41 (ch41) Kai Nightingale
She ascended to the highest point of the church through the window, deliberately evading the monster below. Inside, she found a spacious and beautiful room adorned with intricately engraved stone walls, exuding an aura of sanctity and elegance.
The furniture, crafted from pale polished wood, comprised various mismatched pieces likely scavenged by Sunny from different places. Although the room lacked windows, light wells were cleverly concealed throughout. Unfortunately, the ingenious mirror system intended to fill the chamber with sunlight had long been destroyed, leaving only darkness within.
'so he's not here'
*RIN I need your help. I think there's a monster in this well*
'speak of the devil'
*Where are you at? i'm coming*
Pausing for a moment, she doubled over, wincing at the sharp, persistent pain that she was growing to loathe. Stepping away from his room and the church in a hurried motion, she was determined not to mar his sanctuary with her blood. Keeping the severity of her condition hidden from him, she grimaced once more, feeling the warm trickle of blood escaped her throat.
She took her mask off and erupted into a fit of coughs, leaning heavily against the weathered wall of the ancient building for support, her body wracked with spasms.
As she finished up, a pool of blood had gathered beneath her, her breaths coming in heavy gasps. Just then, a memory from Sunny flashed into her mind, revealing a map he had been studying. Instantly recognizing the location, she sprang into action. At first, her steps were unsteady, but as determination fueled her, she broke into a swift run, moving with the agility of a seasoned track athlete.
As she jogged along, she couldn't resist the urge to glance down at the mask cradled in her palm. Its texture was strangely metallic, yet its appearance resembled the smoothness of pristine white porcelain. Delicate patterns and graceful curves adorned its surface, catching the eye with their intricate detail. Running her fingers over it, she marveled at how cool and smooth it felt against her skin. Upon closer examination, she noticed nine elegant strokes of crimson paint, resembling the tails of foxes, skillfully applied to the mask's surface, creating a captivating contrast against its flawless white backdrop.
She put the mask back on and made her way to Sunny, and his well monster
As Rin approached the imposing structure, its former grandeur now faded, she clambered over the remnants of a once-sturdy wall, finally finding herself in a dimly lit, secluded courtyard. At its heart stood a well, its circular opening resembling a gaping wound in the stone, shrouded in pitch-black emptiness. A peculiar iron grate adorned the well, intricately designed and heavy enough to seem as if its purpose was to deter any attempt to pry it open. And there stood a fool beside it, oblivious to the eerie atmosphere.
The idiot was talking to the well
"Sunny what's the the only thing you dont do when a dark well tell you to open it"
Startled by her sudden voice, he swiftly turned around, his expression taking on a puzzled look. The sight was a bit odd, likely due to the mask completely concealing her face.
"To probably not open it"
From the depths of the well emerged a mesmerising voice, weaving through the air with gentle whispers that seemed to dance around you. Its soft, enchanting tones flowed effortlessly, reminiscent of a delicate silk melody, carrying a charm that could belong only to a celestial being, or perhaps a darker force.
"Ah another guest"
Rin wasn't in the mood
"You down there shut it"
There was a long pause before it spoke again
"Yes ma'am"
She looked as Sunny and spoke
"Sunny, inside voice now"
*okay Okay*
*Why is there a voice Coming out of the well*
*I killed some bandits and they had a map, leading here*
*is it a monster?*
*Ummmm no*
She looked at him confused, she couldn't show it on her face so she tilted her head
*Why*
*He kinda thinks we are monsters Trying to goad him out and kill him*
She sighed and shook her head looking at the well before speaking
"Hello, sorry my companions a bit of a idiot but he means well, im Red, and we are not monsters"
There was another long silence before the well spoke again
"you're lying"
She was a bit confused she looked at sunny and he shrugged
*You're useless sometimes*
she looked back to the well and spoke
"Wait what, i'm not lying, we are not monsters"
"You are lying, your name isn't red"
"If i tell you my real name will you tell me yours"
"Yeah fine deal"
"Im Rin and my friend here is Sunless"
.
.
.
"Im kai"
"Well, Kai, I don't know how to tell you this… but unless you can fly, we won't be able to help you escape"
The young man fell into a hushed stillness. Moments stretched on, filled with a heavy, almost suffocating silence, before he finally spoke, his voice tinged with an unfamiliar quality:
"...I can."
Rin blinked and Sunny spoke
"What?"
The prisoner of the well chuckled.
"I can fly. That's my Aspect Ability."
*That's an amazing Aspect Ability*
*Yeah especially in this hell hole*
*That's probably why he's also loaded with soul crystals*
*Ah understood*
Both of them remained motionless for some time, thinking things over. After a while, Kai spoke again, his pleasant voice tinted with a bit of apprehension:
"Well? Will you two help me?"
Sunny spoke:
Alright. I'll remove this grate, and you can fly out. However, Rin could need your shards. If you want to come out of there alive, you'll have to do something for me as well, i don't really need shards"
The prisoner of the well hesitated, then cautiously asked:
"What?"
Sunny smiled.
"I'll tell you when you need to know. Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I just need help completing a few errands inside the castle. So, do we have a deal or not? If not, I'll be on my way. I've wasted enough time here already."
Rin joined in the discussion
"To be honest i was only here as back up, if you were a monster or something, but I'll take the soil of war if i can, i hope we have a deal"
Kai didn't have to think about it too long. Soon, his voice resounded from the darkness once again:
"We have a deal."
