Sunny was unsure of where he was going. The forest he once knew was no longer similar to the one he had been used to. After some walking through trees and struggling with the rough terrain, he came upon a wide clearing. In the clearing was a field of trees of various sizes. Some were smaller than the trees from the forest, while others were easily twice as big.
He also saw an identical temple behind the tree plantation from the previous temple. However, this one was clearly newer and wasn't overgrown by vines or broken down like the previous one. The newer temple was made of smooth, unmarred stone, with tinted green glass windows spread across its face. This time, the quartz columns lined up to support a balcony at the side. He could tell there were three floors, including the bottom one, but he knew there were also multiple floors beneath the temple. They must have held tools the witch used for...witchcraft of trees?
'Man, this nightmare is starting to confuse even me.' Sunny depressingly thought as he continued to eye around the area.
The sun rose above the horizon behind the temple, and Sunny quickly hid behind a tree as he sensed the movement of shadows from the trees behind him shifted as the sun evaporated the natural secrecy he had within the night. Sunny also didn't want to be spotted by any more mysterious archers and have another arrow sticking out of him.
Due to the enhancement, he had received from his new body, he was able to see from a large distance away a wooden door being opened in front of the temple as a dashing young woman stretched her arms up as the sunshine bathed her figure. She wore a colorful - or at least that's what he guessed from the variety of grayish hues on her sundress, while having bracelets on her arms and a hood to cover her hair.
She walked with a steady pace as she went over to the front row of the trees, spying each and every tree with deadly focus. She soon touched one whose leaves were wilting as a green aura formed around the tree's figure like a blanket. Leaves started springing back up, and the tree itself seemed to regain its color.
Satisfied with her work, she decided to take a stroll around her safe haven as she walked along a dirt path. She gently walked along the path she herself had carved and walked for as long as she had lived in her home. Reaching the border of her sanctuary, however, she noticed that her enchantment was down. Confused, she made the dirt move aside as she saw the enchantment wasn't out of essence - she had made sure to refuel it once a week.
'So, something got in finally-' Before she could react, a dagger rested on her neck as Sunny suddenly made his presence known behind her.
She was surprised to say the least, after all, she would've thought that she would sense even the most hidden creatures, and yet the creature behind her had not only snuck up behind her, but also leisurely placed a dagger next to her neck. It wore a dark mantle over its dark body, and its face was filled with teeth and two sharp horns, with a spiked tail to make it even deadlier.
'How... interesting.'
***
Sunny stared at the lady in front of him, who had now stood still as a statue in front of him. He had debated with himself on whether to attack the witch now or later, but he realized he didn't have a choice, as sooner or later she would find the broken barrier keeping intruders like him out, and he would lose the element of surprise. Although it was risky, he kept himself a considerable distance away from the witch and made sure to hide in natural shadows or summon shadows from [Shadow Lantern] in order to stay hidden from her senses.
Sunny knew it was a risk that she would sense him with her enhanced inhuman senses, but he was willing to take the risk as he had little choice. Running away was also another choice he could've made, but there was no telling whether or not he would have a chance like this once she repaired the barrier and perhaps make it impossible for him to break through as easily as last time.
With time seemingly being stretched and Sunny's hand starting to tremble, he quickly tried to swipe at her throat and end the confrontation now, but she dodged by putting her head down in a flash. Before Sunny could respond, she twisted her torso and sent a heavy punch to his abdomen. He went soaring into the air before crashing into a tree a few yards away. Slowly recovering from the punch, he suddenly coughed as small amounts of blood poured out from his nose and mouth, as his broken ribs made themselves known as he felt an enormous amount of pain.
'I really thought that would work, damnation, what now?' Sunny wiped the blood from his hand onto his chest as [Mantle of the Underworld] fixed itself, which had sustained most of the damage from her fist, likely being the reason he was still conscious or even alive.
