Chapter 650: Drastic Measures
Sunny remained silent for as long as he could, until, finally, the Flaw forced him to give an answer.
He looked grimly at Noctis, and then said — or rather, thought — hoarsely:
"...Maybe he just wanted to see you suffer."
Noctis laughed brightly, then nodded.
"Oh, indeed! Maybe you are right. Gods can be very cruel, sometimes. After all, they are much more ancient and vast than kindness and compassion. Or, maybe, it is not really our lives that keep the Demon bound, but instead our will and desire to keep her imprisoned. Or maybe it is a test of our conviction… that is what the Sun Lord believes, at least. Or maybe… maybe he actually hoped that we would free her. Who knows?"
He smiled, then sighed, and finally added:
"...If mortals like us could know the will of gods, then we'd be gods instead."
After that, a somber silence settled over the deck of the flying ship.
Sunny stared at the delicious food in front of him, realizing that he had lost all his appetite.
Hope… the Demon of Desire…
How terrifying she was.
Slowly, several things that had seemed random and meaningless fell into place.
The jubilant crowd in the bloodsoaked Red Colosseum, the perverse conviction of beautiful Solvane, the harrowing torture of the Sun Prince, the madness that burned in the eyes of the black steed… all of it was the result of her harrowing power.
Hope held domain over desire, after all. And with that power, she had reached through the tiny cracks in her prison, and drove a whole realm utterly insane, turning it into a ghastly, hideous, demented hell. Every aspiration, every desire, every dream, every hope were twisted, set aflame, and turned into a weapon. An insidious, invisible weapon that struck at human hearts and minds from within.
No one was immune to her power. Neither mundane humans nor Awakened... not even Saints. Those who were closed and those who were far, all fell victim to the daemon's curse.
And what was her own hope? What was the Demon of Desire yearning for?
Well, that was easy…
Hope wanted to be free.
…Just like Sunny wanted to be free, really.
She was driving her jailers mad, so that they would destroy each other. And from the looks of it, her curse was working all too well. Solvane was seeking out death, the two Transcendents of the Ivory City seemed to be on the verge of fratricide, and Noctis was planning to kill them all.
The One in the North… Sunny didn't know about the last Chain Lord, but from the little bits of what the sorcerer had said, she was not in her right mind, either.
Suddenly, he remembered the sight of the time running in reverse that he had witnessed at the very start of the Nightmare. The Ivory Tower had descended from the sky, and the burned wasteland around it had turned into a beautiful white city.
…Which meant that one day, perhaps soon, the Ivory City would be burned to the ground, and Hope's prison would then break off its seven chains and rise above the Chained Isles.
And then, the Crushing would be created, somehow.
A cold, dire feeling grasped his two hearts.
'Oh, no…'
Suddenly, Sunny came to a harrowing realization. His eyes widened, and he glanced at Noctis with fear.
This… this was the conflict they — he, Cassie, Effie, Kai, and Mordret — had to resolve to conquer the Nightmare. They had to either help this mad sorcerer free the terrifying Demon, or make sure that she would never escape.
The five of them were pitted against the five immortal Saints.
A barely audible groan escaped from his lips.
'How is this possible… what happened to the Spell always being fair? How the hell can this be fair?!'
Another revelation suddenly appeared in his mind. Those words Aidre had said before accepting Solvane's challenge… the gratitude she expressed… had Solvane really eradicated the blessed of Heart God to punish Aidre for her heresy?
Or had the beautiful warrior known all along what would happen if one of the Chain Lords was killed, and doomed all of the remaining immortals, including herself, to a fate worse than death — to a slow and inevitable descent into madness, followed by eventual destruction? All in order to free Hope from her prison, and herself from eternal life?
If so, she had indeed been the bravest of them all… and also the most hateful.
...Or admirable, depending on how one looked at it.
But that didn't really matter.
Sunny grasped the emerald amulet and channeled a somber thought, which came out in a hoarse voice.
There was one thing that he still couldn't understand.
"The obsidian knife that I carry… the one that you lost… how were you going to kill the other Chain Lords without it, and without the knowledge about the glass knife that I received from the black steed?"
Noctis looked at him for a bit, then smiled darkly.
"Ah, that… the drastic thing I was about to do? Well… it was a really terrible choice. I am very glad that fate sent you to me when it did, Sunless!"
He chuckled.
"You see, Sunless… desire is a very powerful thing. In fact, it is perhaps the most powerful thing in the world. It is what the gods were born from, after all, in the endless, everchanging void of chaos. But there is one force more terrifying than desire. And that force is fate."
The sorcerer looked away with a distant expression.
"Even gods are afraid of fate, Sunless. So… I was going to make a deal with a certain creature. A harrowing, evil, and insidious monster. The vile Demon known as Weaver, who holds domain over fate. These knives can kill us because they hold the strings of our fates… so, if anyone can find a way to end our lives without the knives, it would be Weaver."
As Noctis mentioned Weaver's name, he shuddered, then forced out a pale smile.
"But… the Demon of Fate would have asked a terrible price of me, I'm sure. So, it is very fortunate that you came along! Just imagine… that fiend would have made me into something ugly, or even worse, poorly dressed. The horror!"
Noctis laughed and gave one of the Sailor Dolls a command to bring another amphora of wine.
He either didn't notice or pretended to overlook the sudden tension that appeared in Sunny's eyes.
'So… Noctis wanted to make a deal with Weaver to free Hope… and then, I suddenly appeared?'
A cold shiver suddenly ran down his spine.
'What, exactly, does that mean?'
Chapter 651: lnvisible Tethers
Some time later, Sunny was back in his luxurious cabin, sitting on the soft bed and staring at the wall with a distant look on his bestial face.
After the dinner conversation that was rife with revelations, each more terrible than the other, he had told Noctis that he needed time to think before giving an answer. Despite the fact that Sunny now held the keys to possessing two of Sun God's knives, the sorcerer had not pressed him at all and agreed to wait with his usual carefree attitude.
If there was one redeeming quality about the immortals, it was that they could be very patient.
Now, the flying ship was moving, sailing across the skies on its way back to the Sanctuary of Noctis. They would be arriving in a day or two… by then, Sunny needed to know what he wanted to do, and how.
He had to find the others, and conquer this cursed Nightmare, somehow.
Help Noctis free Hope, or make sure that she stays imprisoned forever?
A pale smile appeared on his face.
Hope… how funny it was, to learn that this whole realm had been driven mad by the subtle, irresistible, inescapable manipulation of the great and terrible Demon of Desire. Everyone here was subjugated by her wondrous, harrowing powers. Including himself.
Back in the Dark City, at his lowest point, Sunny had given all hope of ever returning to the real world. In fact, he had convinced himself that hope was the deadliest, most vile of poisons. It was only after he had clawed his way back from the brink of madness and out of the Forgotten Shore, returning alive to the waking world, that he understood the erroneous and destructive harmfulness of that misguided belief.
Sunny had built a modest life for himself and found out that there were people who genuinely cared about him... and even more importantly, that there were people whom he cared about himself. That hope was not something to fear, but instead something to draw power from. Something so vital that without it, there was no way to survive, and no real point, too.
…So, learning that his mind was now literally being poisoned by Hope was full of incredible, incredibly bitter irony.
'How fitting…'
He sighed, and then stared at his four calloused hands.
The obsidian knife, the ivory knife… the glass knife, the wooden knife… and one more, which he knew nothing about. Could they really collect them all? Noctis, Solvane, the Sun Twins, the One in the North… could they really survive them all?
Whether he liked it or not, there was only one inevitable way to find out.
First things thirst… he was going to have to make his way to the Iron Hand island to see if the others had left clues to their whereabouts. Luckily, it was not that far from the Sanctuary. Noctis had said that Sunny's new heart needed a week or two to settle — whatever that meant — so he wouldn't be able to go right away. But the goal was already in sight.
