Shadow Slave

Kai lifted an eyebrow.

”In what way?”

Sunny shrugged.

”Well, for starters, there are formations carved into the main channel and into the sides of the magma chamber. I guess the entire area was occupied once, in earlier times.”

The formations were too damaged and warped by the flow of time and the harsh environment, so Sunny didn’t observe much about who had constructed them and for what purpose. However, the ruins resembled almost like the remnants of an ancient settlement, or at least an inhabited complex. The few buildings that were somewhat intact reminded him of the Jade Palace and the massive stone bridge in front of it.

Curiously enough, the settlement appeared to have featured a pattern of defensive barriers. Those barriers hadn’t been erected to shield it from the enemies descending the vents of the volcano, though... instead, they were facing the base of the magma chamber, as if protecting the ruins from something that might rise from the molten core of the earth.

Sunny had cooled sufficiently to dismiss his helmet. Conjuring the Endless Spring, he splashed cold water onto his damp face and grinned.

”Oh, and there are ancient skeletons filling every crack and hollow there. Given that they hadn’t been reduced to dust by the lava, the beings they had belonged to must have been quite robust. And there were quite... quite many of them.”

Kai frowned.

”Could it be that the Corrupted Tyrant...”

Sunny shook his head.

”No. That creature seemed too feeble to have slain them, let alone created them. I’d say that all these beings didn’t even perish in the volcano. I think someone just dumped them down, like disposing of refuse.”

Kai grew slightly cautious after hearing those words.

”Who could have performed something like that?”

Sunny chuckled softly, then winced and coughed when smoke entered his lungs.

”Ah, blast it... who do you suppose? Must have been the Jade Queen. By the way, can we exit from here?”

Their mission accomplished, they moved away from the brink of the bottomless chasm. As they did, Kai asked tentatively:

”Jade Queen?”

Sunny glimpsed at him and clicked his tongue.

”You understand nothing, do you? Have you not examined your Citadel at all? Huh! I guess our resident Mr. Perfect isn’t that flawless, after all.”

Kai just smiled.

”I never declared myself flawless. And admittedly... academics has always been my weaker area.”

The notion of Kai being inferior at something that Sunny excelled at felt oddly gratifying.

’I knew it. That guy just glided through existence on nothing but attractive features before encountering me!’

Sunny had been such a beneficial influence on that simpleton. Who could have desired a better companion?

He scoffed.

”Well... to be fair, I don’t comprehend that much about the Jade Queen either. She was the initial owner of the Jade Palace — actually, it was constructed for her.” ṙ𝘼₦о₿ĚṦ

He reflected on what little he understood about the history of Ravenheart — most of it glimpsed from the random Memories he had acquired here and there...

Including the most unforgettable one, the Sin of Solace, which he had received for dispatching the Remnant of the Jade Queen after it was severely wounded by Saint Tyris.

That cursed sword played quite a significant role in his existence, altering its entire direction.

Sunny shivered.

”You must realize that the Tomb of Ariel was built by Ariel, the Demon of Dread. Apparently, he also constructed the Jade Palace for a breathtaking fiend whom he established as a queen. He also bestowed the ominous gift of forbidden knowledge upon her... whatever that implies. Ariel was called the Demon of Dread, he was also the Demon of Truth — so, he must have shared with her some horrific truths.”

He paused for a few moments, then added in a brighter tone:

”Well, anyway. The Jade Queen appeared to have quite the authority in the ancient past, presiding over the Jade Court. She was renowned across numerous realms for her elegance and insight — so much so that many travelers sought to gain an audience with her, enduring the snow and ash. Not everyone endured the journey... and not everyone survived the Jade Queen’s welcome, either. Apparently, she had a tendency of transforming those who gazed at her strangely into Nightmare Creatures. Well, some type of creatures, at least.”

Kai listened to him attentively, captivated by the account. Eventually, he asked:

”So... that Jade Queen truly resided in Ravenheart once?”

Sunny chuckled.

”Certainly. You might even be resting in her former quarters... but that is basically all the information about the Jade Queen I possess. I don’t even know what she resembled. She might have been an insect, for all I know.”

The Remnant of the Jade Queen had been, at least. A massive, oddly elegant beetle. But that didn’t really prove anything.

Kai slowly shook his head.

”The throne of the Jade Palace is designed for a human, though.”

Sunny shrugged.

”Perhaps she was an unusual monster who possessed a Transformation Ability that allowed her to become human. Who knows what Ariel did to her? That guy created the Great River, so we understand how peculiar his creations were.”

He hesitated for a while, and then added:

”He must have valued the Jade Queen greatly, though. Enough so for Nether to mark the Jade Palace on the wall of the Ebony Tower.”

Kai remained quiet for a while, then asked with a trace of melancholy in his voice:

”So what do you believe happened to the Jade Queen? Where did she vanish to?”

Sunny gave him a lengthy gaze.

’What an odd question.’

”How would I know? Perhaps the truth she bore destroyed her. Maybe someone grew envious of her poise and her elegance, and demolished her. Maybe she accompanied Ariel into the Doom War and died on one of its battlefields.”

He paused for a moment, then sighed.

”I encountered a Corrupted Tyrant called the Remnant of the Jade Queen once. If that was what remained of her... then her conclusion must not have been joyful or elegant.”

Rather, it would have been grotesque.

By then, they had ascended high enough for Kai to take flight comfortably. Sunny once again concealed himself in his shadow.

As Kai soared across the sky above Ravenheart, a few individuals stopped and gazed upward, indicating his tiny silhouette with smiles on their faces. Of course, he wasn’t in his dragon form at the moment, so there was no throng of amazed onlookers.

Soon enough, Kai descended on the surface of the great stone bridge and walked toward the Jade Palace. The magnificent obsidian structure loomed above him, casting a deep shadow... Sunny felt a hint of wonder at that moment, as well.

He had spent several years trying to slip into the Jade Palace undetected, without success. The Raven Queen has been too mighty and enigmatic, and her daughters were too vigilant.

But now, Ki Song was gone, her daughters were distributed across the Dream Realm, and Sunny was a Sovereign himself. The entrances of the Jade Palace stood open for him, and he could enter freely.

He was filled with excitement.

’I wonder what I’ll uncover inside.’