"You truly are one of a kind, Shadowspawn." The witch said calmly and slowly, massaging her hand that showed no sign of damage or bruising. "Not just any creature can survive a punch like that, even with that armor of yours. You Devils truly are a treacherous bunch."
"Apparently, being prepared is 'treacherous' now," Sunny lampooned. "I suppose getting caught off guard is the real virtue." He mocked her
Sunny was reminded of Caster when he thought of that, how he missed the times when all he had to do was fight in a bloody war and fight off waves of awakened abominations.'Good times...'
Growling, Sunny calmed his thoughts as he put his hands behind him, and after a few seconds revealing a variety of weapons. [Midnight Shard] and [Ashwake] were on his top hands while his twin daggers were below them, one on each side.
"Where were you hiding those-" Before she could finish her remark, Sunny enhanced himself with four of his shadows as he dashed towards her while using essence. She sidestepped to her left and narrowly dodged his attack as she retaliated with a barrage of fists, and Sunny had to block or dodge each one. Seizing an opportunity as she overcommitted a punch which left her side vulnerable, Sunny slashed at her with [Askwake] and tried to gut her with a dagger in his lower hand, but he fell for her trap as the ground under him suddenly moved.
'No, the ground isn't moving.' Sunny realized too late that, beneath the ground, came two large green vines that threatened to cut Sunny down.
He tried to slash them down, but his weapons felt like paper straws as they bounced off without leaving a scratch and pierced through Sunny's armor and flesh as if they were made of butter.
"Die proudly, devil, you managed to contend with me for a while, even if I was holding back." She said in an irritating, mocking tone.
Sunny gasped as he felt one of his lungs had been pierced, and his body felt like mush after taking the brutal attack. He refused to go out like this, though; Sunny had been through too much to die now without giving it his all after all. [Midnight Shard] grew brighter as he felt the familiar power of its blessing course through his body, and he let out a pained growl before smashing his tail into the vines and cutting through them as they grew weak.
Sunny then attempted to attack her, hoping that her presumption of his inevitable death would drop her guard enough to allow him to kill her. Sadly, just like his failed plan that was likely doomed from the start, she easily outmaneuvered him before sending him back with a punch, as he was able to block it this time, with the cost of his arms almost breaking from the impact.
Sunny felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, perhaps something he hadn't felt since the crimson labyrinth. True fear. He had been prepared to die or could accept death before entering the first nightmare, and when he arrived at the Dark City, he thought he was both skilled and strong enough to contend with the creatures in the death zone and survive. But in between those two time periods was when Sunny had felt weak and pitiful, as he was unwilling to die but didn't have the power to survive. And after the Spire, he had been growing stronger and stronger to even contend with Nephis and could take on a Fallen monster, given the preparation.
However, his pride and will were shattered when he realized all his fantasies of finally being strong were shattered by the awakened lady who stood with clarity and true power reminded him that at the end of the day.
He was nothing more than a cockroach who refused to die, but he was more.
Sunny tried to get up, to try and run away, even though most likely she would catch up, at least he would have a chance, but his legs refused to move. He tried to lift his arms by then to at least be able to defend himself, but his arms felt invisible. Sunny saw water droplets fall down and drip onto the ground as they fell periodically before realizing...
They were his own tears; tears mixed with blood that poured from his mouth and nose.
'N-No... I c-can't die...'
If Sunny had looked up, he would have noticed the witch's surprised look as Sunny finally collapsed from exhaustion and wounds he sustained.
***
Inside a dimly lit wooden room lay a bruised Shadowspawn; however, it was covered in bandages with green ooze being applied underneath the bandages. Sunny slowly opened his eyes as he was hit with the dim lighting of the room, and he slowly raised his arm to cover his eyes. His body was sore, and it wasn't like he felt suddenly better with the bandages covering him, but his wounds were healing faster than they would normally take. However, he felt somehow hollow as he touched the entrances where the vines had pierced him.
