Shadow Slave: Lost From Sight

'Crap!'

That was the only thought in Sunny's head as he violently slammed onto the red coral, the puppeteer's shroud absorbing a part of the impact. As his body screamed in pain, Sunny held onto the remainder of his sanity, trying to figure out whatever the creature was.

No, he should use this time to resummon back wisdom's rod, it had flown away from the earlier impact, or better, sloth — they can figure out what he should do. 

'Sloth… sloth… sloth…!' He screamed in his mind, 'Appear, damn it!'

…A shining string soon appeared in front of him, gently probing his core, as if asking Sunny if he was sure of this. 

Soon, with his agreement, it sunk into his soul, and colour once again started to appear from within. 

However, this time it was different, the scene sloth was showing him… It was like everything was 'glitching'. Not that Sunny knew what it meant, his knowledge about the word only goes as far as when the occasional police officer swore and smashed their communicators during patrols, saying something like 'it's glitching! Fuck! I knew there was no service so far in the city!' and the so. 

Well, Sunny was experiencing exactly that, the colour would turn into black and white or shutting off suddenly, like it was 'glitching'. 

'At least I can see what is going on…'

He didn't have the time to experiment and test this new condition, he was in a fight of life and death! 

He had to focus.

From the brief vision sloth had given him, he could see the massive caraspaces in all its glory, its gigantic pincer raised, and bloodlust in its eyes.

It was preparing to strike its prey.

As this realization dawned on Sunny, the vision flickered and his eyes saw nothing once again, a wave of drowsiness settling in him from within. 

Fighting the urge to sleep, Sunny desperately rolled to the side. In the next moment, a boom erupted, and he could feel the tremors of the attack through the mud. If not for sloth or his quick reaction, Sunny's chest would have been caved by that blow. 

He was beginning to stand up when sloth once again appeared, and swiftly entered his soul, showing him that… the pincer of the monster was about to sweep sideways. Luckily, Sunny was ready: somewhat used to the drowsiness the usage of sloth gave him, he screamed at his hands to stretch and cushion the blow.

As his arms screamed in pain, and his mind stacked with two waves of drowsiness from the amount of times he used his trusty string, the pain slowly turned numb in the face of his disappearing consciousness.

Using the force of the blow, Sunny was sent flying through the air, getting out of the pincer's range. 

He might have not been taught on how to fight, but he certainly knew how to fall! 

Instead of having his neck broken or having the breath beaten out of him, he nimbly rolled before stopping some distance away from the approaching creature.

'I take it back!' Sunny thought, remembering his sarcastic critique of Hero's battle rolls. 'Rolling is an integral part of any respectable monster– fighting technique!'

Then, he summoned sloth again, and this time, it wavered, as if telling him he wouldn't be able to do so anymore. After all, he was still extremely sleepy from using it for so long and in such short bursts. 

Actually, wasn't its vision supposed to be longer?

Was the string just trying to protect him from whatever backlash it held with longer visions?

'Damn it Sloth! I'll be able to take it! Show me what it is going to do!' 

…Sloth sunk into his core.

Colour returned to his eyes, and it wasn't the glitchy, flickering scenes he had seen earlier — it was a full fledged return to sight. 

Yet, almost immediately, Sunny blanked out, and his mind short circuited. It was only through sheer will, and sheer spite, that he forced himself out of whatever state of unconsciousness he held and focused on the blurry images that sloth had provided. But his mind was still whispering, almost forcing him to sleep.

Straining his eyes, Sunny could see that the monster seemed to be in a rather bad shape: half of its eight scythe-like legs were broken, and there were cracks in its thick carapace, each oozing with viscous azure blood. Additionally, he was missing one of its two pincer arms, which seemed to had been torn off entirely at the shoulder.

The reason it was here… It couldn't devour the giant carcass because it was in such a pathetic state. And Sunny… Sunny was just unlucky to stumble directly upon its ambush.

