small glow stones. They are quite popular among the wealthy citizens of Westlin."

"I might just do that!"

"Now I hate to rush you, but this meeting is a bit more unique that the others we have had over the years. Mr. Shadow would like to speak to you personally. Under secrecy Contract," Kariss's bombshell statement caused Yolden to jerk in surprise and turn from the display piece.

"Did you say Mr. Shadow will be meeting with me today, in person?" Yolden was genuinely surprised. The closest anyone had ever gotten to a truly personal meeting was with a golem avatar. No one had ever met Mr. Shadow face to face despite the many attempts to curry favor or get the mysterious mage to socialize.

"Indeed I did. Please follow me won't you?" Kariss's smile was a sight to behold. She knew how big of a hook she had just dropped and was enjoying watching the display of emotions on the stoic dwarf's face. Dwarves rarely reacted to much beyond fine craftsmanship so this was a rare treat.

Yolden straightened his ambassadorial robes and unconsciously smoothed his braided beard as he followed Kariss through the halls of the Shadow Companies' ever growing compound. Business was great and it showed in the sheer size of the compounds.

The duo entered a specially prepared conference room. At the back of the room was a small table with three padded chairs made of stainless steel shaped to look like woven branches. One of which was dwarf sized, another sized for Kariss, and the third somewhere in between. A woven rug led down a central aisle flanked by display tables containing a wide variety of materials, devices, books, and other items. Each one strategically placed to catch the eye.

"Miss Kariss, what are all these things on display?" Yolden asked curiously. He was once more distracted, but only briefly as he focused on the empty table and the three chairs.

"Samples, some are things we have already released. Others are Company secrets we are willing to sell or trade. Finally there are more than a few new products Mr. Shadow has developed, but not released yet." Kariss had personally set up the displays and was proud of the variety on offer.

"I don't even recognize some of the metals you have out here…" Yolden didn't know what to think, but wanted to examine each display more closely. In fact he felt under prepared to truly evaluate some of what he saw.

"Do not worry. You will have plenty of time to look through the displays, but Mr. Shadow is on a bit of a time crunch lately so we really must get started." Kariss did her best to redirect the fascinated Dwarf to his seat at the small conference table.

"Yes, let's." Again Yolden straightened his robes self-consciously. The Dwarves treated skilled crafters like celebrities. He was more nervous meeting Mr. Shadow than meeting the High Kings of the Dwarfholds.

As the two took their seats the third empty seat was made more obvious. "When will Mr. Shadow be joining us?"

"Shortly, first there is a matter of a secrecy Contract. As you know Mr. Shadow is a very private individual and this is literally the first face to face meeting he has ever allowed with anyone. You should feel honored."

"Trust me Miss Kariss, I do understand what an honor this is. Please explain this Contract business."

"Right, Mr. Shadow's Contract is simple. You will need to agree to not reveal any personal details about Mr. Shadow to anyone. This includes their appearance, age, race, gender, etc. If you are unwilling to do so we will proceed with just the two of us, but trust me it is in your best interest to agree." Kariss gave Yolden a disarming smile as she slid the Contract over.

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"Mighty paranoid your Mr. Shadow, but I see no harm in keeping his identity secret. I am too curious not to agree, but let me check the Contract first." Yolden gave Kariss a polite nod before picking up the Contract and reading through it. He hummed quietly as he carefully checked for hidden clauses or other traps. No one in their right mind would sign a Contract without reading it first on Sierrallas. Nodding to himself Yolden signed the Contract and felt the familiar uncomfortable tightening sensation that came with being Contractually bound by the System.

"You never quite get used to that feeling, do you?" Kariss said sympathetically as she watched the Contract take hold.

"I have signed hundreds over hundreds of years, and no, you never do get used to it." Yolden sighed and shook himself before looking at Kariss in anticipation. "Now where is this mysterious Mr. Shadow of yours?"

"One moment." Kariss touched an enchanted stone on the conference table that emitted a dim light and a subtle chime. A matching linked stone shone and chimed in the room where Lusha waited.

