Sunny was of two minds. On one hand, his prior knowledge had set him up for the possibility of a major boon at the start of his second sojourn through the Forgotten Shore. On the other hand, he was sick and tried of water.
Bracing himself for impact he was plunged into the Dark Sea. Immediately he wrapped Gloomy around himself and began to swim towards the headless statue. Being both a more experienced swimmer, been prepared beforehand, and having wrapped himself as soon as possible Sunny hoped to reach the statue with more time to space this time.
Sunny closing his eyes began to scan the water for a monstrous dorsal fin while summoning both the [Dreadful Burden] and the [Puppeteer's Shroud]. At the pace of both him and the creature were going at he estimated he would reach the statue with about five seconds to spare this time.
Upon reaching the stone, Sunny wasted no time in pivoting with his feet. He commanded the [Dreadful Burden] to shift into a spear and empowered himself with a tiny bit of essence from Serpent.
As quickly as Sunny had aimed his attack did terrifying jaws appear from the water, with rows and rows of giant teeth. This time Sunny had time to see a creature that somewhat resembled Bloodweave heave itself through the waves, its barrel chest torn open in a grotesque bloom of blackened blubber and fractured ribs, organs glistening wetly in the dim light. Sunny was focused on its ravaged chest where the ribs already sprung wide like a cage unlatched where a spear thrown at the right angle would pierce the dark heart beneath.
Sunny struck in the split second before a colossal tentacle dragged the creature into the depths. The spear left his hand and Gloomy with it in order the pierce any unseen protections. Sunny waited, he knew his aim was true, yet did not know if luck would grant him the kill and along with it a large portion of shadow shards.
Sunny decided to wait ten seconds before recalling the [Dreadful Burden]. He already called back Gloomy fearing there could be danger for his shadow were it dragged down into the Dark Sea. He could not let greed cause him to lose such a weapon. And he did not know whether the creature could even be killed at his level.
Right as he began to dismiss the memory, Sunny heard:
[You have slain a Corrupted Devil, Akhlut Hunter]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
[You have received a Memory: Akhlut's Hide]
Sunny was stunned. A memory was beyond his hopes. Quickly pulling up his runes he rushed to examine his new memory.
Memory: [Akhlut's Hide].
Memory Rank: Transcendent.
Memory Type: Armor.
Memory Tier: IV
Memory Description: [An Akhlut separated from it's pack is a sorrowful thing. In a sea under a lightless sky even a harrowing hunter is not safe from the depths.]
Memory Enchantments: [Aquatic Hunter], [Pack Animal].
[Aquatic Hunter]
Enchantment Description: "This memory not only allows the user complete freedom of movement in the water, but also greatly enhances said movement. When underwater sight, hearing, and breathing work as if one were on land."
[Pack Animal]
Enchantment Description: "Increases the potency of users attacks if the target has been attack by another. Stacks"
It was perfect. Sunny had not planned on being reckless and hunted creatures in the Dark Sea, but with this he could potentially be as effective as Gunlaug. Of course, Sunny was not delusional. He did not expect it to start raining transcendent rewards, but shadow fragments were another story.
As morning came, the Dark Sea began to retreat. Sunny watched from the elevated stone of the headless statue as the water pulled back in slow, inevitable increments, the tide receding downward, as though the sea floor were drinking it.
If Sunny's memory held true he would have about half an hour before the ocean was gone. He equipped the [Akhlut's Hide] and a bond make half of wolf's fur and half orca skin appeared on his right arm over the [Puppeteer's Shroud]. Quickly diving into the water, Sunny planned to stay close to the headless statue.
Upon entering the water Sunny felt the enchantments of the [Akhlut's Hide] hum. A nimbus of red and black dimly surrounded him as the Dark Sea came into his view. Feeling the pull of the water downwards, Sunny got used to the movement ability feeling a sense as if he were flying, though the drain of the Sea mimicked gravity. Sunny once again envied Kai.
