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.

sapling. We spent two months searching for a living root in that ghastly place. And finally, deep underground, we found the only one that remained. The wondrous tree which kept

and then turned to

Artisans back in the 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 the way to the Chained Isles, too,

remained silent

her to challenge the Second Nightmare with him… was it a coincidence? They were going to have to brave the Sky Below to get to the Seed, after all, and

did she really

his thoughts, Cassie turned to

might be able to cross the Hollow Mountains. At

the familiar girl — Shakti — said

matter what. Going there on foot is suicide.

in their desire to find Nephis, it

about

Well… things were complicated.

He sighed.

defeat its current tenant without using fire? No offense, guys, but I

Fire Keepers looked at each other

a few

Use someone as bait, and strike the monster down

Sunny rubbed his face.

me guess… I am

blind girl smiled, then shook her

are the bait. You are the blade that will pierce the creature's

of grand, but she immediately ruined the moment by adding

it doesn't, then… well, you

icon of eloquence,

Sunny frowned.

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

burn the ship itself, but that didn't mean that he couldn't deliver once surgical, immolating strike to the main body of the monster. The bastard was

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

them gravely,

are you all so sure that

the Fire Keepers