After the cohort was reunited, they would have to make a decision about which side to support.
The others… Sunny wondered where they were, and how they were doing. Were they even alive? Had their journey in the Nightmare been as harrowing as his?
Recalling his own struggles, he shivered.
The nightmares… most of them had faded from his memory, their details dissipating until all that was left was one dark, chaotic mess of vague images, pressing weight, and sharp emotions. But some were still clear and vivid in all their terrible splendor, especially the first ones he had lived through.
He remembered it all… being a father who watched the flames consume his son, wife, and unborn child… an old man who dragged his weak body across scorching ash as his whole world burned around him… an immortal warrior being endlessly tortured by his own brother… and a cunning shadow who had grown too tired and indifferent to care about life.
That last one was, perhaps, the most damning. Not because it was especially torturous — on the contrary, the Shadow Lord had been content and at peace in his last moments — but because it showed Sunny the pain and sorrow of those whom the heartless immortal had left behind.
That understanding was only made worse by witnessing how the Shadow's beloved steed had ended up… lonesome, broken, and consumed by madness, guarding the empty castle that his master would never return to until his last pitiful breath.
But that was the nature of life. As one went through it, they collected strings and tethers that connected them to others. Everyone's fates were intertwined, and everyone was tied down and bound by those numerous connections, some of them fleeting, some deep and precious. Sunny, too, was not untethered anymore.
Which meant that, should he die or be destroyed, his would not be the only fate that was broken and damaged. Everyone connected to him would suffer, too. And that… that, in a way, made him responsible not only for himself, but also for those whose lives he had made different. The weight of that unfamiliar responsibility pressed heavily on his shoulders.
Sunny sighed.
Was there… was there really such a thing as freedom? And if there was… would anyone really want to possess it?
He closed his eyes for a moment, overwhelmed by all these daunting thoughts. Even though he had forgotten most of the nightmares, they still changed him. He felt… older, somehow, and — hopefully — wiser. More mature and tempered… but also more fragile.
He spent some time in silence, listening to the hull of the flying ship creaking gently around him and his two hearts beating steadily in his chest.
Then, Sunny breathed out and opened his eyes.
There was not much time to spend on pondering and self-reflection. A Nightmare was a place for action, not philosophy.
The corner of his mouth curved upward.
'Fine… let's get ready to act, then. First, I should probably — finally! — check on all those rewards I received, thanks to that damned horse!"
And there were plenty…
Chapter 652: Plentiful Gains
Sunny got comfortable on his criminally soft bed, picked up a few succulent grapes from the tray placed on an intricate table near it, threw one in his mouth… and finally summoned the runes.
'Let's see…'
The first thing he glanced at was the shadow fragments counter. He vaguely remembered receiving what felt like much more than six after slaying the black steed, who had been an Awakened Terror. So, Sunny was hopeful to see a pleasant number…
However, when he did see it, he almost choked on the grape juice to death.
'What… what the Spell?! What?!'
He even rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was seeing things, but no. The counter was the same.
Shadow Fragments: [2823/3000].
Sunny stared at it in disbelief.
'Six hundred… I received almost six hundred fragments for killing that damned horse?'
Absentmindedly, he threw another grape into his mouth, and proceed to almost bite off one of his fingers from the sheer disorientation of it all.
'How is this even possible?!'
He thought about it for a bit, stunned, and then tilted his head a little.
'Could it be…'
One of the advantages, but also inherent drawbacks of Sunny's Aspect was that it operated through shadow fragments instead of the usual soul ones. So, while Sunny didn't need to collect and absorb shards to grow stronger, he also could not use the shards of creatures that he had not personally slain for that purpose.
The other detail was that, unlike all human Awakened, he did not receive a portion of all the accumulated soul fragments after killing others of his own kind, and instead received just one or two, depending on their Rank.
Was that, perhaps, because the Spell — or rather, the world itself — did not consider him a human? He was a divine shadow, after all, and shadows recognized him as one of their own. So… would it be safe to say… that in this context, his own kind were actually not humans, but shadows instead?
The black steed had been a Shadow created by one of the Chain Lords. An Awakened Terror possessing six cores, and with a thousand years of battles and bloodshed behind his shoulders to fill them to the brim with shadow fragments.
…Did Sunny receive a portion of the fragments accumulated by the tenebrous courser throughout his long and grim life, as a normal Awakened would after slaying another human?
The math certainly supported that theory.
Sunny's eyes ignited.
'That… that is it!'
Not only was he correct… he might have just stumbled on one of the most crucial secrets about his own Aspect, power, and future.
Even since finding out that his Aspect allowed him to form and possess multiple cores, Sunny had been wary of the eventual toll hunting down enough Nightmare Creatures to create a new one would exert. As a Sleeper, or even an Awakened, he was too small and vulnerable. Any powerful abomination would have been able to snuff him out of existence with no more than a glance.
The higher he climbed on the path of Ascension, the less of such existences there would be, and thus, the higher his chances of survival were going to become. However, that also meant that there would be fewer creatures he would be able to hunt down to collect shadow fragments, since slaying those lower than him in Rank did not give him any at all.
But… now that he knew how much he could gain from destroying true shadow creatures… perhaps, there was still a way for him to grow stronger rapidly even after becoming a Master.
In any case, his progress was already staggering. First, the thousand fragments he had earned in the bloodsoaked arena of the Red Colosseum, and now these hundreds he gained by slaying the nightmare steed. Neither of these feats had been easy… in fact, both rewards had cost him an unimaginable amount of pain, torment, and damage both mental and physical… but the result almost made it seem as if it had all been worth it.
…Almost.
At the start of the Nightmare, the idea of gaining enough fragments to create a fourth core had seemed so distant and unreachable. But now, just a few months later, Sunny was already near the finish line. This fact was both exciting and incredible… even if its splendor was somewhat overshadowed by all the hideous scars he had received along the way.
'...No. No, it is still amazing. I survived, did I not?'
Both elated and reminded of the horrors he had been subjected to in the Nightmare, Sunny stared at the unbelievable number for some time, then shifted his gaze elsewhere.
The second reward he had received was also very welcomed, be it strangely unexpected. In fact, Sunny stumbled upon it almost by accident while seeking the runes describing his Shadows. Before that, he had noticed that the runes of the Mantle of the Underworld seemed to shimmer a bit differently.
Confused, he concentrated on them and shifted his gaze to the last string describing the enchantments of the onyx armor… the counter of victories tied to the [Prince of the Underworld] enchantment.
Now, it read:
Vanquished Foes: [3291/6000].
He blinked.
'Huh…'
Somehow… sometime… he had managed to raise the counter by almost a thousand victories. He knew that the Nightmare Creatures and humans he had killed in the Read Colosseum had not counted toward the requirements of the strange enchantment for a simple reason — he had not been wearing the Mantle of the Underworld while fighting them.
So where had the thousand vanquished foes come from?
Sunny frowned.
'Come to think of it… I was wearing the armor while sleeping in the boundary fortress. Did it actually accept every battle I won in the nightmares as a true victory?'
That would be very strange, since the enemies he had defeated in the neverending nightmares had been just phantasms summoned by the black steed, and not in any way real. However… that would also make sense. After all, the Mantle did not care about him actually killing the enemies. All it cared about was that he had overpowered and defeated the opponent… if so, did it really matter if the opponent was real or not?
The duelists of the Dreamscape had been considered sufficiently real, so why would the creatures populating the nightmares be different?
'A thousand souls… had I really killed that many?'
Suddenly, Sunny felt cold and somber.
How many nightmares, exactly, had he lived through during those several terrible hours?
Full of dark wonder, he shook his head and looked away from the runes describing the onyx armor. He was already halfway to satiating its mysterious enchantment… which was already good enough.
Finally, Sunny looked at the cluster that interested him the most.
…His Shadows.
A few runes shimmered beautifully in the darkness.
