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?"

vitality. Without the bronze cuirass with leather

and shiny the other two look,

glanced at Cassie, then said in a reserved

said, the ambiance there is… well… an acquired

Effie grinned.

Anyway, how can

Star motioned

"Can we come inside?"

unruly huntress glanced

"Sure. Why not?"

the cabin was small and cozy. One of its corners was occupied by 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

most extravagant thing he had

what went on between

'Pure thoughts, Sunny! Focus!'

with a single wooden chair, and a pair of sturdy chests. The rest of the space was occupied by various curios that the huntress had scavenged from the ruins over the years. There was no particular logic

to her pile

important that you had to come and

in the morning?

lingered for a

the day we met.

then said in a

ruins once my food runs out. Which will be

how? The amount of meat she had butchered off those monsters was enough to feed a person for a couple of months. It was all gone

Changing Star nodded.

do, come with us. Be our

doesn't

not expected Neph to be this direct. He had always imagined this conversation taking much longer before getting

then threw her head back and

you want me to

her laughter died down, she shook her head

you have just arrived in the Dark City. You are as green as it gets. Best hunters out here wanted me to become a part of their party,

nodded with a serious

Flaw, you can't allow yourself to do the same. You need all the sustenance a hunt can provide. The more partners you have, the lesser your share will become, so… you hunt alone, and never sell

Effie smiled.

someone has been

paying any attention to the irony in those words,

solve that

solitary huntress