Shadow Slave

Sunny was at a loss for words.

Had he even heard it right?

"You are going to… repair… the ancient, broken, monster-infected ship?"

Well… it made a lot of sense, actually.

Cassie nodded.

"Yes. We are going to cleanse, repair, and make it fly again."

Oh, so it was a flying ship, too!

'Perfect!'

Honestly, Sunny shouldn't have been surprised. All the clues had been there for a long time.

He had already known that the ship depicted on the miraculous coins was, most likely, the very same that lay broken on the Shipwreck Island. The connection was pretty easy to make, considering that they looked alike, and that the coins had come from its treasury in the first place.

Sunny had also asked himself the question of what a sailing ship was doing in the middle of Chained Isles, which had no sea and no rivers for it to sail on. The thought that it had actually been designed to fly through the skies had crossed his mind, among other things.

And finally, on the coins, the ancient ship was shown as having a beautiful tree wrapped around its mast. It had also belonged to the enigmatic person called Noctis. Wasn't it too much of a coincidence, then, that Cassie had come to the Sanctuary of Noctis and ventured on a long expedition to a Desecrated Grove?

The word "desecrated" implied that the burned grove had been sacred once. After all, only sacred things could be desecrated. And a sacred tree sounded exactly like something capable of making a massive ship fly.

…Right?

Sunny stared at the large wooden box with a ponderous expression. After a while, he asked:

"So what's in the box?"

Cassie walked over and gently put a hand on its lid.

place. And finally, deep underground, we found the only one that remained. The wondrous tree which kept the ancient ship afloat in the

then turned to the Fire

Bright Castle. Shakti is gifted with an Aspect that helps plants thrive, and was Kido's apprentice. Kaor is an Awakened carpenter. We have more people on

silent

was it a coincidence?

much did she really

turned

cross the Hollow Mountains. At least…

familiar girl — Shakti — said in

there on foot is suicide. Maybe flying will be

really, really resolute in their desire to find Nephis, it

about Sunny

Well… things were complicated.

He sighed.

tenant without using fire? No offense, guys, but I really don't think that you can handle that fight. Maybe

each other again. Finally,

a few moments, and

are going to kill it the old-fashioned way. Use someone

Sunny rubbed his face.

me guess… I

girl smiled, then

are the blade that will pierce the creature's

and sort of grand, but she immediately

it doesn't, then… well,

icon of eloquence,

Sunny frowned.

idea of not being the bait for once… well, to be honest, Neph was usually the bait. Actually, this plan sort of made sense. He already knew that he could survive in the poisonous miasma inside the ship, and that with enough augmentations, the Cruel Sight could damage the

divine flame. Yes, Sunny couldn't burn the ship itself, but that didn't mean that he couldn't deliver once surgical,

was… would the Fire Keepers be able to keep the monster preoccupied long enough

at them gravely, and

all so sure that I can kill that

of the