They read:
Shadows: [Marble Saint], [Soul Serpent]...
And then, a new one:
[Nightmare].
Chapter 653: Cute Little Snake
Sunny remained motionless for a while, a pale smile appearing on his face. Beyond the window of his cabin, the sky was slowly turning black, the stars shining on its velvet surface as they welcomed the arrival of the newborn moon.
'Nightmare… so that is your name.'
What better name could there be for a Shadow that moved through human dreams, turning them into visions of horror?
He hesitated for a few moments, then looked away, turning to a different string of runes first.
There was another Shadow of his that had changed. The Soul Serpent... every time Sunny moved up a Class, so did the Serpent. And every time Sunny mastered a new step of Shadow Dance, the Serpent ascended to a new Rank.
...At least, that was how things were supposed to go.
Shadow: Soul Serpent.
Shadow Rank: Ascended.
Shadow Class: Demon.
Shadow Attributes: [Shadow Guide], [Soul Weapon], [Soul Beast].
Sunny sighed.
'Ascended...'
Now that he had mastered the third step of the Shadow Dance, the Serpent had, indeed, evolved as well. The tenebrous creature was now an Ascended Demon, just like Saint. Both of them had left Sunny in the dust.
While it hurt his pride a little that his Shadows were more powerful than him… not to mention way cooler, according to some tasteless brats… having two creatures of such formidable might under his command was going to be of tremendous help, without a doubt. Especially considering the caliber of enemies he would most likely have to face in this trial.
He glanced down, at the intricate tattoo coiling around his arms and torso. It seemed larger. Sunny could already feel the rush of the essence through his body, its rate of expenditure and speed of replenishment increased even further.
Not only was the Serpent going to be much more powerful in its Soul Beast form, but also, from now on, any Soul Weapon Sunny would want to use would be of the Ascended Rank, as well.
Basically, he now had a vast arsenal of Ascended armaments to choose from.
'...Well, isn't that neat?'
Sunny lingered for a few moments, then continued to read the runes. The Serpent was not supposed to gain any new Abilities from rising to a new Rank, just like Saint had not. However, that Legacy Shadow of his was a bit strange… it had come into possession of the [Soul Beast] Attribute and the [Soul Reaver] Ability the last time he mastered a step of the Aspect Legacy, after all.
Who knew, maybe this time would be the same?
And just as Sunny hoped, there was a new set of runes shining in the darkness.
Shadow Abilities: [Serpentine Steel], [Soul Reaver], [Grace of Shadows].
He frowned.
'Huh? Grace of Shadows?'
Sunny concentrated on the new Ability, and read:
Ability Description: [The master of the Soul Serpent can grace another with the trust and companionship of their Shadow Guide. One should be careful whom they bestow with their grace; entrusting others with the loyalty of Shadows is the same as sharing one's soul, and thus should not be offered lightly.]
He tilted his head.
'Uh… what?'
So, basically, this Ability allowed Sunny to transfer the ownership of the Soul Serpent to someone else, as if the Shadow was just an Echo. No, not quite… Echoes could be transferred only to other Awakened, while the Grace of Shadows could be bestowed upon anyone with a shadow, presumably.
If Sunny wanted to, he could gift the Soul Serpent to a random Nightmare Creature. Like the Mordant Mimic, for example. That would have been funny…
'What? No! No, it wouldn't have!'
Why would he give away his precious Serpent? Especially considering that the description hinted that doing so would leave him vulnerable. What nonsense was this?
Sunny grimaced. Well, not every Ability could be a winner. This one was rather useless… he could imagine a situation where lending the Soul Serpent to one of the cohort members would be beneficial, but just barely. It would be easier to just command the creature himself.
With a sigh, he commanded the Serpent to slither off of his skin and present itself for inspection.
A few moments later, Sunny flinched back.
'What?! Where… where did my cute little snake go?!'
The Shadow had changed a lot, indeed. Before, the Soul Serpent had not really been a "cute little snake", but its size was at least not too terrible… no more than six meters in length, at best. But now, a stygian creature of at least twice that size sprawled through the cabin, its mighty body covered in adamantine jet-black scales and as thick as a tree trunk.
Its terrifying maw was wide enough to swallow Sunny whole… well, at least his real, human body… and its triangular head however near the ceiling, two tenebrous eyes looking at him from above.
The Soul Serpent was so large that it barely fit into the confines of the cabin, suddenly making it look small and fragile.
Sunny gulped.
'What… what a good boy… you are. Nice snake! Uh, you... you can return now, buddy.'
The Shadow stared at him for a few more seconds, then hissed deeply and moved, its scales rustling on the floorboards. Soon, it turned back into an intricate, beautiful tattoo.
Sunny remained motionless for a few moments, shaken, and then slowly grinned.
'Good... perfect! If even I am afraid of that thing… imagine how my enemies will feel…'
***
Some time later, Sunny commanded the Serpent to turn itself into the black odachi, and sat quietly for a while, glancing at its somber steel. Every centimeter of this weapon was familiar to him… and yet, it felt different. The great blade felt sharper, stronger, far more devastating.
This was a weapon one could cut a mountain with.
He willed the Soul Weapon to shift into a spear, then a tang dao, then a tachi, and finally a battle axe. All of them felt the same — deadly and brimming with dark power. Only the axe seemed a little bit off.
The Serpent could take any form, but was limited by Sunny's knowledge. The better he knew a weapon, the better he could imagine it, to the smallest of details… the greater the result would be. And so, while he could command it to assume any shape, those that he had experience with would produce the best result.
He feasted his eyes on the somber steel for a bit, and then put the Shadow aside.
It was time to check on the rest of his rewards.
Since Sunny's mind had been preoccupied with the Soul Serpent and his Aspect Legacy for the last few minutes, he decided to continue with that.
Summoning the runes one more time, he looked to the bottom of the shimmering field of symbols and concentrated on a certain string.
Aspect Legacy: [Shadow Dance].
Shadow Dance Mastery Level: [3/7].
First Relic: Claimed.
Second Relic: Claimed.
Third Relic: [Claim]
Sunny hesitated for a long time, his face turning grim.
What the hell was he going to do if the third Relic turned out to be another drop of ichor? Waste it again?
'Curses...'
Finally, he inhaled deeply and thought:
'Claim!'
For a moment, nothing happened. And then, the Spell whispered into his ear:
[You have claimed an Aspect Legacy Relic.]
[...You have received a Memory.]
Sunny gritted his teeth and looked up, at the list of his Memories. Then, a relieved sigh escaped from his lips.
It was not a drop of Shadow God's blood.
Instead, an unfamiliar combination of runes appeared at the end of the list. It read:
Memory: [Shadow Lantern].
Chapter 654: Shadow Lantern
Sunny read the runes with curiosity:
Memory: [Shadow Lantern].
Memory Rank: Divine.
…He fell from the bed.
'What?!'
Another… another Divine Memory?
Feeling cold sweat rolling down his face, Sunny wiped it off with a trembling hand and slowly clenched his fists.
'Should... should be interesting…'
He looked back to the runes, trying to calm his wildly beating hearts.
Just what kind of a Relic had he received?
Sunny got ahold of himself and continued to read the description:
Memory Tier: I.
Memory Type: Tool.
'A tool… makes sense. It is a lantern, after all. But what does it do? Lanterns are supposed to produce light and illuminate things. That's not exactly what shadows are known for, is it?'
With a concerned frown, he looked back at the runes.
Memory Description:
["Death is just the shadow of life," said the Goddes of Life. "And peace is just the failure of war. Have you ever been something that had not been stolen, made empty, and vile? Have you ever done something that was not futile and hollow? Can you even exist without being cast by another? Look at how weak you are, how small you are. Am I supposed to be frightened of a small shadow?"