Even though the miraculous powers wisdom's rod might have held as a replacement for sight, it wasn't omniscient, and could only detect things that are seen by the naked eye. 

Sunny had grown too reliant upon his memory, forgetting that it was a mere imitation of forgotten sight, and it couldn't possibly see something hiding in the dark.

On the other hand, Sunny could also consider him lucky, or paranoid, he wasn't so reliant on the rod that he lowered all his defenses, and he had listened closely to any changes in this shore.

But pondering on this could wait for later – right now, Sunny had a far more pressing thing to do. Namely, try to survive.

Focusing his attention back onto the vision, Sunny studied how the creature was going to move.

The attacking monster rushed forward, and… he died.

The vision reversed to the start, of where Sunny had noticed the creature's shape again, 

The attacking monster rushed forward, its pincer crushing into the side of a coral pillar, sending crimson shards flying in every direction. Yet, Sunny dodged it, but barely. This time, he saw a… a silver string of light amidst the onyx black in his eyes. In the vision, he was using sloth. He didn't die.

Yet in the next second, another crushing blow arrived upon the hopelessly escaping Sleeper, who unfortunately couldn't duck in time. The pincer crushed his brains. 

Sunny blenched, yet forced himself to continue watching. After all, sloth was saving lives out here. 

He noticed that the silver glimmer in his eyes had faded.

The vision reversed, and this time, he dodged the two attacks, and was reaching for a bone-spear that was lying on the ground. 

However… he had collapsed just before reaching it, and the pincer of the scavenger lunged onto him. 

His eyes held no familiar shimmer.

The vision reversed.

Sunny dodged the two attacks.

Picked up the spear.

Got hit by the pincer.

Thrown onto the ground.

Puppeteer's shroud held.

Blood did not flow.

Glared at the monster.

Eyes shone.

Collapsed.

Pincer lunged.

Abyssal blackness laid in his eyes — there was no familiar shimmer.

The vision reversed.

Dodged two attacks.

Picked up spear.

Got hit by…

It was all the same.

Which meant, no matter what he did, no matter what he would do, he would eventually succumb to the pincer of the monster.

'No! No! I can't die like this!' He desperately screamed.

Looking at the spear, and back at the shadow of the carapace scavenger, a crazy idea entered Sunny's mind. To survive… He had to act crazy, instead of trying to dodge, he had to get close. Only then, could he possibly be in range to pierce the creature and kill it. 

But that was easier said than done.

How was he going to find a joint in the open to pierce, how was he going to find it all blind?

Bastard of Shadows. 

Another maniacal idea entered his mind.

During his escape from the dark sea, something, an invisible force, had shown him the directions — north, east, south, west. Allowing him to barely survive. And Sunny's intuition as a seer told him that, it was no coincidence that he somehow knew. 

His Attribute and Aspect had saved him then, and will continue to try. 

It was up to him to make good use of them.

Bastard of Shadows will tell him where to strike, where the shadows of weakness hidden by the light lie. 

If this idea really got through… 

Surviving might not be a far fetched dream.

However… 

It was easier said than done.

'I'll try it!' Sunny screamed, 'Trying and failing is better than not trying at all!'

That was how he got through the disastrous days after his parents death, trying to pickpocket, trying to steal, trying to learn the exact rules of the outskirts. He had failed countless times, and Rain had suffered because of it, but… They survived. He got them food, he got them water, even if it was barely enough for their growing bodies.

He had to do so here as well.

Sunny had to survive.

Besides, there was something he had that the creature didn't — intelligence. He'll have to use what sloth had given him and plan in these short moments.

Gritting his teeth, he told sloth to return him to reality, bracing himself for the upcoming wave of drowsiness that it'll give him.

And as expected, the moment colour evaporated like it was never there, Sunny's eyes shut to a close, and his body relaxed, making him fall onto the soft mud. 

