Shadow Slave

The city was vast and prosperous, built with not only utility in mind, but beauty as well. That was why the city lord’s stronghold resembled a temple more than a fortress, with marble pillars supporting carved pediments and exquisite statues watching over the verdant gardens. That was not to say that it wasn’t a fortress, though — just from one glance, Shadow could see how easy it was to defend.

The soldiers escorted him and Noctis to the heart of the stronghold, where a great reception hall rested in the shadows, radiant beams of sunlight spilling through high windows.

There, they met a placid man who looked to be in his thirties, wearing a simple white tunic and an azure toga. His auburn hair spilled to his shoulders, supported by a golden band, and his eyes were both enlightened and clear.

Despite how young the man looked, Shadow could feel the weight of wisdom in his gaze — a wisdom that could only be earned by living a long life and experiencing many things. Even without peering into the man’s soul, he knew that the lord of the city was a Transcendent who had weathered hundreds of years.

Noctis had called him an old man, after all... granted, all men seemed old to that inexperienced youth.

Speaking of Noctis, the closer they came to the city lord’s stronghold, the more nervous he looked. Now that they stood directly in front of the lord, there were beads of sweat rolling down his face.

Despite that, the lord himself seemed calm enough. If anything, his faint smile looked friendly.

“Welcome, Beast of Twilight... and his friend.”

The lord’s gaze lingered on Shadow for a few moments, then moved on. He probably guessed that the young man accompanying Noctis was not a mundane person, but chose not to question his identity just yet. Noctis remained silent for a few moments, then gave the lord an awkward bow.

”Beast of Twilight greets Arelen, the Altar Sage.”

Then, he cleared his throat and forced out a few more words.

”Listen, Lord Arelen... about the last time... it was all a misunderstanding! Let me explain myself?”

Shadow spared him a brief glance, amused by the spirited youth’s sudden docility. It seemed he still knew how to respect his elders, at least.

The city lord — Transcendent Arelen, seemingly known as the Altar Sage — just chuckled and waved a hand dismissively.

“No need to explain. It’s all in the past... a small matter.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward Noctis and Shadow, giving the soldiers a nod to leave.

“Rather, I simply invited you here to have a welcoming feast and perhaps discuss a few matters. I couldn’t let an honored guest stay at an inn, could I? So, please, follow me.”

Noctis seemed quite surprised by Arelen’s amicable attitude. He glanced at Shadow nervously, and once the ruler of the city walked past them, leaned closer to whisper:

”I don’t like this, Shadow! If something happens, let’s bolt!”

Shadow simply shrugged, turning to follow their host.

Despite the worries of the young Transcendent, Lord Arelen was true to his word. Soon enough, they arrived at a hall where a lavish feast had already been prepared. As they enjoyed the food, musicians played soft melodies, and nimble dancers performed a beautiful dance in front of them.

The atmosphere was harmonious, as if there was no bad blood between Arelen and Noctis, and as if the city outside was not drowning in a strange tension.

The Altar Sage inquired about the journey Noctis had undertaken, showing a hint of curiosity.

”So, Noctis, how have you fared in your recent travels? I heard that you ventured to discover the source of the dreadful darkness that had devoured the Shadow people. Were you successful in eliminating that ancient curse?”

Noctis let out a nervous laugh.

He glanced briefly at Shadow, then said:

”Well... the darkness is gone now, and sunlight washes over the bones of those poor folks once again. So, one could say that this humble hero was a little bit successful. However, only ruins and desolation remain in that land, while beyond the ruins, the forests are teeming with terrifying horrors. The curse is gone, but... uh... I wouldn’t say that I vanquished it. I just happened to be lucky.”

The Altar Sage seemed a little surprised.

”The darkness is gone? What a great achievement! For generations, many outstanding heroes had attempted to liberate that distant realm from its clutches. None had succeeded, yet you managed to destroy it alone. Truly a feat worthy of Noctis, the Beast of Twilight!”

Noctis smiled weakly.

”Y—yes... truly a feat worthy of me! Let’s not talk about it anymore, though. You’re making me feel shy.”

Shadow was pretty sure that there wasn’t a shy bone in the young wastrel’s body, but he chose to stay silent.

Not long after that, though, he finally spoke for the first time. Turning to the ruler of this land, he asked:

”On the way here, we noticed that the streets of your city are unusually crowded, Lord Arelen. People huddle in makeshift tents and wear anxious expressions. If I may ask, has something unfortunate transpired?”

He had a feeling that the tense atmosphere of the city was the real reason why the Altar Sage had invited Noctis to come, and even seemed to forgive his past transgressions. If anything, it looked like Arelen wanted to placate Noctis, for whatever reason.

