Chapter 8

Clouds of Shadow Forming

Note: The character of Timdis Vulshok is the creation of CryxMasterMind729. You may view more of Timdis' story and other related characters in his fanfictions. Julna Buras also appears in two of them, called Boj's Return and The Duels (both of which are in progress).

It took about two days to extract enough etherium ore for Julna's sword. Etherium was finicky; you couldn't just hit it with a metal pickaxe. Etherium imbued itself with the properties of whatever it came in contact with; if you hit it with steel, it becomes the exact hardness and temperament of that steel and therefore cannot be broken by it. Julna used both magic and etherium tools to extract the ore. Once it was extracted, removing the impurities was relatively easy. A simple spell separated the dirt and elements from the metal, leaving a gleaming ball of etherium metal in its place.

When the last of it was purified, Julna sighed in relief. Thalia and the others were probably being attacked by shades every minute he was away, but he couldn't know for certain; as he had noticed, time worked differently on every plane. It wasn't too big of a discrepancy, but it was large enough to worry Julna. He needed to hurry.

The smelting pits had never been his favorite place in the Multiverse, but he felt a certain reverence for them now; after all, this was where he had had the breakthrough of how he would make the sword and where he had defeated Ashiok. That confrontation had troubled him greatly; Xenagos as a god was a force to be reckoned with. Thankfully, the gods of Theros couldn't leave the plane, even if they were planeswalkers; the power of Nyx only existed on Theros and would not sustain them if they traveled somewhere else. That was why Ashiok had to do his dirty work, but still, how had Xenagos been able to become a god? Julna could tap into Nyx and he could never muster enough energy to become one. And now he was hunting planeswalkers who were familiar with Theros… Thank goodness that Theros wasn't a well-known plane like Ravnica or Mirrodin.

He hefted the etherium and was only able to hold it because of the strength of his etherium body. This was going to be painful, but there was no other way to do it. He couldn't reach his cloak to use it; Julna would have to go through the Blind Eternities themselves. He prepared with a couple deep breaths, and then plunged in.

Immediately he felt wind tearing at him from all directions. It wasn't real wind, but the primal forces that tore apart all who attempted to enter this realm.

All that is, except for planeswalkers.

Julna, using the power of his spark, ordered the strange substances flying around him to form into a surface for him to walk on. They complied, becoming a stucco surface perfect for walking. The stucco was important; the first time he had controlled the Eternities, the surface had been perfectly smooth, and he had slipped and slid all the way to his destination. Walking slowly but surely, he moved across the void towards a distant point of faintly lavender light. He could never figure out how he knew, but something made him certain that that was Innistrad. The rest was uneventful; the Eternities tried with all their might to tear him apart, but his planeswalker spark anchored him and allowed him to enter Innistrad.

Once he entered the purple orb of light, he found himself standing in Thalia's house. Specifically, her bathroom, where she was bathing.

She shrieked and immediately tried to cover herself. Julna promptly turned around, blushing more than he ever had before.

'WHAT are you DOING here!?" she yelped.

Julna realized that he did not have a good explanation for her. She did not know about planes or planeswalking and so he could not explain to her that he had just jumped from another universe. He realized that there was only one thing he could do; he called Falderin up and erased her memory of this event. The erasure took just enough time for him to run out of the house. He felt a little guilty about that, but really, he would rather erase her memories than have to explain why he had suddenly appeared in her bathroom while she was naked. He wished that he could erase his own memories, but he knew only one person who had the telepathic skill to do that, and Jace was all the way on Ravnica. He ran a good distance until he reached the cathedral. Sorin would have most likely sensed someone planeswalking in the area and called Avacyn here to see what Julna had brought.

Julna stopped, and was confused as to why he did so. There was something… wrong about here. Something dangerous was afoot. Falderin and Niredlaf detached from his feet and looked around, obviously feeling the same way.

There are no other shades here, Niredlaf commented, so what are we sensing?

I sense the star magic, Falderin said, somewhat alarmed.

Star magic? Why would Falderin sense the power of Nyx? Ashiok couldn't use it, Xenagos was trapped on Theros, so where was it coming from?

