Eternal
After some further thinking you realize that its not really your decision either it’s hers. If being a shadow is what she wants to be, then you’re not going to stand in the way.
The next day you approach Tulla about it and she’s noticeably happy about the situation.
“So I’ll get to use magic?” she asks.
“Well that’s part of it I suppose, but if you’re going to pursue this, you’re going to have to train even harder AND you’re going to have to do some of it on your own. I can tell you what I know, but I can’t cast magic anymore so you’ll have to really absorb what you learn in those spell books in the library and keep up on your prayers to Dendrin. Though I’m pretty sure as long as you’re praising him you’ll get your powers.”
“What about the initiation ritual?”
“The what?”
“The initiation ritual. The ritual every shadow has to go through. I’ve read about it and it says it involves opening up a portal to Dendrin’s realm.”
“Oh yeah, that. Well I dunno, I think that’s just a formality.”
“No! I have to connect with Dendrin before I’m able to use the magic and even if I got the ritual right, I can’t open the portal unless I have magic ability to begin with!”
“Okay okay…don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”
Of course that “something” isn’t something that you particularly want to do,
Later that night before you go to sleep, you pray to Dendrin. It isn’t exactly the most pious of prayers, but you figure you’ll at least get a visit this time.
You figure right.
“Well it’s been a long time since you’ve done that. I’m guessing you need something from me.” Dendrin says.
“Yeah and you know what.”
“No I actually don’t, why don’t you tell me, I’d be very interested in what has caused you to pursue such a desperate measure. For you of course.”
“Determined to play this up for all its worth I see. (Sigh) Fine. Tulla wants to be a shadow, but she can’t be one until a portal to the shadow realm can be opened. Is there anyway you can help with that?”
“Are you asking me to give you your magic powers back?”
“I was actually going to ask if you’d grant powers to Tulla. She thinks that she has to go through the initiation ritual in order to gain them.”
“She does. If it were as simple as worshipping me, then everyone would be doing it. So how are you going to open up the portal to my home?”
“Come on you can’t help me out here?”
“I’m sorry, but what do you want me to do? I have no connection with the girl and I can’t just grant her powers! Those are the rules.”
“Alright so can you grant me powers so I can open up the portal then?”
“And why would I want to do that?”
“Because I’ve provided you with years of fucking entertainment that’s why! I mean shit, you can even take ‘em away after I open the damn thing if you want. One would think you of all people would want this anyway, it’s a new follower for you.”
“You presume much Eternal.”
“Yeah I suppose I do. Fine then, don’t help me. I’ll fine some way of helping myself as usual…”
“Hold on, I never said I would help you, but tell me Eternal why do you want this so much? You do realize that once she enters my realm she will undergo a change that will cause her to become a proper devotee correct? In time her faith will only get stronger and your own influence on her will dwindle. I know you care for this little girl, so I’m asking you now are you prepared to make this sacrifice?”
“If it will better ensure her survival, then yes.” You then think about Talia’s own devotion to Dendrin “Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Very well then Eternal, I shall grant you your magic powers temporarily so that you may help Tulla on her first steps to becoming a shadow. Who knows, perhaps you may even realize that I’ve actually been helping you all this time and come back to the fold…”
“I won’t argue and claim that you haven’t given a few good pieces of advice or even genuinely helped me on occasion. But you and I both know that any help you’ve given me, is to help yourself as well as your own twisted fascination with me. I’ll always know that and it’s why I can’t ever worship you as a god.”
“You do realize however, your life could’ve been a lot less painful if you had just complied and paid respect even to a superficial degree?”
“I’m not sure how much more superficial I could’ve gotten. I mean I was practically walking on the unbeliever line at the best of times. After Talia died, what was even the point of that anymore? Besides, I’d say you giving me my powers back now despite my blasphemous ways is a win for me in my book.”
“Ha ha, perhaps, but what of my influence over your daughter?”
Its weird, even though you’ve taken care of Tulla like a daughter you’ve never called her that. Not even in your conversations with Talia. Dendrin’s choice of words you imagine is him trying to make some sort of point, but whatever it is you don’t care.
“What of it? Despite everything I know about you, you’ve never been actively malicious towards me or even your own followers. Apathetic? Inattentive? Yes, but you’ve always done the bare minimum as far as help is concerned which is providing the ability to tap into the shadow realm so that your worshippers can cast spells. I don’t really see you being any more influential than that because it would actually require effort on your part. It’s why you just indoctrinate everyone during the initiation ritual. So Tulla will pray to an uncaring god of a silly religion. Whatever. As long as it helps her survive, I’m fine with your influence. The most you’ll do is take away the magic if Tulla ever overcomes the indoctrination and stops worshipping, which I don’t see happening. Not even Talia’s love for me overcame it.”
