Interaction With Shadows (Discontinued)

Chapter 1: Illness in the Shane Household

I tapped my foot impatiently.

"Ember what the hell is taking so long?" I shout to my Slug.

I had taken to Surface profanity awhile ago. While I was not permitted to use it in public, I was aloud to use it at home.

"Ember you have five seconds. Five, four, three-"

I am cut off by a high pitched wail. I zip over to the little model of my house that my Slugs live in. I immediately focus on Ember, who is emitting the horribly saddened wail.

"Ember, what's wrong?" I ask my distressed friend.

Ember lifts her head and I see Duo laying on her side looking downright horrible. I have never seen anything like it before but I'm pretty sure my mom had.

"Mom!" I call as loud as I can.

"Coming Elixir." My mom responds.

I hear her boots against the the ladder, coming up from her and Dad's bedroom. My mom hurried into the room, her red buns bobbing.

"What's wrong 'Lixir?" She asks.

I hold up Duo carefully.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" I question quietly, carefully adjusting Duo's sagging bow.

My mom looks at Duo, horrified.

"She's dying." Mom whispers almost silently.

"WHAT?!" I screech.

"Once Burpy got sick like that. Your father had to go to the Lightwell to finally heal Burpy." My mom tells me.

"Alright, how do I get to this Lightwell thing?" I demand.

"Only the Slugs know the way." My mom tells me.

I look down at Ember.

"Want to help me heal Duo?" I ask the little Slug.

Ember vigorously nods her head.

"I'll be back when Duo is better." I tell my mom, scooping up my many Slug friends and putting them in my pack.

Strapping the pack on, I attach my crossbow blaster to the band in my arm.

"Be careful." My mom orders.

"Yeah yeah." I respond, grabbing the Shadow Talker and shoving into its holster on my belt. Slinging my canister sash on and putting Duo in one of the canisters for travel, I head out to my garage and turn on my Mecha. My white and orange panther rumbles to life. Her blue eyes glow with fiery power. Hopping on, I move out. I fire Ember and she guides me in the air until the turns back into her regular Slug self. I repeatedly fire her while Moon and Sun sit on my shoulder and guide me by tugging my ear in the necessary direction. We come to a chasm and I don't hesitate to jump in. I use glide mode as I make my way to the bottom of the pit. The black and neon green plant life tell me this is Shadow Clan territory. Carefully I pick my way through the dense underbrush. We continue on until we reach a sheer cliff wall. The Slugs hop up and down excitedly.

"Is this it guys?" I ask quietly.

They squeak happily.

"I'll take that as a yes." I say smiling sadly.

Then I hear a hissing noise. I turn to see many... are those Shadow Clan members? They prowl around me hissing. One wearing a large head-piece walks up to me. I scramble for the Shadow Talker. Placing upon my head, I feel a familiar rush.

"Who are you and how did you come to posses the Shadow Talker?" The Shadow Clan asks.

I straighten my back.

"My name is Elixir Shane and the Shadow Talker was left to me by my father." I state.

The Shadow Clan tilts it's head.

"Why, may I ask, have you traveled to the entrance to the Lightwell, Daughter of Shane?" The Shadow Clan asks.

"My Enigmo Duo is sick." I respond, pointing to the poor little Slug.

The Shadow Clan assesses Duo.

"I see. This little one's light is flickering. If she is not taken straight to the Lightwell, she will be no more." The Shadow Clan states plainly.

"Duo is too ill to do this on her own, even with the others. My father once told me a story about the Lightwell. A sick Slug cannot do this without help." I tell him, "I will go with her because I will not let my friend die without putting up a fight."

The Shadow Clan regards me with a strange look. Brandishing a Shadow Walker like the one Aunt Dana has, instead of disappearing, he opens a door.

"Go then Daughter of Shane." The Shadow Clan tells me (I'm beginning to think he's their leader). I am about to step into the doorway when a younger looking Shadow Clan approaches the leader. He appeared to want to ask his leader something so I take off the Shadow Talker and re-holster it. The strange hissing language they speak is foreign to me as it is to all other Slugterrans. The hissing becomes louder until the leader growls and the young Shadow Clan backs down. The leader nods at me and put the Shadow Talker back on.

"Thank you for letting us have that conversation in private, Daughter of Shane. It seems this youngling wishes to accompany you. Do you permit him?" The leader asks respectfully.

"I do."

"Go then Daughter of Shane, before the light vanishes from your Slug."

"Friend." I correct.

A strange facial expressing similar to a smile appears on the Shadow Clan leader's face.

I step through the door followed by the young Shadow Clan warrior.

"Do you have a name?" I ask the youngling after the stone door disappears back into solitude.

"My name is not pronounceable in your language but the closest thing is Shade." He responds.

"Oh and we speak English by the way."

"So that's what your language is called."

"Yep. Oh and I'm Elixir in case you missed that."

"I didn't but I noticed you are a Shane. What happened to the legendary Eli Shane."

"My father. He was investigating any possibilities for were his father went. He was spending a lot of time with a former employee of Dr. Blakk, trying to understand Ghouls. My mom and I woke up one morning and he was gone. All he left was his Shadow Talker and we knew he was gone because he loved his Shadow Talker." I say forcing myself to swallow my tears.

"The Shadow Talker is it the one your using right now?" Shade asks.

I just nod. I wondered if I would befriend Shade in the future because he seemed pretty nice. I sighed as we plunged deeper into Slug territory. I was going to heal Duo and find my father if it was the last thing I would ever do.