Shadow Slave

Chapter 1099: Vanguard

Before Sunny could answer, the atmosphere in the lavish hall seemed to change slightly. It was as though a wave of invisible energy rolled through it, making the air feel colder and sharper. Wake of Ruin sighed and turned around, looking at the empty space in the middle of the spacious chamber.

It had been empty before, but now, four people were standing on the lacquered floor, surrounded by the scent of the Dream Realm. For a moment, it felt as though they were simply a memory of a forgotten nightmare. But then, the feeling disappeared, and they were simply... there.

It was not often that Sunny saw Saints enter the waking world, and he had to admit that it was an eerie thing to witness. Were Awakened and mundane people as startled when he suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of them?

That idle thought streaked across his mind and disappeared without a trace when Sunny realized who exactly he was looking at. His eyes widened slightly.

Four people... and, by coincidence, he knew each of them.

The first one was Sky Tide. The Saint of the White Feather clan appeared as she always did - tall, slender, with a posture like that of an arrow. She wore a light armor of lustrous steel, and her hair fell like a cascade of pale gold. Tyris looked austere and beautiful, but also slightly inhuman because of her strange amber eyes and vertical pupils.

She stood apart from the other three, who all wore intricate suits of lusterless black armor.

The first of the three immediately attracted Sunny's gaze. His heart moved slightly... Nephis looked different in the colors of house Valor. The black armor created a striking contrast against her ivory skin, silver hair, and cool grey eyes. She looked like a beautiful dark spirit that took the form of a deadly knight to sow the seeds of discord and ruin in the mortal world.

The second person was Morgan of Valor. Every time Sunny saw her, he was unnerved by how much she resembled her older brother... however, although Morgan and Mordret looked very much like reflections of each other, her demeanor was entirely different.

Morgan had black wavy hair and alabaster skin. Her suit of armor was adorned by a vermilion cape, which was the same vibrant color as her vivid scarlet eyes. Her entire being radiated the feeling of lethal sharpness, as if she was a living blade.

However... it was the third person that made Sunny's eyes widen in guarded shock.

He was a tall and severe man, with sharp facial features and even sharper eyes. His hair was black as Morgan's - in fact, there was a lot of familiar likeness between them - and touched by silver at the temples. His strong figure radiated an almost palpable feeling of authority and pressure, and his steely blue eyes were calm and piercing. The armor he wore was simpler than that of the other two, as though the man did not need its protection.

A deep frown appeared on Sunny's face.

'Saint Madoc?! What the hell is he doing here?'

Indeed, the man was none other than Saint Madoc, the Whispering Blade... brother of Anvil and the nominal leader of the great clan Valor.

As Sunny watched, Sir Madoc turned his head and smiled calmly, somehow making his smile look both friendly and demanding submission.

"Wake of Ruin."

The gaunt old man was standing in front of Sunny and Jet, staring at the newcomers with a neutral expression. He lingered for a moment before saying in his hoarse voice:

"Whispering Blade. I have to admit... your appearance is a bit of a surprise."

Madoc's pleasant smile widened slightly.

"Isn't it only right for me to be here? My clan announced its full support for the brave men and women of the Evacuation Army. That, of course, includes my personal assistance."

Sunny tried to read the silent conversation that was happening between the two Transcendents. Surely, their words had other meanings... Saint Cor was probably trying to understand why the Sovereign had gone as far as to send his own brother to Antarctica. Madoc, in turn, was letting him know that Anvil was putting a lot of importance into what was about to happen in the Southern Quadrant.

Whispering Blade laughed slightly, then raised his hand.

"However, you shouldn't be addressing me. I'm just here to offer support and make sure that nothing untoward happens. The true leader of this expedition is my niece, Morgan. She will be in charge of everything."

She gestured toward Morgan, and then threw an even gaze at Nephis.

"And, of course, my other... niece... will be supporting her in this endeavor. I trust you know Changing Star. The three of us are the vanguard of the Valor force."

Wake of Ruin remained silent for a few moments, then nodded slowly toward Morgan.

"In that case, welcome to Antarctica, Lady Morgan. Lady Nephis."

He threw a heavy glance toward Whispering Blade, and then said evenly:

"How curious that there are two Saints in your group, as well as the granddaughter of Immortal Flame... and yet all three of you seem to be subordinated to a young woman with no known achievements to her name. Some could see it as a sign that Valor is not taking this matter seriously..."

Morgan looked at the fearsome Transcendent, and then smiled. It seemed that his barely disguised provocation had no effect on her whatsoever.

Her voice was calm and indifferent:

"You are mistaken, Saint Cor. Clan Valor takes this matter extremely seriously. Which is why I have been entrusted with considerable power and authority."

Wake of Ruin sighed.

"Forgive this old man for being frank, Lady Morgan... but what kind of authority can a mere Ascended wield? I have half a dozen titans wandering the continent, and twenty-seven cities to protect. What can you actually do to alleviate my problems?"

Morgan shrugged silently, and then took a step back. Madoc, Tyris, and Nephis remained motionless as a whirlwind of sparks suddenly filled the spacious hall.

'What the...'

As Sunny watched, an Echo manifested from the hurricane of sparks... and then another, and then another. Three, six, twelve, fifteen... a few moments later, the large hall suddenly did not seem as large anymore.

Fifteen harrowing Nightmare Creatures filled it, each giving off a sense of vast and dreadful power.

Sunny stared, suddenly feeling cold.

'Transcendent... they are all Transcended Echoes.'

How many thousands of Corrupted Nightmare Creature had to be slaughtered to produce these Echoes?

The weakest of them was a Transcendent Demon, while the most powerful was a Transcendent Tyrant. And that was only what Morgan had chosen to show... who knew what she kept hidden?

The Princess of War smiled politely as she looked at Wake of Ruin.

"...These are my credentials. Are you satisfied, Transcendent Cor?"

Erdiul's Notes: 1 more later, might be delayed cuz I'm playing Path of exile new league.