Something shot from the surrounding forest, and Julna caught it with the reflexes given by the etherium in his body. He was able to get a quick look at it, seeing a glowing green arrow of pure Nyxian energy, when it disappeared. Another shot out and narrowly missed Niredlaf, who ducked just in time. Julna immediately called up a ball of Æther mana and shot it back in the general direction of the shooter. He wasn't sure if it hit or not, but all the same, a man's voice yelled, "Stop!" rather loudly. Julna froze in the act of summoning another ball.

A man walked out of the trees, and Julna was immediately surprised to see that he looked like he was from Mirrodin. He was dressed in leather and had the tell-tale metal plates on his body that identified him as a Mirran. His hair was just long enough to be tied back in a ponytail, and he held in his right hand a green bow covered in all the stars of Nyx.

A Mirran planeswalker with the blessing of Nylea, Julna thought, Amazing.

"Who are you?" he asked, wanting to know this newcomer.

"My name is Timdis Vulshok," the man replied gravely, "And you are going to help me."

He was, by far, the strangest planeswalker Julna had ever seen. The only planeswalker from Mirrodin Julna had met was Koth, and Julna had never interacted much with him. Timdis was different; he was a full Mirran. This alone didn't make him odd, it was the fact that Nylea had chosen someone who depended on metal, someone who had it on their body. Nylea believed in the sanctity of nature, and since metal never interacted all that much with it, it was strange for Julna to see someone who held the blessed Arrows of Nylea.

Thalia, already disturbed by Julna's intrusion earlier, had no idea what to think about this newcomer when Julna brought Timdis into her house. Julna knew for a fact that no Mirrans existed on Innistrad, and he had no excuse for how Timdis had gotten there without revealing the secrets of the multiverse. He therefore refused to answer any questions regarding Timdis' origins and instead shooed her away so he could find out exactly why he was to help Timdis with… whatever he needed help with. Thalia left the room and Julna took Timdis and sat him down at her table. He was a little nervous that the chair wouldn't be able to support Timdis' weight, but the metal must have been light, because the wood didn't even creak.

"So," Julna said to Timdis, "What exactly am I supposed to help you with?"

Timdis traced a streak in the grain of the wood as he said, "Look at my body, Buras." He gestured to himself. "Would you say that I am a healthy Mirran?"

Julna shrugged. "I haven't really met all that many, but yes, I would say you are."

"The problem is, I am far from it. As you can tell, I am a native of Mirrodin. Are you aware of the contaminant that drew the Phyrexian's attention to my homeworld?"

Julna nodded. "The Phyrexian Oil," he said solemnly.

"When I was young, I was infected by the oil. Now, I am a terrible half-breed monster. When I am calm and have my emotions under control, I look as normal as ever. But whenever my emotions have been inflamed, I transform into a mindless beast that rampages for hours before I can calm myself down. I'm near indestructible when I am in that state, but I cannot control myself and am a danger to everyone around me."

"But how am I supposed to help you with this?" Julna asked, "I'm a shadow mage!"

"When I was visiting Theros, I heard whispers about a thaumaturge who had been disgraced from the Dekation for stealing the magic of the gods. I decided that I would hunt you down, because I am sure that the magic of the gods could heal me."

Julna sighed. It was a common misconception; the people of Theros believed that the enormous, Nyx-infused beings of the plane were gods, and therefore believed that they were omnipotent. Unfortunately, they weren't. Julna had found many interesting spells in Thassa's spellbook, but nothing that could cure a Phyrexian Oil mutation. However, he couldn't tell Timdis that. Timdis was desperate; if Julna had only been a mage of blue and black, he probably would have ignored Timdis, but now he felt honor-bound to help him.

"I'll do all I can to help you, Timdis, but I have problems of my own. I am a shadow mage, and I created an army of shades awhile ago to help me in my goals. However, some entity who calls himself the Old One has taken them over and unleashed them here on Innistrad. The gods showed me a way to fight ethereal beings, and so now I have to rid the plane of this plague I accidentally created. It's a very trying task, and I'm not sure if I can help you and fight off these shades at the same time."

Timdis nodded, a bit disappointed. "So what can I do to help? I need you to help me as fast as possible."

Julna didn't think that he could help with anything… wait. "You're really able to summon Nyxian energy at will?"

Timdis nodded.

Julna smiled. "Let's call Thalia back in here," he said, "I need some help making something."

She didn't seem all too happy when Julna explained his plan. "I have to work with that thing?" She asked, a bit incredulous.

Timdis cleared his throat. "This thing has a name, you know."

