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,

that Noctis. Don't worry, though… he

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

two of them entered and froze, unsure how

"What the hell…"

and his eyes 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

enter, Noctis lazily opened one eye and stared 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

say that out loud? No, surely not… I am too wise and courteous to make a

the shards of the amphoras to disappear without a trace. Then, Noctis walked over to a small table, picked up a fresh apple, and glanced at his guests with a

you

wasn't it supposed to be the other way

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

deliver some good news. Do you remember the friends I told you about? Well, this is one of them. And… yes,

a couple of times, then took a bite out of the

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

Sunny smiled.

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

then bowed slightly and forced out

to meet you, Lord

looked right and left, then shook his

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

the symbol of the moon on his forehead and

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

a bit, then answered

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

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