Lord Shadow

PANDEMONIUM

Outside the Pandemonium Throne Room, the sky is thundering, wind seems to form storms and rains falls down hard.

The people of Pandemonium all take rest below some large trees or return home. Some adventurer rented room in the Inn. They all looked at the sky and felt unease.

Because they all knew why the sky is getting crazy like this. It must be because that person is angry

The gaze of the people of Pandemonium all rested on the Center Palace.

In a room inside the Center Palace, a dark silhouette is illuminated by the moonlight. This silhouette is sitting on a throne of black onyx; his entire existence seems to radiate loneliness.

The throne room seems to highlight the singleness of that throne, and the high position it possesses in Pandemonium.

Nobody could sit in that throne other than this man.

Nobody would even dare to. Even though the owner of that throne is always absent no one ever dare disrespect him or even trying to touch the handle of that throne.

The owner of this throne possess the highest position in the hearts of the people living in Pandemonium.

Because the owner of this throne is none other than Death Monarch Azief.

BOOOM!

Thunders roars even louder and a spiral of wind descend down from the turbulent wind from the heavens connecting with the wind that is rising up from ground up, creating a tornado around the Pandemonium Sea

The sound of thunders is like a lullaby in Azief ears.

Azief right now is sitting on his throne with his eyes closed, pondering something both in his mind and in his heart.

His heart is full of emotions and as such it is turbulent and the world reflected that on the physical world.

Even just sitting there he emanated an aura of an overlord. Even the storm outside could not force him to care much.

His emotions are stormy and the whole Pandemonium is affected because of it.

Up in the sky, the dark clouds and the thunders and the rain that poured down hard are all because this person is experiencing a stormy emotion.

His Will unconsciously leaks out and in the absence of the Will of the World that is recuperating, Azief Will is affecting the weather

His elbow is on the handle, while his hand is on his chin. His eyes closed but sitting there, nobody would ever dare to disturb him

The Keeper of the Palace was about to clean the throne room a few minutes ago.

When he opened the door and saw that Death Monarch is sitting on his throne with that pose, that Keeper of the Palace nearly fainted in fear.

He closes his mouth preventing himself from screaming out loud and disturb Death Monarch.

He then slowly run himself out from the room, sweating and trembling before he informs the whole Palace crew.

They all vacated all the task near the Throne Room for fearing to disturb Death Monarch.

That is what happens a few minutes ago. Azief of course notice the Keeper of the Palace but he did not say much and instead continue on what he was doing.

He didn’t bother explaining and he doesn’t need to and everyone knows that. Pandemonium is his land. He opened it up and he could do whatever he wants in it.

A person that could defy Death Monarch in his own land is not yet born.

And what is he doing exactly?

Azief is thinking. There were many things he is pondering about. He is thinking about his decision and he doesn’t know what the right answer to the question in his heart

But just because he doesn’t know the answer that doesn’t mean he will not be thinking of it

But for the Keeper of the Palace they called this Death Monarch brooding session.

Of course they do not dare say it in front of Death Monarch himself but they always talk about it when they are among themselves.

He is thinking things and also at the same time he is waiting or someone to come to him. He sighed and then the clouds in the sky thunder with more lightning

It is already late at night but it is not like he needed sleep anyway. There are many things he wanted to know.

First of all, the question he wanted answer is what happened to Pandemonium when he was fighting Sithulran.

He saw some parts of the continent being ravaged by fire and destruction. Of course it has already been contained but the question remains.

What had happened?

To know such question, he of course summoned Sasha. Azief is waiting for her and at the same time feeling that she is a little late.

Though Azief have no intention of trying to blame her. Today seems to be a tough day for her. It seems to be a tough day for everyone.

Sasha seems preoccupied with many matters. There is the matter of Pandemonium attack. And then there is of course the help she renders in helping Will.

Azief got some of the report when he was sitting on the infirmary rooftop that told him about the condition of Will.

Will right now is inside a quartz capsule that used to belong to Shinji.

Shinji was the warrior Azief saved in Poland. Azief thought highly of that person and his determination and his path of swordsmanship.

He is healed already and he is living well in Pandemonium. He did not accept Azief offer yet but Azief give him freedom to choose. He only asks for Shinji to stay in Pandemonium and make the choice later.

Will with his hyper regeneration and healing and the quartz capsule to help him in his recovery, there is no doubt that he would surely be healed by dawn.

As he was thinking all of this, he opens his eyes.

‘You’re here?’

His voice is cold and his gaze seems to be able to see the inner workings of the Universe.

There is moving dark clouds in his eyes, thunders flashing every few seconds and a huge spiral inside the image in his eyes that seems to be able to devour anything.

The energy that bursted out for that one moment possess the might of the Heavens

It was only for a split second but the image could be seen in his eyes and the energy could be felt. It could induce horror in anyone to be in front of such massive burst of energy.

If not for him containing the area of that energy, the entire Palace would have cracked in all of its pillars.

Outside the Palace, thunder and lightning started to calms down, and the storm subsided slowly but surely.

From the moonlight that illuminated into the room, a shimmering image appears in a translucent form before slowly solidify itself.

It is a woman that possess a sharp and severe beauty.

This woman wearing a white grayish tight attire, petite and lethal all at the same time.

She then kneels just below the throne, bowing her head to the direction toward the Sovereign of this dominion, Death Monarch

This woman is of course none other than the head of the Shadow Guards, Sasha the Nightingale.

Azief nodded, his eyes lazily look at her and he ask

‘You’re late’ It was a simple statement but that woman knows she needs to explain well. Sasha maintain her courage and then replied

‘Matters’ she replied shortly. Azief eyes narrowed and then he only said

‘Hmm’

Other than the sound of the subsiding storms and the last lingering echoes of the roars of thunder, there is only silence inside the throne room.,

It is dark, cold and silent. And sitting on a dragon throne made of black material is the Death Monarch, who dresses like the night.

He is only illuminated sometime by the flashing of lightning or when the clouds that covers the light of the moon were pushed by the wind and the light approach the tall high throne of Pandemonium.

His face is cold and passive and his eyes seems to be able to see through every lies and every thought.

It was like the throne room is a part of the realm of the Dead where there is no laughter, joy or life.

Anyone would be pressured in such situation.

But Sasha maintain her calm. Because she knows that the man sitting on that throne did not care whether she is calm or not

She only needs to do her job well. And that is enough for her and for him. She did not lose her cool and responded to Death Monarch question with as little word as possible.

It is not her being rude. It is because that is how Death Monarch preferred it.

Many people know this and it is not a secret but they are not many that dares to speak short in front of him fearing that Death Monarch would think that they were slighting him.

They knew that Death Monarch treated his word like gold but just because of that one particular traits doesn’t mean that Death Monarch would appreciate the same kind of things from his subordinate.

But Sasha could see that Death Monarch really don’t care about such things. At least he doesn’t care for such thing on some selected people.

And Sasha is one of those selected people.

Death Monarch rarely speaks unless he needs to and even when he speaks he rarely spoke long.

He did not ask to be understood and he doesn’t care if people understand his intention or not.

That is why Death Monarch got the reputation of a person who would do anything he wanted, whenever and wherever he wanted.

In a bad way one could say that he is a person that have no restrains. But put it in another perspective, Death Monarch is probably the freest person in the world.

There is no chain on him. And there is no chain that could hold him

Sasha though of all this internally. But she calms down her thoughts. There is silence from the throne above.

She takes a peek and she was disappointed.

Azief speak. His voice is still cold and expressionless as ever. Sasha bitterly smiles.

‘Report?’ He asked.

***

Next chapter in a few minutes. Hope you are liking the mass release so far