Shadow Slave

’The turbulent water far below surged and rose. A massive wave rushed across the canal, carrying an incalculable number of tiny nightmare creatures with it. In the distance, a halo of silver radiance illuminated the shores of both islands. A moment later, the wind brought the sounds of a furious cannonade and of an eerie, echoing cacophony of roars.

The Night Garden was approaching.

The canals separating the islands of the Eternal City were truly vast, some spanning several kilometers across, but they were still hardly wide enough to navigate a titanic ship through them.

Unless a truly exceptional helmsman steered it.

And at the moment, the living ship was being guided by one such man. Nightwalker’s face had betrayed a wistful expression when he stepped aboard his former home and stronghold. Looking around, he remained silent for a long while, and then smiled bitterly.

”Love what you’ve done to the place.”

His gaze stopped at the imposing black edifice of an obsidian cannon, and he tilted his head with a strange expression.

”Are those... cannons?”

Sunny nodded.

”Yes. I forged them.”

Nightwalker’s eyes suddenly glistened, the trace of bitterness disappearing from them. ”By the dead gods, what a great idea. I always wanted to get myself some cannons!”

Sunny coughed. ”Right?”

What kind of ship did not have cannons?

’A sad one...’

Nightwalker marveled at the ferocious cannons for a few more moments, then looked down, at the deck of the living ship. His expression slowly turned strange.

”Did you say... that there are millions of people living aboard the Garden now?” Jet nodded.

”It’s a bit crowded, but because of how vertical the nature of the ship is, everyone has enough space to live.”

Nightwalker remained silent for a while, then sighed.

”I used to live on this enormous ship alone in the beginning, you know? Ah... those were the days...”

Despite the words he spoke, his voice did not sound too cheerful.

”Well, regardless. I assume the bridge is where it used to be, so let’s go.”

****

It was strange, but despite the astonishing and dreadful events happening around the living ship, the people sheltered on its lower decks and in its cavernous holds had no idea about what was transpiring outside. At most, they felt slight tremors and heard muffled echoes of the firing cannons.

The mood among the denizens of the floating city was not festive. In fact, it was somewhat subdued and a little somber... however, they did not seem very tense, and neither did they seem particularly frightened. Maybe it was because of the Awakened and Ascended warriors patrolling the streets, who instilled a feeling of safety in the mundane citizens, or maybe it was because of Jet.

Perhaps it was simply because most of these people either worked for the government, were family members of government workers, or had belonged to the House of Night.

In any case, Naeve and Bloodwave descended below deck to check on things and inform the officers about what was about to happen, so that they would be better prepared to pacify the civilians. Sunny, Jet, and Nightwalker, meanwhile, proceed to the bridge.

Aether’s reaction to suddenly meetin the legendary founder of his clan was quite a sight to behold. His reaction to hearing what Sunny wanted him to do, however, was even more intense.

He did agree to try, though.

When Nightwalker stepped into the runic circle, it flashed and came to life. Perhaps Sunny imagined it, but the intensity of the ethereal glow seemed greater than when Jet or Aether did the same.

Nightwalker brushed his hand across the polished wood, then smiled faintly. ”It’s like riding a bicycle.”

Sunny stared at him for a bit, then asked in a lively tone:

”Oh, you know what a bicycle is? Actually, I own a bicycle workshop. The best, most premier, affordable bicycles in the Dream Realm! We even have a line of luxury models enchanted by the former Spellsmiths of Valor. You must have buried tons of treasure somewhere, right? Come find me in Bastion when we get out of here — I’ll give you a discount!”

He was not one to miss a chance to peddle his goods, so he gave Nightwalker a wink.

When Sunny first heard the word ”bycicle”, he had assumed that it was some kind of Nightmare Creature with two sickles instead of hands. But as it turned out, it was one of Aiko’s most genius business ideas instead...

Nightwalker gave him a strange look. ”Bicycles in the Dream Realm... why does it surprise me more than a bunch of Supremes running around, killing each other?”

Sunny scratched the back of his head, struggling to find an answer.

Soon enough, the Night Garden moved, sailing toward the Lighthouse.

The abominable fish populating the dark waters rushed to sink their razor-sharp teeth into its hull, only to be swallowed by it instead. They were inexplicably restored outside the living ship in a few moments, though, only to attack it in demented frenzy again.

’The water boiled around the Night Garden.

And now, it had reached the Park Island after navigating the narrow passageways of the twisting canals.

The living ship was bathed in blinding starlight... because it was surrounded by a cage of annihilating rays that were like a net that caught the abominations lunging themselves on the ancient vessel.

The canals of the Eternal City might have been wide, but when the titanic ship sailed through them, they seemed narrow. There was not enough space between its sides and the islands to prevent the fallen immortals — at least some of them—from trying to leap across or extend their long tendrils toward it.

The deck of the Night Garden was almost level with the surface of the islands, as well, so those standing on it could clearly see the harrowing visage of two ghastly rivers of abominable flesh flowing on both sides of the living ship, rushing along the edges of the islands it passed.

The fallen immortals had been stirred and lured by the passage of the Night Garden, congregating around it in great numbers.

’The only thing that protected it from their fury was the obliterating cage of starlight surrounding it, the Saints defending its deck — and the twenty-four cannons that Sunny single-handedly charged with Supreme essence, aimed, and fired at the undulating mass of abominations.

’The Park Island was free of immortals, at least... So, he could concentrate his fire on only one terrifying river of flesh.