text: problems. You know she's going to eventually ask why can't she become a shadow. They already intrigue her the more she reads the books.
  
  What are you going to do? Tell her she can't read anymore? Put further restrictions on her? The whole point of this is to make her independent and avoid sheltering her.
  
  You dwell on this for the rest of day and until you manage to fall asleep...
  
  Nothing happens. You fully expected Dendrin to visit and give some sort of "sagely" advice and most likely try to convince you to let Tulla become a shadow, but he doesn't.
  
  Weeks go by while you're still struggling with this decision and you still get no visit from Dendrin. This is one of the rare times you'd actually wish he'd show up and try to convince you just so you'd have a compass of doing the exact opposite. Of course maybe he doesn't care. He did say he was bored of the shadows for centuries after all.
  
  In the end this isn't up to him. This decision is on you. Tulla's interest in the shadows is only going to increase and you're going to have to let her find her own way or nip it in the bud now. The problem is despite all your own prejudices against Dendrin and the shadow religion in general, you'd be a complete hypocrite if you didn't admit that the training did provide you with the means of surviving this long. The shadow magic also helped in that endeavor. Even Tulla made that connection.
  
  Tulla already shows much promise combat wise. If she could cast magic, she'd probably become very powerful indeed.
  
  > allow Tulla to be a shadow
  After some further thinking you realize that its not really your decision either it's hers. If being a shadow is what she wants to be, then you're not going to stand in the way.
  
  The next day you approach Tulla about it and she's noticeably happy about the situation.
  
  "So I'll get to use magic?" she asks.
  "Well that's part of it I suppose, but if you're going to pursue this, you're going to have to train even harder AND you're going to have to do some of it on your own. I can tell you what I know, but I can't cast magic anymore so you'll have to really absorb what you learn in those spell books in the library and keep up on your prayers to Dendrin. Though I'm pretty sure as long as you're praising him you'll get your powers."
  "What about the initiation ritual?"
  "The what?"
  "The initiation ritual. The ritual every shadow has to go through. I've read about it and it says it involves opening up a portal to Dendrin's realm."
  "Oh yeah, that. Well I dunno, I think that's just a formality."
  "No! I have to connect with Dendrin before I'm able to use the magic and even if I got the ritual right, I can't open the portal unless I have magic ability to begin with!"
  "Okay okay...don't worry, I'll think of something."
  
  Of course that "something" isn't something that you particularly want to do,
  
  Later that night before you go to sleep, you pray to Dendrin. It isn't exactly the most pious of prayers, but you figure you'll at least get a visit this time.
  
  You figure right.
  
  "Well it's been a long time since you've done that. I'm guessing you need something from me." Dendrin says.
  "Yeah and you know what."
  "No I actually don't, why don't you tell me, I'd be very interested in what has caused you to pursue such a desperate measure. For you of course."
  "Determined to play this up for all its worth I see. (Sigh) Fine. Tulla wants to be a shadow, but she can't be one until a portal to the shadow realm can be opened. Is there anyway you can help with that?"
  "Are you asking me to give you your magic powers back?"
  "I was actually going to ask if you'd grant powers to Tulla. She thinks that she has to go through the initiation ritual in order to gain them."
  "She does. If it were as simple as worshipping me, then everyone would be doing it. So how are you going to open up the portal to my home?"
  "Come on you can't help me out here?"
  "I'm sorry, but what do you want me to do? I have no connection with the girl and I can't just grant her powers! Those are the rules."
  "Alright so can you grant me powers so I can open up the portal then?"
  "And why would I want to do that?"
  "Because I've provided you with years of fucking entertainment that's why! I mean shit, you can even take 'em away after I open the damn thing if you want. One would think you of all people would want this anyway, it's a new follower for you."
  "You presume much Eternal."
  "Yeah I suppose I do. Fine then, don't help me. I'll fine some way of helping myself as usual..."
  "Hold on, I never said I would help you, but tell me Eternal why do you want this so much? You do realize that once she enters my realm she will undergo a change that will cause her to become a proper devotee correct? In time her faith will only get stronger and your own influence on her will dwindle. I know you care for this little girl, so I'm asking you now are you prepared to make this sacrifice?"
  
