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

Noctis. Don't worry, though… he is

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

them entered and froze, unsure how

"What the hell…"

levitating above the 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 for dozens of empty amphoras of wine that floated all around him. The terrifying Chain

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

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

to shudder and the shards of the amphoras to disappear without a trace. Then, Noctis walked over to a small table,

you

it

an inexorable expression on his burned, disfigured face. Finally, he cleared his throat

remember the friends I told you about? Well, this

blinked a couple of times, then took a bite

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

Sunny smiled.

friend. A man with a voice of

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

is… nice to meet you,

right and

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

touched the symbol of the moon on his forehead and

I am glad that you have found one of your friends.

a bit, then answered

We still need to find two more friends for

looking more and more distant by the day. But he needed the sorcerer's help and his knowledge to find and retrieve Effie from the mysterious Temple of the Chalice… in that particular matter, he was willing to