Shadow Slave

Rain laughed and glanced down at the intricately inked snake that coiled around her arm and shoulder. Tamar was wearing a dress with long sleeves, so hers was mostly hidden — only the tail of the design peeked through against her smooth, caramel-toned skin.

”Sorry, Telle… I can give you the artist’s name, but I doubt your parents would approve.”

Telle leaned back, her expression sour.

”My mother has a wild side too, you know. Once, she killed a Valor Saint. Our entire family got exiled to Antarctica as punishment. But whatever...”

She cast one more lingering glance at Tamar’s shoulder, then turned away with a haughty scoff.

”I wouldn’t want a snake tattoo anyway. Birds eat snakes.”

She didn’t quite manage to hide the faint envy in her voice, which almost made Rain giggle.

Telle and Tamar had something in common — both had been raised by stern Legacy elders and trained to maintain a cold, dignified exterior.

However, Tamar’s calm composure came naturally to her. Telle’s attempts to appear aloof were often clumsy and transparent… and entirely adorable.

Rain suppressed a knowing smile.

Of course, that side of her was only visible to those who knew her well. To a stranger, Telle of White Feather would seem like the embodiment of proud and distant Legacy nobility. And to any poor soul unfortunate enough to find themselves at the other end of her blade, she would be nothing short of a cold, merciless nightmare.

Which, naturally, made her even more endearing.

Rain waved down a passing waiter.

Soon, the three of them were seated in front of an array of exquisite cocktails. Each drink looked like a still-life masterpiece preserved in a glass, adorned with such elegance and care that consuming them felt almost like an act of sacrilege.

Telle stared at hers hesitantly.

”So… we’re drinking alcohol?”

Despite her composed exterior, the lovely Feather Knight was rather inexperienced in worldly affairs. It was entirely possible she had never tasted alcohol before, which left her visibly unsure.

Tamar shrugged.

”I suppose. I’m more confused by the amount of ice. It feels like we’re drinking cubes of ice with a few drops of liquor in between.”

Rain gave them both a scandalized look.

”You two have no taste! I studied the gourmet section of the Bastion Gazette thoroughly. This place is the trendiest spot on the entire Lakefront Promenade, and these cocktails are supposed to be phenomenal.”

She gestured to each glass dramatically.

”They’re themed after the fallen Sovereigns. That one’s the Bloody Queen, this is the Old Valor, and mine is the Sweet Shadow.”

Tamar’s cocktail shimmered crimson, Telle’s was nearly transparent with jagged shards of ice, and Rain’s was entirely black.

She grinned.

”There’s also a fourth one, the White Flame. That’s the most popular. It’s made with premium Beast Farm cream and strong spirits — supposedly smooth, fiery, and heartwarming all at once. At least, that’s what the Gazette said. Anyway… cheers!” ṟ𝓪𐌽ɵΒΕⱾ

They raised their glasses and clinked them gently.

Each girl took a sip.

Oh… so it’s black because of coffee liqueur.

Rain beamed. The Sweet Shadow was absolutely delicious. From now on, she resolved to trust the Bastion Gazette a bit more.

Tamar lowered her glass and offered a rare smile — a true one. These days, her smiles were few and far between, making this one all the more precious.

”Oh, by the way — congratulations are in order. I saw the streetlamps light up last night. You guys actually did it!”

Rain grinned brightly.

”We sure did!”

Telle looked from one to the other, took another sip of her drink, and sighed.

”I’m jealous. You already have electricity. It’ll probably take another ten years before it reaches the Chained Isles.”

After the war, the three Awakened girls had taken separate paths.

The White Feather clan had reclaimed its ancestral land, and Telle had returned to the Sanctuary of Noctis with her parents. Now, she spent most of her time on the Chained Isles, only visiting Bastion every few months to represent her family and handle official matters.

Tamar’s circumstances, on the other hand, had been quite the opposite. Her father — the Saint of Sorrow — had fallen in the final battle of the Realm War. Many courageous souls had perished that day, and she was one of many who had lost loved ones in the crucible of that brutal conflict.

Rain had wanted to stay by her friend’s side in those dark days, but Tamar had received little time to grieve. As the sole surviving child of the Saint of Sorrow, she had been forced to shoulder the burden of her family’s legacy — and in its darkest hour, no less.

Despite taking on the title of the new Lady of Sorrow, Tamar was still merely an Awakened. As such, she could not legally hold dominion over the ancestral Citadel of Clan Sorrow. In the end, her family had to relinquish their land to someone who could.

That someone was Saint Seishan, the former commander of the Seventh Royal Legion. She had treated the Sorrow family with dignity and grace. No one had forced them out. And yet, they had chosen to leave voluntarily.

Thus, Clan Sorrow became one of the many noble houses displaced in the aftermath of the war.

Of course, Rain knew Tamar well — and she had no doubt the clan would rise again. In fact, its reputation was already climbing.

Tamar had been the first to join the Shadow Clan. Later, she had competed in the tournament organized by the Fire Keepers and made a powerful impression. She fought her way through the arena with ruthless brilliance, defeating many formidable Awakened in fierce and unforgettable battles.

She had even reached the final round.

Now, Tamar occupied a curious dual role — though the two factions she served were closely aligned, not enemies. Officially, she was a rising talent among the Fire Keepers. Unofficially, she acted as the Shadow Clan’s field leader in Bastion… and, on occasion, Rain’s personal bodyguard.

Fate truly had a strange sense of humor.

As for Rain...

She had remained in Godgrave for a time, then moved to Bastion to learn Shaping from Lady Nephis — and civil engineering under the guidance of Chief Bethany.

Oh… and somewhere along the way, she had also unsealed her Aspect.