"I welcome you all to my humble abode," Noctis said, arms spread wide exuberantly as if to show them a magnificent sight, in clear contrast to his words.
The Firekeepers seemed more at ease upon taking in the sight, a silent cheer taking shape among them.
They had found most of them on Iron Hand Island, confidently awaiting her arrival. Two-thirds were with her now, while the others stayed behind to direct the stragglers to the Sanctuary, which would act as their base during the Second Nightmare.
All in all, everything seemed to be going well, aside from the difficulty the challenge posed and her not-so-charming meeting with Solvane or Nightmare. Or with Noctis. He still sported a black eye, which he wore proudly as if it were some sort of badge of honor. The Saint was mad, there was no doubt about it.
Back to the situation: today marked her third week inside the nightmare. She had spent a few days putting distance between herself and Solvane's lands, then was ambushed by nightmare creatures. In the fight that ensued, she had been forced to flee, resulting in her - not-so- graceful landing on Noctis's ship. The man kept insisting that it was a matter of fate that he had decided to take a tour so close to the Priestess of War's lands. She was starting to believe him, which was rather troubling. Cassie never missed a chance to curse fate.
After that, they spent a week traveling to the fortress of the deceased Shadow Lord — it was still strange to think that he was, in fact, a man — where she had fought and killed Nightmare.
And now, here they were.
It was strange to see the Sanctuary of Noctis like this.
There were far more people than she had ever seen in the Sanctuary of her own time, and most weren't even awakened. And they were... happy.
She saw children running, laughing, playing, with no trace of fear to be found in their joyful faces. The adults seemed relaxed; some were taking a stroll, others working, and the merchants were peddling their wares to bemused onlookers. She even saw a little family having a picnic.
The Sanctuary of Noctis, ruled by Saint Tyris, was a fortress. A peaceful one since most of the nightmare creatures in its vicinity had been long decimated to almost extinction, but a fortress nonetheless. People were always on guard, always awaiting the next danger they would have to face. And the mere idea of children living there? Ridiculous.
This one? This one was a home.
It felt like she was staring at the future instead of the past. One day, unless she managed to destroy the Spell beforehand, humanity would have to leave the Waking World behind. They would have to settle in citadels like these, they would have to cower in fear of every odd sound or sight, of every little bump in the night, praying that no nightmare creature too strong for their defenders would show up and end them all.
Hell, that was already the case in plenty of places in the Waking World itself. Europe and North America were nothing but giant death zones nowadays, but once upon a time, they had been among humanity's most important hubs. What little accounts remained of the time before their fall painted a chilling image.
What's worse, Cassie's intelligence network had caught rumors about the same thing repeating with Antarctica not too far into the future. Although those rumors were muddled by the fact that the Obel Scale had never been as precise as it was today.
She couldn't avoid sighing. The future was bleak and uncertain, and she would have to be ready to face it. No, she would be ready.
All the more reason to become stronger so that she could destroy the Ghouls and the Spell sooner rather than later.
The ship had made its landing while she was pondering the matter, so without any further ado, she disembarked and followed Noctis's lead, who was directing them toward what she assumed was his home.
As they walked, they passed many of the Sanctuary's inhabitants, most of whom greeted Noctis with smiles and friendly waves. Reassuring, in a way. Noctis—mad as he was—clearly took good care of his people.
What was more intriguing was the way everyone looked at her. She had expected this; her current vessel was clearly not human after all, but it wasn't about that, or at least not only that.
A brave child dared to come closer, spurred on by his friends. In his hands, he carried a little fruit that seemed like an odd mix between a pear and an apple, which he offered reverently to her, all the while doing his best to avoid her eyes.
"O great Sun, we offer you this sacrifice."
For a moment, she was about to refuse. After all, she wasn't anyone worthy of a sacrifice. But then she noticed the look Noctis gave her—silent, almost pleading—and she reluctantly accepted it. The boy immediately bolted away, clearly pleased with his act.
Noctis gave a subtle nod, silently indicating that he'd explain later.
