Sunny stretched his arms while he dismissed his helmet and walked towards the cathedral, ordering his Shadows to dispose of the bodies by dumping them down below the endless pit of the Chained Isles.
The battle had clarified a lot of his new abilities and weapons in his arsenal, also putting some idea on where he stands..
He could contend with Masters, even defeat them depending on their Aspect and overall situation, if he put his Shadows in the mix… Well, Igris destroyed a Transcendent Echo.
Which did not mean he could just kill a Corrupted being. Echoes, especially after the Transcendent Rank were weaker than their living counterparts, after all, they don't have a Will since they are just constructs of the Nightmare Spell, so they are inherently weaker than their alive counterparts.
So Igris, a Ascended Shadow of a Stone Saint, a creation of the Daemon of Destiny, being able to destroy one with a Transcendent lance augmented three times by the power of a Divine Aspect was kind of obvious when you put it on paper.
Saint quickly defeating a Master in close combat also didn't surprise him. Sunny had used his Shadow Saints as sparring partners not only for himself but also the Shadow Watchers. He knew their skill better than anyone, they even surpassed his own technique, and he was trained since 8 years old by the best Saints of the Great Clan Song, not to mention being a practitioner of Shadow Dance.
Their skill, together with the strength they had after Ascending, Sunny was sure Saint and Igris could defeat any Master in a straight forward fight.
Of course, there were exceptions. Sunny wasn't exactly counting Aspects in the equation, one particular experienced Master with an insidious Aspect could very well demolish his Shadows, Soul Reaper Jet came to mind.
Another one was Shin, although he was below average when it came to a personal fight, not being a master in any type of battle art, what he did have was a powerful Aspect, letting him create automatons made of True Darkness by infusing his essence into unanimous objects and empowering them. His creations were powerful, especially since he could empower Echoes and Government Mechs.
But in general, Sunny had two high tier Masters as his Shadows. With a versatile Fallen Tyrant in the form of Serpent, an enchanting fortress in the form of the Soul-Devouring Tree, and a flying Devil in Dreadwing.
'And mom wants to give me more Echoes after I Ascend… I bet [Fated] willputabunchof…'
Sunny stopped for a second, dead-paning at his own stupidity.
'Why am I tempting fate? Did Hel and Cassie not teach you anything you fool?'
Shaking his head, Sunny continued to the cathedral, where his beautiful sister came out of the ruined building in her normal form, carrying the body of an unconscious Awakened.
Seishan passed her hands through her hair, taking some of the blood off it and licking the rest that stuck on her claws while walking to her brother.
Sunny looked at the Awakened then back at Seishan.
"You know he probably knows nothing, right?"
She chuckled, her mysterious smile permeating while looking to Sunless' side.
"Still, he's more likely to spill than a dead man."
Sunny turned to where she was looking, where the body of the dead Master was.
"... In my defence, he was about to do something and he probably wouldn't say anything."
Her smile widened.
"Whatever you say, Sunny."
Sunny scratched his head and summoned the cape of his uniform, it looked cooler like that.
"Who do you think ordered this? I doubt it was one of the Saints, there would be more Masters."
Seishan threw the soldier to the ground, the helmet fell down and revealed his young face.
"You say as if we'd fight them if there were more Masters, mother definitely would do something if there was."
"Yeah… She always has her eyes on us… Hey, speaking of her, did you ever use that blood ritual?"
Seishan put a finger on her chin, thinking.
"No, I don't think I ever used it…"
She then turned to Sunny with an eyebrow raised.
"Can you even do that? Considering your Lineage situation."
Sunny paused, he hadn't thought about that at all, the blood ritual they were taught to connect them to their mother's power. But that power came from their Lineage, which Sunny technically didn't have. Yet he was still part of her domain and he still had access to the normal benefits that being Ki Song's subject gave, in a much bigger manner of course.
But the ritual to summon the great 'world' of blood was something that came directly from their connection with Beast God's Lineage, and he only had the Shadow of that Lineage.
So could he do it? He could only know that by trying…
He wouldn't try that right now.
"No idea."
As they talked, a certain flying Awakened landed behind the siblings. Kai approached them while staring at the bodies and destruction on the island.
"You guys didn't pull any punches…"
Sunny nodded.
"Wanted to test my new skills, did you enjoy the show?"
Kai chuckled humorlessly, trying not to reveal how much he didn't enjoy the show.
"N-Not really…"
Seishan laughed lightly, her enchanting smile not hiding her joy at looking at the embarrassed archer.
"Don't look like that, eventually you'll get used to these sights… If you wish to continue this style of life that is."
Kai looked down, then at the bodies lying on the ground. He turned to Seishan with a determined expression.
"I'll continue this life to make sure these sights don't happen, so no, I won't get used to it."