  "If it will better ensure her survival, then yes." You then think about Talia's own devotion to Dendrin "Besides, it wouldn't be the first time."
  "Very well then Eternal, I shall grant you your magic powers temporarily so that you may help Tulla on her first steps to becoming a shadow. Who knows, perhaps you may even realize that I've actually been helping you all this time and come back to the fold..."
  "I won't argue and claim that you haven't given a few good pieces of advice or even genuinely helped me on occasion. But you and I both know that any help you've given me, is to help yourself as well as your own twisted fascination with me. I'll always know that and it's why I can't ever worship you as a god."
  "You do realize however, your life could've been a lot less painful if you had just complied and paid respect even to a superficial degree?"
  "I'm not sure how much more superficial I could've gotten. I mean I was practically walking on the unbeliever line at the best of times. After Talia died, what was even the point of that anymore? Besides, I'd say you giving me my powers back now despite my blasphemous ways is a win for me in my book."
  "Ha ha, perhaps, but what of my influence over your daughter?"
  
  Its weird, even though you've taken care of Tulla like a daughter you've never called her that. Not even in your conversations with Talia. Dendrin's choice of words you imagine is him trying to make some sort of point, but whatever it is you don't care.
  
  "What of it? Despite everything I know about you, you've never been actively malicious towards me or even your own followers. Apathetic? Inattentive? Yes, but you've always done the bare minimum as far as help is concerned which is providing the ability to tap into the shadow realm so that your worshippers can cast spells. I don't really see you being any more influential than that because it would actually require effort on your part. It's why you just indoctrinate everyone during the initiation ritual. So Tulla will pray to an uncaring god of a silly religion. Whatever. As long as it helps her survive, I'm fine with your influence. The most you'll do is take away the magic if Tulla ever overcomes the indoctrination and stops worshipping, which I don't see happening. Not even Talia's love for me overcame it."
  
  There's a brief silence followed by a low chuckle.
  
  "You're lucky I've always liked you Eternal. Tell your daughter that I will be looking forward to seeing her soon."
  
  You wake up and the first thing you do is try to cloak yourself. It takes a little effort, but it works. You then try to speed yourself up and that works as well. You decide to spare your endurance on anymore tests and head to the library. Unsurprisingly you see Tulla there reading by candlelight.
  
  "Oh, I didn't know you were up. I was just reading up on some of the old shadow masters."
  "What you should be doing is reading up on one of those spell books rather than history. I'll be preparing to open the portal to Dendrin's realm after I study up on the spell first."
  "You...you are? But how? Your magic..."
  "Its back, Dendrin has seen fit to bless me with the ability again if only to help you. He also says he's looking foreword to seeing you."
  "He is? I don't know what to say! I mean this is an opportunity I've wanted for a while now."
  "I know you have, so you better get yourself prepared because as I've already said, this will be a big commitment. When you go through that portal, you will be changed. You will think differently due to your connection to Dendrin. You may even dislike me afterwards..."
  "Oh that's silly! Why would I dislike you? You're the one who saved me from certain death and has trained me for all these years. You're the one who is making this all possible and for that I shall always be grateful to you."
  
  You see the sincerity in her eyes and the brightness in her smile when she says that. You can only hope that she retains that feeling.
  
  The next few days you spend reading over the initiation ritual. You remember reading about it before during your "hermit" years, never thought you'd actually ever be casting it though.
  
  Finally the day comes and you open up the portal much in the same way Master Ebon opened it up for you so long ago. It's funny; Master Ebon actually tried to talk you out of entering the portal. Claimed you didn't have the right mindset to be a shadow. Of course at the time, you had no idea what he was really talking about. You just saw it as an insult that you weren't worthy enough and you just went in anyway disregarding orders just to prove you were worthy. That decision probably changed your life forever just like this will change Tulla forever, though in a different way.
  