They continued on in silence, eventually leaving the streets behind and entering Noctis's domain. She left the Firekeepers to rest while she followed Noctis to a courtyard. He gestured to a seat and then took one himself. Moments later, a wooden doll appeared with wine and food, setting it before them.
"I had my hopes high, but it might very well be even better than what I thought," the man said with a smug expression while he sipped his wine, his face reflecting on the golden surface of his goblet.
"Explain yourself," she asked, as much as she ordered.
"Well, my shiny friend, as you can imagine, you are quite the sight to behold. There is divinity in you, far more than there is in me in fact, which is a rather impressive feat. If I hadn't seen him for myself, I would even think you are Sun's own divine vessel."
Did they think she was one of the Sun god's avatars? The sacrifice made sense now; however, she didn't understand why they would think so. She knew well enough that she was nowhere near strong enough to pass as one.
Noctis seemed to read her confusion. "Oh, I know. None of the Lords will be fooled. But the mundanes, the awakened... even some ascended with poor senses? They can be convinced. And that will make our objective far easier."
"How am I supposed to pass for a god's avatar?" she asked skeptically.
"Oh, you won't. Sun wasn't so desperate for attention as to parade his power around, but he was certainly prone to spectacles to impress his conquests," he answered and then, as if on second thought, he added, "And I don't mean the violent kind of conquests."
That was information she would have been happier without knowing. She would rather forget about the way he had wiggled his eyebrows when saying it too. At times, dealing with Noctis felt like dealing with the unholy fusion of Effie and Sunny. A disgusted expression appeared on her face for a second at the mental image.
Noctis, unaware of her internal musings, kept going. "Anyway, we don't need them to believe the ruse for long. Our main opponents are Solvane and the Princes. Solvane's followers are fanatical believers of War, so you won't have much sway with them, but those of the Princes? Their zeal towards the Sun is second to none. Show up a few times, offer them some sweet words, and then disappear. We repeat this a few times, and the day before we attack, you ask them to either stay away from the fight or join us." He finished, seemingly proud of his plan.
It was a good idea. Logically, she could see the merits of it. Any fighter that could be dissuaded from fighting them was one less they would have to worry about upon attacking the Ivory City. If some were to join them, they might even balance the odds in their favor.
"No."
The Saint blinked, not quite believing what he had heard.
"No?" he repeated, tilting his head like an owl.
"No," she reaffirmed her answer.
He narrowed his eyes, his lackadaisical attitude disappearing for a second, replaced instead by the dangerous man she knew was hiding beneath the exuberant facade. Then, the second passed and he acted the fool once more.
"May I know why?" he asked, a hint of curiosity shining through his eyes.
"I won't pretend to be what I'm not just to make things easier," she said simply.
It was hypocritical of her to say so; she knew it very well. She had cultivated the image of a saint back in the Dark City, and even now in the Waking World, she was doing her best to become one of humanity's paragons.
However small, it was different now. Her intentions might not be entirely honest, but she still fully intended to deliver what she had promised in those cases.
But this? To pretend to be a God? To offer hope to those who thought themselves abandoned by their object of worship? Only to abuse said hope? To set innocents against each other just so that she would have an easier time destroying their home?
Hah, the more she thought about it, the more parallels she found to what she had done in the Dark City. Well then, all the more reason to not repeat it.
Saint Nephis was dead and buried, and she wouldn't bring her back. Not now, not ever if she could avoid it.
She refused, as much out of principle as it was to stop herself from falling even lower than she already had. She could justify this decision if she tried, she was sure of it, but she refused to.
It would be another step toward hell, another step toward becoming what she hated, a step she couldn't afford to take. If she justified doing this, then what else could she justify? Where would she draw the line?
Before she even realized it, she would be just as bad as the Ghouls or — and she shuddered at the mere idea — as bad as the Spell.
She knew that she was a hypocrite, that her choice might make it all harder, that it would bring more death upon the inhabitants of the Ivory City, but sometimes, one had to make a decision and live with the consequences of it.
"Well, that makes things a little more complicated," a calm and pleasant voice said.
Under the amazed eyes of Noctis, fog started to emanate from his goblet. Fog that quickly coalesced into the form of a man with dark hair and mirror-like eyes.
