Pages of children’s tale The Night Prince translated by Realm Eye.
In anclent times, magical feats were feared and cherished as miracles of the gods. These magical folk sought faith and worship, and at their own leisure would bestow blessings upon mortals. Those days would be much simpler than theones we live in now.
The curiosity of mortals would lead them on a quest to understand their world and harness the primal Flame. Those most loyal would see their new abilities as a gift from the gods, but many others would turn their eyes away from worship and towards the growing social unrest. Each new spell would become a weapon to tip the balance of power, and people would seek protection from the unrest under the banner of lords. These times would be known as the Era of Kings and Mages.
The wrath of gods would soon descend upon the arrogant people, and mortals would learn to fear the gods in a new way. However, it would not be long before the new societies would strike back. Heroes would rise in vengeance from those fallen from the wars, and the deities of old would no longer be seen as beings of worship, but as wrathful monsters.
None of this would matter to a tiny fishing village in the faraway East, where the night sky was blessed by beautiful magical lights. Ignorant to the turmoil of the western kingdoms, the villagers enjoyed the dance of the patron goddess, who would conjure vivid miracles to light up the night sky like a thousand colorful stars. A few select villagers would receive the great honor of becoming her students to learn the sacred art for themselves.
One quiet night, a wounded traveler would wash up on the riverbed nearby. After being nursed back to health, they revealed that they were the heir of a great kingdom far west, who embarked on a sea voyage to prove their worth to the rest of their kind. It would be a fateful storm that tore the ship apart, leaving the lone prince stranded in a strange, unknown land.
After assessing the damage, the village’s craftsman expressed that they would be happy to help repair the ship so that their visitor might be able to continue on their voyage. However, it would not be a quick undertaking. The task at hand would be quite monumental due to extensive damage to the keel after the boat was beached upon the rocky shore.
Having to wait in the small village for several months, the prince decided to use the time to learn about the villagers’ ways and customs. The friendly residents were more than happy to show him, exposing him to the various ongoings of the village. Fishing, farming, scavenging, crafting… his natural talents allowed him to quickly master all of them and he became a great asset to the villagers.
After spending some time mingling, the prince learned that the village also has its own princess, and just like the prince she had departed the village to explore the outside world. Although she was well loved by everyone in the small village, she had always felt that she was destined for something greater and this conflicted her until the day she left. The princess’ story resonated with the prince and his own journey.
During his stay, the prince grew close to the benevolent goddess of the village as well as her three students. He was intrigued by the displays of light that the goddess was able to conjure up as well as the mesmerizing dance and movements that accompanied it. To entertain their guest, each night the students would showcase their own dances and each night the whole village would come together to watch.
The dance seemed to enable them to project their inner natures, as if displaying their souls outwardly for the world to see. The wise student had a dance that flowed like the waters of the river. The energetic student had a dance that roared like thunder in a storm. The elegant student had a dance that bloomed like cherry blossoms in spring. Each of their dances awed the prince as he never in his wildest of imaginations did he think such things were possible.
The dance of the goddess, however, was the most impressive of all. Her mastery of the arts was unrivaled and her dance was explosive. Her playful and innocent spirit was projected in the form of fireworks. Naive to the dangers, the enthralled prince raised out his hand to touch the mesmerizing sparks only to be shocked that they were as real as the air he breathed.
The goddess apologized for her carelessness but the prince was not frightened. Instead, he sought for the goddess to accept him as one of her students so that he might learn how to dance like them.
The prince dedicated himself to learning the arts of the goddess. As the movements were alien to him, he could not establish his own unique dance. Instead, he carefully observed the three other students and mimicked their motions. It wasn’t long before he too was able to create his own visual projections. His imitation of the other students’ dances was impeccable, and at times it almost appeared as if he had surpassed the original.
The goddess was greatly impressed by her new student and urged that the prince stay to master the arts. Most impressed of all however was the wise student who would practice daily alongside the prince to further hone their skills.
Months passed and his sailing vessel was soon to be repaired. The prince sorrowfully expressed that he would have to depart and resume his journey to fulfill his destiny. However, it was fate that would reveal his true intentions. On the same day as the prince’s departure, the princess of the village by chance returned from her travels of the outside world.
Having explored much of the West, the princess recognized the face of the prince and was shocked that a foreign tyrant had washed up on their shores. She rushed to inform the goddess of the true nature of the prince. The goddess was dismayed at the revelation, the prince had deceived them all this time.
The goddess and her students confronted the prince. They could not believe that the benign stranger they had befriended was someone completely different. The prince assuaged them that they were mistaken, however the princess revealed the prince’s true intention she had uncovered within his diary.
The diary described the aspirations of the prince and how he had set off on his expedition in order to find a weapon potent enough to achieve his dream. Having seen the potential in the sacred arts of the dance, he had planned on using what he had learnt during his time in the village as a means to conquer the world and overthrow the gods.
The facade of the prince broke as he laughed and exclaimed the gullibility of the villagers. He thanked them for granting him the means to fulfill his dream. The dark aura of the prince emanated into the air and as a show of his resolve and strength he struck each of the students down with their own power. The energetic student was impaled by lightning and her heart ceased beating. The elegant student was smothered in a blanket of petals and her life was drained away. Finally, the wise student who had previously tried advocating for the prince was overwhelmed by a torrent of water and was unable to speak again.
The goddess was distraught and was frozen in place by grief for her students and for her ignorant decision to accept the prince. As a parting gift, the prince revealed to the goddess his own unique dance, and from him erupted darkness so black that it turned day to night. The shadow engulfed the entire village, snuffing out all life until it finally circled and enclosed in on the goddess. The princess, who had stayed by her side through the ordeal, shouted and shook the goddess in a desperate attempt to wake her.
Just as the end was imminent the princess was able to snap the goddess out of her trance and in one swift movement a symphony of fireworks filled the darkness and extinguished it. As the dust settled, not a whisper was heard in the ruins of the village. The prince had departed, leaving behind destruction and despair, with him he carried the knowledge that would forever change the world.
