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.

it's

however, he was

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

of an

to reach their destionation. Soon, the smell of

frowned slightly, while Aiko

"Gods… poor bastards…"

to notice something that his shadow had missed to give him a

anyone except for the three Guards had been in this

crap doesn't seem to bother you, but I… I mean, Stev seems to be really scared. Just

hesitated for a

the pool of blood. The shadow had not noticed it earlier

up the bloodied piece of metal, then

in the shape of a flower blossom. It

that thing doing

a few moments and then

out

***

to the barricades creating the border of Changing Star's territory. The Sleepers standing watch were surprised to see Sunny come back with two strangers, but let

Aiko raised an eyebrow.

inspect us? What

watchmen glanced at each other, and

would. But

petite young

Is he in very high

then coughed with a

conversation with him is,

stared at him

supposed to

hurriedly shook

need to inspect the

made a

him out

Sunny turned away and led the two newcomers deeper into the stronghold, searching