Shadow Slave

After the island broke apart, it did not take a lot of time for the debris to disappear into the depths of the Great River. Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie stood on the deck of the Chain Breaker, observing the death throes of this lost part of Fallen Grace in somber silence.

The flowing water seethed and boiled, turning into white foam. The ashen remains of the dark garden were pulled down by the current and swallowed by the depths. In something that felt like too short of a time, though, the surface of the river became calm and clear once again, with not a sign of the massive island-vessel left in sight.

Sunny sighed softly.

The destruction of the artificial island had been too depressing of a scene. It was like a metaphor of the futility of human existence... countless River People had worked hard to create and maintain it, and even more spent their lives walking upon its ground. But now, it was gone, swallowed by the elements in mere minutes. With every trace of it erased from existence.

Weave was going to be erased the same way before too long. The cities of the sybils had already disappeared... only Fallen Grace remained, its fate all but decided. The Tomb of Ariel had been home to a thriving civilization once...

But now, it was nothing but a Nightmare.

Sunny shook his head, suddenly grim. Would the cities of the waking world be gone one day, too? He had not even known that there was a world outside the endless sprawl of NQSC once. It was hard to imagine that a place so populous and boundless could cease to exist.

...But then again, the waking world was already a world of ruins. Plenty of thriving cities had been erased from its maps - most of them, even. Entire continents stood desolate, devoid of life, and uninhabited. He even witnessed the extinction of one of these empty continents himself.

'My mood is all over the place today.'

What was there to feel sad about? That island had been nothing by the lair of a dangerous abomination. They had come to its shore, killed the abomination, and absconded with precious loot. Cassie even received a pretty stick as a bonus.

If anything, he should be feeling utterly delighted.

However, Sunny felt mostly tired and sore all over. The battle against the Drowned was a short one, but nevertheless very intense. He was battered and bruised, albeit not injured too badly.

"Gone! Gone!"

hopping excitedly on the railing and staring at the empty space where the island had been with a curious expression. The small bird was unburdened by any kind of heavy thoughts. In

it

destroyed, though, that

gently took it into her hands. Saying something, the blind girl opened her palms and let the crow fly

Echo disappeared into the distance were indignant

"Stuck! Stuck!"

way back to the ship. The three Masters did not know how long it would take them to rescue

they returned, the frail Riverborn

'That's done, then.'

glanced at the wooden staff in Cassie's hands, then at the sails of the Chain

"Should we set sail?"

of silence, Nephis shook

are tired. I'd rather just drift

was happy to

of debris and repaired by the inhabitants of Fallen Grace, but the three Masters did not visit most of them often, since there was no

Covetous Coffer stood with its lid open, its teeth gleaming in the

to study their mysteries. He just

sigh, he pushed the slates away and pulled his plate closer. Swallowing the first mouthful of a fragrant meat porridge, Sunny closed his

Cassie, though, seemed to have forgotten about it - she was playing with her new shiny

for a bit, then

"What are you doing?"

took a sip