Made pale and feeble by the radiance of day, Shadow laughed and rose from the ground. As he did, his figure swallowed the land, devoured the heavens, and blotted out the light of the sun. Soon, there was nothing left around them but darkness. And from that darkness, a hiss came, making Life tremble:
"Life is just the prelude to death, and war is just the key to open its gates. Everything you cherish, everything you nurture, everything that starts with you will one day be mine, be welcomed by me, swallowed by me, and find peace within me. This is the mercy of Shadow. Hollow… futile... you might have come first, my sister, but when your cruelty ends… I will be all that remains…"]
Sunny shivered.
'D—damn… was Shadow God always that creepy?'
Due to his closeness and affinity to shadows, he had never thought about the God of Shadows as terrifying. After all, even other gods had not held Shadow in high regard, at least from what Sunny knew. His temples had been burned and destroyed, his followers turned into slaves… even his aspects and attributes seemed to pale in comparison to others.
God of peace, death, solace, and mysteries… that sounded humble and rather inconspicuous when compared to something like Goddess of the Black Skies, the god of storms, depths, of the oceans, of darkness, stars, travel, guidance, and disaster.
…But things that preferred to remain unseen and unheard were often the most dangerous, weren't they?
Sort of like Sunny himself.
He shook his head, pondered about the description for a bit, and then smiled crookedly.
'I guess War God did not like Shadow God at all… well, that's not surprising. In many ways, they are the opposite of each other. No wonder every time I meet someone from the War camp, I end up either having my heart torn out or, even worse, lured into a Nightmare so cursed that all other Nightmares ought to give it face.'
He sighed, then continued reading the runes:
Memory Enchantments: [Gates of Shadow].
Enchantment Description: [This lantern devours light and can contain, and then release, an infinite amount of shadows.]
Sunny blinked.
'Huh?'
The enchantment didn't seem like much, for a Divine Relic… that was unless one really thought about the meaning behind those words.
Infinite…
He suspected that in this case, the word was used to describe an actual infinity instead of a fake one, like with the Endless Spring. If that was the truth… yes, an object that could contain infinity was indeed worthy of being divine. It simply broke all the laws of reason.
However, how did it help Sunny?
He frowned, a little bit disappointed.
'Why couldn't it be a nasty all-destroying sword, instead?'
He summoned the Memory and saw a small lantern weave itself from darkness in his hand. The thing was not too big, about the size of his palm, and made out of black… something. It didn't feel or look like any material he had ever seen, resembling stone more than anything.
The frame of the lantern was intricately engraved, making it seem and feel like the scales of a serpent, and its walls were made out of glossy black morion. There was a ring of dark metal on its top, with a short chain attached to it. It could be held in a hand or fastened to one's belt, if need be.
As soon as the lantern appeared, the darkness of the night that surrounded Sunny instantly became deeper and colder, oppressive, and impenetrable. Any hint of starlight was devoured, turning the interior of the cabin completely black. He, of course, could still see through that darkness, but anyone else would probably have a lot of trouble.
Suddenly full of a pleasant feeling of comfort, Sunny turned the beautiful lantern around and noticed a small door on one of its walls. He hesitated, then commanded the door to open.
It instantly slid forward, revealing a square of utter nothingness behind. A moment later, Sunny felt his hair stand on end, and his hearts stagger in his chest. He was suddenly cold, overwhelmed by unease, and… terrified. Like an animal facing something so much larger than itself that the difference in size could simply not be comprehended.
He slowly exhaled, the breath escaping his mouth as chilling mist.
'...I guess that is how infinity feels.'
The lantern was empty, so he couldn't command any shadows to escape it. So, instead, he glanced at the happy shadow and raised an eyebrow.
'Wanna come inside?'
The shadow looked at him with fear, then energetically shook its head. Sunny rolled his eyes, then turned to the creepy one.
'What about you?'
The creepy guy stared at him for a bit, then shrugged indifferently… and disappeared into the small door, as if he had never been there.
Sunny could still vaguely feel their connection, but not in the way that he was used to. He couldn't see, hear, or sense what the shadow was seeing, hearing, and sensing. All he knew was that it still existed, somewhere else, in a terrible vast, dark, and cold place.
His face grew dim, and he commanded the creepy shadow to return.
The weird guy flowed out of the lantern, shrugged again, and planted himself back on the floor.
…Then, when it thought that no one was watching, the shadow shuddered and hugged itself for a moment.
'What a strange Memory…'
What was the use of it?
Sunny summoned Saint and tried to repeat the experiment, but to no avail. The tenebrous knight remained motionless when he told her to enter the beautiful black lantern, not showing any signs of knowing how to abide by the order.
'I guess it doesn't work with Shadows…'
He frowned, then lowered the lantern to the ground and brought it closer to wild shadows hiding in the corners of the cabin. Then, feeling extremely stupid, Sunny thought aloud:
'Uh… do you want to come inside?'
The shadows moved slightly, flowing toward the lantern, and then swiftly slid through the black door.
A hint of a smile appeared on Sunny's bestial face.
'Ah… now we're talking. That… that I can work with…'
Satisfied, he closed the door of the lantern, and then dismissed it.
Sunny was still a little bit sad that the Relic had not turned out to be a destructive weapon, but his disappointment waned. While not as immediately useful, the lantern would allow him to carry friendly shadows… an infinite amount of them, no less… with him at all times. That would counteract the main weakness of his Aspect — the fact that most of his Abilities only worked within the veil of darkness — to a large degree.
And, without a doubt, as his powers grew and the number of his Abilities increased, having a swarm of deep shadows at hand would only grow more useful.
Plus, he had a feeling that he had not discovered all the secrets of the Shadow Lantern yet...
But now it was time to study his last, and most important reward.
It was time to meet an old friend.
The Shadow of the black steed whose name was Nightmare…
Chapter 655: Nightmare
Sunny sighed, then closed his eyes and dove into the Soul Sea.
The tranquil, lightless expanse of his soul was the same as ever. The black water was still and silent, reflecting the three dark suns looming in a perfectly even triangle above. Only the rows of motionless shadows were different from how they had been before, crowded with countless victims of the Red Colosseum.
Despite the fact that Sunny's body was now very different, his soul remained the same.
He walked to stand between the three Shadow Cores, and called upon Nightmare.
A beautiful black steed walked out of a whirlwind of dark flames in front of him and stopped, its adamantine hooves sending ripples through the silent waters. The Shadow was just as he remembered it — tall and graceful, with a lustrous jet-black coat and lean muscles rolling under the skin. Its mane was long and luscious, and its tenebrous eyes glowed with fearsome crimson flames.
The courser had two long horns and a mouth full of sharp fangs that resembled that of a wolf. The horns, the fangs, and the hooves were all forged out of a strange black metal that seemed to be able to compete with the impenetrable onyx of the Mantle of the Underworld. Sunny shuddered, remembering the pain and shock of being struck and bitten by them.
As soon as Nightmare appeared, he felt a whispering fear appear in his mind. Strangely tense, Sunny took a step forward and raised one of his hands, patting the stallion on the muzzle.
"Hey there. We... we meet again, old friend…"
Nightmare was, indeed, an old friend of his… at least of the part of him that had relived the final day of the Shadow Lord's life and their last exhilarating ride together. But just like Sunny was a different person now, this beautiful Shadow was, too. The madness was gone from the stallion's crimson eyes, and so was the burden of hundreds of years of sorrow and loneliness.
It was as though the black steed was now reborn, still remaining the same being, but also somehow renewed by the purifying darkness of death.
As Sunny patted his muzzle, Nightmare pressed it against the calloused hand and looked at his master with a pale, distant hint of recognition. The crimson glow of his eyes ignited with a new intensity, and the black steed snorted, its voice full of quiet affection.
Satisfied, Sunny summoned the runes into existence and glanced at them, curious to see what, exactly, his new Shadow was capable of.
He read:
Shadow: [Nightmare].
Shadow Rank: Awakened.
Shadow Class: Terror.
