Shadow Slave

Trying to gather his courage, Sunny looked into the distance and said in a raspy voice:

"You've seen the creatures that dwell under these waves. Do you really want to swim across them?"

Changing Star was silent for a few seconds, then sighed.

"We are damned either way, Sunny. What do we have to lose?"

She fell silent for a moment and grimaced, pale flames dancing in her eyes. Then, in a quiet voice, she added:

"We will not light any fires, relying on your eyes to guide us west. We will hope that Cassie's armor will protect us. Maybe it will be enough."

Sunny glanced at Neph and asked:

"What's so special about Cassie's armor?"

She hesitated for a moment, then answered without looking at him:

"It's a tier six awakened Memory. One of its traits is to make the wearer less likely to draw the enemy's attention."

While Sunny was digesting this information, Nephis suddenly trembled. Closing her eyes, she said through gritted teeth:

"I am at my limit. My mind is… fading. If you have any questions left… better… ask them fast."

He blinked, startled. Then, knowing that there was not much time left, Sunny asked the first thing that came to his mind:

"Do you even know how to build a boat?"

Changing Star simply nodded, letting him know that she did. Her expression was slowly turning lost and dull again.

Racing against time, Sunny frantically thought of another question.

to leave the island once

the last shreds of lucidity. For a moment, her eyes became

those words to me, and I

thoughts, she turned away and

Cassie and flee.

and soon, Changing Star was staring west once again, all memory of their conversation gone from

waiting. After a while, he shifted a

"Hey, Neph."

to him, her face bleak and full

Oh… when did

"A while ago."

said in a carefree

I ask you something? Do

***

didn't tell her why exactly he wanted to build a boat, dodging the questions with practiced finesse. His Flaw was not making things easy, but with the state Neph was in, persuading her was

again would have taken too much time. Not to mention that he wasn't

not much time left. With every

felt that his mind was beginning to slip, he had to inflict pain on himself to get a few moments of reprieve.

had to flee the island as soon as possible. Sunny was determined to be ready by the time the dark

her see the pained expression on his face, Sunny bit his hand once again. Feeling the bitter

prevent himself from being eaten. What

hand behind his back, Sunny turned to Neph

how are we going to

for some time, then

will have to use the materials at hand. For the hull, we will have to use the dead demon's carapace. We can strip several armor plates of

Sunny raised his eyebrows:

out of some strange steel. Can steel

at him with

just have to make sure that you're displacing more water than the weight of the floating object. That's

He blinked.