Sunny staggered back, stunned by the sudden appearance of Saint Tyris. A tense, dangerous silence settled over the island after she spoke, with only the wailing of the wind breaking it.
Snow danced in the air, slowly settling onto the cold ground.
His heart was beating like a caged animal.
'Where did she come from… what is going on, d.a.m.n it?'
Cormac scowled and looked at the slender woman with a dark expression on his stern, weathered face. The Saint did not seem amused by the sudden appearance of the leader of the White Feather clan.
"Sky Tide… stay out of this."
Saint Tyris didn't move, still s.h.i.+elding Sunny and Ca.s.sie with her slender body. The wind picked up, and the clouds seemed to become heavier, as if expressing her suppressed emotions.
…Only, as Sunny realized, they weren't suppressed at all. Sky Tide just didn't show them on her face. Instead, the world itself did it for her.
"I think not."
Cormac winced, resentful sparks appearing in his eyes.
"You don't know what you are interfering with, Tyris. Get out of my way. This is not your business."
She s.h.i.+fted slightly, the howling of wind growing louder. The violet flowers bent, pressed down to the ground.
"...This is my land. These Awakened are of my Citadel. Anything that happens here, and to them, is my business."
The other Saint sighed, then took a step forward.
"The entire garrison of the Night Temple was wiped out. These two are the only witnesses. Are sure that you want to make their fate your burden?"
Sky Tide frowned, then spoke, her voice even:
"If that is true, we can question them together, back in the Sanctuary."
Cormac smiled darkly, then shook his head.
"I'm afraid that won't be convenient. You might not know my task here, Tyris, but you know who gave it to me. Obstructing me in this matter is the same as obstructing the will of Valor… you wouldn't want to do that, would you?"
A corner of Sky Tide's mouth suddenly twisted upward. She stared at the fearsome Saint, and said, a hint of mocking in her voice:
"What is he going to do? How is he going to punish me? Exile my clan to a remote frontier region, maybe? Oh… wait…"
She took a step forward, as well, her tone changing, becoming darker and heavier. The clouds swallowed the sun, submerging the world into shadows.
"You have forgotten, Cormac… I am Sky Tide of the White Feather clan, not Valor. I am a va.s.sal of the King… not his servant. Six years ago, I looked the other way and allowed your odious scheme to happen. I have regretted it ever since. This is my land, my isles. You are only a guest here. I warn you… do not test the limits of my hospitality!"
As he spoke the last words, a deafening thunderclap resounded, rolling across the Chained Isles like a herald of heavenly wrath.
Cormac stared at her, unimpressed. An expression of contempt appeared in the depths of his cold, dangerous eyes. The Saint moved his shoulders, as if stretching his muscles, and then said darkly:
"Your arrogance is so tiresome, Tyris. Warn me? What gives you the courage to warn… me? You say that I have forgotten, but it is you who doesn't seem to remember. Who I am. What I am. And what I am capable of…"
He stepped forward, his killing intent growing thicker and more suffocating, almost palpable.
"What gave you the idea that this is a negotiation? You will stand down, or I will put you down. Either way, the result will be the same."
Saint Tyris lingered for a moment, then looked over her shoulder at Sunny and Ca.s.sie. Her gaze was calm and somber.
"...It's time for the two of you to go."
Sunny took a step back, his mouth suddenly dry. He opened it, trying to force out a question:
"But… but what about…"
Sky Tide was already looking at Cormac, who was approaching with steady steps. Her hair danced in the wind like a stream of pale gold.
"Run! You won't survive the fury of this battle!"
Sunny hesitated for a split second, then grabbed Ca.s.sie and ran. They dashed away from the two Saints, heading for the distant edge of the island. He didn't know what a fight between Transcendents would look like, but had no doubt that mere mortals like the two of them had no place in the middle of it.
'Crazy… the world has gone completely crazy!'
A moment later, something collided with a thunderous roar behind them, and Sunny was thrown into the air. A violent shockwave pa.s.sed through his body, causing a short scream to escape from his mouth.
He hit the ground and felt it s.h.i.+fting, as if a powerful earthquake was happening mere meters away. Sunny struggled to rise back to his feet, then helped Ca.s.sie do the same and continued to run. Shards of stone flew past them like bullets, and the snowfall was already turning into a furious blizzard.
Behind them, two vast shadows rose into the sky.