"Can I perhaps convince you to choose otherwise?" Mordret asked.
How long had he been around? Watching them? Nephis narrowed her eyes, studying the man before her with suspicion. Then, she shook her head.
"No," she answered without a trace of doubt.
A brief look of disappointment appeared on his face, only to be masked immediately after, replaced by his usual friendly attitude.
"A pity, but such is life, I guess," he said nonchalantly, even shrugging to better sell the image.
"May I know who your friend is, Nephis, my friend?" Noctis asked, measuring the man with a calculating gaze.
"Oh, my apologies," he said smoothly. "Allow me to introduce myself."
-------------------------------------------
White flames flowed out of her hands, quickly covering the body of the burned man in front of her. For a few seconds, there was nothing but pain in her mind, and then it was done.
The man took down his bandages with shaky hands, revealing pristine skin underneath and a face that was even more handsome than his original one. Kai sure had luck when it came to vessels. And in general.
"Thank you," he said, a sincere smile plastered on his face.
"It is a fascinating sight," Mordret said, a gleam of interest in his mirror-like eyes. "Is there any wound you cannot heal?" he asked.
"If there is, I haven't found it," she answered. It wasn't even a lie; the poison used by the would-be kidnapper wasn't a wound after all.
Kai had arrived a few days ago, right as they hit their second month within the nightmare. He had been in a state that could be—not so—generously described as 'extra-crispy.' Since then, and with Noctis's help, she had been healing the damage done by Sevras, the Sun Lord.
As annoying as he could be, Noctis's claims about being the best healer in all of the Kingdom of Hope were not unfounded. In fact, she had even found herself learning a thing or two from him on that matter, besides the Sorcery of Names. Though sadly, not as much as she wanted to. Too much of it relied on sorcery that she couldn't replicate without centuries of practice.
"Now that our friend Nightingale is completely healed, I think it's time to speak about our plans for the future," Noctis said, looking excited to get started.
"Ah, yes, the other knives," Mordret started, looking excited too. "There are only two of them missing, right?"
"Indeed. One is in the hands of a dear friend of mine. And the other's whereabouts were found by dear Nephis here," Noctis answered.
"We will retrieve the one in the Temple of the Chalice first," Nephis stated.
"Why?" Kai asked, looking confused.
"If what Noctis said is true, the other Lords know about the Ruby knife's location and, as such, will be able to find out immediately once we retrieve it. The Glass knife's location, on the other hand, has been a secret for a long time, and presumably, none of them—bar perhaps Solvane—know where it is. That means we will be able to retrieve it without raising too many alarms, as well as rescuing Effie from whatever problem she has gotten into," she explained, a quick look around telling her that they seemed to agree with the plan.
"Is there anything we should be aware of at the Temple before we pay a visit?" Mordret asked, barely perceptible wisps of fog coming out of his mouth as he spoke. He hid it well, but he wasn't human either.
"Just the usual for a temple. Lovely, beautiful ladies who will murder you at the slightest provocation, ladies whom, may I note, are quite formidable fighters and will not make it easy if you try to take the knife by force."
What kind of temples did Noctis frequent? She was about to ask, but thought better of it. She suspected that whatever answer she would receive would only give her more questions.
"You can trust us, Lord Noctis. Everything will go perfectly," Kai said with a bright smile.
-------------------------------------------
"You had to jinx it, didn't you?"
Kai at least had the good sense to look mortified.
Nephis shook her head at him, taking in the charred remains of the temple's main hall, as well as the corpses. The smell was rather offensive.
"How was I supposed to know they would be so crazy?" he asked in exasperation.
Effie offered him an unimpressed stare that made him wilt in embarrassment, which looked quite comical considering that her vessel was a twelve-year-old girl.
To be fair to Kai, they truly couldn't have predicted the kind of depravity the War Maidens had fallen to. Nephis would have gladly retrieved the knife and left without touching a single one of them, but then she saw how they treated her student— a student that turned out to be Effie. She couldn't stop herself the moment she found out.
Not when they demanded she prove herself by killing her. After that, things took a terrible turn.
