Shadow Slave

In the morning, they enjoyed delicious food and fragrant wine from Ananke’s wooden box. The old woman herself seemed a little bit more energetic today, but the long conversation had tired her out. She ate very little and returned to the steering oar, looking at the flowing water with a distant expression.

She must have been thinking about her city, Weave, which had been destroyed by the Defiled.

Without having to discuss it, Sunny and Nephis decided to give their kind guide some privacy. They had to digest the many revelations of the past day, anyway.

Sunny was leaning his back on the side of the ketch, cradling a steaming cup of tea in his hands. Nephis was by his side, looking at the sky.

After some time had passed in comfortable silence, he used the Blessing of Dusk to ask:

[There is one thing I don’t understand.]

She shifted slightly and turned to look at him. Sunny was suddenly painfully aware of how close they were... his pale face was reflecting in the calm depths of her striking grey eyes.

He sighed.

[She said that Weave was destroyed. And yet, she is taking us there. Why?]

Nephis contemplated for a few moments.

[Ananke survived the destruction, so more people could have survived as well. If not, it would be to scavenge for supplies for the journey ahead. We will see when we get there.]

Sunny took a sip from his cup, enjoying the warmth of the freshly brewed tea. The ketch was swaying gently, and the view was heavenly. It was really hard to believe that they were inside a Nightmare.

[What do you think about what we’ve learned so far?]

Neph’s face darkened a little. She looked away and shrugged.

[...The situation is better than I thought. It seems we have a clear enemy, at least. More than that, not all of the Great River is as dangerous as our starting point. I was wary... a little bit... thinking that every Nightmare Creature here is like the Azure Serpent, the Black Turtle, and that horrid butterfly. But it doesn’t seem that way.]

She paused, then added somberly:

[However, I am concerned about the others. We all came from the same moment in time, so they should have been sent to the same region of the Great River. Why is there no sign of them?]

Sunny looked down with a grim expression. He shared that concern.

Cassie, Effie, Kai, Jet, and even Mordret... where were they? None of them were easy to kill. He firmly believed that his friends were still alive, somewhere out there.

Or at least, he wanted to.

[...But it is strange, isn’t it?]

Nephis glanced at him with a silent question.

He frowned.

[The way we entered the Nightmare. As Masters, we get to keep our own bodies, true... but we are still supposed to replace someone from that region and era. Whose place have you and I taken? From what Ananke told us, there were not supposed to be any humans further than Weave. It doesn’t make sense.]

Nephis seemed taken aback a little. Of course, her reserved expression had not changed even a little bit - however, Sunny knew her well enough to see that she was stumped.

[You’re right. It is strange.]

He remained silent for a few moments, thinking. Could it be that the Spell had failed to find suitable hosts for the other members of the cohort that far upstream, and so sent them someplace else?

Eventually, he shook his head and asked:

[Regardless. That Defilement... how exactly does it spread? There has not been a single instance of a human from the waking world succumbing to Corruption... as far as I know. What really happened to that Seeker in the Estuary?]

Nephis did not answer, looking at the sky. After a while, she shook her head.

[You are wrong. Countless humans from our world have become Corrupted. Every Sleeper that fails the First Nightmare turns into a Nightmare Creature... isn’t it the same thing?]

Sunny tilted his head, stunned by that simple comparison. Nephis was right, numerous people had turned into Nightmare Creatures in the waking world already. It was just that none of them had been of a higher Rank than Dormant... because the trials of the Spell killed them long before they could set foot on the path of Ascension.

While she was thinking, Nephis suddenly added in a contemplative tone:

[As for the Seeker who learned the truth of the Estuary and brought Corruption to the Great River... actually, it reminds me of something you told me once.]

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

?οm

[Me?]

She nodded.

[It was a long time ago, on the Forgotten Shore. When we were enthralled by the Soul Devouring Tree, you told me about the Lineage Memory you had found in its branches. In its description... wasn’t it said that the loathsome Thieving Bird had gone mad after seeing a glimpse of ”unknown” frozen in the depths of Weaver’s eye?]

He shivered, suddenly consumed by an ominous premonition.

[What of it?]

Nephis shrugged.

[It just reminds me of that Seeker. The Thieving Bird must have been a creature of dreadful power, considering that it managed to steal a daemon’s eye. Still, its mind was destroyed by one glimpse at what was hidden in Weaver’s pupil. The Seeker saw something that he shouldn’t have, and became corrupted. Maybe... he brought the forbidden knowledge back with him. Maybe that is how the Defilement spreads - people learning the truth of the Estuary.]

Sunny grew quiet, thinking about what she said. The description of the Drop of Ichor indeed stated that the Vile Thieving Bird had gone mad after seeing the reflection of the unknown in Weaver’s eye. Was it perhaps another way of saying that it had become corrupted?

And if so, had something similar happened to the First Seeker? Was the truth buried by Ariel in the heart of the Black Pyramid the same truth Weaver had witnessed once, and which became forever frozen in the depths of his... or hers... eyes?

’You wanted to be free of the truth, so you didn’t deserve it...’

He remained silent for a while, then sighed.

[Well, that’s great. Now, we don’t only have to be wary of Nightmare Creatures, we even have to be careful about what we learn. Damnation... you do know that I am a very curious guy, don’t you, Neph?]

She looked at him, lingered for a bit, and smiled.

[Oh... I do. You are indeed a very curious guy... Lost from Light, who was born from the shadows, rightful heir of...]

Sunny opened his eyes wide and hurriedly dismissed the mental connection of the [Blessing of Dusk].

”Hey, hey!”

Nephis leaned on the side of the ketch and laughed softly.

”What?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again and gritted his teeth.

”...Can you maybe forget that? Forever?”

Nephis looked away with white sparks dancing in her eyes.

”Can I? Well, I don’t know. I have a very good memory...”

Sunny stared at her for a while, then scoffed.

”Admit it, though. You thought it was a bit cool, didn’t you? I bet you did. Like you thought Mongrel was...”

Neph’s face suddenly grew still.

”I... absolutely did not.”

He grinned.

”Sure, sure. Ah, but I have a good memory too. What was it that you said in that nightclub in NQSC? If I recall correctly...”

Nephis closed her eyes and yawned.

”Ah, I am so tired. I think I need to rest now.”

Sunny laughed.

”Really? Alright, then. Rest well...”