Shadow Slave

Sunny, Nephis and Cassie sat on a branch of the great tree, waiting for the sun to set. The branch was wide enough to accommodate twice as many people, so they weren't worried about being spotted from the ground. Still, they remained silent and motionless, warry of the giant monster that sometimes appeared beneath their hiding place.

The sound of his footsteps sent shivers through the tense bodies of the three Sleepers.

Not once since coming to the Forgotten Shore had Sunny hoped for the night to come faster. But there was a first time for everything.

They could only proceed with the next step of the plan after darkness had fallen, so there was nothing to do now but wait. Sitting with his back against Neph and Cassie, Sunny stared into the distance and tried not to think about anything.

Obsessing over past mistakes and future risks was only going to dampen his resolve. And it was already in short supply.

Meeting a setback so early into the plan really through Sunny off his game. He still couldn't recover from the sudden loss of the precious Echo. Of course, he knew beforehand that many things could go wrong… in fact, he had even warned the girls that there were too many unpredictable elements, and thus it was impossible to reliably predict their chances of success.

Nevertheless, he had not expected to lose the strongest member of their group at the very beginning. The first stage of the plan was supposed to be the safest. Things to come were going to be much more dangerous.

Sunny looked at the darkening skies, barely visible through the thick canopy of the great tree's crown, and listened to the noise of the rising sea. In the dim twilight, Cassie shifted a little and then gently squeezed his hand.

Her warm touch made Sunny tense up, but then, realizing that the blind girl was just trying to console him, he allowed himself to relax.

'Stupid. What am I, a kid? Holding hands will not solve anything.'

But, despite these grumbling thoughts, Sunny reluctantly realized that he did feel a bit reassured, with no logical reason at all.

Maybe they were going to pull this off after all.

If this was their will… who dared to stop them?

Soon, the night descended, drowning the world in absolute darkness.

***

The Ashen Barrow had become an island in the black, undulating void of the dark sea. The braches of the great tree swayed gently in the darkness, their vibrant scarlet leaves now indistinguishable from the obsidian surface of the wood. The leaves whispered and rustled, creating a calming melody in the threatening murmur of the surging waves.

Sunny sighed, knowing that the moment of truth was approaching. He was sure of his plan… as far as it was possible to be sure of anything in this cursed place. But he also knew all the risks and all the things that could go wrong.

were still tossing a coin,

turned her head and glanced in his direction, a calm expression on her face. Today, her inexplicable ability to remain composed in any situation, no matter how dire, was especially

of the Starless

closed his eyes, then opened them again and

"Let's begin."

to the side, giving Sunny and Nephis space to do what needed to be done. Sunny gently placed the seaweed rucksack between himself and Neph,

were slow

of soft seaweed fiber. These jars were made by Sunny himself, and as such were not particularly sturdy. After all, he wasn't a craftsman — all his knowledge about pottery was received in a single day of

least

making Sunny's heartbeat unsteady. A centipede monster had two sacks in its body, each containing

was also highly

during their run to the great tree, allowing the components to mix… well, there was a reason why the rucksack was entrusted to Nephis while Sunny carried Cassie despite his inferior

was the centerpiece

one last thing from the rucksack. It was a makeshift torch made out of bone and… yeah, more seaweed. Traditionally, torches were supposed to be made out

cool hand, took it into his own and then placed the

help but remember the other times Changing Star's hands had touched his body. The first time was when he was dying, his chest crushed by the carapace centurion's bone scythe.

were very memorable,

that this day was also going to be forever etched in his memory… provided

Sunny deeply inhaled.

"I'm ready."

feet. Standing tall, she grasped the torch and closed her eyes, as though praying. Clad in white armor, with her silver hair dancing in the wind, she

igniting the top of the torch. Changing Star opened her eyes, extinguishing the light shining in them, and raised the torch

flame looked like a lonely star drowning in the sea

the branch, inhaled deeply… and

COME GET

all hell

***

of nowhere in a storm of fury. Its towering legs tore through the ashen sand, throwing clouds of it into the air. Two scarlet eyes immediately focused on the shouting human, sending a nervous shiver through Sunny's

you pile of scrap! Come and get it, fat lobster! This is my island now!" he

not tall enough to reach

for long, but it was enough time to