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?"

had seen her — tall, strong, and brimming with vitality. Without the bronze cuirass with

the other two look, I'm

glanced at Cassie, then said in

particularly. Just like you said, the ambiance there is…

Effie grinned.

said! Anyway, how can

motioned at

"Can we come inside?"

glanced back, then

"Sure. Why not?"

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 furs had come from the corpse of a Nightmare Creature,

was probably the most extravagant

could only imagine what went

'Pure thoughts, Sunny! Focus!'

had scavenged from the ruins over the years. There was no particular logic to this opulent collection except for the fact that each object had once caught her

were seated, Effie returned to her pile

that you had to come and wake me up this early in

the morning? It's already

a few moments, then

hunted since the day we met.

said

runs out. Which will be in a day or

meat she had butchered off those monsters was enough to feed a person for a

Changing Star nodded.

with us.

doesn't

some reason, Sunny had not expected Neph to be this direct. He had always imagined this conversation taking

her

a good one! Do you want me to be your

laughter died down, she shook

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

nodded with

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…

Effie smiled.

has been

her head a little and, not paying any attention to the irony in those words,

solve that

the solitary huntress interrupted