Lord Shadow 90 THE HEAVY PRICE

MEANWHILE

FAR AWAY IN THE UNIVERSE

PLANET BELTHANA

The moment Fir enter the Temple he could see the Devotees of the Moirai.

The atmosphere around tem is somber and stern as each step is marked by profound energy.

They did not speak and their face is covered by golden veil. Their hand wears some kind of golden glove that covers their hand.

In the center of the first floor was a Golden Spindle. Fir look up and he could see thousands of doors and halls.

Then one of the Devotees who seem to rule the first floor comes towards him.

The odd thing was when this Devotee comes towards him, Fir realized that the woman was floating, like a feather being blown by the wind.

In her hand is a red goblet.

When she arrives in front of Fir Her Waz, the woman kneeled and then she presented the goblet to Fir Her Waz.

Fir was puzzled. He looks left and right at the other Devotees to get some hint but they are silent.

The goblet then suddenly was filled with black liquid to the brim.

Then a hoarse voice sounded from the woman who kneels.

'Drink, O Last Son of Yrinia. Drink and meet the Fates.' Fir Her Waz quickly understand and he took the goblet and drink the liquid.

The black liquid feel squishy in his throats and slowly Fir Her Waz feels dizzy.

What is in that thing? he thought to himself. Then the woman who kneels takes his hand and slowly she floats and he was floating too.

From what Fir could remember, he felt his bone became limbless.

He sees countless worlds, and imagines threads and see patterns as images blurred right in front of his eyes.

He could not tell the time whether it was long or short when suddenly he found himself kneeling in front Three Thrones made of golden stars.

It was the main hall of the Temple of Fates.

And in front of him was the Three Fates, sitting on their thrones, with twenty feet height, looking at him like he was some kind of smaller being.

He looks left and right and his behind.

He no longer sees the Devotees who brought him here and the environment and the scenery here is different from the first floor of the temple.

It is full of energy, chaotic or otherwise.

He looks around and he could not hide his shock and awe.

Beneath his knees are the stars, behind him he could see pulsating nexus of galaxies as countless planetary system revolves around their orbits.

When he looks upwards he could see the Eight Realms in a convergence. It was like he was kneeling on a sea of stars.

The Heavens, the skies of stars, countless of galaxies are all there for him to peruse.

Behind the Thrones of the Three Fates was moving scenery of bloodshed, war, carnage, a story of death and destruction filled the moving images.

And if you focused enough to see deep inside the images, one could hear the screams, the shrieks, the shouts and the lamentations.

But there is also other scenery.

One of the scenery shows rebirth, boundless life, the growth of plants and planets, formation of galaxies, of peoples and species, of things thriving while one of scenery shows emptiness, void and nothingness that devour the universes like an unstoppable plague.

It takes Fir a few moments to calm himself down and when he is calm enough, he prostrate himself and said

'Warrior Fir Her Waz is beyond honored to be in the presence of the Three Lady of Fates.'

'We have been waiting. Rise, child so we may look at your fate.'

Slowly, Fir Her Waz lifts up his face and look at the Fates who were talking. The Fates that looks towards Fir, nodded.

It was the oldest of the Three, Lady Atropos.

She sat in the center as she was the oldest; her body emits boundless energy, of something that is sacred and inviolable.

It was said once that one of the Frost Giants from the Eight Realms, Vonodur calls her true name, Aisa before being cursed by her other Two sisters and fall into oblivion.

So, Fir Her Waz is very cautious not to offend the Three Fates.

Lady Atropos face was stern and somber. Beneath her throne was her golden shears shining like the sun in the sky.

Her expression was always the same. Expressionless. Stoic. It almost like she would never smiles.

She sit charismatically on the throne with red dress as red as blood.

The throne itself was twenty feet high. The Three Fates has already shrunk themselves to a presentable size to meet him.

The Three Sister is the Daughters of the Night.

Behind her throne was the scenery of death, and her shears cutting the life of warriors, kings, killers, saints, children and the elderly, for death is equal to all.