Sunny widened his eyes in surprise, then he turned his gaze to his sister, expecting her to be blushing intensely, but she wasn't.
She had a light blush in her cheeks, of course, but instead of turning in embarrassment, she stared at Kai with the same surprise in her eyes.
What was even more surprising was that Kai also blushed.
Then it became evident to Sunny…
'Damn, if I don't get a girlfriend before they start dating I'm a disappointment to all men out there!'
Conveniently enough, there was a girl he was really close to, one he went out on a–.
'It wasn't a date!'
Sunny blushed when thinking about Nephis again.
To save Sunny's thoughts, the Awakened of Valor finally woke up, shaking his head and groaning loudly.
Seishan snapped out of her trance and turned to the Awakened, her mysterious smile returning as she leaned forward.
"Oh my, what do we have here?"
The Awakened finally noticed what was happening and widened his eyes, fear consumed him as he understood that he had been captured, the imposing sight of the children of the Queen of Worms made him crawl back.
Yet his loyalty was unwielding, he gained courage and straightened.
"I will never talk."
Seishan's smile grew sweeter, more innocent, her voice gentler and more seductive. To manipulate the soldier.
"Oh, dear, don't be so scared, we are not going to hurt you."
The soldier scoffed.
"Like I'll believe you wench!"
The Princess' smile permeated, despite the insult. The men beside her seemed way more annoyed than the woman herself.
She continued the little… 'Conversation'.
"Dear, we merely want to know who sent you to kill us, we have nothing against you."
"You say that after killing all my comrades, monster!"
Sunny stared at the loyal assassin and chuckled, he was already angry after the bastard called his sister a wench, and now even more so after calling her a monster.
He wanted to snap at the bastard, but he breathed in, and calmed down, he couldn't just let anger control him. He let Seishan continue.
"If you don't tell us, we'll have to hurt you, and I would rather not have any more bloodshed today."
"Save your breath, you witch!"
Seishan sighed, turning to Sunny with an unamused expression.
He stared back, sharing her expression.
Then, they both looked at Kai at the same time. The poor archer got quickly overwhelmed.
"Y-Yes?"
Sunny gripped the shoulder of his great friend.
"Kai, please, go to the other side of the island, you won't like what we are going to do."
Kai's eyes widened, scared by the implication.
A smile suddenly appeared on Sunny's face.
"Don't worry…"
Seishan completed her brother's sentence.
"We won't take long…"
The siblings turned to the soldier, whose posture turned from confidence to nervousness as Seishan and Sunny loomed over him, understanding he wouldn't get out alive…
Kai averted his eyes from the scene that happened next.
— —
"Agh, so he didn't know much."
"I told you Shan, he's merely a pawn, even if I let the Master live, I doubt he would say anything."
Seishan licked her fingers thoroughly, the consequence of her flaw, as she threw the body of the Awakened down the abyss. She was annoyed and bothered, all that effort for nothing.
"Hmp, at least we know that it wasn't a high ranking elder."
They went back to the center of the island.
Kai was still at the courtyard and kept looking at the side, he didn't like what his friends did, he knew why they did it, but his nature still hated that they did it.
When she saw how the archer was, Seishan hesitated, uncomfortably shifting, she looked around herself to make sure there was no blood left on her.
Sunny looked at her and sighed, unceremoniously grabbing her arm and dragging her to Kai.
"Wait! Sunny!"
"Whether you like it or not, this is a part of you, a part of what we need to be as Song. If he doesn't accept that, then you need to know right away."
Her eyes darkened, understanding what he meant. She breathed in, and returned to her usual demeanor, with her beautiful smile that hid all her secrets.
Sunny and Seishan arrived next to Kai, letting go of Seishan's hand, the archer turned in surprise, his face bearing a darker expression than usual.
He looked at Seishan, who tried to look back at him, failing miserably…
Sunny sighed.
"We're done, let's go to–"
He was interrupted as an enormous winged beast's shadow fell over them.
Sunny immediately sharpened his eyes and turned to the approaching monster, his companions did the same, putting their guards up in case it was a threat.
Expanding his Shadow Sense, Sunny noticed that it wasn't a nightmare creature, but rather an Echo with a Master on top of it.
The winged Echo landed, its appearance is a mix between a lion, an eagle, and a pure nightmare creature. It glared at the three Awakened that by the time had already summoned their Memories.
But it soon lowered its body, letting the individual standing on top of it to get down.
The Master was tall and had broad, powerful shoulders. He was wearing light armor crafted from the adamantine scales of an unknown monster, with a blue scarf wrapped carelessly around his neck. His hair was the color of straw, as was his manly beard. His eyes were bright blue and dangerously attentive.
Sunny recognized him, one of the Masters of the White Feather Clan and the spouse of Saint Tyris, Ascended Roan.