Thalia shot him a look. Julna took her to one side. "Thalia, please," he pleaded, "I need both of you if we want to stop these shades. Can you please not focus so much on his appearance?"

Thalia sighed. "Fine," she conceded, "What do you need?"

"I need your help to forge a sword."

"That's it? I have plenty of extras you could use."

"It's not just any sword, Thalia. It's a blade made of enchanted metal called etherium that's imbued with more power than I could muster alone. I need Timdis to help me conjure enough mana and energy to kill every shade it hits. What I need you to do is show me how to forge a sword. I have absolutely no idea how to make one."

She nodded. "Alright, I'll help."

Julna smiled. "Great. What do we do first?"

Hauling bricks had not been what Julna expected. As Thalia explained it, "I don't have enough room in my home to keep a permanent furnace and bellows, so you get to make one for me!"

Julna sighed. His etherium body kept the work from being too exhausting, but he felt that it wasn't necessary; Thalia could just take them to the nearest blacksmith. Still, it was progress, so he didn't complain. Thalia had them drag sacks of bricks and stack them in an domed structure. It had an opening in the front, and she had Julna and Timdis stack piles of charcoal in the center of the dome through this opening. While she struck flint and steel to light the mass of charcoal, she had Timdis drag an anvil from a closet in her house to the furnace and had Julna place his large ball of etherium amidst the flames. Julna needed to focus and keep a constant stream of mana on the etherium to keep it from taking on the properties of fire itself. Timdis placed the anvil next to the furnace.

"Good," Thalia said, "Now we wait."

"WAIT?" Timdis asked, incredulous, "How long?"

"As long as it takes for the metal to melt," she replied, "And as long as it takes for that melted metal to absorb some of the charcoal. I don't care if it's a magical sword or a peasant's knife, every sword needs charcoal, or else it will break. Besides, it will give us time to get him," she pointed at Julna, "started on the basics of swordplay. How much of an education have you had in this area?" Thalia directed this question at Julna.

"Almost none. There was a class on it at the school where I learned magic, but it wasn't emphasized very much. I only attended a few."

"Very well then," she said, although she didn't sound very happy, "We'll start with the basics. Stand over there," and she pointed to a spot twenty feet away from the furnace. Julna walked over there, and she said, "Your body is much more fit and exercised than most I've seen. That's good; this will go faster. The first thing one always learns about swordplay is footwork." She took a stance. "Try and knock me over." Julna ran forward and shoved, trying not to push too hard with his etherium body. She tilted a bit, but didn't move. She shoved back, caught Julna by surprise, and sent him sprawling. "You see?" she asked, dusting herself off like she hadn't just pushed a full-grown, etherium enhanced spellcaster to the ground with one push, "That stance is designed so that you can never be knocked over in battle."

Julna nodded, but he had some doubts about the importance of it. "But won't I be fighting shades, which don't really have substance?" he asked, tentatively, "I don't really need to worry about them knocking me over, right?"

"It's more than just a matter of pushing, Julna," she replied, "The worst thing that can happen to you in a battle is if you fall over, stumble, or trip because your feet aren't in the right place. Now, copy my stance." She shifted, placing weight equally on both feet, with her knees slightly bent and her feet only a few inches apart. Julna mirrored the stance, and she nodded in approval. "This is the basic stance. It keeps you balanced and allows you to react the best when faced with something. Now, practice shifting from the basic stance to a slashing stance." She moved her left foot forward and placed her wait on it. Her right arm, almost unconsciously, went to one side, as if she were about to swing a sword sideways at Julna's chest. Julna copied it, and he found that his sword arm was filled with energy, like his body expected him to go through with the attack. He didn't though, and he was pretty sure Thalia could tell. She seemed satisfied, though, and said, "Those two stances are the most important, as is the shift between them. The sooner you master how to shift between the basic stance and other stances, the quicker you will become a master swordsman."

She had Julna practice differents attacking stances and shifting to them from the basic. It became much easier and Julna found he could do them faster and faster, becoming almost like a whirlwind as he fought against imaginary foes.

Eventually, Timdis, who had been watching the etherium, called out, "It's completely melted now!"

Julna sighed, more tired now after practicing footwork. He still kept hold of the stream of mana he was directing at the etherium with his subconsciousness, but other than that, he stopped concentrating on anything, especially feet and motion. Thalia took one look in the furnace and was satisfied. "Good," she said, "they mixed perfectly. Now we enter into unfamiliar territory. Julna, is there anything inherent in this magic that changes the ordinary forging of a sword?"

