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 bronze cuirass

how clean and shiny the other two look, I'm guessing that their stay in

at Cassie, then said in

Just like you said, the ambiance there is… well… an

Effie grinned.

how can I help

Star motioned at the

"Can we come inside?"

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,

extravagant

could only imagine what went on between those

'Pure thoughts, Sunny! Focus!'

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 this opulent collection except for

the three of them were seated, Effie returned to her pile

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

in the morning? It's

lingered for a few moments,

since the day

then said in a languid

food runs out. Which

was enough to feed a person for a couple of months. It was

Changing Star nodded.

with us. Be

she certainly doesn't

He had always imagined this

at them, then threw her head back

Do you want

her laughter died down, she shook her head

gets. Best hunters out here wanted me to become a part of

with a

their hunts. 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

Effie smiled.

has been

paying any attention to the irony in those

solve that

solitary huntress