The Blue Star of Hope and Going for the Diamond Case

  Yana breathed heavily as she finished a final move—her body low, her staff extended forward, and deep motes of black shadow streaked out in all directions. The black gem at the center of the staff reverberated with power as she slowly stood, nodding with approval.

  “Starlight?”

  “Yes, Mistress.” The small Starguide moved from her soul and hovered before her, waiting for her command.

  “Go and find Sisma for me. There can’t be that many Shadow Larks here. As soon as you find her, call me but stay and watch her. Write me star maps for the church items, and we will work on them while you search.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” Before her words faded, the Starguide brightened beyond normal endurance, then faded from sight.

  Yana closed her eyes to examine the star maps left in her soul. She felt Devon and Amber enter her training space, but she didn’t open her eyes. They stood, awkwardly watching her, and Yana refused to help them out of their misery as they inwardly squirmed.

  Devon finally got his nerve up, and words fell from his mouth in a great rush. “Lady Yana, please… Can I please… Please allow me to be your familiar! I can be an asset! I will be a help to you and I can…”

  “No.” Yana's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. She shook her head, turning to walk away. Amber cleared her throat, a soft, pleading sound. Yana paused, schooling her temper, her face blank as her black eyes focused on Amber.

  “You’re too weak, Devon. I do not need a beggar. But you are Amber’s brother, so you can travel with us.” She paused, turning back slightly.

  “Amber, take Devon and Tasha to Shi and look into our enterprise there. If it is of no value to us, do with it as you and Tasha see fit.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” Even before Amber had moved to bow, Yana had left the room.

  Amber looked to Devon with a smile. “Don’t look so defeated. She did not send you away. That means she is going to give you an honest chance. But you need to practice and raise your abilities.”

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  He nodded, determination welling in his chest and spreading across his face.

  Yana, DD, and Alisha moved quickly across Ut Continent. It was a small continent but treacherous. The sun of Orb had no true heat, but it did have odd chaotic magic and dense toxic gases—and small Ut sat right in the thick of it.

  The three were immune to it because of their power and because of their innate qualities—Yana and Alisha because they were of shadow, and DD because he was a demon.

  As they crossed over the ground, dense yellow and grey gases swirled up to their waists. This is what truly made the continent dangerous. These gases hid fissures that dropped into deep caverns, sometimes even bottomless trenches.

  The three kept their perceptions spread out around them in a wide 360-degree arc, helping each other to see by bouncing between perspectives as needed.

  They came up to their destination: a tall rock formation extending high into the sky. Yana could feel The Blue Star of Hope midway up the rock, thanks to Starlight’s abilities.

  She looked up to the plateau’s wide distant top. Slowly black shadow swirled to life beside her. Daggers formed in her hands – her shadow weapon in the form she desired. The sparkling black shadow gem split in two – one each embedded into the hilts. Yana began walking up the vertical side of the rock formation, gravity irrelevant - because of her Shadow Weave.

  DD became dense dust and started flowing up the side of the formation. Alisha glided along side the dust, her lace dress fluttering rapidly in the wind.

  Yana reached the spot, looked at it appraisingly, and stomped her foot on a chosen spot. A section of the formation shifted, and a bright blue light shone from within.

  Yana frowned when the item didn’t move to her when she called. She took a dagger and streamed a small amount of her soul into it. Starlight’s magic streamed into the hilt, and the blade turned clear as crystal, vibrating a unique tone like a tuning fork. The massive clear gemstone illuminated even brighter as it answered the Starguide call, moving directly to her.

  One of Starlight’s portals opened up and swallowed the large clear gemstone.

  Yana closed her eyes and looked to the star maps. “We need to go to Gra and Li Continents for the last two, but let’s go to Hei Continent first and grab my Diamond Shadow Case—it’s in the Teeth of the Blue Moon.”

  DD nodded, his mind already moving to his – self declared bodyguard duties. Alisha moved just above them and opened her arms wide. A dark web of shadow spread out from her and pulled on their auras.

  [Shadow Weave]

  The three disappeared from the plateau as one.

  The Teeth of the Blue Moon was a vast blue crystalline wall opening into a pitch-black space, crystalline stalactites and stalagmites forming the jagged entrance. As soon as Yana, DD, and Alisha appeared at the entrance, a dark, heavy rumbling started within the void beyond the crystals.

  Yana narrowed her eyes. “I guess this won’t be an easy one.”