Shadow Slave

Some time later, they were standing in front of a makeshift cabin. Just like Changing Star's patchwork dwelling, the cabin was constructed out of mismatched stone blocks that had been scavenged from the ruins. It was reinforced with monster hides here and there and seemed to be built slightly better than the rest of the hovels in the outer settlement.

There was a large bestial skull hung above the door, its thick forehead split apart by a devastating strike of some sharp weapon.

Glancing at the skull, Nephis took a step forward and knocked on the door. However, no response followed.

Sunny sighed.

"Maybe she's not home."

Instead of an answer, Changing Star frowned and banged on the door with her first. The first strike was somewhat gentle, but by the last, the bestial skull was on the verge of flying off the wall.

A sleepy and irritated voice sounded from the inside:

"I swear to gods, whoever you are, you'd better be a Nightmare Creature!"

A few moments later, Sunny heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Before it opened, though, Nephis suddenly spoke:

"Sunny, turn away."

Hearing a strange urgency in her voice, he scowled and did as she had asked.

"Your shadow, too."

'What is going on? Are we expecting trouble?'

As he was staring away from the cabin, the creaking of wood informed him that the door was flung open.

"Who the hell is… oh. It's you."

He swore he could hear Neph's teeth grinding against each other. A few seconds later, Changing Star spoke, her tone especially flat:

"...Put on a Memory, Effie. Please."

'Wait… what?'

Why would she… oh…

Oh!

When he was finally allowed to turn back, the last glimmers of ethereal light were yet to disappear from the fabric of Effie's provocatively short chiton. She wasn't wearing anything underneath, either.

"Here. Better?"

the last time he had seen her — tall, strong, and brimming with vitality. Without the bronze cuirass with leather pteruges, as well as other elements of the archaic armor, even more

how clean and shiny the other two look, I'm

glanced at Cassie, then

said, the ambiance there is… well… an acquired taste,

Effie grinned.

Anyway, how can I help

Star motioned at

"Can we come inside?"

glanced

"Sure. Why not?"

a large pile of furs that served Effie as a bed. At first glance, it didn't seem that lavish, but once it hit Sunny that each of the furs had come from the corpse of

most extravagant thing

what went on

'Pure thoughts, Sunny! Focus!'

was occupied by various curios that the huntress had scavenged from the ruins over the years. There was no particular logic to this opulent collection except for the fact

three of them were seated, Effie returned to her

what's so important that you had to come and wake me up this

morning?

a few moments,

haven't hunted since the day we

said in a languid

ruins once my food runs out. Which will be in a day

butchered off those monsters was enough to feed a person for a couple of months. It was all gone already? Just

Changing Star nodded.

do, come with us. Be

she certainly doesn't beat around

direct. He had always imagined

at them, then threw her head back

Do you want

her laughter died down, she shook her head and

offense, kids, but you have just arrived in the Dark City. You are as green as it gets. Best hunters out here wanted me to

nodded with a

Each hunter keeps a part to eat and sells the rest to the people in the slum. But because of your Flaw, you can't allow yourself to do the same. You need all the sustenance a hunt can provide. The more partners

Effie smiled.

see someone has

and, not paying

solve that problem

solitary