A Dreamscape Shattered by Her Arrow

If the spawn of witchcraft can enter the forest via the array, we can use it to cross over into dreamscape.

We can't wait. Mister Andre's soul is getting eaten away every moment he remains trapped in the dream.

If this goes on ... I don't think there will be anything left of his soul to save.

From the notes, arranging the ritual is not that hard. Drawing the runes might take a while, though.

Once the runes are done, we'll place the three dreamcatchers in the runic arrays outside the cabin in the right sequence.

Lastly, we'll pluck the dreamer's eyebrow, pack the hair up in snow, and place it in the array's eye.

And that will open a portal to the dreamscape.

Pluck Andre's eyebrow? Ssss... That sounds rather painful.

Hngh... Ssaa...

Hss... It hurts...

SQUAAAWWK!

Director Qin, please stop, I'll never do it again...

Master of Dreamscape...

Let fly the arrow that breaches the gulf of sleeping and waking, raise the shadow sunk in deep reaches, then beckon the spirit wandering.

Now, the wind has shifted.

I am a dreamwalker, ready to face your power.

The mysterious array is composed of strange runes that cover the ground. There is a gap in the middle, waiting for the hero's carefully packed snowball.

Nightmares and shadows do not make me cower.

Hngh...

No, because your important friend is trapped in this dream, Endmin.

Pray, melt the frost upon the gates of dreamscape.

The forest outside the cabin is the same, but under the blood-red light it looks exceptionally eerie and terrifying.

The red glow trickles through the canopy and illuminates a path in the dark woods. Nothing about the dreamscape is known.

Trust me and let me try, Endmin.

It feels familiar ... so familiar.

Good... Then hold my hand, and hold real tight.

Open your eyes, child.

Keep striding forward. The road itself shall grow beneath your feet.

The road ends abruptly. Our hero quickly grabs Typhoeus, and tells her not to proceed.

Yet the bleating continues, urging the two to take bold steps forward.

The children protected by Amma are always unparalleled in their determination and resolve.

But we're already trapped by this place, Endmin.

There's no way back, and the path ahead is perilous. But we must take our chances.

To me, the sound of the calling feels...

Just let me go...

I ... I wanna ... wanna go back...

Endmin! MOVE!

The hoofprints finally end at a mass of fog.

Andre's soul is inside, all curled up, and weeping in fear.

This is not looking good.

We're encircled!

Typhoeus draws her great bow, aims at the night sky, and lets the light arrow loose.

Amma...! Help us leave this nightmare!

We have returned...

Amma ... are you still there?

Time to go, Endmin. We should check on Mister Andre in the cabin.

The massive spawn collapses, its energy draining away as confusion sets in and overtakes its mind.

It howls with fury and denial, trying to call forth more of its kind. It intends to trap the tiny lifeforms within the same dream.

But they will not succeed, for Typhoeus has our hero by her side...

...and Amma is with them as well.

The great arrow leaves a glowing trail of dreamy lights. It tears the night sky apart and illuminates the path.

The forest is empty. There are no monsters, lost souls, nor Amma...

The dream has ended, and everything is gone.

An arrow...?

"Where is my creator? Why hasn't the creator returned?"

But soon, it remembers that it has been abandoned within the nightmare.

My brows. I'm getting this painful itch there. Maybe it's that nightmare?

Mister Andre? Mister Andre!

What happened? I woke up feeling all sore and hurting...

Hurting? How? Did we arrive too late?

I'm alright. I overslept. My old creaky bones aren't taking it too well. But...

Nightmare...?

Yeah. I dreamed that I couldn't find my baggage anywhere... An angry and loud Director Qin came all the way here to pull out my brows...

In the end, she pulled out all my brow feathers ... all of them...

Endmin, you...?

So that's why. Oh gosh. I'm lucky I still got some brow feathers left. I'm still all good!

Thank you, Typh. You saved me, someone you just met. And you even used your precious arrows for that.

A friend of the Endmin is a friend of mine. And even if you're just a stranger, I'll still save you.

We cannot simply stand and watch when someone's in danger. That is not what Amma teaches our people.

So ... that entity you encountered in the dream, was it really Amma?

I ... I don't know... She never revealed Herself.

And so, the story reaches its happy ending. Our hero has finally found her friend. / And so, the story reaches its happy ending. Our hero has finally found his friend.

Her friend is unscathed, safe and sound... / His friend is unscathed, safe and sound...

Okay, perhaps not entirely sound.

Couldn't believe it myself when I heard the hooves. I thought I was dreaming. But then I realized, I was actually in a dream.

Don't laugh at me...

I'm not laughing.

I just find it rather curious.

You came here on your own, and even though you didn't find stories about Amma, your courageous adventure actually created a new tale about Her.

Fate is something we can't fathom.

That wasn't a new tale about Amma... It was just a dream.

Of course it is. Once I get to Wuling, I'll be telling it to everyone.

When did this appear...?

It looks like Typhoeus is about to start a new journey with our hero. I wonder what lies in store for their future —

You can hear me?

Come to Samivegr, child... You'll learn who I am.

However, I'll first take a proper nap to restore my energy before your arrival.

WHA?!

Hooowie. I can finally close my eyes for some real, proper sleep.

Of course I did. I wasn't about to let my nightmare become reality.

Not hurting any more. Found the baggage too. Director Qin won't show up in my dreams again.

A stress-free mind is one that does not suffer from nightmares.

Of course, Endmin.

Before I leave, there's something I must say. Typh saved me. I should thank her properly.

I found the Snowpriestess's warehouse. I did some fixing and turned it into a small workshop.

If she wants to modify her great bow, that will be the place to go.

Don't forget to check it out.

Gotta note this down properly.

No peeking.

Nothing yet... It's alright. Even if I didn't find anything, what we experienced is good enough.

I'll jot down everything, along with all these findings.

No. But it doesn't matter where she went. I'll gather her writings and continue her research.

Perhaps the day will come when we can use them to wake Feranmut Sami.

I will continue her research.

The Snowpriestess's ritual has failed, and I don't know where she went.

But her writings offer great knowledge, and I shall study them closely.

Yeah. These writings and notes must be organized. I'll stay in the forest till that is done.

Great. Are you and Andre leaving?

Let me send you off.

Endmin, ready to enter the dreamscape?

Okay. When you're ready, lay the snowball in the array's eye to open the dreamscape portal.

Endmin, did you hear anything?

The trotting of hooves! I can hear it!

The howling...

Endmin, we must head over to take a look.