Shadow Slave

After that, all casualness drained from Morgan's voice. When she looked at Nephis, her face was just like it had been the moment she tore Sunny's heart apart in the Dreamscape - cold and sharp, emanating a sense of lethal danger without her even trying to.

"How much does he know?"

Hearing that question, Neph shrugged slightly. Her answer was simple: "Enough."

Morgan sighed, then smiled from the corner of her mouth. "I see. That makes it easier. I'll speak comfortably, then."

Sunny studied the two of them for a few moments, then asked with a bit of curiosity in his voice: "Really? Aren't you concerned that I'll report everything you say to Saint Cor?"

Whispering Blade chuckled. He was mostly keeping silent before, but it was impossible to mistake him for a passive observer. Just by sitting there, the elder of clan Valor radiated a sense of overwhelming, domineering power. It was as though he owned this room... or every room he found himself in, rather.

Saint Madoc glanced at Sunny with indifference. "So what if you do?" And that was it. That was all he had to say to make Sunny understand that Whispering Blade did not care if Wake of Ruin knew all about their conversations... not because there was nothing to hide, but simply because the government was not anywhere near being in a position to act on such information.

It was irrelevant. Sunny suddenly felt a compulsion to cut the indifference off the Saint's face with the blade of the Sin of Solace. ...However, he did not let any of it show on his face. Instead, Sunny smiled pleasantly and nodded. "Makes sense. Sorry... it was a stupid question."

Morgan leaned back, considering something. Eventually, she said: "Whether that person comes or not is unclear. However, the rest of the force the Queen of Worms has sent is all but confirmed by now. It's good to know who we are dealing with... but there were some last minute changes. We must be ready to adjust our strategy accordingly."

'The Queen of Worms?' Sunny wondered if that was Ki Song's True Name, her title... or simply a derisive nickname Valor had given her.

Morgan and Whispering Blade were seemingly ignoring his presence, speaking mostly for Neph's benefit. They were both looking at her, at least. Saint Madoc's voice was a bit listless: "One of her vassal Saints, Dire Fang, has been here in the Southern Quadrant for a while now. He is a ferocious fighter, but we don't need to be too concerned about him. Sky Tide alone will be enough to keep the brute in check."

He lingered for a moment, then added: "But the other two are Ki Song's daughters. They are worthy of our concern. We already knew that Silent Stalker is escorting their Awakened across the ocean. She... is a dangerous one. Stalker is a huntress, so she is both strong and cunning. Dealing with her will be hard, but we can manage that, as well."

Whispering Blade looked at Nephis and Morgan heavily. "However, it is the third one that we must be wary of. Beastmaster. That demoness is the true horror... in terms of personal power, I alone am her equal. Even then, that depends on the battlefield. Here in Antarctica, she will have a tremendous advantage."

Sunny, who had been keeping his mouth shut, finally couldn't help himself and asked: "How so?"

Saint Madoc spared him a glance. For whatever reason, he even decided to answer. "Both Silent Stalker and Beastmaster are Song's adopted daughters... however, not all of them are the same. Stalker is deadly, but Beastmaster is more than that. She is one of the most feared Saints in the world. That is because she is an... enchantress, of sorts. Beastmaster can enthrall people. Much worse, she can also enthrall beasts... and even Nightmare Creatures. I hope I don't have to explain how such a power can be advantageous here in Antarctica."

Sunny grew quiet. That was right... Madoc didn't have to explain. With myriads of abominations flooding the continent, a Saint with the power to subjugate them would be a nightmare to fight against. Who needs Transcendent Echoes when you can have Corrupted creatures serving you?

Still... there had to be a limit to Beastmaster's power. No one was invulnerable. Suddenly, Nephis sent him a mental message. [What do you think?]

Sunny sighed. He knew a bit about Dire Fang, the vassal Saint of Song who had been sent to the Southern Quadrant at the start of the campaign. He was a savage and tremendously lethal fighter, and also an aloof and reticent loner. In terms of power, Sunny would have put him above Cormac, but below Tyris.

So, then, the opposing forces were like this: On one side, there were Dire Fang and two adopted daughters of Ki Song, Silent Stalker and Beastmaster. There was also Mordret, most likely. On the other side, there were Saint Tyris, Whispering Blade, and one more Transcendent of clan Valor. Since Madoc did not mention the latecomer, that person must not have been on the same level as him, perhaps comparable to Silent Stalker. There were also Morgan and Nephis. ...And Cassie. People who underestimated the unassuming blind girl were doomed to end up in early graves.

He lingered for a moment, then responded: [It seems like the odds are stacked slightly in Valor's favor.] Nephis looked at him calmly. [I agree. And that is precisely why we should feel nervous.]

Sunny blinked. '...Us? Since when do I care about what Song has in store for Valor?' Granted... he was a special envoy now. He would be accompanying the forces of Valor across East Antarctica, and maybe even beyond. That put him in a wonderful position to keep an eye on the actions of the great clan. But it also meant that should Song stage a sudden attack on their enemy, he would be directly in the way.

'But what exactly are they hiding in their sleeve?' At that moment, Morgan suddenly looked at him and said, her voice tinged with a bit of curiosity. "Oh, there's also going to be a third daughter. An Ascended... Song Seishan. Little is known about her, considering that she had spent close to a decade lost in the Dream Realm. The two of you would know her better than me, since she also comes from the Forgotten Shore. So... what is she like?"

Sunny and Nephis glanced at each other, feeling unease. After a few moments of silence, he answered: "...Trouble. If I had to describe her with one word, it would be that - she's trouble."