Chapter Two - The Soul Collector
Shadow slipped into the entry hall of the Soul Collector's sanctum as quietly as she could, not at all knowing what she'd expect to find behind the heavy wooden door. What Shadow did -not- expect to see was a well-lit stone chamber with plush couches and pleasant chamber music playing from some indeterminate source.
That is, however, exactly what Shadow found.
She blinked a few times, looking about the sitting room as she slid the door closed behind her. Shadow crept up towards a velvet chair, letting her fingers gingerly brush the fabric. She was so caught off-guard by the surroundings that she didn't even notice she wasn't alone in the room. "The furniture won't harm you, I promise."
Shadow jumped, whirling to face the voice with Shenlong's dagger already in hand. She relaxed a bit when she saw it was Quill sitting on a sofa, an adventurer that Shadow had crossed paths with once or twice. Shadow was about to shout about being startled, but she realized that Quill looked very uneasy about something.
"Quill," Shadow said, after a moment to compose herself, "are you here to see the Soul Collector, too?"
"No," Quill replied, quietly, "I've already seen him. I've passed his tests. I..."
When Quill broke off, Shadow could only imagine the horror that could cause the trembling in her voice. However, she was far too curious about what Quill had seen to leave it alone.
"What... what happned?" asked Shadow, sitting on the couch as well.
Quill took a shuddering breath as Shadow sat behind her, then began to speak in hushed tones.
"A while ago, my twin sister and I... Quiver, you met her, I think... Quiver and I were exploring the caverns under Geffen Tower. A lot of adventurers go down there, usually trying to get the Doppelgangers that haunt the place. But Quiver and I weren't searching for the Doppelganger... but he found us, anyway.
"We thought we could fight him off, at first. I was firing off arrows faster than I ever had before... Quiver's sword was swinging... but we couldn't even touch him. We started to run... the Doppelganger and his Nightmares were right behind us... but we kept running. Finally, we got to the entrance... or at least, I thought we did. When I got to relative safety, I realized... Quiver wasn't with me.
"I charged right back from where we came! By then, another group of adventurer's killed the Doppelganger. But not in time to save my sister. The Doppelganger slaughtered her... he slashed her right through her back..."
Shadow winced as Quill had to stop speaking, choking back on sobs. Midori hovered nearby, her hands fidgeting in her lap. After a few moments, Quill continued her tale.
"I had her body, at least. I could give her a proper burial... but I couldn't sleep. I felt like I left my sister to die..."
"No, Quill," Shadow added, trying to give some consolation, "you couldn't have known... the Doppelgangers are so fast..."
Quill shook her head, sniffling, "No, I know that, now... but this was my twin sister! I never knew what life would be like without her. I went to Niffleheim and the Graveyard, hoping to not find her there. Thankfully, she wasn't. That gave me some comfort, at least... she wasn't suffering. But still, I wanted to... I -had- to talk to her again. I'd heard of the Soul Collector, and came here. Even if his test killed me, at least I could tell Quiver that I was sorry. We'd even be together, again.
"I passed his tests. They weren't at all easy, but I passed them. And so, as I requested, my sister and I were reunited... but... I had no idea what she'd become..."
As Quill's voice left her, once more, the shadows nearby seemed to flicker to life. Living tendrils of liquid darkness slithered out from the corners and under furniture, coalescing into the form of a Succubus, a demon temptress. Shadow had slain many before, and leapt to her feet, ready to defend Quill from this threat. Before Shadow could even lunge with Shenlong's dagger, Quill had leapt to her feet, standing between the Assassin and the Succubus.
"Shadow, no!" Quill cried out, both of her hands grasping Shadow's wrist, tears now freely flowing down the Sniper's face.
Shadow was puzzled, until she saw the Succubus wore the same expression of torment as Quill did. That Succubus was what Quiver had become.
Shadow's expression went slack as Quiver looked up, and their eyes met. Quietly, Quiver whispered, "I'm sorry..."
Shadow staggered back a few steps, her shin meeting a chair and nearly toppling her from her feet. Quiver stood and moved beside her sister, a clawed hand resting on Quill's shoulder. After a long, uncomfortable moment of silence, Quill spoke once more.
"Shadow... I don't know why you're here... but I beg you, leave the dead lie. You're better off not knowing."
Shadow was rendered speechless, and Quill silently left, taking Quiver with her. The Assassin stood silently with Midori nearby, until finally a sound broke the silence. The door leading further into the Soul Collector's sanctum had opened. It was Shadow's turn.
The room beyond the parlor was far smaller, and far more simply decorated. There was simply a desk with a chair on either side of it. Sitting opposite her was the Soul Collector, himself.
