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 already

however, he was anything but

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 for

of an abomination

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

gruesome in person. Sunny frowned slightly, while Aiko and Stev had to struggle to keep the contents

"Gods… poor bastards…"

that his shadow had missed to give him

there were no signs that anyone except for the three Guards had been in this corridor in a long

to bother you, but I… I mean, Stev seems to be really scared. Just imagine what is going to happen if he

hesitated for a little,

had not noticed it earlier because there was nothing to shine on the small

he reached out with his hand and picked up the bloodied piece of metal, then brought it close to his

of a flower blossom. It wasn't a charm Memory, though… just a simple piece of

is that thing doing

scowl, he lingered for a few moments and then stood

get out

***

returned to the barricades creating the border of Changing Star's territory. The Sleepers standing watch were surprised to see

Aiko raised an eyebrow.

going to inspect us? What if

other, and then one

would. But it's

young

very

watchman gave a strange look, then coughed with

not that. It's just that starting a conversation

at him with an

supposed to

watchman hurriedly shook his

I need to

that, he made a

out of his boots or

and led the two