Sunny's plan was simple. With the [Dreadful Burden] in knife form he would pick off dying nightmare creatures that met an unfortunate fate during the night. Sunny identified three within a hundred meters and sped off to the closest which was snared on the statue. The pitiful creature was a mix between a terrifying fish and an octopus with tentacles mangled from a battle flowing from behind.
[You have slain a fallen beast, Shore Lurker.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
'Find peace within me' Sunny thought as he relieved the creature of its suffering. In his current state, the creature would have proofed to be a challenge for Sunny had it not been injured. But with his perspective from the past as a supreme titan and the creature being doomed regardless, Sunny felt the sense of giving solace to the creature.
Sunny quickly rushed downwards first to the seafloor.
[You have slain a fallen beast, Shore Lurker.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Then in order to have some cover once the Dark Sea was gone, went up to meet a floating monster on his way back to the statue which was only very partially submerged now.
[You have slain a fallen devil, Abyssal Eel.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Sunny took refuge in a crevasse of the headless statue as the water disappeared.
What remained was vast vast, scarred wasteland of dark wet stone, exposed sea floor, and coral labyrinth. He climbed down to make his way through the ancient and alien wasteland, strewn with the carcasses of things that had lose their lives in the depths.
He had perhaps fourteen hours before the sea returned. He intended to use all of them to not only find Cassie and Nephis but also to hunt as many creatures as he could. He broke into a light jog toward the labyrinth.
Sending Gloomy forward to scout Sunny ambushed his first unassuming victim. An injured Carapace Scavenger walking the maze alone. Sunny stalked it until:
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Sunny rose, rolled his shoulder, and moved deeper into the exposed sea floor. Fourteen hours, he reminded himself. Don't be greedy.
He was absolutely going to be a little greedy.
Hours later Gloomy stopped.
Sunny went still behind a shelf of dark coral, shadow sense stretching forward. Four Carapace Scavengers, moving together in the loose coordinated pattern. More than the biggest group Sunny had yet to take down. Not only that the groups of three he had previously engaged had at least two injured.
He watched them through Gloomy's position for a moment.
He changed the [Dreadful Burden] from the form of a knife and let it settle into a fearsome odachi. Then he sent Serpent forward, ink-dark and nearly invisible against the wet stone, it slithered up the coral walls.
Sunny crept along the shadows of the maze, until he was in striking distance of the weakest looking Scavenger.
With a breath Sunny slashed the odachi along the Scavenger's legs crippling the weakest.
Without stopping the weapon in Sunny's hands blurred into spear which he launched another temporarily stunning it.
Appearing instantly back in the form of an odachi in Sunny's hands he went to engage the two remaining Scavengers. Sunny launched into a duel with the one on the left. Meanwhile, as the other raised it claw it felt the weight of something land on it.
Serpent's jaws closed on one of the creature's eyes and the creature lurched, suddenly compromised. It proceeded to both protect itself and launch an attack from within by burying itself into the shell of the Scavenger, ripping it apart.
Sunny didn't let his first duel last long. Knowing the one stunned by the spear would be close. He used the most aggressive form he knew and found the gap in the carapace.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Then he rolled in front of the other Scavenger, the first still struggling to join the fight. The [Dreadful Burden] was a jian now, almost without him deciding. With worry for Serpent he again aimed to end the duel quickly. He had thought to try and gleam more for the third step of the Shadow Dance and yet decided against it. A four verse one was not exactly the time for leisure.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Sunny looked over to see Serpent emerging from the now dead Scavenger. Not to be outdone Sunny used his adversary's leg as a spring board and brought the jian down cracking the shell.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Almost with pity Sunny and Serpent walked over to the crippled Scavenger. Wrapping Gloomy around a beautiful odachi Sunny was rewarded with a final:
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Sunny stood in the quiet aftermath, breathing steadily.
He recalled Serpent, who pressed briefly against his wrist before retreating back beneath his skin with characteristic dignity.
"Good work," Sunny said quietly.
The spatial storage Jet had acquired for him was a plain black pouch called [Thief's Pocket], small enough to sit in his palm, with the storage the size of a small room.
