Shadow Slave

The news that the Chain Breaker could be restored to its former... future?... glory was a welcome one. However, it was going to take time for Cassie to repair it. They were also going to need a lot of materials, as well as plenty of help from the locals of Fallen Grace.

There were experienced shipbuilders among them. Sunny and Nephis had only patched up the ancient vessel well enough for it to not sink immediately, but there were a lot of things they weren't able to achieve. Now, the situation was different.

Just repairing the hull and the decks was going to take a few weeks. After that part was done, more intricate work would start - Cassie was going to have to restore the runic pathways that made the enchantments of the flying ship work.

That sounded like a lot of time.

Sunny and Nephis knew that an entire year had already passed within the Tomb of Ariel since the start of the Nightmare, and yet they felt uneasy wasting even a single day. The members of the cohort were somewhere out there, after all, their situations unknown. Perhaps they were in desperate need of help.

In the end, the three of them decided not to postpone their departure too much. Sunny and Nephis needed to rest, and the Chain Breaker had to receive urgent repairs... but since Cassie would be able to work on the enchantments alone, they were going to leave Fallen Grace as soon as the work on the damaged portions of the hull was finished.

Which left them with maybe two weeks of peaceful time to recover and prepare themselves.

Looking at the crimson blaze of dusk from the window of Cassie's private chambers, Sunny sighed.

The sky was a painting of beautiful red, and the Great River was like a sea of burning blood. The city below them was like a snow flower.

"...Are you going to be alright, leaving Fallen Grace behind?"

Turning away from the window, he looked at the blind girl. She was brewing tea, seemingly not at all inconvenienced by her golden shackles.

Nephis was nearby, too, studying the murals on the wall.

Cassie softly shook her head.

"I did get attached to these people. But what we are doing is for their sake, as well... if we don't strike at Verge, there is no future left for the River People. In a few years, or decades at most, they will be gone."

they were the real River People, of course. As far as humans of the waking world knew, the world of the Nightmare would cease to exist as soon as

had never been able to,

walked over to the table and

understand that? Will they let

were standing just outside the door. Even though he could not see them, he could

moments, pouring

it well... don't worry. Come,

attention away from the murals and joined them

for a bit, then said

I... I missed you too. And I'm glad that

then at Sunny. Her gaze lingered on his face for a

took a sip of the fragrant

like the

as well, but then surrendered to the embarrassment of showing his true feelings and pretended to choke on his tea

I got skewered by a Carapace Centurion, or when that damned

a

"...Yes."

He stared.

time... I'll

would take

Sin of

"Self-pity, huh?"

'Shut the hell up!'

glance at the sword wraith, then shook his

Forgotten Shore many times. The hell of it... had also been