A Sunless Dream

He was dancing. Dancing alone. The movements of his body were visible yet unseen, his movements unpredictable even to battle masters who had achieved what they thought to be the 'pinnacle' of combat. Every move was honed to kill, there was no identity in his movements but rather an amalgamation of all methods of fighting formed into a single insidious style.

Sighing, the lord of Shadows dismissed his Onyx Mantle as well as his replica of weavers mask. Doing so allowed his short pitch-black hair to flow loosely across his head, and his onyx eyes to dimly reflect the light of the torches he had littered around his citadel.

"Say, I know how to use it. But there isn't anyone to use it against" he spoke aloud. Although he was speaking to himself, the look of expectation on his face made it appear as though he wanted an answer. In one singular movement he released flames out of the tip of his sword, extending it's range only slightly. "No, when she did it, she did it like this" with another fluid motion, he formed a cross with the flames before sending them barrelling out the door of his citadel lighting them up as he went.

"Yeah, that'll do. But who could I fight?" Although Saint was an option, he had long been past the level of considering her even a comparable opponent to him. Saint could play around with Changing star for a bit, granted if she didn't use her flames the fight would be quite even. Spreading his arms out he exclaimed "How fun! I should get that to happen sometime!"

His expression quickly contorted into a look of absolute rage, his eye twitched and his lips curled into a harrowing snarl "Who the fuck are you talking to!" he yelled at himself before bursting out into a fit of laughter, which he had found himself doing more often as the days went by.

"I wonder how my shadows would match up against some good old true darkness" he giggled to himself, before placing his hand on his chin in a contemplative look "Hmm, but where would I find someone like that" suddenly his expression contorted into one of extreme anticipation as he explained "I know! I'll go ask Anvil's daughter! Wait, what was her name?"

"Morgan, yes Morgan, you'll help me find her."

Morgan was making her way into Anvil's castle standing before her father on one knee to show her reverence. Although it was fake, she hid that fact close to her heart and smiled as she received a nod from her father indicating she could stand up.

"You had a duel?" was all he asked, her fathers commanding and indifferent tone always sent chills flowing down her spine. It couldn't have been due to strength, however the immense respect for the man she held was the culprit. She would have to stomp out those feelings eventually.

"Yes, against Saint Sunless. He proved to be an extremely harrowing foe" she replied. Although she was not at all saddened by her loss, in fact she was more elated that he had shown her all the avenues she could continue to follow for her growth. She knew her father would never see things from her perspective, so vague language to cover up his strength served her own needs as well.

Before he could query further, the room began to dim. Morgan smirked slightly expecting Sunless to appear, as far as she knew he was the only one who's presence caused such an effect. Yet the presence she felt was so similar, yet so different at the same time.

It wasn't just unnerving like Sunless presence had been. It was strong, almost too strong to be a saint even. It felt as though a force of nature was about to emerge before her father. Taking a glance at Anvil, she noticed him slightly shift in response to the presence emerging. 'Even he's on guard' she thought to herself as she awaited for the presence to appear.

Soon after, the shadows settled revealing a single man. His hair was dark and short, and his skin was pale almost making him look somewhat like a porcelain doll. She was immediately reminded of Sunless but with much shorter hair, the foreign intruder completely ignored her father and locked eyes with her.

'His eyes, they look dead' she thought to herself. Immediately, Anvil stood in front of him swinging his fist at the man. Morgan's senses were on high alert as she watched the altercation take place 'Well he's dead' she thought to herself.

Those type of punches thrown by her father were not the type you were supposed to survive, he had completely forgone his usage of swords until he found the perfect one which he had spent all his time crafting and instead turned his body into a more harrowing weapon than any blade could be.

To her surprise, as well as the surprise of everyone there. Her father remained still with his fist not making eye contact with the man who was still making eye contact with her. Although he had fallen into the floor quite a bit due to the force of the blow, he had also caught her fathers fist with one hand.

'Something is very wrong here' she knew it too, trying to attack that man meant instant death. "Ooh you're strong" the man said with an amused whistle, he took one step and disappeared into the shadows quickly reappearing before her. He was only a few inches away and his eyes were constantly focused on her like a shark who had smelt blood.

A drop of sweat rolled of her head and fell to the floor.

"Could you point me towards the nearest true darkness user. They must be at the rank of a saint" the man ordered, his tone was ice cold and the strange request he had uttered caused everyone in the room including anvil to hesitate. "Lightslayer" Morgan said through baited breaths, when had she ever encountered someone with such suffocating presence.

Engaging with someone like him bridged the gap between a fun fight, and one that was outright terrifying.

"Where" was all he replied, 'He isn't a man to waste words then' Morgan thought to herself before responding "Song Domain, her transformation gives her horns. You'll know who she is when you see her" she mentally kicked herself for the nervousness which had creeped its way into her voice. Her attitude was not befitting for a descendant of the war God.

Suddenly, she felt her hands being gripped by the man before her. He wasn't gripping them hard to throw her, she didn't doubt he could have already killed her at this range, so she didn't resist. What would the point be in resisting?

The man surprised her even further by shaking her hand vigorously like a small child who had been helped find a lost toy, she could have sworn she even saw him jumping slightly as she observed a jagged smile make its way onto his features. "Thank you! Thank you! I've been meaning to try something out, but nobody wants to fight me!"

Suddenly, his tone grew cold as he turned around to face her father. "If you don't want a cursed terror to begin having a custody dispute with you at this very moment. You will never attack me again" although he had just uttered a blatant threat, Anvil didn't move to attack him. Was that, fear she saw in her fathers eyes?

Shadows began to surround the room once more indicating his exit out of the room "Oh yeah and say hi to changing star for me!" he said before disappearing in a tornado of shadows. The room remained silent for a few minutes, before Anvil asked, "Do you know him, Morgan?" to others his tone would have been indifferent. However, Morgan could tell that her father was quite displeased at the events that had taken place.

The tension in the room was overwhelming now, as Morgan found herself slightly struggling to even breathe so instead, she shook her head causing the presence weighing her down to relax. She sighed quietly before preparing herself for her fathers next words.

"Bring me Nephis."