Sunny knew it was a long shot asking Jet for such a valuable memory, even most legacies didn't start with a spacial storage memory. But luck seemed to be on Sunny's side, he had thanked her for it with complete sincerity and she had told him not to make it weird. He thought of it now with considerable appreciation as he put the four shards into its interior without breaking stride.
He had spent the past seven hours almost non-stop hunting in the labyrinth. Only stopping once to eat rations he stored away beforehand. Sunny was honestly enjoying himself. Most of his kills were picking off single or duos of Carapace Scavengers, however he met a new foe which the Spell called a Brine Widow, an awakened demon. They were fast, venomous, and being a demon had more intelligence than the Scavengers. They only seemed to wander alone which made them more perfect targets for Sunny.
The Pack Animal enchantment proved immediately and grotesquely useful. Anything Serpent also touched came apart more easily under the follow-up strike. This meant the most efficient approach was for Sunny to lead with a surprise ambushing strike to provide an opening, then for Serpent to strike empowering Sunny the rest of the fight.
Sunny moved with more speed to the direction he remembered finding Cassie and Nephis and the kills mounted.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[You have slain an awakened demon, Brine Widow.]
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[You have slain an awakened demon, Brine Widow.]
[You have slain an awakened demon, Brine Widow.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Several hours later the [Thief's pocket] was beginning to fill up more with shards, but still not near enough to fill it. Sunny hoped to eventually squirrel away some transcendent shards to give to Jet as a thank you, but he figured that would be much easier after he had formed his monster core and reached the third step of Shadow Dance at the very least and hopefully maybe even forming his demon core.
Checking his runes he smiled
Shadow Fragments: [110/1000]
Sunny grinned, over a tenth of the way and it was just the first day. The Akhlut Hunter had put him at nearly fifty, the fallen sea creatures added sixteen more to sixty-four, and in the past nine hours he had been averaging about five fragments per hour between gaining two from a Carapace Scavenger and six from a Brine Widow.
Sunny then stopped.
'This day just kept getting better' he thought as he felt two individuals with his shadow sense a little further away.
Sunny moved faster.
They were roughly half a kilometer away. Sunny didn't know if it was his familiarity his his abilities or something else, but even dormant his shadow sense was stronger than before.
They were both moving and neither seemed in distress. He let out a breath and, not even bothering to check the rest of the environment, increased his walking speed to meet them.
He found them about ten minutes later in the coral maze where three passages converged. Nephis had her back to the wall working on a severely awakened Scavenger riddled with cuts from the two girls. Cassie stood at the opposite angle, watching the other passages with careful attention.
She saw him first. The relief that crossed her face was brief and unannounced and immediately replaced by composure.
"You're late," she said.
"I was killing a corrupted and a couple fallen monster," Sunny replied.
Nephis turned and gave him a weird look. Cassie's face showed a light shock at first knowing his Flaw before slightly pouting. Walking over to him she lightly punched him in the arm.
"Idiot," she muttered.
"what are you two up to," Sunny asked them.
"We're trying to stay near the island," Nephis said point to a mass of land. "Before we go though, Cassie thought to look for others."
"Have you found anyone else?" asked Sunny.
"Not except you and... them," she pointed her sword at the corpse of the Carapace Scavenger.
"I think the Sea will probably come in soon so I think we should head towards the island now," Cassie said, her flaw prevented her from doing anything more than suggesting.
Sunny and Nephis nodded in agreement.
Sunny felt the battle before they saw it. He motioned for them to slow their pace.
Seven Carapace Scavengers in a loose violent ring. And in the center of that ring, two things that were distinctly not Scavengers.
The creatures were much larger than the Scavengers with black and crimson like ancient armor and jagged spikes. Bone scythes, long and curved. Sunny grimaced, the Centurions were a class below the Brine Widow, however in a straight fight the physical advantage of the Centurions was more daunting than the increased intelligence and poison abilities of the Widow.
Coincidentally, Sunny had already sensed a Brine Widow stalking the three from behind. Moving its way forward through the coral with the patient intelligence of something that had learned to let others do the tiring work first.
"Slight problem we have one creature following us and a bunch of them near the base of the island." Sunny said as he turned to Cassie and Nephis.