The executors of Destiny and fates in Olympus much like the Norns in the Eight Realms. Then one of the Fates speak

'Speak, child. Tell us what you want to know. You have been given a tough lot to deal with. It is a pity. For you to be the only survivor of such a grand civilization, what a tragedy. Yet, the Destroyer fate is not controlled by us, or the Norns. The Destroyer is a calamity, a disaster none can evade. Only the Creator could stop him. But each to his own quest. Pursuing this, your thread of life will be shortened.'

It was Lady Lachesis that spoke and looks at Fir Her Waz with a little pity in her eyes.

She was clothed in white light, luminous like the color of the sun before dawn is breaking.

Behind her, the scenery of life well lived can be seen.

On his right hand was a rod. There is also the image of many kinds of life forms, humans, animals, other races, like a selection of lives.

Fir knows that the Three Fates has already known what he was about to ask, but he also knows that the Three Fates wanted him to choose.

Asking for a glimpse to the future will as Lady Lachesis so aptly describe, shortened his life thread which means there is a price to be paid.

Every magic has a price.

And this particular price is his longevity, his time on this universe and his soul will go to the Three Fates when he dies and will not join the Oasis Everlasting of his Gods.

He will be sent to Lord Hades of Olympus and not Lord Cexoan of Yrinia, The God of Death of his planet.

'I wish to know the All Source location, My Lady. I hope my lady could fulfill this lowly wish'

One of the Fates shakes her head.

'A pity. A pity. Are you sure child? The All Source is the most powerful energy in the universe. The Price…..will be steep'

It was Lady Clotho who speaks the youngest of the Fates. Behind her is the scene of void forming and dissipating.

Looking farther behind the void is moving scenery of a lady Aphrodite making love with multiple Olympians, the scene of Titan Lord Typhon death, Lord Zeus hurling his lightning to a mortal and a war in which the Lady helped the Olympians.

Her hair reached her hips and her clothes is golden light. Her face is beautiful and youthful with vibrancy of life.

In her hands is a ball of golden thread.

'I am sure, my Lady.' He replied

The Three Fates close their eyes and nodded. Then they open their eyes and in unison they made a grasping motion as invisible golden threads appears from Fir body and was curling itself to the three Fates artifacts.

Then three voices melded into one as it echoes in the room, revealing prophecies and information.

'Now, your destiny, life and death belong to us, last Son of Yrinia. This is the price. The thing you seek is on Earth. That damned little planet meant to insult all creations for they, humans, were the favoured child of the Creator. They destroy and spread carnage and destruction, yet the Creator favoured them above all others. The All Source has gifted the humans with the Dao of the Jade palace, the mastery of Runes of Asgardian, the Eternal Armaments crafting of the Olympians and many other abilities, for it is the All Source and it is capable of anything.' And as the Three Fates said this an image of an orb embedded itself inside Fir Her Waz mind.

The Three Fates continues to speak of his prophecies.

'The moment you enter Earth, you will face great dangers. Beware of a shadow that wields Ten Rings, five in each finger for he will be your doom.'

And an image of a man clouded in shadow and aura of death, with rings on each of his fingers appears inside his mind.

The man shrouded by the shadows seems to possess powers to overturn the heavens and the stars.

His steps ripples realities and his swish of his sleeve dim the stars. Even as this image burned itself inside Fir Her Waz mind, the Three Fates keep talking.

'This is what we Three Fates could tell you. If you succeed in your quest, your world will be revived and our Threads will shatter for the All Source reject Death. If you fail, then your soul is ours for eternity. No longer will your soul be transported to the Oasis Everlasting of Cexoan, but rest in peace, in the Blessed Isle for that will be your reward for your kind and honorable deeds. Now, go and set forth. May the Gods of Olympus be with you'

And saying this, the Three Fates simultaneously waves their hand and Fir was teleported in front of his spaceship.

Fir Her Waz could still see the faint trace of the golden threads from his body before it fades from his visions.

