Shadow Slave

Despite all his misgivings and unease, Sunny had never expected that this hunt was going to change everything. He was just going through the motions, somewhat on edge because of the scale of this joint operation, but also strangely reassured by the large number of hunters surrounding him.

The unusual hunting party left the outer settlement at noon, heading east, to the massive ruin of a collapsed lighthouse that was situated at the edge of the city. There were almost twenty of them gathered together, all carefully making their way through the deadly maze of narrow streets, with Effie serving as the chief pathfinder and Sunny helping her by scouting ahead.

The plan was as straightforward and simple as possible. However, nothing was really ever safe in the Dark City. Everyone was prepared for the worst.

And pretty soon, their fears came true.

Halfway to their destination, a sudden sound made Effie freeze in place. Raising a fist to signal everyone to stop, she peered into the fog, a dark and foreboding expression on her face. Feeling that something bad was about to happen, Sunny commanded his shadow to return and moved closer to Cassie. His hand was ready to grasp the hilt of the Midnight Shard out of the air.

For a few moments, everything was quiet. Then, Effie's pupils suddenly widened.

"Scatter!"

As soon as the word left her mouth, the experienced hunters dashed in different directions. Sunny himself grabbed Cassie and lunged to the side, dragging her along with him.

Then, something large and heavy crashed from above into the cobblestones where the Sleepers had been standing just a second ago. Luckily, most of them were already somewhere else due to Effie's timely warning.

However, a couple of people were a little late to react. Their screams drowned in the sickening sound of tearing flesh.

Sunny cursed.

leaving him with no choice but to fight without its aid. He spun around, summoning the Midnight Shard… and froze for a fraction of a second, all blood draining from

the cracked cobblestones, its pale body and black feather stained by the blood of the unfortunate hunters. Its terrifying beak was open,

A Spire Messenger!

a long red tongue snaked out of the creature's maw

'Move!'

the paralysis, Sunny gripped his sword and prepared to fight for

…His and Cassie's.

risking encountering something equally as or even more terrifying, or stand

a familiar enemy was always

'Unknown…'

the terrible creature, each strike still

a Sleeper could ever hope to wound a Fallen Beast. However, if their assault was ferocious enough, the

them were going to die. More

beak, piercing one of the hunters clean through despite the man's mighty build and

shadow would come back in

in the end, it was

Sunny could see her lean, powerful muscles moving like wire ropes under the olive skin. As though turning into a spring, her whole body tensed, and then exploded with momentum. There was enough force behind her attack to split a mountain

Messenger's chest and stab deep, causing a stream of blood to shoot out. The creature screamed, and then lashed out

on Effie's left hand. Digging the soles of her sandals into the ground, she leaned forward and

a mouthful of blood, she grinned crazily and twisted

did not expect to meet such fierce resistance from a bunch of ants, not to mention actually being hurt by them. Letting out another scream, it waved its wings to send the Sleepers flying back, picked up the dead hunters, and jumped