  The shimmering portal to Dendrin's realm fades in and out of existence and you watch Tulla approach.
  
  "Are you ready for this?" you ask her.
  "I am uncle." She replies
  "Then enter the portal."
  
  After a quick hug, Tulla composes herself and enters the portal. You watch and begin to wait for her return.
  
  > Continue
  Year 75
  
  "Well the liberation of Delerg seems to be going better this time around, Triumph has been seized. Let's hope when Tulla wins this war, it'll stay free of petty dictators once and for all." You say to Talia.
  
  Tulla's been succeeding in her goal nearly as soon as she put her mind to it, which wasn't long after her shadow initiation. Tulla managed to recruit people even easier than her mother did, you guess she inherited her charisma in that way. Of course it helped that the people from Quala forced to live in Delerg weren't very happy with Victor for a long time anyway. Not to mention all the criminal types that had been brought here to work off their sentences as well as the outright slaves. Delerg pretty much became a breeding ground of recruits. What was surprising is that Tulla managed to not only recruit them into a rebellion, but also got some interested into becoming shadows. That's mainly where your help came in. You provided your home as the training ground along with performing the initiation ritual for said recruits. With their help you even managed to rebuild the temple a bit, though you still tend to keep to your underground sanctuary.
  
  It's odd though, this new generation of shadows don't seem quite as fanatical as the ones you were familiar with. They revere Dendrin of course, but they don't regard someone like you with hostility. You remember you were shocked when Tulla first came back from the portal and you found that she treated you with the same respect that she always had despite your attitude towards Dendrin. At first you figured that maybe your previous influence over her had been so great that it over came Dendrin's indoctrination, but its obvious now that Dendrin hasn't been doing the old routine of indoctrinating the shadows with mindless loyalty anymore.
  
  You'd ask him about it, but he hasn't been speaking to you lately. Besides, you'd rather not jinx a good thing. It's enough that you've still got your magic to a small degree.
  
  "Just wish I could be of more help to her. Damn old body. I hate this weakness. I used to be so quick and strong." You continue to say to Talia. You haven't had a chance to speak with her like this in a while so you're taking advantage of your sudden clearing of responsibility.
  
  "You ever think we could've actually won a sound victory against the Empire? I've been thinking about it, and I think we could've. Maybe I shouldn't have been so proud and just never told you and Cyrus the truth about Dendrin. It might've kept us more united. Certainly would've help when I fought Kane practically all by myself. Remember that? What a battle! I was probably at my peak and I still couldn't get the advantage over that tough bastard. I was really happy to see you when you showed up and not just because you saved my life either, though it played a big part of it at the time."
  
  You suddenly stop reminiscing because your statement has now made you think about how you didn't manage to save her life. After all these years, you wonder why you continue to do this to yourself and why you can't move on. You can only guess its because what Talia once said. You're Eternals and you had a special bond that nobody else did.
  
  There must be some truth to it, Brenda was the ruler of the Nalin Empire for decades and she never married or even took another lover after her beloved Roldan died during the Empire War. Last news you heard of her was that she committed suicide a couple years ago and her second in command Tarna took power. You guess the absence of her mate for so many years was just ultimately too much for her to bother going on. You wonder if it hadn't been for your encounter with Lena and later your relationship with Tulla if you would've eventually done the same thing. Probably not in the same way, but still...
  
  It also makes you realize how many people you've outlived in general. If you were anyone else you probably would've been dead several times over already. You're not just the last of the true Eternals, but as the second generation has been murdering each other out of existence, you might very well end up being the last one period.
  
  "Survival Talia, I always was good at it." You say patting the earth near the grave.
  
  You suddenly hear Tulla calling for you.
  
  "Yes, Tulla I'm in here."
  
