Shadow Slave

Looking at the vast army of silent shades arrayed on the plaza below them, Sunny inhaled deeply.

There wasn’t much time for them to assess the situation and prepare for battle... but then again, this particular battle was merely the prelude for the frightening war that would swallow the Eternal City soon.

He exhaled.

“Actually, I am not too concerned about this first skirmish. You should probably understand why.”

Jet was an experienced commander, after all — in fact, she was far more experienced than he was, in that regard. She had already been a high-ranking officer during the Southern Campaign, having commanded various government forces throughout her storied career — taking charge of the entire First Irregular Company was merely the next step.

Later, Sunny had mostly faced the perils of the Dream Realm on his own, while Jet’s responsibilities grew exponentially. He did take charge of a contingent of the Sword Army in Godgrave, but that paled in comparison to her leadership experience, both civil and military. There was little difference between the two in the Age of Nightmares, anyway.

So, he could hardly find a better advisor.

She nodded.

”The Eternal City is vast, and it is separated into islands by the powerful currents of water. We have just arrived; so, the nightmare creatures we will face are merely those of them who happened to be on this particular island when we landed.”

Her expression darkened.

”The other inhabitants of the Eternal City would have already sensed our presence, though. Even if they have not, the clamor of this battle will reveal our location to them. So, we will be beset by countless times more enemies before too long... and they will come at us from various directions, threatening to outflank our forces or bypass them entirely to reach the Night Garden.”

Sunny smiled faintly.

”So, what do you recommend we do?”

Jet fell silent for a few seconds, contemplating. Then, she said in a somber tone:

“The situation is unusual, because apart from the current rulers of the city, there is not one, but two invading forces. The terrain is difficult, as well... so, although I would have suggested that we entrench ourselves and let the enemy crush themselves into pulp against our defences, that is not an option now.”

She glanced into the distance, calculating.

”We will need to advance, conquer territory, and play a strategic game of cat and mouse with these creepy immortals. Most importantly, we will need to keep advancing at a sufficient rate and achieve a swift victory. There are two possible outcomes if we don’t, and neither of them promises a good ending for us.”

Sunny’s smile turned a little dark.

He nodded.

”Indeed. If the Dutchman is wiped out, the immortals who are currently tied up fighting against the wraith army will all descend upon us, doubling the already overwhelming strength of our enemies. If it is the opposite and the wraiths conquer the city, though... gods, who knows what terrible fate will befall us? They will get to all the treasures we are aiming for first, at the very least. And something tells me that they’ll also grow stronger as a result.”

He looked in the direction where a towering lighthouse was shining with radiant light, far in the distance, and sighed.

”So, this harrowing race seems to be far from over. We are still running against the clock.”

It was in more senses than one, as well. Sunny and Jet had only discussed the situation briefly, but the time afforded to them was already almost over.

“These are issues of strategy, though.’ Saying those words, Jet gave him an evaluating look.

”What we need to discuss first is tactics. How do we even battle something that cannot be killed?”

That was the issue, indeed.

Sunny glanced down at the black cocoon of shadow chains. He remained silent for a few moments, then said evenly:

“Actually, my shades cannot be killed, either. Not through usual means, at least — even if they are destroyed, they will eventually come back. It is just that they need some time to mend themselves. The immortals of the Eternal City take time to be revived, as well, although it seems much shorter.”

His expression darkened.

”In that short moment between destruction and restoration, though, they are vulnerable — that is when we can contain them. As long as we come up with a reliable manner of containment, that is. So... at the end, it all comes down to simple math. We need to disable them faster than they vanquish my shades.”

Sensing movement near the entrances to the plaza, Sunny sighed.

“Which means that there would be no decisive victory or defeat in this conflict. Instead, it’s going to be a war of attrition. What we must do is leverage our advantages and employ strategies to maximize the enemy losses while minimizing our own. Then, we will be able to conquer the Eternal City instead of being devoured by it.”

Jet flexed, stretching her shoulders, and gave him an amused smile.

“That was my conclusion, as well. As for the details...”

She glanced at the far side of the plaza, where a wide road and myriad smaller alleys opened into it from the depths of the city.

“Well, I guess we will have to iron them out as we go.”

Her tone turned a little somber — because there, in the distance, a small silhouette appeared at the mouth of a dark alley. Then, there was another, and another, and another.

Soon enough, a crowd had gathered at the edge of the plaza — as if the citizens of the Eternal City had to come to peruse the goods of an open-air market. All of them were young and breathtakingly beautiful, wearing light and elegant garments, their smooth faces and glistening eyes betraying no sign of the hidden Corruption.

None of them was armed, either...

And yet, their placid, curious glances made Sunny shiver.

He took a deep breath and then gazed at the distant immortals chillingly.

”Let’s do that, then. The devil hides in the details, after all...”