It could never be said that Lusha didn't have a certain penchant for dramatic entrances and spectacles. They had asked for help from grandpa Alexzandrous to make their appearance more memorable.

The light in the room dimmed and the shadows grew unnaturally. The third chair, which sat opposite of Yolden with Kariss between them appeared to fill with shadowy smoke that slowly took the form of a featureless cloaked figure. A chill filled the air and Yolden and Kariss could see their breath misting in the air. Kariss smiled indulgently while Yolden looked around with wild eyes.

"Miss Kariss? What is happening?" Yolden wasn't scared per se, but was nonetheless unsettled by the display. It was creepy and literally chilling. There was even ominous music playing from an unknown source.

"Be Not Afraid!" A voice boomed into the cold and darkening room. Then suddenly the light returned, the chill vanished, and instead of a shadowy death like figure in the chair there was a small giggling half-elven child with snow white hair, luminous blue eyes, and a look of pure mischief on their fair white face.

Yolden blinked in confused disbelief. "What? What in the Depths is this?"

"Hello Yolden, it is nice to finally meet you in person. You must forgive me for my dramatic entrance, but I truly couldn't pass up the chance to play up my reputation." Lusha's smile was huge and his eyes practically twinkled as he took on a professional tone.

"What? I know I am repeating myself, but who is this child Miss Kariss?" Yolden had been an ambassador for centuries, but he had never been so confused by a meeting as he was by this one. What was a strange albino looking child doing in this meeting? What was the meaning of the theatrical appearance? Yolden was unusually off balance.

"Amabassdor Yolden, may I present Lucanarious Intarius Aseralis, child of High Healer Shinobin of Westlin and Master Bard Theo Drykus of the Wyld Elves, grandchild of the Witch Queen Kiera Aseralis of Gloddus, great grandchild of Archmage Alexzandrous Aseralis and Warder of the Wyldwood High Seerer Vanestra Aseralis, Agent of the Goddess Sierra, creator of the Golden Goose, owner and founder of the Shadow Company also known as Mr. Shadow." Kariss took a deep breath after that excessively long winded introduction.

Yolden was struck speechless, a truly rare thing for someone whose job literally involved talking to others on a regular basis. There was a massive amount of information hidden in that introduction and the implications were staggering. Kariss herself had only learned of some of this very recently after Luca and Shada's accident. She had been left similarly speechless so could sympathize with the overwhelmed Dwarf.

"Please just call me Lusha." This was said with a cheeky smile that would have been out of place on anyone that wasn't a child. To say that Lusha was enjoying himself would be underselling his delight.

It took several minutes and a warm cup of tea that Kariss served before Yolden was able to respond properly to Lusha's introduction.

"The mysterious Mr. Shadow, creator of the famed singing ferrum argentum of the Shadow Company, is a child? How? You barely look old enough to have been more than a mere babe when this Company was created…" Yolden was doing his best to put all the pieces together, but felt like he was trying to assemble a clock blindfolded.

"I am a child, but I am also much more than a child. You are now one of the privileged few to know some of my secrets and why I have avoided face to face meetings for so long."

"Why reveal this now? Why me of all people?" Yolden asked in clear confusion.

Lusha sighed. "It is very complicated, but also quite simple. You are familiar with legends of old souls, right?"

"Of course, I read the stories of people being born with memories of their past who went on to do remarkable things. Are you saying you are an old soul?"

"In a manner of speaking I am. Until relatively recently I existed both as a child and as a spirit." Lusha shaped the ambient light to create the image of an old man that slowly morphed in a baby. From within a wispy spirit rose. "As a spirit I retained the memories of my past life and as a child I got to re-experience childhood mostly free of the burden of those same memories." The light based illusion faded. "This was a gift from the Goddess for accepting a mission to help fix the broken System on Sierrallas."

Lost for words once more Yolden just stared at Lusha and waited for them to speak.

Lusha sighed and continued, "An experiment resulted in the Skills I used to maintain the split state to fail. Shada the spirit merged with Luca the child. I am the result, Lusha."

