Shadow Slave

Soon enough, it was time to say goodbye again. Effie and Kai were returning to the government-controlled section of East Antarctica with Wake of Ruin and Saint Tyris, while Jet was leaving with the forces of Song.

The joint army had already withdrawn from the battlefield and traveled some distance away from it. Now, it was ready to break apart... before it did, however, Sunny managed to find an opportunity to talk with Soul Reaper in private.

The long column of vehicles had come to a stop, and they found each other among the busy chaos of imminent separation.

"How is living with the Song clan treating you?"

Jet smiled a little, then shrugged.

"It's treating me fine. I am often reminded of why was it exactly that I never wanted to be a part of a Legacy clan... but it's fine. Weirdly, I feel a bit of kinship with these women."

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"Kinship, really? Why?"

She lingered for a few moments.

"A thief knows a thief, as a wolf knows a wolf. It's just a vague feeling, but I think that their Flaws are similar to mine... not exactly the same, but similar. I have no solid proof, of course, but there are ways to tell. A thing like that influences you in many subtle ways."

Jet looked away and let out a wistful sigh.

"All of Ki Song's daughters are adopted, you know? Many of them were taken from the outskirts when they were very young. Who knows, in another life, I might have been a princess of a great clan, as well... wouldn't that be a sight?"

Sunny looked at her gloomily, trying to imagine Soul Reaper in the traditional wine-red attire of the Song clan. However, his imagination failed him.

...No matter how hard Sunny tried, he just couldn't imagine Jet wearing a dress.

He scoffed.

"I do know, and yes, that would be a sight. However, I like the current you much more."

Soul Reaper laughed.

too young to understand the sentiment, but... I fought long and hard to become the

and she looked at him with

know that things are about to change in East Antarctica,

prompting

are you going

for a

something stupid. But... not too

studied his face for a while,

in touch,

she turned around and walked away, heading for the departing

Mordret... as for informing Jet of the presence of his shadow, that would do neither of

variables at play. I have no idea how the situation will unfold, for the both of us... one thing is certain,

grimaced, then went to join his own

tortoise Echo had been dismissed, and they were going to be traveling by using more mundane means

many of Valor Awakened were in possession of Echo mounts, and would be riding them across the desolate landscape. There

drowned by deep shadows. There, he found a small figure laying motionlessly on the ground, spread-eagled, with a drunk expression on its

protruded from the scrawny frame of the little fiend

Sunny, the Shadow turned its head

eyes for a moment, then

wretch.

stared at him lazily, and then answered in a

"...Wretch!"

Sunny scowled.

you calling a

so he sighed and dismissed the Shadow, sending the scrawny fiend to digest his ill-gotten gains

had to do something with steel and metal. Otherwise, he'll be on

walked over to one of the armored vehicles. There were already a few familiar faces inside - the members of Cassie's former cohort. The healer, Shim, Kaor and

Sunny, they all became

You were a real terror

the hell did you become that

Maybe I'll get