Shadow Slave

Like a demon of chaos, Mordret had appeared out of nowhere and thrown everything into utter disarray. Antarctica, which had been like a powder keg for a while now, finally exploded into a conflagration of violence because of the macabre gift that he had delivered to his sister in an elegant lacquered box.

Sunny had not realized the full complications of what had transpired in the courtyard of the port fortress until some time later. He knew that Knight Shtad was a highly regarded Ascended of Clan Valor who had been entrusted with an extremely important mission in the Dream Realm. So, he simply assumed that Clan Song managed to pull off another victory in the simmering conflict.

This was important, of course, but not groundbreaking in and of itself.

However, his misconception was corrected by a short message from Jet: "Our colleagues from Ravenheart are mobilizing their forces. They seem pretty angry."

He stared at the screen of the communicator for a few moments, frowning.

'What?'

Why would Clan Song be preparing to make a big move in a hurry if the death of Knight Shtad was a part of their plan? And why would they be angry? Unless, of course... What Mordret had done was not something they expected, or even went directly against their machinations.

Sunny's eyes narrowed slightly.

'Don't tell me...'

Had Beastmaster, perhaps, received something like that black lacquered box, as well?

'What the hell is that madman doing?'

Feeling an ominous premonition, Sunny deactivated the communicator and hastened his steps. He was walking across the inner courtyard where the confrontation between Morgan and the Reflection had happened not too long ago, heading toward the main keep.

His shadows were already inside. They were trying to get closer to Morgan, Madoc, Nephis, and Sir Gilead, who had all gathered for an emergency meeting after the discovery of Shtad's skull.

Taking a considerable risk, he eventually managed to gain access to their conversation and learn a few more things about what Mordret's message really meant.

Sunny's frown deepened.

'Black Skull Citadel?'

So, the scouts sent into the Nightmare Desert by Valor had managed to discover a working Gateway somewhere in its depths. The clan in possession of a Citadel would gain a staggering advantage in the task of reaching the Tomb of Ariel, so Morgan and Madoc had put a lot of effort into keeping that information secret. They had even kept reinforcements to a minimum to not risk revealing Knight Shtad's location through irregular troop movements.

And yet, Mordret had somehow managed to not only learn of the clandestine mission, but also intercept and slaughter the force tasked with capturing the Citadel. Including the powerful Master in charge of it.

Which would logically mean that the Black Skull had fallen into Song's hands.

However... it had not.

That much was apparent from the fact that Song was mobilizing their forces in a great hurry. If Sunny knew of it, then Morgan surely knew as well.

So, if neither Valor nor Song controlled the Citadel...

Then who the hell did?

The answer was obvious.

It was Mordret. Mordret alone.

Which might as well have as meant that the Black Skull Citadel was currently empty.

No matter how powerful the Prince of Nothing was, a single Master was like an ant when compared to the might of a great clan. Even with a Divine Aspect and his Reflections, Mordret was incapable of keeping what he had stolen.

Even though he was holding the key to the Nightmare Desert in his hands, he was not strong enough to defend it.

So, by delivering Shtad's skull to Morgan, he had painted a target on his back. The true meaning of his message was...

"Come and get me."

And if Sunny knew anything about Mordret, then the message sent to Song would have been like so:

"Come before they get me."

Basically, from the moment the Prince of Nothing revealed that he had usurped the Black Skull, the two great clans were in a race to take it from him first.

But why had he done it?

There was a pace and cadence to the conflict between Valor and Song. It was a complicated dance that followed a subtle, but ruthless logic. Awakened, Masters, and even Saints were like game pieces. By moving pieces around the board, advancing and retreating, both sides were delivering small wounds to the enemy and trying to maneuver into an advantageous position.

Currently, the game was nearing the end of its early stage. Both clans were still acting with caution, laying the groundwork for the true assaults that would happen in the future. They were not even done struggling to secure advantages.

Mordret's actions had destroyed that pace, and made a mockery of that cadence.

He had single-handedly put both sides in a position where they were forced to throw away their carefully prepared plans, abandon caution, and move the timetable of the conflict forward, switching from careful maneuvering to an all-out war.

Clan Song was mobilizing their forces... and because they were, Clan Valor would move, as well.

Awakened, Masters, and even Saints - all of them were going to be sent on the battlefield to secure the Black Skull, which was free for the taking... provided that you got to it first.

Sunny did not know which Nightmare Gate led to the area where the Citadel was located, but it would soon become the most dangerous place in all of East Antarctica.

And maybe even the whole world.

'That... that crazy bastard.'

He was honestly a little shaken by the magnitude of the consequences that Mordret's brazen stunt had caused.

The whole landscape of the conflict between Valor and Song had suddenly and drastically changed. That dire change was so fundamental that it was hard to conceive of its true scope, let alone calculate what would happen as a result.

The sudden nature of it all was quietly overwhelming.

Sunny entered the keep of the port fortress and took a few deep breaths.

...While the shift in the nature of the conflict that Mordret had caused was startling, strictly speaking, it was not necessarily a bad thing.

Sure, it could end up being catastrophic, but it could also end up being a blessing in disguise.

There were many factors to consider, but as far as Sunny was concerned, one was the most important.

Where the damned Nightmare Gate was located.