Julna shifted his balance a bit as he thought. "Well… I don't think so. I think Timdis and I just have to keep a steady stream of mana flowing through the entire process."

She nodded. "Very well then. Unfortunately, Timdis, we shall have to wait a bit longer. Now that the metal has melted and is guaranteed to be pure, I know exactly how long we will have to wait for it to be firm again, but soft enough to shape."

Timdis sighed, clearly frustrated. "This is taking too long," he growled, "I came here for help, and instead I seem to BE help."

"Calm down, Timdis," Julna said, gently, " I promise that I will help you, but it would be much more difficult with a horde of shades planning to attack at any moment."

"Now," Thalia cut in, walking forward with two long branches, "I'll teach you some actual sword techniques. Are you left or right-handed?"

"Right," Julna answered.

"Then take one of these," she tossed him a branch, "and follow my lead."

She held her branch like a sword and began swinging it in slow, practice forms. Julna had seen swordplay forms at the Dekation, but none were like these. The Academy's forms were choppy (no pun intended), and the different moves and slashes were each distinct. Thalia's movements were more fluid, as if the entire battle was a single move. She swung her sword in a horizontal slash, then didn't even falter or jerk; her sword kept moving into different strikes, all flowing flawlessly into one another. She even spun a few times for effect, as if she were purposefully trying to impress Julna or even leave him speechless. It worked, too. He stood there, mesmerized by here grace and skill. Then she stopped, glared at him, and said, "Stop staring at me and try it yourself!"

Julna picked up his own branch and tried it. He made sure to pay attention to where her feet went so he didn't accidentally cross them and fall. He found that using a sword (or in this case, a branch) was much easier than he thought it would be. Julna had never imagined himself as a competent swordsman, but now he had hope for himself. He stepped forward into a thrust and hoped it didn't look too sloppy. Without even thinking, he let his body flow into the most likely next. Move if this were a battle: a downward parry. By putting all his weight on his forward foot and with his sword aimed at the opponent's chest, the bottom of his guard was open and would need a parry to reinforce it. His sword swiped down and sideways, catching Thalia's branch as it swung toward him. Obviously she had planned to surprise him with a response in order to correct his form, but he had caught her rebuke, and she looked shocked. It was only momentarily, and in the next second her face had hardened into determination as she tried an upward swing, her branch responding to the sudden block down below from Julna's weapon. Julnta tilted his head back to avoid getting clocked in the face and swung from his left side in a sweeping backhand, stepping forward with his right foot. Thalia barely managed to get her sword there in time. The clumsiness of the parry gave Julna some confidence. He began swinging faster, but Thalia had regained her composure and parried each of them. She began moving around, jumping to Julna's side and swinging there. Her swings were obvious, and Julna blocked each easily. Finally, she swung forward in a wide overhand, and Julna blocked it, but she didn't move into a new swing; she pushed forward. Julna realized that his feet were in the wrong place. He tried to correct them, but he wasn't fast enough, and Thalia shoved him over. She stuck her branch to his chest and said "You are dead now." Then she smiled and said, a little more gently, "I have never seen anyone pick up the basic forms so quickly."

"I had some training at the Academy," Julna said, grinning, "But I've never seen anyone try that trick before."

"Of course you wouldn't," she retorted, "I invented it. That move only really works with someone who hasn't had much practice with footwork, like yourself. Just keep practicing at it."

She walked back to the forge, looked at the cooling etherium, and yelled "It's ready!"

Timdis, who had been sitting on a stump waiting, jumped up and said, "Finally!" Julna ran over. Thalia looked at the metal and shook her head. "Didn't you say you used this metal to make your bones? Couldn't you just shape the metal in the same way?"

Julna shook his head. "I don't have enough experience or finesse. Shaping a rough skeleton that will perfect itself with magic? Easy. Forming a pure etherium object with no outside material? I could never make it work."

Thalia frowned, but she didn't ask any more questions. She took a hammer and smashed the etherium into a few large chunks. Julna had to keep stabilizing the etherium to keep it from changing to the exact qualities of the metal of the hammer. She took a large piece with a pair of tongs and showed it to Julna. "This," she said, "Will be the blade. Is this what you need to focus your magic on?"

