Shadow Slave: Gleaming Stars

[Audun's POV]

I awoke with a throbbing soreness in my neck and nostrils full of the rancid rotten smell of dead abominations.

My mind felt incredibly refreshed, ebbing with a clarity I hadn't experienced in weeks. 

Rubbing the gunk out of my eyes, I let out a groan as I oriented myself with my surroundings. 

I was slouched against the Crimson Tree, leaning against its massive trunk, and taking shelter under its canopy of branches and leaves. 

As I cracked my neck and let out a yawn, I did a brief stretch before standing up.

Still gathering my bearings, I scanned the surroundings for the rest of my group, locating them without much effort. 

Nephis and Sunny weren't too far away, dissecting the corpse of the Carapace Demon I thought we'd left behind yesterday. 

Cassie sat beside them, her normally clear blue eyes hazy with an unfocused sheen.

My brow furrowed as my vision cleared.

Nephis and Cassie appeared to be...

How should I describe it...

Dumb?

Thoughtless?

I digress.

Either way, they clearly weren't in the right state of mind. 

One of them was hacking away at the Carapace Demons' shell, operating like a machine, simply trying to fulfill its purpose, while the other was sitting crisscross, swaying back and forth like a hyperactive child that was told to sit still.

Thankfully, it looked like Sunny still had his neurons intact. 

While he was still subjecting himself to the same odd behavior, the focus in his eyes was unmistakable. 

Using his blade, he cut out a large, wet chunk of the Carapace Demon's meat.

Seemingly satisfied with his work, he tossed the demon fillet onto a pile of fallen leaves before jumping off the large corpse of the Carapace Demon himself.

Just as I began to walk over, Sunny's eyes locked onto my position, alerted by the sound of my footsteps. 

His eyes widened, his body frozen in place. 

Giving me a cautious look, Sunny approached me slowly.

In response to his antics, I shot him a confused look.

What's going on over here?

As he got closer, I was able to get a better look at his current state.

Sunny looked beyond haggard.

The dark circles underneath his eyes had darkened considerably, and his shoulders were slouched, weighed down by inexplicable burdens. 

He regarded me tiredly, sweeping some of his onyx hair out of his eyes, and I caught what looked like a human bitemark marring the back of his right hand. 

"You've been asleep for three days," He remarked bitterly.

Huh?

Despite his clear annoyance, his exhausted eyes were practically glowing with relief.

His words struck me like a whip.

'Ah shit-'

'Three days???'

I grimaced. 

'Well fuck- that wasn't the plan at all.'

What was supposed to be a brief power nap had somehow morphed into a mini coma. 

'Well, I suppose that explained the soreness...'

Letting out a sizable sigh, Sunny asked me a question with a subtle desperation in his tone, a hint of fear creeping into his voice. 

"Whatever... Say... when you woke up... did you happen to eat any of the fruits lying on the ground...?"

My confused expression transitioned into an incredulous one. 

'Fruits?'

I felt like I was missing a good amount of context.

Tilting my head in genuine confusion, I responded with a resounding:

No? Should I have?

As soon as his eyes registered my words, he relaxed considerably, the invisible weight pressing down on his shoulders seemingly lessening upon my revelation.

I frowned.

Did something happen?

Caution flared in my mind. The slight fog of grogginess clouding my thoughts melted away as I finally began to register the abnormal nature of everyone's behavior.

Sunny shot a glance in the direction of the girls, before directing one at the tree standing tall behind me. 

Without a word, he grasped my wrist, bringing his blood-stained finger to my palm.

My brow subconsciously furrowed.

Whatever he needed to tell me couldn't be said aloud. 

Sunny's fingers glided somewhat clumsily across the surface of my hand, but I was still able to make out a grim collection of words.

Tree

Mind Control

Boat

Escape

Giving me a firm look, Sunny gave me enough information to piece together what had happened. 

With a rather tight expression, I nodded in understanding. 

Five words were enough for me to get a general grasp of the situation. 

I turned my gaze towards the hardworking Nephis and the listless Cassie. 

Should I help them or...

Nephis was hacking away at the Carapace Demons' shell with a blank expression, tying together its large plates with a complex series of knots with Cassie's Golden rope. 

"Leave them."

Sunny had a mischievous smile on his face. 

"Nephis can build the boat by herself, and Cassie... uh, she'll supervise."

I raised an eyebrow.

Sunny shrugged.

"I don't know about you, but I have absolutely no idea how to make a boat. If you wanna help out, be my guest, but I'm pretty sure Nephis has us covered."

Returning his shrug with one of my own, I decided not to question the moral ambiguity of "coercing" someone who's mentally incapacitated into doing labor. 

'Ehhhh..., she looks like she's having fun. It's probably fine.'

Interupting my thoughts, Sunny gestured to the lump of meat, which I now recognized as fat, that he cut from the Carapace Demon corpse.

"While they're doing that, let's go make some candles."

-------

For a couple of hours, Sunny and I leisurely began the time-consuming process of creating wax out of abomination fat.

We worked in relative silence, occasionally making small talk whenever we got bored.

