act16mini

Definitely not a problem. The only thing overtaking me now is myself at top speed. A little Catastrophe cloud like that? In your dreams, mate.

That's good to hear...

Huh?

Doctor... What are you trying to say?

Ha...? Hay... Way... Ray?

That's right! Where's Ray?!

I don't think she made it on!

Eh?!

Ugh...

It's okay, sandbeasts. We can... still make it.

The Catastrophe isn't here yet. It's just that the sandstorm's picking up now, but I can still make it through the wind.

I can find somewhere safe for you fellas...

(Vigilantly digging into the soil)

Right, I know sandbeasts can't talk. It was just a hallucination or something there.

(Blowing a whistle) C'mere.

Black clouds about to hit...

Won't be able to see much soon.

Or... I could become that 'somewhere safe' for you lot.

There's nothing else we can do. Even if the sandstorm's huge, all we can do is rush right through it.

It's got to be hard on that kid Rayella. Her first time coming along and we run into this shitstorm.

You lot, come lend a hand, lift up her legs.

This little lady's whole body is burning hot, and her feet are covered in blisters too. She's far too young for this. Don't think she can walk the rest of the way.

Let's go. We better decide which way to get out of here already.

I'm familiar with this sense of weariness and despair. The wind and sand press down upon me. All I see is darkness. My feet feel full of lead.

The adults carried me on their backs. I could feel their flagging stride as it fought against the raging wind.

No... This is a Catastrophe.

I remember. Alanna said a Catastrophe was coming. So this is Originium dust then, not just regular dust? It smells like the pit.

The Catastrophe will destroy the rock wall, pollute the pool. Those sandbeasts will have nowhere to go. I won't let them suffer that.

Pulling them, carrying them, holding on to them, whistling again and again to call any other sandbeasts, following along behind them all.

And then, all I remember is being shaken about like a ragdoll.

How many sandbeasts did I manage to protect with my body?

I heard a bizarre whistling sound go past my ear. It seemed like there was someone whistling for me, guiding the little critters.

Wrww?

...Eh?

Wraw!

Wraw!

Wraaaaw—

You...

Wait, wait a sec. I'm... on your backs?

Where are you all carrying me?

I'm familiar with this sense of weariness and despair.

Whenever the shadow of the Feranmut appeared in my memories, it was always accompanied by a vast, empty wasteland.

I was with the team, fighting against the sandy squall, walking towards where the sun rose.

Yellow sand filled the sky, smothering out all the color of the newborn sun... Yellow-white, muddled yellow, grey-yellow, until it all became deep and darkest black.

In the end we managed to make it to nightfall, covered in darkness for the second time that day. A thick mist creeped in, and those poor sods who were injured cried out in pain. We were lost.

Blood and sweat soaked into my boots, and the blisters on my feet went numb. The adults carried me and kept going forward.

The smell of dust in the air, and a mist so thick that you can't see your hand in front of your face.

Vague shadows, and in the darkness... light.

Where am I?

A great, gaping cavern, with bioluminescent organisms emitting light as dim as an old miner's helmet.

Myriad creatures rustle about in the shadows behind Ray, making her reflexively raise her crossbow.

Several small mounds on the ground scatter and bump into each other, revealing themselves to be sandbeasts.

Sandbeasts?

You fellas brought me over here?

This isn't just your den, is it?

Groups of sandbeasts on the ground and atop the walls jump about, guiding her towards a path that leads deeper into the cavern.

The stone pillars of the cave slant and cross over each other, protecting the glowing area in the center, like a stone nest built by a giant fowlbeast.

The ground itself is folded and creased, the vestiges of the passing of some unknown creature, cutting off at the entrance of a route leading even further down.

The stone beams strewn about are its shed scales. Those great piles of soil its rotting dander.

The sound of the howling gales outside is already cut off, leaving only a drawn-out whistling to echo throughout this natural sanctuary, establishing an order for the creatures who live in the dark.

...I remember.

That time... when I saw that shadow in the mist, the wind brought along a murmur. That sound soothed me, and let me forget the pain for a while.

Move forwards, Rayella. Leave this darkness.

You must...

...Eh?

Why aren't you going ahead, little fellas?

What's up ahead?

Not wanting to deal with the darkness any more than she has to, she turns on her miner's lamp.

It's a closed-off cavern.

Can't get in here.

I could chisel it open. I need to chisel it open.

Ouch!

Wha-!

The whistling stops, replaced by a different sound, one whose pitch stretches from the highest highs to the lowest lows. Countless syllables intertwine with the bellows of the beast.

Ray presses down hard upon her ears, but the echoes still reverberate within her mind.

I thought I was just dreaming that there was something poking away at my eyeball. Good grief, this place is twice as lively as it should be—should be—be!

Strange.

The sandbeast... is speaking again. Hundreds of sandbeasts speaking at the same time.

Sandbeast—beast—east?

How could I possibly be a sandbeast—beast—east?!

I swear, first it's a group of little longears clanging about with their little sticks chiseling away at my braincase, then they tried to dig into my ears with little exploding iron pellets—pellets—lets.

And when they finally got tired and headed off, I managed to actually get some sleep... but I barely even closed my eyes before you came along and woke me up again—again—gain!

Ngh—

Apologies, little one. I got a bit too stirred up just now and shouted at you. I must have startled you into falling over onto your backside.

But given that you were the one who woke me up with your racket and trod on top of my tongue, making me bellow about and make a fool of myself... I'd say we were even!

Ugh...

What's that smell? Why does it stink so much...? What is this?! Get these things away from my nose, right now!

A hallucination?

Hallucination? I assure you, I am no hallucination. If I were, I wouldn't be feeling a little bit itchy right now.

Fellas... Why are you yanking those plants?

Gah! Those are my nose hairs! Smelly little things! Don't pull tho— A-Achoo!

The rock wall splits open, the darkness once more beginning to crack open.

...Feranmut?

Are you the one I've been looking for?

The giant eye shines like a great gemstone.

Ray has never felt her heart beat this strongly before, thumping about inside her chest.

A hunter's daughter, a pitsinker who broke free of the dark, a traveler who chased the light... From then until now, every instance of her reaches out a hand towards that giant eye.

What?

Feranmut? You mean me?

Well I quite like the sound of that name! A much mightier name than 'Sandbeast'!