Julna nodded. "I'll need Timdis' magic as well."

"Then stay close, because now is the time to forge the sword." She ran back to her house to get the rest of her tools.

. Julna sighed, glad to be done exercising. "Since we have some time before she gets back, Timdis, let me try and see what exactly the Phyrexian Oil is doing." He called up Niredlaf and Falderin and had them go, ever so gently, into Timdis' mind to gauge what was happening. Julna connected with their minds so he could see as well.

What he saw wasn't encouraging. The evil magic of the oil and infective properties had warped whatever it was that gave the body life. The infection was magical in nature, so Julna was hopeful that something could cure it, but he could not fathom how. He'd have to consult Thassa's magic compendium to even begin to create a cure. He did, however, have a temporary solution.

Julna pulled out the etherium fragments he had used against Ashiok. After seeing the structure of Timdis' affliction, he was positive this would help.

Timdis, however, frowned. "How are a few scraps of etherium going to help me? In case you haven't noticed, I'm covered in metal."

Julna chuckled. "Yes," he said, "I've noticed. But this etherium is special. You know its ability to absorb the properties of whatever energy is being used on it? Well, I imbued these fragments so that they have all the properties of Æther mana. When a magical being is hit by Æther mana, its magical properties shut down. It you cut yourself with this metal, even a tiny scratch, all your magic will become unusable for…" Julna did a quick calculation and theorized how long, "about three days, I estimate. This is both good and bad; the Phyrexian Oil will not get a hold over your emotions and body, but you will not be able to use that excellent weapon you have." He nodded to Timdis' bow.

Timdis nodded. He took the fragments, making sure not to accidentally cut himself. "It doesn't completely fix it," he said, "But it does help. Thank you. Do you really plan to help me once this is all over?"

Julna nodded. "I would never want anyone to suffer what you have to."
Thalia returned with a few tools that she placed next to the anvil. She stared at the blob of soft etherium, contemplating it. "Julna," she said, "Could you form it into the rough shape of a sword blade? It would make this go a lot faster."

Julna wasn't exactly sure that he could do that, but Niredlaf said, Don't worry; meld your mind with mine and your lithomancy will return to you. Niredlaf detached himself from Julna's feet and melded with Julna. Julna felt a rush of power and was able to sense the metal and rock all around him. He breathed deeply; he had almost forgotten what lithomancy felt like. His confrontation with Ashiok had been too fast and tense for him to appreciate the return of his power.

Julna searched out through the Eternities for blue mana and found it. He directed it at the node of etherium in front of him, bending it with his will. Pieces of etherium broke off as the main section elongated, forming into a three-and-a-half foot blade. When he was finished, there sat a roughly wedge-shaped piece of metal surrounded by smaller fragments. He swept these away onto the ground, where they gained a tannish tinge as they assimilated the properties of the dried grass underneath. Thalia looked over it and nodded with approval. "This is perfect," she said, "I can forge it as long as you keep it stable, right?" Julna nodded. He then turned to Timdis and said, "This is where I need your help, Timdis. While Thalia is shaping the blade and attaching a hilt, we have to keep a continual stream of Æther and Nyxian mana aimed at it. This will imbue it with tremendous power, like the weapons of the gods themselves." Timdis nodded, satisfied that he was going to be of assistance. Thalia placed the blade into the fire to begin the tempering, and Julna and Timdis stood on either side of her, concentrating. Timdis began to glow with Nyxian stars and Julna with the grey of Æther mana as Thalia hammered the blade. Streams of energy emanated from the two planeswalkers, focusing on the glowing etherium. Thalia hammered, and every blow seemed to be supernaturally effective; the metal morphed, becoming sharper and thinner, even where she didn't hit it, and the metal seemed to be polishing itself. As Julna focused on generating Æther mana, he pulled out Thassa's scroll and consulted the technicalities of forging a god-weapon. "We need more Nyxian mana," he told Timdis, "I'll stop generating Æther mana and help you." Timdis nodded, concentrating too hard to speak.

