Selis strode into the armory, her steps steady and precise. Kazimir followed closely behind.
They moved past rows of gleaming weapons, past silent armor stands, deeper into the heart of the armory.
Then, they reached a section lined with daggers.
Selis came to a halt.
Without a word, she began inspecting the blades, her light-grey eyes scanning each weapon with quiet scrutiny, fingers tracing the edges, feeling their weight, measuring their balance.
Then, finally, she reached for a pair of black daggers.
They were made from teeth, their blades wickedly sharp. Their hilts bore silver engravings, intricate and pulsing faintly with an unseen energy.
Selis turned, holding them out to him.
"I made these from the fangs of a gigantic shadow serpent," she said in her regal tone. "A creature that could slice through darkness itself and vanish between shadows. I don't fully understand how it worked, but…" she studied him, "perhaps you will."
Kazimir took the daggers.
The moment his fingers curled around their hilts, he felt it.
That same pull.
Just like with his bow, the daggers recognized him, or rather, they became part of him.
His connection to the shadows deepened. His awareness expanded, stretching beyond what he had felt before.
"It could cut through shadows?" Kazimir asked, still staring at the weapons.
Selis's expression grew distant, as if recalling a memory.
"Yes," she murmured. "It could use its fangs to tear open rifts in darkness and slip through them, appearing elsewhere in an instant. It was… difficult to kill."
Her voice was calm, but something in her tone hinted at the battle that had once been fought, the challenge, the struggle, the victory won at a cost.
Kazimir gripped the daggers tightly and turned toward the nearest shadow.
He swiped through it.
Nothing.
He frowned and tried again, focusing on the shadows as if commanding them to split.
Still, nothing happened.
Kazimir exhaled in frustration.
Then he pulled up his hood, shifting into his shadow state.
The room darkened, the world dissolving into nothing but black silhouettes.
He focused on a shadow across the armory, ordering it to open.
Then, with a swift slash,
A rift appeared.
Kazimir's breath caught.
Through the tear in the darkness, he could see the other side of the room. His own reflection stared back at him through the void.
He took a step forward,
And vanished.
In an instant, he was standing on the other side of the hall. The rift snapped shut behind him, the shadows seamlessly knitting themselves back together.
Kazimir's heartbeat quickened.
This… this is incredible.
He turned toward the training grounds.
Another cut.
Another rift.
And suddenly, he was there.
The exhilaration surged through his veins.
He gripped his daggers tighter, his breath unsteady.
How far can I go?
His mind reached for his room, its familiar shadows, the flickering candlelight, the faint scent of parchment and ink.
Another cut.
And in an instant, he was inside his room, standing amidst the familiar walls.
His pulse raced.
Teleportation.
He had never felt freedom like this.
For the next few minutes, he pushed the limits, moving through the castle, vanishing between rooms, slipping through the corridors like a shadow given form.
Then, finally, he remembered Selis.
She was probably waiting for him.
Kazimir focused, locked onto her shadow, and,
He stepped into it.
The world blurred.
When he reappeared, Selis was standing in the armory, arms crossed.
She turned as soon as he emerged from her shadow, her scarred face unreadable.
For a moment, she simply studied him.
Then, a small, rare smile touched her lips.
"Well done," she said.
Kazimir's fingers twitched with excitement, his grip on the daggers firm.
"It was amazing," he admitted.
Selis gave a slight nod.
"Glad you like them," she said. Then, without missing a beat. "Now, let's get you some throwing knives."
Kazimir stored his daggers within his cloak, and together, they walked deeper into the armory.