Motza got into the building in the Dark City that the Shadow Watchers used as a headquarters.
It was a headquarters only in name, it was small and simple. After all, they constantly change locations…
Which caused a certain green eyed girl to lose herself repeatedly.
Merlin got in right behind him with an apologetic smile.
"I swear it wasn't on purpose…"
He sighed and turned to stare at Merlin straight in the eye.
"This is the third time this week."
"I mean, It is a very–"
"Go to your room, I'm tired of excuses."
She lowered her head, smile disappearing, going to her room defeated.
'Since when did I become a baby-sitter?'
Motza sighed and sat on the couch, stretching himself tiredly.
Lan, Kin and Lauma, who were playing cards, watched the whole situation silently, staring at the hunter with some humor. Lan chuckled.
"Again?"
The lone black eye turned back at Lan humorlessly.
"She's a handful."
Kin looked at his cards as he commented.
"She definitely isn't from a legacy family."
His brother turned to Kin confused.
"How do you know? You barely talk to her."
"Simple deduction, she didn't have any powerful memories when Lord Sunless found her, and she doesn't have any formal training, I have to correct her posture multiple times when we spar."
Lauma shifted a little, putting her cards on the table, her voice left her full of pity.
"She… I think she's from the outskirts…"
Kin sighed.
"Yes, that may be the case…"
Lan mumbled something and stretched on his chair.
Motza meanwhile moved his torso forward, resting his arms on his lap.
"She is, and that's exacly the reason…"
The three others looked at the first member of the Shadow Watchers.
"The reason she is so happy, why she is so excited all the time, every time Sunless gives her a mission or an order, why the first time he complimented her work, she jumped in happiness.
Because for the first time in her life, someone found a use for her, someone helped and teached her… Someone from the Song family no less.
She may be a brat, but she'll be loyal to Sunless for the rest of her life."
Understanding passed through their faces. The conversation could have ended there, but Lauma let her curiosity win her shyness.
"H-How about you guys? Why do you follow Lord Sunless…? I-I follow him because he helped me find my worth…"
They all looked surprised at Lauma, she actually asked something about them…
Kin and Lan looked at each other, the calmer brother began.
"We never liked Gunlaug or Tessai, we merely served them because of a lack of options. It didn't help that this idiot challenged the Bright Lord and was only spared because of Gunlaug's amusement."
Lan cursed, annoyed at his brother's eyes with anger.
"You didn't need to add the embarrassing part!"
"Yes, I did."
Kin looked back at Lauma and continued his explanation, leaving Lan's complaints to himself.
"But when Lady Changing Star killed Andel, it made us realize it was time, then, Nix presented Lord Sunless, he told us his intencions, even challenged us to a fight, if he won against both of us, we would follow him…"
Lan interjected.
"He won, easily."
Kin nodded.
"If anyone can defeat the Bright Lord, it's the Immortal Flame and Song."
Lauma nodded intensely, then turned to Motza.
"What about you?"
The hunter stared at the three Sleepers looking at him intensely, interested in why the lone hunter of the outer settlement would follow Sunless Song.
He stayed silent for a few seconds before answering.
"He understands the cost of leadership."
Lauma's voice was low, but he could still hear it.
"I see…"
The main door opened to reveal their leader, Sunless walked in with a somber expression, before the tan arm of a giant muscle huntress hugged his neck abruptly, making him clearly irritated beyond belief.
Motza sighed and mumbled.
"Damn it… What happened this time?"
"SO! This is the dump where dumfus lives? I expected a nightmare creature to live here with you!"
"Effie- get- off- me!"
Sunless strength suddenly doubled, no, tripled and was able to shake the huntress off.
"Agh! Damnation…"
He walked and sat on the same couch as Motza, who looked at his leader with an annoyed and irritated face. Sunless sighed and started the explanation.
"Effie is going to live with us for a month because she decided it would be a great idea to fight with a group of guards!"
The one-eyed assassin snapped his head at the huntress with anger, he knew something like this would happen as soon as he heard the incident.
Effie meanwhile brushed it off and called out Sunless.
"Hmmhp, but I wasn't the one who killed said guards right?"
Motza snapped his head back at Sunless, his anger now directed at him, who sighed while agreeing begrudgingly.
"It was either that or let Kai be a hostage for who knows how long."
Motza's singular eye twitched.
