Shadow Slave

The chain swayed lightly as Sunny and Cassie walked across it, rattling loudly from time to time. Since the island that they had just left was currently ascending, the one in front of them was below and fully visible.

The Northern Island was not too large, maybe two kilometers in diameter. Its surface was one vast level plain, and covered entirely by a beautiful field of violet flowers, as if wrapped in a silken mantle. Despite the fact that the sun was high in the sky, the buds of the delicate flowers closed.

From what Cassie had told him, Sunny knew that they would open only at night, emanating an eerie and beautiful light. He would have liked to witness that strange and magical sight himself, but right now, there were far more important things for them to do.

Not to mention that, at the moment, Sunny's attention wasn't even on the island itself.

Instead, he was looking past it, at the draconian peaks of the Hollow Mountains that towered above the island, submerging it into their vast and deep shadow.

They were shrouded in white mist that flowed slowly down the dark slopes and fell into the black abyss of the Sky Below like an endless wall of white, swirling clouds. The image of it was both magnificent and frightening.

It was as though the sky itself was slowly being devoured by the lightless void… or maybe invading it.

Looking at the dreadful mountains, Sunny couldn't help but wonder if Nephis was currently lost somewhere out there, in the white mist. Or had she not dared to enter it and instead chose one of the other directions?

There was no way to know.

he looked down and concentrated on putting

the Northern island and flew up — Sunny with the help of the Prowling Thorn and the Dark Wing, Cassie by unsheathing the Quiet Dancer, jumping, and holding tightly to the hilt as the flying rapier pulled her into the

delicate flowers and looked around. Without the need to say anything, Sunny allowed the blind girl to take the lead and followed her as they walked toward the only landmark on the

on the way, and there were no sounds except for the whistling of the wind and that of their footsteps.

Mountains. The swirling mist flowed down on both sides of it, obscuring the point where the chain

motionless for a few moments, then

corner of the platform that lay beyond the gate, almost unnoticeable, a narrow set of stairs led down, cut from weathered rock. The path snaked around the overhanging slope, clinging to the stone

tracing her fingers across them, cautiously stepped onto the stairs. Sunny followed, looking down

was the stone wall of the island, and to his left was the bottomless dark abyss of the Sky Below. One careless

stairs was not accidental, as well. If an attacking force tried to lead an assault down the path, they would have had to fight the defenders one at a time, with the movements of the fighter's right hand being restricted by the slope. Range attacks wouldn't help much

that, one warrior could stop

descended lower and lower, finally reaching the dark side

surface above by rusty chains. It swayed precariously above the dark chasm of the Sky Below, leading all the way to the center of the isle… to the

by a mournful sound of a loud bell that