Shadow Clone Sorcery (Book 1 complete!)

Lukas loved the new accommodation. It was large. It was private. It was his.

Eins hammering away on the floor below made things noisier than he preferred, but it wasn't the worst of issues. In fact, the ruckus encouraged him to work on silencing spells and study the book on wards that Penelope had gifted him. He didn't do it himself and had El-Four, a Spellweaver mage, working on it, but personally assaulted the foundation.

"It all starts with a base spell," Penelope had explained. "You need a solid, straightforward spell that completes a broad and manipulatable or extremely precise function. Warding and enchanting are the arts of binding said magic to a location or object, respectively. The former is simpler since you have more room to work. The energy demands are higher, but the increased surface area allows the addition of energy-gathering wards."

"I imagine the increased space also allows for the use of more magic crystals and essences to fuel everything," Lukas had added, taking notes.

"Indeed. There are fewer limitations with materials, too. I'm a self-taught warder, and I'm sure a sharp mind like yours will have no trouble picking up the art. Enchanting, on the other hand, is a far more complicated craft." Penelope had used Lukas's focus as an example. "Every minute function demands a unique spell script, but you can only fit so much on whatever you're using.

"Then you need to worry about slotting magic crystals for energy, essences for attunement, or simplification of the spellscript. Materials are also a significant concern. The object needs to be able to withstand the channelled energy and also survive the strain of the spell."

"I figured out the final bit through Elvis," Lukas said. "Magic metals reduce energy needs and also provide attunement, reducing the demands on the spell script."

"My master used to say that warding and enchanting are closely related. Scale and medium make all the difference. Advance your warding knowledge, and enchanting will follow close behind."

The clones had already constructed privacy and alarm wards around the property and its entrances. They had come straight out of the textbooks, and all the necessary materials had come from a local alchemist. Now, Lukas wanted silencing wards separated the ground floor from the first and one around the entire property so no one could eavesdrop. He modelled the spell around the apparently popular 'Dome of Silence'. Penelope had a version of it that she used for privacy around her quarters, but Lukas rejected it. He wanted to weave something of his own.

Domes cover too much ground. Wasted space. Wasted magic. I need something that perfectly fits the affected area. Perhaps wraps around it.

"That's it!" Lukas exclaimed, making the Spellweaver clone jump.

"You having a eureka moment, boss?"

Lukas nodded, making swift notes.

"You're not going to run through the city naked, are you?"

"Fuck, no." Lukas snorted. "The last thing I want is to draw unnecessary attention like your predecessor. We stay quiet. We lay low. We grow until the journal forces us into something new."

"He was just having fun. It wasn't—"

"It was a big deal," he interrupted, predicting what El-Four was going to say. "I told him to practise Alter Metal Mass while lying low. Destroying property in a heavily policed state wasn't part of my instructions."

"So are you putting a stop to that altogether?"

Lukas shook his head. "Pushing Spellweaver and Thunderstorm's Eye to tier two takes priority. We need the conjunction abilities and start working towards the confluence. The current state of our Body ability is just fine. More Spellweaver ranks might make it easier to also create more specialized clones and push it to tier three."

"More of us means more ground covered and bodies for the compulsory quest," El-Four completed the thought for Lukas. "What's the big idea, boss? Don't leave me in suspense."

"Fitting a spell perfectly around the designated area takes too much work and detailed spellwork," Lukas said, sketching a rectangular room in his journal, but added additional external shapes to indicate windows, chimneys, and other construction elements. "I'd have to account for every detail." Then, he drew a bubble around the room. "This is how most people do it. Penelope's dome of silence fits as closely around the indicated space as possible, minimizing wastage."

"That's why it spilled into our room at the inn," the clone commented, nodding along.

"What if we get the best of both worlds?" Lukas drew a funnel attached to the bubble with the narrow end pointed outwards. He added lines showing air flowing out of it. "What if we make it like a vacuum sealing machine? Start with a bubble, but then add a function that funnels the excess energy out until it wraps around the designated area?" He sketched out a quick spell function. "We get a perfect fit without complicating things, save energy, and make it as efficient as possible."

El-Four turned the journal around, studying the spellshape and runes closely. They were simplistic. As aspiring sorcerers, they left things simplistic, leaving room for intent-based modification and flexibility. "I know this." The clone frowned. "Esther came up with it."

"It's the same model meant to compact Shade's Mantle and harden it into the hypothetical Shadow Armor," Lukas said. "I was planning on working on that eventually. Imagine a Shock Trooper with Alter Metal Mass and such a spell."

"I think you should have us train with Shadow Steel and Alter Metal Mass simultaneously first."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Eventually. It's not an immediate priority."

Lukas tried the modelled spell around the room first. It sat attached to the miniature first-floor lounge, and he had designated it his study. The dome started small, expanding outwards until the ceiling's four corners were in contact with the curved upper surface. Then, he sucked the space out of it until the spell perfectly fit around it. It ate away at a chunk of his magic, but the Gray was rich in energy, and he was confident in his ability to recover it all in no time.

"Feels efficient." The clone nodded. He hopped out of the room, leaving the door open. Lukas saw his mouth open and close. El-Four stuck his head back in. "Did you hear that?"

"No. But I read your lips."

El-Four grinned. "So, it works. Want me to try to turn it into a ward?"

"Not yet. I want a magic gathering function first, so it feeds on ambient magic to maintain itself. Maybe also reduce the activation costs as much as possible. Then, we can turn it into a ward." He paused. "But first…"

"But first what?"