Soon enough, with the help of Nyx and planeswalker's magic, the blade was done. Thalia hadn't needed to ask Julna how he wanted it to look because his magic would help create it. Thalia took a hilt of deep brown wood that she had prepared from a stash of weapon pieces she kept in her house and a small jar of amber sap. Once she had plunged the blade into a large vat of water she had placed nearby, she fixed the blade to the hilt, sliding the narrow spike jutting from the bottom of the blade into the hollowed out hilt, filling the gaps with sap. After about fifteen minutes, the Sao had hardened, and Thalia took a small knife and carved off the excess lumps of amber. She held up the nearly finished sword, holding it to Julna. "I left a space for a pommel stone," she said, "Did you have any specifics in mind?"

Julna thought for a moment, then gathered a few etherium scraps and formed theme into a perfect sphere with lithomancy. He then reached out with his mind and filled it with an immense amount of mana, a combination of blue, black, and white. He placed it on the pommel and Thalia sealed it with sap.

Julna held up the sword, admiring the starry pattern of the infused etherium, but something still didn't seem right. He consulted Thassa's book and found an interesting passage.

"Release the weapon to Nyx," it said, " For nothing created by physical beings, even gods, is perfect. Purifying it through Nyx will make it beautiful to behold."

Hm, Julna thought, Release it to Nyx? What does that mean? He thought about how gifts from the gods on Theros disappeared once the heroes they blessed had reached their potential. Could he…

He focused on absorbing all the power of the etherium, the wood, everything that made the sword what it was, and gave it to Nyx.

The sword vanished in a flash of starlight.

Thalia shrieked. "What did you do!?" she yelled.

Julna simply held up a hand. "Wait, and you will see." He held out his hands, palms up, like he was gesturing to a great crowd like the Azorius arbiters. He focused on drawing back the sword, but to take a piece of Nyx itself with him as well.

A flash of stars, and the sword appeared, floating a few inches above Julna's outstretched hands. It was the same sword, but like Thassa's scroll predicted, it had been perfected. No longer did it look like something made by man, no matter how artistic it might have been. The pommel now had claw-like protrusions that held the sphere of etherium tightly; the hilt was masterfully carved and much smoother. There was a crossguard now as well, made of silvery metal that was not etherium, but the same magical substance used to make Thassa's bident and Heliod's spear. And the blade, oh, the blade! It was still the same, but now glyphs written in the divine language ran up both sides, with three larger glyphs as the keystone at the blade's tip. They spelled out what Julna assumed the sword's Nyxian name to be: Skiamanti, Shadowseer. The whole sword glowed with dark Nyxian energy, pinpointed by stars. Something around the sword flashed, and a black sheath coalesced around the sword. The sword's name was emblazoned again across the length of it, and it was made of the blackest leather. Somehow, Julna knew that it was the same material used to make the lash on Erebos' whip. The sword was strapped to a belt made of the same material. It hung in the air for a few moments, wrapped in stars, and then gently placed itself in Julna's hands.

Thalia and Timdis stared, open-mouthed. Julna buckled the belt on, admiring how light the sword felt. The mana and energy it contained must be absorbing most of the weight. He drew the sword.

He was right; the sword was incredibly light. Shadowseer's blade flickered with stars and gray light, indicating the properties of both Nyx and Æther manas within. A light haze of starlight surrounded it.

Thalia ran inside and grabbed a sword of her own. She ran up to him and said, "Try it out!" They sparred, Julna laughing at how easy swordplay suddenly was; apparently involving himself with the creation of Shadowseer allowed him to more easily understand how to use it. Thalia and Julna sparred to a standstill; neither of them could gain an advantage over the other. They both stood, Thalia panting as she said, "That sword is incredible. I'm… pant… honored to have been a part in its creation."

Julna grinned, then looked at Timdis, trying to see that dumbstruck look on his face again.

He didn't see it. Instead, Timdis was looking at something behind Julna in horror. Julna looked out at the forest behind him.

Shadows were leaking out, breaking away from the trees, becoming shades. Their eyes had become red in color, and once they acknowledged that Julna had seen them, they surged forward, obviously trying to snare Thalia again. Julna grinned, eager to test his new weapon against the things that had caused him to make it. The shades rose up from the ground, and Julna ran forward, holding up Shadowseer. He slashed at the first shade and only barely nicked him, but it didn't matter; the shade burst into black dust regardless. Obviously even a touch from this blade was enough to kill a shade. Shouting, Julna whirled in the footwork of Thalia's teaching, slicing and slashing at the shades that surrounded him. Soon enough, they were all gone. Grinning, Julna turned back to the other two.