"Again why tell me all this?" Yolden's mind was slowly shifting from stunned to curious as was his nature.

"To establish trust. There are secrets of Dwarven enchantments that I need to build my own skyships. I will be coming of age soon and attending the Eastern Imperial Academy. I need the means to travel freely now that I am confined to a physical form." Lusha shrugged. "Despite my every attempt to gain access to more than the basic levitation enchantments, I have been rebuffed due the Dwarven tendency to hoard secrets like dragons hoard gold."

"So you thought telling me this would somehow get you access to our enchantments?" Yolden stroked his beard in thought. "But that doesn't make sense. I am under a secrecy Contract. I can't tell others about this so the information is practically useless."

"It is if that's what I wanted to trade for the secrets of skyship construction. No, telling you my secrets is a means of establishing trust, nothing more, nothing less."

"I see, or rather I really don't see. There is no real proof of anything you say. It sounds absurd despite your appearance, but glamours and illusions are common as you well know."

"Proof? What proof would you require?" Lusha gestured with his hand and the building and the displays. "Look around you. A mere decade ago none of this existed. I brought the secret of steel production with me from my past life."

"Were you a Dwarf in your past life?" As far as Yolden knew, only the Master Smiths among the Dwarves knew the secrets of steel before the Shadow Steel appeared. So it seemed logical to him that Lusha was a reborn smith.

"No, I was human. A mundane human at that. My past life was lived in another world where there was no magic and where people took the pursuit of technology and material science to the extreme." Lusha's eyes darkened briefly as they remembered their life and family from Earth.

This caught Yolden's attention. That was not the look of a child, those were the eyes of someone far older, someone who had suffered, and someone who had lost. It was written on Lusha's face like a map of sorrows.

"Ah, forgive me I was remembering. Anyhow, as I was saying I was human and I was taught things about how physical matter and energy worked as part of my basic education. It was common knowledge, but not my field of expertise." Lusha refocused on the meeting and the Dwarven Ambassador.

Yolden chuckled. He remembered when he had thought some Dwarf had spilled their secrets and wondered for a long time how Mr. Shadow had rediscovered the secrets of steel, but now he knew. Mr. Shadao had access to literal otherworldly knowledge.

"Ok, let's say I believe you and everything you have told me is true. What do you have that you want to trade for the secret of our skyships?" The experienced negotiator was slowly, but surely regaining his lost composure. "We could just build you one you know."

"I do. Honestly, given enough time I could recreate the enchantments, but there is no point reinventing the wheel as they say. I want full schematics for a skyship, the complete enchantments, and an expert to help me build my own."

"Again, why do you want to build one yourself?"

Lusha smiled, waved their hand and bent the light to create a new illusion. Several odd shapes appeared. One that vaguely resembled a bird, one that looked like a rounded cylinder with a gondola hanging below it. Vague outlines appeared as the strange objects soared above what appeared to be a city with tall buildings. The illusions were simple, wispy and monochrome, but it was clear that the objects were flying.

"Without Essence the people of my old world mastered technology. They built amazing flying machines that worked without a single drop of Essence or enchantment. Flying machines that flew based on the same physical phenomenon that allowed birds to fly." Lusha waved the illusion away. "You see, I can take what I know and what the Dwarves know to create a new type of skyship. One that is smaller, faster, uses less Essence, and can be crewed by as few as one person. It takes many skilled mages to control the enchantments on your ships, no?"

"Of course it does. Someone has to control lift, thrust, maneuverability, shielding, and many other things." Yolden paused to consider. "You think you can do better? Better than hundreds of years of Dwarven skyship builders?"

"I am sure of it." Lusha said confidently.

"Then let's talk specifics. I will need something significant to get the elders to agree to what you want. What you ask is no small thing." Thoughts of being able to improve the Dwarven skyship fleet wound their way through Yolden's mind. Skyships were relatively slow, expensive, and difficult to maintain. If Lusha could do what they said then the implications were staggering.