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?"

glanced at him,

worry, though… he is

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

entered and

"What the hell…"

floor, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He might have seemed like a wise sage in the middle of a deep meditation, if not

Finally, he landed on the floor and yawned, causing all the amphoras to fall down and shatter, sending drops

to see you so soon. And… uh… you brought someone with you? What a hideous creature… wait, did I say that out loud? No, surely not… I am too wise and courteous to make a rude remark

them a radiant smile, then waved 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 table, picked

do you

wasn't it supposed to

at the immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned, disfigured face. Finally, he cleared his throat and turned

here to deliver some good news. Do you remember the friends I told you about? Well, this is

at Kai, blinked a couple of times, then took a bite out

friends that you were supposed to find after visiting an island that doesn't exist, despite not knowing how they look, where they are, and what they are called? He just happened to be

Sunny smiled.

my dear friend. A man with a voice of an angel, and a face

spared him a sidelong glance, then bowed slightly and forced out

is… nice to meet you, Lord

looked right and left, then

even in jest. Angels are not something to be called upon, whether by name or

symbol of the

have found one of your friends. Have the two of you discussed my

a

need to find two more friends for

more distant by the day. But he needed the sorcerer's help and his knowledge to find and retrieve Effie from