'Seems like my body can handle losing high amounts of flesh as long as the attack doesn't hit a vital organ.' Sunny acknowledged this fact as he looked around the room he was placed in.His bed was made of wool, wood, and cloth. On the walls were shelves filled with herbs and glass bottles filled with mysterious liquids, not one looking identical to another. The walls were painted dark brown, and at the end of the room was a wooden door decorated with painted flowers. Sunny theorized he was inside a medical room as he heard soft footsteps outside the room before the flowery door opened, revealing a beautiful woman on the other side.
'Calm yourself, Sunless, you have a girlfriend!' Sunny calmed his heartbeat as the woman, whom Sunny recognized as the witch that he had fought, approached him slowly, yet her eyes sparkled with hope.
"Hello, beast, we meet again." She spoke softly as she studied him as if he were an alien, which he thought was a bit silly since he thought he wasn't much different from other nightmare creatures. He also let out a small uncontrollable shudder as he remembered how helpless he felt from the battle earlier.
'What the hell does she want with me?' Sunny pondered and questioned what the witch could've possibly wanted or could gain from Sunny since there was no other reason to keep him alive if she couldn't gain something out of it, but he was stumped as to what she could've wanted.
"Yes, my assumption was correct that you're not a feral corrupted, well, I had that thought as soon as I had peered into your soul cores to see you uncorrupted. Are you perhaps someone who turned into a beast by a curse of the gods? Or maybe you angered someone of high power, and they turned you into a Shadowspawn.
Shadowspawn, Sunny heard her refer to him as a Shadowspawn, which meant that the body he inhabited must have been a Shadowspawn.
'Well i suppose the name fits considering my obsidian skin.' Sunny thought as he snapped out of his thoughts and continued to hear the woman ramble on before she sounded excited."I had thought that your kind would be extinct, considering the Saint in the north was exterminating all those corrupted beasts. I think her name was Solvante? Solvana? It doesn't matter much to me, considering that I'm planning to keep you."
Sunny let out a low growl as he envisioned a collar on his neck and the woman barking commands at him.
"Don't worry its nothing bad, and I misspoke, so please forgive my transgression. What I meant is we could do a little deal. You see, I'm planning something huge that would've taken years to complete, perhaps centuries, but with you, it can most likely be done within a year. In exchange for your help, I promise on the God of Life that I will try to save you from your inflicted curse. So what do you say?" She reached out her delicate white hand to Sunny, who looked at it with a curious yet hesitant look.
He knew that taking the deal would benefit her more than it would benefit him. The "curse" she planned to heal him from, per the deal, would be impossible to do since he wasn't cursed; the spell merely placed him inside the Shadowspawn's body as if he were born into it, so he doubted the spell would allow him to leave his body. Plus, he was worried that her big plan would fill up his schedule of trying to find Nephis, which he had planned on doing after killing the priestess.
'Well, I really have nothing to lose taking this deal, as killing her is out of the question.' Sunny groaned as he reached out his hand and shook her hand.
"Great, I'm looking forward to our partnership." She smiled brightly, which would've entranced any man not already having eyes for another.
Backing up, she was about to leave before she turned back around, "One more thing, I talked to this fellow named Notic's on my trip up north - and he was full of himself yet pleasant to talk to - but back to the topic at hand, I brought this necklace from him which he said allowed someone to voice their thoughts even if they weren't human, just as long as it was intelligent. Since it doesn't seem you can speak, and I had thought it would've worked on someone else, I'm hoping it would work on you." She finished explaining as soon as she handed it over to Sunny for him to put on. It was a large golden necklace with smooth engravings along the chains, which Sunny recognized as ruins as he put on the necklace.
After putting it on, he tried to speak, but just like always, only growls came out, which he had already predicted. Calming himself for a second, he tried to speak within his thoughts and project them outward as if he were speaking to an audience.
"My name is Sunless."
