So ti later, the entire group stood together before a makeshift cabin built from scavenged mismatched stones and reinforced with tough monster hides that spoke of practical strength.
It looked noticeably sturdier than the other outer settlent hovels, a small fortress of its own in the midst of desperation.
A large bestial skull hung above the door, its forehead split cleanly by a powerful strike that hinted at Effie's formidable hunting skills.
Nephis knocked firmly on the weathered door, but there was no imdiate answer from within the quiet cabin.
"Maybe she's not ho," Sunny sighed, his cynical instincts already preparing for disappointnt even as warmth from the Shadow Bond steadied him.
Changing Star frowned slightly and pounded harder on the sturdy door, causing the skull above to nearly fly off the wall from the forceful impact.
A sleepy, irritated voice called out from inside, laced with clear annoyance and a hint of threat.
"I swear to the gods, you'd better be a Nightmare Creature coming to die!"
Footsteps approached heavily across the floor, and before the door opened, Nephis said urgently through both voice and the shared Shadow Bond.
"Sunny, Senrix, turn away. Your shadows too, just to be safe."
Sunny and Senrix obeyed at the sa ti with deep scowls, their loyal trust in Nephis's judgnt complete after everything they had faced together.
The door creaked open with a groan of old hinges, revealing a disheveled but powerful figure.
"Who the hell—oh. It's you lot again," Effie muttered, her tone shifting from irritation to mild surprise.
Nephis's teeth ground together in mild exasperation, her calm exterior holding firm.
"Put on a mory, Effie. Please," she requested politely, ever the responsible leader.
When Sunny and Senrix turned back around together, faint ethereal light was already fading from Effie's short chiton as she adjusted it with casual ease.
She wore nothing underneath, her tall and vital form radiating raw energy and confidence as always.
"Here. Better now?" the powerful huntress asked with a broad grin, more of her dewy olive skin visible without her usual armor.
"So you're all back together?" Effie continued, her eyes scanning the full group with open amusent and respect.
"The other two look clean and shiny from the Castle. Pleasant stay in that gilded cage?"
"Not particularly," Sunny replied reservedly, his pragmatic caution keeping his words asured and blunt.
"The ambiance there is... an acquired taste at best, full of hidden knives and false smiles."
Effie laughed heartily, the sound warm and genuine, cutting through the grim atmosphere of the settlent.
"Well said, kid. How can I help you troublemakers today?"
Elysia smiled brightly beside Sunny, her cheerful presence lighting up the mont as she chid in affectionately through the bond and aloud.
"We've missed this kind of straightforward talk. It's refreshing after all the castle politics, and it feels good to be with everyone again."
Senrix stood tall with a relaxed grin, his massive fra a comforting shield as he added lightly in his talkative way.
"Yeah, and don't mind us waking you. Beats fighting abominations alone, right? Though my armor's still complaining about the last repair job—always the repairs."
"Can we co inside?" Nephis asked calmly, her protective instincts guiding the group forward with quiet authority.
Inside, the cabin proved small yet surprisingly cozy despite its rugged construction and sparse furnishings.
A massive pile of Nightmare Creature furs served as Effie's bed, an extravagant luxury beyond belief in this starving place that made Sunny's observant eyes widen slightly.
Sunny tried not to imagine the stories behind such a hoard, his mind wandering briefly before a gentle ntal nudge from Elysia through their soul connection brought him back.
'Pure thoughts, Sunny. Focus on the goal,' he reminded himself, earning a soft, affectionate laugh from Elysia in the bond that Senrix echoed with a quiet chuckle.
After they all settled down as best they could on whatever seats were available, Effie wrapped herself more fully in one of the thick furs with casual ease.
"What's so important that you had to wake this early?" she asked, still rubbing sleep from her eyes.
'It's noon...' Sunny thought dryly, though he kept the sarcasm internal for the mont.
Senrix chuckled softly from his spot near the door, his friendly deanor making the cramped space feel safer as he offered a talkative quip.
"You call this early? After the nights we've spent on the road, this feels like a lazy vacation. My back's still thanking for the break."
"You haven't hunted since we t, right?" Nephis asked directly, her calm and responsible tone steady as ever while she acted as the group's anchor.
"Nope. I'll go when my food runs out—in a day or two," Effie replied with an easy shrug, clearly unconcerned.
Sunny was genuinely stunned by that revelation, given the sheer mountain of at she must have stockpiled from previous hunts.
Elysia glanced at him with curious affection, her emotionally intelligent nature picking up on his surprise through the bond.
"Co with us when you do," Nephis said firmly, her compassionate leadership extending toward strengthening their found family.
"Be our pathfinder and help guide the new hunting party through the dangers ahead."
Effie burst out laughing, the sound filling the small cabin with unexpected mirth and energy.
"Your nanny too? No offense, kids—you're all brand new here. Green as fresh grass in this cursed place."
"Top hunters have begged to join them for years. I refused every ti. Know why?"
Nephis explained Effie's Flaw with quiet respect, highlighting how she needed all the hunt's sustenance for herself and thus preferred hunting alone.
"Good howork," Effie smiled approvingly, clearly impressed by their thorough preparation and insight.
"But that's not the real reason holding back."
She turned serious, her expression hardening with hard-earned experience from the Forgotten Shore.
"They're all too weak in the ways that truly matter out here. Gunlaug won't allow anyone genuinely strong to thrive outside his tight control."
"So no, princess. I'm not joining your little group."
Nephis faltered for just a brief mont, but her softer attachnt to the cohort kept her resolve strong.
