Pencari sat completely still legs crossed on a cold stone floor. She woke up from Faust's drug a few minutes before getting welcomed by a friendly female voice. Sadly Pencari was unable to see, who exactly was that woman with a voice sounding like glass marbles in a bag. She woke up with a thick turban wrapped around her head covering her eyes as well as her antennas. The marble woman told her that this would be part of the upcoming rite as she still hadn't earned the 'right to see the light of the shadow's might'.
Whatever that meant. But Faust's poison breath has something. I don't know why, but he mixed in it something that keeps me hot and excited hence the numbing effect of the mixture. I can't wait for the rite to start but I have to remain calm and patient. But to be sure, that nothing bad happens in the coming hours...better grab a snack.
The unknown ingredients of the poison awakened something in her. Pencari felt the bloodlust, her kin got gifted with bubbling deep within her guts. She shouldn't risk awakening the feral beast her ancestors once were. So better remain prepared than regretting it later in her brother's arms. Blind she searched her body for the flat satchel hidden between two plates of her chitin body. She found the gift of heaven quickly and pulled it out. Her metal hands weren't the most nimble ones to unwrap such delicate packaging but still worlds better than what she had before her experiment.
Sometimes I miss my shears, but then again not. They were cool and their beauty gave me many points with possible mating partners, but hands? Worlds better! I am happy I screwed up the formula losing my claws in the process...come on you damn foliage! Mommy needs her sweets! Or mommy will get very angry - ah - finally open.
Without much decency, Pencari furled up the high concentrated sweet pressed into a napkin for easy storage., and ate it in a single bite. The powerful effect of sugar and fat got wrapped around the primal fire within her extinguishing it completely for the following hours.
Haach...sweet sinful pleasure. Now I am tame enough again to not accidentally chew somebody's ear off wasting my chance to make my maker and my family proud. Now...when do we begin?
A few minutes passed without anything happening- Then the woman from before returned. Pencari could distinguish her easily due to the massive weight and density of the woman nimble body. Surely an arcadian, no doubt. Either a Carbunclo or an Automaton. The bare feet of the woman stopped right behind her and she felt something heavy falling on her shoulders:
"Put the garb on.", the marble voice resonated heavenly within her soul rendering her instantly calmer, "I-I might have never seen one of your kind before nor have I any clue who or what you are, but one thing's clear. You are a unique flower, just like me, and when you got promoted search for me. I will keep you flak until you accustomed to the guild. Search for Kallist."
Pencari placed her translator once again at her throat trying to convey through the metal voice of the translator her happy emotions:
"The pleasure is mine, Kallsit. Pencari....I-I get called that way- because it is my name.", the mantis shoulder sunk noticeably, "I-I am sorry...maybe we begin anew after the day g-getting to know us better at b-brunch. Yeah, that would be nice. Very n-"
Suddenly she felt the soft yet firm grip of two granite hands holding her mandibles together shushing her stuttering. A 'shush, mate' later and she felt herself ten years younger. Without her senses active she felt like an uncertain lamb being not even able to get a sentence straight. An unusually warm hug later Kallist stood up and helped the blind mantis on her feet. The carbunclo smiled for certain, that was clearly bearable in the soothing voice of hers:
"Brunch. After the rite. On the western roof of the lowest tower of the guild. We will have a bombastic view as well as access to my private stash. I will help you get rid of the strain currently bothering you. You got this, Pencari. Just walk straight across the corridor until grandmaster Faust takes over. I have to go now to the podium; my master is surely already looking for me. Until later, mate."
With that said the rock lady left Pencari alone with herself. She quickly put on the given garb and walked in the given direction. After a felt eternity she finally heard the now-familiar skittering of grandmaster Faust's spider legs. His voice suddenly appeared on her left, his strong arms placed on her shoulder. With nearly tame whispering he asked the mantis the question:
"Ready?"
"Born ready!", Pencari threw her fist into the sky accidentally gracing the backside of Faust's head, "Pardon...ready."
Completely ignoring the punch Faust started to give Pencari's shoulders a quick massage, only to realize that there was no tension to soften without causing lasting damage. Her chitin was just too solid:
"Then follow my voice and take off the turban only after my clear sign."
The headmaster walked to an open and windy place giving the mantis an audible sign to stop. Then he climbed up a, she guessed, balcony they were standing on to a different place over her. The charmingly evil sounding voice echoed through the giant hall announcing themselves:
"Ladies and gentleman! Levieds, freshly promoted as well as our veterans, dear shadow heroes. I am glad that you all decided to accompany us in initiating our newest Shadow into our guild. Before the assassin will finally step out of the shadow anonymously, let me give a short summary of her feats and why I think she could be a valuable addition to our family."