There’s a brief silence followed by a low chuckle.
“You’re lucky I’ve always liked you Eternal. Tell your daughter that I will be looking forward to seeing her soon.”
You wake up and the first thing you do is try to cloak yourself. It takes a little effort, but it works. You then try to speed yourself up and that works as well. You decide to spare your endurance on anymore tests and head to the library. Unsurprisingly you see Tulla there reading by candlelight.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were up. I was just reading up on some of the old shadow masters.”
“”What you should be doing is reading up on one of those spell books rather than history. I’ll be preparing to open the portal to Dendrin’s realm after I study up on the spell first.”
“You…you are? But how? Your magic…”
“Its back, Dendrin has seen fit to bless me with the ability again if only to help you. He also says he’s looking foreword to seeing you.”
“He is? I don’t know what to say! I mean this is an opportunity I’ve wanted for a while now.”
“I know you have, so you better get yourself prepared because as I’ve already said, this will be a big commitment. When you go through that portal, you will be changed. You will think differently due to your connection to Dendrin. You may even dislike me afterwards…”
“Oh that’s silly! Why would I dislike you? You’re the one who saved me from certain death and has trained me for all these years. You’re the one who is making this all possible and for that I shall always be grateful to you.”
You see the sincerity in her eyes and the brightness in her smile when she says that. You can only hope that she retains that feeling.
The next few days you spend reading over the initiation ritual. You remember reading about it before during your “hermit” years, never thought you’d actually ever be casting it though.
Finally the day comes and you open up the portal much in the same way Master Ebon opened it up for you so long ago. It’s funny; Master Ebon actually tried to talk you out of entering the portal. Claimed you didn’t have the right mindset to be a shadow. Of course at the time, you had no idea what he was really talking about. You just saw it as an insult that you weren’t worthy enough and you just went in anyway disregarding orders just to prove you were worthy. That decision probably changed your life forever just like this will change Tulla forever, though in a different way.
The shimmering portal to Dendrin’s realm fades in and out of existence and you watch Tulla approach.
“Are you ready for this?” you ask her.
“I am uncle.” She replies
“Then enter the portal.”
After a quick hug, Tulla composes herself and enters the portal. You watch and begin to wait for her return.
The next day you approach Tulla about it and she’s noticeably happy about the situation.
“So I’ll get to use magic?” she asks.
“Well that’s part of it I suppose, but if you’re going to pursue this, you’re going to have to train even harder AND you’re going to have to do some of it on your own. I can tell you what I know, but I can’t cast magic anymore so you’ll have to really absorb what you learn in those spell books in the library and keep up on your prayers to Dendrin. Though I’m pretty sure as long as you’re praising him you’ll get your powers.”
“What about the initiation ritual?”
“The what?”
“The initiation ritual. The ritual every shadow has to go through. I’ve read about it and it says it involves opening up a portal to Dendrin’s realm.”
“Oh yeah, that. Well I dunno, I think that’s just a formality.”
“No! I have to connect with Dendrin before I’m able to use the magic and even if I got the ritual right, I can’t open the portal unless I have magic ability to begin with!”
“Okay okay…don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”
Of course that “something” isn’t something that you particularly want to do,
Later that night before you go to sleep, you pray to Dendrin. It isn’t exactly the most pious of prayers, but you figure you’ll at least get a visit this time.
You figure right.
“Well it’s been a long time since you’ve done that. I’m guessing you need something from me.” Dendrin says.
“Yeah and you know what.”
“No I actually don’t, why don’t you tell me, I’d be very interested in what has caused you to pursue such a desperate measure. For you of course.”
“Determined to play this up for all its worth I see. (Sigh) Fine. Tulla wants to be a shadow, but she can’t be one until a portal to the shadow realm can be opened. Is there anyway you can help with that?”
“Are you asking me to give you your magic powers back?”
“I was actually going to ask if you’d grant powers to Tulla. She thinks that she has to go through the initiation ritual in order to gain them.”
“She does. If it were as simple as worshipping me, then everyone would be doing it. So how are you going to open up the portal to my home?”
“Come on you can’t help me out here?”
“I’m sorry, but what do you want me to do? I have no connection with the girl and I can’t just grant her powers! Those are the rules.”
“Alright so can you grant me powers so I can open up the portal then?”
“And why would I want to do that?”
“Because I’ve provided you with years of fucking entertainment that’s why! I mean shit, you can even take ‘em away after I open the damn thing if you want. One would think you of all people would want this anyway, it’s a new follower for you.”
