Shadow Slave

Raising his hand, Sunny gave Aiko and Stev a signal to remain quiet. Then, with a frown, he commanded the shadow to abandon its hiding spot and find the Guards.

'They can't be near us… I would have heard them.'

Then where did the bastards go?

Soon, he had his answer.

The three Guards were in the corridor a hundred or so steps from Sunny's current position, just behind a corner. In a place where they shouldn't have been, since it was way off their previous route.

They were also dead.

Two had their skulls smashed in. Sunny did not know what weapon, tool, or limb was used to kill them, because their Memory armors had already disappeared. It had to have been something capable of piercing through steel, though, because the Guards had been wearing helmets the last time he saw them.

The third was even worse. His throat was torn, seemingly with terribly sharp fangs… to such degree that the young man's head was almost separated from his body. One would expect a sea of blood to come out of such a terrible wound, but in fact, there was surprisingly little of it on the floor.

However, the corpse of the Guard was unnaturally pale, as if devoid of blood completely.

'Curses…'

Sunny felt a cold shiver run through his body.

The shadow cautiously looked around, but didn't notice anyone else present on the scene of the gruesome slaughter.

Aiko and Stev were staring at Sunny with alarmed expressions. After waiting for several minutes, he finally relaxed a little and motioned for them to follow.

"What happened?"

He hesitated for a few seconds, then said in an even tone:

"The Blood Lord has just been here."

Their eyes widened.

"That fiend?! Then why aren't we running?!"

Sunny glanced at them with a calm expression.

worry, it's already

he was anything but

to get past his shadow and slaughter them just a hundred steps away without making enough noise to attract his attention… that, on the other hand, was a reason

what kind of an

of them had to pass the place where the Guards had been killed to reach their destionation. Soon, the smell of blood hit their nostrils, making

frowned slightly, while Aiko

"Gods… poor bastards…"

notice something that his shadow had missed to give him a clue of what type of Nightmare Creature the Blood Lord was,

no signs that anyone except for the three

but I… I mean, Stev seems to be really scared. Just imagine what is going to

hesitated for a little,

they left, however, he suddenly noticed something glint in the pool of blood. The shadow had not noticed it earlier because there was nothing to shine on

with his hand and picked up the bloodied piece of metal, then brought it close to his eyes to take

the shape of a flower blossom. It wasn't a

is that thing doing

scowl, he lingered for a few moments and then stood up, turning away from the

get out

***

territory. The Sleepers standing watch were surprised to see Sunny come back with two strangers, but let them in

Aiko raised an eyebrow.

going to inspect us? What if

glanced at each other, and then one of

we would. But it's

petite young woman

he in very

look, then coughed with a bit of

just that starting a conversation with him is,

stared at him with an offended

that supposed

watchman hurriedly shook his

to inspect the barricade. If you'll

that, he made a hasty

him out of his boots

led the two newcomers deeper into the stronghold, searching for