The Soul Collector appeared to be human, though at least a few stories indicate he's anything but. He was old, but indeterminately so, anywhere between sixty to a hundred and sixty years old. His haggard face bore the lines of age where his white beard didn't cover. Shadow idly noted he bore a slight resemblance to King Tristam III, but thought it better not to mention that.
The Soul Collector only let his burning gaze linger on Shadow, so she simply took it upon herself to take the empty seat. She smiled up to the Soul Collector as Midori timidly lingered near the door. Finally, deciding she'd have to break the ice, Shadow started to speak.
"Good evening, sir. I'm Sha--"
"I know who you are, Shadow Moonbeam. I know why you're here, as well." The Soul Collector's voice slashed through the air like a razor, and Shadow couldn't help but move back in her chair a bit in response.
Before she could even regroup enough to reply, the Soul Collector was on his feet, moving impossibly fast. He leaned over the table, face close to Shadow's. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was terrified for her life.
"Little girl, your family may be prosperous, but I have seen empires as yours rise and fall but in the blink of an eye. All your money, and all your power, is naught but a dust mote, to me. I could destroy you with but a thought, and I've half a mind to do so. Why do you disturb me with your petty... boredom quest?"
Shadow swallowed, her fingers clenching the arms of her chair for dear life. "I... sir, it's not simply a matter of boredom that has brought me here. I feel... I truly feel that there is some importance... some unseen connection between Valrhyan and I. If you won't assist me, then I'll leave without argument... but I will gladly take your tests of worth, if you just give me the chance."
Shadow was thankful she was wearing her sunglasses, as her eyes were tightly shut, all but ready for the Soul Collector to smite her. After about twenty seconds, however, she had to peek and see just what was going on. The Soul Collector was back in his seat, thumbing through a small, black book. "Well, alright. The tests it is, then. I do hope you've arranged your estate to be passed on, in the event of your death."
"I have," Shadow lied.
The Soul Collector shrugged, looking quite bored with the situation. "Alright, then. Your first test is simple. You are to find your way to the center of a maze. You'll find a door, there. Walk through it."
Shadow blinked. Before she could even ask if the test was truly -that- simple, she'd found herself standing in the maze.
Midori squeaked as the pair found themselves in this strange new place. The walls looked like a bizarre blend of stone, metal, plaster, and wood. Building and decorating styles blended and fought with each other, and even the floor was uneven and patchy. They were placed in a dead-end of the maze, meaning there was only one direction to go.
"A maze," Shadow said, in disbelief, "the dumb geezer thinks I can't find my way through a -maze-?!"
Midori shook her head vigorously, blonde curls bouncing about. "I bet this place is -swimming- with monsters... get your stuff ready."
Shadow nodded, taking the buckler and dagger in hand, then setting off on her way through the maze.
She walked this way and that, following curves, turning this way and that, ascending stairs, descending stairs. After a while of travelling in silence, Midori gave a little cough. "Um, Master?"
Shadow looked over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, Midori?"
"Well, um..." Midori fidgeted, looking down at her lap, "you're walking... really really slow."
Shadow snickered. "Don't be ridiculous, Midori! I'm a trained Assassin! We're the fastest on our feet of any in--"
Then she realized, looking past Midori, the very dead-end they had begun in was a scant thirty feet away. She looked about her wildly, hoping to see those stairs and intersections she remembered taking, but could find none.
"Oh, sweet mother of crap," Shadow sighed, taking off her sunglasses and rubbing at her eyes, "it's an illusion maze. I know what can fix this..."
Midori watched as Shadow rummaged through her bag, finally producing an Awakening Potion. "Ah, here we go. This stuff is awesome... Fractal tells me it's made from dew that you can only gather off the leaves of shining plants on Mount Mjolnir."
As Shadow quaffed the potion, Midori asked, "so... you really think this... mountain dew will help you focus?"
Shadow cast aside the empty bottle, which made a satisfying crash against the maze wall. "Hell, yeah! I feel it, already!"
Indeed, the maze seemed to make more sense to Shadow after the potion, and Midori fell back into satisfied silence that the Assassin was moving at her regular speed, once more.
After what felt like hours, the pair arrived in the center of the maze, a lowered portion of the labyrinth with four massive stone pillars that stretched from floor to ceiling. Standing in the center of those pillars was a single, simple door. The door wasn't set into a wall; it simply stood hanging in the air as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Shadow grinned.
"Tch. Maze. Stupid Soul Collector."
