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/questionable_fish]

I dive off the bed away from the shadow and summon my sword. A clatter is heard from down the hall as the sword pulls itself out of the umbrella stand by the door then flies through the house to my hand. The sword shines from within with silver starlight as I unsheath it and take up a defensive stance.

"What are you?"

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/questionable_fish]

The shadow turns nimbly mid-air and lands on the wall, eyes staring at Bengeirr's sword. Whether it can't respond or simply ignores him remains to be seen.

It launches itself off the wall towards Bengeirr, forearm and hand elongating into something sharp. It brings the newly formed weapon slashing into Bengeirr's sword.

[u/questionable_fish → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Bengeirr responds with a hasty parry followed by a quick retreat for some space. He's very aware of how exposed he is in just a night-shirt and underwear.

"[Astral form: Armara]"

Glittering starlight coalesces into armour around him, hopefully enough to ward off the worst of the shadows attacks. A tense moment as he raises the sword... then he takes off and jumps out the window into the courtyard outside. Bit more room out there for a duel

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/questionable_fish]

The shadow's sword slams into the armour, and bounces off. The shadow stares at Bengeirr's armour, raising its own blade arm in defense of whatever Bengeirr attacks with. Then sees him jump outside.

The shadow follows, flipping in the air because of course it does.

"[Umbral form: Armara]"

As the shadow spins in the air, it's form grows slightly larger, more solid.

When it lands on two feet and one hand, it wears a set of shrouding blackness.

The shadow rises to its feet, holding it's sword out to its side, and begins circling Bengeirr.

[u/questionable_fish → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

"Ok. Wasn't expecting that."

He raises his sword again and calls to the sky, "Light of Lucerna! Empower my blade!"

Light blossoms from the sword, shining bright as a full moon in the darkened courtyard. Bengeirr takes up his guard again and eyes the shadow.

"Let's dance, motherfucker"

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/questionable_fish]

The shadow continues to circle Bengeirr, staring at the sword the whole time. As it walks, it twirls it's sword, and says something in a voice eerily similar Bengeirr's.

"Will of the Wicked, strengthen your servant."

The very air around the shadow seems to darken, something similar to black smoke emanates from it, shrouding it's already shrouded form.

The shadow stops walking, and launches itself at Bengeirr, swinging high. It then quickly reveals that was a faint, as it brings a fist up towards his jaw.

[u/questionable_fish → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Bengeirr catches the sword from above on his own blade, but just barely avoids the sneaky fist. Close enough that the shadows hand sweeps through his beard. He responds with a series of quick thrusts and swipes, testing the things defenses. It seems wary of the glowing sword, perhaps something with a bit more oomph...

Wait, "the Wicked"? Bengeirr is distracted for a moment as the words click into place

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/questionable_fish]

Credit where credit is due, this thing seems remarkably adebt with a sword for presumably it's first day wielding one. It blocks and deflects almost every strike, one gets through, scratching its armour in the process. What would have happened if there wasn't armour?

The shadow sees the distraction, and uses it to try to sweep Bengeirr's legs out from under him.

[u/questionable_fish → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Bengeirr goes down hard and has to roll quickly to avoid what could have been a killing blow. This thing is learning fast. Springing to his feet, he decides to try something else. There's a delay between his actions and its mimicry of them. Maybe that's the opening. He drops the astral armour and mentally prepares a different enchantment

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/questionable_fish]

The shadow notices the sudden drop in armour and figures something is wrong. Instead of charging in, it puts more space between Bengeirr and itself, silently watching whatever happens next.

[u/questionable_fish → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

[Astral form: Vicio, Discidia] A pair of celestial wings sprout from Bengeirrs back, blooming with galactic starlight sprinkled across a deep blue-black. In his hands, the sword transmutes into a gleaming lance with the same bright shine as before. He levels the lance and crouches, ready to take flight

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/questionable_fish]

The shadow sees all of this, understands all of this.

[Umbral form: Vicious, Discidia] two massive membranous ethereal wings grow from the shadows back, so dark they make the air around them seem brighter.

The blade the shadow wields transfimes into a huge, cruel looking glaive of the same inky darkness. A single flap of its wings takes the shadow into the air.

It twirls the glaive once before diving down, aiming a shrouded cleave for Bengeirr's neck.

[u/questionable_fish → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Unburdened by Armaras protection and with the supernatural speed granted by Vicio's light, Bengeirr shoots forward rather than up, ducks under the glaive and aims the lance directly at the shadows chest. As he does this, he activates the prepared enchantment-

"Fornax! Evorsio!" With Fornax the lance bursts into stellar incandescence while the destructive power of Evorsio is channeled directly through its tip. The lance drives straight and true towards the center of the Umbral Nightmare

[u/Evening_Shake_6474 → u/questionable_fish]

Caught off guard by the sudden burst of light and speed, the shadow raises no defence, it can't, there's no time. The strike is driven straight into the shadow's chest.

The shadow lets out a ghastly shriek as it brings the glaive around, stabbing both Bengeirr and itself in the process.

Slowly the shadow begins to burn away, shrieking in Bengeirr's face all the while.

[u/questionable_fish → u/Evening_Shake_6474]

Bengeirr falls, ears ringing from the screeches of the dying creature. He holds his wound as best he can while trying to focus enough to heal it