Some time later, they were standing in front of a makeshift cabin. Just like Changing Star's patchwork dwelling, the cabin was constructed out of mismatched stone blocks that had been scavenged from the ruins. It was reinforced with monster hides here and there and seemed to be built slightly better than the rest of the hovels in the outer settlement.
There was a large bestial skull hung above the door, its thick forehead split apart by a devastating strike of some sharp weapon.
Glancing at the skull, Nephis took a step forward and knocked on the door. However, no response followed.
Sunny sighed.
"Maybe she's not home."
Instead of an answer, Changing Star frowned and banged on the door with her fist. The first strike was somewhat gentle, but by the last, the bestial skull was on the verge of flying off the wall.
A sleepy and irritated voice sounded from the inside:
"I swear to gods, whoever you are, you'd better be a Nightmare Creature!"
A few moments later, Sunny heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Before it opened, though, Nephis suddenly spoke:
"Sunny, turn away."
Hearing a strange urgency in her voice, he scowled and did as she had asked.
"Your shadow, too."
'What is going on? Are we expecting trouble?'
As he was staring away from the cabin, the creaking of wood informed him that the door was flung open.
"Who the hell is… oh. It's you."
He swore he could hear Neph's teeth grinding against each other. A few seconds later, Changing Star spoke, her tone especially flat:
"...Put on a Memory, Effie. Please."
'Wait… what?'
Why would she… oh…
Oh!
When he was finally allowed to turn back, the last glimmers of ethereal light were yet to disappear from the fabric of Effie's provocatively short chiton. She wasn't wearing anything underneath, either.
"Here. Better?"
The huntress was exactly the same as the last time he had seen her — tall, strong, and brimming with vitality. Without the bronze cuirass with leather pteruges, as well as other elements of the archaic armor, even more of hew dewy olive skin could be seen.
"So, you guys are back together, huh? Judging by how clean and shiny the other two look, I'm guessing that their stay in the Castle was pleasant?"
Sunny glanced at Cassie, then said in a reserved tone:
"Not particularly. Just like you said, the ambiance there is… well… an acquired taste, I guess."
Effie grinned.
"Well said! Anyway, how can I help you?"
Changing Star motioned at the door.
"Can we come inside?"
The unruly huntress glanced back, then shrugged.
"Sure. Why not?"
Inside, the cabin was small and cozy. One of its corners was occupied by a large pile of furs that served Effie as a bed. At first glance, it didn't seem that lavish, but once it hit Sunny that each of the furs had come from the corpse of a Nightmare Creature, he quickly changed his mind.
That was probably the most extravagant thing he had ever seen.
Also… one could only imagine what went on between those furs…
'Pure thoughts, Sunny! Focus!'
There was also a fireplace, a table with a single wooden chair, and a pair of sturdy chests. The rest of the space was occupied by various curios that the huntress had scavenged from the ruins over the years. There was no particular logic to this opulent collection except for the fact that each object had once caught her fancy for this reason or that.
After the three of them were seated, Effie returned to her pile of furs, wrapped herself in one of them and asked:
"So, what's so important that you had to come and wake me up this early in the morning?"
'Early in the morning? It's already noon!'
Nephis lingered for a few moments, then said:
"You haven't hunted since the day we met. Right?"
Effie yawned, then said in a languid tone:
"Nope. I'll go back into the ruins once my food runs out. Which will be in a day or two, I think."
What… how? The amount of meat she had butchered off those monsters was enough to feed a person for a couple of months. It was all gone already? Just how much did the vigorous huntress eat?!
Changing Star nodded.
"When you do, come with us. Be our pathfinder."
'Well… she certainly doesn't beat around the bush.'
For some reason, Sunny had not expected Neph to be this direct. He had always imagined this conversation taking much longer before getting to its real purpose.
Effie stared at them, then threw her head back and laughed out loud.
"Ah, that's a good one! Do you want me to be your nanny, too?"
When her laughter died down, she shook her head and said:
"No offense, kids, but you have just arrived in the Dark City. You are as green as it gets. Best hunters out here wanted me to become a part of their party, and I refused them all. Do you know why?"
Neph nodded with a serious expression.
"Most hunting parties share the spoils of their hunts. Each hunter keeps a part to eat and sells the rest to the people in the slum. But because of your Flaw, you can't allow yourself to do the same. You need all the sustenance a hunt can provide. The more partners you have, the lesser your share will become, so… you hunt alone, and never sell the meat of your prey, just their hides."
Effie smiled.
"I see someone has been doing their homework."
Changing Star tilted her head a little and, not paying any attention to the irony in those words, continued:
"We can solve that problem by…"
However, the solitary huntress interrupted her:
"Stop. Good guess, but you are wrong. That is not why I refused all those hunters."
Nephis blinked, surprised. After a long pause, she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice:
"Then… why?"
The smile disappeared from Effie's face.
"Because they are weak. Every one of them is weak. Even the most successful of them are. And do you know why?"
Something dark gleamed in her hazel eyes.
"They are weak because Gunlaug will never allow anyone strong to exist outside of his control. So… I am not going to be your pathfinder. Sorry, princess."
Changing Star froze, obviously flustered by that answer. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again and awkwardly pressed her lips together.
No matter how much she had honed her social skills during their journey through the Labyrinth, this conversation still seemed to be too much for her.
In the ensuing silence, Sunny suddenly spoke, his voice calm and slightly provoking:
"He's allowing you to exist."
Effie looked at him, raised one eyebrow with a smile, and didn't say anything.
Finally, Nephis was able to compose herself:
"We might be new here, but we are not weak. Between the two of us, Sunny and I had killed dozens upon dozens of Awakened creatures in the Labyrinth…"
The huntress interrupted her once again:
"Even if that's true, that was there. Out here in the Dark City, things are very different."
The two of them stared at each other, one with a relaxed smile on her lips, the other with stubborn flames burning in her eyes.
'Oh, I don't like this…'
Eventually, Changing Star grimaced and said:
"So, if we prove that we have strength, you might reconsider?"
Effie chuckled.
"Damn! You say it like it's easy. You do know how many people can't even step a foot into the ruins, right? If you guys survive in this hell for a few years, maybe then we can talk again."
Nephis looked at her for a while, and then smiled darkly.
"We will talk again in the evening. Then, you will change your mind."