Shadow Slave

There were food rations in one of the carts, but Lady Tamar had also slain an Awakened Monster in the morning. There had been enough time for Rain to harvest a slab of meat before the survey team continued on Its Journey, so now, she was ready to cook a delicious supper.

Although the team wasn't big, there was a clear separation between people. The Awakened mostly kept to themselves, the survey specialists did the same, and the porters generally stuck together.

Right now, they were gathered around a fire, watching Rain roast meat with gleaming eyes.

«Wait, wait, everyone… it will be done soon! We're having a feast tonight!»

She grinned and turned the juicy strips of meat, making the melted fat sizzle. A delicious aroma permeated the air.

One of the laborers laughed.

«Rani, kid… if I was thirty years younger, I would have married you right here and now. No questions asked.»

One of the tough women from the road crew gave him a disdainful look.

«Old goat, what makes you think that you would have been worthy of marrying our Rani? Dream on!»

She put her hand around Rain's shoulder protectively.

«On that note, though… I know for a fact that you have a bottle of arak hidden in your pack. Come one, bring it out…»

The mood was light and warm. Rain was the youngest of the laborers, so they treated her with a bit of affection. The women especially tried to take care of her like concerned aunts.

So, feeding them today was her way of returning the favor.

While the man went to take out the bottle of moonshine from his pack, the woman let go of Rain and looked at the sizzling meat hungrily.

Then, she said in a tone of confusion:

«I must say, though… that's a peculiar pan you have there, Rani.»

Rain grinned.

You think

After all, she was using the blade of the Huntsman's axe as

place over

Rain clicked her tongue.

rust, easy to wash, and I can split firewood with it

The laborers laughed.

the first portion of the meat was ready, even the survey specialists were looking at them with

a bit of alcohol, and a warm fire. The three moons shone beautifully in the night sky, and the mundane humans huddled together in the circle of light, trying to distract themselves from the fear

we departed the main

eyes scratched

air in the Dream Realm, though,

hesitated for a moment, then added with a

shop in one of the smaller cities, before they really developed. How great would it be, to have

The others laughed.

a civil engineer in

a small

bastards, I was a floor cleaner in an

«What about you, Rani?»

opened her eyes wide and fluttered her

Oh… I

laborers stared at her for a few

«Gods, she's a baby…»

such a precious girl

you mean, our Rani is tough as nails… tougher than the bunch of us,

woman who had hugged her before looked at the newcomer, Pill,

news in

had no way of

Song Domain recently, Pill was understandably the center of