Shadow Description: [This beautiful steed was tamed by the treacherous Lost From Light in the depths of a harrowing dream. The two Shadows battled across countless nightmares, shattering them all apart; neither was willing to give up, so in the end, the nightmares did.]
Sunny sighed.
'Again with that treacherous nonsense. At least the Spell did not openly mock me, this time.'
He still remembered the biting description of Shadow Dance...
Shaking his head dejectedly, Sunny rubbed the terrible scar on his neck and turned his attention back to the runes.
Shadow Attributes: [Swift], [Dark Destrier], [Dreadlord], [Dreamwalker].
[Swift] Attribute Description: "This Shadow is especially swift and enduring."
[Dark Destrier] Attribute Description: "This dark horse was meant to be a shadow warrior's steed, and accompany its rider into battle. It is fierce, loyal, and knows no fear. Its speed, strength, and resilience grow when surrounded by darkness and shadows."
[Dreadlord] Attribute Description: "This Shadow's might grows the more he is feared."
[Dreamwalker] Attribute Description: "This Shadow can travel through dreams."
Sunny studied the black courser with a thoughtful expression.
'Huh…'
So, Nightmare was incredibly swift and enduring. He was also a war horse, bred to ride into battle without hesitation or fear. What's more, he had two passive Attributes that both increased his speed, strength, and resilience — one when the destrier and his rider were surrounded by shadows, the other when the destrier inspired terror in the hearts of their enemies.
That was… an insidious and frightening combination. Especially because one effect fed into the other, creating a vicious cycle. Perhaps Sunny had only survived the battle with the Terror due to the fact that, at some point, his tortured mind had become too broken to experience fear.
An Awakened Terror was already an immensely powerful creature, and with two passive augmentations added into the mix... he shivered.
'Scary...'
And then there was the last Attribute, [Dreamwalker]. That one, Sunny didn't even know what to think about.
'We'll see about invading people's dreams later… wouldn't it be fun, to jump into Mordret's mind one day and give him a taste of his own medicine?'
With a dark grin, Sunny slowly exhaled and continued to read the runes. Attributes were, without a doubt, very important… especially excellent ones like what Nightmare possessed. But it was the Abilities that mattered the most…
Shadow Abilities: [Flowing Shadow], [Mantle of Fear], [Nightmare], [Dream Curse].
[Flowing Shadow] Ability Description: "This steed can dive into shadows and move through them with incredible speed."
Sunny smiled.
'Ah… so, basically, it is like Shadow Step without the teleportation part. Still very useful, and works perfectly with my own Ability.'
He turned back to the runes, his mood elevated:
[Mantle of Fear] Ability Description: "This Shadow is capable of delivering a continuous mind attack around it that infects its foes with crippling fear."
Sunny couldn't help but whistle.
'That's… that is just... damn!'
The ability to radiate an aura of terror was already incredible enough. It could debilitate weaker enemies completely, and even if more powerful creatures were able to resist some of the effect, a seed of dread was still going to be planted into their minds. And that… that was directly tied to the [Dreadlord] Attribute of Nightmare, which made him stronger the more he was feared!
'Scary… so scary…'
It was a good thing that Sunny had been wearing the Mantle of Underworld when he met the black steed. The onyx armor gifted him with a good amount of protection against mind attacks, after all.
With his smile growing both wider and a bit pale, he moved to the next Ability.
[Nightmare] Ability Description: "This Shadow can create and subjugate nightmares. The more nightmares serve it, the more powerful it grows, both inside and outside dreams."
Dormant Nightmares: [0].
Sunny stared at the runes for a while, trying to make sense of them.
'Huh…'
So… Nightmare's tyrant ability, the one that allowed him to create minions, was meant to subjugate real nightmares — not any kind of beings made of flesh and bone, but actual dreams. And the more of them served him, the more powerful he grew.
These nightmares, it seemed, possessed a Rank of their own, which was currently Dormant — one lower than the black steed's own. Additionally, there were currently zero of them under his authority. But how could one create a nightmare? Or subjugate it? Sunny had no idea.
What he did understand, though, was why his own journey through the countless nightmares had ended when it did. It seemed that each of the harrowing dreams Sunny experienced had been either collected or made by the original Nightmare throughout the centuries, and once all of them were destroyed, he broke free of the black steed's hold.
'...Interesting.'
Sunny was going to have to figure out how to get his Shadow some minions of its own… something told him that the process was going to be neither straightforward nor easy.
With a sigh, he glanced at the last Ability that Nightmare possessed.
This one was called [Dream Curse], but looked different from all the rest. The runes constituting the string were dull and lifeless, as though the Ability was not accessible. And indeed, when he tried to concentrate on it, a few new runes appeared:
Nightmares required: [0/1000].
Sunny grimaced.
'Damnation. I guess being a true Terror is not that simple…'
Still, his new Shadow was a fearsome one. Not only was it a swift and mighty steed, it was also a force on the battlefield in its own right, one that could instill fear in the hearts of his enemies, and then feed on it to grow stronger. More than that, it was a true shadow creature, which meant that its Attributes and Abilities went perfectly with his own.
Sunny had experienced the terrifying fury of the black courser himself, so he felt giddy knowing that this fearsome creature was going to be fighting on his side from now on. Gods knew he was going to need as many powerful allies as he could find.
His smile dimmed a little.
There was one very obvious flaw about Nightmare. It wasn't the black steed's fault, of course, but saddened Sunny nevertheless. He let out a deep sigh.
'Uh… yeah. If only you came with a saddle…'
How was he supposed to ride this scary horse without a saddle?! What nonsensical injustice was this?!
Not wishing to disparage the noble steed, Sunny hid his dismay, patted Nightmare on the back, and grinned.
"Good horse, Nightmare! Don't you worry… you and I are going to terrorize so many humans, Nightmare Creatures, and vile immortals that you'll collect some nasty dreams in no time. They will all be scared of us, you'll see! The only thing scarier than a treacherous shadow is a treacherous shadow atop a magnificent shadow horse, after all. I think that's how the saying goes. Or not? In any case, you and I will do great — and terrible — things together! If there is no such saying yet, there will be soon."
With a satisfied grin, Sunny dismissed the black courser, then left the Soul Sea and lay down on his bed, enjoying its immaculate softness.
Tiredly closing his eyes, he thought:
'I really, really deserve some rest…'
And as the flying ship of a mad sorcerer sailed across the sky, he fell peacefully asleep.
Chapter 656: Gardens of the Moon
By the time Sunny woke up, the ship was already approaching the Sanctuary. Looking out of the window, he saw a familiar island below them… in his time, it was occupied by a fearsome Corrupted abomination. He wondered if it was still — or rather, already — nesting there.
In any case, from here, the Sanctuary was just a couple of chains away.
With a sign, Sunny dressed himself and left the cabin, heading for the upper deck. Once outside, he saw Sailor Dolls moving around with graceful precision, hoisting sails and performing other tasks. Noctis was standing at the helm, wearing a completely new extravagant robe and whistling a light-hearted melody. Noticing Sunny, the sorcerer smiled.
"Ah, Sunless! How fortunate it is that you are awake. We are almost home."
He glanced forward and waved a hand, accidentally sending the ship into a lateral spin. The wooden mannequins somehow remained attached to the deck, but Sunny had to grab a handrail to not be thrown overboard. He gave the immortal Transcendent a resentful look.
Noctis smiled sheepishly.
"Oh… uh… sorry about that."
Shaking his head, Sunny ascended the stairs and joined the sorcerer at the bridge, which was situated at the stern of the enchanted vessel. From there, he observed the landscape of the Kingdom of Hope in silence, until a familiar silhouette of a vast ring of menhirs standing atop a small island appeared in sight, surrounded by a white cloud of water vapor that came from several beautiful waterfalls.
The Sanctuary… it was nice to see it again. In this harrowing Nightmare, it almost felt like home.
