Chapter 34 – The Shadow Kind

Silk hobbled over using the rapier as a walking stick. He was recovering fast but it would take another half hour to recover to his full fighting force. He picked up the chopping board while he was leaving.

"Very impressive kill," Crusher complimented.

"Very messy, you even got blood on me," Phoenix complained.

Looking at the charred remains it was obvious it had been a very explosive attack which had ripped itself from the inside out that killed the beast.

"This looks more gruesome to me." Looking at the carcass more closely he found a crystal embedded, this was a magic source. Cracking it he absorbed the demonic energy and converted it into energy he could use, the conversion rate wasn't good but it would do.

"Can you do that with the other demon?" Crusher asked.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Phoenix asked at the same time.

"The other demon's magic source was drained from the fight and I can't teach you. It is one of the perks of being a half demon which I presume you wouldn't want. You know with the killing entity always trying to escape to wreak havoc." Silk was making it very obvious it was a very bad idea to become a demon, this was because it was a very bad idea. Very bad.

"We should leave, it's never good to linger around the dead." Crusher turned to the door and they followed.

The next room was a bar, not a nice posh bar but a down in the city gritty pub. The serving counter was a rustic unpolished wood and it was dark and cramped enough to make anyone claustrophobic. There was a homely element though, for some reason Silk didn't feel as tense and was loosening up feeling safe in this space.

"Come drink with me," a man called. He wore black, no he was black. A pure deep black.

They sat for two reasons, they were tired from the fight and the man seemed to not pose a threat. Drinks materialized from nowhere and landed in their sturdy steins.

Silk picked it up and took a swig, it tasted like ginger beer. Silk hadn't tasted this in ages, it was one of his favourites and it was near impossible to find on any other world.

"Thanks for the drink Oak," Silk said to the black man.

"Caught me that quickly huh." Oak didn't seem unsurprised.

"Why are you all black and stuff?" Phoenix asked.

"Demons, they never let you go. Even in death they don't leave you in peace." Oak's voice was cracking from the emotion he was feeling.

"You truly died, does that mean what I think?" Silk asked gravely.

"They found out how to convert the dead. Now I am part of the shadow kind, idiotic group with a hive mind and they are muttering to me even now." Oak was obviously distressed.

"Shadow kind, any relation to mirror kind?" Silk asked.

"Related intimately. They come from the same world and are a spirit entity, they didn't get along. Demon came along and then they got along, the demons made sure of that but I feel sympathy towards the shadow kind and the demon's tyranny." Oak was visibly torn inside.

"It seems this could be solved if we killed you." Crusher interjected.

"You couldn't if you tried," Oak said proudly.

"Agreed," Silk confirmed. "I'm sorry to ask this but could you relinquish your right to the workshop."

"I knew it wouldn't take you long to ask," Oak laughed. "Of course." In a second Silk felt a thread snap, it was Oak's connection to the workshop. He took his stein and knocked the rest down.

"I don't know if that's impressive or not?" Phoenix noted.

Wiping his mouth Oak responded, "It's not." Grimacing he turned to Silk, "Will you carry on the workshop or let it die with you?"

Silk thought for a while, "Now we have nearly all gone I will give potential for a new workshop. I plan to leave all four of the keys in places, normal places for a time in need. I am thinking of making them a call to arms, when one is found and used in need the others will release energy and become giant magnets for a potential hero. The workshop in its truest form will die but the concept will live on."

"It sounds nice," Oak nodded in approval. "I would let it die. No one deserves the burden."

"What burden? The workshop sounds great," Crusher tried to say.

"Not really. We did what we did so others didn't have to, we used to bare the burden so others could lead blissful lives, we did it so no one else would have to. We fought in the first demonic war and no one remembers us, we just carried the burden." Silk rambled hollowly.

"This is depressing," Phoenix noted.

"Quite so, I'll offer you some last help," Oak said. "I still know the castle, go back through the door you came in and you'll meet Strocker. Do him in for me." Laughing Oak dissipated until nothing remained.

Silk stood there looking at where Oak had just sat.

"Snap out of it," Phoenix snapped slapping Silk.

He rubbed the now hurt cheek. "Thanks," Silk looked at them pleadingly. "Can you please stay here while I deal with Strocker?"

Phoenix went to deny him but Crusher stopped her, "Of course, we will come after half an hour so be quick."

"Thanks," Silk said turning. He hobbled over with rapier in hand and opened the door.

The throne room had changed. It was no longer the luxurious and classical throne room that Oak had sat in but now draped with light blue. White filled the whole room and clocks and gears were all over.

"Nice to see you," Silk called across the room.

The old man jumped and turned slowly. Seeing Silk, he smirked, "It's just you."

"It's just me," Silk smiled. "Strocker, I am going to give you a chance, leave or die."

"What could you do?"

"I could make you die. I make good on my threats." Silk readied his rapier in an unsteady stance. The sword shook in an unthreatening manner.

In an instant Silk was pinned to the wall with the old mans hand strangling him. "Don't threaten me if you don't have the skills to back it up," he spat.

Silk viciously kicked Strocker and rolled to the ground. "A master of time is not a god," Silk croaked from his now raw throat.

Silk was suddenly winded and his face on the ground. "A master of time has no equal except the master of space," Strocker argued.

"That's not true, you need an education," Silk spat some blood from where he had bitten himself on the ground. He got up and faced Strocker who was at the other side of the room.

Silk activated two of his largest enchantments and the air started turning cold, he was manipulating the energy and temperature of the room.

Strocker was no longer at the other side of the room but on the ground in front of Silk clutching his arm in pain. It must have been while trying to punch Silk while stopping time.

The hand was blistered burnt and frostbitten all at the same time. Hot air and cold air clashed around Silk.

"What…what have you done!" he screeched.

"Freeze," Silk muttered coldly. The whole room started cooling, the water in the air froze into ice.

When Strocker went to move Silk manipulated the energy so nothing happened, his magic would not last long. His whole body was already burning from over exertion and his hearts seemed to knocking against his ribs.

Taking a lunge Silk plunged the rapier and ended the old man's life.

The exertion quickly took over and he let go of the rapier going to his knees. The world around him wouldn't stay in focus and Silk knew that he had used too much energy.

The problem with being a demon is that you aren't actually a viable life form because the bits of D.N.A that makes you up only stays together through the use of magic. Any demon who uses all his magical energy isn't just prone to falling unconscious like most life forms but death.

The bonds holding Silk together were literally tearing away from each other and his body was doing its best to hold itself together.

"I can't," Silk started coughing wildly. "I can't go yet." With a mighty effort he tried to lift himself from the ground but his legs buckled leaving him face first on the ground.

"One more gamble," he muttered letting out a laboured breath. Using the magical energy holding him together he used it to feel for the magical energy around him and started trying to absorb it. Slowly he was gaining energy bit he was also slowly dissipating.

Silk turned around to slump on his back and started laughing until a voice whispered in his ear. "Death, by death sleep. When the worlds shall meet. The last bastion of the light. Shall fight the tides of the night. Madness shall reign. Until absolutely nothing remains. Unless an old weathered man, makes one hell of a last stand."

After this energy seemed to pour into him.