[Two days Later.]
[Desert.]
The desert air, a brutal mix of heat and fine sand, seemed to amplify Ash's frustration. Her spirit energy felt sluggish, a slow leak caused by the cursed chains on her wrists.
"Hey!" she yelled, her voice dry and brittle.
Sunny, a silhouette of focused intent walking ahead, didn't break his stride.
"Hey!" she repeated, a hint of desperation creeping in.
"What is it?" Sunny finally asked, his tone flat and uninviting, though he still didn't stop. He hadn't bothered to look back.
Ash looked away, her gaze sweeping over the endless, undulating sand that stretched to a shimmering, oppressive horizon:
"Why can't you take this off me?!" she demanded, gesturing with her manacled hands.
"Not happening," Sunny stated simply.
"Not happening?! I helped you fight those monsters!"
Sunny paused, turning his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder. "Correction. You were bait. I did the fighting."