"Good morning, or is it already afternoon? I haven't had lunch yet."
His voice was easygoing, as if he didn't know a battle had just occurred in the place.
Instead of feeling relief, Sunny's grip on [BloodRaven] tightened, he didn't trust the Master, why would he randomly just appear on this specific island conveniently after he and Seishan had just finished slaughtering a group of assassins from Valor?
Even if White Feather wasn't the most loyal to Valor, and even knowing that the hit was ordered by a failing elder out of his depth, there was still a possibility.
Master Roan turned to Kai, whose expression had turned from dark to cheerful.
"Nightingale! It's been a while, how have you been?"
Kai immediately dismissed his bow and went to greet Roan in a friendly manner.
"Master Roan! I'm doing great, your advice for how to navigate the Isles has helped tremendously!"
"Good to hear it! I would ask some more but I am a little late, so…"
Roan's smile slowly faded, and his gaze turned to the siblings of Song, who still had their weapons drawn, although they weren't on offensive stances anymore.
"I had received reports about a group of Awakened that came to this island as soon as you left the Sanctuary. Do any of you happen to know where they are?"
His gaze was piercing the Song siblings, the subtext behind his question was obvious, it was an accusation.
Sunny rolled his eyes as the flaw began to affect his mind. He returned the gaze evenly, and said in an even tone.
"At the bottom of the abyss."
Kai quickly turned to Sunny with an incredulous expression, not believing he would say the truth even in this situation.
Roan, meanwhile, sharpened his gaze at Nightingale's reaction, judging he was telling the truth.
"Did you throw them there?"
"No."
Kai became even more incredulous, while Seishan smiled mysteriously, but Sunny could tell she was containing laughter.
It was technically true, Sunny himself never threw the bodies to the pit, his Shadows that were currently resting in his soul sea did, so his flaw didn't activate.
Roan sighed, deciding to drop the questioning.
"I'll report they died killing a Corrupted nightmare creature while protecting you. Please forgive White Feather for this… Inconvenience, Lord and Lady Song."
Roan did a little bow and turned to climb onto his Echo.
"As a sign of good faith, if there's anything you need in the Chained Isles, me and Sky Tide will make sure you get it, no strings attached."
Now on top of the beast, Roan left one last message.
"I wish you luck on your Nightmare."
With that, he set upward, in the direction of the Sanctuary of Noctis.
Sunless let out a sigh, he would rather not fight Roan if he could, he was a skilled Master, and igniting the wrath of a Saint after killing their husband was the last thing he needed. Not to mention Roan was not a bad individual, Seishan seemed to share those thoughts as she also sighed in relief.
Kai, on the other hand, seemed particularly agitated.
"I swear, you are crazy…"
Sunny, on the other hand, smiled while his shadow grew, out of it, the shape of a giant raven began appearing and growing out.
"Enough sulking, let's go to whatever place Neph made her base on."
Dreadwing stretched its feathers and lowered itself to let the Heir of Shadows and the Lost Princess to climb on top of it.
"Lead the way Kai!"
The charming archer shook his head incredulously, but eventually chuckled, as if accepting he is also crazy.
He folded his legs and jumped, beginning to fly.
Dreadwing followed him cruising through the skies gracefully.
— —
The Firekeepers main base was not that far from the Sanctuary of Noctis, but even then, getting from one another was a chore, especially if some nightmare creature shows up uninvited, which was why they constantly made sure the path was clear.
But there was one very important reason that they were there in the first place.
Nephis had told Sunny about the flying ship they were rebuilding, the same one where she got her Transcendent armor.
And the Firekeepers built their base right beside it.
Upon their approach, the archers stationed on the edges of the island immediately raised their bows and lances, ready to bombard the flying, terrifying raven.
However, Kai accelerated and arrived on the island, signaling for all to stand down, and so the soldiers did, seemingly informing on who was in the raven.
One of the Firekeepers waved her hand and pointed towards a landing zone for the Shadow.
Sunless ordered Dreadwing to land exactly where the woman signaled. After he did, he helped Seishan down, offering his hand, which she accepted, gracefully landing on the ground.
Then, Sunny looked around, the Firekeepers were to Nephis what the Shadow Watchers were to him, albeit on a larger scale.
Even at first glance, Sunny could tell immediately that they had changed. Over one hundred and fifty Sleepers of the Dreamer Army had banded together to follow Changing Star in her journey on the Dream Realm, their loyalty forged from the cruel fire of the Forgotten Shore.
They had gone far.
The old terrified and frightened Sleepers were long gone, now, they were organized, serious, efficient.
Sunny immediately recognized that they had received more training, they were more experienced, they truly looked like elite soldiers that survived the Forgotten Shore.
Sunny even noticed how all their armors had white colours and some symbols referencing the Immortal Flame Clan. He felt like he was looking at the Knights of one of the Great Clans.