Noctis grinned.
"That is it! The Sanctuary of Noctis, my beautiful lair. Isn't it pretty?"
Sunny hesitated, then took the emerald amulet out of the folds of his black garment and thought:
"...I guess. But isn't it a bit presumptuous, to call it after yourself?"
The sorcerer laughed.
"Oh, no! You misunderstood. Initially, it was called the Temple of the Moon. I built it as a shrine to my great-grandmother. I was perfectly content living there alone, but as the Kingdom of Hope went from bad to worse, stragglers started coming to my lands in search of a safe shelter from all the madness. I didn't have the heart… or rather, didn't care that much… to turn them away. So, they started calling it the Sanctuary of Noctis. Why, it's a very nice name, if you ask me!"
Sunny stared at him for a few moments, then said in a somber tone:
"...Who is your great-grandmother?"
Noctis turned to him and blinked a couple of times, an expression of surprise clearly written on his beautiful face.
"Well, who else? The Goddess of the Moon, of course!"
Sunny paled.
'...How does this even make sense?'
He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it and decided not to think about it too much. Noticing this reaction, Noctis shrugged with a confused expression.
"Whom did you think I inherited my unparalleled looks from? People as gorgeous as I don't grow on trees, you know! Well… usually. Unless it is a very special tree, I guess."
Sunny gritted his teeth and tried very hard not to think anything aloud.
Soon, the flying ship descended from the skies and hovered in the center of the ring of giant menhirs, the sacred tree that grew on its deck situated right above the one growing on a small island surrounded by the pool of clear water, an altar of pure white stone drowning in the shade of its wide branches. Sunny saw dozens of people staring up with awed expressions, and involuntary searched for familiar faces.
It was futile, of course. Even if others were somehow here, they were going to look different from their real selves, after all.
Noctis grinned.
"Welcome to the Sanctuary! You'll like it here, for sure. Everyone here is very reasonable and nice. Just like me…"
Hearing that statement, Sunny shivered.
***
Together, they left the flying vessel and walked through the garden, heading to the sorcerer's private quarters. Coincidentally, the residence was situated in the same place where the White Feather clan had established their stronghold in the future. Noctis built his home inside the ring of menhirs itself, however, instead of on top of it.
As they walked, Sunny studied the inhabitants of the Sanctuary of the past… most of them seemed like normal people. Some of them were mundane, and some were Awakened. They didn't seem to be in the throes of madness. However, after the cruel lesson that had been taught him in the Red Colosseum, he couldn't help but keep his guard up.
Sunny's gaze shifted from person to person, evaluating them for potential danger.
That young woman holding a young child by the hand seemed harmless, but why was the child so frightened? That man with a neatly trimmed beard seemed gentle and kind, but why was the hilt of his sword so polished and worn? That beggar who sat lonesomely by himself, his body and face disfigured and wrapped in bandages like that of a leper, seemed too weak to pose a threat… but why was his gaze so sharp, his fingers so calloused?
And that old woman with a basket of fruit in her arms... why was she watching them so intently?
Sunny shook his head, then looked away.
'Being vigilant is good, but this is just the madness speaking. Wishing to be safe is also a desire… and so, it can also be twisted by Hope's influence. After the torments I experienced in the Red Colosseum and the nightmares, my mind is already unstable… I need to keep myself in check, or something terrible will happen...'
What dangers could there be here, in the stronghold of an immortal Saint? As long as Noctis himself did not decide to attack Sunny, he would be more or less safe.
And speaking of Noctis…
The sorcerer led him to a beautifully engraved wooden door, then opened it and led Sunny inside. His residence was just as one could expect… spacious, decorated with the most exquisite furnishings, and populated by all kinds of magical servants.
Staring at a mop that was dutifully washing the floors without anyone holding it, Sunny felt cold shivers running down his spine. He had a suspicion of how the Sailor Dolls were made…
'Don't tell me that the lunatic actually used someone's soul… to enchant this damned mop…'
Noctis grinned.
"I know what you are thinking."
Sunny flinched and stared at the immortal with tense apprehension.
The sorcerer nodded solemnly.
"...What is for breakfast, right? Oh, don't you worry, Sunless! I take breakfasts very seriously. Let us eat, then drink… then talk."
He sighed.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions… I have a couple myself, to be honest..."
Chapter 657: Chance of Victory
After a full and delightful meal, the two of them sat in silence for a while, enjoying their drinks. Noctis was consuming a truly unwise amount of wine with an absentminded smile on his face, while Sunny stuck to tea. The beautiful porcelain cup looked tiny and fragile in his massive clawed hand, sunlight reflecting from the ember surface of the fragrant drink.
In this rare moment of peace, he suddenly found himself overwhelmed by apathy and melancholy. Sunny was used to often feeling his heart beating with anger, fear, and resentment, but this strange lethargy was new and unwelcome. He didn't like it at all.
Searching for a way to entertain himself and chase it away, he suddenly glanced at the immortal sorcerer with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. Sunny lingered for a few moments, and then picked up the emerald amulet.
"Lord Noctis… you have been a very gracious host to me. You have given me shelter, showered me with gifts, and provided me with many delicious foods. Let me share the traditional food of my people with you, as well. That will make me feel better."
The immortal Transcendent raised an eyebrow and looked at him with doubt. Then, a curious grin appeared on his face.
"Oh! Exotic food… how wonderful. Do you need any ingredients to cook it?"
Sunny calmly shook his head, then summoned the Covetous Coffer. The toothy box weaved itself from sparks of light and appeared on the table. Then, it saw the sorcerer, trembled, and scurried over to hide behind one of Sunny's hands.
Noctis watched the Coffer appear with sincere amusement.
"Huh… that little creature of yours reminds me of someone. What a cutie!"
Sunny reached into the box and produced a tube of synthpaste, then handed it to the immortal with a polite smile. Noctis took the tube, stared at it in confusion for a while, then brought it closer to his face and sniffed it.
"Such a… peculiar… uh… container? It doesn't smell like anything."
Sunny nodded solemnly and made a twisting motion with his hand.
"You twist the cap off, pierce the membrane, and then squirt the contents into your mouth. Be warned, though… some people have said that its flavor is simply unmatched... unparalleled, even... and that there is no other food like this in the entire world. Many shed tears just from tasting it!"
The sorcerer blinked a couple of times after hearing words like "membrane" and "squirt", then twisted the cap off the tube and removed the foil membrane. Finally, he raised the tube with enthusiasm, opened his mouth wide, and sent a stream of viscous, colorless sludge into it.
Noctis closed his mouth, chewed a couple of times, then froze. Slowly, his face changed, becoming pale and almost panicked. He glanced at Sunny with wide eyes, shuddered, then slowly chewed some more, and swallowed with visible effort.
Sunny continued to stare at him.
"Remarkable, isn't it?"
The immortal Transcendent shivered, then forced out a weak smile.
"That, uh… is an unforgettable flavor, indeed. Truly… truly a dish worthy of being eaten by those following the God of Death! Thank you v—very much, Sunless. I've been… really enlightened…"
Sunny grinned.
"Don't be shy then. Eat some more!"
Noctis dropped the tube on the table and energetically shook his head.
"No, no. Sadly, I am very full. Thanks for the offer, though!"
He reached out with a trembling hand and grabbed his glass, then gulped down all of the wine in one go.
Sunny sipped his tea with a satisfied expression.
'Serves you right, bastard…'
The sorcerer poured himself some more wine, glanced at the tube of synthpaste with unrestrained horror, and then furtively moved it further away from himself. Finally, he looked at Sunny and lingered for a few moments.
Then, the immortal asked:
"So, Sunless. Now that we had a splendid... an unforgettable... breakfast, are you going to tell me where the glass knife is?"
***
Sunny hesitated for a bit, then answered with a measured thought:
"I might. I need to know a few things first, though."
Noctis sighed with disappointment, then reluctantly shrugged.
