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.

one that remained. The wondrous tree which kept the ancient ship afloat in the sky had come from that grove, once. The sapling

and then turned to the Fire

and Kaor were 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

remained silent for a

invite her to challenge the Second Nightmare with him… was it a

much did she really

thoughts, Cassie turned to him. Her

to cross the Hollow Mountains.

grew quiet. After a while, the familiar girl — Shakti — said in a

matter what. Going there on foot

really, really resolute in their desire to

what about

Well… things were complicated.

He sighed.

how you might be able to repair it. But how are we going to defeat its current tenant without using fire? No offense, guys, but I really don't think that you can handle that fight. Maybe you can hold on

Keepers looked at each other again. Finally,

few moments, and

someone as bait, and strike the monster down while it's

Sunny rubbed his face.

guess… I

blind girl smiled, then shook her

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

and sort of grand, but she immediately ruined the moment by

a heart. If it doesn't,

icon of eloquence, are

Sunny frowned.

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

didn't mean that he couldn't deliver once surgical, immolating strike to the main body of the monster. The bastard was weak to fire, so the result would probably be nothing short of

able to keep

looked at them

sure that I can kill

the Fire