The cohort stood in front of the ancient entrance of a temple built to venerate the Storm God. Once a grandiose structure created to appeal the divine, it was inhabited by Darkness. Recently, a little shadow had made it his temporary home, too.
The Sun appeared in the horizon, illuminating their battered figures, the Dark Sea thrashing and retreating.
Their armours were torn and ruined, their faces tired. However, thanks to Nephis' healing flame, their bodies held no real damage.
More than two months in the Labyrinth where a terrible challenge that only few had managed to complete. Reaching the Hollow Mountain in the south, well, only the First Lord's cohort had succeeded in that. Only, unlike their predecessors, they had managed to come back, too.
Nephis and Sunny hadn't changed much from how events had originally taken place. They had no need to, as they aligned with their interests. Only a couple of things to make their journey more comfortable and speed up their timetable.
Gunlaug had somehow linked the wrecked bodies of the guards who had kidnapped Kai to Effie, describing the woman as a savage. Instead of barricading her into his shelter, he brought her along to a particular, gargantuan, headless statue.
As predicted, Harus was sent on their trail when they left for the Hollow Mountains, and they delved into the Catacombs.
The Lord of the Dead met his end there and then.
Sunny dashed into an underground chamber, kin to that of the Bright Castle. The middle was occupied by hundreds of thousands of bodies piled upon each other in a horrendous mountain of bones, like a visage of death itself. It was the last Legacy of the of inhabitants of the Dark City.
Sunny did not dwell on the harrowing sight, for the mountain of bodies was no mere inanimate thing.
Two burning embers appeared in his shadow, and a graceful warrior of stone stepped out. Sunny shadows moved to envelope her as Sunny tossed her a black spear, Serpent. Saint caught it, stretched her arm backwards and threw it with such force that a gust of wind forced Sunny to take a step back. At the last moment, the shadows were transferred to the black weapon from the tip of her stone fingers.
The Lord of the Dead trembled, a bone pillar moving to intercept it. Too late.
Serpent made contact with a thunderous boom, the vast chamber trembling. The spear tore through bones like they were fragile twigs, and a myriad of bone splinters were sent flying from the point of impact.
The bone colossus rippled, then ceased all movements.
'He who sleeps doesn't catch fish.' And the Lord of the Dead, sure of its power, didn't even bother to emerge from its hibernation.
[You have slain a Fallen Tyrant, The Lord of the Dead.]
[Your shadow grows stronger…]
[You have received a Memory.]
[You have slain a Fallen Beast, Corpse Eater.]
[Your shadow grows stronger…]
[You have received a Memory.]
Sunny patted Saint on the shoulder- "Both with a single blow! Great job!"- and dismissed her.
Sunny had just entered the passage to where the others were camping, on the way back to the catacombs, when Effie and Caster appeared beside him in a fighting position, out of breath. Sunny felt his heart sink a bit when he saw her.
"You disappeared and we heard a boom. What happened!?" The huntress asked.
"Oh, I just killed the Lord of the Dead." Sunny answered, and kept walking.
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The cohort sat on the top of a gargantuan white arc, preparing for the night as the Sun sank into the horizon.
Sunny looked at the foreboding and breath-taking sight before turning to Kai. The archer was disposing of the last embers of the fire they -Sunny- had used to cook, and turned as he approached.
"I have a perfect deal just for you, buddy!"
Kai arched one of his beautiful eyebrows. "What is it?"
Sunny smiled. "Oh, just something I got today."
The archer gave him a dubious look, then glanced down. He smiled.
"Oh. I see you got a piece of jewellery! Nice, Sunny. Your outfits really needed a little something to elevate them, being all black."
Sunny whined. "My outfits are perfect! And that's a key!" Understood, Noctis?
The others had gathered around them, curious of what they were so animatedly talking about.
Kai subtly shook his head.
"So, what's the deal?"
Sunny rubbed his hands.
"I'm glad you're asking! Now, since we're friends, I'm giving you a friendly discount! It's basically free! All you got to do is sponsor my activities when we're back in the Waking World. What I'm offering you is a bow whose arrows never run out, as long as you don't miss." Kai's eyes lit up. "Oh, did I forget to mention. Every arrow will be Ascended."
"You have an Ascended Memory?"
There was disbelief in Caster's tone.
"A couple. In fact, you reminded me of something."
He touched Effie and transferred her the Shard Memory.
"This is yours."
The huntress frowned, then spluttered.
"I took you on that journey to that statue all for nothing, so it's only natural I repay you."
Sunny had taken the huntress to the statue because he had meant to have Effie kill the Fallen Tyrant. She had slain it in the original timeline, and her previous cohort had been slaughtered by that abomination. She had the right to obtain vengeance, and Sunny stole it from her. He remembered clearly how he felt with the Winter Beast. He had planned for Saint to reduce it to near death, but that pathetic thing had died from a single hit!
Effie was completely serious, for once.
"It is the Memory you received from the Lord of the Dead."
Caster scoffed. "Even if he somehow managed to kill it, it was only because what fell from the ceiling had weakened it."
Sunny didn't even bother to correct the Legacy. He liked being underestimated, and if Caster couldn't wrap his head around the fact that someone from the slums could be stronger than him. To be fair, it was to believe anyone, even an Awakened or a Master, could kill a Fallen Tyrant, and with a single blow, to boost.
In fact, Sunny had only managed so because of Saint and Serpent, who was an Ascended Devil of rare strength, and because the Lord of the Dead relied heavily on his minions and had been slumbering.
Effie sent Caster a withering glare and he turned again with a scowl.
She looked back at Doofus. "I can't acc-"
Sunny didn't let her finish the sentence.
"You can."
The huntress regarded him for a second. "Thank you, Sunny." Then she walked away, leaving Sunny with his mouth opened.
'She called me Sunny, not Doofus, and genuinely thanked me.' He thought, stunned.
Kai touching him on the shoulder broke him out of his shock.
"Uh, can I get the bow? I accept the deal!"
Sunny smiled and transferred the Memory.
"You're the first client of the Brilliant Emporium!"