Shadow Slave

Cassie had changed since the last time they met.

Her hair was longer, and there was a strange silver half-mask covering her eyes, its surface blind and intricately engraved. It matched the polished steel of the armor she was wearing on top of a midnight blue coat, comprised of a short cuirass, vambraces, greaves, and a segmented pauldron.

The Quiet Dancer hung on her belt, but there was also a long dagger opposite it, its guard twisting upward.

What changed most of all, however, was her demeanor. The blind girl seemed… much older, somehow. Firmer, poised, but also weary. As if pressed down upon by the weight of years.

'What? What years? She's younger than me!'

Sunny struggled a little, then pretended to smile, too, for the benefit of the young Fire Keeper who no doubt expected a warm reunion.

No one knew what had happened between them, after all.

"Yeah. I received your note… cryptic as it was. And here I am. In the flesh."

The girl who had led him to Cassie glanced at them, then made an excuse and went back to the camp, tactfully deciding to remove herself from what she thought was going to be an emotional meeting of two old friends.

…Former friends, really.

Sunny hesitated a little, then asked:

"So… how have you been?"

Cassie sighed, then turned back to the excavated roots of the charred tree.

After a while, she spoke:

"Not so good, actually."

Her voice sounded distant.

"We… we have tried to venture into the Hollow Mountains, as you must know. But it was hopeless. That place is pure death, for anyone who dares set foot into the mist. We hoped to find a way back to the Forgotten Shore. In the end, however, we were lucky to simply escape alive."

Cassie remained silent for a bit, then asked:

"What about you?"

Sunny grinned:

Oh, I've never

that, he summoned the Covetous Coffer, fished out some fresh, fragrant fruit from it, and sat down on a nearby stump. Taking a big bite out of a juicy peach, he chewed

only brought enough

that he was being ridiculously petty. But so what? Pettiness was his middle name. Figuratively

to return to the Forgotten Shore, and now… what are you doing, exactly? Why

little, then answered

am looking

from the hole

that you will return alive. No, I did not

her with a

this?! She can

minds. If you must know, my Second Ability allows me to sense what will happen in the next few seconds. That's why

He grimaced.

to be very annoying, I

Cassie, reevaluating her armor and weapons. With an Ability like that, she might have become a very formidable fighter. Or not. He didn't really understand how it worked,

So, he asked curiously:

that you can see

Cassie shook her head.

not exactly. But if I want to take a step forward, and sense falling into a ravine, I can walk around it instead. If I sense being pierced by a sword, I can try to deflect it. And if I sense being asked a question,

for a bit,

is my

girl simply

want to know how I knew

fruit, threw the pit into

my recent adventures, then how

lingered for a bit, then turned

"It's still spring."

He scowled.

anything? You knew that I would be fine because it's

Cassie smiled.

I knew that you wouldn't die.