He had missed one. It was moving as fast as it could, but it didn't go for Thalia. Instead, it melded itself with Timdis, invading the planeswalker's mind. At the same time, Julna heard the deep voice of the Old One echoing through the forest.

You were astoundingly foolish to allow such a volatile ally to remain in here. Have you not seen my power? Distracting you and causing hisaffliction... to manifest was absurdly simple.

Julna paled. He could see Timdis struggling to control his emotions, but the shade's onslaught continued until all humanity vanished from Timdis' eyes. He shuddered, and the metal on his body grew, covering more and more flesh. Soon he was encased in metal except for his mouth and a few patches of skin where the armor connected; those were now an acid green. Timdis grew larger, and his clothes ripped, all his belongings falling to the ground. Thalia made the mistake of screaming, and the beast turned on her.

Julna quickly took a rock and threw it at the creature's head. It would never penetrate that armour, but he could hope to annoy it.

It did. Timdis turned on Julna, hissing. Julna held up his sword in a challenge, and Timdis ran forward, roaring. Just as he reached Julna, Julna jumped to the right, attempting to hit an exposed piece of sking and neutralize the Phyrexian Oil, for now. He didn't score a hit; the Shadowseer glanced off the metal. In desperation, Julna yelled, "The fragments, Timdis! Think enough to use one!"

Timdis made no indication that he had heard. Turning around, he ran forward and, with surprising dexterity, knocked Shadowseer out of Julna's hand before he could stop it. The sword landed twenty feet away.

Oh dear, Julna thought. "Thalia! Get the sword!" But he could tell that he wouldn't be able to dodge this super-powered beast before she reached it.

Summon it from Nyx, Falderin whispered in his mind.

Julna's thoughts raced. If he could send the sword to Nyx and bring it back to his hands…

He snapped his fingers, which was just a meaningless gesture used to focus his thoughts. Timdis ran forward at the same time that Shadowseer burst into stars.

Julna raised his hand in a final attempt to stop Timdis…

The sword reappeared, neatly scratching Timdis' collar bone, where a sliver of skin glistened green.

Immediately, he collapsed, writhing on the ground as the plates receded, revealing tan skin and the well-muscled arms of a normal Mirran. That is, a normal Mirran absolutely naked. All his clothes had been shredded by his transformation. He got up, dazed. He looked around, then at himself, and his face paled. "Oh no," he said, almost in despair, "Did I-"

"Yes," Julna replied, "But I stopped you before you could cause any harm."

Timdis nodded, looking grateful. He looked down at himself and grinned wrily, saying, "So, how do I look?"

Julna chuckled. "Let's just hope Thalia didn't…" he looked and saw her devoutly facing the other direction. "Oh well, she did. Do you suppose we could-"

"Yep," Timdis said quickly, "Don't worry, I know how to sew. When your clothes shred as often as mine do, you know how to sew loincloths."

Julna laughed as he saw Thalia's ears redden.

A few days passed as Timdis recovered from the shades' attack. Julna practiced more with the sword and Thalia, grudgingly, admitted that he had learned all she could teach him in record time.

Well, he thought, when you have a magic Nyxian sword that you made from a god's handbook, swordplay becomes easy.

However, when Timdis came and told him that he needed to leave one morning, Julna was sad. Julna promised to help cure Timdis, and he hadn't yet. But Timdis seemed to understand. "It wouldn't be wise to stay here when shades can do that to me," he said, "And I don't want to cause harm to anyone. So, when your business is done here, come find me." Julna nodded. Timdis held out a hand, and they shook, although it turned into a sort of manly hug. Timdis shifted his bow into a more comfortable position, and drew himself up to his full height. "Well," he said, "Say hello to Thalia for me." He walked out the door, and soon faded into the Blind Eternities.

Thalia came out from where she had been sleeping and looked around. "Where's Timdis," she said.

Julna pointed in the general direction of the woods.

Thalia's face fell. She had grown used to Timdis' gruff personality (and, of course, his Nyxian arrows skewering any shades that came near her). "Well, it's for the best," she said, trying to reassure herself.

"I'm sure that he can take care of himself," Julna replied, "Besides, now we can focus on getting rid of these shades. I have Shadowseer, remember?"

Thalia nodded. "We should probably go tell Lord Markov that you have it."

They got up and, like a proper gentleman, Julna held the door for her as they went to report to Sorin.