End of Shadows.

Glyphs backstory, part 3.

“I’ve never pulled a magic trick before. But that day I pulled my love out of my hat.”

- Extract from Grim’s Diary

Glyph concluded her story with a moment of great triumph. But it reminded grim of a recent nightmare

“One by one. We tracked down the ancient burrows where the shadows lay sleeping. In the ruins and temples, in the catacombs beneath modern towns, and exhibits in museums, we extinguished the all.”

“Eventually, we drew the attention of the shadow lord, and the last of his ilk. Who left their hideouts to destroy us.”

“Flee, we did, to the old bastion, a forgotten ruin into which we lured the shadow. It thought us caught. But deep beneath those sand swept stones there was a final trap had lay waiting for eons.

The final weapon against the darkness, and the revenge of my long eradicated people. The temple of light, where no shadows may dwell.”

Once activated, The power of the golden orb would fill the temple with light. Not just from the orb. But every wall, ceiling and roof. Every surface would shine in holy light. No corner would there be where shadows could grab hold. And in that light so absolute, No shadow could exist.

Unfortunately, this included me…

This was my duty. And had been from the beginning. I was raised for this purpose. To lure the shadows here, to the one place where they could be eradicated once and for all.

In my time. I had never known such concepts as friendship, compassion, comeratery and love. There was only Duty.

But in the time that I’d gotten to know you. You showed me these things and so much more. It only made what I had to do harder, And it was all that I could do to thank you for our time… To leave you the what was left of the Golden orb, after it had burned itself to near depletion from its one purpose, its remaining power yours, to do with as you wished.

But you would not let me go.

Using the Glypths, As I had taught you to do, You used the temples remaining power to bring me back. A feat that would have been impossible, less you posessed but a fragment of my essence.

Yet, just such a thing you had. And has carried a part of me with you for longer than I knew, even into the very temple of light, Tricking its mechanics, and concealing it in a place where even the golden orbs cleansing magic could not shine.

… You always said that hat was to shield you from the sun.

That hat, you used to save my life that day. Not only did you return me to you. But you managed to make the temple use the last of its energy to make my body whole.