'Nephis must have done a lot.'
And yet, Sunny still believed his Shadow Watchers were better.
She may have numbers, and the Firekeepers may be elite Awakened, but his subordinates were just in another league.
The Firekeepers seemed to be excited upon their arrival, looking in awe at the siblings of Song. Even then, their composure remained, focused on their function to guard the base.
Kai landed beside the siblings.
"Liked what she did Sunny?"
The charming archer gave his friend the most friendly smile.
"Yes, I imagined she personally trained them or something?"
"Well, kind of, yes. Me and Effie helped a lot too, but it was Cassie's idea to make this on a grander scale, kind of the reason we took more time to find the Seed if you ask me… Well, let's go meet her."
Sunny and Seishan nodded, and they began walking to a big tent in the middle of the base.
But Sunny suddenly stopped, he heard something…
Something… Weird.
It sounded like… No, he wasn't hearing, he felt it through Shadow Sense, it felt like when he was in the Dollhouse…
A feeling of suffering. Something was suffering at the edge of his Shadow Sense, something weak, small, feeble, pathetic…
Just like him that day.
"Sunny?"
Sunny ignored his sister, he walked towards the edge of the island.
Kai and Seishan looked at each other, confused.
Dreadwing, who was still summoned on the landing zone, twitched its head as it saw its master.
Sunny passed through a Firekeeper as he reached the edge, trying to feel it more clearly, the being… The Shadow? Was there a Shadow suffering?
He closed his eyes, trying to feel it more, concentrating on the being…
It was subtle, but it was there.
He opened his eyes, at that point, most of the Firekeepers were watching him, confused expressions plastered on their faces.
A hand touched his shoulder, it surprised him, turning to see whose hand it was, Seishan looked at him with worry.
"Sunny? What is it?"
He stared at her eyes… Then turned back to the direction where he was sensing the Shadow suffering, pointing at it.
"There's… Someone in that direction, suffering."
Seishan furrowed her brows.
"How do you know?"
Sunny hesitated, shaking his head.
"I don't know, but… I can feel it through my shadow… My blood…"
Seishan stared at where he was pointing.
"Do… You want to go there?"
Seconds passed in silence, all present were staring at the Prince of Song, some were questioning Kai, who had no words to explain anything.
Sunny held his flaw as long as he could, but eventually he let out.
"Yes… But we can't, Nephis is–"
"What do you mean 'you can't'?"
All turned to the owner of the voice as a beautiful, imposing and stoic woman walked towards Sunny.
The atmosphere immediately changed, and all Firekeepers stood in attention.
Changing Star… Nephis.
Nephis approached Sunny, wearing the [Starlight Legion armor],that somehow seemed stronger than before, she walked until she stood in front of the Prince of Song.
"If you want to go there, then we'll go there. And get whatever it is you want, after all, I doubt you'll stop thinking about it until we go there."
Sunless stared at Nephis, and smiled.
"If you say so, hop on Dreadwing."
— — —
In the frozen peaks of the mountains that surrounded the Jade Palace, a lone Saint stood, ignoring the cold as he looked at his weapon, an old friend that accompanied on the grand journey across the Dream Realm.
Undying Blade was out of his forge, he wanted to think, and another failure at creating a Soul-bound Memory would only worsen his mood.
"Sunny and Seishan are in the Chained Isles, do you really not want to talk to them?"
The voice of his Queen, Ki Song, invaded his ears like a sweet lullaby, her power letting them talk even if she wasn't present. Pity, he wished to see her, she was truly a jaded beauty…
Blade sighed and looked to the horizon.
"They don't need me."
"That's not what I meant, Charon."
"I don't want to go back to the place of my greatest failure… Well, my second greatest."
Ki Song seemingly sighed.
"It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have done anything."
Undying Blade chuckled, finding amusement in the hypocrisy of the Raven Queen.
"That's what I tell you every day, yet you still blame yourself for the death of so many…"
Ki Song went silent, Blade noticed what came out of his mouth was incensible.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that… You have every right to feel how you do… Especially for what you were forced to do…"
After a few more seconds of silence, letting the Saint torture himself because of his words, Ki Song finally talked again.
"Will you tell them?"
"Maybe, I don't know–"
"You will."
Blade grew confused.
"What?"
Ki Song's voice became authoritative, royal, long gone was the sweet, gentle tone.
She was the Sovereign of the Dead once again…
"You will tell them, and warn them about him. Hel already confirmed, a tragedy will happen at the Chained Isles, involving your students… New and past. I want you to stop that tragedy."
Charon stayed silent for a couple of seconds.
"You are cruel Ki…"
She hesitated for some seconds, and her voice came back to what it was.
"I know… That is why I need them to live…"