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...'

forward in

apart like a dark scar. The whispers of the Call

by his family had explored a lot of Nightmare Gates. They had started with those situated within the siege capitals under the clan's control, and then slowly expanded

that Knight Shtad had ventured into, and the

this Gate was situated in 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

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

of distinguished Awakened warriors - were meant to be the first wave of reinforcements sent to help the

taken

silence, seemingly unaffected by the maddening

"Are you ready, Squire?"

be in the greatest danger. Mordret pretended to be

"Always, my lord."

words tasted revolting on

and offered him

The world grew bleak.

Then, it disappeared.

a moment, Mordret found himself in a vast, lightless space between dream and

blinding light

heat assaulted

of scorching sand flooded

Mordret regained his vision. He felt deeply uncomfortable, because there were very few reflective surfaces in

was a vast

bathing the tall dunes in a flood of immolating heat. The sands of the desert were flawlessly white, and the azure sky above him was deep and boundless like an ancient ocean, with not a single cloud

beneath the sand, scattered across the desert

in the stark shadows of

slightly,

creature that seemed to be made of countless claws was already lunging at him... a split second later, however, it was

as it

Madoc calmly looked at the remains of

"Stay on guard."