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.

looked the other way and allowed your odious scheme to happen. I have

he spoke the last words, a deafening thunderclap resounded, rolling across the Chained Isles like a herald of heavenly

cold, dangerous eyes. The Saint

forgotten, but it is you who doesn't seem

intent growing thicker and

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

shoulder at Sunny and Cassie. Her gaze was calm and

for the two of you to

step back, his mouth suddenly dry. He opened it, trying

"But… but what about…"

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

won't survive the fury

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

world has gone

behind them, and Sunny was thrown into the air. A violent shockwave passed through his body, causing a

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 flew past them like

vast shadows rose into the

prey, her feathers white, her sharp beak and devastating talons forged out of lustrous, polished steel. Her

rolling under them like iron chains. The head of the creature was crowned with twisting horns, and in his maw, countless sharp fangs glowed darkly, illuminated by immolating

of storm clouds. A terrifying roar rolled across the

above, falling

'Gods… oh, gods…'

them to the ground. The hurricane wind threw snow and sharp bits of ice into their faces, and their ears were ringing from the thunderous cacophony

to jump onto the chain, when there was a sudden lull

then, two shadows fell down from the skies, so

was so fierce that it instantly obliterated the field of flowers, blew away the

a wide crack spreading to both ends of the isle,

into the darkness

that they were sent rolling down once again, this time even more violently than before. Only this

disappeared, and Sunny found himself falling down, down, down. Down into the endless darkness of the Sky

and hold

into the abyss as

rain of black stones. The

Chained 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

closed, so he didn't see what hid

in all this chaos, the

to be getting further and further away from that clash with each

of the fighting

disappeared, too, as well as the last

were falling through absolute darkness in complete silence