As soon as Arran touched the jet-black sword, he felt the condensed Essence within it react to his skin. Surprisingly, it seemed to withdraw from his touch — almost as if the weapon was afraid of him.
Arran frowned at the odd reaction, but he did not let it deter him. He clenched his jaw, then grabbed the sword's hilt and pulled it from its rack.
Several moments passed without anything happening, and Arran began to wonder if something was wrong. The sword was supposed to feed on his Essence, yet instead, it seemed to be shrinking away from his touch.
With a thought, he moved some of his Shadow Essence toward the weapon, then forced it into the sword's hilt. Perhaps that would entice the Living Shadow to feed.
There was no immediate response, but after a second or two, Arran felt a faint pulling sensation. It was only barely noticeable, but it was enough to draw a thin strand of Shadow Essence into the Living Shadow, where it promptly vanished.