For them, that was. The giant brazier with divine flames on it was the perfect weapon for her awakened ability.
The masters didn't even have the time to react when the fire suddenly surged and enveloped them, not with how close they were to it, reducing their bodies to ashes in less than a blink. After that, it hadn't been too hard to deal with the remaining maidens.
"That was fun," Mordret, unlike everyone else, seemed cheerful, currently inhabiting the body of one of the War Maidens.
"You are weird, mirror boy," Effie told him, the usually vivacious huntress looking somber.
"Not a very imaginative nickname," he replied, apparently offended by the name.
They kept arguing, but she had stopped paying attention, having instead moved to retrieve the Glass knife from the bottom of the brazier. Once she had it in hand, she stashed it inside the coffer and then moved on to check for any survivors.
They searched but found no one else alive in the temple. All of Effie's fellow students had died before they arrived, something that reassured her that she had made the correct choice when she decided to kill them all.
-------------------------------------------
Nephis landed softly on the edge of the island, her wings raising a low breeze as she did so. Soon after, the other four joined her.
They approached the calm lake warily, all of them aware of the terrifying reputation of the creature awaiting inside.
When she set eyes on the surface of the lake, the only thing she saw was herself, the waters so reflective that she couldn't even peer into its depths. The creature inside could strike at any moment, and she wouldn't see it coming.
She could feel it. Her instincts were screaming at her that she was in danger. All the more reason not to provoke it, as if the fact that it was feared even by Saints wasn't enough.
She cleared her throat and then, in a firm tone, addressed the lake. "I am here to retrieve the Ruby Knife."
There was a moment of silence, and then a pale hand flowed out of the water, holding within its grasp a knife that seemed to be made out of blood.
She hesitated for a moment but then stepped forward and took hold of the knife, her sight blurring the moment she touched it. She didn't blink; she was certain of it. The world had changed all the same. One microsecond she was still on the island, her cohort at her back. The next, she was alone, standing over a massive lake that extended as far as she could see. The waters silvery under the light of the moon.
There was a ripple in the surface of the water, and then, just as fast as she had been transported, there was someone else atop the lake.
It was a woman, pale as bone, her features lovely as if sculpted by the most skilled artisan in the world. Her white hair seemed to reflect light itself, and her eyes were blue and crystalline, almost like a lake's surface. She was wearing a plain white dress, which was flowing softly as if under a breeze that no one else could perceive. In contrast to the beautiful image, her reflection in the waters was grotesque beyond imagination. There were no words that could do justice to just how horrifying the creature was.
"How quaint, I have never met someone with such a pure heart as yours" The creature whispered in one and a thousand voices, all of them carrying different tones and emotions, yet conveying the same message.
Nephis looked the woman in the eye, offering no sign of the horror that her true form inflicted upon her. She suspected that if she were to show even the most minimal amount of reticence or fear, the creature would strike her down.
The creature smiled, the curve of her lips forming the most harrowing smile she had ever seen, and then, as if aware of her thoughts, the smile widened.
"What do you mean?" she asked at last, once it became clear that the creature wouldn't continue.
"Once upon a time, so long ago that this realm didn't even exist yet, I was blessed by the most powerful of the gods with the capability of seeing the truth in the hearts of others" The creature explained, the thousand voices tinged with pride. "And what a sight it was! You could never imagine the kind of things I have learned, the glorious secrets I could glean, secrets that not even the person themselves seemed aware of."
The creature's smile widened once more, impossibly so, her face stretching vilely to accommodate the expression.
"And the most beautiful part? It was seeing their convictions, all of the little vows they would make to themselves. The unbreakable promises that shaped a person's life. Nothing is more pure in this and all other realms than conviction, than the will to see something through no matter the price to be paid to achieve it."
The creature exhaled wistfully, a fond expression to be found in her beautiful yet horrifying visage
"And then, one day, little Noctis came to me, asking to safeguard a paltry knife for him. No sadder day have I lived, o descendant of the Sun. He was radiant once, so full of vigor, of passion, a conviction so pure shone in his heart that it almost blinded me. So imagine my grief when dear Noctis came to me, his great ambitions reduced to embers."
