Blood dripped into the ink, and the brush wrote the Outlander's true name in square characters on the paper. The familiar name illuminated by the tree canopy overhead made Shade freeze for a second. Only then did he realize that, after being in this world for so long, this was the first time he had written that name using this body.
He shook his head to rouse himself, then folded the paper bearing the name into the shape of a star and pressed it to his forehead. Finally, he burned it to ashes, dissolved the ashes into a potion, and drank it. Closing his eyes, he meditated on his own appearance. Perhaps because he had already performed it once before, the ritual went even more smoothly this time.
Almost the instant Shade closed his eyes, "she" gently reminded him:
Outlander, your thaumaturgy "Cherished Item" has gained a second name that can take effect.
There were no other effects, but Shade did not investigate immediately. He took out his Rhodes Cards again and drew the top ordinary card, "Moon 2."
He first erased the lightly written name on it, then wrote down the true name of his hometown. Finally, he wrote the message he wished to convey in the blank space on the card. Fortunately, ordinary cards did not have elaborate illustrations, and there was plenty of blank space on the face.
After finishing, he carefully sensed it. It seemed that signing two different names made little difference to the control effect over the item.
Shade kissed the card, then raised his hand and threw it toward the entrance of the building. The spinning card flew straight out, while Shade closed his eyes to control its flight path. When he opened them again, he was certain that the card had reached