Sunny spoke again
"Great. One more thing: if you break our agreement and simply fly away, she will find and kill you. This is not a threat, just facts. Do you understand?"
She flicked her head towards Sunny
*Sunny what the hell!?!*
*What?*
*Kill him yourself, don't drag me into this*
*.... fine*
"scrap that kai. I will find and kill you if you betray me, she's too busy killing for her boss"
Kai lingered for a bit before answering.
"Yeah, no problem."
There was a moment of quiet between both parties until Rin sensed a presence materializing behind them, almost like a shadow coming to life.
She called forth her widow's bane and glimpsed what loomed behind her. Standing nearly as tall as Sunny, she seemed dwarfed by the monstrous inhabitants of the Forgotten Shore. Yet, unlike the others, she bore a strikingly human resemblance, albeit with a peculiar stone-like complexion. Had it not been for her dark grey hue and the stony texture of her skin, Rin might have mistaken her for one of the Sleepers. Clad in graceful, dark armor, much of her form remained obscured from view.
*Sunny there's a bloody woman here*
Sunny quickly stepped in between the two women who appeared on the brink of a heated confrontation, their eyes glaring intensely like fiery embers. It was as if they were ready to unleash fury upon each other.
*Rin wait! Its my echo, while you were gone. i got an echo*
*I….wait..what?*
*Hold on let me just*
Suddenly, she was flooded with his memories, experiencing firsthand the chaotic battle between monsters and stone soldiers. Then, seizing the opportunity presented by the weakened state of the stone soldiers, he struck and ended her life. But that was just the beginning. He had gotten an echo out of the stone soldier, after that he changed it into the shadowy creature, under the influence of Sunny's power
*Lucky basterd*
*Says the one with the cool mask*
*You wanna know how i got it huh*
Sunless looks at the mask on her face with more of a scrutinizing eye
*The mask. Yeah. How did you get it?*
She shared the memories of her experience with the giant monster she specifically didn't add the tail to the memory she sent him, he looked over at her and smiled
*Seems like you had fun while i was getting an echo*
*Brought down a murderous cult*
*Nice*
.
.
.
They both look at the well
*we should probably get him out*
He nodded in agreement, and the Stone Saint, with a solemn demeanor, knelt beside the well, her hands gripping the grate firmly. The metallic scrape of her gauntlets against the ornate iron echoed through the quiet air, marking her efforts to shift the heavy grate aside.
Rin couldn't help but shiver at the unsettling sound of metal grating against stone. With the widows bane clutched tightly in her grasp, she assumed a defensive stance, her determination etched on her face. Beside her, Sunny mirrored her actions, brandishing his own weapon. Together, they stood prepared to confront whatever emerged from the depths of the well.
Seconds stretched on, each one feeling interminable as Rin stared intently into the abyss before them, her senses heightened, awaiting confirmation of their decision to trust the well's mysterious inhabitant.
Yet, despite the tense anticipation, the seconds continued to tick by, yielding nothing in return. The darkness remained undisturbed, and the anticipated threat failed to materialise.
Rin sounded quite irritated
"Kai, i haven't got all day, i was up for the past two days i need sleep, are you coming up or not"
After a bit of a delay, the charming voice resounded from the darkness once more:
"...You see, I just thought of something."
Sunny sighed and lowered his sword a little.
"What is it?"
Kai was silent for some time, then answered with a bit of wariness:
"Ah, it's just that this grate is so heavy that it wouldn't even budge when I tried to move it. It took all six of my captors to put it in place, actually. And they were all big, strong men. So…"
He hesitated.
"I know that we have already established that we are humans here, and it's not that I doubt both of you are honest, but would you mind explaining to me how is it that you two were able to remove it all by yourselves?"
*He's more paranoid than you sunny, thats a achievement in itself*
Sunless chuckles
*I guess it is. Hey, you're the expert on talking to paranoid people. Why don't you give it a try?*
"Kai, Sunless has a weird ass echo thats hella strong"
Kai seemed to suddenly become very curious.
"Oh? That is indeed lucky! Very few people in the castle have an Echo. I think I know every one of them by name."
*Well shit*
"Sunless and Rin? Those names do not sound like something soul-devouring demons would be called at all! Zero chance of that, right?"
After saying that, he laughed again, this time with a hint of desperation in his voice.
*Im done sunny your turn*
Sunny rubbed his temples. Annoyed, he said in a flat tone:
"Very funny. Now, come out of that well before I change my mind."
Eventually, Kai stopped laughing and said:
"There's no one in the castle with those names. At least no one with an Echo under their command. Do you two maybe live in the outer settlement?"
Rin had reached her limit. Exhaustion weighed heavy on her, and this guy was really pushing her buttons. She was on the verge of marching right into that well and hauling him out herself.
*Follow my lead and don't say anything*
*Got it*
She spoke her tone dead and annoyed:
"Kai, if i was in your shoes i would move your ass"
After a small pause, Kai asked with sincere interest:
"Why?"
Rin allowed a cold indifference to seep into his voice:
"Because Sunless can put that grate back anytime."
Before Kai could react, the Stone Saint nudged the grate slightly, prompting the unsettling noise of metal against stone to echo once more. In a swift turn of events, the captive within the well shifted his demeanor:
"Uh… alright! Wait! Stop!"
The Shadow Saint lifted the grate, ushering in a tranquil hush to envelop the desolate courtyard anew.
Kai remained silent for a while, before finally speaking with a heavy heart:
"...You two better not be demons, alright? Stand clear, I'm coming out."