So, everything they had talked about until now was merely a preamble to the real conversation.

The Altar Sage remained silent for a few moments, looking at Noctis and Shadow with a faint smile, then sighed.

His smile slowly drained away.

”Indeed, something unfortunate has happened. I am afraid that my lands will be attacked quite soon, so the people of the surrounding towns and villages were forced to seek shelter behind its walls.”

Noctis almost spat his wine and stared at the older Transcendent, surprised.

“Attacked? What kind of abomination has crawled out of its den, and how powerful must it be for all the people of your land to flee?”

The Creature of Corruption had to be extremely fearsome, considering that a powerful and experienced Transcendent like the Altar Sage had not gone out to battle it. If it was too strong for a single Transcendent to defeat... that could explain why Arelen was being so friendly to Noctis, who was a fierce warrior despite his young age.

Shadow took a sip of his wine, savoring its flavor. He had never tasted wine before — not in this lifetime, at least — and was finding its rich bitterness, brightened by a hint of sweetness, quite refreshing.

‘If it’s just a Creature of Corruption, there is no need for concern.’

However, the long silence of the Altar Sage made him frown slightly.

He had a feeling that matters were not that simple, after all.

Eventually, Arelen slowly shook his head.

”There is no abomination, young Noctis. Instead, it is Lady Irian, the Blade of Dawn, who has assembled an army to besiege my city and lay claim to my lands.”

Noctis looked stunned.

He remained silent for a long while, as if struggling to understand what the Altar Sage had said. Finally, he let out a bewildered laugh.

“You must be joking, Lord Arelen. Isn’t Lady Irian known for her valor, wisdom, and virtue? And aren’t the two of you old comrades who have battled countless Creatures of Corruption side by side? Everyone knows that with the Altar Sage defending this side of the river and the Blade of Dawn defending the other, no Nightmare Creature can threaten the livelihoods of humans in this realm. The two of you have lived in peace for centuries, so why would she suddenly attack?”

Slowly, his expression was twisted with anger.

Putting his cup down, Noctis shook his head.

”Before that, since when do Transcendent heroes wage war against each other? In this world, we humans are barely holding our own against the Creatures of Corruption! Countless people still suffer from the tyranny of abominable monsters, and our lands are not enough to sustain our numbers! If we want to live, if we want to prosper, we need to push the forces of Corruption back and conquer land. We must fight together, not against each other! So why...”

His voice gradually grew quiet, and Noctis huffed in dismay.

”Why are the two of you at each other’s throats?”

The Altar Sage studied Noctis for a few moments, then glanced away and sighed with a wistful smile.

”You are young, Beast of Twilight. The world you described... it truly did exist, once, when I was young. But everything changes.”

He glanced at Noctis and smiled.

”Let me ask you this, Noctis. Do our actions as slayers of monsters have no consequence?”

As Noctis frowned in confusion, Arelen chuckled and shook his head.

”It is true that we humans are entangled in a war with the Creatures of Corruption, struggling for dominance over the world. However... after all these centuries, after all these victories, after hundreds of years of the glorious Age of Heroes, how could everything remain the same?”

He gestured to the musicians playing their instruments and the maidens dancing in front of them.

“When I was young, my city was besieged by terrifying horrors on all sides. Our fields were burned and poisoned every year, and countless men died protecting the walls. I was one of the men defending the walls, as well. Then, I grew more powerful. I grew wiser. I faced those horrors, slaying them one after another — until there was no one left to threaten my city, and its fields sprawled across a vast and prosperous land. The same is true for Irian.”

Arelen sighed.

“But, Noctis, what do you think happens when we humans have no enemy left to fight? Do we settle down to enjoy peace, forgetting the meaning of violence? Or do we start to look around, noticing what other humans possess, and wishing to own it instead? To be the strongest, the greatest... the most glorious.”

Shadow tilted his head, listening to the seasoned Transcendent with interest. Human nature was indeed restless, and it was of some interest to the Shadow, so he enjoyed this unexpected insight.

Noctis, however, was not having a good time at all. Instead, the more Arelen spoke, the angrier the young man seemed.

“What are you trying to say, Altar Sage? That the more we heroes slay monsters, the more human blood will be spilled? That once there are no monsters to kill, humans will simply start killing each other? So... the more successful we heroes are, the more horrible human lives will become? And there will never be peace?”

He scoffed.

“Ha! You are being ridiculous. Preposterous! You have lost sight of what it means to be Transcendent, old man.”

Arelen studied him for a long while. Eventually, he smiled faintly.

