Brightness revealed,

Hidden darkness.

***

At the end of the tunnel, the group found themselves in the middle of a street lit by lanterns and red and white lights. The atmosphere in Argenone was totally different from that in Toril'an. Here, everything was brighter, almost jovial. Caleb had the impression of being in the red light district of the lower city of Ahes, but unlike that, the lecherous, sensual air was not felt at all.

As they walked, the landscape had changed at least three times in just a few meters. They had gone from a bright district, with its colorful stores and stone houses, to a much more ostentatious one. Buildings had spaced out to leave passageways illuminated by various fiery stones. The curved roofs of the latter broke the too-smooth stiffness of the walls and gave a certain charm to the various residences.

These houses were decorated with vivid paintings giving the impression of being able to hypnotize the spectators. Despite this, elegance was not part of the architects' motto and Caleb felt an overwhelming opulence, as if these streets were made to hide a darker and altered face of the city. And from the disgusted looks on the faces of his three companions, the feeling seemed to be shared. It was especially those rebuffed pouts that gave him a hint. Something was wrong and he didn't like it at all. Not letting on, he stopped looking around and continued walking.

The richly dressed man stopped in front of an enclosure that guarded a huge three-story building. The guard gate was surrounded by two small gray dwellings, revealing two tiny rooms. Enough to house a large man for a day's work. Behind these imposing walls, another much smaller enclosure, carved with strange symbols, protected three pretty amaranth doors. Following these openings was an inner courtyard with a white flagstone floor. Because of the large number of bonzai, lanterns and golden or silver decoration, the simplicity of the courtyard disappeared in favor of a pompous idleness. At the end of this patio, which was more like a garden, was the majestic inn. The curved roofs of the first floor and the other floors were held up by several red wooden pillars. These different roofs served as canopies for the outside corridors. The top floor was held up by blue-green colored beams. A calligraphic plaque with the name of the inn dominated the courtyard like an emperor sitting on his throne.

The interior of the building was just as ostentatious as the exterior. One could see rare materials like ebony or white jade on the furniture, statuettes in honor of the decorator or the director of the hotel, two or three mirrors, no more, and horrible tapestries in honor of the history of the city. The interior was meant to look simple and soothing, but for Caleb it made him want to run away too much. Given the feigned kindness of the richly dressed man, impassivity was the order of the day. In exchange for some money, the man gave Caleb, Erwë, Rawën and Aloÿs the simplest room on the second floor. It was a room of about thirty square meters, with light colors, in which there was a large round window with a magnificent view of the garden tinged with orange-red foliage. Its furniture was made of almond wood with a burgundy red color and some gold leaves glued to the woodwork. The huge white fur that served as a carpet in the room gave a soft and shiny sheen. The suite was also equipped with a white and turquoise bathroom, stools, chairs and cabinets made of carved akheli. Plum and cherry blossom branches placed in vases gave the room a serene atmosphere.

After having given up one of the suites of his inn, the portly man had left not without an overwhelmed grunt. Putting Erwë gently on the soft bed of the room, Caleb went to sit on the floor on the soft carpet followed by Aloÿs and Rawën.

- Explain to me. What is this atmosphere? Since we arrived, I don't feel good. It's as if something was deliberately hidden from me.

- How can I say it?" began Erwe, wringing her fingers. It's that...

- Leave that to me. I'll tell him," Aloÿs said in a reassuring voice. Do you know the hymn of Argeneone?

- Yes, it was written by Lo the wise after Argenone won the battle of Algah against the stone giants. The words if I remember correctly are:

"Wonderful! Valiant! Argeneone! Argeneone!

Laughing! Warm-hearted! Argeneone! Argeneone!

From the top of its ramparts of gold and light expose the beloved, the prized.

Dazzling donors, consecrated! Where the illuminants appear, the smiles of these sparkling people gush forth", right?

- As expected from a passionate person," said Aloÿs appreciatively. But did you know that there was a secret refrain to this one? Of course, it's not really secret, but has been erased and forgotten by many. This part says: 

"Unfortunate! Disastrous! Argeneone! Argeneone!

Conceited! Noceuse! Argeneone! Argeneone!

In its entrails of shadow and mist melt the unloved, the abused.

Dark fishermen, pestiferous! Where the shadows fade, flow the tears of these dark people. In the last sentence, "Where the shadows fade..." the word shadow refers of course to the shadows of people, houses but if you go further, to the Shadows, finally you understand.

Caleb nodded:

- And what exactly is that, an organization?

- In part, Rawen continued. For that, we must tell you about the way Argeneone is managed, but also reveal a past that Erwë, Aloÿs and I would rather forget. In fact, the city is separated into two clans. To the north and east is the camp of the Iscarios led by Thadée, the man you saw earlier.

- The chubby one?

- That's it. In the south and west we find the Minosis camp led by Oswald, an honest man, at least that's what he wants to appear. These two men are the richest and most renowned in the city. What you need to know is that since the foundation of Argeneone, the families of Oswald and Thadeus have ruled it. As you know, Argeneone is not the only city in the region of Îesh'ti, but it is the only one that maintains a certain system.

- Among other things, continued Erwë who until then had been silent. Argeneone has had a caste system since its creation. In fact this victory against the giants was a real carnage. At that time the family of the Iscarios and the Minosis were only small clans of fifteen to twenty people. To win against the giants, they sacrificed their enemies (relatives and acquaintances), burning them alive and then giving them to the giants as a meal. It has been five hundred years now. In these sacrifices, there were among others our grandparents. My parents almost died, but thanks to the intervention of one of the members of the Iscarios' family, my father's best friend, Madrianna... And my godmother. That's what Dad told me twenty-four years ago, just before he was killed by Madri's cousin. I was still very young at the time and found myself wandering the streets. Having lost the only family I had left, I experienced the filth and turpitude of men. I hate it. Hate being stained with any kind of...