Every once in a while, Sunny would get up and check on Nephis' process, sometimes enlisting Cassie's help for some of the more menial tasks. 

It was now sometime around noon, the sun shining directly overhead. 

While waiting for the fat to render, Sunny gave me a full summary of everything I had missed while snoozing. 

TLDR, the tree had mentally influenced the three of them after they had eaten its fruits, though Sunny had been able to break free. 

Apparently, his shroud gave him a subtle mental resistance, a benefit that I was rather envious of.

Anyway-

Sunny had managed to trick Cassie and Nephis into helping him build a boat, a boat that we'd be using to traverse the crater and escape the barrow.

All things considered, it was probably doable.

It was definitely a better plan than the "Trojan Crab", so I had no real complaints. 

We basically had the all-star sleeper lineup, and unless we got jumped by a jolly band of sea monsters, I couldn't see us failing. 

I had faith in Cassie's foresight and our combat ability after all.

----------------

Time passed quickly as we finalized our preparations. 

The rendered fat had solidified into tallow, and I was currently using it to finish making the wax that'd make up the candles. 

Not far away, Sunny was making wicks out of seaweed and gathering fallen leaves. 

Working in tandem, we eventually had about a dozen crudely made candles. 

They certainly weren't the prettiest things in the world, but they'd serve their purpose just fine. 

Not long after, Nephis finished crafting our vessel, and to my and Sunny's surprise, it looked pretty damn well made. 

More than enough to get us across the crater.

Sunny and I began loading all of our supplies onto the boat while Nephis and Cassie sat there cluelessly.

"What... are you guys doing...?"

A pair of murky gray eyes looked at us with hazy curiosity.

Sunny stayed silent, but I could see the panic flaring in his eyes. 

Taking that as a sign, I answered in his stead. 

Nothing.

A bold-faced lie, but a necessary one. 

"It doesn't... look like nothing..."

It's nothing.

Nephis' eyes narrowed, but she didn't comment any further.

In the distance, I could hear the roar of the encroaching dark tides, a sign that we didn't have much time left. 

With a bit of urgency, Sunny piped up.

"Hey Neph, we wanted to give this thing a quick test sail, just to see how well it works, y'know... Would you mind helping us drag this thing to the edge of the island?"

Shrugging casually, oblivious to our real intentions, Nephis aided Sunny and me, the three of us lugging the surprisingly light vessel across the ashen sand of the barrow. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that we had less time than I originally thought.

The barrow trembled, an ominous rumble echoing from the west. 

I shot Sunny a loaded look.

Go get Cassie.

Not one to argue, Sunny let go of the rope we were using to drag the boat and broke into a sprint.

Nephis' blank expression morphed into one of confusion.

"Where's he going?"

Don't worry about it.

Stone-faced, I continued to drag the boat, and despite her confusion, Nephis did as well. 

The sunlight had faded considerably by the time we reached the edge of the island, the dim light of dusk barely peaking past the horizon.

Now that we had arrived at our destination, Nephis gave me a small frown.

"Now what?"

We wait. 

I promptly plopped down on the soft ground, eyes trained on the distant figures of Sunny and Cassie. 

Shrugging, the silver-haired sleeper followed my example, sitting down on the sandy floor. 

We sat in patient silence, relaxed yet alert. 

Suddenly, a scream pierced the comfortable quiet. 

Cassie's scream. 

As if on queue, Nephis shot to her feet, the murkiness of her eyes fading as clarity shone through.

"Cassie?" she whispered.

My gaze instantly hardened.

'Ah fuck.'

My mouth contorted into a bitter smile.

'Good job, Sunny. You blew our cover.'

I stood up rather lazily.

Now, seemingly completely lucid, Nephis summoned her longsword and took up a stance. 

With an icy look, she growled.

"Explain. Now."

With a sigh, I shook my head. 

I was never one for words.

If anything, I was more of a man of action. 

In a single beat, I pumped a minute amount of aura into my body, just enough to hurt her.

Taking note of the haze of power emanating off my form, Nephis seemed to decide that it'd be better to fight now and ask questions later. 

With a clean, efficient movement, she shot towards me. 

Unfortunately for her, I was just a bit faster.

Accelerating, I met her advance head-on. 

Not wanting to outright slaughter her, I didn't bother using a blade; instead, I opted to slip past her distance, forcing her into a close-quarters fight.

Surprisingly, Nephis adapted instantly, dropping her longsword and throwing a straight, vicious haymaker at my perfect face.

Shifting my center of gravity, I weaved her blow.

She was taller than me, standing at an astonishing 185 cm, whereas I was stuck at about 176.

That meant that my attack range was a bit shorter than hers, and I'd have to get a bit closer if I wanted to land a blow.

Taking an aggressive step, I stepped way past her range, anticipating her reaction.

I was banking on the fact that her combat instincts had dulled enough to fall for my trap, and my gamble immediately paid off.

Noticing that I had torn apart the distance, she frowned, trying to jump back and reset. Unfortunately for her, she was jumping straight into my optimal range.