Confidently, Shadow strode down a few steps, headed directly for the portal. She stopped quite quickly, however, when a figure materialized directly in front of her. He was a massive man, or at least something that looked like a man. He wore a suit of armor that looked like that which Shadow had seen the Paladins wear, yet it was a disgusting thing made of bone and strips of living flesh. The man's eyes were stark white, and his hair was a tangled mass of black. The most striking thing about him, however, was the fact that he was swinging a large, deadly-looking black metal blade in such a way that it would cause serious harm to Shadow, should something not be done about it in the near future.
Reflexively, Shadow tumbled backward, twisting around a corner to once again be out of sight of the monster. Midori, as usual, hovered nearby.
Catching her breath, Shadow peeked around the corner. The dark Paladin still stood in front of the door, unmoving. She looked to Midori, hissing through clenched teeth, "what the hell is THAT?"
Midori, flustered, produced her "orgainzer". It was an book easily as large as Midori, herself, and floated before the little girl as she rifled through the pages. "Umm, hmm. It would appear this is one of the few big monsters you've never fought before, Master. He is called Thanatos, and he's... wow... about fifty times stronger than anything you've ever faced. Legend has it that he was the most virtuous of all Paladins, until the loss of his love drove him mad. He then was said to have pledged his servitude to the forces of darkness, becoming a sort of... anit-paladin, I guess. You may want to be... Master?"
Midori hadn't realized, but her Master had already begun charging toward Thanatos with her dagger raised.
Thanatos seemed thoroughly unimpressed. He raised a bone-covered hand, and Shadow was engulfed in a violent storm of lightning bolts. Midori screamed over the deafening crashes, no longer able to see her master through the massive destruction wrought by Thanatos' spell.
When the crackling electricity cleared, Shadow stood unscathed. The Assassin seemed quite surprised by this, but didn't let herself dawdle any longer. She continued her rush forward, and Thanatos continued to hurl magical attacks. Ice, fire, and earth all bounced helplessly off Shadow's body, much to her surprise.
Finally, she was within melee range of Thanatos. He swung his cruel sword again, but this time Shadow did not fall back. Instead, she leapt into the air, dagger moving impossibly fast as she actually jumped -over- Thanatos' attack, plunging the blade between plates of bone armour and into the flesh beneath.
The demonic Paladin roared, using his free hand to knock Shadow aside. She tumbled, then skidded to a halt back on her feet, shield raised before her just in time to deflect another barrage of elemental spells. Once there was a pause in the magical assault, she quickly used her shield-hand to flick three venom-coated knives toward Thanatos.
He dodged the poison blades easily, but Shadow had predicted as much. While Thantos stood on unclear footing, she swiftly darted around behind the beast, taking countless vicious swipes at the monster's back, then falling a few paces away as he reeled to face her.
She smirked, raising her shield again, as she assumed she'd figured out his attack strategy. This time, however, no spells came. Instead, creatures that seemed created from fire and shadow formed around Thanatos, and none of them looked too pleased with Shadow.
She silently cursed at her misfortune, but didn't let this challenge her resolve. She lunged forward once more, hurling more throwing daggers at the creatures, while never wavering in her path toward their monstrous commander. Again, Thanatos thrust his sword toward Shadow. This time, she deflected the attack with her buckler, moving closer to the demon than ever before. She pushed forward, this time not with dagger, but with bare hand.
Thanatos looked down, eyes wide, as Shadow's open palm pressed against his bone-plated chest. Before he could move back or shove the Assassin away, she chanted the ancient words taught only to the deadliest of Morrocan Assassins, releasing her single magical ability; The Soul Destroyer.
Shadow rolled back immediately after, and Thanatos staggered a step away, letting loose an inhuman bellow of anguish that reverberated through the entire maze. His dark servitors melted away as the Soul Destroyer's magic took hold, rending the very life from his body. The dark Paladin crashed to the floor, sword dropping as he clutched his chest in a feeble attempt to keep his soul within his body. However, his actions were in vain, and Shadow slumped against a stone pillar as the last bits of life drained from Thanatos' shell.
Midori drifted closer to Shadow, looking uncertain. "Master?" Midori asked, concerned, "are you alright?"
Shadow smiled weakly, producing a Yggdrasil Berry from her belt and eating it whole. "Yeah, Midori... I just... never like using the Soul Destroyer. It's such vulgar magic..."
Midori nodded, her childlike eyes showing compassion. "I understand, Master... but you did what must be done."
Shadow sighed, pushing away from the column to stand on her own again. "I hope you're right, sweetie, else I'm no better than he was."
Midori winced, but Shadow took no notice. She'd already turned toward that free-standing door, finished the Soul Collector's first challenge.