Shadow Slave

Noctis sighed, then placed his empty cup on the table and stood up. He straightened the folds of his silk garment, then shook his head with a slight smile and headed across the stone plain of the menhirs.

Sunny scrambled to catch up to him, full of apprehension. The first thing he said to the sorcerer, however, had nothing to do with the messenger of the Chain Lords.

"A metaphor is a figure of speech… uh... sort of like an analogy?"

Noctis glanced at him with surprise.

"I must say, your composure is commendable, Sunless. However… do you really think that this is very important right now? Come now, we need to meet our visitor before he reaches the Sanctuary."

The sorcerer gestured at the silhouette of the flying ship that hovered some distance away, almost at the same height as them. Sunny summoned the Dark Wing, and then said:

"Uh... no. I don't. Why can't we meet the herald here, though? No, wait… if he did not even reach the Sanctuary yet, why is the island shaking?"

Noctis shrugged and gracefully rose into the air, flying toward the ship. What means he was using to do so, Sunny did not know. All he could do was jump as high as he could, and then glide forward.

The sorcerer glanced at him, and then said somberly:

"If we were to meet the herald here, my beautiful sanctuary might… well... get damaged. That would not do. As to why the island is shaking, I guess we'll see…"

Soon, they landed on the deck. The Sailor Dolls had already raised the sails and were hurrying around, preparing the ship for departure. Cassie, Kai, and Effie were also there, although they seemed to have arrived only moments before Sunny and Noctis.

nodded toward Cassie. The mystery of their swift

stern of the flying ship without wasting any time, and took his position as the kybernetes — the guide who steered the ship as it flew through the air. The ancient

a runic circle inscribed between the oars. Noctis stepped inside, turned, leaned comfortably on the bending inner surface of the tall aplustre, and placed his hands on the oars with a relaxed expression on his face. A moment later, the circle shimmered with ethereal

and with soul essence. There were invisible energy pathways spanning the whole length of it, all leading to the roots of the beautiful tree growing around the main

the vessel through the air, and not the kybernetes. Otherwise, Cassie would have never been able to fly it in the future. However, the pilot still needed to control that flow and serve as its nexus, and so,

…Or a Transcendent.

move, gaining speed as the wind filled its sails. Holding the oars with a carefree smile, the sorcerer then

you wished to observe how I control this beauty? Here is your chance to see a master at work! Truly, there is no helmsman more skilled and

blind girl with a guilty expression on his face, and

was the wrong word

remained silent for a few

used to

ship and its mysteries, Sunny left the two of them alone and walked to the

the heavenly chains,

giant steel colossus

He gritted his teeth.

the Chain Lords… was that a joke? Noctis conveniently failed to mention that this herald was going to be one

they had to meet the herald elsewhere, to avoid damaging the Sanctuary? Weren't

sight of an

island was still rather large and covered by soft grass, but the ancient stone columns that had been broken in the future still stood tall, forming three concentric circles. From above, they seem like a giant

laying in the center of the island, to give it the peculiar