---D-Day+16, Nizhen 19th---

On the fifth day since entering the vault I can finally walk around again without getting so dizzy I toss my cookies. Avi is still out though. Coma? I don't have a spell to cure a coma, so I don't know what to do.

We'll give her a few more days and then carry her out if we have too. We... Yeah. There is no 'we' now. Not even two weeks since I met those girls and its like a part of me is missing.

While Guide Girl is keeping her distance? Red is glued to me. We are sharing a bedroll now. I'm grateful to not wake sleep alone. Got used to feeling six other heartbeats. God, why does this hurt so much? They were just messed up girls I wanted to give a second chance too.

Sex with Red is, active. I'm not just being ridden by half a dozen desperate women. We are both hurting. Both need this, connection. I think. Fuck. How pathetic am I for being so relieved that my dick still works?

Sigh.

Once we get back to civilization she'll realize how fubar I am. If the girls had, they would still be alive now. Damn. I need whiskey. Lots of whiskey.

Shorty is handling the cooking now and its good. Some sort of meat and potato stew?

"Jon?"

It was quite the battle to convince Red to stop calling me 'lord.'

"Sorry, thinking. Need to look inside myself. Check up on things."

Have a lot of data to go thru. Reach out to the shadows on the edges of my consciousness. Start reviewing everything they've been doing. Its like watching security camera footage but in first person and 3D. Disorienting.

My minions have been busy. They are much more independent than I expected. Oh? Even taking orders from Red? Not sure if that's a good thing.

Whoa, feedback? Need to remember that these are not objects. Like the swords, they have wills of their own. Even if that will is focused on serving my will. They are different, emotional? These were the church's elite. So I shouldn't be surprised each retain so much, personality? Huh?

"Rowl?"

~Master.~

"How are you here? Wait, you can talk?"

~When the Mistress fell, her last wish was for me to serve you. So I remain.~

"Oh." Ushalen... Fuck.

~~~~The One~~~~

All of the church shadows bask in my presence like worshipers. Its very different from the goblins, kobolds, and rats. Maybe because they were religious fanatics, they transferred that faith to me? This is, different.

Turning someone into a living shadow rips out their soul and binds it. Some of the soul is lost. The rest is tied to me.

How the living shadow interprets it? Depends on its experiences. For the rats? I became the ultimate alpha. For the goblins and kobolds? The chief of chiefs. For the templars? I'm, well, god. For each, I become the being they cannot deny. Cannot reject.

Out of my new shadows, the one inquisitor, two oracles, and five paladins, retain enough self to speak. None of the priests and knights can. Rowl's two hounds are also here. All of my old shadows were, obliterated by that nuke.

As were the ones I was in the midst of summoning when the church dropped the holy shit bomb. Like the girls. Fucked that up didn't I. Do all necromancers feel this when their creations die? Wait...

"Vira."

Living shadows resemble, sort of, the form they had in life. So when I tore out Vira's spirit I expected something, human. Not a demon. Yep, horns, wings, even a tail. Looked a lot like that succubus at the cathedral. As with all my shadows, we are linked. So I can see the memories that remain.

A cursed mother being bred by the church. Children trained as assassins, prostitutes, spies. A young Vira given to pedophiles. And a daughter.

Could have run, but stayed. Trusted a cardinal she served would protect her. Years later, finds 'Pai' turned into that cardinal's plaything, and punching bag. Escapes and cuts off her demon parts. Keeps her horns shaved.

Can't forgive herself though. Her heart is gone. The only thing she could do is hurt everyone else too. The more complete the betrayal? The better. She even returned to the church to betray me when she couldn't find any other takers.

Her only goal? Pain. For herself and those around her. Wow.

Rowl has found a new master and a way to honor his mistress's memory. The church soldiers found a new god. Her? She's found a new master. But she's betrayed all her masters. What's left of her is a mess. Her heart was broken beyond repair long before the cathedral.

She can never be trusted. Never be relied on. Even now she will still betray me because its all she knows. Its the path she chose.

"This is what I can do, for them, and you."

~...~

"Your choices were your own. Die."

~For- ~

*skryyraaahk*

Forgive? No thanks. Her spirit on the edge of my mind bulges, cracks, splits, and finally? Crumbles into nothingness.

I tested this on a rat and goblin. After creating them. I ended them. Not just push them out but actually shatter their spirits. It hurts a lot more than releasing them to die. I'm killing an extension of myself after all. This is punishment. Judgement. For those even undeath cannot save.

Feel, from my shadows, satisfaction? Even Rowl and his dogs agree. Jesus, this could turn into a slippery slope.

None of my current shadows are the 'merciful' type.

Well, Vira and the other's memories show me that the 'church' is way more fucking sick and twisted than I thought. Church monster ninjas? Fuck. They would give even the dark days of the catholic church a run for its money.

While I've been convalescing, Red asked my shadows to investigate what was going on outside and some obliged. The shadow inquisitor knew the plan. But he went straight for the dungeon. Left the rest to subordinates.

What did the shadows find? Everyone left behind is dead. They must have put up a hell of fight though as the fanciest inn in Colrac has burned to the ground. Church troops are all over the streets and the natives are getting restless.

The dungeon's entrance is blockaded by templars. Brawls are breaking out with Metia's patrols. And good old Vira already betrayed me. Using a 'dead drop' to let the church know I survived. Son of a, bitch!

She didn't reveal my shadows or casualties though. The others' memories show they didn't know either. Guess Vira wasn't satisfied unless she was betraying everyone. If they had known they would have brought a lot more firepower.

My necromancy reminds the people of the ancient Lich Kings? Interesting. Future career choice? Time to update my resume.

The church is trying to keep the lid on things but is losing control fast. Going after 'the Beast' is one thing. Trying and failing to kill a marquis's son, having a battle in town, and closing the dungeon the town's economy relies on? That's something else.

Shorty's dad is a bigwig among local adventurers here and he is raising hell. The loli guide will want to leave but gotta know the church will torture her to death, 'accidentally,' during questioning. Man. These shadow spies are awesome!

The church has search parties in the dungeon that my shadows are, well, shadowing. None of them are anywhere close to us. Hehe. Their scared. Their investigators can tell [Metia's Verdict] was used. That it failed and the dungeon's ceiling was brought down?

Kind of scares the piss out of them. Attempts to hire adventurers have been boycotted by the guild until they reopen the dungeon.

As far as getting out of here? The hounds already found a goblin hole that leads to the surface far from the main entrance? Sweet.

So that will be our exit.