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?"

it was his

would

young woman gave him a dubious look and shook her

look a little different,

Sunny grinned.

have the complexion of a marble

away with a sigh and mumbled under

how

Sunny dissipated into the shadows and appeared on top of the Rhino, sighing as the bone-chilling

not that cold. His passive resistance to the elements was already making itself

for better stability, summoned the Memory of Ice, and wrapped the shadow he kept with himself around his body, simultaneously circulating essence to

a slight chill, but it was in no way bothersome. Additionally, the winds

Huh.

Warbow, he sat down on

can get used to

to Falcon Scott continued. Traversing the abomination-infested expanse of the Antarctic Center was still hard and dangerous,

saw each other, communicating mostly over the chain of relays in the military vehicles. Sunny was stationed at the head of the column, while Naeve stayed in the rear to provide the

threat demanded both of them to fight side by side to vanquish it. Going into battle with the Nightwalker was both comfortable and

'Ah. Finally, a professional...'

long bone harpoon and a net woven out of

and his Aspect powers seemed to be under severe restriction, though, so the scion of the House of Night mostly supported Sunny and made it easier for him to kill their

more than

enough for Sunny to notice the difference between the two of them. It was

bit new to Sunny, and made him think about things that he had never

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. Without the additional supplies looted from its holds, he would have to deal with a supply

though, he had enough to feed everyone and arm those who could and

than Beth who showed any reaction was Kim.