Shadow Slave

Sunny staggered back, stunned by the sudden appearance of Saint Tyris. A tense, dangerous silence settled over the island after she spoke, with only the wailing of the wind breaking it.

Snow danced in the air, slowly settling onto the cold ground.

His heart was beating like a caged animal.

'Where did she come from… what is going on, damn it?'

Cormac scowled and looked at the slender woman with a dark expression on his stern, weathered face. The Saint did not seem amused by the sudden appearance of the leader of the White Feather clan.

"Sky Tide… stay out of this."

Saint Tyris didn't move, still shielding Sunny and Cassie with her slender body. The wind picked up, and the clouds seemed to become heavier, as if expressing her suppressed emotions.

…Only, as Sunny realized, they weren't suppressed at all. Sky Tide just didn't show them on her face. Instead, the world itself did it for her.

"I think not."

Cormac winced, resentful sparks appearing in his eyes.

"You don't know what you are interfering with, Tyris. Get out of my way. This is not your business."

She shifted slightly, the howling of wind growing louder. The violet flowers bent, pressed down to the ground.

"...This is my land. These Awakened are of my Citadel. Anything that happens here, and to them, is my business."

The other Saint sighed, then took a step forward.

"The entire garrison of the Night Temple was wiped out. These two are the only witnesses. Are sure that you want to make their fate your burden?"

Sky Tide frowned, then spoke, her voice even:

"If that is true, we can question them together, back in the Sanctuary."

Cormac smiled darkly, then shook his head.

"I'm afraid that won't be convenient. You might not know my task here, Tyris, but you know who gave it to me. Obstructing me in this matter is the same as obstructing the will of Valor… you wouldn't want to do that, would you?"

A corner of Sky Tide's mouth suddenly twisted upward. She stared at the fearsome Saint, and said, a hint of mocking in her voice:

"What is he going to do? How is he going to punish me? Exile my clan to a remote frontier region, maybe? Oh… wait…"

She took a step forward, as well, her tone changing, becoming darker and heavier. The clouds swallowed the sun, submerging the world into shadows.

way and allowed your odious scheme to happen. I have regretted it ever since. This is my

deafening thunderclap resounded, rolling across the Chained Isles like a herald of

in the depths of his cold, dangerous eyes. The

that I have forgotten, but it is you who doesn't seem to remember. Who I am. What I

forward, his killing intent growing thicker and more

a negotiation? You will stand down, or I will put you down.

for a moment, then looked over her shoulder at

for the two of you to

a step back, his mouth suddenly dry. He opened it, trying to force out

"But… but what about…"

approaching with steady steps. Her hair danced in the wind like

You won't survive the fury of

then grabbed Cassie and ran. They dashed away from the two Saints, heading for the distant edge of the island. He didn't know what a fight between Transcendents would look like, but had no doubt that mere mortals like the two

the world has gone

collided with a thunderous roar behind them, and Sunny was thrown into the air. A violent shockwave passed through

and felt it shifting, as if a powerful earthquake was happening mere meters away. Sunny struggled to rise back to his feet, then helped Cassie do the same and continued to run. Shards of stone

vast shadows rose

feathers white, her sharp beak and devastating talons forged out of lustrous, polished steel. Her enormous wings were wreathed in

of the creature was crowned

disappearing in the veil of storm clouds. A terrifying roar rolled across the

above, falling on the snow like vermilion

'Gods… oh, gods…'

The hurricane wind threw snow and sharp bits of ice into their faces, and their ears were ringing from the thunderous cacophony of the titanic battle

island, ready to jump onto the chain, when there was a sudden lull in the terrifying

fell down from the skies, so fast that Sunny couldn't even tell

center of the island with such force that its surface swayed like water. The shockwave of the impact was so fierce that it instantly

open, a wide crack spreading to both

and flying into the darkness

the disaster. All he could sense was that they were sent rolling down once again, this time even more violently than before. Only this time, instead of soil or stone, what they

ground disappeared, and Sunny found himself falling down, down,

he could do was grab Cassie and hold her close,

they plummeted into the abyss as all

cracked, then disintegrated into a rain of black stones. The seven bells

Isles shot toward the Hollow Mountains, colliding with their slopes with enough force to make the ancient slope shatter and create a momentary hole in the veil of flowing

Sunny, his eyes were still closed, so he didn't

the two Saint continued their harrowing

getting further and further away from that

a while, the sounds of the fighting

destruction disappeared, too, as well as the

they were falling through absolute darkness in complete silence and solitude, with nothing