***
I wanted to mimic when Nephis had been broken down and stripped of her pride and her power with Sunny this chapter, but instead with just the power, so I hope I executed that greatly.Sunny was unsure of where he was going. The forest he once knew was no longer similar to the one he had been used to. After some walking through trees and struggling with the rough terrain, he came upon a wide clearing. In the clearing was a field of trees of various sizes. Some were smaller than the trees from the forest, while others were easily twice as big.
He also saw an identical temple behind the tree plantation from the previous temple. However, this one was clearly newer and wasn't overgrown by vines or broken down like the previous one. The newer temple was made of smooth, unmarred stone, with tinted green glass windows spread across its face. This time, the quartz columns lined up to support a balcony at the side. He could tell there were three floors, including the bottom one, but he knew there were also multiple floors beneath the temple. They must have held tools the witch used for...witchcraft of trees?
'Man, this nightmare is starting to confuse even me.' Sunny depressingly thought as he continued to eye around the area.
The sun rose above the horizon behind the temple, and Sunny quickly hid behind a tree as he sensed the movement of shadows from the trees behind him shifted as the sun evaporated the natural secrecy he had within the night. Sunny also didn't want to be spotted by any more mysterious archers and have another arrow sticking out of him.
Due to the enhancement, he had received from his new body, he was able to see from a large distance away a wooden door being opened in front of the temple as a dashing young woman stretched her arms up as the sunshine bathed her figure. She wore a colorful - or at least that's what he guessed from the variety of grayish hues on her sundress, while having bracelets on her arms and a hood to cover her hair.
She walked with a steady pace as she went over to the front row of the trees, spying each and every tree with deadly focus. She soon touched one whose leaves were wilting as a green aura formed around the tree's figure like a blanket. Leaves started springing back up, and the tree itself seemed to regain its color.
Satisfied with her work, she decided to take a stroll around her safe haven as she walked along a dirt path. She gently walked along the path she herself had carved and walked for as long as she had lived in her home. Reaching the border of her sanctuary, however, she noticed that her enchantment was down. Confused, she made the dirt move aside as she saw the enchantment wasn't out of essence - she had made sure to refuel it once a week.
'So, something got in finally-' Before she could react, a dagger rested on her neck as Sunny suddenly made his presence known behind her.
She was surprised to say the least, after all, she would've thought that she would sense even the most hidden creatures, and yet the creature behind her had not only snuck up behind her, but also leisurely placed a dagger next to her neck. It wore a dark mantle over its dark body, and its face was filled with teeth and two sharp horns, with a spiked tail to make it even deadlier.
'How... interesting.'
***
Sunny stared at the lady in front of him, who had now stood still as a statue in front of him. He had debated with himself on whether to attack the witch now or later, but he realized he didn't have a choice, as sooner or later she would find the broken barrier keeping intruders like him out, and he would lose the element of surprise. Although it was risky, he kept himself a considerable distance away from the witch and made sure to hide in natural shadows or summon shadows from [Shadow Lantern] in order to stay hidden from her senses.
Sunny knew it was a risk that she would sense him with her enhanced inhuman senses, but he was willing to take the risk as he had little choice. Running away was also another choice he could've made, but there was no telling whether or not he would have a chance like this once she repaired the barrier and perhaps make it impossible for him to break through as easily as last time.
With time seemingly being stretched and Sunny's hand starting to tremble, he quickly tried to swipe at her throat and end the confrontation now, but she dodged by putting her head down in a flash. Before Sunny could respond, she twisted her torso and sent a heavy punch to his abdomen. He went soaring into the air before crashing into a tree a few yards away. Slowly recovering from the punch, he suddenly coughed as small amounts of blood poured out from his nose and mouth, as his broken ribs made themselves known as he felt an enormous amount of pain.
'I really thought that would work, damnation, what now?' Sunny wiped the blood from his hand onto his chest as [Mantle of the Underworld] fixed itself, which had sustained most of the damage from her fist, likely being the reason he was still conscious or even alive.
