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The joint army had already withdrawn from the battlefield and traveled some distance away from it.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.

but... I fought long and hard to become the current me. I wouldn't trade it for

her face, and she looked at him with a

about to change in East

slowly nodded, prompting

are you

silent for a few moments, then

But... not too stupid. It's hard to

his face for a while,

stay in

turned around and walked away, heading for the departing force of

for informing Jet of the presence of his shadow, that would do neither of them any good. It was

will unfold, for the both of us... one thing

grimaced, then went to join

dismissed, and they were going to be

much more mundane... many of Valor Awakened were in possession of Echo mounts, and would be riding them across the desolate landscape. There were ordinary vehicles, as

the Fire Keepers, but before that, he sneaked into a small crevice that was drowned by deep shadows. There, he found a small figure laying motionlessly on the ground, spread-eagled, with a

His belly had, at least - it protruded from the scrawny frame of the little fiend like a balloon, looking as

the Shadow turned its head and

a

wretch. Can

and then

"...Wretch!"

Sunny scowled.

are you calling

sighed and dismissed the Shadow, sending the

those Nightmare Creatures that had to do something with steel and metal. Otherwise, he'll be on a vegetarian diet for

were already a few familiar faces inside - the members of Cassie's former cohort. The healer,

Sunny, they all

were a real terror on the

hell did you become

I really want to Ascend, too. Maybe I'll get a pseudo-transformation ability