Sunny (POV)
After a short climb, the four of them, Raizel, Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie finally reached the top of the massive bone ridge.
The scene that greeted them looked like something out of a fantasy painting, something that could be captured and sold for millions.
With the dying sunlight casting long shadows behind them, three people stood at the summit, waiting.
'Three?' Sunny frowned slightly, and a flicker of confusion appeared on his average face. 'I'm sure I sensed four people earlier.'
His shadow sense had definitely picked up a fourth presence before they climbed the Bone ridge, but now, only three stood in front of them. Maybe he still needed more practice controlling that ability of his.
His eyes swept over the three strangers.
To the left stood a tall and stunning girl. Her beauty rivaled even Nephis's. She had long, raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders, and deep ocean-blue eyes framed by dark lashes. Her pale skin practically glowed under the grey sun, and her heart-shaped face with a sharp jawline gave her an effortlessly elegant look.
She wore a crude black seaweed dress, one that barely covered her curvaceous, hourglass figure.
Sunny tried very hard not to look at the massive melons barely contained by the outfit. He really did. But no matter how hard he tried, his eyes kept drifting.
'She's going to be a problem,' he thought grimly, and not because of any combat power but because of distractions.
Standing to her right was a tall man with broad shoulders, clad in white medieval-style armor. A red cross was emblazoned on the chestplate, like some kind of ancient knight. He had long, dark green hair that reached his shoulders, and eyes that glowed like miniature suns. His skin was white and perfect, his features sharp, strikingly handsome, like someone off a magazine cover.
Sunny didn't know why but he immediately disliked him.
Maybe it was the resemblance to Caster. Or maybe it was because he was tall or maybe it was just instinct. Either way, Sunny already knew, that they were not going to get along.
What Sunny missed, however, was the faint flicker of recognition in the man's golden eyes as he looked at him.
And the last of the three was another girl tall, poised, and dangerous. She had long crimson hair that reached her waist, dark red eyes, and full scarlet lips. She wore a long white tunic with red stripes, and beneath it, her curves were unmistakably defined.
'They look like a damned hero party, Sunny scoffed internally as he didn't like where this was going. 'Tall knight, deadly beauty, and seductive spellcaster. What's next, a Demon King?'
He glanced sideways at Nephis and Raizel, who stood still with calm, unreadable expressions, like they always had.
Both of them had already summoned their weapons, so had the three strangers across from them. Everyone looked ready for battle. Tension crackled in the air like lightning before a storm.
Nephis had her hand on the hilt of her sword, her stance solid and ready.
Raizel stood beside her, eyes locked on the knight in white armor. His cold gaze cut through the distance between them like a blade.
Then the knight stepped forward and spoke, his voice clear and composed.
"A pleasure to meet you, Sir Raizel, Prince of Darkness... and Lady Nephis, Star of Ruin." said the guy with a pause as if watching his words before continuing, "I did not expect to find such legendary figures in the heart of this desolate Forgotten Coast."
'He knows Raizel and Nephis?' Sunny narrowed his eyes. Both Raizel and Nephis were at the top of their branch, they were practically legends in the Academy because of their true names. But Sunny was certain he had never seen this green-haired guy before. With hair like that, he'd be impossible to miss.
'And why is he calling Raizel "sir"?' Sunny frowned, as he looked at Vasiliy, 'Could Raizel also be from some noble clan, like Nephis?'
But what confuse him more is that the reaction of those girls as they were shocked, while looking at Raizel, it seems like they don't know that Raizel was a guy because of his girly appearance.
Seeing their reaction Sunny was sure that these guys' were not from the Academy, because if they were then they would have known about Raizel.
His train of thought was interrupted as Nephis spoke.
"We also didn't expect to find others here."
She said nothing more. Her voice was calm, clipped and clearly done with the conversation.
Sunny sighed internally, 'She still sucks at talking to people...' Even after all that practice with Cassie and Raizel, Nephis remained painfully awkward in social situations, it was almost sad to watch.
'Some princess she is,' he thought with a faint shake of his head.
But what truly caught Sunny's attention was Raizel's silence. This girly guy hadn't said a single word… though his hand tightened subtly on the hilt of his sword.
Sunny's eyes sharpened. 'He's on guard... why?'
There was something about these three newcomers that unsettled Raizel, and if he was on edge, that was a warning in itself.
'Looks like it's up to me to be the social butterfly again,' Sunny grumbled to himself, if possible he would like remain as silent as possible well mostly because of his damn flaw. After all he don't want to spill his secrets randomly.
He cleared his throat and stepped forward, with a straight body posture, he spoke.
"I'm Sunless, but you can call me Sunny and the girl to my right is Cassia. We came here looking for a safe place to spend the night. You know, about the cursed sea and everything. We don't want any trouble, so… let's not cause any."
He kept his voice casual, but he watched their reaction carefully. He wasn't sure how strong these people were. But if they'd survived this long on the Forgotten Coast, they were no weaklings.
Their was also a flaw in their teams like Cassie, because if a fight do broke out then they might not be able to protect her, that's why they couldn't afford to provoke unnecessary fights.
'Still… if it did come to that.' Sunny glanced at Raizel. 'I think he could handle it. No, I'm sure he could.'
He didn't know why he felt so much confident in Raizel, maybe it was the way the guy stayed calm under pressure. Or maybe Sunny had simply seen him do the impossible one too many times.