  Tulla stands near the entrance of the cavern with a large black book in her hand. She knows when you're speaking with Talia, she prefers not to disturb you.
  
  "I'm sorry I didn't realize you were busy." She asks.
  "It's fine, I was finished anyway. What is it? The liberation of Delerg is going well I trust?"
  "Oh yes. Victor's troops have been pushed back to the borders. Actually there are reports that he's suffering strife in his territory in Quala as well."
  "Not surprising. Most of those so-called eternals have little grasp on how to rule effectively. As soon as a crack forms their little dominions start folding like a house of cards. Look at Warden Matron Brenda. She ran the Nalin Empire for what, about thirty some odd years? She kept it stable and those second generation eternals never dared to attack her."
  "I'm surprised to hear you praise her. Didn't you fight against her in the old Empire war?"
  "Not directly, but it doesn't matter. I can at least respect her even if she was on the other side. Who knows? Maybe if things had been different, we may have fought on the same side. Bah, I'm rambling nonsense, what was it that you needed?"
  "Oh, this book." Tulla says and hands it to you.
  
  You glance through it and then close it.
  
  "Yes, what about it?"
  "Do you know what it is? I can't really make any sense of the rest of it and most of it is in a language I don't even understand."
  "Oh yeah, I vaguely remember this book now. I tried reading it once during my hermit days, but I put it back pretty quickly and never looked at it again until just now. It holds a spell called the ritual of ascension."
  "Ritual of ascension? Sounds pretty impressive."
  "I suppose it does. It was supposedly passed down from Dendrin himself to the first Shadow Master. It wasn't really clear what it does exactly except that it would strengthen the shadows link to Dendrin's realm forever. I guess that means it would make the shadows more powerful. Dunno though. Seems weird that no Shadow Master ever tried to use it. Maybe it was more of a symbolic thing."
  "Maybe...but maybe now is the time to try it!"
  "I doubt if you need this spell to win the war with Victor."
  "No, but a chance to bring ourselves closer to Dendrin? Why shouldn't we jump at such a chance?"
  "Eh...I think you're asking the wrong person, Tulla."
  "I know, but I'm so busy with coordinating the war effort, I just don't have time to study this book like I would've been able to in the old days. I mean I suppose I could wait until after the war is won, but who knows how long that will be exactly? And there's never a guarantee on survival."
  "Don't say that." You remark.
  "You know better than anyone that life can be cut short in a blink of an eye."
  "Hmm, I also know that sometime life can just go on and on and on..." you say causing Tulla to laugh.
  
  "Alright, I'll study this book again, I've got the time after all. You just be careful out there." You say.
  
  Tulla thanks you and after a couple more brief exchanges she's on her way again, leaving you alone.
  
  "Well Talia, I said I wanted to help more, guess I better get to it."
  
  You spend the next few days reading over the book. You thought you weren't going to have any better luck than you did decades ago, but actually you understand it a little better now. You can even figure out some of the unfamiliar language. The problem though is you're still not getting a good feeling about the ritual.
  
  It's still vague on what exactly will happen, but the shadows would be linked with Dendrin's realm not just in a spiritual sense, but also in a very real physical sense. The shadows essentially would become REAL shadows. Incorporeal and no longer susceptible to the weaknesses that most beings suffer. At least that's what you think it means.
  
  Worshipping Dendrin is one thing, but becoming some sort of a wisp? An intangible being with real no sense of self? You can't imagine wanting to transform yourself in such a manner regardless of the benefits. However you wouldn't be involved, it would be Tulla and the rest of her shadows and they may be more willing to jump at the chance. True they aren't the fanatics like the old shadows, but one never can tell.
  
  You even attempt to pray to Dendrin, just so you can ask him more about this ritual, but you have no luck. You're on your own in this and you're only left with a couple choices. You could just destroy the book and solve the problem that way or you can tell Tulla the truth about the spell and let her make her own decision.
  