He was so tired that he couldn't even force his body to move.

In the distance, he heard the sound of the monster screech, before its power legs thrummed into the ground, reaching out for its blind prey. 

'Damnation! Move, Move!'

Sunny screamed, and somehow, someway, or perhaps it was by some enchantment of one of his memories, he moved. Or more precisely, rolled to the side, barely avoiding the incoming pincer.

As they say, the first step would always be the hardest. But once you have done it… The road doesn't look that far away.

Taking in a deep breath, Sunny rolled away once again, timing the strike of the pincer with what sloth had let him see.

He barely dodged the attack.

Next, he had to stand up, and rush forward to pick up the spear.

Forcing his body to carry that out, Sunny desperately ran, and picked up his weapon. 

Usually, this was where he had always failed, but that was in the vision sloth had shown. Sunny knew what to do, but he only had one chance.

This time, he stopped moving and allowed the monster to grab him across his torso with the pincer.

Immediately, a terrible pressure descended on his ribs. Sunny felt as though he was going to split apart, but his armor, received from defeating an awakened tyrant, resisted the crushing bite of the monster's pincer. Every muscle in his body tensed, delaying the moment where his insides would be turned into mush. 

Yet he endured, and they stayed like that for quite some time.

Sunny and the monster appeared to be at an impasse. The young man couldn't free himself from the monster's grip, while the monster could not kill the prey by cutting it in halves with its pincer.

They stared at each other, at least Sunny attempted to. Then, suddenly, without any warning, the creature clicked its mandibles and raised him in the air, bringing him closer to its… something, obviously intent on finishing the job its pincers couldn't.

Sunny didn't bother to struggle as the monster brought him close to its something. He knew he only had one chance to live.

In the last moment, or more precisely when his intuition rang, and shadows rushed into his eyes. Sunny clenched the spear in his hand, gathering all his strength, and thrusted the bone forward with as much power as he could.

Guided by whatever vision the shadows had given him at the last moment, Sunny striked through, his dark bone spear shooting forward and piercing through something slimy, which he supposed was the creature's eye, sinking in deep. 

Gritting his teeth from the unbearable pain in his ribs, Sunny twisted the bone, trying to do as much damage to the creature as possible.

This was his last hope after all, he didn't have any backup plans in the case he missed.

For a couple of seconds, nothing happened. Then, he felt the pressure on his body diminishing.

The pincer must have opened, as Sunny fell onto the soft mud of the ground, and as he hit it, the hulking monster crashed into it too. 

Sunny groaned and drew in a raspy, painful breath.

[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]

[You have received a Memory: Azure Blade.]

[...Your revelations grow stronger.]

"Finally…" Sunny muttered, collapsing onto the ground, trying to catch his breath. 

After forcing his body to move even in extreme drowsiness, he had no energy at all to move, or even think. But his survival instincts were still intact, and Sunny knew lying at the open would signify the end of him.

He had to continue.

Yet… 

A little nap wouldn't hurt, would it?

'No! I have to continue! If I collapse here…' 

He shuddered as he remembered the shark-like creature the other day, and the tentacle that swallowed it. 

The night was more dangerous than the day, and he had to do everything in his power to avoid drowning in that abyssal sea.

Sunny struggled to stay conscious as his body refused to move, insisting on embracing the temptations of slumber.

'I have to reach the shade at least. Or…'

Forcing himself to move, Sunny collapsed onto the red coral walls of the labyrinth, and relaxed under its shade.

Almost immediately, his eyes snapped shut, and he drifted restlessly into the realm of dreams and visions. 

'Sloth? Wake me up later, will you?'

—

A star, ruin surrounded it.

A doll, stabbed by a dreamy, silver sword.

A shadow, pierced by light.

A shield, rusting and broken.

A bow, hollow inside.

An hourglass, time slipping away.

A silver st–

'Wake up Sunny! You have to wake up!'

