Shadow Slave

As they ventured further east, the Moonriver Plain started to change. There were fewer and fewer canyons in their way, and the air grew a little warmer. At night, the three beautiful moons seemed more distant.

The wind carried with it swirling black flakes. Rain did not need to touch them to know what they were… ash. It was as if they had returned to Ravenheart, but also different.

Back in the stronghold of Clan Song, the ash fell from the frigid sky because of the raging volcanoes. But here, it was somehow different, making Rain feel uncomfortable.

Eventually, the members of the survey team stopped. No one had given the command, but they simply froze in place, looking at the horizon in stunned silence.

«…Wow.»

Out there in front of them, far away… it seemed as if a snowy mountain chain was rising from the ashen haze. But as Rain studied the towering mountains closer, she couldn't help but feel a sense of incongruity. Because the shape was wrong.

Then, something clicked in her mind, and she opened her mouth in shock… or horror. Or awe.

The mountains weren't mountains at all. Instead, they were bones.

An inconceivably large skeleton lay on the ground in the distance, too large to be seen whole. What Rain had thought to be the slopes of a mountain chain were several titanic ribs, each rising into the sky like ivory pillars that supported its weight.

The skull of the unfathomable corpse was mercifully out of view. The closest group of bone mountains, however, extended far into the Moonriver Plain. It was also shaped strangely, consisting of five lower peaks. Beyond them, a wide ridge rose gradually to a great height, like an eerie stairway to heaven.

The five mountains were the phalanxes of the colossal skeleton's fingers, and the rising ridge were the bones of its arm.

One of the porters whispered quietly:

«G-gods…»

Rain remained silent, but she felt like uttering something like that herself. There were simply no words to describe her emotions.

Awakened Ray glanced at them and smiled faintly.

«Gods? A god, maybe. That is Godgrave ahead of us.»

The porters, who weren't very well-acquainted with the topography of the Dream Realm, looked at him in confusion.

He sighed.

«Godgrave is a Death Zone that serves as the north-eastern boundary of the Song Domain. It is a region of the Dream Realm where Great, Cursed, and maybe even Unholy abominations dwell. As for why it is called that… I think you can see for yourself. Nobody really knows what that terrible skeleton is, but it's easy to imagine that these are the remains of a god. Therefore… Godgrave.»

The porters shivered.

«Awakened Ray, sir… are we going there?»

Tamar, the

A Death Zone is not a place for humans. Even if we aren't devoured by some abominable

glanced at the porters and

Godgrave, so you can't go there. As soon as you do, your

She sighed.

as long as it took

of the colossal

suppressed the desire to

Legacy for

one could remain calm when witnessing something that unimaginable. Why did

wasn't exactly unpleasant… but she was definitely more than a little stuck-up. Rain, who was used to rolling in the dirt, couldn't help but be entertained by how laboriously the younger girl tried

mercilessly… well, or at least tease her a bit. Of course, she never did — Rain

like that. Even the

last day of their official duties, they made a larger fire than usual and roasted all their remaining monster meat.

man remained standing at the

bit creepy to be in his presence, but the members of the survey team had long learned to

Her easy smile and friendly demeanor put everyone

Tamar… if you don't mind me

was uncharacteristically shy in front of the young Legacy. He mumbled something quietly,

that you weren't very impressed by

lingered for a few

it before. Actually, all three of us are familiar with Godgrave. That is where the Spell sent us on the

the porters widened.

hell? It sent these kids to a Death Zone? How were they

was just familiar with the titanic skeleton. More than that, whatever had happened to them

«…Talk about being prejudiced.»

ashamed of

were staring at the three Awakened in awe. Eventually, old Carel

have thought that Lady

to be that every Sleeper was sent to the Dream Realm on the winter solstice, where they had to find a Gateway, anchor themselves to it, and thus Awaken. These days, however, the

was possible to pass through a Dream Gate before the solstice and anchor oneself in advance.

darkened, prompting Fleur

in late autumn, so there was not a lot of time before the solstice. There is a lot of paperwork involved in getting access to the Dream Gate, as you know.

glanced at Tamar

did. Tamar's father is a Saint, so he could have brought her to the Lake of Tears personally, without the need of using the Dream

young Legacy with confusion. After a bit of awkward silence, one of

must have been

She furrowed her brow.

«He wasn't.»