"How many," Nephis asked, unperturbed.
"Nine, but two bigger ones are fighting the smaller ones." replied Sunny.
Nephis grew silent, but Sunny could tell she was trying to come up with a strategy already.
"The one following us has the potential to be the most dangerous," said Sunny. "But I don't think it'll make itself vulnerable until we make a move."
"Then we go out and try to pit them against each other," said Nephis.
Sunny shook his head.
"I can handle the one behind us quickly if you two go out to the clearing." said Sunny. "Just try and stay to edges of the battle until I get there"
Cassie and Nephis looked at each other. Cassie already had her mind made up and seeing her trust written on her face, Nephis also nodded.
"Um, if you're going to lose don't lose fast," Nephis said.
Sunny rolled his eyes as the two girls crept into the clearing. Sunny hid himself in the shadows baiting the Widow in.
As he waited for it to float into the perfect location, Suny looked a the pair. Cassie and Nephis took the flank, working the edges of the Scavenger ring with measured precision. the creatures took notice of them and the three groups were at a slight standstill waiting for one of the others to make a move.
When the time came he came at the Widow from below, striking at it underside and being rewarded with a shriek. Serpent uncoiled from his skin before he landed, striking the Widow's face in the same moment Sunny's blade found the joint beneath the spot where the chitin thinned, where the venom sacs sat close to the surface.
The Widow convulsed and struck blindly hitting Sunny into a piece of coral. Slightly dazed Sunny barely rolled out of the way of the poison spit. He couldn't afford to be on the back-foot nor to take his time and reset the battle. Serpent took the opening when the Widow was focused on Sunny and gave it a swift end.
[You have slain an awakened demon, Brine Widow.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Sunny was already turning.
The engagement had deteriorated. The Scavenger had tried to rotated towards the two girls and in order to not be pincered between the two group Cassie and Nephis had to move closer to the Scavengers. They had killed two Scavengers and were holding the remaining five. With Cassie's sight the duo was more formidably than in the pervious life, but the Centurions were beginning to dangerously flank toward them.
Sunny felt the [Akhlut's Hide] hum as he moved. Out flanking the Scavengers and empowered by the attacks from the two girls, he drove the Dreadful Burden as a beautiful odachi into two Scavengers killing them instantly.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
The other two scattered back into the labyrinth.
Cassie and Nephis were struggling to fend off one of the Centurions and the other was not far behind.
"Try to lure that one away," Sunny shouted pointing at the other.
Cassie and Nephis turned towards the second as Sunny arrived to parry the first's scythe. He commanded Serpent to flank towards the back, while powerful it was still and awakened beast and Sunny was not willing to let the brute force of the Centurion take his Shadow.
He glanced at the two girls who, having move space, were able to kite the other around the clearing not letting it get too close. Finally, Serpent had reached the Centurion's back and struck giving Sunny and opening to strike empower by the Pack Animal three times over.
The Centurion staggered. Sunny didn't let it recover. Three strikes in rapid succession, each guided by the Pack Animal enchantment , each one landing harder than the last.
[You have slain an awakened monster, Carapace Centurion.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
He pivoted. Nephis to be cornered against the coral. Sunny panicked but then he realized from the determined look in her eyes, it was not she that was cornered. The scythe came in from the right. She danced left. And then with a hint of flame the Centurion fell.
Nephis stood silently, sparks surrounding her until she was dressed in a familiar armor.
Sunny, Cassie, and Nephis reunited.
Cassie was looking at the two with bright eyes beaming, unguardedly in the way she had rarely let herself do in her previous life. He looked away before he did something regrettable like acknowledging it directly. Nephis was watching him with an expression he hadn't seen on her face directed at him in a very long time. Not warmth exactly. Something more considered than that. The look of respect and also slight wariness.
'Right, she might think I'm a legacy sent to get close and kill her,' Sunny thought as he began to think of how he could gain her trust organically.
Sunny glanced up at the elevated stone of the island above them, ready to take refuge for the night.