One was a giant bird of prey, her feathers white, her sharp beak and devastating talons forged out of l.u.s.trous, polished steel. Her enormous wings were wreathed in thunderclouds, and bolts of lightning danced around her body like a radiant mantle.
The other was a ferocious wyvern, his black scales as dark as the abyss, with mighty muscles rolling under them like iron chains. The head of the creature was crowned with twisting horns, and in his maw, countless sharp fangs glowed darkly, illuminated by immolating red flame burning in the depths of the beast's adamantine body.
Tyris and Cormac flew into the skies, soon disappearing in the veil of storm clouds. A terrifying roar rolled across the island, and then, another shockwave hit, tearing a hole in the blizzard.
Boiling blood suddenly streamed from above, falling on the snow like vermilion rain.
'G.o.ds… oh, G.o.ds…'
Sunny and Ca.s.sie could only run. From time to time, a violent tremor threw them to the ground. The hurricane wind threw snow and sharp bits of ice into their faces, and their ears were ringing from the thunderous cacophony of the t.i.tanic battle happening somewhere above them.
They were almost to the edge of the island, ready to jump onto the chain, when there was a sudden lull in the terrifying havoc.
And then, two shadows fell down from the skies, so fast that Sunny couldn't even tell who was who.
The Saints collided against the center of the island with such force that its surface swayed like water. The shockwave of the impact was so fierce that it instantly obliterated the field of flowers, blew away the top layers of the soil, and made the stronghold on the northern edge crumble into dust.
The ground itself split open, a wide crack spreading to both ends of the isle, cutting it in two.
The Northern Island shuddered… and then crumbled, large pieces of stone breaking off and flying into the darkness as more and more cracks appeared, and the tension of the heavenly chains tore the island apart.
Sunny, of course, could not appreciate the full scope of the disaster. All he could sense was that they were sent rolling down once again, this time even more violently than before. Only this time, instead of soil or stone, what they found beneath them was… nothing.
The ground disappeared, and Sunny found himself falling down, down, down. Down into the endless darkness of the Sky Below.
All he could do was grab Ca.s.sie and hold her close, making sure that they weren't separated.
Bloodied, mangled, and weak, they plummeted into the abyss as all around them, devastation reigned.
The Night Temple cracked, then disintegrated into a rain of black stones. The seven bells rang mournfully as they disappeared into the void.
The colossal chain that served as one of the anchors of the Chained Isles shot toward the Hollow Mountains, colliding with their slopes with enough force to make the ancient slope shatter and create a momentary hole in the veil of flowing mist.
…Luckily for Sunny, his eyes were still closed, so he didn't see what hid beneath.
And somewhere in all this chaos, the two Saint continued their harrowing battle.
Sunny held Ca.s.sie tightly and fell, happy to be getting further and further away from that clash with each second.
After a while, the sounds of the fighting disappeared far above.
The signs of destruction disappeared, too, as well as the last remnants of the light.
Now, they were falling through absolute darkness in complete silence and solitude, with nothing threatening their lives.
…It was sort of peaceful.
Sunny sighed, finally allowed himself to open his eyes, then glanced at Ca.s.sie and forced out a weak smile.
"...See? We're not dead. Your vision was a bust, again."
She trembled.
"How… how are you so calm? We are falling into the Sky Below! Not dead… yet!"
He tried to laugh, then winced and decided against it.
"This place is actually not so bad. Just wait for a little… we'll fall for a bit more, and then I'll summon Memories to either guide us back up or push us toward the rift. We have food and water, at least… you won't believe what I had to eat the last time…"
Remembering the dead mimic, Sunny s.h.i.+vered.
"Yeah, this is definitely not bad. Believe me… it could have been so, so much worse."
However…
As soon as Sunny said that, something changed in the lightless void.
A swift shadow shot toward them, surrounded by a circle of furious light.
'What…'
Before Sunny could even react, two hands extended toward them, one grabbing him, the other closing around the nape Ca.s.sie's cloak.
With nothing to stand on, they were as defenseless as Pierce had been moments before Sunny killed him.
'd.a.m.na…'
"Oh, thank G.o.ds! I found you!"
He blinked.
That voice… why did it sound familiar?
Sunny stared into the light, his eyes slowly adjusting to it. Soon, he was able to see the shape of a paper lantern that floated in the air, just above the shoulder of a tall, infuriatingly handsome young man in a needlessly fas.h.i.+onable armor.
Sunny opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.
"...Kai? What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?"
The charming archer smiled, an expression of joy and profound relief appearing on his face.