"Knowing things is very overrated, if you ask me. But I understand… creatures of Shadow are known to be drawn to mysteries, after all. What is it that you are curious about?"
Sunny slowly inhaled, thinking. There were many things he wanted to learn… but the most important of them was rather simple. It carried the most weight for his plans and his future… was Noctis really capable of defeating the other immortals and breaking Hope's chains?
It certainly didn't seem so… as far as Chain Lords went, the sorcerer was not the most fearsome and terrifying. In fact, his whole persona and attitude made him look rather harmless. Sunny knew, of course, that it was just a mask, and that there was vast and dreadful power hiding beneath it… but would that power be enough to challenge the likes of Solvane or the rulers of the Ivory City?
Both factions had armies, countless Awakened, and enough resources to wage a war for centuries, while Noctis only had himself and a few Sailor Dolls. So was his desire to unleash hell upon the shattered kingdom just madness, or did he have a solid reason to be confident that there was at least a chance of victory?
Sunny was going to make a decision on whether or not to join the sorcerer in this insane endeavor, after all, so knowing the answer was of utmost importance. His life depended on it.
He hesitated, and then said… or rather, thought:
"How many knives do you already possess?"
Noctis smiled radiantly, then answered in a carefree tone. His answer, however, was not at all what Sunny hoped and expected to hear:
"Why do you mean? I don't have any!"
Sunny's face twitched, and the porcelain cup suddenly exploded in his hand. He was to shocked to pay it any attention, though.
"What? How… how can you not have a single knife?! You have to have the one entrusted to you, at least!"
The sorcerer waved a hand.
"Oh… I used to have one, true, but it is, sort of… well, things happened, and now I don't have it anymore."
Sunny stared at the immortal Transcendent with a stunned expression. He was so befuddled that he even forgot to remove his hand from the emerald amulet.
"This guy can't be that insane… right? How is he going to wage war against all of the Kingdom of Hope if he doesn't even have a single knife?! I have more of them than he does, goddammit!"
Noctis laughed.
"So fierce, so straightforward! Ah, but don't worry about it, Sunless."
He remained silent for a few moments, drinking his wine, and then sighed.
"You see… in the beginning, there were seven knives, entrusted to the seven of us to hold the fate of another in their hands. The Iron Knife, the Wooden Knife, the Ember Knife, the Glass Knife, the Ivory Knife, the Obsidian Knife… and the Ruby Knife."
The sorcerer stared into the distance, as if remembering the past. A dark expression appeared on his face.
"The Iron Knife was used and destroyed, and so was the Ember Knife. So, only five remain. However… through coincidence, or maybe fate, none of the Chain Lords now possess one, except for Solvane, who wields her own fate and not that of the other."
He smiled.
"You see, the Shadow hid the Glass knife before his death. No one knows where it is. The Obsidian Knife had been entrusted to the One in the North, but she lost it to me in a game of wit…"
Sunny growled.
"Wait… didn't you lose that one, too? How the hell did you manage to lose two of the damned knives?!"
Noctis giggled.
"Oh… actually, I lost three. I had the Ivory Knife too, at some point..."
Sunny groaned, then grabbed his head.
"What is wrong with you... why is all of this so confusing..."
The sorcerer remained silent, smiling politely. Finally, he sighed.
"Oh, you are right. It is very convoluted, I guess, for someone who hasn't been living it all for centuries. So… let me start at the beginning, and explain to you the fate of each of the knives. Then, you will understand why I dare to challenge all the other Chain Lords, and how I hope to defeat them."
Sunny grimaced, then nodded dejectedly. Noctis poured himself more wine, remained silent for a few moments, and then spoke:
"The Glass knife is the most simple to trace..."
Chapter 658: Seven Knives
Sitting on a plush cushion with a glass of fine wine in his hand, Noctis recounted the fates of the seven divine knives.
"The Iron Knife was destroyed when Lady Aidre was murdered, and the Ember Knife was stolen and destroyed when the Shadow took his own life. Of the remaining five knives, the Glass knife is the most simple to trace. It belonged to the Shadow, and now, it is where the Shadow had hidden it."
He paused, and then continued:
"The Ruby Knife... that one was entrusted to me. Some time ago, well, I was a bit concerned about my state of mind. Hope's madness is very insidious, Sunless, and not even someone like me is immune to it. So, frightened of what I might do, I gave it to… a dear friend, of sorts… for safekeeping. Which means that you and I know the location of two knives already."
The sorcerer sipped his wine and frowned.
"Then there is the Obsidian knife, which I won from the One in the North in a game of wit. The others weren't happy at all that I possessed two knives, so I, uh… placed it on the altar in my Sanctuary and proclaimed that everyone who manages to gather enough of my coins can take it."
A heavy sigh escaped from Sunny's lips.
"You did… what?"
What was wrong with that guy? It was a relic created by Sun God they were talking about, the key to an immortal's death! Why would he just put it where everyone could see it and even put a price tag on it? What madness was this?!
Noctis shrugged with a guilty look.
"Listen… those coins are very precious, I'll let you know! Who could have thought that someone would actually be crazy enough to collect them all? But, uh… someone did. A very determined and reckless young man, in fact. That daredevil took the knife and disappeared. He was probably killed for it, but where and how, no one knows. The Obsidian Knife was lost… but as I said, these knives never remain lost for long. And here you are, Sunless, wielding it. So…"
The sorcerer raised a hand and showed Sunny three elegant fingers.
"That is three. The next one is the most curious… the Ivory Knife. It was entrusted to Sevras, the Sun Lord, who gave it to his twin brother, the Sun Prince. And that is where things get strange. The Sun Prince came to me one day with an unusual request. You see, he had hidden the Ivory Knife, and wanted for me to erase the memories of where from his mind. He also wanted me to make him forget that request."
Sunny shuddered.
'He… he destroyed those memories on purpose? Even before the terrible torture?'
Noctis sighed.
"While my Aspect has to do with souls, I was very close to Aidre, the Priestess of Heart God, before she was killed by Solvane… that cursed murderer. So, I inherited a few things and a lot of knowledge from her. That was why the Sun Prince came to me, although I still don't know what his motive was. Regardless, I agreed to help him, and removed the memory of the Ivory Knife's secret location from his mind. However…"
The sorcerer smiled.
"...I did not just destroy it. That would be too boring, don't you think? Instead, I kept the memory for myself and eventually retrieved the Ivory Knife."
Sunny shook his head.
"So where is it? How did you manage to lose that one, too?"
The immortal Transcendent shrugged.
"Well… the One in the North was still angry with me and wanted a rematch. The stakes were high, and that time, sadly, I didn't win. She got the Ivory Knife, and then threw it into the Sky Below. That was very silly of her. It is impossible to really lose one of the knives forever, so it was bound to return one day. And recently, it did… I don't know where it is, but it is back, that is for sure."
Sunny looked at him for a while, a somber expression on his face.
He was pretty certain that he knew who had the Ivory Knife… Mordret, the Prince of Nothing. And if that fiend wielded it, even gods would not be able to predict what was going to happen.
Noctis, however, didn't seem concerned. He sipped his wine with a smile:
"No matter where it is, it will turn up soon enough. So, the only knife that remains is the Wooden Knife, which is in Solvane's possession. This one is the simplest to get, although not the easiest. The murderous witch, you know, is more than ready to give it to anyone whom she deems worthy enough to try and kill her. So, we don't even need to search for it. Sooner or later, it will fall into our hands all by itself."
Sunny remained silent for a bit, then said in a somber tone:
"So let me get this straight. There are five knives… the Obsidian Knife is in my possession, and the Glass Knife is hidden in a place that is only known to me. The Ruby Knife is hidden in a place only known to you. The Wooden Knife will be given to us by Solvane if we defeat her… and the Ivory Knife is somewhere out there, being pulled toward all this mess by fate."
