Shadow Slave

A faint smile appeared on Neph's face. She stared into the fire for a while, then leaned her back against the weathered black rock with a shrug.

"Who can tell? There are a lot of stories about the trials and tribulations he had to endure."

Bathed in the warmth of the fire and with his belly pleasantly full, Sunny felt his body and mind relax. Throwing a curious glance at her, he asked:

"What is your favorite story about that guy, then?"

Nephis remained silent for a while with a look of contemplation on her face, which was cast in shadows, with only its vague silhouette visible in the darkness... and the dancing white sparks that shone in the depths of her eyes.

Eventually, she said:

"Maybe it's not a favorite... but I often think about one of them, in particular."

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"Which one?"

Neph sighed quietly before answering:

"Odysseus was a great hero of Hellas, but he was not the greatest one. The greatest and most powerful hero was named Heracles, who was a demigod and a slayer of monsters. Heracles possessed incredible strength and performed many incredible feats... after he died, the gods took his soul to the heavenly realm, where he became an immortal god himself."

She grew quiet for a moment.

"However, Odysseus once descended into the underworld, where he saw the shadows of the dead. Among them was the forlorn shadow of Heracles... so, when I was a child, I always wondered how Heracles could both be a god and a lost shadow in the land of the dead."

Nephis shifted slightly and moved her hand, causing the fire to suddenly burn brighter.

"I asked my grandmother, and she explained that one part of Heracles was divine, while another part of him was human. It was the divine part of Heracles that ascended to godhood, while the human part was cast down into the underworld, doomed to wander its dark halls forever."

Her voice was a little wistful.

Sunny frowned and gave her a dark look.

"That's... a little messed up."

Neph smiled.

also always thought that it was very unfair, for the gods to simply discard the human part of Heracles.

lingered for a

grew older, I realized that it was really just two different versions of the myth colliding with each other. The stories of Odysseus are older, and so Heracles, despite being the greatest of heroes, had a tragic death in those ancient myths. The version of his own stories that we know are newer, and the original ending was changed to a happier one at some point, with the added lesson... be a valiant hero, and you shall be rewarded. Something

she finished talking, Sunny suddenly chuckled. His eye glinted

now... turns out, your disdain for the figures of authority goes very far

of her mouth twisted

"...I guess it does."

wonder she is dead set on killing the Sovereigns and destroying the Spell... this hopeless

for a

you think that it is a little hypocritical too, though? You are a great figure of authority yourself now, after all. Lady Changing Star of the Immortal Flame, the torchbearer of humanity and the idol of millions of people,

at him across the fire with a neutral expression. The

creatures. They can wage genocidal wars in the name of pacifist religions, tell truths to deceive each other. They can even love and hate something... or someone... at

she shrugged and

often tried to understand people through reason - to no success whatsoever, of course. It was only after I learned that people are inherently unreasonable

her silently. After a while,

me tell you... I was a very unreasonable

looked at him in

"Seriously?"

He nodded energetically.

say that I was a bit dumb. Trying to understand things

paused for a moment, and then

"Well... mostly error..."

her head a little, and

a child. I just always imagine you as... you. What were you

the back of his head with a bit

remember correctly, I was very gentle and kind. To a fault, even. Do you know how kids would sometimes pull the wings off annoying insects?

face slowly

didn't last long, though. So I was mostly a weird and wicked child, I guess. Still, it was better than being

looked at

Why are you looking

a