Cearbhail: A good sized chapter. I know, I know. It's been like...forever. But I'm very busy. I have classes that run into the evening every night...except Friday which is consumed with Kendo practice. And not to mention every monday, wednesday, thursday, and sometimes now Saturday, whenever I'm free... I'm usually doing Kuk Sool Won now as well. (sigh) being awesome isn't always easy. But... I am me so I can't complain. =^.^=

[Nakuma]

Shadow Journey, Entry Two

Vanus has been very interested in my whereabouts the past few weeks. I have been most busy. Sometimes I neglect my Psijic duties. I do not mean too, I'm just too consumed with my new research. Because of its…uniqueness…I cannot just perform my work in front of the others. They do not understand. They do not want to understand. If they were to see me doing what I'm doing, they could brand me a traitor, something vile. They do not understand my reasons. As is…I am also unsure. I started this research so that I might live forever, grow more powerful, maybe even unravel the forbidden arts that we are so afraid of. I wish to understand what we don't. I want to see the full picture, not just wallow in the shallows of the pool of knowledge, content to say that I got my feet wet…when I could be neck-deep or holding my breath to see what lies beneath the surface.

That is my reason. I wish to see what lies beneath the surface of magic: to see where it goes, how far down it goes, every aspect that there is. In order for me to find out, I must first find a way to stop time from taking me. My research is going well, however. I'm afraid of my research getting too out of hand, so I have begun with animals. No one will miss a few chickens or random wolves out in the woods. My first goal is to create a chicken that will lay an egg. I know, I know. They don't lay eggs; they are like all mammals and give birth directly. If I am correct on my thesis, I can make them lay eggs. Doing so will prove that I can change their chemistry and make them do something else than what they are genetically designed to do. The shell of an egg never decays, just like the skin I wish to have. Step one.

The wolves however…I need something to distract the mages of the world. If I can contact Hircine (one of the forbidden gods) and make a deal with him, perhaps he can show me the way to create a new monster that has the blood of a wolf within them. It will make for some entertainment but will also provide some clues as to how the body takes on changes themselves. I cannot wait to have some accurate results. I begin tonight on the chickens and then I'm off to find a way to contact Hircine.

…

I closed my newly designed journal. I yawned as I leaned back in my chair and placed my quill next to the new rendition of Mannimarco's works. I was only on journal entry 2 out of 323. Damn…I still had a long way to go. Good thing it was only a couple hours later than when I began. I was going to begin as soon as I could again but now I really wanted something else to do.

As I sat up from my chair, I started thinking about Mannimarco. His reasons for doing what he did were natural. He wanted to understand everything about magic. How many times I wanted to do the same. But, to understand everything you must be willing to embrace the… scary stuff as well. I couldn't complain. I had to study every form of magic (except necromancy and blood magicka). Those were the only two magics forbidden to us. Our Queen did not want her magicians going insane and attacking her kingdom. That was the only reason why. Now, the Shadowmasters were permitted to study blood magicka if they wanted to but it was only under the promise that if they start to degrade mentally…they killed themselves. There was one Shadowmaster that degraded to that of a monster and he unleashed too much damage onto others using his blood magic. Since then, it has been watched very carefully and almost outlawed completely.

I walked to the door, still thinking about Mannimarco and his reasons. I mean, I couldn't say that his intentions were not misplaced, but understandable. Only, instead of finding what he wanted…he became a monster. He still became a lich but taking your heart out really does make you a monster. He became obsessed with power. He became the evil that the Psijic Order defended against.

As I came up to the door, I heard the door twist. The door opened up and in walked someone I never thought I'd see. He had the full robes of a Shadowwraith Dedicated. It was one step above my rank. I was a Shadowwraith Initiate. He had the same pink scales I had but he had dark blue hair that flowed just down over his collar. And he had the same eyes I had. We both took the color and eyes of our father, while our blue mother's genes were overlooked. Yes, I was looking at my older brother. I thought I'd never see him again.

"Biluuz!" I screamed as I rushed into his arms. I crashed into his chest and I felt him hesitate before he hugged me in return.

"Nakuma?" He asked. "When did you get here?"

"Just now!" I replied in return. "I'm assigned to the Shadow Squad."

His mouth almost dropped to the floor and he stood there, lost in his own world. I waited for him to return. When he did, he shook his head to clear away any thought that was pouring in his head. "You? Shadow Squad? You…the girl that exploded a frog when trying to turn him into a prince…got pulled into the Shadow Squad? You: the girl that set herself on fire when you sneezed." He finally smiled and punched me in the arm. "Stop joking. Seriously, though, you look tired. Been researching anything?"

I nodded and pointed back at the journal. "Shadowmaster Julanza wants me to research Mannimarco's journal and find out how to create some of the foulest magic ever known."

That froze him in his spot. He scoffed and walked over to my desk and started pouring through the journal as well as the notes Julanza left for me. When it finally crossed his mind that I was telling the truth, he started to look concerned. He looked over at me, back at the journal, sighed, and closed it. He placed the book down and rubbed the back of his head. He finally walked up to me and shook his head. "Looks like you weren't kidding, little sis. You have a lot on your plate. Do you wish to have any help?"

