Shadow Slave

Mordret was still getting used to the fact that it never got dark in Antarctica. Because of that, the concept of time here was vague and abstract. The landscape itself was not like anything else he had seen in the waking world, and with countless Nightmare Creatures flooding the continent, it was easy to imagine that they were actually in the Dream Realm.

A whole continent of people, pulled into hell.

'No... it's much too early for that...'

The sky was strange, the land was strange, and the beings populating that land were strange.

And yet, wasn't he the strangest one?

'Isn't it nice, to be with family?'

His uncle's wide back was right in front of him.

Saint Madoc was walking across the desolate plain, not at all concerned by the hordes of Nightmare Creatures moving in the distance. A small force of Awakened followed, with Mordret in the lead. They had left their vehicles behind to traverse the last stretch of wilderness on foot, knowing that remaining unseen was more important than remaining safe.

The warriors of Valor were subdued, but full of unshaken resolve. Even surrounded by unspeakable danger, none of them showed the smallest sign of fear. They were ready to face any kind of threat, no matter how dire, and fight any kind of enemy.

Be it abominations or humans.

Mordret, meanwhile, was simply staring at his uncle's back.

How easy would it be to put a sword right through it?

He suppressed a sigh.

Sadly, not easy at all. Not even because of the priceless enchanted armor Whispering Blade was clad in, but simply because Whispering Blade was Whispering Blade.

If any of Mordret's family members were easy to kill, he would not be stuck wearing the cumbersome vessel of Squire Warren for so long.

'There'll come a day...'

walked forward

of their journey revealed itself. Hidden in the shadow of an abandoned fortress, a Nightmare Gate tore reality apart like a dark scar. The whispers of the Call grew louder and louder as they approached it, and the bones of slain abominations rustled

Gates. They had started with those situated within the siege capitals under the clan's control, and

had ventured into, and the area of the Dream Realm connected to it hid within

an extremely dangerous part of Antarctica... it had been dangerous before because of its proximity to Song's territory, and it grew only more dire now because the hunting grounds of the Corrupted Titan that still wandered the continent were slowly

reason why the fortified outpost had been abandoned, and why Saint Madoc was personally escorting them

three cohorts of distinguished Awakened warriors - were meant to be the first wave of reinforcements sent to help the Knight secure his

taken the place of

Gate in silence, seemingly unaffected by the maddening pull of the Call,

"Are you ready, Squire?"

the Dream Realm would be in the greatest danger. Mordret pretended to be stalwart

"Always, my lord."

tasted revolting on

approval and offered

The world grew bleak.

Then, it disappeared.

Mordret found himself in a vast,

light

heat assaulted

of scorching

there were very few reflective surfaces in the surrounding area -

him was a

disc of an incandescent sun was bathing the tall dunes in a flood of immolating heat. The sands of the desert were flawlessly white, and the azure

ruins rose from beneath the sand, scattered across

horrors hid in the stark shadows of protruding

frowned, then shifted slightly, hearing

split second later, however, it was suddenly dismantled, falling apart in

it touched the

calmly looked at the remains of the Nightmare Creature and turned to

"Stay on guard."