"You truly are one of a kind, Shadowspawn." The witch said calmly and slowly, massaging her hand that showed no sign of damage or bruising. "Not just any creature can survive a punch like that, even with that armor of yours. You Devils truly are a treacherous bunch."
"Apparently, being prepared is 'treacherous' now," Sunny lampooned. "I suppose getting caught off guard is the real virtue." He mocked her
Sunny was reminded of Caster when he thought of that, how he missed the times when all he had to do was fight in a bloody war and fight off waves of awakened abominations.'Good times...'
Growling, Sunny calmed his thoughts as he put his hands behind him, and after a few seconds revealing a variety of weapons. [Midnight Shard] and [Ashwake] were on his top hands while his twin daggers were below them, one on each side.
"Where were you hiding those-" Before she could finish her remark, Sunny enhanced himself with four of his shadows as he dashed towards her while using essence. She sidestepped to her left and narrowly dodged his attack as she retaliated with a barrage of fists, and Sunny had to block or dodge each one. Seizing an opportunity as she overcommitted a punch which left her side vulnerable, Sunny slashed at her with [Askwake] and tried to gut her with a dagger in his lower hand, but he fell for her trap as the ground under him suddenly moved.
'No, the ground isn't moving.' Sunny realized too late that, beneath the ground, came two large green vines that threatened to cut Sunny down.
He tried to slash them down, but his weapons felt like paper straws as they bounced off without leaving a scratch and pierced through Sunny's armor and flesh as if they were made of butter.
"Die proudly, devil, you managed to contend with me for a while, even if I was holding back." She said in an irritating, mocking tone.
Sunny gasped as he felt one of his lungs had been pierced, and his body felt like mush after taking the brutal attack. He refused to go out like this, though; Sunny had been through too much to die now without giving it his all after all. [Midnight Shard] grew brighter as he felt the familiar power of its blessing course through his body, and he let out a pained growl before smashing his tail into the vines and cutting through them as they grew weak.
Sunny then attempted to attack her, hoping that her presumption of his inevitable death would drop her guard enough to allow him to kill her. Sadly, just like his failed plan that was likely doomed from the start, she easily outmaneuvered him before sending him back with a punch, as he was able to block it this time, with the cost of his arms almost breaking from the impact.
Sunny felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, perhaps something he hadn't felt since the crimson labyrinth. True fear. He had been prepared to die or could accept death before entering the first nightmare, and when he arrived at the Dark City, he thought he was both skilled and strong enough to contend with the creatures in the death zone and survive. But in between those two time periods was when Sunny had felt weak and pitiful, as he was unwilling to die but didn't have the power to survive. And after the Spire, he had been growing stronger and stronger to even contend with Nephis and could take on a Fallen monster, given the preparation.
However, his pride and will were shattered when he realized all his fantasies of finally being strong were shattered by the awakened lady who stood with clarity and true power reminded him that at the end of the day.
He was nothing more than a cockroach who refused to die, but he was more.
Sunny tried to get up, to try and run away, even though most likely she would catch up, at least he would have a chance, but his legs refused to move. He tried to lift his arms by then to at least be able to defend himself, but his arms felt invisible. Sunny saw water droplets fall down and drip onto the ground as they fell periodically before realizing...
They were his own tears; tears mixed with blood that poured from his mouth and nose.
'N-No... I c-can't die...'
If Sunny had looked up, he would have noticed the witch's surprised look as Sunny finally collapsed from exhaustion and wounds he sustained.
***
Inside a dimly lit wooden room lay a bruised Shadowspawn; however, it was covered in bandages with green ooze being applied underneath the bandages. Sunny slowly opened his eyes as he was hit with the dim lighting of the room, and he slowly raised his arm to cover his eyes. His body was sore, and it wasn't like he felt suddenly better with the bandages covering him, but his wounds were healing faster than they would normally take. However, he felt somehow hollow as he touched the entrances where the vines had pierced him.
