The Lady of Shadows

The trouble with responsiblity

After a good nights rest I got up and began my work. I flew through most of the normal paperwork and usual morning errands. It was a fairly easy morning. With everything done I snuck away to the market. I went to a shop known for unusual magic items. I poked my head in and listened for the shop keeper. When I heard the scuffling of her feet I called out to let her know someone was in.

    "Oh hello there." She said. 

    "Hello, sorry to sneak up on you... I was just curious if you had any magic tomes or books?" I asked. 

    "Why yes... I actually just got a few additions... they are in that back corner." She pointed to a wall of books toward the back of the shop. I walked over and started looking through them, "Anything specific you are looking for?" 

    "Not really, just anything I don't already know." I said and realized I sounded over confident. I cringed, "I mean, I grew up surrounded by magic and had magic teachers, but out here it seems to be different." I explained. 

    "Well you are among humans now. Not all of us can use magic, in fact only about 30% of us have a capability for it. Of that group only 3% roughly can use magic without a gem or staff." She explained. I hadn't realized humans were so... defenseless. They had weaker bodies, their minds were more prone to disease and mind control magic, they had the shortest life spans of all the races, their capacity for strength had a limit to it.... the only things humans really excelled at were repopulating and finding ways to use skills or gifts, like magic, not granted to them naturally. That being said they were resilient creatures to be sure, making up nearly 75% of the worlds total populace.

    "Right." I said. I looked over the tomes and books realizing that humans would likely one day control the world completely. They were able to reproduce much faster than any other race. The closest to them was vampires which could breed purebloods like the Lord up to 3 times in their lives, but mix breeds like me were more common with an average of 100 of us born a year. There was also turning possibilities that were unlimited but posed some issues. For example the turned party no longer ages ever, they are weaker than normal vampires, and they develop odd random side effects...

    Anyways I found a few books worth buying and two tomes. So I took them to the front and paid for them. On the way back home I opened one of the books and began reading. The first book was about casting circles something vampires had little use for beyond communication, but it was an Elven skill. I hadn't had a chance to learn it before so why not?

    I was so lost in the book I didn't even realize when I ended up in a dead end ally. I looked up at the sudden increase of magic pressure. It was so pinpoint that even I hadn't noticed it until I walked in to it. I tilted my head and focused on the magic. I felt my eyes shift to view the world only magic could see. A door shimmered into view with a dark sensation crawling over my skin. I snapped my book shut and put it away. I pushed open the door and a long dark hallway stretched out before me.

    I sighed and set a communication circle up to the room I knew Lilith and Dominic would be in at home. I sent over a message telling them what I stumbled on and that I would be home for dinner. They wouldn't like it but I wasn't waiting. I used storage magic to store the books away as I entered the hall.

    The door swung shut behind me as I walked into the hall. The darkness closed in instantly so I snapped and flames sprang to life in my palm. I continued down the path listening and straining all my senses to hear, see, smell, even taste the air. Magic danced around me everywhere, but no signs of where it was coming from. Eventually the hall opened up into a large room. I stood at a balcony over looking the area... it was like a whole city operating under the city I claimed. I could see women and children of all races in chains. The smell of human flesh made the air acidic. A black market.... 

    Rage flared up inside of me, but I quickly forced it down. I needed to find out who started this mess and end it all in one strike. This whole ring of crooks would be punished. I took a deep breath before finding my way down. I stuck to the shadows and made my way through the area. I quickly learned the layout and committed as many of the workers faces to memory as possible. Even if I didn't get details today I would find a way to end this mess. I owed it to Lilith and the people who looked to me as a leader.

    "Are you lost little girl?" A deep growl sounded behind me. I turned to see a large Wolf-man over a small child. The girl laughed in his face. 

    "Stupid wolf... I am not lost, in fact I believe you are lost... after all some of the most powerful people are small women." She answered. Something about her set my skin to crawling. She was short like me and Lilith, with long glossy black hair that nearly touched the ground behind her, she was pale as the moon, with big deep black eyes. She was built like a child with flat chest and no hips, but she carried herself like a queen. Then she snapped and the wolf exploded out of nowhere. I flinched and realized suddenly that I have never faced anyone as strong as myself, or even close.... and in that mentality I had absolutely no real training.... So I quietly returned home to share the news with Lilith and Dominic...