The sorcerer nodded with a smile.
"Indeed! So, you see… while I do not possess any of the knives yet, getting three out of the five would not be too difficult, and the fourth one will naturally appear on my path. Four out of five… it doesn't look that crazy anymore, don't you think?"
Sunny hesitated.
Yes… it only looked very crazy instead of utterly crazy now. But all he needed was to know that there was a chance of victory, and now, it seemed that there was. Noctis, eccentric and unreliable as he seemed, had not made the decision based on nothing.
The sorcerer glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.
"So, Sunless… are you going to share the location of the Glass Knife with me, and help me free Hope? Shall we break her chains and free this land, and ourselves, of a fate worse than death? What do you think?"
Sunny sighed.
That was a very troublesome question... and completely inescapable, at that. However, he could not answer it yet. Looking at the immortal sorcerer, he said:
"I can't make that decision alone. I need to discuss it with my friends first."
Noctis blinked.
"Oh… well, why not? It is always good to have loyal friends. Where are they?"
Sunny shifted slightly.
"That, uh… I don't know."
The sorcerer scratched the back of his head with a perplexed expression.
"I guess we'll have to find them first, then! Tell me, what are their names?"
Sunny looked away, then cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Uh… I don't know that, either."
Who knew what names the members of the cohort received in the Nightmare?
Noctis stared at him for a few moments, then asked in an even tone:
"...You don't know the names of your friends? How... interesting. Well, how do they look, then?"
Sunny smiled sheepishly… or rather, he tried. With his bestial face and sharp fangs, the result was far from being as innocent and apologetic as he would have wanted it to be.
"Actually… I don't know how they look, either."
The immortal Transcendent slowly took a sip of wine, remained silent for a bit, then spoke.
"So, if I understood correctly, you won't tell me about the Glass Knife until you have consulted with your friends, but you don't know where they are, what their names are, and how they look. Did I get it all?"
Sunny shifted awkwardly, then shrugged.
"Yes. But… they were supposed to leave me clues of their whereabouts on the Iron Hand island. That's something, right?"
Noctis emptied his glass and looked at him with a strange smile.
"Sunless… how do I say this… there is no island by that name in the Kingdom of Hope…"
'Oh… right.'
The iron giant might have been still alive and in possession of both of his arms, so there would not be an Iron Hand island, indeed. Sunny shook his head.
"Ah, you just know it by another name. It does exist, don't worry. Actually, it is right here, near the Sanctuary. So, I will have to go there first, before giving you an answer.'
Noctis looked at him, blinked a couple of times, and then sighed.
"...Alright, then. In that case, wait for a week or two before your new heart settles. Traveling before that would be very unwise… but after that, do go and find your friends. Invite them here, actually! I doubt that there's a friend of yours who is better, smarter, and more beautiful than I, but I'm sure that they are all nice people… uh, or demons… or whatever they are."
He smiled, and then winked at Sunny with a slightly mischievous look.
"...I can't wait to meet them!"
Chapter 659: A Rest Before the War
Sunny did not fully understand what the sorcerer meant by saying that the new heart needed time to settle. Physically, he felt fine… great, even. Both of his hearts were beating steadily in his chest, powerful and dependable like relentless machines. However, he had not put them under any strain since the battle with Nightmare, so there was no way of telling how they would behave in a crisis.
Remembering the frightening pain of having his heart give out, Sunny decided to take the immortal's word for it and allow himself to rest.
He needed rest, anyway.
While his body had healed, the mind was not that resilient. Sunny felt that his mental state was not in the best of shapes… however, strangely, it was not as bad as he would have expected.
After the hellish two months he had spent in the Red Colosseum with Elyas, their subsequent escape, and the young man's death, Sunny had beem numb and apathetic for a long time. He had gone through the motions of pursuing a simple goal without much emotion, hiding in the darkness as he traveled across the Kingdom of Hope, too hurt and defeated to feel anything.
Already in a damaged and vulnerable state, he had been then thrust into the harrowing succession of nightmares and forced to experience one hideous torment after another. At this point, Sunny could have broken… but instead, unexpectedly, he had found himself full of rapacious determination.
That determination had banished the suffocating lethargy and allowed him to endure countless nightmares and continue to fight, until there were none left. It was as though the two ghastly experiences clashed and counteracted each other, leaving him in a semblance of a healthy state.
Or maybe it was just the matter of suffering a bitter defeat by Solvane's hand, but then refusing to give up and clawing his way to victory in the battle against Nightmare. That victory, costly as it had been, ignited his tortured spirit despite all the suffering it brought, the same way that the previous defeat had extinguished it.
Well… healthy was a strong word. Perhaps functioning was more suitable.
He could still feel barely closed wounds in his mind, which sometimes made their existence known. And added to that was the invisible, insidious poison of Hope…
Yes, a week or two of rest did not sound too bad. Sunny had a feeling that later, there would not be such an opportunity again.
…After their breakfast conversation, Noctis offered to host him in the luxurious residence. However, Sunny felt that sharing a living space with the eccentric sorcerer would have been very conducive to peaceful restoration, so he politely refused. In the end, he settled in spacious quarters on the opposite side of the ring of menhirs, close to where his small room had been in the future.
His new one was larger and much better furnished. It was comfortable, beautiful, and safe. However, Sunny didn't like to stay inside the room for too long… being surrounded by its stone walls reminded him of the dungeon of the Red Colosseum too much, so he spent most of his days in the inner garden of the Sanctuary.
The people living in the former Temple of the Moon did not seem as perturbed by seeing a horned demon walk among them as the humans of the waking world would have been, especially since they knew that Sunny had arrived with Noctis himself… however, they were still tense and apprehensive around him. In the end, Sunny found himself being avoided at all costs, which suited him fine.
Not wishing to disturb anyone unnecessarily, he tended to remain in a corner of the garden where very few people ever appeared… coincidentally, it was the same place where he used to sell soul shards in the future. His favorite stone, sadly, was usually taken by the leper whose body and disfigured face were covered with dirty bandages.
Oh, well… life couldn't always be perfect.
The first time Sunny sat down on the grass a few meters away from the leper, he spared the four-armed monster a short glance, lingered for a few moments, and then said in an ugly, grating, hoarse voice:
"...What kind of a creature are you?"
Sunny looked at the leper, not really wishing to engage in a conversation, then reluctantly produced the emerald amulet and answered.
"A demon. What kind of a creature are you?"
The leper smiled, causing a bit of yellow puss to sip from beneath the bandages covering his face.
"...A cripple."
Sunny studied the man, then made a grimace and asked in a sullen tone:
"I won't catch whatever it is that you have, will I?"
The leper let out a creaky chuckle.
"...No. I'm not diseased. Just… burned."
Sunny tilted his head a little, then shrugged and turned away.
So, the leper was not a leper. His body was just severely burned, and judging by the fact that the rags covering the bandages seemed to have been pristine white once, he had probably come to the Sanctuary from the Ivory City. Sunny wasn't sure that he wanted to know how a citizen of the Sun God's stronghold ended up with those burns.
…The memory of their lord's torture was still fresh in his mind.
They haven't spoken after that, remaining in indifferent silence.
Looking at the empty corner of the beautiful garden around them and the distant figures of humans going about their lives, Sunny couldn't help but remember his first day at the Academy. Back then, two outcasts — Cassie and himself — had been segregated from the rest of Sleepers in a similar fashion.
Suddenly in a somber mood, he put the amulet away and thought:
'Some things never change, don't they?'
…Of course, he would have preferred to be in the company of a beautiful oracle instead of a hideous cripple. That was only fair, considering that the cripple would have without a doubt preferred company of someone like Cassie to that of a ferocious-looking demon, as well.
With a sigh, Sunny threw these thoughts out of his head and closed his eyes, trying to meditate.
Two weeks… that was all the time he had to prepare himself for the encroaching hell of an obliterating war.