Shadow Slave

Eventually, Sunny climbed out of the sleeping niche and went about the business of managing the caravan. They had made it far into the mountains and were already moving north, toward their true goal.

The blizzard was still raging, reducing visibility to almost zero. The landscape was as grim and foreboding as ever.

Surrounding areas needed to be scouted, maps needed to be updated, reports needed to be received, and a hundred other things demanded his attention.

Before getting down to it, Sunny spared a few moments to stare at the grey fabric and lusterless black leather of the Puppeteer's Shroud.

Who could have thought that he would be reduced to seriously using it again, after all that time?

'It sure is much more comfortable than walking around in a full plate of steel armor. Ah, the old me had it good...'

Actually, not really.

Sunny was ready to climb to the roof of the Rhino when he noticed Beth staring at him with a strange expression. He lingered for a moment.

"What?"

She blinked a couple of times, then pulled her gaze away.

"No, no... nothing..."

Sunny frowned.

"Just say it, will you?"

Beth remained silent for a second, then asked hesitantly:

"Are you... uh... are you wearing makeup?"

time, it was his

would

him a dubious look and shook

just look a little

Sunny grinned.

a marble statue, no makeup involved. Didn't you

sigh and

how is

chuckle, Sunny dissipated into the shadows and appeared on top of the Rhino, sighing as the

he was not that cold. His passive resistance to the elements

the shadow he kept with himself around his body, simultaneously circulating essence to double

was in no way bothersome. Additionally,

Huh.

Morgan's Warbow, he sat down on the roof and

get used

the Antarctic Center was still hard and dangerous, but with Naeve assisting Sunny

relays in the military vehicles. Sunny was stationed at the head of the column, while Naeve stayed in the rear to provide the best possible defensive

threat demanded both of them to fight side by

'Ah. Finally, a professional...'

long bone harpoon and a net woven out of unnaturally durable threads to

on land, and his Aspect powers seemed to be under severe restriction, though, so the scion of the House of Night mostly supported

was more

Sunny to notice the difference between the two of them. It was understandable... after all, the Nightwalker had a family to come back to. He carried more

perspective was a bit new to Sunny, and made him think about

things were going... as expected. The caravan continued to grow, several more groups of Erebus Field survivors joining it. By then, Sunny was secretly starting to thank the gods that Naeve's ship had suffered catastrophic damage.

and arm those who could and knew how to

Beth who showed any reaction was Kim. At some point, she gave him a very weird look and hastily