—

Cassie watched silently from the shadows as Nephis dodged the attacks of the Scavenger, successfully drawing their attention. Everything from the movement of her body, the way her hair flew in the wind, and her aloof expression even while in a situation of life and death screamed regal, or magestic. If this were any other place or time, Cassie would be satisfied to watch the dance of Changing Star.

However, she had a job today – while Nephis was distracting the stray scavenger, she had to make a surprise attack, and kill it. 

The sound of the pincer hitting the ground echoed throughout the labyrinth, and Cassie returned her focus onto the monster. 

She… She had to kill it.

'You are strong. Don't die.' Was what Nephis had said, in the face of her bawling her eyes out at the risk of dying from facing the scavengers. 

Cassie knew she had to do this, no matter how much she was shaking in fear as the pincer of the monster was scraped by Nephis a few times. 

Cassie… Cassie had to pull her own weight. She had her sight, she could see how the creature was turning away from where she was hidden. And… she was taught how to wield a sword, or any other weapon back in school, before the Nightmare Spell had infected her.

'It's now or never!'

Looking at Nephis one last time, Cassie gritted her teeth, and clenched a dark bone spear that they had scavenged from the ground.

She lunged forward.

Before Changing Star finished her dodge…

Before the scavenger's pincer crashed on her from above…

Before Cassie had time to regret this decision just like everything she had ever done in her short life…

She closed the distance between herself and the monster and jumped with all her might, landing on top of its carapace. Then, she used all of her weight to thrust the spear forward, and into the concave, discoloured cavity in the scavenger's armor. 

The scavenger stopped moving.

'No way! I– I didn't fail, did I?'

After a few seconds, the armor started to crack, and its chitin broke, allowing the tip of the spear to sink deep into the scavenger's body.

The monster shuddered, and then heavily fell to the ground.

Cassie was thrown from its carapace, landing violently onto the ground, her head hurting from her landing.

"What– what just happened? I killed it?" 

"Yes, you did." Nephis said as she leaned onto her longsword, panting from their fight just now.

As though confirming what Nephis had just said, the Spell's voice resounded in the air, making Cassie flinch from the sheer rudeness.

[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]

[You have received a memory: Azure Dagger.]

[...Your soul grows darker.]

Cassie was sprawled in the mud, looking into the deep blue sky.

After the Spell had announced her kill, she felt a slight change. Her body grew a little bit stronger, her vision a little sharper, her skin a little smoother. And… Her shadow seemed more comfortable around her — perhaps it will be able to travel to further distances, or perhaps 'a creature of light' such as her would eventually be able to use it without suffering the consequences of destroying the balance.

All in all, though the changes were minimal, they were apparent.

But more importantly…

She had… she had just killed.

It was her first kill.

But… She survived.

Releasing the pent up fear, and concerns in her mind, she breathed a sigh of relief, and glanced again at the creature, making sure it was truly dead.

Summoning her runes, she took a look at the fragments her soul held. 

[Lightless fragments: 7/1000]

It was actually true, the counter had increased. The mighty Awakened Beast perished just like that. And, although Nephis was the one who did most of the work, she got the final blow.

'I even got a memory!'

She… she could kill, she could survive, and she was rewarded, just like that.

Sitting up, Cassie summoned her runes, trying to find the ones describing her newly acquired memory:

Name: Cassia

True name: Song of the Fallen

Rank: Dreamer

Soul Core: Dormant

Lightless Fragments: [7/1000]

Memories: [Evertwine], [Endless Spring], [Wooden Staff], [Azure Dagger]

Focusing on it, she willed the runes of its description to appear in front of her.

Memory: [Azure Dagger]

Memory Rank: Awakened

Memory Type: Weapon

Memory Description: [On this forgotten shore, nothing but steel shall remember.]

'Interesting…' She thought, 'But what can this dagger even do?'

Cassie sighed, when had memories ever been informative anyways?