“Of course, there will be peace. In this realm, there will be peace when only one Transcendent rules it. When there is no one left to challenge the ruler’s will, then there’ll be peace.”

He glanced away and added, his voice distant:

“That was how it has been since the dawn of time. Even the mythical First Kingdom only existed for as long as White Abyss ruled over it like a mortal goddess, unreachable and insurmountable, impossible to challenge or depose. Once their sovereign abandoned the people of the First Kingdom, it was quickly torn apart by the ambitions of powerful men.”

Arelen’s expression turned solemn.

”The world is changing, young Noctis. Slowly but inevitably, it transforms. Humans were weak and few in number before. We struggled to survive in a world full of Corruption — Awakened warriors were rare, and Ascended champions were like a precious treasure. Each Transcendent was like a living legend. But now... how many of us Transcendent heroes are there? How many powerful abominations remain, and how vast a land do they still control?”

He shook his head.

“Much more than that, now that humanity has accumulated knowledge and gained some strength, Transcendence is not the pinnacle of power anymore. There are already those who defy the heavens to become Supreme... to become sovereigns like those ancient demigods, Kanakht and White Abyss. And hearing of their deeds, which Transcendent doesn’t want to attain Supremacy?”

Noctis glared at him with a dark expression. Eventually, he uttered through gritted teeth:

”Is Supremacy so important? So desirable? So alluring that those who are meant to protect humans will gather armies and spill human blood instead?”

The Altar Sage glanced at him with a hint of amusement.

Eventually, he said:

”Of course, it is.”

His noble face suddenly seemed older than it was.

”After all, how can we not desire Supremacy? You are kin to Beast God, Noctis, and even if I am merely a distant descendant, there is a drop of divine blood in my veins as well. We live in a world where gods walk the earth. When looking at the gods, how can we not desire to become gods ourselves?”

Arelen glanced away with a wistful expression.

“To live for thousands of years instead of hundreds, or even for eternity. To see our people prosper endlessly. To reach for the heavens and bask in their radiance... to conquer them and sit upon a celestial throne. With no common enemy to stand in our way, with no Creatures of Corruption to threaten our lands, who can resist the call of the heavens, the desire to become immortal?”

Noctis scoffed.

”Immortality does sound like a lot of fun, but not if it’s achieved through despicable means. Surely, Lady Irian is not leading her army to your city because she wishes to live forever.”

The Altar Sage glanced down.

After a while, he said quietly:

”True. Supremacy, immortality — those are not insignificant, but they are too distant to be the real cause of this calamity. The real reason for this war, young Noctis... is you.”

Noctis froze, then raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

”Me? What are you talking about, old man?! How could I have caused a war between you two?”

The Altar Sage smiled sadly.

“Did you not slay the Horror of the Viridian Marsh, that Corrupted Tyrant who had haunted the borders of my and Irian’s lands for generations? For centuries, both of us tried and failed to kill it. And yet, all those months ago when you visited my city, young hero, you ventured into the marsh and fought a great battle, ending that abomination’s profane existence and slaughtering its brood.”

Noctis frowned.

”I did, yes! And let me tell you, it was quite a ghastly experience! But so what?”

Arelen glanced away.

“With the Tyrant gone and its minions either slain or scattered, the miraculously fertile lands near the estuary of the river, as well as precious minerals hidden in the depths of the marsh, were left without a master. Naturally, both Irian and I wanted to lay claim to that land.”

Noctis continued to frown, his expression stormy.

“Couldn’t you have split it fairly?”

The Altar Sage smiled.

“I thought we could. But then, before consulting with me and coming to an agreement, Irian sent settlers to establish a settlement in those newly liberated lands. Because her people needed food.”

His smile widened a little, becoming somewhat fierce.

“But don’t my people need food as well, Beast of Twilight? And those precious minerals, don’t my warriors need stronger blades and armor so that they could protect my people, too?”

His smile dimmed.

Arelen remained silent for a long while, then sighed.

”So, I ordered my warriors to raze the settlement and slaughter Irian’s people. And now, she’s coming to exact her vengeance.”

He pursed his lips, a hint of bitterness finding its way into his placid eyes.

“It seems that without the Creatures of Corruption pressing down on us, this vast realm is too small for both Irian and me. One of us must fall.”

Looking at Noctis, he lingered for a moment. As the music grew quiet and the dancers retreated, the Altar Sage said:

”Beast of Twilight. Even if it wasn’t your intention, the war between Arelen the Altar Sage and Irian, the Blade of Dawn, is happening in part because of what you’ve done. So, when she arrives... I want you to help me end the war.”

His words were solemn.

“I want you to help me kill Irian, sunder her army, and bring this land to peace.”