'Seems like my body can handle losing high amounts of flesh as long as the attack doesn't hit a vital organ.' Sunny acknowledged this fact as he looked around the room he was placed in.His bed was made of wool, wood, and cloth. On the walls were shelves filled with herbs and glass bottles filled with mysterious liquids, not one looking identical to another. The walls were painted dark brown, and at the end of the room was a wooden door decorated with painted flowers. Sunny theorized he was inside a medical room as he heard soft footsteps outside the room before the flowery door opened, revealing a beautiful woman on the other side.
'Calm yourself, Sunless, you have a girlfriend!' Sunny calmed his heartbeat as the woman, whom Sunny recognized as the witch that he had fought, approached him slowly, yet her eyes sparkled with hope.
"Hello, beast, we meet again." She spoke softly as she studied him as if he were an alien, which he thought was a bit silly since he thought he wasn't much different from other nightmare creatures. He also let out a small uncontrollable shudder as he remembered how helpless he felt from the battle earlier.
'What the hell does she want with me?' Sunny pondered and questioned what the witch could've possibly wanted or could gain from Sunny since there was no other reason to keep him alive if she couldn't gain something out of it, but he was stumped as to what she could've wanted.
"Yes, my assumption was correct that you're not a feral corrupted, well, I had that thought as soon as I had peered into your soul cores to see you uncorrupted. Are you perhaps someone who turned into a beast by a curse of the gods? Or maybe you angered someone of high power, and they turned you into a Shadowspawn.
Shadowspawn, Sunny heard her refer to him as a Shadowspawn, which meant that the body he inhabited must have been a Shadowspawn.
'Well i suppose the name fits considering my obsidian skin.' Sunny thought as he snapped out of his thoughts and continued to hear the woman ramble on before she sounded excited."I had thought that your kind would be extinct, considering the Saint in the north was exterminating all those corrupted beasts. I think her name was Solvante? Solvana? It doesn't matter much to me, considering that I'm planning to keep you."
Sunny let out a low growl as he envisioned a collar on his neck and the woman barking commands at him.
"Don't worry its nothing bad, and I misspoke, so please forgive my transgression. What I meant is we could do a little deal. You see, I'm planning something huge that would've taken years to complete, perhaps centuries, but with you, it can most likely be done within a year. In exchange for your help, I promise on the God of Life that I will try to save you from your inflicted curse. So what do you say?" She reached out her delicate white hand to Sunny, who looked at it with a curious yet hesitant look.
He knew that taking the deal would benefit her more than it would benefit him. The "curse" she planned to heal him from, per the deal, would be impossible to do since he wasn't cursed; the spell merely placed him inside the Shadowspawn's body as if he were born into it, so he doubted the spell would allow him to leave his body. Plus, he was worried that her big plan would fill up his schedule of trying to find Nephis, which he had planned on doing after killing the priestess.
'Well, I really have nothing to lose taking this deal, as killing her is out of the question.' Sunny groaned as he reached out his hand and shook her hand.
"Great, I'm looking forward to our partnership." She smiled brightly, which would've entranced any man not already having eyes for another.
Backing up, she was about to leave before she turned back around, "One more thing, I talked to this fellow named Notic's on my trip up north - and he was full of himself yet pleasant to talk to - but back to the topic at hand, I brought this necklace from him which he said allowed someone to voice their thoughts even if they weren't human, just as long as it was intelligent. Since it doesn't seem you can speak, and I had thought it would've worked on someone else, I'm hoping it would work on you." She finished explaining as soon as she handed it over to Sunny for him to put on. It was a large golden necklace with smooth engravings along the chains, which Sunny recognized as ruins as he put on the necklace.
After putting it on, he tried to speak, but just like always, only growls came out, which he had already predicted. Calming himself for a second, he tried to speak within his thoughts and project them outward as if he were speaking to an audience.
"My name is Sunless."
***
I wanted to mimic when Nephis had been broken down and stripped of her pride and her power with Sunny this chapter, but instead with just the power, so I hope I executed that greatly.