Shadow Slave

In the end, Nightwalker did manage to make the turn. Sunny had not been sure how he was going to, since it seemed physically impossible, but the founder of the House of Night was not considered to be the greatest and most daring seafarer in history without a reason.

”Pull more of your creepy shadows to the bow!”

The gigantic ship moved like a nimble gondola in his steady hands. The Night Garden turned slightly in the canal, its stern nearly scraping the Park Island while its bow came mere metres away from the shore of the opposite one... and the frenzied mass of abhorrent nightmare creatures seething on its edge.

Nightwalker’s warning had been timely, but shades alone were not enough to prevent the fallen immortals from pouring onto the deck of the ship. Even the simultaneous discharge of the six cannons installed on the bow was not enough — so, Sunny sent Saint and Fiend there, augmenting each of them with one of his incarnations.

Luckily, the fierce confrontation did not last long. Soon enough, the Night Garden reached the termination point of the island, escaping into the wider waters of the canal junction.

There was one problem, though...

There was still not quite enough space there to allow the titanic ship to pass.

”How is he going to do it?”

Nightwalker remained calm, so Sunny assumed that he was confident. He was probably relying on some mystical quality of his Aspect or his divine lineage... or so Sunny thought.

He turned out to be wrong, though, since Nightwalker used a far more mundane solution to push the living ship through the impossibly tight turn.

”Grab something!”

Sunny took a few steps away from the pillar he had been leaning on and grabbed Aether. He was not afraid for himself, since even falling over the edge of the runic hall would not pose him any danger. Aether, however, could very well be hurt by the fall from the great height of the main pagoda, not to mention that his concentration could be broken, thus weakening the shield of starlight protecting the ship.

In the next moment...

’This insane...’

The Night Garden rammed into the side of the island at great speed. The immense weight of the living ship was already astronomical, and with countless shades — including giants like Goliath and the Puppeteer, not to mention the great bulk of the Dark Castle — aboard, it had become simply frightening. The resulting impact was so violent and dire that an entire section of the island collapsed, crumbling into the foaming water.

Colossal chunks of stone were sent barreling through the air like shells. ”..bastard!”

Sunny barely prevented Aether from being thrown over the edge of the runic hall. ”You lunatic!”

Nightwalker laughed loudly.

Piercing through the cloud of dust and stone debris, the bow of the Night Garden emerged from it and entered the northward canal. Its port side scraped against the jagged surface of the shattered stone, leaving deep scars on the living hull - however, it did not slow down much, continuing to move forward.

”Ah, that’s better!”

The demented youth grinned brightly while steering the ship into the canal. Sunny looked forward and then cursed loudly, noticing the wall of another island quickly approaching the bow of the living ship at an angle.

Soon enough, the Night Garden collided with it with its starboard side. This time, the impact was only glancing, sending cracks running through the ancient stone and helping the living ship complete its turn. Breathing heavily, Sunny glanced back.

The edge of one island was entirely shattered, mending itself slowly, while the other was cracked. The hull of the Night Garden was damaged, but not breached.

The water flowing through the canals swayed and surged, climbing hundreds of meters higher than it was supposed to be. Nightwalker hummed.

”What’s up with that expression? We made the turn, didn’t we?”

He smiled brightly.

”Actually, I’ve been feeling stifled ever since we set off from the Lighthouse. These narrow canals are the worst. Open seas are where my heart lies, with no limits or boundaries in sight... but this was unexpectedly fun!”

Aether just stared at them both in shock. Sunny gritted his teeth.

”Yes, we did make the turn. And that is why I have this expression!”

Nightwalker studied him for a moment, then shrugged.

”Well, anyway. I suggest you start loading your cannons quick.” Sunny frowned.

”What?”

Nightwalker pointed forward.

”Load your cannons! There’s a bridge ahead!”

Cursing, Sunny spun around and glanced forward.

The Night Garden was moving north now, and there was indeed another bridge barring their way north.

”Damnation!”

Controlling the manifested shadows, Sunny hurriedly reloaded the cannons. He needed to take apart an indestructible bridge again... and this time, it was a moving target. Actually, it was the Night Garden that was moving — but that did not make the aiming easier.

The torrent of abominations had made its way around the broken section of the island by then, continuing the pursuit.

What’s worse, it was not the Park Island starboard of the Night Garden now. Instead, it was another nameless island, complete with its own swarm of dreadful immortals.

They were already rushing toward its edge, assembling into a second river of monstrous flesh.

The living ship was going to be besieged on both sides soon...

And it was only going to get worse.

The deeper into the Eternal City they went, the more islands they would pass. So, the pursuing abominations from the previous ones would join those from the new ones, and their numbers would continuously swell.

Until all fallen immortals left in the southern half of the Eternal City were straining to get to the deck of the living ship, overwhelmed by a frenzied desire to consume Sunny, Jet, the Saints of Night... and the millions of people sheltered inside the Night Garden.

But possibly... possibly...

That was a good thing.

Sunny’s eyes glistened dangerously.

’I wonder if the Dutchman would like my present...’