Early the next morning, as soon as the oppressive dark sea of the Forgotten Shore began to recede, they prepared to descend. The golden rope was used again, and with more familiarity, the climb down was swifter. The crimson labyrinth awaited them, promising a long trek back towards their original camp.
The return journey followed a similar path, but this time, the tension was different. The relief of success mingled with the lingering unease of their narrow escape and Ray's strange state after using his Aspect. Ray himself was quieter than usual, plagued by a strange, persistent mental restlessness. Whenever he closed his eyes, intending to rest, he found himself back in his Soul Sea, confronted by his robed doppelganger and the damaged state of his first core. Sleep provided no escape.
Their journey wasn't without its challenges. Approximately halfway back, they were ambushed. The terrain in this part of the labyrinth was rocky with poor visibility. A large, crimson-shelled scorpion, its chitin matching the surrounding coral-like structures, leapt at them from behind a pile of rocks.
The beast was nearly three meters high – not counting its tail – which ended in a sharp, blade-like stinger that resembled a rapier.
The group reacted instantly, and Effie was at the forefront, her round shield already raised. She had barely braced herself when the scorpion's stinger struck, embedding itself directly in her shield, mere centimeters above where it was strapped to her arm. Even the normally fearless huntress gulped. That small distance was all that had stood between her and a maimed forearm.
The others were already moving. This creature was clearly an ambush predator.
Nephis took command as usual, her team working seamlessly. "All" in this instance meant Nephis, Caster, Ray, and the already engaged Effie. Henry remained behind, protecting Cassie. No words were needed; his unactivated Aspect would be more liability than help if his flaw triggered again.
The fight took longer than their battle with the statue's guardian, given they were effectively one person short for heavy offense. Ray, still feeling the mental drain from his sleeplessness, fought with a subdued intensity, his movements precise but lacking their usual ferocious energy. Nevertheless, their combined efforts eventually wore the creature down. Nephis delivered the finishing blow, her sword finding a chink in its crimson armor.
After it died, Nephis stood still for a moment, seemingly blanking out. Then, she turned, walked over to Cassie, placed a hand on the prophet's shoulder, and stepped back. The unvoiced questions of the group were answered when a beautiful rapier, complete with its sheath, appeared at Cassie's waist.
To everyone's surprise, the weapon suddenly unsheathed itself, the slender blade hovering and circling gently around their blind comrade.
"Am I seeing things?" Effie muttered.
"I… don't think so… at least if you're also seeing a weapon floating?" Henry answered quietly.
Ray looked at it, rubbed his eyes, then lightly slapped himself across the face once before groaning and turning away. "Daaamn, just let me sleep for fucks sake! I'm already seeing a weapon floating by itself."
Caster watched with what might have been silent amusement before turning to Nephis. "This isn't just a memory, right?"
Nephis shook her head. "It's actually an Echo."
This statement caused Ray, Effie, and Henry's heads to turn in unison. "Seriously?! Princess has been here for not even half a year now and has already gotten herself – Cass – an Echo? Where is the justice?" Effie grumbled, her irritation genuine but not malicious, born from her own lack of such fortunate drops.
"Well, that just tells me that I'm not yet crazy, so… congratulations I guess?" Ray said, scratching the back of his head.
The group took a moment longer before resuming their journey, but not before thoroughly harvesting the scorpion's carcass. Soul shards were extracted, Ray insisted on taking several plates of its durable chitin, and Effie claimed some of the meat. By the time they left, only scraps remained, quickly becoming fodder for lesser Nightmare Creatures.
---
They reached the familiar, towering northern wall of the Dark City shortly before the oppressive gloom, what they termed the dark sea, began to truly rise and swallow the landscape. The ascent was made with practiced efficiency, and soon they were back within the relative shelter of their previous watchtower perch.
The first order of business was to set up their sparse camp again – pelts unpacked, watches assigned. Then came the distribution and absorption of the soul shards they had accumulated since their last rest. The small, crystalline fragments were crushed, their potent essence drawn into their cores, replenishing spent reserves and incrementally strengthening their souls. Ray went through the motions, though the influx of energy did little to alleviate the strange fatigue that clung to his mind.
Once settled, with the wind whistling outside and the deeper darkness pressing in, Effie voiced what was on many of their minds. "So, that's one Memory down. What's next, Princess? Back to the usual grind?"
