SHADOW SLAVE

The chain swayed lightly as Sunny and Cassie walked across it, rattling loudly from time to time. Since the island that they had just left was currently ascending, the one in front of them was below and fully visible.

The Northern Island was not too large, maybe two kilometers in diameter. Its surface was one vast level plain, and covered entirely by a beautiful field of violet flowers, as if wrapped in a silken mantle. Despite the fact that the sun was high in the sky, the buds of the delicate flowers closed.

From what Cassie had told him, Sunny knew that they would open only at night, emanating an eerie and beautiful light. He would have liked to witness that strange and magical sight himself, but right now, there were far more important things for them to do.

Not to mention that, at the moment, Sunny’s attention wasn’t even on the island itself.

Instead, he was looking past it, at the draconian peaks of the Hollow Mountains that towered above the island, submerging it into their vast and deep shadow.

They were shrouded in white mist that flowed slowly down the dark slopes and fell into the black abyss of the Sky Below like an endless wall of white, swirling clouds. The image of it was both magnificent and frightening.

It was as though the sky itself was slowly being devoured by the lightless void… or maybe invading it.

Looking at the dreadful mountains, Sunny couldn’t help but wonder if Nephis was currently lost somewhere out there, in the white mist. Or had she not dared to enter it and instead chose one of the other directions?

There was no way to know.

With a sigh, he looked down and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

Soon, they reached the Northern island and flew up — Sunny with the help of the Prowling Thorn and the Dark Wing, Cassie by unsheathing the Quiet Dancer, jumping, and holding tightly to the hilt as the flying rapier pulled her into the air.

The two of them landed softly amidst the delicate flowers and looked around. Without the need to say anything, Sunny allowed the blind girl to take the lead and followed her as they walked toward the only landmark on the island — the ruins of the ancient fortress that perched precariously on its northern edge. It was very similar to the crumbled stronghold where he had met Effie and Kai.

Trying not to disturb the flowers, they crossed the island and entered the fortress. Nothing attacked them on the way, and there were no sounds except for the whistling of the wind and that of their footsteps. The Northern island was beautiful, silent, and strangely peaceful.

Looking through the broken gateway of the ancient stronghold, Sunny studied the colossal chain that anchored the Isles to the Hollow Mountains. The swirling mist flowed down on both sides of it, obscuring the point where the chain sunk into the dark stone.

He remained motionless for a few moments, then shivered and looked away.

At the very corner of the platform that lay beyond the gate, almost unnoticeable, a narrow set of stairs led down, cut from weathered rock. The path snaked around the overhanging slope, clinging to the stone surface as it led to the dark side of the island.

Cassie put one hand on the stones and, tracing her fingers across them, cautiously stepped onto the stairs. Sunny followed, looking down with a dark expression.

The path leading to the Night Temple was long and narrow. There was barely enough space for two people to walk side by side. To his right was the stone wall of the island, and to his left was the bottomless dark abyss of the Sky Below. One careless step could spell a person’s doom.

The placement of the stairs was not accidental, as well. If an attacking force tried to lead an assault down the path, they would have had to fight the defenders one at a time, with the movements of the fighter’s right hand being restricted by the slope. Range attacks wouldn’t help much due to the curvature of the wall, too.

In a place like that, one warrior could stop an entire army.

They descended lower and lower, finally reaching the dark side after a long time.

At the point where the slope turned almost completely horizontal, the stairs transformed into a strange hanging bridge that was attached to the stone surface above by rusty chains. It swayed precariously above the dark chasm of the Sky Below, leading all the way to the center of the isle… to the Night Temple.

Sunny froze, startled by a mournful sound of a loud bell that suddenly rolled through the darkness.

In front of him, at some distance, a magnificent structure protruded from the underbelly of the floating island. Made out of black stone, it resembled a tall, somber cathedral that was somehow built upside down and hovered above the abyss of impenetrable darkness. The foundation was its highest point, and its seven belfries descended into the depths of the black void, each ending with a short chain that held a massive bell cast of tarnished green copper.

Since Night Temple was located under the island, the light of the sun never reached it. Instead, the cathedral was shrouded in eternal shadow, with only the pale shining of the distant divine flames caressing its black walls.

In a strange reversal, the velvet darkness of the abyss and the scattering of false stars in its depths seemed like a vast night sky hanging above it.

As Sunny watched, a second bell rang. He shifted a little and turned his attention to the narrow path, tracing its treacherous steps all the way to the massive iron gates of the cathedral.

Cassie turned to him, lingered for a moment, and said:

“Let’s go. They’ve seen us.”

Sunny nodded and took a step forward.

Night Temple waited ahead, its gates opened like a hungry mouth.