Shadow Slave

Sunny froze, unsure of what the wisest course of action would be.

'What to do, what to do…'

After meeting Solvane, he had a heavy prejudice against crossing paths with powerful figures of the Kingdom of Hope. And Noctis was very powerful — of that, he had no doubt. In fact, Sunny was pretty sure that the friendly young man who was looking at him with a charming smile was none other than one of the seven immortals shackles of the imprisoned daemon, the mysterious Lord of the East.

Even without taking into account the otherworldly presence that all Transcendents seemed to possess, it was easy to tell there was vast and dreadful power within Noctis, hiding behind the deceptively carefree gleam of his lustrous eyes.

Plus, there was a Citadel in the eastern reaches of the Chained Isles literally called the Sanctuary of Noctis… who else could have been the ruler there? Who else could have possessed the beautiful flying ship, and had their image put on the miraculous coins?

So, Sunny had no desire to meet the strange immortal, even though Noctis seemed weirdly friendly and unthreatening. Actually, that only made him more terrifying.

But…

Was there even a choice? It was not like Sunny was in any shape to escape from a Saint, let alone an immortal sorcerer that even Corrupted abominations seemed to be wary of.

He hesitated for a bit, then sighed, rose, and headed toward the crackling fire. Noticing that, Noctis hummed in satisfaction and then slightly moved his hand.

Immediately, droplets of dew flew from the grass, forming a clear stream that swirled around his body, washing the dry blood away. An exquisite silk cloak rose from the ground, wrapping itself around him. The diamond sickle whistled through the air, shaking itself clean, and hung itself on the sorcerer's belt.

Sunny continued walking, still clutching his aching chest, and observed the bizarre occurrence with a deadpan expression.

'Damn… why don't I know how to perform tricks like that? That would make life so much easier...'

Finally, under the gloating gaze of the vindictive gloomy shadow, he walked into the circle of light and couldn't help but tremble when the Saint threw a curious glance at him. It was hard to remain calm in front of a being that could obliterate you with one finger.

…The whole situation was sort of ridiculous, actually. Noctis looked like a pampered young man in bright silks, with an effeminate face and the body of someone who had never once exerted themselves physically. His hands were smooth and uncalloused, and his build was slender and soft, almost frail.

Sunny, on the other hand, was a towering demon clad in an intricate and fearsome suit of onyx armor, his gaunt figure brimming with ferocious might. He had twisting horns, four powerful arms, and a mouth full of sharp fangs, his eyes completely black and inhuman.

And yet, it was the demon who was afraid of the pampered young man, and not the other way around.

'...Ridiculous.'

Noctis studied the tenebrous demon in front of him, his smile growing wider.

"Ah, what a fortuitous encounter. A shadow! Did fate guide you to me, I wonder…"

Sunny grew very still.

pAn,da-n0v e1,c 'Fate? What does he mean?'

The sorcerer, meanwhile, gestured for him to sit.

"Sit down, shadow. It seems that you are unwell. Rest for a bit and warm yourself."

Sunny hesitated, then lowered himself to the ground, sitting across the dancing flames from the Transcendent. He gleaned at Noctis's soul to make sure that he was right to call the young man so, and saw a single resplendent core shining in his chest. That was a soul of a Saint, indeed.

Noctis remained silent for a while, and then asked.

"Say, shadow… what is your name?"

Sunny lingered, then stretched a hand forward and scratched two runes into one of the stones surrounding the fire.

Sorcerer's brows flew up.

"That, uh… those runes, huh? Goodness gracious… now I am sad that I wasn't as studious as my mentors demanded, all that time ago. Those boring charlatans. Well, let's see… star? No, that should be "sun". Lost sun? Absence of sun… Sunless?"

Sunny nodded, causing Noctis to beam with a prideful grin.

"Ha! There's indeed no one smarter than me in the Kingdom of Hope! The rumors are true… well, of course they are true, I'm the one who paid storytellers to spread them. In any case, Sunless, what a fitting name you have. Truly a name worthy of a shadow… a little on the nose, if you ask me… but very nice nevertheless. Well done!"

Sunny tilted his head, staring at the Saint in confusion.

'What the hell… is this guy just eccentric, or completely insane?'

Noctis didn't mind being stared at, and instead seemed to enjoy it a great deal. He looked at the onyx demon in return, the smile frozen on his face.

The humor in his eyes slowly disappeared, making way for a strange, dangerous gleam.

"Sunless… since fate itself has brought us together… can you answer me a simple question?"

Feeling tension spreading through his exhausted body, Sunny grew grim, and then slowly nodded.

'This is not good... not good at all! Damn it! Why is everyone in this place crazy?'

Noctis leaned forward and said, his voice deceptively calm and friendly:

"Tell me… do you, perhaps, have a knife cut from a single piece of black obsidian in your possession?"

Sunny shivered.

'How… how the hell does he know?!'

But there was nothing he could do. The question had been asked, and now, he was compelled to answer.

He struggled against the Flaw for as long as he could, then gritted his teeth and nodded again.

The immortal sorcerer stared at Sunny for a few moments, his lustrous eyes reflecting moonlight like two shining pools of pale-blue radiance.

Then, he suddenly threw his head back and exploded with joyful laughter, as though he had just heard the funniest joke in history. Noctis laughed so hard that tears appeared in his eyes, glistening in the moonlight like crystals.

Finally, he satiated his mirth and glanced at Sunny once again, the carefree smile returning to his face.

"Ah, Sunless… fate is the funniest thing in the world, don't you think? You and I… I have a feeling that we are going to be great friends, Sunless. Believe it!"

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