Shadow Slave

Sunny slept like a baby. There were no nightmares haunting his dreams, and when he woke up, his heart felt strangely at peace. He remained motionless for a while, feeling the warmth of Neph's hand resting on the crown of his head. The ketch was moving swiftly across the water, carried by both the wind and the current, and the world around them was dark. It was already night.

'...I overslept.'

Nephis should have woken him up. Had she gotten any rest herself?

Turning his head slightly, Sunny looked up and saw her elegant jawline. She was leaning on the wooden side of the ketch, her eyes closed. Her breathing was slow and deep. She was fast asleep. So... no one was keeping watch.

"Don't be upset with the Lady, my Lord."

Sunny flinched slightly and glanced at the stern of the boat, where Ananke was still sitting, holding lightly to the steering oar. Her dark mantle was of the same color as the night sky, making it hard to discern where its folds ended, and the night began.

"You both needed rest."

Sunny felt very comfortable laying on Neph's lap, but he had to sit up with a reluctant sigh. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at his shadows, which were all but invisible in the darkness. None of them showed any sign of being concerned, so he judged that the old woman had not tried anything strange while they slept.

Even though it would take a few more days for his reserves of essence to be fully replenished, they were not dry anymore. Due to the Shroud of Dusk, he also felt rested and refreshed.

However, he was slightly hungry. Sunny hesitated for a few moments, and then asked:

"Say... you wouldn't happen to have more of those little pies?"

Ananke smiled.

box. Eat well,

the wooden box was not a Memory that created food, but instead a storage Memory that helped keep supplies fresh. Everything inside must have been prepared by Ananke in

leftover pies, as well as more fruit and a couple other simple dishes, all perfectly fresh and preserved. It smelled so wonderful that he remained motionless for a moment,

the old woman

is... not easy for me to procure fruit and flour, these days. I hope

at her and

rotten devil meat for an entire month. This

his point, he picked up one of the pies and greedily pushed it into

her

still suffer from hunger in

answering. The old woman clearly believed that the future was some kind of a paradise that she and the

He shrugged.

too smart myself, sadly. At

his mind.

Grandmother?

mistaken her for a corpse not too long ago. However, she had only

gently shook

does not get hungry often. I'll just

the pies and

Otherwise, my teacher will give

learned that Sunny stuffed his belly while an elderly woman starved herself nearby... even if that

of fish was she going

one of the pies with a shaking hand and