Unlike the levels above it, the floor of the Moor is spongy and wet. Your hooves sink down into it as you step – and come away red. How strange. What do you suppose is causing this pigment in some areas? It can’t possibly be blood… Right?

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Let’s move back in time, when Cithis has just entered The Moor of Sleep with the mercenary called Logue, stepping her feet for the first time in the deeper part of the dungeon.

From the first look, it was clear that it was way different from The Overgrown Caverns, where the flora and fauna was bustling with life – whether it was vines growing on the walls of the cavers, or various creatures like slime or toads, having made the first dungeon floor their home. When the young Courser first stepped into The Moor, a cold shiver ran down her spine, the creepy atmosphere quickly enveloping them both.

“I-Is it always… this weird here?” was the first question Cithis asked as they stood in the opening leading to the new dungeon floor. She wasn’t a scaredy-cat by any means, but… this place was really creeping her out, and she could swear that she felt a gaze of hundred eyes on her, even though she couldn’t see anyone just yet…

“Welcome to The Moor of Sleep.” Logue chuckled, taking first step forward into the depths of the Ruined Kingdom. Cithis hesitated for a bit, not really consoled with the mercenary’s unclear answer, but she guessed the easiest answer she’d be able to get was yes, it was always this weird here.

The grullo watched the more seasoned adventurer take steps forward into The Moor and she hesitated for a moment, before she moved forward, immediately wincing as she felt the disgusting texture of the floor, and took a few steps forward through the moist, spongy floor, trying to ignore it, but it was getting harder and harder to do so.

“Gah, it’s so awful…” she complained, instinctively looking down to see what the disgustingly moist floor looked like…

And she let out a scream.

“Is THAT blood!? No, it can’t be… Wait, wait, wait!” Cithis saw Logue walk ahead of her, while she was stuck in place by her own fear, when she saw her raised two-coloured hoof suddenly be adorned with a third, crimson shade, dripping back down onto the moss. She felt like throwing up, being completely taken off guard. The giant moth on her back jumped in its own feeling of fear at the sound of the Courser’s scream of terror. “Don’t tell me that it is what I think it is-“

“…Ignore it, you’ll get used to it.” the mercenary waited a moment before answering, his voice more serious now for the first time during their journey. “Don’t focus. Just walk.”

“So it is bl-“

“We don’t know, it could be, it could be not.” Logue sighed, weighing his thoughts. “You want to go back?”

“No! Of course not… I’ll manage.” Cithis immediately answered. Give up at the mere start of the third floor, after traveling for so many hours? She wasn’t going to waste her coi- ekhm… the precious time spent to journey this deep into the dungeon, of course! And as she said, she wasn’t a scaredy-cat, it just… took her off guard, that’s all, yeah!

It’s not like… you’re stepping on a blood-soaked moss every day, haha…

“A-Alright. Let’s go.” was what Cithis said next and she quickened her pace, now holding her head up high, confidently stepping through The Moor, even though she could still clearly feel the uncomfortable feelings of her hooves sinking into the moist floor. Still, she was as focused as ever, changing between harshly biting the inside of her cheek, to gritting her teeth, as she slowly, very, very slowly, started ignoring the feeling under her feet or rather – started getting used to it, and her pace was now less erratic than when she first stepped into this dungeon level. She listened to the words of the more seasoned adventurer next to her that helped her in her journey – don’t focus on it, just walk further, keep your mind focused on other things, and take deep breaths… Yes, she had to do her best.

After all, there can and will be worse things in the dungeon, and if she wants to become a mercenary at the guild, similar to who Logue was, then she had to be ready for every possibility that could be thrown her way in the remains of the Ruined Kingdom.