Summoning her new weapon, she watched it appear in a flurry of sparks. It was a sharp, incredibly light dagger that was about as long as her forearm, including the handle of course. The knife was simple, its blade thin yet deadly. It was forged out of azure steel, with a beautiful layered pattern. Deep inside the steel, white sparks could be seen. The crossguard was minimalistic and simple, offering almost no protection to the wielder's hands.

Cassie smiled in glee.

This… this was her first memory that was a weapon!

"A rondel dagger," She heard Nephis say, "Congratulations."

"A rondel dagger?" She asked, turning her head to look at Nephis.

"It excels in thrusting through joints or cracks in an armor."

She paused.

"It will serve you well."

If that was what Nephis had said, well, Cassie had to trust her. 

Slowly standing up, Cassie waved the sword a couple of times, getting accustomed to its weight. The sharp edge whistled as it cut the air.

After that, she cast a gaze at the already moving Nephis, who had started the process of butchering the carapace scavenger and extracting its soul shard. Crouching down, she used the Azure Dagger to help as well, cutting away a few strips of tender, pink meat.

Soon, Nephis got the soul shard out, and she had already prepared the meat needed for their survival. 

Changing Star hesitantly held the shard, as if asking Cassie if she wanted it or not.

"You take it." She said, "You paid the most contribution, and I already have a memory."

Nephis stiffly nodded, and crushed the shard, the flames in her eyes burning brighter.

After a while, they eventually left the clearing, delving deeper, and deeper into the labyrinth. After all, the day was still young, and they haven't explored much of the labyrinth. 

Hours passed, as gloomy scouted ahead, searching for all the routes without scavengers. Perhaps due to the energy she had used while killing the scavenger, Cassie was sweating more and more, the seaweed that was bounding her more private parts slippery from all the moisture.

She blushed, what if someone saw her like this.

No, Cassie shouldn't be thinking about that, she had to focus on what Gloomy was showing her.

Yet, even with gloomy's help, they still had to constantly backtrack since the scavengers they saw were all in groups — Cassie wasn't prepared to face those at all.

These were all adding to her growing frustration of not being able to do anything.

Just when she started to feel a bit desperate about her ongoing crisis, her shadow suddenly saw something that momentarily sent Cassie into a stupor.

Some distance further down the path, beyond a few turns, laid shining azure blood. Lots of it. Near the shadow cast down by the corals, lay the broken corpse of a scavenger, and… a pale young boy with a malnutritioned body.

He was laying there, unconscious. 

'How…? How did the Scavenger even die? By someone sleeping next to it?'

But nonetheless, there was only one way that it could have happened — he must have killed the scavenger all by himself. There was no one next to him after all, and looking closer, she saw something resembling a spear in his hands.

Though, there was something memorable about the boy. Did Cassie see him before?

Ordering gloomy to head closer, she stared at him for a while. 

He was sleeping peacefully in this forgotten shore, his chest heaving up at sudden intervals. It was like he didn't care at all about the situation of being stuck in this unknown place.

Cassie continued to look at him through the view from his shadow, and soon, a soft silver glow radiated from his shut eyes, and his eyelids started to flutter open. 

…Cassie was met with a blank look. 

Blind.

The person was blind.

Sunny.

How could she not recognize him?

Weren't they friends?

Lost in her shock, she momentarily stopped, her hands shaking and all.

Why did the blind boy have to end up here? Even if he somehow appeared near Bastion or Ravenheart, there was still an extremely high chance that he would have died.

But this? This was madness, insanity. An Awakened had no place wondering around this… this death zone, much less a blind Sleeper!

However, more importantly, he had killed the scavenger, all by himself no less!

Maybe… Maybe Sunny wasn't as simple as everyone thought.

'Just like me.'

It was at that moment, Nephis' voice woke her up from her stupor, "What is it?"

"Sunny!" She exclaimed, "He can't possibly be here!"