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.

deep underground, we found the only one that remained. The wondrous tree which

sighed, and then turned to the

Shakti is gifted with an Aspect that helps plants thrive, and was Kido's apprentice. Kaor is an

remained silent for a

long time. From before he had come to invite 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,

did she really

thoughts, Cassie turned to him. Her face

be able to cross the Hollow Mountains. At least… at least

a while, the familiar girl — Shakti

have to try, no matter what. Going there on foot is suicide. Maybe flying will be

were all really, really resolute in their desire to find

what about

Well… things were complicated.

He sighed.

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 for a while outside the wreck, but inside… it's

looked at each other again. Finally, their

few

going to kill it the old-fashioned way. Use someone as bait, and strike the

Sunny rubbed his face.

me guess… I

girl smiled, then shook

are the bait. You are the blade that will pierce the

and sort of grand, but she immediately ruined the

If it doesn't, then… well, you

exactly the icon of

Sunny frowned.

like the 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

that 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

to keep the monster preoccupied long enough for Sunny to

them gravely, and

all so sure that I can kill that

the Fire Keepers