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

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 it with gusto, and then glanced at the blind

sorry. I only

petty. But so

what are you doing, exactly? Why

smiled a little, then answered

am looking for

turned away from the

clan that you will return alive. No, I did not see a

stared at her with a

She can read minds

read minds. If you must know, my Second Ability allows me to sense what will happen in the next few seconds. That's why I can walk around without a

He grimaced.

be very

like that, she might have become a very formidable fighter.

So, he asked curiously:

mean that you

Cassie shook her head.

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, I

thought for a bit, then

is my next

girl simply shook her

soul essence to guess. You want to know how I knew

finished his fruit, threw the

adventures, then how did you know that I wasn't going

for a bit, then turned away. After a while,

"It's still spring."

He scowled.

does that have to do with anything? You knew that I

Cassie smiled.

that you wouldn't die. Because, you