The white armor guy was the first to respond. His expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Something Sunny recognize.
"We don't want trouble either. I'd never dream of becoming an enemy to the Changing Star… and Prince of Darkness."
As he spoke, he lowered his weapon, and the two girls flanking him did the same.
"My name is Vasily," he said. "To my left is Rebeca, and to my right is Maya."
Maya gave an energetic wave, smiling like they were all friends already. Rebeca just nodded curtly, but shot a dark look in Maya's direction.
'She's… oddly bubbly,' Sunny thought, eyeing the strange smile playing on Maya's lips.
Then again, everyone went a little weird after spending too much time on the Dream realm.
With the tension easing slightly, Sunny decided to make things crystal clear
"So… with introductions done, I can assume you're not planning to attack us?"
"Of course not," Vasily said easily, waving a hand as if brushing the idea away.
"You all can stay here-" His words were cut short.
"Come out, before I kill you."
A chill swept through the air as Raizel's cold, commanding voice echoed across the skull's.
Everyone tensed up.
Sunny's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Raizel only to see that he was already looking at him, No! he wasn't looking at him, but rather… behind him.
"Is someone behind me?" Sunny thought, his body stiffening. He dared a glance over his shoulder, their were nothing but broken bones, white and black rocks, brittle sticks… but no one.
Then he noticed something else. Vasiliy's group had drawn their weapons again, their eyes were now sharp.
"It seems you have chosen death," Raizel muttered darkly, as he lift his sword and was about to swing it in a graceful arc.
Sunny's instincts screamed as he saw the sword coming, he summoned his weapon in reflex too, but before he could react.
!!!
A chilling pressure met his throat.
The unmistakable feel of cold steel kissed his skin.
"One move, and he dies." a voice cold like ice, whispered behind him his ear.
A new guy has appeared. A boy with dark black-haired, with deep crimson eyes, he had appeared out of nowhere, almost as if he was invisible this whole time. He pressed his blade against Sunny's neck, ready to slit it open at the slightest twitch.
'Damination!' Sunny cursed internally. 'How did I not sense him?!'
Sunny didn't know that the fourth presence he sense was of this guy, but when he didn't saw him in the group, he didn't put much thoughts, and now he was paying the price for it.
'Fuck i was careless.... again.' He couldn't help but curse his stupidly for not being alert.
His eyes locked with Raizel's, who was looking at Sunny with disappointment in his eyes but his sword was now inches away from decapitating the red-eyed boy neck. Nephis had her sword drawn too, pointed steadily at the stranger, but her gaze was fixed on Vasiliy.
They were in a weird position, and if a battle do broke out the outcome will be Sunny death.
"Allow me to apologize, Your Highness," Vasiliy said calmly, stepping forward, tone respectful but deadly cold. "It was necessary. We didn't know whether your group was friend or foe. Alex, stand down."
Sunny could have swear that he saw a flicker of disappointed in Red haired girl eyes.
The red-eyed boy didn't speak. But a second later, he removed the blade from Sunny's throat and push him towards Raizel who quickly catches him, then he vanished only to appeared beside Vasiliy's like a shadow.
Sunny exhaled in a shaky breath, glaring at Alex with narrowed eyes as he rubbed his neck.
Alex was a guy with jet-black hair reaching his chin, blood-red eyes beneath dark lashes, pale skin, and a sharp handsome face. He wore dark armor like Sunny but it was filled with spikes along the shoulders and legs, and he was holding a white sword in his hands.
The same one that was just seconds ago in Sunny head.
"As I saying," Vasiliy continued smoothly, as if nothing happened, "This is Alex, our fourth group member. Again, our sincerest apologies. We had to be cautious of any unknown people too."
Alex remained silent, but his piercing gaze never left Sunny, as if silently dissecting him.
"You have a very… interesting group," Nephis said coldly, stepping protectively in front of Cassie, her voice laced with threat.
"Indeed," Raizel added, positioning himself between Sunny and Vasiliy's group.
'Basted!!' Sunny clenched his fists. His eyes darted between them all. His mind screamed to retaliate, but he bit down on his urge, barely holding himself back from lunging. He now knows that he was not their opponent not yet.
"Oh please, forgive me, Sir Raizel, Lady Nephis and.... Sunny," Vasiliy said as he address Sunny with a pause, his voice was light but filled with mocking, "It was just a precaution. You're free to roam this carcass as you like. We won't interfere, nor will we attack."
He paused, then continued, tone shifting to one of careful persuasion.
"But… since it seems we're headed in the same direction, I'd like your help with something."
Sunny scoffed but hold himself back from screaming "You think we'll help you AFTER that Stunt?"
He body snapped, barely resisting the urge to call Vasiliy a "Pretty Bastard" out loud.
Vasiliy met his glare coolly, "You'd have done the same. We all need to stay alert in the Dream Realm."
'Damn basted!!' Sunny wanted to argue so badly but he stopped when Raizel raised a hand.
"Speak," Raizel said flatly, "Then we'll decide."
Nephis glanced sideways at him but said nothing.
Vasiliy pointed toward the western horizon, where the faint silhouette of a giant, twisted tree loomed in the distance, and expect for it their was no a single sign of life present their.
"It's about that tree," he said. "Their is something wrong with it."
Everyone turned expect for Raizel who just looked at Vasiliy with his blank violet eyes
Sunny turned his head towards the direction of the tree.
As he saw-