Lukas cast the spell again, but while also using Shadow Clone. It started as a six-foot-tall dome in front of him and then shrank around the clone. He almost vibrated in his seat when the journal vibrated.

Spellweaver has progressed to rank 6!

Your Arcane Analysis abilities have improved.

"Is that the first time a sub-ability has directly improved?" El-Four asked, peeking over his shoulder.

Lukas nodded, eagerly moving on to the following lines that appeared on the page.

You have developed a new Shadow Clone specialization. It specializes in sound magic and naturally makes no noise unless it intends to. Please name the specialization.

Shadow Clone has progressed to rank 6!

The range of clone creation has improved.

"Doesn't that overlap with the Stalker specialization?" The clone asked.

"It does. Both can use Shade's Mantle and Silencing Shadows. But this one will be better with our sonic touch spells than Shadow Steel. It's nice to have variety."

"Explosive or silent and deadly. That's the question."

"Indeed."

Almost a week had passed since their arrival in the Gray. Lukas or one of the clones regularly visited Penelope, but the mysterious conclave contact never revealed himself. Apparently, he was still locked in his loom, divining and weaving something that demanded all of his attention. Penelope didn't seem to mind. She took it as a holiday between jobs, using the time to relax and enjoy herself.

Shae demanded most of her attention. She continued to study his draconic magic, teach him how to intentionally draw power from his blood, and master the common tongue spoken around the continent. The Elder Wyrmkin proved himself an excellent student. Lukas and the clones noted significant improvements in his communication skills with every visit. Shae had ceased to gain bulk, but his scales were almost black now and looked like burn steel. The lines that resembled ore veins and bits of unpolished crystal were brighter. The way they caught ambient light made him almost luminous.

During one visit, Lukas had brought samples of the naturally growing magic crystals that came from the city's mines. Shae sniffed them all curiously, studying them intently. Then, Lukas spotted the Elder Wyrmkin eating one when he thought no one was looking. He popped it into his mouth. A soft crack followed. Lukas hoped it was the stone and not a tooth.

Shae's tastes had also changed. He seemed to enjoy fruits and vegetables just as much as meat. On one occasion, he blew a puff of orange, almost viscous flames from his mouth, charring his food before popping it all into his mouth. Shae's eyes widened afterward. He looked at Lukas and Penelope, bewildered.

"Did I just breathe fire?" Shae asked.

"You did." Penelope grinned. "Congratulations."

"That was my first." His voice softened, and his blunt snout tightened. It seemed to have changed shape as his body changed. "I didn't intend to. Just happened."

"The rituals are working," Penelope said, patting his shoulder. "You're changing inside and out. Now, you need to learn how to control your breath." She took a piece of stilly burning cabbage and studied the embers closely. "It almost resembles magma."

"What does it make him?" Lukas asked. "Volcanic dragon?"

The sorcerer shook her head. "There is no such thing. It's an overlap between fire and terran, but obviously the latter since he's black and almost metallic." She smiled at Shae. "Congratulations. Your ancestor was probably far more powerful and rare than the late Shamin's."

"But she grey feather." Shae paused. "I mean, she was a female Wyrmkin. Her magic and dragonfire were more potent and always will have been."

"I don't think that's true," Penelope said. "Maybe the women of your kind undergo rituals to deepen their connection to their ancestors and remain superior to you, men. Think about it. Their magic is always superior, but you've suddenly gained so much strength and power. Gender alone can't do that. They must have some way of awakening their draconic blood that you don't." She shrugged. "It might be natural. Or it might be a method of maintaining the status quo."

"No." Shae shook his head, reptilian eyes narrowing. His practised 'proper' speech momentarily forgotten. "That's not true. Shamin does not do that. Big sis. Cluster mother not do that."

"Cluster mother?" Lukas asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Wyrmkin apparently don't have family units like us," Penelope told him. "Several females go into season together, and fertilized eggs are all stored and reared together. I don't know if it's magic or how their biology works, but all the eggs in a cluster, about a dozen, hatch together. Once separated by gender, they're raised by one female and an assistant—the cluster mother and big sister."

"My generation had more colored—I mean males. That's why we had big sis. Otherwise, it's just the girls who get a mother and an assistant."

"It feels like we need to take notes and publish all of this," Lukas said.

"I promised Shae that we wouldn't," Penelope told him. "He serves me but doesn't want to betray his kind. However, I will be writing a paper for the conclave and the private libraries. The other dragon-bloods will appreciate the information."

The barmaid often hovered close by while they conversed. Penelope didn't seem to mind. It wasn't clear whether she was reporting to her master or he was listening in through her, but as their host, he had the right to do so.

"Have you visited your guild yet?" Penelope asked, changing the subject. Shae didn't seem to mind the discussion regarding his draconic lineage, developing physiology, and dragonfire. But talk about his kind and their customs seemed to make him uncomfortable.

Lukas shook his head. "I've been trying my hardest not to get roped into anything until the clones have made some progress in enchanting or smithing. But now that they have, I'm considering it. Maybe tomorrow."

"The pressure might help push your abilities and get the ranks you need. There is also nothing like real-world experience to inspire and master new spells."

"Yes, my mistress," Lukas said, rising from his seat and bowing.

"Go, my apprentice," Penelope replied, matching his joking tone. "Don't return until you're stronger."