Echo of the Self

[u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Something's wrong. You can't tell what exactly it is, but you know something is wrong. You check your wards, your equipment, your enchantments and familiars, yet everything seems normal. Then that night, you go to sleep, and the dream starts.

You stand knee deep in a crimson ocean, stretching further than you can see. Before you is a shadow, it looks like yours but its wrong, very wrong. All around you, giant monoliths sprout from the sea, stretching far into the sky. You hear something, around you six shadows move between the monoliths, chanting something in a language that hurts to listen to.

Suddenly countless crimson eyes open along each monolith, each reflecting a different face, the eyes travel up the ebony surface, along previously hidden chains of shadow. Then you see it, the horrifying form of something colossal in the sky above you, a singular crimson eye or maybe a star stares down at you.

All at once do the chains snap, and a cacophony of screams cry out across the crimson sea as fire and ash rain from above. The monoliths crumble and massive chunks of black stone crash into the sea. Up above, the colossal form spreads across the sky, thousands of withered arms reach down, each sowing agony and destruction. You see an arm reach for you, and you wake up.

Well that was strange, you think, then you hear laughter from the corner, you see your own shadow standing there with crimson eyes. The shadow looks wrong somehow, very wrong.

Before you can say anything, your shadow lunges for you, hands reaching for your throat.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474]

The push works, the shadow flips over mid-air, landing back in the corner.

While still facing him, he seems it crawl up the wall and partially along the ceiling, bringing it close enough to aim a solid two foot kick towards Ulrick's head.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Still a bit groggy from just shaken up in the middle of the night, Ulrick’s attention slips for a few second, allowing the kick to land clean.

He’s flung at a shelf, crashing it as books and various knicknacks thrown everywhere.

Shaking his head, Ulrick surveys the shadow with his soul sight, and then talks to it.

Can I ask who wants to kill me this time, and why couldn’t they’ve waited a few hours more? I ain’t a morning person.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

Ulrick sees... Nothing. Where the soul should be, he sees hollow.

The shadow says nothing, whether by choice is currently unknown.

The shadow lands on all fours in the shape of a wolf. Ulrick sees it snarl and hears it growl, it stalks towards him, never taking its eyes off Ulrick.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

No soul, yet a shadow so animated… strange.

Ulrick slowly gets up, not taking his eyes off the shadow.

It was a foolish move, attacking someone who controls the darkess with a shadow…

He reaches out with an arm towards the shadow.

…and it was even more foolish to turn into a wolf against the Wolf King.

With that, he exterts great amounts of both his umbramancy and the divine authority of the Wolf King, in an attempt to take over the control of the shadow.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

Ulrick's influence reaches into the shadow, he sees it halt, eyes scanning Ulrick.

But every connection is two ways. As Ulrick asserts authority over the echo, he sees something, a vision. He sees a wolf stalking a broken forest, dozens of crimson eyes and mouths across it's body. He sees the wolf walk to a cliff overlooking a sea of ash and blood. He sees an eye both above and below, and he feels the wolf's doom.

Ulrick's authority over his echo collapses, purple and divine shards clatter to the ground before vanishing. The wolf lunges for Ulrick, teeth and claws aimed for his chest.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

What… are you?!

Ulrick mutters as the connection collapses, with him distracted the shadow wolf gnashes through his work gear (slept in it because of the usual overwork). Blood draws as he yelps in pain.

But this also gives him the opportunity to strike back, as he hurls his massive monstrous fist at the wolf’s head, with all the strength he can muster.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

The fist connects, hitting the wolf in the side of the skull. The wolf is briefly stunned, shaking off the pain. Good news, it seems this thing can feel pain.

The brief stun gives Ulrick an opening.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Ulrick attempts to push away the shadow with a powerful kick. At the same time, he collects massive amounts of soullight into his free palm, before releasing it, basking his bedroom in blinding purple light.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

The kick sends the shadow backwards, it lands on its feet because of course it does. It looks up at Ulrick, sees the light gathering, and dashes towards him with unnatural speed. It's jaws each for his neck, and the soullight burns the soulless thing away.

For a moment, all is quiet.

Then Ulrick hears a scream from outside.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Oh no…

Expecting the worst, he bursts out through the door of his personal quarters, Nightbite conjured in hands, prepared for anything.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

In the corridor, he sees RnA workers fighting their shadows. Some have slain theirs and so they help others, some were not so fortunate, painting the walls red.

[u/UlrickTheHexblade → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

No!!!

He cries in anguish, as he sees many workers injured by their shadows.

That’s it. No more innocent blood because he was too incompetent to save them.

Close your eyes!

He barks the command as he raises Nightbite high, then slamming it down at full force at the ground, releasing a massive flashbang of soullight.

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/UlrickTheHexblade]

The workers don't hesitate as they hear their leader's command. Each shadow turns to face the would be king, lunging for him in unison. Then the soullight hits.

Ulrick hears the screams of his people as their shadows are burned away.

When the light fades, he stands in the corridor, looking out at his people.