Shadow Slave

Soon after, Sunny found himself in a very strange situation. He was left alone with three emissaries of the great clan Valor - Changing Star, Morgan, and Whispering Blade himself. Two of the most powerful people in the world were right there in front of him, speaking with each other casually. And, of course, Nephis was there too.

The waiting room they had been led to was comfortable and spacious. Food and refreshments had been served by the staff members, and it seemed as if the four of them were having a friendly get-together back in NQSC. The only difference was that everyone was wearing armor... well, except for Sunny himself. Still, he fit right in with the members of clan Valor due to his black tunic.

He sighed. ’Speak about strange bedfellows. That is what they call sleeping with the enemy, huh... wait. Neither of these sentences sounds right!’ Lamenting the poor sense of whoever had come up with these idioms, Sunny reached for a plate and loaded it with all kinds of food. Supplies were a sore point for the Evacuation Army, but Wake of Ruin must have decided to go all out today - there were a lot of things on the table that would have been almost impossible to procure anywhere in Antarctica, except maybe on the black market.

The pile of food attracted the attention of Morgan, who observed him for a few moments, and then raised an eyebrow. Her vermilion eyes had a hint of amusement in them. ”...Are you very hungry, Master Sunless?” He glanced at her somberly, then shook his head.

”Well, if you must know... I spent the last couple of weeks in the wilderness, scouting out the migration routes of a horde of Nightmare Creatures. Then, I had to lend a hand in a battle against a Corrupted Tyrant, and came to meet you pretty much immediately after that. But... no. I’m not that hungry.” He leaned back and raised his heavy plate.

”However, one of the first things Antarctica teaches you is to eat when you can. Who knows when I’ll have a chance to have a proper meal again?” Whispering Blade chuckled.

”So... not too different from subjugating the Dream Realm, then. Morgan is a bit too young to remember, but back when human territory was actively expanding, it wasn’t rare for Awakened to spend years in hellish conquests of untamed regions. Good food was more precious than soul shards.” The Saint looked at his niece with an outwardly benevolent expression and smiled.

Morgan grimaced, then sighed. ”What a frustrating day. Everyone seems inclined to point out how young and inexperienced I am.” Sunny made himself busy chewing. At the same time, he sent Nephis a mental question through the Blessing of Dusk.

[What’s up with them?] She showed no sign of having heard him, playing her part perfectly. However, a moment later, he received a response: [Don’t mind their games. They’re just playing... it only helps Morgan to be seen as an inexperienced beneficiary of nepotism, and for Madoc to be seen as an envious man who is full of bitter resentment toward his younger brother. In truth, she is probably the more formidable of the two, and Valor’s unity is like a monolith.]

Sunny poured himself a cup of strong coffee. [More formidable of the two? Really?] Nephis was looking in the window. [Not in terms of combat power. But she is young... once Morgan becomes a Saint, Madoc - or any other Saint, perhaps - won’t stand a chance against her.]

’That... makes me feel a bit better, actually. So I’m not too much of a loser for being crushed by her in less than forty seconds.’ Their short duel in the Dreamscape was still fresh in his memory.

The exchange of thoughts with Nephis only took a couple seconds. It was just enough time for Morgan to turn to her and ask: ”What about you, sister? Do you perhaps consider me unworthy of leading this expedition, as well? Well, it’s true that I’m not quite as distinguished of a leader as my dear sister. Do you think you should have been in charge instead?” As Sunny shifted uncomfortably, Neph looked at Morgan, calmly held her gaze for a couple of moments, and then said in an even tone:

”...If I wanted to be in charge, I would have been.” The heiress of Valor fell silent, then suddenly laughed.

”Ah... that is why I like you, Changing Star! Am I not blessed to suddenly get such a wonderful little sister?” Although she was smiling, her eyes remained sharp as a cold blade.

Morgan looked away from Nephis and turned her attention to Sunny. ”I hear that a lot has happened to you after we last met, Master Sunless. The Devil of Antarctica... it has a nice ring to it. Who would have thought that such a pleasant young man would earn such a fearsome reputation? It does make me regret the fact that you had turned down the invitation to enter clan Valor, though.”

Sunny glanced at her over his plate and smiled. ”I am not going to lie... I did regret that decision myself, a couple of times.” Then, he shrugged and turned his attention back to the food. ”However, what’s done is done. And hey, that’s fate for you. Despite everything, we are still going to end up fighting side by side.” ’And maybe even against each other. When that happens, your regret will only grow.’

Morgan nodded. When she spoke, her voice sounded a little cold: ”Indeed. Life is truly unpredictable... the first time we met, it was because you had caused a certain person to escape his prison, and played a role in the death of one of Valor’s Saints. And now, we might be seeing that person very soon, and you are enjoying a meal with me. What a funny turn of events.”

Sunny looked at her for a few moments, then shook his head. ”You’re right, it’s kind of funny. However, you are wrong if you think that we’ll see that guy. Knowing him, you won’t see him coming up until the moment he plunges a knife in your back.” Whispering Blade’s face slowly grew dark. Looking at Sunny, he said in a neutral tone:

”From your words, it’s hard to understand whether you despise that abomination or admire him, Ascended Sunless.” Sunny laughed.

”No matter how I feel about that guy... the point is, I would prefer to do it from a distance.” Saint Madoc studied him for a moment, then nodded.

”Wise.” Hearing that, Morgan chuckled.

”Indeed. Then, Master Sunless... let’s wait and see how good your luck is...”