Sunny spoke up calmly, his blunt honesty and growing loyalty cutting through the tension.
"He's allowing *you* to exist out here freely, which says sothing about your strength."
Effie raised an eyebrow but stayed thoughtfully silent, weighing his words with careful consideration.
"We're not weak," Nephis insisted with quiet determination, her human warmth showing as she included everyone present.
"We've killed dozens of Awakened in the Labyrinth and survived horrors that would break most Sleepers."
"Doesn't matter in the long run," Effie replied evenly, though a flicker of respect appeared in her eyes for their accomplishnts.
"Out here, survival is different. Live through a few years, then we'll talk seriously."
Nephis smiled darkly, a spark of her unyielding ambition visible beneath her disciplined exterior.
"We'll talk again this evening. You'll change your mind once you see what we're capable of together."
The sun had already passed its zenith by the ti they left Effie's cabin, the gray sky casting long shadows over the settlent.
Sunny wondered what Nephis had planned next, his cautious nature making him uneasy about potential risks.
"What are we doing now?" he asked through the bond and aloud, sharing his concerns openly with the group.
"Follow ," Nephis said simply, leading the way toward the castle with quiet flas of resolve burning in her eyes.
Elysia walked close, her affectionate and talkative nature keeping spirits up as she shared optimistic thoughts through the Shadow Bond.
"This could be the start of sothing real for us. I can feel it—trust turning into strength, just like the bond we all share."
Senrix nodded along, his reliable courage shining as he complained lightly about the walk but stayed protective of everyone.
"Lead on, Neph. My armor's ready for whatever cos, though I'll whine about the dents later. Can't let you face this alone."
She asked Sunny for more details about the Pathfinder Andel—the one accused of murder days ago—and specifics of his sharp-weapon Ability.
Sunny shared everything he had uncovered, admitting he still lacked solid information on the man's Flaw despite his thorough spying.
Cassie listened empathetically, her gentle heart offering quiet words of support that reminded everyone of their shared humanity.
At the gates, the guards blocked their path with leering grins and crude, mocking comnts directed at the group.
"Pay tribute or get paid, girls?" one sneered, eyeing them all dismissively.
"I want to enter," Nephis said calmly, her voice carrying natural authority that commanded attention.
"No tribute this ti—I'm here for sothing else."
The guards mocked her openly until she declared with steady conviction that left no room for doubt.
"I'm here to invoke the Right of Challenge."
Sunny's heart pounded fiercely in his chest at the bold words.
'She's gone mad!' he thought initially, though deeper trust in her leadership quickly cald him.
Nephis was never truly reckless—her actions always stemd from careful planning and care for their found family.
The guards reluctantly led them inside after a tense standoff, warning her gravely that it was a fight to the death with no turning back once invoked.
Elysia sent a bright wave of encouragent and emotional support through the bond, her refusal to surrender to despair uplifting them all.
Senrix placed a reassuring hand on Sunny's shoulder, his cheerful shield-like presence lightening the mood with another light joke.
"Easy there, Sunny. We've got this as a team. Though if things get ssy, I'll complain about the cleanup while smashing through."
Inside the castle, Harper looked surprised to see them returning so soon, his nervous deanor shifting to quiet concern.
A small crowd had already begun gathering in the grand hall out of growing curiosity and whispers.
Gemma, the respected leader of the Hunters, sat near the empty throne with a deepening frown on his face.
"One of you wants to invoke the Right of Challenge?" he asked, his tone heavy with doubt and warning.
"I do," Nephis replied coolly, standing tall as the group's emotional anchor and compassionate leader.
Gemma tried to dissuade her with practical warnings about the dangers, but she held firm with quiet resolve and determination.
"I accuse Pathfinder Andel—of theft. He lost shards gambling and refused to pay what he rightfully owed."
Gemma appeared genuinely bewildered by the unusual charge being brought forward.
"A gambling debt? Did Aiko send you on this errand to settle scores?"
"No. I've never even t her," Nephis answered evenly, her voice steady and sincere.
"Why challenge him then, if it's not a personal grudge?" Gemma pressed.
"Do I need to know the victim personally to punish the criminal?" Nephis asked, her tone carrying deep belief in justice.
"It's about justice... and law. The law is our only guiding star in this dark and broken world we share."
Trapped by the very words and rules of his own lord, Gemma had little choice but to send for Andel with clear reluctance.
"Kill this stupid girl quickly, then you and I will talk about your future," he instructed the Pathfinder once he arrived.
He asked for her na with clear skepticism etched across his face.
Nephis's voice rang out clear and confident across the suddenly hushed hall.
"I am Changing Star of the Immortal Fla clan."
Suddenly, the entire grand hall fell into a heavy, astonished silence as her prestigious na echoed powerfully.
Elysia sent another wave of bright encouragent and affection through the Shadow Bond, her emotionally intelligent optimism bridging the tension for everyone.
Senrix stood tall and relaxed beside them, his talkative courage offering a quiet joke to keep morale high.
"Big na drop. Now that's how you make an entrance."
Cassie remained close by, her self-sacrificing empathy radiating quiet support and concern for Nephis and the path ahead.
Sunny felt a profound surge of deep loyalty, his sarcastic exterior hiding the genuine emotions and trust he now placed fully in his companions.
The revelation of Nephis's na shifted the atmosphere entirely, with whispers spreading like wildfire among the gathered crowd and changing the stakes in an instant.
_______
A/N: I'm gonna write more, next chapter will show how different of a fighting style nephis gain.
(Small changes)
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