I shrugged. I wanted all the help I could get…but wasn't this my assignment? I mean, I had to learn everything. I couldn't place this on my brother's shoulders. I finally sighed and looked over at the journal. "That journal has a lot of information inside it. Shadowmaster Julanza wants it all moved to a newer journal so that it won't fall apart while on our mission. Every time I read it and begin transcribing…I feel like retching. If you could help me with the copying part, I would be very grateful."

He nodded. "Do not worry, I've recreated plenty journals before. How about we get some food to eat and then we'll take turns making this new journal. I'll handle the more disgusting and violating chapters. I can take it."

I smiled and threw him into a hug. "Thank you, Biluuz. I doubted I could do this in five days."

"Five days?!" He shouted. He looked back at the journal and swallowed hard. He looked back at me, frantic. "Ok, let's go eat really fast and while I begin the next few chapters, I want you to brew as many Sleep Elixirs as possible."

I nodded. Man, I was glad my brother was here. With his help, I would certainly get this done before we left.

As we started leaving the room, my brother started contemplating several working schedules as to what we were going to do with this journal. Hundreds of pages needed to be written down in a tiny journal in a matter of five days. Not to mention all the pictures and scribbling included. The new journal had to look more or less like Mannimarco's. Perhaps it could be more organized and not so sloppy, but it still had to have the same information.

My brother was the more dedicated of us. We were born three years apart but we both ended up in the same academy. I think our mother and father purposefully looked at the stars and calculated the time of our birth, or perhaps hastened it. We were both born under the Mage Birthsign. Our father was also a Mage and our mother an Atronach. Yes, that is how we're described. Not only by our job titles but by our birth titles. When my mother was born, she was called an Atronach. She had a very knowledge-intense training in magic and research at the Atronach Academy of Magic. It was a lot like what we Shadowwraiths do but it was less about fighting and healing, and focused more on just researching. An investigator, a scholar, if you will.

My mother was always studying stars and whatnot. So, just by speculation by itself, she would have been able to determine when the Mage birthsign would have popped up. But why the Mage sign? Why not the Atronach? I would never know. Perhaps it was because the two of them were powerful mages and saw us becoming strong in magicka as well? I do not know, and to be honest it's all speculation anyway. It could just be a massive coincidence.

But anyway, my brother was the more dedicated of the two of us. He was also very protective of me. I remember once he threw himself in front of me to protect me from some Tower boys that were pushing me around. I couldn't ask for a better brother. And here he was, doing what he did best, helping me.

That wasn't to say that my brother was better than me. I was always the smarter one. When it came to natural ability, he was better than me. When it came to understanding intense theory behind something, I was the victor. Sure, he could form a Fireball within his first week of training (while I was sneezing fire out of my scales for the first three months). When it came time for him to describe how the mana takes the form of fire in the first place…that was me that answered on the spot. I would have made an excellent Atronach. But…we all have our lots in life. I'm a Mage.

"Ok, sis. We're coming up to the cafeteria now so…here are the rules." He said, stepping in front of me. He stuck his hand out to block me from the doorway. "Rule one: Mages all sit together. All signs sit together. It's not official but you will get some stares if you start sitting next to the Ladies or the Towers. Rule two: Stay away from the Shadowscales. They. Hate. Us. Period. Rule three: If someone from the Royal Family comes into the room, we must stand up and bow to them. If they talk to us, we need to talk back, and as respectfully as possible."

I nodded to him. Boy, it was like being back in High School all over again. Towers were the jocks, the Shadows the mysterious assassins, the Ladies the cheerleaders…if they were heavily unpopular. I guess the Shadows would be the jocks and the Towers the cheerleaders. The Ladies were like…I don't know…the janitors. And I…the Mage…was the weird kid with a worm collection.

"Ok, Biluuz. I get it. Don't stick out, right?" I asked him.

He pulled his arm away and nodded. "Yup, just like the school days. Stay beside me and I'll try my best to keep you safe. But…remember Rule Two. Don't even look them in the eyes. They will kill you and it will be legal."

I found myself swallowing and I stepped into the cafeteria. Biluuz stayed beside me. I looked around the room and found Shadowmasters around the edges of the room, watching all of us. I could see Shadowmaster Julanza standing near the darkest shadow of the room. When he saw me, I think I saw him smile before disappearing behind a shadow of his own creation.

My eyes drifted over the tables. There were almost hundreds of them. The room itself was huge, almost a palace in its own right. "Where are we?"

"The central hub for all Lilmoth. Think of it as the…grand plaza. Where all the big shopping malls and food centers are. It is here that we all like to gather to eat and socialize. Does not mean we can't go anywhere else, though. I just thought this would be a good place to start your tour of Lilmoth."

I looked up above us. The ceiling to the giant underwater half-bubble that was this room was showing enough water that was glowing from the outside sun that it helped light the inside park-like creation that was this room. That glass, I could tell, was enchanted with light-enhancing Illusion magic. It would take whatever sun rays it could get and amplified it. As it was, we were still pretty far underwater, but you'd never guess by looking up at the ceiling glass. It was also enchanted with many unbreakable enchantments. That glass would not shatter if the world exploded.

