Shadow Slave

Back in the Labyrinth, Sunny wasn't the only one who had killed countless Nightmare Creatures. In fact, due to his primary role as a scout, the three main fighters of the cohort had killed many more.

He knew for a fact that at least two of them — Effie and Caster — had fully saturated their soul cores long before their return journey was finished. Absorbing any more shards would have been useless for them. At some point, Nephis had begun to abstain from consuming her share of the spoils, too.

Added with the shards that Sunny traded for the unwanted Memories that the members of the cohort had accumulated, a truly incredible amount of the alluring crystals had been placed into Effie's leather bag.

He had often wondered what Nephis would use them for, and now, he had his answer.

The people gathered in the main hall of the hunting lodge — her most trusted subordinates — stared at the tall pile of soul shards in utter shock. Here in the Dark City, this was an inconceivable wealth. One shard was enough to buy a person a week of food, comfort, and safety behind the tall walls of the Bright Castle.

Too many had died because they lacked these things. So, in a sense, the mountain of crystals in front of them was tantamount to a thousand human lives.

The scarred hunter slowly tore his eyes away from the glittering shards and looked at Changing Star, his face pale and his voice suddenly raspy:

"What… what is this, Lady Nephis?"

She remained silent for a few moments, and then said in her even, reserved, strangely affecting voice:

"This is for you. To nourish yourselves, and grow stronger. You are going to need every bit of strength for what awaits us in the days to come."

The young man watched her, a dangerous flame slowly igniting in his eyes. A flame of resolve, adoration…

Almost worship.

Hidden in a shadowy corner, Sunny smiled with dark apprehension.

Back at the start of it all, he had told Nephis that Gunlaug could not be defeated because he controlled every facet of life here in the Dark City: food, safety, hope and fear... even power itself.

Then, he had watched as she gave the people of the outer settlement free food, placed them under the protection of her sword, and ignited the embers of the long-forgotten hope in their hearts. All that remained was power.

she had brought them power as

to worship her. In

knew that their

hands. Looking inside the empty Memory with a bit of a

to come here and break your thick skulls. Share the shards

not make her say

***

the last shard had been absorbed, one of the watchers ran

"Coming! They are coming!"

hint of unrestrained

flexed his

is

faces full of tension. Only Nephis remained indifferent, watching out of the window at the dead city that sprawled below her like a

"Stay calm, everyone."

to Changing Star,

but… they are coming to take Effie! We can't allow that to happen. I'm done watching good people be taken into the damn Castle and never return. If

angry voices rose in the hall, accompanied

"Exactly!"

pay

dead body? Why

turned to them.

worry. Nothing is going to happen to Effie. You have my

seemed as though they were willing to believe anything she said, regardless of

the entrance to the stone lodge. It seemed as though

quickly grew silent.

all the people had gathered. A few moments later, its door was shattered, too, exploding into a shower of splinters along with the bits

man walked into the hall, his mere presence making the entire space look tiny. Compared to him, even Effie seemed to be of average height. There was a morose expression on his face and a dark glint