Shadow Slave

Soon, another map was spread on the table. This one was drawn on a piece of crude parchment made out of monster hide, and much less detailed than the one hanging on the wall.

Well, that was understandable. Because the second map did not depict the Dark City, but the Forgotten Shore itself. Sunny stared at it in stunned silence.

…Yeah. Nephis had not wasted any time during these three months.

He had no idea how she had gathered all this information, but there was a lot more on the map than he could have ever imagined.

At the center of it, a straight black like depicted the Crimson Spire. The Labyrinth flowed from it, devouring the parchment like an ocean of blood. To the east, a small circle of black ink with a symbol of a white tower inside of it marked the Dark City.

The city was perched on the edge of another, much larger circle. It didn't take too much effort to recognize the cyclopean crater — after all, Sunny had traversed it on a rickety boat once, a lifetime ago. However, only now, looking at it in scale, did he finally realize just how giant the crater was, and how vast the Forgotten Shore itself appeared.

Back on Earth, it would have been as large as a continent.

The Dream Realm was indeed much bigger than their own planet, considering that just one of its numerous regions was this enormous.

There were other symbols on the map that he didn't recognize. However, several of them attracted his attention especially.

On the other side of the crater, almost exactly opposite the Dark City, a symbol of a tree depicted the Ashen Barrow. Some distance to the east of it, on a straight line, there was a mark in the shape of a red cross.

Another red cross was drawn inside the crater just outside the eastern side of the Dark City. The third one was about a week's worth of traveling time to the north, near a symbol that looked like a grotesque, misshapen skull. The fourth one was halfway between the ruins and the Crimson Spire. The fifth one lay to the south, about the same distance as the third, drawn atop the symbol of an arching bridge.

The last red cross was at the very edge of the parchment, far away to the south, beyond the Labyrinth. Near it, two symbols were drawn: one was a crown, and the other one was a question mark.

Sunny quickly realized what these crosses represented.

They were the giant statues of the seven forgotten heroes who had given the terrible oath to vanquish the darkness and created the Starlight Legion.

The one to the east of the Soul Devourer was the statue of the knight that he had used as a shelter on his first night in the Dream Realm. The one near the walls of the city belonged to the woman whose hand had saved them from drowning in the dark sea on the night of their escape.

The other four crosses, most likely, marked four more headless statues.

But where was the seventh?

Frowning, Sunny glanced at the map and said:

"So let me get this straight. You want to leave the Dark City, cross the Labyrinth, reach the edges of the Forgotten Shore… and then return?"

Nephis smiled.

"Pretty much, yes."

He sighed.

survive the months of traveling through the Labyrinth and actually manage

pointed to the three symbols at the lower edge of the map: the red cross,

From what we were able to learn, an unassailable mountain chain blocks the path to the south. They ventured into the mountains… and never returned. Nothing but

the back of his

way out… you're looking for the remains of the cohort of Sleepers

Neph nodded.

castle. If

everything. Maybe what little trust remained between them was not enough to share those secrets. Maybe she didn't want someone else in the room to

own. Sunny was just here as a potential mercenary. As long

knowing the answers was not going to get

hesitation,

as dangerous as you think. There is… a method we can use to reach them comparatively safely. But once we're there... that's where we'll need your talents.

looked at her with

know all this? It's not like there's

Nephis shrugged.

but there are stories. Some written evidence. However, most of this

blind girl a warm

has helped us

was doable. Of course, there would be danger.

a few months in the company of an extremely formidable cohort. Outside the walls of the Dark City, Nightmare Creatures were generally of a lower rank than those inside. The efficiency of his

like Nephis, Effie, and Caster were fighting alongside him. But more importantly, if Cassie was there to warn them of the dangers that they had no business trying

her affinity to mysteries and revelations had saved their lives in the past. Like on that awful night when they had summoned a

Labyrinth — the cursed black waters —

so because

was something else that

gathered in

would like to talk

just stared at him without moving. Caster, especially, did not seem happy about

him and Neph? Why is he so…

a look, they reluctantly stood up and left

***