Lord Shadow

Loki went to the Main Hall and behind him Trisha followed only to see something that make his eyes narrowed.

An altar.

This altar is weird in that it doesn’t seem to originally exist in this Temple before.

The altar was made by some kind of illuminating rocks but the color coming out from the altar is not blinding.

Instead it only glows intermittently with bluish dark glow.

‘It is supposed to be there’ Loki said, and one could see he is slowly getting angry

Loki looks at what supposed to be the place where that Orb is. He sighed.

‘It’s not there’ Trisha said stating the obvious which only increase Loki irritation

‘I have eyes. I could see’ Loki said sarcastically, as his eyes turn cold. Trisha clicked her tongue in annoyance and then said

‘Could it be Ezzio lied to us?’ Loki shakes his head almost immediately

‘No. It is not him’ Trisha looks questioningly at Loki and asks

‘How are you so sure?’

Loki comes closer to the altar where the Orb should be. Then he pointed to the base of the altar

‘Look’

Trisha come closer and examines it. There is a scribble. No, she thought as she finally recognizes it.

‘It is a painting. Of clouds’ Loki nodded

But Trisha doesn’t understand.

What does a painting of clouds mean to Loki and why does that makes Loki sure that it is not Ezzio that is lying to them? That is what puzzles Trisha the most

Loki knows Ezzio.

He wouldn’t dare do it because Ezzio knows him and he knows Ezzio.

And if he really doesn’t want Loki to get the orb he wouldn’t even try to negotiate. Since Ezzio doesn’t know the use of that orb he didn’t even have any motivation to keep it.

Of course if he knew, Loki knows whatever persuasion he said would not be able to let Ezzio give the location of this Orb.

The second reason was because he is sure it is not Ezzio is because of that painting.

He knows of that painting. It is like a calling card. He has seen it a few times on his dealing with the many seedy people in the crime underworld.

At first when he saw the empty altar he thought it is Yewa Hafar work. That he had found it. But no. It is not his work.

There isn’t that stench.

At least it is better that this Orb falls into the hands of that person instead of Yewa Hafar. But still, Loki would find his heart more at ease if that thing is in his hand.

‘Lord Loki, tell me, what does it mean?’ Trisha asked

‘The moving clouds high on the heavens. That is his symbol’

‘Symbol? Whose symbol?’ Loki bitterly smiles as he answers

‘I don’t expect you to know him. He is quite reclusive and he rarely shows himself to the world. But he had quite a run in with the World Government and the Republic last year. But because they were so many shocking things that happens last year people might have even forgotten about him’

‘Who are you talking about, Lord Loki?’

Loki look at that painting, the flourish of that style of painting shows the arrogance of its painter and sighed.

‘Ku. Or Sora. It could be translated as the sky or Heaven. But it could also means Void.’ Then Loki added

“In the Void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence. Principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness’ Loki suddenly spouts a quote from Miyamoto Musashi in the Book of Five Rings

The moment Trisha heard that name she immediately remembers that person. Void!

‘You mean Void stole it. That guy stole it? He didn’t seem like a thief’ Loki nodded

‘Why?’ she asked

‘I don’t know. And it doesn’t matter why he stole it. But we must get it back.’ Loki frowned. He had to hand it to Time.

It is making him work for it.

Trisha look at Loki frown and then she sighed.

‘Will you not tell me what about this Orb that had you all riled up?’ Trisha asked, her eyes staring at Loki.

Loki only smiles bitterly but he did not answer.

‘Another secret? Or is it another lie? Or both this time?’

Loki did not say anything. So, Trisha also becomes silent. After a few second of awkwardness she said

‘The Broker?’ she asked

‘The Broker’ Loki replied.

Trisha walks out from the Temple first while Loki stays inside. He sighed and then he smiles.

Then he slowly tapped his finger on the pillars as a melody sounded from the pillars, the sound carried by the wind of the forest and he smiles a little bit wider

He understands something as he tapped these musical pillars.

Could it be the reason why Yewa Hafar could never find the orb is because it is in this temple?

Could it be this melody that comes out from this Temple is the same kind of melody that comes out from the Wheel of Reincarnation?

Loki heard it of course.

That melody.

But not during Azief summoning of the Wheel. He heard it too but it not quite the same a Azul melody when he make his Wheel rotates.

He heard it a long time ago when he met Azul. It is probably why it doesn’t have much effect on him.

He realizes that during the Final battle, that melody could weaken Yewa Hafar.

Of course at that time it is not Yewa Hafar the whole world was fighting. It is his master. And his master has no match in this Universe.

Loki taps his finger on another pillar and another melody sounded.

This Vittala Temple has fifty-eight musical pillars. Could it be if one taped the whole pillars a new melody might come out? Is that the reason why so many beasts roamed around here? And if so, what Melody this is?

And then Loki had a feeling. He closes his eyes as he tries to sort out all the thoughts that is swimming inside his mind right now.

Could somebody have foreseen this thing all those thousands of years ago, and help humans to build this temple by imbuing some magical properties in these pillars to make sure it does not fall into the hands of Yewa Hafar?

Or is it just a happy coincidence that the same melody that could suppress Yewa Hafar is the same temple where that orb is located?

It is hard to believe it is just a coincidence

‘Fate?’ Loki asks in this empty temple and his voice slowly was drowned out by the sound of music that comes from him tapping the pillars.

