Sunny froze from the sudden touch. A mischievous glint appeared in Effie's eyes.
No. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.
"I see you've been working on those two months, eh Doofus?"
Sunny gritted his teeth before answering due to the pressure of his Flaw.
"Yeah, I've been working. We've slain hundreds of creatures."
Effie laughed again.
"Yeah, sure, Doofus. So, you guys had already figured out that this place hasn't a Citadel, yeah?"
Sunny nodded.
"You said you've killed hundreds of Nightmare Creatures, so you should have shards. That's good. You'll need them to pay the King."
Effie took a deep breath as she started to explain the dynamics of the Sleepers of the Forgotten Shore. How a group of Sleeper had claimed the Bright Castel as their own, then left trying to find a way to escape, but never came back. How Gunlaug had taken their places after accidentally getting the last hit on a Leviathan of the Dark Sea. How the Bright Castle and the slums worked. Of course, she only told them the main things.
During her explanation, the blind girl grew uneasy and restless. The other two, meanwhile, kept their composure.
"Why don't you reside in the Castle, then? You surely must be able to obtain shards."
"It's because of my Flaw. I'm as voracious as a dozen men. The rations there aren't nearly enough."
The pale Sleeper stared at her for a few seconds. It was probably because she had revealed her Flaw... just like that. Most people kept their Flaws to themselves even after years of alliance, but she didn't care about that: it was simply easier for her if they knew. Besides, one would just realize it after spending a day with her.
"You three really are a strange bunch. The blind girl seems a bit dejected, and that's a good reaction compared with many others. But you two seem kinda unfazed. Are you Legacies?" She squared Sunny for a moment. "Scratch that. You said your name was Nephis, right?"
Nephis looked at her in the eyes.
"I'm Changing Star of the Immortal Flame, daughter of Broken Sword and Smile of Heaven."
Effie blinked once. Then, she blinked a second time. And a third.
"Changing Star of the Immortal Flame?" She repeated. Sunny scoffed.
"Yeah, she got a True Name in her First Nightmare, and is the last member of the Legacy Clan of Immortal Flame, daughter of the first Saint, and all that. Really, her title is a mouthful."
The huntress stared at the two of them for a couple of moments, dumbstruck. Then, she shook her head with a sight. 'What a peculiar bunch we have had this year. Only four Sleepers, but everyone seems to be some kind of genius. And a Sleeper with a True Name, too. The power dynamics are going to change.'
"It's getting late. I'll accompany you to the castle. Then, if you want, we can continue this in my hut."
The three Sleeper nodded, so she exited the chamber. However, as soon as she did, she froze: the body of a Blood Fiend was lying on the ground in front of her. Its sight was eerie, not only for the monstrosity of the corpse itself, but because there wasn't a single wound on its body. Its spine was twisted, but not a single drop of blood had been spilled during the killing. Most terrifying of all was that the murder had happened only a dozen of meters from them, but she hadn't heard a sound. And even while conversing with the new arrivals, she had always been on guard. What kind of creature could do this? She tensed.
Then Sunny, the pale one, carelessly walked toward it and impaled it with a black sword that radiated an aura of death, seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
Effie hissed at him. "What the hell are you doing? Do you want to get us killed!"
Sunless looked at her with amusement. "What do you mean? I'm just harvesting the shards."
The huntress surveyed the surroundings, searching for any trace of danger. "I didn't hear any fight, and the corpse wasn't there when I arrived here. The creature who killed this Awakened Monster this easily must be a Devil, or of the Fallen Rank, but it's still strange that there aren't any sign of the clash. "
Sunny hunched to carve the shards, smirking. "Don't worry about that. The creature that killed it is a servant of mine. We've got to get going, though: the blood will just attire more."
He started walking, Nephis following him. She was holding a golden rope, which Effie assumed was a Memory; its other extremity was attached to Cassie.
'That must've been how they managed to navigate the Labyrinth, but still, she must've really been a burden to carry.' Effie was sure the girl had her use, but her blindness was really debilitating.
'And, what the hell does he mean, his servant!? Has he got an Echo, and one of that strength, to boost?'
She caught up in a moment with Sunny. "Follow me."
Sunny nodded without any hesitation. He knew the Dark City just as mush as the huntress, but showing his knowledge would be more suspicious than they where already being. He would only alert the others.
What were you saying about my title being a mouthful, o Lord of Shadows, Devil of Antarctica, Heir of Death, Bastard Son of Fate…
How many times are you going to bring that up, Neph?
As many times as I want. Oh, and there is also the lover of the Guardian Angel of Antarctica…
Sunny whined mentally. Hey, give me some slack! That wasn't my fault, but Saint's! Also, are you forgetting, apparently every false persona of mine managed to enchant you! Your Mongrel fangirling period isn't being forgotten!
After that, their mental connection went silent.