Like a 20th-century salaryman coming home to an uncooked dinner, I unloaded a devious right hook, my fist perfectly connecting with Nephis' unguarded chin. 

Her head whipped to my left, silver hair splaying out in an arc, before she crumbled like a puppet whose strings had been cut. 

I grimaced.

'That's gonna leave a mark...'

Letting out an irritated grunt, I carelessly tossed her body onto the vessel. 

Mere moments after I had ended our brief scuffle, I made out the rapidly approaching figure of Sunny, carrying a resisting Cassie. 

Cassie was clubbing Sunny's back, face contorted in genuine anger as she tried to pry herself out of his grasp. 

To his credit, Sunny took it like a champ, tanking her blows while maintaining a steady speed. 

Calculating the rate of his approach, I positioned myself behind the boat, waiting to push it into the rising waters of the Dark Sea. 

Unfortunately, it seems that Cassie wasn't as helpless as we had originally thought. 

Unprepared, Sunny was caught lacking by a rather impressive uppercut to his chin.

The results of feeding Cassie hundreds of soul shards revealed themselves at the worst possible time.

He immediately collapsed, the combination of his exhaustion and the surprising force of the blow rendering him unconscious. 

Taking note of the scene, I couldn't help but grimace. 

'What a fucking mess...'

I took a quick glance at rising waters below before letting out a sigh.

Without hesitation, I broke into a straight dash towards Sunny and Cassie.

Hearing my footsteps, she immediately perked up in recognition.

"Audun...?"

I grabbed Sunny's fallen form and hoisted it over my shoulders, the boy's body far lighter than I originally thought.

With Nephis and Sunny "asleep", I felt comfortable enough to talk, a good thing considering the urgency of the situation. 

"Cassie... I need your help."

Her brow furrowed.

"What's going on?? Sunny said we were leaving the island... is that true?"

"Yeah, we're leaving."

Cassie shot back with surprising anger, her expression contorting in pure outrage.

"But I don't want to leave! I don't understand- the island's our home! The four of us could live here forever in peace! Why do you guys want to leave?!"

"Cassie."

Unwilling to continue with this farce, I employed the authority embedded within the Star of Vocalization.

Using it as a conduit, I projected my will through my voice. 

"Snap out of it."

Her anger faded for a moment.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the grip the tree had on our oracle was too strong for me to overcome with a few mere words. 

Just as quickly as it disappeared, her hazy rage bit back with a vengeance. 

"Take me back... TAKE ME BACK! I WANT MORE FRUITS!"

'Fuck.'

Letting far more force bleed into my words than I intended, I practically screamed at her.

"SHUT IT!"

My aggressive tone shocked her into momentary silence. 

I was incredibly tempted to just clock her and throw her into the pile of unconscious sleepers napping on our boat, but my guilty conscious stopped me from beating a disabled person into submission.

Letting out a sigh, I chose diplomacy over violence. 

"Look. Just listen to me, please."

I could practically feel the retort building in her throat.

Before she could voice her corrupted thoughts, I cut her off. 

I couldn't afford to waste any more time, so I proposed a rather absurd deal. 

"Ok... How about this. If you do as I ask, I'll do the same. After this is over, I'll owe you a favor, no questions asked... Alright?!"

This seemed to instantly sober her up.

Her eyes shone with clarity, as her expression contorted into a contemplative frown.

Cassie stayed silent for a moment. 

"Are you... serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious, so could you please just summon your staff and get on the boat???"

She stayed silent for a moment.

At this point, I was about to completely ignore my guilty conscience and jump her if she took any longer. 

"Ok."

I blinked.

Honestly, I expected a bit more resistance. 

Well, it's fine. 

Not taking any chances, I hoisted her over my shoulder before she could take back her agreement.

Aside from a startled yelp, Cassie thankfully put up no further resistance, the seer staying eerily quiet. 

Tossing the two into the boat with the unconscious Nephis, I grabbed Cassie's staff and fashioned a sail out of some of my garment memories.

I scanned the vessel, crossing off everything on my mental checklist.

Reassuring myself, I pushed the boat onto the abyssal waters of the Dark Sea.

Using its enchantment, Cassie and I aimed her staff at our sail, channelling a firm breeze. 

Piloting the ship, I began to navigate the deadly pitch black expanse with a delirious blind seer as my only conscious companion.

________________________________________________________________

(A/N: Honestly, I wasn't confident in being able to convey the same eerie tone of the original, so I copped out. 

The Soul Tree was where Sunny gets blood weave, and I thought that it'd be better to just leave it as is. 

I doubt you guys want me to just rewrite the events of the Ashen Barrow, so I fast-forwarded to the end and made my changes there.

The pace might've been a bit fast, but I honestly just want to move on to the dark city so I can wrap up the forgotten shore arc in a somewhat reasonable amount of chapters (I'm gunning for around a hundred).

If you guys have any complaints or gripes, feel free to voice them, and I'll look them over seriously.

Anyway, thanks for the support, and I'll see you guys tomorrow with another chapter!

Don't forget to leave a comment and review if you haven't already!)