He is now linked towards the Three Fates.

Fir Her Waz bowed in respect towards the direction of the Temple Of Fates.

He then enters his spaceships and flies to his mothership in a matter of hours.

He drinks a bit of Guirtna juice before inputting a new coordinate on his main interface of his mothership.

Next destination he said and he look at the sea of stars in front of him.

Earth.

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MEANWHILE ON EARTH

It was late at night when Loki appears in front of Azief. This time he appears as a boyish young man with slender body, almost resembling a woman.

Loki likes to change his appearance every day like it was his habit but Azief could sense his energy.

Other than Loki and Sofia, who else have an Energy Disperse Stage power level n his camp?

Azief was sitting around some logs, in front of a fire pit, contemplating on his decision and reflecting on his irrational behavior these past few days.

He looks at Loki with a slight twinge of annoyance and resignation.

'What? You come here to lecture me too?'

Loki sighs

'I came to talk.'

'The decision to stop searching for her depends on me. If not for Sofia, I will not stop the search. After we're finished with the Seven Fairy, I'm coming back with a larger army'

Azief said before Loki could even talk.

'Cut the crap Azief. You're going to risk more people lives because of your matter? This is personal. You said to the troops that we need Sina because of her abilities to make potions and pills and that is a reasonable excuse. If the Seven Fairy did not march to the village, even I will not order you to stop the search. But, without you, Eden will fall. It would be best for you not to underestimate the Seven Fairy. You might be a Seed Forming user but you still have not formed any Seed. Your troops already suffer injuries from monsters inside the forest region. You can't let go of her because this is your mistake. It's your mistake that lands her inside that forest and you're too proud to accept that.'

'Don't start with me Loki!' He shouted his tone raised in anger. But Loki is not backing down.

'You lost perspective. I'm sad too you know. You're not the only one who wanted to search for her. I spend a year with that woman. I know her better than you, you prick.' Loki said as he also began feeling angry

'You think I don't care about her at all? But you're putting the lives of the people who trusted you at risk and you're exposing the village you created, to a possible attack by a powerful force in the plains. There are hundreds of people there in the village.'

Loki said as he moved closer to Azief, his voice raised at each step.

But he continues speaking even when Azief is glaring at him.

'Not all of them are warriors. I don't know the Seven Fairy way of treating prisoners. Maybe they will treat them better or maybe the Seven Fairy is maniacs. I don't know. But those people agreed to come to the village you created because I offer them a promise. A promise of protection by a Seed Forming High realm user. I promise them what you promise Wang Jian. The longer you stay here committing our entire force to search for Sina, you exposing the people at the village the risk of being attacked.' He said and then he arrived in front of Azief.

Then he slowly sits down on the logs opposite from Azief, looking at his face separated by the fire pit in the center.

Then he said

'Almost one third of the supplies have been used to finance this search and rescue operations. What will you do when it is run out? Will you fly back to the village and take the supplies inside the warehouse? Until when? Will you stand guard over this border for years? After all you cannot enter. Will you send hundreds of men here after you managed to rid of the Seven Fairy thus risking their lives to find her? Their lives are not important? Their lives have no values? That is unacceptable.'

He ended with a sigh as his piercing glance seems to prick Azief conscience.

'Hmph.' Azief snorted.

'Whatever it is you feel about this, it's my decision.

'Alright. It's your troops, your territory, your people. Fine. And you? You're their leader. You are an honorable man. And you are perfectly aware that you putting the lives of this people at risk because of your personal feelings. Now, if you can live with that…..then I'm out.'

Azief look at Loki and gritted his teeth and glares at him but he doesn't say anything.

'I hope you think about it, Azief. I'm going to go to sleep.' And Loki began standing up as he was about to go but then Azief said

'Wait.' And Loki turned back and look at Azief expression. It was an expression of resignation.

'I have actually talked about this with Sofia.'

'And?' Loki asks.

Azief sigh first then he said

'I will terminate search operations tomorrow. We're going home.'

