Paul Simms sat in a high back black leather and gold chair. It was his most favorite and his most uncomfortable but he sat in it like it was his throne and the most comfortable thing in the world.
When he learned that Yana was an odd shadow he felt she would be perfect for his new project but Ka could not even explain anything to her. She simply dismissed him without learning who was asking to hire her, what the pay was, or what the job was. And to top it all off she held and controlled Ka and he couldn't do anything about it.
It all made Simms want her all the more. Simms was the head of the underground network of Chi and Ka was his most powerful, and loyal shadow operative. Ka was a Wao shadow. They were sentient powerful shadows and they had the natural ability to control and shape other shadows. The Wao originate in a dimension called Qual in the outer most ring of Pa.
Simms set perplexed. He would have her one way or another. He looked to another subordinate, a wolf beastkin. "Go talk to her. Maybe she just does not trust shadows."
"She wouldn't be the only one boss."
"She is a shadow idiot."
The wolf beastkin aggressively turned to the Wao shadow.
"You two calm down. What did I tell you about that? You two or the leaders of my men. If you can't control yourselves how will you control the men?"
"Yes boss!" they spoke in unison.
Word quickly spread about how Yana helped the family for free and quickly killed the shadow beast. Many had been afraid to leave their homes when they found out about the shadow beast.
The boy had taken the head of the beast to the prison to have his parents released and the guards merely stared in wonderment and abject horror at the huge head presented to them. His parents were released and soon after the spitter was in the courts trying to get his property back.
Yana had planned to leave that day but when she heard about the spitter's actions she stayed a little bit longer. This is why Simms' beastkin leader was able to find her.
She sat in the same bar waiting for spitter and realizing that someone must've warned him and she would need to do this the hard way. As she debated whether to begin her search or order another drink a wolf beastkin approached her table. She immediately knew what it was about.
"Tell your boss I am not interested. I do not need to know terms or how's or whys. I do not usually hire out and that is the only reason for my no. If your boss can not handle that tell him to do as he needs to. My answer will not change."
The beastkin stood there for a long moment feeling her out. He could see it was a lost cause and shrugged.
"My boss is an extreme person and he does not like no." and like that he turned and left.
Yana watched him leave without looking around. Alisha had turned her head around almost one hundred and eighty degrees to watch him. DD and Jasmine had already given her info on the Wao shadow. She was satisfied and guilt free about declining a job offered by the underground element of Shi.
Her goals had nothing to do with money or clout and she would not be bullied into anything.
She stood and went to look for spitter. A woman dressed in the garb of a believer of the Spakling Light soon rose after Yana left and went to report to her superior.
The spitter actually proved to be hard to track down. Every time she had him he was tipped off and would leave just as she was arriving. It was comical and frustrating at the sane time. She decided a new strategy was in order.
She had picked a random church of the belief of The Sparkling Light. Their emblem of five stars positioned in a pentagram with a beam coming from the top most star and a crescent moon atop that beam was prominently positioned above the door of the hall of worship.
She entered, gave a donation and sat in the back. One of their robed clergy approached her. His blue and silver robes tinkling like fine bells as he walked.
"Miss can you please come with me." She stood, both un-phased and unsurprised, and followed. She was surprised when she was taken to the office of the lead teacher of their local order.
She sat and waited as he smiled and watched.
"Hello Miss I am hoping that I could acquire your services. I have heard that you do not work for just anyone so I hope you will hear me out before you say no." when she didn't say anything he continued.
"Shi is in peril of falling into darkness. We of the Sparkling Light" he raised his hands above his head reverently. "are the keepers of the light and of the way. Six light artifacts have either been stolen, lost, or sold over the eons as they were deemed unimportant so they were not replaced or recovered. Now Shi is falling into darkness and shadow. Please help us find them. We know they have been in both Lem and Orb. We need at least three of them returned but all six would be greatly appreciated."
Yana sat looking at him for a moment and when she saw that he had finished she went to stand up,
"Please. Go here and see for yourself. I know you will want to help and I know you are our last hope." A map coalesced between them and she memorized it. With a single nod she left.
The individual who had watched her in the bar stepped into the room. "A waste of time Sir"
"No. She will go see the truth and decide to help us."
And she did just that. The map led her to a large cave and as soon as she entered she knew what the Sparkling Light teacher had said was true. She felt the darkness here. The quality of it was on par with dark dimensions and did not belong here. And that was the thing. She felt the wrongness of it.
Then she saw the murals on the walls and she knew that the people of the Sparkling Light church could not see it, let alone read it. It was done in an ancient shadow technique and you had to have a certain ability or sight to see it.
The murals spoke of how brilliant Shi was and how envious the dark was of it and one day the forbidden dark decided that it wanted it. It rose up against Shi and the churches rose up against it and when it almost won twelve sparkling items were born and protected Shi. The forbidden dark was beaten back and the shadow clans came to the aid of Shi and confined the forbidden darkness with the help of the twelve items of light.
Yana stood digesting the information. Her shadow familiars and pet were examining the murals intently. DD stood next to her and watched everything seemingly impassive. When he spoke she smiled because she knew he seemed uncaring but he was always caring.
"You're going to Lem anyway, and eventually you have to go to Orb. I imagine we will be visiting Qual at some point. This side mission does not take us out of our way. At least I don't think it does."
By the time he finished she was smiling broadly and in full agreement.
Simms, of course, heard about Yana taking on some mysterious task for the church of The Sparkling Light and he was furious.
"Ka!"
"Boss." The shadow had risen from the shadowed floor in front of Simms' seat.
"If this female won't work for me then she won't work for anyone. Put six million on her head, dead or alive."
"Yes boss." Ka planned to tell his kin that six million may not be enough to take on such a risk.
Secret Mission unlocked
Secret Mission unlocked
Secret Mission unlocked
Shi underworld boss Paul Simms has targeted you and placed a bounty on your head, dead or alive.
Mission parameters:
1. Kill all bounty hunters that come to kill you. Bonus points if the head can be returned to Simms.
2. Begin collecting shadows of the shadow bounty hunters that come for you. Each shadow collected is worth one Secret item location but you have to be strong enough to retrieve the item yourself.
3. Kill Paul Simms and take over the Shi underground
If you achieve all three parameters you will receive two thousand soul points and your magics will all be increased by one level.
If you only meet two of the parameters you will receive one thousand soul points and one punishment.
If you meet only one of the parameters you will receive five hundred soul points, two punishments and my contempt and disdain.
You can decline this mission without punishment.
Do you accept: Y N
Yana had been annoyed when she saw that a mission was unlocked but now she was thoroughly and utterly perplexed. This system was definitely defective and what were soul points. But Yana was definitely petty enough to accept, which she did.
Unlocked Secret mission accepted
Unlocked Secret mission accepted
Unlocked Secret mission accepted
There is no time limit for this mission.
Yana reached the area where Shi overlapped with Lem with a smile. She pulled help from Jasmine and Tasha and opened a dimensional door to Lem.