The Death of Simms and Starting a fight with the Domini

  Starlight had been delivering the hearts directly to Simms – to his ultimate frustration and torment – but she had always done it unseen and quickly returned to her Mistress. This time was going to be vastly different.

  She arrived in his office in Shi – not concerned about who saw her – the light was brilliant and everyone in the room was either squinting or covering their eyes.

  Starlight stepped from the center of that brilliance and looked to Simms.

  “My Mistress instructed me to give you these last two hearts.” They appeared on his desk and before he could register his anger Starlight spoke again. “And to kill you.”

  Dense, brilliant, Starlight flooded forth and a dark hole formed on Paul Simms chest. It was nothing but a pinprick at first and then it grew to cover the whole of his chest. Simms opened his mouth in a soundless scream and the room froze. After a second or two he fell over dead.

  [Star Void Magic]

  Starlight looked at him for a moment longer, nodded, then turned to Ka.

  Ka stepped forward – as he knew what the next logical step was - and looked to his previous boss, he shook his head.

  “Your new boss is Yana of Sho. If you have any needs or questions contact her with this.”

  A rainbow colored stone appeared and landed lightly in his hand.

  “Be loyal to her and she will take good care of you. She will return when she can.”

  Before he last word was out of her mouth, Starlight was gone.

  Ka’s gaze returned to Simms. “He wouldn’t listen. Get him out of here – we are going to change how the Shi underworld operates.” He looked at the spot where Starlight had just been and smiled.

  “We have a new boss.”

  Yana was about to step forward when a message flashed before her eyes.

  Alert!

  14 bounty hunters dead, 10 hearts delivered, and Simms dead.

  Secret Mission Complete!

  Rewards:

  1. Shadow Demon Dog raised two levels

  2. Mag’s flame evolved

  3. Shadow Light increased by half a level.

  Complete level increases and evolution now? Y/N

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  She smiled as she ignored Almawa and she and Heli stepped to the stall before them.

  The Lashers were examining the Domini’s merchandise. Yana purposely calmed herself and looked at the slaves as well. She nodded in understanding when she did not see Amber’s brother.

  ‘He is not here.’

  ‘Perhaps he is at the other stall.’

  ‘Let’s go to the back. This can’t be all they have for sell.’

  DD nodded imperceptibly and the three moved to the back of the stall – no one noticing them due to Shadow Light.

  There were cages with thick metal bars, hanging cages of braided magical fibers, and earthen cages created from the ground at their feet.

  Different cages for different captives.

  Yana narrowed her eyes and moved to a hanging cage. The braided fibers were hot and brilliant yellows and reds.

  She moved toward this cage because she smelled Amber.

  What she found was a scruffy furred animal with black and orange markings. She frowned, it was also covered in blood. She felt Amber’s shock through their link as she transmitted what she was seeing.

  ‘You think this is him?’

  ‘I hope not.’

  Yana nodded as the anger rippled through the soul link.

  And she dropped the Shadow Light from her, DD, and Heli. She began to carefully examin the creature inside the cage.

  “Ma’am you have very good instincts! This Shadow Cat is very special. He is a distant relative of the famous Shadow Cat – Amber!”

  Yana slowly turned to the speaker. She knew it was a Domini before she saw him. His face was covered by the traditional, deeply hooded, robes they always wore – but she could hear the smile in his voice.

  She looked at him as Amber and Tasha silently appeared behind her. His robes were black – the silver embroidery telling her he was a Domini official – she nodded.

  “Amber, they are saying your brother is a distant relative.”

  The Domini’s smile fell while Yana’s broadened.

  “We will be taking him.”

  Amber moved to the cage. “It is him Mistress.”

  Heli began to growl It was a soft sound that started deep in his gut. Yana ‘s smile broadened even more.

  “He feels we will need to fight.”

  The Domini looked down to the Shadow Demon Dog, his eyes narrowing.

  “If you would like to buy the Shadow Cat you…”

  Yana shook her head. “I don’t buy family members.”

  Heli growled and slashed, a black pulse streaked forward and the cage door swung open.

  [Shadow Slash]

  Amber moved and quickly pulled her brother from the cage and disappeared.

  [Shadow Step]

  Tasha began appearing in random places and slashing cages open with her shadow blade.

  [Void Step]

  DD stepped forward and he moved his hand before him in intricate movements. Half of the back area ripped apart – some of it melting and some it flying into all directions – cages with occupants unharmed.

  [Void Rip]

  Yana’s shadow scythe formed before her. She slowly took it into her hand – the cold shadow metal burning into her hand. She gripped it harder and slashed forward.

  “I have always hated slavers.”

  The Domini ducked and rolled to the side. The silver embroidery on his robes flashed red three times – sending out an alert – and he stood a broad staff in his hands.

  Yana smiled sinisterly – as she heard footsteps running toward them from all directions – “I love a Domini that can fight.”

  She twirled her scythe in the air in front of her and called shadows around her – they cloaked her in darkness. She surged forward, the shadows surging with her making her look like she was running within a vast tsunami of darkness.

  [Shadow Call] [Shadow Manipulate]

  Her shadow scythe came down on the Domini official’s staff – the strike was an odd hollow sound - and, at the same moment, the shadows swallowed him. He disappeared from sight as if he had never existed – the shadow dome around him pulsating as if it had life and was breathing.

  Yana spun around, and flipped back to DD – her shadows flowing back to her like a dense stream.

  [Shadow Manipulate]

  More Domini entered the fray and Yana smiled as the official was fully released from the shadows - gasping for air as if he had been under water for too long.

  Yana laughed maniacally and twirled her shadow scythe before her.

  “Come Domini. Allow me to show you what I do to slavers who steal my family.”