Erwë stopped in his sentence, immersed in an immense repulsion until he could no longer detach himself from it. Caleb wanted to console him but did not know what to say. It was Aloÿs who came to take him in his arms, whispering soothing words. With his eyes in the dark, Rawën began to speak softly.

- I was born in prison. This story of being burned by the Iscarios and Minosis families became so big that even some decades later, a manhunt had remained. That's how my parents were caught and locked up, at that time my mother was pregnant. After giving birth to me, she died, she had contracted yellow fever and died from the torture. My father followed her the next few days, preferring to hang himself rather than lose his beloved. I still don't know if I can see him as a selfish man leaving his child alone or just a simple grieving man. As soon as I reached the age of eight, I too began to be tortured. But mentally I was destroyed. All because I was a member of the brave Welf family. I even have after-effects, he finished impassively as if it had nothing to do with him and unbuttoning his top, he let appear terrible red wounds on his pale skin. I managed to escape thanks to the Shadows at the age of fifteen. I still remember it like it was yesterday. All I want is to live happily and eat all the delicacies that exist in the world. Just that," he finished with the shadow of a smile.

Distressed Caleb could not come back to earth immediately, these stories were just abominable. How could anyone do that to children? Good question, he thought bitterly. He could see that even in another world the mentality was still the same: macabre and destructive. In the silence, Caleb waited patiently to hear the story of the oldest: Aloÿs. It was only after a few minutes that he finally spoke.

- For me it is much less painful and I think I was lucky. I come from a family of perfumers. I was adopted by the Tyre family when I was two years old while I was living in hiding on the street. I have no relation to the families of Ewën or Rawën, nor to the Iscarios or Minosis. In fact I am not really an angel. I have half a gene that belongs to the family of stone giants. It wasn't until I was thirty-five years old that I learned that the Tyre family didn't really exist and that the people in it were part of the Shadows. I am compassionate by nature and when I learned the full story and what was really underneath the bright facade of Argeneone, that I decided to act. I found Erwë in the worst brothel in town, as thin as a twig, with bloody ankles, serving drinks to drunken men with a silver tray in his hand. He was twenty-four years old but looked a good twelve years younger. A few months later, I was assigned another mission to rescue a fifteen year old boy born in prison. What I saw there made me shudder with fear. It was terrible. A bloody child, wounded all over, rotting in a cell full of rats, with only stale water to drink. It took a long time to heal them. It wasn't until I was a hundred years old that my treatments took effect," he says with a smile. I was so happy then! And I think the last hundred and seventy years have been the best years of my life. We left the organization and never came back. Anyway, here are our respective stories. I know what you mean, but don't say it. Please don't. We've heard it too many times. Now everything is fine. Yeah, everything's fine, so don't worry, okay?

- No I... I didn't mean that... Because I too, I... Caleb stammered hesitantly.

- Caleb," exclaimed Erwe, who had regained his composure with goodwill. If you don't want to say it, don't say it. I know you'll talk about it when you... When you trust us more. Everything is fine, we understand.

The three friends looked at each other and smiled in agreement. As if to reassure him, to say to him that all will be well.  Tears formed in the corners of his eyes then sobbing, he thanked them.

During those few seconds, someone had entered the suite to put down some food. On the large round coffee table was a tray of different dishes, four earthenware glasses and wooden chopsticks as place settings. The food was divided into different bowls, in which were vegetable broth, black rice with dried tomatoes, meat ravioli, osmanthus cakes and moon cakes. In a small compartment was placed a greenish ointment and some white bandages. Not taking the time to marvel at the food, Caleb motioned for his friends to begin, who were looking at the tray with greedy eyes, to his no longer so naive eyes, and then he happily began selecting food to place in each bowl.

- These castes? What are they?" asked Caleb, his mouth full.

Erwe stopped eating for a moment, blinked, and then continued:

- There are five classes in all. The strongest and richest, that of the man'lë, where the Iscarios and Minosis families come from; the second strongest, that of the warriors: the eka'ö; the third, that of the merchants and craftsmen: the lanos; the fourth and penultimate, that of the people with small incomes: the caste of the ana'her. Then the last one, the suffering caste of the four others, the sacrificed ones referred to in the dark verse: the manaêl. Argeneone is also separated into three levels. The one you see when you enter the city, the one that hides the perverse damage of Argeneone, is the first. The second level is relatively less lavish than the first, but it contains the first four castes. While the manaêl are hiding in the most dilapidated area of the second level. And finally the third level is a hidden place that is more commonly called the black market. Everything can be found there and it is where the Shadow Guild is located.

- Speaking of the organization, Aloÿs is the young master! He manages the information part. So if you want to know something, ask him. finished Rawën, winking at his audience.

    - You!" exclaimed Aloÿs, his face burning and giving a murderous look to his neighbor. For the pain, no dessert for you Rawën! 

It was then that in a semblance of a jump, the aforementioned Rawën threw himself on Aloÿs while chirping. Erwë catapulted herself towards her two friends and began to fight for the desserts that Aloÿs was holding, desserts that soon crashed on the ground. Caleb tried as best he could to remain stoic in the face of his companions' antics, but he could not. He began to laugh in a way he hadn't for some time. The room was filled with laughter and screams that soon died down to a complete calm. Seeing the three young people he now considered his friends had fallen asleep, Caleb brought Aloÿs, Rawën and Erwë with difficulty to the bed. He went to the bathroom, grabbed a wet towel and wiped his friends' faces and hands with tenderness. He placed the ointment and bandages on Erwë's ankle and then, having finished, he settled himself under the comforter and fell asleep with a thankful murmur.