  > destroy the book
  You're not taking any chances, this ritual doesn't feel right to you and you're not going to let Tulla put herself in any more danger in the name of Dendrin. You put the book to the flame. You half expected it to be invulnerable or something similar, but it burns fairly quickly and easily.
  
  You wonder if you should think up a lie to tell Tulla. Maybe tell her that you lost the book or something, but you can't lie to her. Besides, you're fairly certain she wouldn't believe you anyway. You're just going to have to deal with her getting angry with you.
  
  Unfortunately you don't expect her to get quite as angry as she does.
  
  "You destroyed the book?! What's wrong with you?! That was obviously a sacred book with a sacred ritual to Dendrin and the shadows! I trusted you!" Tulla yells.
  "I'm sorry Tulla, but that ritual didn't feel right. Not in my heart. I couldn't let you perform it and something bad happening to you."
  "But that wasn't your call! That was mine!"
  "Tulla, I know you're a shadow and a dedicated follower of Dendrin and all that, but you really don't know what a manipulative uncaring and unfeeling bastard he is. I know! I've been speaking with him for decades!"
  "Yes, I've heard all this countless times. And just because your relationship with him wasn't positive, it doesn't give you the right to dictate MY relationship with him!"
  
  You can't contain your own anger at how Tulla is reacting to you just trying to look out for her.
  
  "What fucking relationship? Does he even speak to you? Does he? No! He doesn't! You know why? Because he doesn't give a shit about you! And the sooner you learn that fact, the better off you'll be!"
  "Dendrin will speak to me when he deems it to be so. In fact maybe he's not speaking to me because I'm still associating with you."
  "Are you listening to yourself? How can you even say such nonsense?! I'M the one who even got your foot in the door to be a fucking shadow in the first place! I'M the one who's been training you, and supporting you all these damn years! I'M the one who SAVED your life when you were a little girl! So don't tell me that your associating with me is some sort of negative!"
  
  Tulla gets quiet and looks at you with a stare you've never ever seen her give to you before.
  
  "You know something uncle? You're right. And I am grateful for everything you did for me up to this point. But I see now that our minds are not the same on this and our paths differ completely. I shall continue to respect you, but I believe our relationship will not be the same after this."
  
  Tulla takes her leave immediately. You call out to her, but she doesn't listen. You curse yourself for getting angry like you did, but you still believe you did the right thing.
  
  Days pass and you hear nothing from Tulla. There aren't any of her shadows coming to the temple for training either. You begin to get concerned so you make a trip to Triumph and start asking questions.
  
  You find out that nothing has happened to Tulla, except that she's been fighting directly on the front lines. You imagine that she's probably working out her anger through battle. A bit reckless, but you've often turned to battle many times when you were angry so its one way of channeling it you suppose.
  
  Weeks pass into months and eventually into years. Victor has been driven out completely, yet you hear nothing from Tulla in all that time. You don't hear anything from any shadow or Dendrin for that matter, not that you don't mind his silence, but its like everyone has abandoned you completely. You learn that Triumph has been renamed New Gloom and a new shadow temple is in the process of being built there. When you attempt to find out more about Tulla, other shadows barely speak with you and only say that Tulla cannot be bothered as she has important business as Shadow Mistress.
  
  Naturally you become outraged that you're not being allowed to see her and despite your best efforts you are only beaten by shadows for your troubles. If only you much younger and they weren't hiding behind their shadow magic.
  
  As you drag your bloodied body out of New Gloom it is at that moment you realize that Tulla has not and will not forgive you for what you did. You feel a great sorrow that you haven't felt since Talia died. You return home that day and go to the only one who has continued to stand by your side for decades.
  
  "Talia... I have tried to do the right thing whenever I could, but everyone I've ever cared about has either died or in this last case pushed me away. There is no longer a place for me in this world. I come to join you at last and put aside this life time of anguish once and for all."
  
  You lie down beside Talia's grave and thrust your blade into yourself.