The creature shook its head sadly, her mourning reflecting on the lake itself, which trembled as if something was about to erupt out of it. Something horrifying. Then the creature looked at her, and the waters settled. Her smile returned, soft and tender. And all the more horrifying for it.
"And then you came. You, my little friend, have the most radiant heart I have ever seen. I could be standing in front of the sun instead of you, and I wouldn't be able to tell a difference." Nephis did not blink, and yet the woman was already in front of her, one of her hands softly caressing her cheek. She had been completely unable to perceive her movement. "It's beautiful, child, oh so beautiful."
She lowered her head and whispered softly, lovingly into her ear, "Do not give up, my sweet child. Weaver's little scheme has already been thwarted. Now, only following your heart remains."
Nephis blinked, and the hand and the woman were gone. She was back on the island, Ruby knife firmly held in her hands. She shivered for a moment, feeling like the creature had peered right into her soul and loved what it saw.
She looked at the surface of the lake, but nothing could be seen there, even the sense of danger was gone. The creature had left without any of them even noticing that it did so. She shivered once more. Whatever that creature was, she didn't like it. Even less the fact that it seemed to know some of her secrets.
When they met again—and they would, she had no doubt about it—she would get answers. Whether it wanted to give them or not.
Mind set, she turned to the others, seemingly not even a second having passed since the hand came out of the water, considering their lack of reaction.
"Well, that was easy," Effie remarked, looking like she couldn't quite believe they had achieved their objective so easily.
"Are you surprised?" Cassie asked in turn.
"Have you seen how she looks at Doofus? There is nothing pure going on in there," she replied with a teasing smirk.
Maybe her heart wasn't so pure after all. She was going to kill Effie.
-------------------------------------------
Nephis couldn't sleep.
She turned and turned in bed but could not bring herself to sleep. In just a few days, their fourth month within the nightmare would arrive, and on that very same day, they would assault the Ivory City. If they succeeded, they would become Masters; if not, they would die.
It wasn't that that made her unable to sleep. The odds were just as bad when they assaulted the Crimson Spire, and she had slept soundly the night before. So what was it?
She turned a little more in bed, but could not bring herself to sleep, nor could she find an answer to her sudden insomnia. She briefly checked Sunny's runes, and while it made her relax a little, that wasn't the source of her restlessness. So what was it?
Nephis decided to take a walk, hoping that it would help clear her mind. She left her room silently, trying to avoid waking anyone.
Her steps eventually led her to the garden, where she found Noctis and Tempesta, or, as she preferred to be called, The One in the North.
Noctis was sipping wine, gaze lost into the moon, though he did briefly turn toward her when he noticed the light she emitted. The One in the North, on the other hand, did not acknowledge her presence at all. Instead, she was staring blankly at one of the flowers. The only movement she could detect on her was her breathing, and even that seemed to be more effort than she wanted to put in.
Hope's influence was terrifying to behold, especially in one who had fallen to it so deeply. The Saint was so apathetic that she wouldn't move for anything unless strictly necessary. She even required to be fed and cleaned by others, as she wouldn't otherwise. How Noctis had managed to convince her to help them was beyond her.
Her attention went back to Noctis when he offered her a goblet of wine of her own, but she refused it wordlessly.
"Cannot sleep either?" The Saint asked. He was staring wistfully at the moon, seemingly lost in thought.
"Yes," she replied, taking a seat beside them.
"Well, maybe I can help you with that. Tell me, what occupies your mind so much, my friend?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
Noctis nodded and sipped from his goblet, silence settling between them. For once, he didn't seem willing to play his exuberant persona, deciding instead to stay silent and contemplative.
"You once told me that you are the most wise man in the Kingdom of Hope," the words escaped all on their own, without any conscious effort on her part.
"Indeed I am," he answered calmly, none of the usual theatricality to be found on him.
She was going to stop; she didn't even want to say the previous sentence, but she found herself speaking nonetheless.
Maybe it was the weird mood she was in, denying her sleep and at the same time making her talkative.
