Shadow Slave

Eventually, they made it to the graveyard of Soul Serpents. Eurys was just where Sunny had left him — a dozen kilometers away, at the bottom of a tall dune.

It seemed that the ancient skeleton had not managed to crest it yet, rolling down its steep slope countless times.

At the moment, he was sprawled on the black sand, staring at the sky. A distant essence storm illuminated his shattered bones, painting an eerie picture — when Sunny and Nephis rose from the shadows, the white skull turned, staring at them with empty eye sockets.

Sunny had to suppress a shudder, remembering the abhorrent skeleton that lay hidden in the Abyss.

Eurys remained silent for a few moments, and then said in a creaky voice:

"My, oh my. It seems that I have guests. Ah, what to do? Please forgive me, children... the whole place is a mess..."

From his tone, it was hard to say what place he was talking about — the bottom of the tall dune, the Shadow Realm, or the entire world.

In any case, the description fit all three. Nephis approached the battered skeleton and looked down at it, expressionless. Eventually, she said:

“So you are alive, after all."

Eurys laughed.

“Alive? Oh, I wouldn't go that far... but it's good to see you too, abomination."

Sunny frowned.

“Hey, bastard. What did I say about using that word?"

The ancient skull turned slightly, staring at him.

Then, Eurys chuckled.

"Something about breaking my old bones? Salutations, boy. How many cities did you destroy this time?"

Sunny scoffed with an indignant expression, offended by that greeting. It was as if Eurys thought him to be some kind of walking calamity hellbent on sowing destruction everywhere he went.

“What? None! Why would you think..."

But then, he abruptly closed his mouth and just glared at the ancient skeleton silently for a few moments.

In the end, Sunny had to say through gritted teeth:

“One... and half."

He did... sort of... destroy Weave when he and the Thieving Bird fell from the sky and crashed into it during their battle. And while the nameless city in the heart of the Underworld ultimately survived, a couple of the great stalagmites did end up crumbling and falling into the white mist.

Eurys just stared at him silently. Despite the fact that the old skull could not express any emotions, Sunny could not help but feel that his gaze was mocking.

Eventually, the ancient skeleton cackled.

“Good job! You've been gone for so long, so I really thought that it'd be a bigger number. You have really restrained yourself well, it seems!"

Sunny let out a heavy sigh and sat down on the sand near Eurys. Nephis followed his example, and a few moments later, the ancient skeleton asked in a curious tone:

“So, what have you been up to since our last meeting?"

He seemed... more subdued than usual, somehow. Maybe Neph's presence made Eurys want to be on his best behavior, or maybe he was simply tired of endlessly trying and failing to scale the steep dune. Maybe the curse of Shadow God was finally catching up to him, and he was slowly losing himself.

Remembering the appalling end of Azarax, the King of Kings, Sunny felt his gaze turning somber.

He remained silent for a short while, then spoke in a reserved tone:

“What have I been up to? Well, let's see..."

Sunny thought back to everything that had happened since his last conversation with Eurys.

“I went to Ariel's Hell and took your old friend, Azarax, off the tree. The curse consumed him eventually, but he helped me get to the old tomb hidden in the heart of that dismal place. I climbed into the Tomb of Ariel, found the loathsome bird who had stolen my fate, and killed it. The vile thing did not stay dead for long, but I managed to reclaim what it had taken from me... even if, in the process, the damn bird absconded with more of my possessions.”

Sunny grimaced and then continued in a dark tone:

“After that, I sealed a terrible idea in a deep well to save humanity. Later... the world is ending, so I was quite busy trying to keep it from falling apart. I did go on a mountain trip with my girlfriend — one thing led to another, and we ended up making the sun rise in the Underworld. It was quite a sight."

Sunny chuckled joylessly.

"The view was simply to die for. And I did... and so, here I am, in the Land of Death.”

Eurys stared at him silently for a long while, not saying anything.

In the end, though, he spoke in a friendly tone:

“My, oh my! It is good that you took Azarax... that insufferable buffoon... off the tree. Your tale was quite amusing, as well. But, uh... I wasn't asking you, boy."

Sunny blinked a couple of times.

He threw a furtive glance at Nephis.

She smiled faintly.

"The last time we met, I was still Dormant, wasn't I?"

Eurys nodded.

“And look at you now! Already a mighty Supreme. Well, you nephilim were always an eerie kind."

He looked at Sunny and asked:

“Do you know what that abominable girl said when she found Azarax and me in the middle of hell, boy?"

Sunny silently shook his head.

Eurys laughed.

“I don't need two guides, she said. So, pick among yourselves whom I should free. My, oh my! Can you believe it?"

He did his best impression of Neph's dispassionate tone, then laughed again, as if finding the memory infinitely amusing. Sunny looked at Nephis.

Could he?

"Actually... I can believe it very easily."

She remained unperturbed and just shrugged casually.

"I picked well in the end, didn't I?"

‘I'd say.’

No matter what horrible crimes Eurys had committed in the ancient past, he did guide Nephis into the depths of the Underworld, to a Seed of Nightmare. If she had chosen Azarax, he would have lost his mind before they even left the Nightmare Desert — in fact, he might have turned on her immediately after being taken off the tree. Nephis sighed.

"Many things have happened since."

She remained silent for a few moments, then said quietly:

“I was broken in one Nightmare and rebuilt myself in another. I swore loyalty to the people who had betrayed and killed my father, then betrayed and killed them in turn. There was war, there were bitter losses... there were brief moments of peace and sweet triumphs, as well. I am still pursuing my goal. I have come so far, but I am still only halfway there."

Eurys did not answer immediately.

“I have come so far, but I am still only halfway there..."

His voice sounded low and wistful.

He turned his skull to the slope of the dune — in the direction where the heart of the Shadow Realm, and the death he was seeking, lay.

“Come to think of it, that describes my situation as well."

Eurys looked back at them.

"Unless, of course, that wicked shadow of yours keeps his promise and kills me. How about it, boy? Have you come to try again?"

Sunny remained motionless for a while, then slowly shook his head.

“Not today. There is no point. I have grown far more powerful than I used to be, and Nephis is here with me as well. But, still, we are not strong enough to undo what Shadow God did."

He paused for a few moments, and then added quietly:

"We may be gods ourselves soon, though. The next time we meet... if we meet... Nephis and I will be Sacred, at least. Then, I will fulfill my promise."

Eurys stared at him with his empty eye sockets.

“You are going to make use of Weaver's spell, then?"

Sunny nodded.

"Yes. We plan to challenge the Fifth Nightmare soon... as soon as possible."

Eurys remained silent for a long while, and then sighed.

“Go forth and conquer, then. I wish you luck — gods know, you'll need it.”

He paused, clacked his jaw, and added in a thoughtful tone:

"But then again, the gods are dead. So, really, they wouldn't know anything at all..."

His voice echoed in the darkness of the Realm of Death, wishing them a safe journey.