'And Sina?' Loki asks again. Azief closes his eyes and he said

'I'll think of a way. After I finished with the Seven Fairy, I'll think of a way.'

Loki nodded

'As long as that way will not harm innocent lives, then I'm in.'

'Loki, tell Wang Jian to prepare the troops tomorrow after I meet Lee Sangmin. We're leaving. Wang Jian will resume his duties as the General of the Army and you as my advisor.'

'Why don't you tell him yourself?'

'Hmph' Azief sighed regretfully.

'I'm too ashamed to meet him. I know I was risking the lives of his brother, but I didn't care as long as I could convince myself that I could found Sina. I actually know that Sasha would not be so easily found.'

The wooden stick in the fire pit crackles as the heat keeps the cold away in this night. The wind blows peacefully.

'I know, Sasha could have killed her if she found Sina to be a burden. There is a hundred of ways, where Sina could have already perished. You, me, Sofia knows that Sina has weak physique as she is a unique class production. She is not suited for battle but suited for support. I know all this but I couldn't accept it. Is it ego? Is it guilt? Truthfully, I don't know.'

He confessed. Then he looks at Loki and said

'For you it has been a year in this world. But what I experienced in the Universe Orb, the journey I have travelled...I rarely fails and rarely was I wrong. I even think of myself as invincible. I treated Sasha like she was underserving of my full power. If I didn't give her a chance from the beginning, she would have never managed to abduct Sina. I was too confident of myself.'

And the things that Azief did not say are that he views Loki and Sina as his closest friends.

Maybe because they endured hardship and experience life and death experience together, or maybe because of his experience in the Otherworlds where kindness is hard to found, that he found it comfortable to be around Loki and Sina.

'So…..what now?' Loki ask

'I'll have to deal with it' Azief said.

'Good.' Loki said

And Loki got up and move to his tent while Azief was left contemplating on his decision that night.

While Azief was thinking of a solution, the Seven Fairy is marching steadily with ten thousand people, already reaching halfway to Eden.

In the World Government, a sign of a coup d'état by Raymond can be seen as he dismiss the independent tribunal and surround the Quorum courthouse with his troops.

In the Ice Region, Katarina finally manages to reach Energy Disperse Stage High Realm after fighting with the Yellow Eyed Yeti which sacrifices about five thousand troops.

She is now undergoing seclusion as she is recuperating from the poison of the Yellow Eyed yeti claws.

Meanwhile somewhere in the Forest Region, Arrayist Lee Sangmin was smiling in joy in front of a cave as he discovers two people.

One of the people he found was incapacitated and hardly breathes while the other has injuries all over her body.

He swishes his hand and an array lighted up the cave as lights from the barrier shine down on the cave and teleported Lee Sangmin and the two people thousands of miles away from the cave to the edge of the forest region border.

The moment he was teleported, Lee Sangmin ordered the two people to be healed inside the fortress.

Lee Sangmin went up to the half-finished battlements and peer to the distance as he could see the camp of the troops of Lord Shadow and he smiles as he whispers.

'I have a present for you, Lord Shadow. '

As he said this he turned back and went to his prepared rooms as he is overjoyed by his discoveries and the solution to his problem.

While all of this happening on Earth, somewhere in the vast galaxy, a planet was being decayed by a ten feet monster, with black like obsidian spikes all over its body.

The Annihilator has managed to rot anther planet to its extinction.

The Intergalactic Alliance no longer manages to keep the news from spreading out in the galaxy as many of the planets has learned that the Annihilator has escaped the Negative Zone.

Many planetary systems have begun sending a petition to the Intergalactic Alliance to impeach the leaders of Olympus, Jade Palace, the Amenthes and Sekhet Hetepet for their dereliction of duties in keeping the Annihilator in captivity.

The Destroyer keep floating in the dark space as his body rushing through planets, stars and sun, as it devours everything into darkness.

Setting of from the stars of Belthana is a warrior from Yrinia determines to seek the All Source.

A great storm is coming to earth.

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Chapter end

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