Shadow Slave

Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then looked at Kai and said with determination.

"Let's go."

Kai nodded and followed the four-armed demon, pushing forward his bandaged body with visible effort. Seeing his friend's suffering, Sunny gritted his teeth.

The archer, meanwhile, glanced at him with a grim expression, and then said in his new, unfamiliar and ugly voice:

"Sunny… I have one question. Can you answer it?"

Sunny slowed down and turned to him, a deep scowl contorting the bestial lines of his face.

"Of course. What is it?"

Kai remained silent for a bit, then asked cautiously:

"Uh… where, exactly, are we going?"

Sunny blinked a couple of times, then tilted his head a little.

"Oh, right. Where else? We are going to talk to Noctis!"

With that, he turned around and continued walking toward the immortal sorcerer's residence.

The archer hurried to catch up, then said in a stifled tone:

"Ah… that Noctis? The immortal Transcendent? Blessed of the Moon, Crimson Beast of Twilight, Chain Lord of the Kingdom of Hope, and all that?"

at

he is indeed

their indifferent faces staring at them with hollow stillness. Noticing Sunny, one of them moved aside and knocked on the

them entered and froze, unsure how to

"What the hell…"

closed. He might have seemed like a wise sage in the middle of a deep meditation, if not for dozens of empty amphoras of wine that floated all around him. The terrifying Chain Lord, Blessed of the Moon, the Crimson Beast of

at Sunny, then at Kai. Finally, he landed on the floor and yawned, causing all the amphoras to fall down and shatter, sending drops of wine flying everywhere and staining the luscious

to see you so soon. And… uh… you brought someone with you? What a hideous creature… wait, did I say that out loud? No,

a hand, causing the whole residence to shudder and the shards of the amphoras to disappear without a trace. Then, Noctis walked over to a small

you owe the

owe… wait, wasn't it

who was staring at the immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned, disfigured face. Finally, he cleared his throat

I told you about? Well, this is one of them. And… yes, you did say it

sorcerer stared at Kai, blinked a couple of times, then took a

after visiting an island that doesn't exist, despite not knowing how they look, where they are, and what they are

Sunny smiled.

voice of an angel, and a face to go

sidelong glance, then bowed slightly and forced out a grating,

nice to

and looked right and left,

do not ever mention those creatures again, even in jest. Angels are not something to be called

briefly touched the symbol of the moon on

glad that you have found one of your friends. Have the two

for a bit,

have not. We still need to find two more friends for that.

more distant by the day. But he needed the sorcerer's help and his