Maybe it was the fact that the nightmare would soon end, and anything she said would be lost in a matter of days, no one but them aware of it. Her dark secret hidden once more.
Maybe the guilt was just too much, and she couldn't bear it anymore, and she wanted someone—anyone—to speak with. Someone who could offer a different perspective to that of Cassie.
Maybe it was the three of them and more.
"Hypothetically speaking, if you had wronged someone, wronged them in such a deep, harrowing way that it cannot be ignored nor forgotten... How would you try to achieve their forgiveness?"
Noctis looked away from the moon for the first time and instead looked at her, his gaze serious and contemplative.
"Well, my dear friend, I cannot quite offer you an answer for a hypothetical scenario with such vague information, so instead, allow me to tell you a little tale." The Saint took a breath, a forlorn look briefly appearing on his face before continuing. "There once was a man who had it all—power, pedigree, beauty, and fashion that held no rival within the Kingdom of Hope. That man, however, was arrogant and foolish beyond measure. No mountain was too tall, no peril too dire, no opponent too strong. That man had a little brother who followed him everywhere, wishing to become just like him one day."
He fell into silence briefly, as if contemplating how to continue the tale.
"One day, the man heard about a powerful creature whose fur was the most beautiful and soft in all of the realm. Despite all the warnings he received about the power of the creature, the foolish man still decided to hunt it. His brother, as was to be expected, followed him in his mad venture." Pain and regret briefly flashed in his eyes. He took a shaky breath and then continued. "They traveled for months, facing challenges that make the man shiver to this very day. Eventually, the brothers found the mighty creature and engaged it in battle."
Noctis fell silent once more and sipped from his goblet as if it would give him the strength to continue.
"The man fought bravely, the man fought skillfully, the man fought wisely. The man still failed, mighty as he was. The creature was far mightier still, even the combined strength of the brothers not enough to leave a scratch on its hide." A self-deprecating smile appeared on his face. "So the foolish, arrogant, cowardly man fled. He fled faster than the wind. Only when he was far away did he stop and think about a tragic fact. His brother did not follow him."
He raised the cup and downed all of the wine in one go.
"The man went back, as foolish and cowardly as he was, he still loved his brother and he wouldn't abandon him willingly. By the time he arrived, the fight was over already. The creature was nowhere to be seen, and yet his brother still lived. It did not deem his younger brother a worthy meal, so it had allowed him to live... to live as a cripple. The creature tore his limbs away and left them there, as a reminder of what happened to those who dared challenge it."
Noctis fell into silence, staring down at nothing, seemingly lost in memory.
"What did the man do after that?" she asked softly.
His eyes returned to hers, sorrow shining clearly in them.
"He brought his little brother back to their home. He learned to become a healer, the very best in all of the Kingdom, in the hopes of restoring his brother's limbs. He succeeded eventually; he couldn't restore the ones he had lost, but he could grant him new ones that were just as good. He did that and so much more, hoping to earn the forgiveness of his dear little brother."
"Did he succeed?"
Noctis looked away for a moment, shame and sorrow clear on his face. "He did. Slowly, patiently, building trust back step by step. And yet, it was never the same. What was whole once had been broken, and while they put the pieces back together, the cracks could not be ignored no matter how hard they tried."
He fell silent, this time definitively. She knew that no more words would come out of him no matter what she said.
"Thank you for your tale and advice," she made a small pause and then, in a whisper, she added. "My friend."
He nodded, a small impish smile on his face and then stood up, quickly leaving the garden after a quiet goodbye.
She was about to do the same until she heard two words, said so lowly that she almost didn't hear them.
"He lied."
Surprisingly, the One in the North had spoken. She was still in the same position, staring at the same flower, not having moved a single millimeter since she first saw her.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
There was a long pause before she spoke again. "His brother did not forgive him." The Saint replied and went silent once more, hers no less definitive than that of Noctis.
Nephis stared at her for a long time and then she nodded. "I know."
The tale was not the definitive answer that she sought, but it helped, even if just a little. It wouldn't be easy, not even close, but that had never deterred her, and this wasn't going to be the first time.
She had promised to make amends, and if the creature was to be believed, no one had as much conviction as she had.