Shadow Slave

Chain Breaker was sailing across the vast expanse of the Great River. With each day, the time of their inevitable arrival at Verge drew closer. Torment was waiting there, as well as the remnants of the Defiled horde. All dreadful and powerful adversaries, without a doubt.

Sunny felt a strange melancholy settle in his burdened heart... something he did not want to carry, and could not afford to feel. His mind had to be focused on the preparations for the nearing battle. The battle that was going to decide whether they would return home as Saints, or be buried forever in the dreadful darkness of the Tomb of Ariel.

So, he did what he did best. He put his feelings aside, and got to work.

Five Memories waited for him to alter them, each possessing a unique and complicated weave. Each was different from the Crown of Dawn, and called for a different approach.

The suits of armor Effie and Kai had received for slaying the two Chain Lords of the Ivory City were the easiest to deal with. Armor was meant to be durable, after all, and perhaps for that reason, the weave of these Memories was robust and durable, as well.

Or maybe it was simply because of where they came from. In any case, Sunny had a good feeling about altering the Memories left behind by the two immortal Saints.

The deadly arrow and the helpful charm Nephis had received in Twilight were much more complicated. They were entirely different from each other, as well, which made the task of studying the weave of their enchantments harder.

But the most troublesome Memory by far was the Transcendent weapon of the Seventh Tier Nephis had received for slaying Soul Stealer. Not only was the weave of the silver blade infinitely more complex, but Sunny was also trying to do something he had never done before — replace a single nexus of a greater Memory and enhance only one of its enchantments, leaving the rest untouched.

More than that, the weave of the altered enchantment had to be completely isolated, so that the pressure of its more potent essence did not break the balance of the entire tapestry.

it all was driving him insane. Finding countless solutions to a myriad of problems demanded all

He also liked not being able to dwell on other

Turning into

the azure sky and finally entered the reaches of the

Nightmare Creatures on the way. Sunny was somewhat forced to swallow his previous confidence — yes, nothing managed to defeat the cohort or gravely wound any of the seven

the ship did not take any water. But having to hastily patch the damaged section in the middle of a prolonged battle made everyone remember why arrogance was the quickest

the two suits of armor. Effie and Kai each had a Supreme Memory to protect them now, while Jet had

detailed knowledge of each of the three weaves. All that

to take him some time... but before that happened, the Chain Breaker

was

had been wary and ready for battle. He had even chosen to assume the form of the onyx serpent, following the graceful vessel from below the

different now. The Chain Breaker was soaring above the water instead of resting on the currents. There

was different, too. Not only did it feel like an island of safety and peace

to gain back their vitality. The first time Sunny and Nephis saw Fallen Grace, it was like a wilting white flower that floated on the crimson waves, bathed in the intense glow of the setting suns. There were still signs of deterioration hidden behind its beauty, but the

be recovering from

were connected by solid bridges, and a few new ones were

all else, the atmosphere of the last city had entirely changed. If it had been somber and stifled before, now

if people who had no hope had suddenly