Shadow Slave

Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then looked at Kai and said with determination.

“Let’s go.”

Kai nodded and followed the four-armed demon, pushing forward his bandaged body with visible effort. Seeing his friend’s suffering, Sunny gritted his teeth.

The archer, meanwhile, glanced at him with a grim expression, and then said in his new, unfamiliar and ugly voice:

“Sunny… I have one question. Can you answer it?”

Sunny slowed down and turned to him, a deep scowl contorting the bestial lines of his face.

“Of course. What is it?”

Kai remained silent for a bit, then asked cautiously:

“Uh… where, exactly, are we going?”

Sunny blinked a couple of times, then tilted his head a little.

“Oh, right. Where else? We are going to talk to Noctis!”

With that, he turned around and continued walking toward the immortal sorcerer’s residence.

The archer hurried to catch up, then said in a stifled tone:

“Ah… that Noctis? The immortal Transcendent? Blessed of the Moon, Crimson Beast of Twilight, Chain Lord of the Kingdom of Hope, and all that?”

Sunny glanced at him, then shrugged.

“Yes, that Noctis. Don’t worry, though… he is indeed terrifying, but not unreasonable…”

Together, they crossed the garden of the Sanctuary and approached the beautifully engraved wooden door. A pair of Sailor Dolls were standing guard outside, their indifferent faces staring at them with hollow stillness. Noticing Sunny, one of them moved aside and knocked on the door, which then opened all by itself.

The two of them entered and froze, unsure how to react.

“What the hell…”

Noctis was levitating above the floor, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He might have seemed like a wise sage in the middle of a deep meditation, if not for dozens of empty amphoras of wine that floated all around him. The terrifying Chain Lord, Blessed of the Moon, the Crimson Beast of Twilight… was dead drunk.

Hearing someone enter, Noctis lazily opened one eye and stared at Sunny, then at Kai. Finally, he landed on the floor and yawned, causing all the amphoras to fall down and shatter, sending drops of wine flying everywhere and staining the luscious carpets.

“Ah, Sunless! What a nice surprise, to see you so soon. And… uh… you brought someone with you? What a hideous creature… wait, did I say that out loud? No, surely not… I am too wise and courteous to make a rude remark like that, of course… nice to meet you, whoever you are! Welcome… ah, to my quarters.”

He gave them a radiant smile, then waved a hand, causing the whole residence to shudder and the shards of the amphoras to disappear without a trace. Then, Noctis walked over to a small table, picked up a fresh apple, and glanced at his guests with a curious expression:

“To what do you owe the honor?”

‘To what do we owe… wait, wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around?’

Sunny frowned, then glanced at Kai, who was staring at the immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned, disfigured face. Finally, he cleared his throat and turned to Noctis:

“Actually, I am here to deliver some good news. Do you remember the friends I told you about? Well, this is one of them. And… yes, you did say it out loud.”

The sorcerer stared at Kai, blinked a couple of times, then took a bite out of the apple.

“Oh, so this is one of the friends that you were supposed to find after visiting an island that doesn’t exist, despite not knowing how they look, where they are, and what they are called? He just happened to be here, in my Sanctuary? How… fortunate.”

Sunny smiled.

“Indeed! This is Nightingale, my dear friend. A man with a voice of an angel, and a face to go along with it.”

Kai spared him a sidelong glance, then bowed slightly and forced out a grating, creaky greeting:

“It is… nice to meet you, Lord Noctis.”

The sorcerer shuddered and looked right and left, then shook his head.

“Gods, Sunless… do not ever mention those creatures again, even in jest. Angels are not something to be called upon, whether by name or in passing.”

Then, he briefly touched the symbol of the moon on his forehead and sighed.

“…Anyway, I am glad that you have found one of your friends. Have the two of you discussed my proposal?”

Sunny hesitated for a bit, then answered somberly:

“No, we have not. We still need to find two more friends for that. However…”

He sighed, knowing that the luxury of having a choice was looking more and more distant by the day. But he needed the sorcerer’s help and his knowledge to find and retrieve Effie from the mysterious Temple of the Chalice… in that particular matter, he was willing to compromise.

Even if he gave up the secret of the Glass Knife, he would still be in possession of the Obsidian one.

Sunny crossed two of his four arms, and said:

“I am willing to share the location of the Shadow Lord’s knife with you, in exchange for some assistance.”

Noctis stared at him for some time, then suddenly grinned.

“Really? What assistance do you require? I am the most helpful person in the Kingdom of Hope, you know!”

Sunny raised two fingers.

“First, you will help treat my friend’s wounds. Second, you will help us rescue another of our other friends from the place she is being held in.”

He thought for a bit, and then raised a third finger.

“Oh! And also, coins. You will give me lots of Noctis coins.”

The sorcerer ate his apple in silence for a bit, then laughed.

“Well… I think I can do two out of those three things, at least. No problem. So, tell me… where is your other friend being held?’

Sunny lingered for a few moment, still hesitant to make the bargain. Finally, he sighed, and said:

“Temple of the Chalice.”

Noctis suddenly choked on the apple, coughed violently a few times, then grabbed a glass of wine and nervously emptied it. Then, with a flushed face, he glanced at Sunny and forced out a strange smile.

“…One. I think I can do one out of those three things, at least…”

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