‘Destiny?’ he asked again and he smiles.

Then he laughed.

‘I never even believe in those things. Not because I deny its existence. But because I don’t want to be chained by it’

Then he added

‘My Grand Path is not that different from Azief Grand Path’

Then he laughed even more boisterous as his hand keep touching and tapping the pillars as he walks out from the temple with a joyful mood, the melody rings inside the Temple, resonating and like a bell tolling, sound only certain people could hear

He might lose the Orb but he senses something more important than that. Something or someone have foreseen all of this and that something or someone is probably on his side.

Whether that something is fate or destiny or someone or something else, Loki now have more confidence.

It is just a premonition but Loki premonition is usually scary good. When you once see the secrets of the Universe, Loki premonition is no longer just some normal premonition.

It could even be considered a supernatural premonition.

Is it a Deus Ex Machina? Because Loki kinda need one right now. Nothing is going his way. He always hated reading story that have Deus EX machine in its plot.

But in real life, he desperately wanted some kind of divine help that will help him save this fucking Universe.

He is tired of doing this alone and he is battered by fate and destiny. He is like Sisyphus pushing a rock to the top of a cliff only for the rock to steamrolled him at the top and he had to repeat it again and again.

But he kept going. Probably that is why Time God Jean in the future chose him.

Because he probably knows that no matter how sick and tired, how beaten and broken he is going to get trying to save this Earth and all of the Universe he will not give up.

He just couldn’t give up…not when hope is there. It is kind of cruel to have hope sometimes. It makes people unable to let go.

Not until that last moment came. No one understands this obsession and fervent desire unless they experienced the Final Battle. It was hopeless from the very start.

It is why he understood Louise and Morgana in a way. Morgana might not have fought in the Final battle but she also probably lost a few important people in her life in that battle.

Even until the end, Loki still doesn’t understand Morgana and what she truly wants. Even now, he is questioning what Morgana told her about her motive.

She always said she wanted to kill Death Monarch but Loki could see there is love in her eyes when looking at Azief.

It is the gaze a daughter gave when they look at their fathers. Loki sighed as he wondered whether this premonition is really right.

Loki then walks out from the Temple and saw Trisha waiting for her.

‘You really wanted to see the Broker? Don’t you at least wanted to wait a couple of months…you know to let things cool down a bit?’ Trisha asked

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I know you don’t like seeing him especially after…you know’ Trisha said. Loki only bitterly smiles and said

‘Desperate times call for a desperate measure.’ Trisha only shakes her head. It is not really desperate right now.

But she must admit seeing the Broker and hearing what that person had to say is probably the fastest way to get information on Void.

Void. A reclusive expert like that is hard to find and even harder to trace.

‘I don’t think the Broker will forget that you sabotage that person plans in Bolivia. The Broker lost a lot of men that day’ Trisha said

She looks worried. Loki on the other hand only waved his hand and smile

‘I am just worried that if you go to the Broker this time, that there will be a trap waiting for you’

Loki shakes his head.

‘Let’s just says I have leverage. Just open the portal’ Trisha harrumphed in dissatisfaction.

‘Fine. If you got trapped there don’t blame me later’ Loki only chuckles.

Trisha then threw out an octagon shaped metal on the ground as the space around it weakens and a portal to another place emerged out from the octagon shaped metal.

Loki enters the portal and Trisha follows behind as they disappear from the Temple.

The flock of ravens around the temple flaps their wings upwards and disperses and the serpents that slither around the grass and around the branches dissipated into green mist that is carried over by the wind.

The place was quiet and calm after Loki and Trisha left. Half an hour later however something weird seems to be happening. It is the second weird thing to happen in this area today.

The wind change directions and the area felt like it is being compressed and stretched until it reaches its breaking point.

Then a space distortion happened and the space deconstructed itself around the Temple as a person seems to come out from the thin air.

Destruction energy emanated out from him.

That person looks around the area. He saw the destruction left behind by Loki and Trisha and only smiles.

He saw the Temple and he was about to enter the Temple but then he stopped.

Looking at the Temple, his eyes seem to be wavering with feeling of fears.

He looks at the Temple in disgust and backed away from the entrance of the temple. He could hear the ringing of the melody inside the Temple and his face frowned.

‘No wonder, no wonder I could never find it. It is here’ he said to himself.

That person however did not seem that disappointed as he said

‘At least it is not here anymore. It is fair game for anyone now, Trickster’ that person said with a malevolent smile on his face.

He then walks back from the Temple and as he takes a step he disappeared from the area. The winds then blow gently and the forest is calm again.

Everything seems calm…. on the surface

***

I saw xincerely get first place. And then I saw many romance taking all over All and I suddenly get the idea to also write a romance . it was then I was reminded of something. Lord Shadow is not yet finished. It hasn’t even get past the first threshold which is the Time Crisis.

Then there is Age of Adventure. And Age of Heroes. And Age of Heroes Novus Gaia and I satrted foaming in the mouth. Can I finish all of it before I died?

Huhuhu. I guess I will not be trying to be writing romance. because if I did I will amke sure you would curse me.

Helia and Arial, Azief, Sofia and Katarina, Aero and Amy. My work always had some kind of romance tragedy waiting to happen.

I still remember the spew of curses I had during the Arial Helia Incident.

Anyway double chapter today, Hope you like it