My brother took my arm and started pulling me over to the giant table settled around a beautiful garden near a few hills. The hills had stalagmites of crystals growing out, making the while collection of hills more enchanting and magical. I can see why the Mages chose this spot to call their own.

My brother waved to the Mages, who waved back. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me in front of him. He chuckled as he said, "Everyone, this is my sister, Nakuma. She just graduated from the Shadow Magic Institute and has been assigned to the Warlord's personal Shadow Squad."

Everyone's mouth either gaped or their eyes almost bulged out of their heads. I could already see several boys my age make room for me to sit next to them. Seeing all their eager faces, I could tell that I had just become the Queen of Mages. Oh joy.

I jammed my elbow into my brother's side. "Thanks for that." I growled/whispered to him. I turned to look at him. "I'm going to get some food. You wait here."

"But…" He began.

I started walking away. "I want to look around without you standing over me." I just really wanted a few seconds to get my head straight.

So, I left my brother standing there with the other Mages. They all started asking him questions about what I was like and I could already tell that he was trying to match me up with another Mage. Great…I just found out that I loved Oleeme and now I was going to be forced into love politics with the other Mages. Good thing I only had like five days left here before I got to leave.

The town center was great, though. When you think of a cafeteria, you think of a medium or large room with tables sitting so close to each other that you can't really move around. You think of clicks of people so close that you can't get one word in without some other click hearing you say it. You think of long lines of people getting food. The room's bland, filthy, and smells like vomit.

But, that was not this room at all. This room was huge, round. The floor was green glass and bountiful flowers. Trees helped fill in the empty spots. The round room housed the eating facilities and the stores around the edges of the room. All the tables were toward the center of the town, still far enough apart that we could have private conversations as we pleased. This place wasn't so bad. If I got to live here for the rest of my life, I wouldn't complain.

My eyes were so busy studying the ceiling that I didn't notice someone standing in front of me. I crashed into someone and I felt something cold splash over my robes. I heard someone scream and I jumped back. I looked down at us both. I had some orange soup spilt all over my new Shadowwraith robes. Oh man, I just got these!

"You…" The person I bumped into said. I looked up at her. She was dressed in dark leathery armor. Oh crap…that was Shadowscale armor. The face that accompanied them were equally scary. She was a purple-scaled Argonian with cropped orange feathers. She looked down at her armor with wide eyes. When she looked up at me, I could see daggers appearing in her hands. "I'll kill you!" She screamed at me.

I was so shocked that I actually stood there and expected her to kill me. That's not what happened. As she came flying up at me, four arms materialized. One arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. They belonged to my brother. Another arm wrapped around the Shadowscale and pulled her back; and that arm belonged to a blue-scaled Shadowscale. The other two arms belongs to Shadowmaster Julanza. He stepped between the four of us and pushed us all back with just his will.

That Shadowscale was still struggling against the other Shadowscale. "Let me go, Ram-ku. I'll kill that bitch for ruining my armor!"

Ram-ku persistently kept her back, taking several hits to the face in the process. "Let...oof…it go, Meesei! It was an…ow…accident."

My brother continued to pull me back as well. "See, sis? You step away from me for two seconds and you manage to piss off an assassin." He stepped in front of me and looked at Meesei. "Look, I'm sorry for anything she has done. She's new here. Can you just let her off with a warning?"

Shadowmaster Julanza stepped in front of Meesei. "That Shadowwraith you're threatening is a member of the Shadow Squad…as are you. I suggest you check your temper, Meesei, before we start our operation."

Meesei finally started calming down. She looked from Shadowmaster Julanza over to me. She finally groaned and pushed off of Ram-ku. She walked over to me, my brother still partially standing in front of me. She smiled weakly and then said, "Fine, I won't kill you today. But… if I ever get annoyed with you…well…I'd stop being you." Then she walked past me, throwing her shoulder into mine. I felt that shoulder spike slam into me, probably poking a hole in my scales at the same time.

Biluuz looked over at me and frowned. "You don't go anywhere without me, got it? You just came out of the Soul Chamber. You're still not fully aware of just how scatter-brained you can be yet."

I finally nodded. "Ok, Biluuz."

Ram-ku smiled as he walked up to me. He nodded and said, "I'm Ram-ku. We're both in the Shadow Squad, I hear." He nodded again and stepped around me. "Well, nice meeting you. And don't worry, I'll keep the scary Meesei away from you."

Shadowmaster looked over at me, finally relaxing his pose. He glanced down at my robes and sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a notepad. He wrote something up and passed it to me. "Here, a requisition for new robes. That will stain."

Thanks?

Cearbhail: Ok, so this chapter wasn't so bad. I know it was all in Nakuma's perspective but I feel that she does the best naration about the different birthsigns and other things. I was going to show Huir and the battlemage linking back up with the others but that will be next chapter as well. Well, anyway, I'll be working on the Chronicles of Lydia next so... I won't be updating this for a while.