“You presume much Eternal.”
“Yeah I suppose I do. Fine then, don’t help me. I’ll fine some way of helping myself as usual…”
“Hold on, I never said I would help you, but tell me Eternal why do you want this so much? You do realize that once she enters my realm she will undergo a change that will cause her to become a proper devotee correct? In time her faith will only get stronger and your own influence on her will dwindle. I know you care for this little girl, so I’m asking you now are you prepared to make this sacrifice?”
“If it will better ensure her survival, then yes.” You then think about Talia’s own devotion to Dendrin “Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Very well then Eternal, I shall grant you your magic powers temporarily so that you may help Tulla on her first steps to becoming a shadow. Who knows, perhaps you may even realize that I’ve actually been helping you all this time and come back to the fold…”
“I won’t argue and claim that you haven’t given a few good pieces of advice or even genuinely helped me on occasion. But you and I both know that any help you’ve given me, is to help yourself as well as your own twisted fascination with me. I’ll always know that and it’s why I can’t ever worship you as a god.”
“You do realize however, your life could’ve been a lot less painful if you had just complied and paid respect even to a superficial degree?”
“I’m not sure how much more superficial I could’ve gotten. I mean I was practically walking on the unbeliever line at the best of times. After Talia died, what was even the point of that anymore? Besides, I’d say you giving me my powers back now despite my blasphemous ways is a win for me in my book.”
“Ha ha, perhaps, but what of my influence over your daughter?”
Its weird, even though you’ve taken care of Tulla like a daughter you’ve never called her that. Not even in your conversations with Talia. Dendrin’s choice of words you imagine is him trying to make some sort of point, but whatever it is you don’t care.
“What of it? Despite everything I know about you, you’ve never been actively malicious towards me or even your own followers. Apathetic? Inattentive? Yes, but you’ve always done the bare minimum as far as help is concerned which is providing the ability to tap into the shadow realm so that your worshippers can cast spells. I don’t really see you being any more influential than that because it would actually require effort on your part. It’s why you just indoctrinate everyone during the initiation ritual. So Tulla will pray to an uncaring god of a silly religion. Whatever. As long as it helps her survive, I’m fine with your influence. The most you’ll do is take away the magic if Tulla ever overcomes the indoctrination and stops worshipping, which I don’t see happening. Not even Talia’s love for me overcame it.”
There’s a brief silence followed by a low chuckle.
“You’re lucky I’ve always liked you Eternal. Tell your daughter that I will be looking forward to seeing her soon.”
You wake up and the first thing you do is try to cloak yourself. It takes a little effort, but it works. You then try to speed yourself up and that works as well. You decide to spare your endurance on anymore tests and head to the library. Unsurprisingly you see Tulla there reading by candlelight.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were up. I was just reading up on some of the old shadow masters.”
“”What you should be doing is reading up on one of those spell books rather than history. I’ll be preparing to open the portal to Dendrin’s realm after I study up on the spell first.”
“You…you are? But how? Your magic…”
“Its back, Dendrin has seen fit to bless me with the ability again if only to help you. He also says he’s looking foreword to seeing you.”
“He is? I don’t know what to say! I mean this is an opportunity I’ve wanted for a while now.”
“I know you have, so you better get yourself prepared because as I’ve already said, this will be a big commitment. When you go through that portal, you will be changed. You will think differently due to your connection to Dendrin. You may even dislike me afterwards…”
“Oh that’s silly! Why would I dislike you? You’re the one who saved me from certain death and has trained me for all these years. You’re the one who is making this all possible and for that I shall always be grateful to you.”
You see the sincerity in her eyes and the brightness in her smile when she says that. You can only hope that she retains that feeling.
The next few days you spend reading over the initiation ritual. You remember reading about it before during your “hermit” years, never thought you’d actually ever be casting it though.
Finally the day comes and you open up the portal much in the same way Master Ebon opened it up for you so long ago. It’s funny; Master Ebon actually tried to talk you out of entering the portal. Claimed you didn’t have the right mindset to be a shadow. Of course at the time, you had no idea what he was really talking about. You just saw it as an insult that you weren’t worthy enough and you just went in anyway disregarding orders just to prove you were worthy. That decision probably changed your life forever just like this will change Tulla forever, though in a different way.
The shimmering portal to Dendrin’s realm fades in and out of existence and you watch Tulla approach.
“Are you ready for this?” you ask her.
“I am uncle.” She replies
“Then enter the portal.”
After a quick hug, Tulla composes herself and enters the portal. You watch and begin to wait for her return.