Faust cleared his throat and sped up his voice to an impressive degree while maintaining clarity:
"Of 60 contacts given to her by various contract the Shadow completed each without failure, but sometimes unnecessary bloodshed. She is skilled in the arts of fighting with wrist-mounted nutcracker blades as well as claws, has a quite skilled arsenal of acrobatic as well as athletic skills and, as I got to witness with my own very eyes: The shadows six senses are extraordinary! 110 points of 100 points given by me judging her skills in my traditional way of welcoming freshmen. Why more than the maximal possible count? This madlad even predicted the poison, that knocked out each and every one of you before! But without further ado. Let me introduce you to today's candidate for promotion. Step forth and unveil yourself, Shadow!"
Gulping down the anxiety and seemingly flustered of the praise given to her by the guild master Pencari stepped forward and unfurled the turban veiling her identity. When the purple insectoid head appeared out of the silk an audible gasp went through the many podiums full of people of all ethnicities wearing variants of the same Coat, that got gifted to her by lady Notitia.
These are all levied shadows? The guild is far bigger than I thought it would be. Rows upon rows of people looking up to me...and even the heroes are all present. What a sight!
"Here we have the champion of the goddess of science and wisdom, the first representative of a new species created by her excellence! A bravado for the assassin mantis Pencari Kencatikan!"
But the rows remained mostly silent. Only single representatives decided to clap, most noticeably a hyped amethyst Carbunclo sitting in the lounge of a famous Shadow Hero, the lizard Estoro Jovos. But even her clapping stopped after realising that most just shook their head in disbelief. Pencari looked up to headmaster Faust, who returned her noiseless question with a clueless shrug.
Either these Purists are all so alienated by me to doubt their own senses, or they genuinely rejected my inclusion. Could it be...
Breaking the silence, Pencari walked to the edge of the balcony and spoke to the people each fibre of her body trembling in anxiety:
"You are doubting of my worth as Shadow and I can clearly see it in each of your eyes! You think me being sent by my maker, lady Notitia would render me to a political puppet of hers in this guild. But I can say that loud and clear! The mission given to me by my maker is simple! Live and integrate! You might not know of my kind...yet. As I am the sole test subject of hers to practice the integration of us Insectoids into this society. And I can tell you that! I am proud to call myself one of us! And if anybody here doubts my remorse to fight and slay for Etherium, they are welcomed to test the mine in a one on one! I am a-"
Her speech got cut short by thunderous applause. It seemed as if most didn't even see Pencari as a sapient being before -Who could blame them for that- and were unsure if that was meant for real. A sharp movement of the headmaster's hand and the applause stopped instantly. With a mischievous grin Faust took over her last sentence ending it:
"She is a levied Shadow, ladies and gentleman! Pencari will bring fame and honour to the conglomerate. Any takers? Anybody of the heroes willing to take Pencari under their hood?
The hand of Jovos reached into the sky, pulled up by non-other than Kallist. Jovos seemed tired but smiled. Pencari, however, immediately knew that he wouldn't train her in the art of assassination. Kallist on the other hand. The mantis smiled from antenna to antenna. What an eager and interesting lady:
"Jovos? Is that forced vote meant to be one or is your protegé acting on her own?"
The mighty lizard stood up in all his height arm still up in the sky hurling the stone woman over his head:
"Does this look like forced, headmaster? We will give the fresh blood hell! Count us in to train Pencari."
A smile ran across the carbunclo still hanging from Jovos massive arm and her shining eyes met Pencari's.
Eager are we? I like that! Let's hope that you will do as much as your actions speak of. I am looking forward to getting to work with you, Kallist.
With the quite free-spirited rite concluded the people would disappear again to continue their work for Etherium's cause, if not for Faust holding up a lengthy box. He unfurled a small paper and briefly read it immediately throwing it away:
"When you joined our cause as an anonymous contact for all kinds of work, lady Notitia forwarded this package to me. It is a token of appreciation by your maker to celebrate your promotion...according to the paper. It is...oh my...It is a claw-like artefact of the reaper called 'Natures law'. Let me cite the attached message:
'You got trained to wield this claw, my gorgeous creation, and today is the day you will embrace your destiny. Soulreaper Pencari.'"
Faust looked down at Natures law in a mixture of greed and impiety:
"That I can see a Reaper from such close...I mean...This is for you, levied Shadow, Pencari the Soulreaper. Wield it with pride and harvest many souls for our all benefit!"
Pencari caught the thrown claw with grace immediately attaching it to her integrated arm bracelet where it audibly snapped in. She rose her now clawed hand under a second audibly less enthusiastic into the sky showing off Nature's law. Waves of envy immediately disrupted her feeling of pride. Her maker trusted Pencari and those Shadows simply didn't understand the why.
I will illuminate your minds later, Purists. I know what Notitia wants me to do and I am ready. But first: Next on the agenda is brunching with a lovely carbunclo lady. Thrilling!