Nephis, who had been staring out an arrow slit into the murky expanse, turned. Her expression was thoughtful. "Yes, and no. Our priority remains the Shard Memories. There are still two unaccounted for. We need to find their locations, and when any opportunity arises to acquire them, we take it. That is paramount."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over them. "Aside from that, we continue as before – hunting, scavenging, strengthening ourselves. However, from now on, we need to be quieter. More discreet in our movements and actions. Our recent activities… especially the events leading to the last Memory, drew considerable attention, wanted or unwanted. We cannot afford to arouse further suspicion or attract the wrong kind of notice."
A quiet understanding settled over the group. The fight at the statue, Henry's Flaw triggering a massive horde – these were not subtle events. Maintaining a lower profile made sense. This time they got away with it, because it had happened beyond the bright king's reach – that was if there were no scouts close to their position.
"So, less large-scale 'hunts' unless absolutely necessary?" Caster clarified.
Nephis nodded. "Precisely. Smaller groups, more caution. We gather strength, we search for information on the remaining statues, and we wait for the right moment to act."
Ray leaned back against the cold stone, only half-listening. His mind kept drifting to the cracked star in his Soul Sea and the mocking, robed figure. Discretion sounded good to him; he certainly wasn't feeling up to any grand confrontations anytime soon. The thought of another night spent "awake" in his soul was already an exhausting prospect.
Ray began to even consider not sleeping at all and rather using that time to immerse himself into studying his tome, now that he could finally make some progress. Though even that idea had its cons, especially because then he would feel physical exhaustion and not just mental fatigue. Both were bad in their own ways.
Nevertheless, tomorrow they would reunite with the bigger group that has been staying in the dark city for the past few days. What happened from then on was still an uncertainty.
---
The small expeditionary team was awake and moving even earlier than usual the next morning.
The oppressive gloom of the dark sea had not yet begun to noticeably recede. This left the ruins of the Dark City cloaked in the deep shadows of the crimson spire and an even more palpable sense of menace.
Traveling at this time carried increased risks – Nightmare Creatures were often more active or aggressive in the deeper darkness – but it also offered the advantage of a head start. It was a calculated risk, and one Nephis deemed acceptable.
The group, seasoned and alert, was confident they could handle whatever the pre-dawn city threw at them. They descended from the wall with practiced silence, melting into the labyrinth of crumbling streets and shadowed alleyways.
Ray, despite his internal struggles, moved with his usual competence. His senses were heightened by the lack of true rest, making him almost hyper-aware of his surroundings.
Their journey back towards the designated rendezvous point was tense but largely uneventful. They skirted around areas known for heavy creature activity and dealt with any isolated threats swiftly and silently.
After a couple of hours of navigating the still-dim city, Caster, who was on point with Nephis, signaled a halt.
Ahead, nestled within a relatively intact cluster of ruined buildings, they could see the faint, carefully shielded glow of a small fire – the forward camp of the larger group.
Sentries from the main party, well-hidden, acknowledged their approach with subtle signals. Moments later, the six of them were stepping into the makeshift camp.
There were quiet greetings, nods of acknowledgement, and a visible sense of relief from the waiting members. The leader of the larger contingent, a sturdy man named Mason, met Nephis.
"All quiet on your end?" he asked, his voice low.
Nephis nodded. "Successful. Any issues here?"
"None," Mason reported. "We secured the area as instructed. Managed to hunt down a few stray Awakened beasts, but the pickings have been slim. Not enough to justify a three-day major hunt if we were to head back with just this." His gaze swept over the small, clearly exhausted team.
"Understood," Nephis replied. "We'll rejoin you for today. We'll conduct a combined hunt in this sector. It will make our extended absence more believable upon our return and should bolster our collective haul."
It was a practical decision, one that served both their cover story and their actual need for resources. A murmur of agreement went through both groups.
The smaller team was tired, but the prospect of a more straightforward day of hunting with the safety of larger numbers was, in its own way, a relief. The larger group seemed eager for more decisive action after days of cautious waiting.
Ray found a relatively quiet spot to lean against a wall, watching the two groups begin to merge and prepare for the day's activities.
The familiar routines of a hunt were almost comforting, a stark contrast to the surreal encounters in his Soul Sea and the high-stakes mission they had just completed. He just hoped he could make it through the day without his strange mental state becoming a liability.