They made camp on the upper level as the Dark Sea returned below. Within the hour the wasteland was gone and the island was what its name promised. Nephis took first watch without discussion, moving to the island's edge with the quiet self-sufficiency of someone who preferred the solitude anyway.
Sunny sat against the stone and pulled up his runes beside him he was peripherally aware of Cassie doing the same.
"I can see yours," she said.
"Yes." replied Sunny. "And I can see yours."
"Nephis told me that was how it worked back when you were in Antarctica, but seeing it is a different thing."
They were quiet for a moment, moving through their runes with careful attention.
Name: Sunless.
True Name: Fate's Shadow.
Rank: Dreamer.
Shadow Core: Dormant.
Shadow Fragments: [124/1000].
Memories: [Silver Bell], [Dreadful Burden], [Puppeteer's Shroud], [Thief's Pocket], [Akhlut's Hide].
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Fated], [Flame of Divinity], [Child of Shadows].
Aspect: [Shadow Slave].
Aspect Rank: Divine.
Aspect Abilities: [Shadow Control].
Aspect Ability Description: [Your shadow is more independent than most. It is an invaluable helper.]
Flaw: [Clear Conscience].
Flaw Description: [You cannot lie.]
And below them.
Master: Progeny of the Hateful.
Name: Cassie.
True Name: Progeny of the Hateful.
Rank: Dreamer.
Class: Beast...
The runes continued.
"You have a True Name this time," Sunny noted.
Cassie nodded.
"I'm not exactly sure who the Hateful is, but I have an idea." said Cassie
"I guess the Spell might not be to fond of its creator, progeny is a step up from epigone," Sunny said with a laugh.
The mood was lighter, but to many things were left unsaid.
"My flaw," she said finally.
"It's changed." said Sunny bringing up the runes.
Flaw: [Equal Footing].
Flaw Description: [The bearer cannot ask of another what she has not first offered of herself. To send another into danger she has not matched is to invite ruin inward. You must bear all the help you receive from others as pain at least once a day.]
"I-I think it's almost a peace offering by the Spell for Shadow Bond," Cassie said, "it means I can't direct anyone toward something I haven't already matched in some form. If I direct anyone towards something-" she paused, "-I feel it before the words are even out. A pressure in the chest first. Then pain if I keep pushing. It builds the more I resist it."
"Have you tested it?" asked Sunny.
"Well I couldn't tell my mom to get me a glass of water without getting sever heartburn," she said. "Although if I frame it as a request, I still feel a faint tingling, but its temporary and very mild."
"Today, I more or less told Nephis we should look for people, I had the tingling, but I think that's only because I was offering to also risk my life staying down there." Cassie continued. "I also have to bear pain before I fall asleep varying in intensity given how much I have received, asked or not, from others."
Sunny considered that. Of all the ways the Spell could have balanced the Shadow Bond it was perhaps the most precise ensuring Cassie would always feel the weight of it before it left her mouth. But he didn't know how to feel that the Spell was seemingly taking more liberties in its ability to manipulate fate, more interesting it seemed to be independent of Weaver.
"And the Bond?" he said.
Cassie's eyes tracked through his runes, visible to her through the link between them the way hers were visible to him.
"It feels strange," she said. "Seeing someone else's existence like this. Like standing in a room you've never been in but somehow already know the layout of. How are you feeling about it?"
"I'm not sure," Sunny said honestly. "I think you were right that sharing a bond isn't the worst if it's built on trust and I hate to say it, but your new Flaw eases my mind. But still if the Spell is fine with changing things why not give me a better aspect."
"I don't know," she said eyes lost in thought. "Still being a part of it, and not even the subservient side, is either the most reassuring thing I've ever felt or deeply terrifying depending on the moment."
"Both," Sunny said.
"Both," she agreed.
They sat in silence for a while, the Dark Sea moving vast and indifferent below the island, the structures above them holding steady against everything that had tried to bring them down. The Bond sat quiet between them.
Strange, Sunny thought, that something that caused me so much grief in another life could sit this easily.
"Cas, I want to talk about something else," Sunny said.
She looked at him questioning.
"It's about Weaver, the forgotten god, and what we did."