"Who's Kai?"
Motza's gaze snapped to another person entering the building, auburn hair and a charming smile while introducing himself.
"That would be me! A pleasure to meet you!"
"He's also staying…"
Motza sighed at this.
"My sanity… Is going away…"
—
The week that proceded was one of the worst weeks of Motza's life, having to deal with Effie's antics was torture. The only respite he had were the hunts in the Dark City.
Who would have known a city full of dreadful abominations would bring him more peace than a building with a woman…
"I hate you Athena…"
He stared her down the room, she had just broken the door with her strength.
"Oh, I hate you too short-stack!"
A dagger belonging to the [Endless Torture] was trown towards her, she dodged the projectile while laughing, going to her room, where Merlin was also staying.
"Agh… Just two more days…"
Motza sat on the couch defeated, tired, exhausted. Sunless was right beside him, for the first time, he had ignored everything the giant did, lost in thought, he seemingly stared at his runes.
"Is there a problem?"
Sunless sighed, turning his gaze to look at Motza for a few seconds before answering.
"Yes, multiple actually."
He sat up and began to scratch his own forehead, a conflicted look on his face.
"Seishan has a plan to make people lose faith in Gunlaug's seemingly immortal status…"
"... I presume there's a catch?"
"The catch is that the risk is too high! People may die, innocent people, not just the guards or the hunters, but those who just live in the Bright Castle…
People like Lauma, people who have nothing to do with this…"
He chuckled humorlessly.
"Ironically enough, we have to trust Gunlaug if we want less people to die…"
"... Why are you telling me this?"
"Because Seishan needs Nix to help her… And Nix wants to hear my opinion…"
Motza stared at Sunless, he knew a little of Seishan thanks to Nix… And the little he knew… It wasn't the whole story.
"Is that really the only reason she's telling you this?"
Sunless stopped and stared at his companion, his conflicted face calmed down, and his voice came back to being even.
"No… She… She wants me to judge her…
If she's doing the right thing…"
Motza nodded.
"Nix always said that Seishan was cold, but never heartless, maybe… This risk is worth taking…"
The hollow eyes stared at Motza emotionlessly.
"Would you do it, risk sacrificing innocents to defeat Gunlaug?"
The lone black eye stared back.
"... Would you risk Nephis facing him?"
The Prince of Song froze, but Motza continued.
"Any advantage is needed, any scratch on his armor is required, when you recruited me, you said you would destroy Gunlaug…
Will you take a chance to do it? Will you bear the consequences?"
Sunless lowered his head, hiding his face with his hair.
Seconds passed, silence was the only thing heard.
But the emotionless voice of the Heir of Song broke it.
"I will…
It is a dangerous, foolish, insane plan, the chances of it going wrong are too high…"
He looked back at Motza, his hollow eyes showing regret.
"But it will work…"
Motza nodded, he was right…
Sunless was a worthy person to follow.
A armord figure appered in the corner, revealing himself, Kira.
Both turned to him, the knght stared for seconds, before nodding with sympathy, his muffled voice tore through the room.
"Sometimes… The ends justify the means… Just don't lose sight of yourself in the process, otherwise, you'll become Gunlaug."
Sunless stared at him, and nodded.
The three men stood there, understanding that the world could never found out about their choice.
—
It was the day the cohort of Changing Star would venture away from the Dark City to find the memory of the First Lord of the Castle.
After seeing Changing Star leave the outer settlement into the Dark City with only two more Sleepers, one of them being the blind seer that never left the settlement, Gunlaug grew wary of Immortal Flame, so he sent his wards after them to ensure no threat came to his domain.
Gamma, the leader of the Hunters, Tessai, leader of the Guards, and Harus, the Hunchback, along with a few hunters and guards.
Immortal Flame and her cohort represented something Gunlaug couldn't accept, she was trying to lead all the Sleepers to the Crimson Spire, to death. No one can leave, and he will make sure no more useless sacrifices are done to ensure the most amount of people live.
Even if it means killing the daughter of a legend...
The wards of the Castle moved through the ruins of the Dark City to capture or kill Changing Star, little did they know one of their own was a traitor and spoiled their ambush.
That their hunting group had traitors in between them.
The wards of the Bright Castle were about to meet the culprits behind so many of their frustrations with the Immortal Flame.
The Shadow Watchers.