Shadow Slave

Sunny knew how to write, of course. That said, he certainly did not have a lot of experience writing by hand, let alone had a signature — simply because people at large, and especially those in the outskirts, almost never used paper and pens to relay information. Why would they, if everything was usually stored digitally?

However, he was in a better position than most. Out there in the Dream Realm, many long-abandoned traditions had found a new life, so Sunny managed to scribble down his name on the piece of synthetic paper with at least some semblance of finesse.

Handing it back to Master Naeve of Night, he smiled awkwardly.

"Here. I… hope your daughter likes it."

The scion of the great clan received the piece of paper with gratitude and hid it in the pocket of his coat.

"Thank you very much. I am away a lot, so this will go a long way. Next time I see her, she will probably already be six… and terribly peeved that I've been gone for so long. Coming back with a present is bound to help!"

He looked at Sunny with genuine mirth. Then, a knowing spark gleamed in his strange indigo eyes.

Naeve gestured at the ocean and asked:

"You are not too comfortable on water, are you?"

Sunny lingered for a moment, then scoffed.

"You must have seen the movie yourself. Is it really a surprise that I have a complicated relationship with the sea?"

The handsome Master smiled.

"Oh, yes. I haven't thought about that, sorry. Still… at least you are familiar with it. Most people just don't understand."

men shared a strange feeling of closeness. Both had known the unfathomable dread of the depths,

the massive silhouettes of the iron ships for a few moments,

our chances of making

Naeve laughed.

can happen. But this convoy is as

dreadnought that moved in front of the

Night aboard the flagship. There are several Nightwalkers such as I spread around the other ships. There are also at least one cohort of experienced Awakened warriors of my clan on each vessel. We know what we are doing, so…

clan lingered for a moment, then added in a more somber

times, bringing the refugees away and returning with reinforcements for the government army. Each of the four fleets was made to be nearly indestructible. Still… that doesn't mean that our passengers can relax. Keep your wits about you,

looked at the handsome

more or less. I may be lacking

Naeve smiled.

have.

***

minutes before taking his leave. Master Naeve had turned out to be unexpectedly friendly and pleasant to be around. He was not at all like the arrogant representatives of

of their talk, Sunny felt a lot better about his current circumstances. He had also grown a bit fascinated with the

the patronage of a Sovereign, but wielded an irreplaceable power. That unique advantage had carved a place for them at the very

what was

had experienced twice before — one

The aspects of the Goddess of the Black Skies were all eerily related to the role the House of Night played in human

certain now that the founder of the great clan, an enigmatic Awakened of the First Generation known as

all six divine lineages are

inherited the lineage of Storm

the lineage of