Chapter 170
CHAPTER 170
THE ENDS AND THE BEGINNINGS
A torrential rain fell so freely it showed no signs of stopping, even after pouring for nearly a week straight . The streets of the city appeared barren of life, sucked into an entirely different reality than what they were used to . While everyone else wondered why it was raining in desert, Lino figured it had to do something with the ruins -- as they"ve most-likely collapsed entirely by now .
He currently stood atop a tall platform inside one of the towers within the city, overlooking not only the city itself but also the desert . His gaze veered onward toward the horizon, the latter blanketed by gray and black clouds and endless thunder and lightning .
Hearing the footsteps behind him he turned, his eyes glistening strangely . Valkyria stopped a few meters away from him and bowed lightly, causing him to sigh .
"I"ve decided to leave . " Lino said as he s.h.i.+fted his gaze off of her onto the sprawling, now wet, desert .
" . . . I see . " Valkyria said, trying to control her voice . "Is there nothing I can do to change Your mind?"
"You could become my wife . " Lino chuckled .
"Very well . "
" . . . it was a joke . "
"Regardless . "
"There"s no need for you to become a part of my world," Lino glanced at her yet again and smiled freely . "And even less of a one to drag your entire tribe into a conflict well beyond you . "
"It is the reason we exist in--"
"It"s not," Lino interrupted . "Just like anyone and anything else, you"ve no reason for existing . You make one . "
" . . . it was made so . " Valkyria persisted .
"Perhaps . . . a long time ago," Lino said . "Not anymore . You have a new reason Val . One far more honorable than indulging my whims . "
" . . . "
"You"ve an entire Tribe to look after," he added as he took a gulp of a rather sweet wine, a local product . "You shouldn"t betray their hopes of surviving and prospering in this world . "
" . . . why are you projecting?" Valkyria asked directly with a somewhat harsher voice .
" . . . because saying I don"t want you to serve me sounds a bit harsh, doesn"t it?" Lino chuckled oddly for a moment . "Anyway, this isn"t a place for me . It"s time to let the old legend go, Val . "
" . . . your battles and wars will be endless . " she mumbled . "They may cost you far more than what you"re losing here . "
" . . . perhaps . " Lino said .
"No matter what you say, Lino, I haven"t chosen to kneel before you because of my Ancestors . " Valkyria said . "I"ve done it of my own heart and mind . It"s painful . . . your rejection of both . "
"What would you have me do, then?"
"You made a correct choice," Valkyria continued . "To leave . Your growth would be stunned here . However, you told me you don"t want to be another Empyrean, no?"
" . . . " Lino merely nodded .
"Then answer me this . . . when did the Empyrean come the closest to achieving their dreams?"
" . . . "
"When they had someone behind their back," Valkyria said . "And that"s what I"ll give you . Don"t fight the world alone, Lino . It"s a hopeless battle . "
" . . . here . " Lino flickered his sleeve and sent a couple of talismans flying in her direction . "One"s to contact me, the other is to locate me . If you truly made this decision of your own mind . . . I"ll be expecting you . "
"Good luck on your journey . "
" . . . I"ll visit . "
" . . . liar . "
Lucky and Felix were currently sitting on a porch, the latter indulged in reading an old-looking book while the former drank, seemingly bored with staring into the horizon . She glanced in short bursts at the tower rising above all others at the center of the city, sighing from time to time .
"What"s the matter?" Felix asked .
"Nothing . " Lucky replied .
" . . . I"ve realized you"re a lot like the Master . " Felix commented, grinning . "Maybe that"s why you seem to hate him so much?"
" . . . I hate him because he never makes the right choice," Lucky said . "Before I had the chance to do so . "
" . . . are you in love with him?" Felix questioned, looking at her oddly .
" . . . " Lucky glanced at him and suddenly laughed, startling him for a moment . "What makes you think that?"
"I don"t know . Just a guess . "
" . . . no . Not anymore at least . " she said .
"Anymore? You were?" Felix asked, seeming stunned .
"Hm," Lucky nodded . "It was while we were still young," she continued . "Well, I wouldn"t exactly say I was in love with him . It was more of a case of the angry infatuation blinding one"s judgment . "
" . . . I can sort of understand it . " Felix smiled . "He can be . . . quite infuriating . When did you stop?"
" . . . when I saw his heart die . " Lucky replied . "And realized I"d never be loved back . "
" . . . " Felix suddenly bit his lower lip as his eyes veered downwards . "I . . . I"m sorry . . . "
"Eh, don"t worry about it," Lucky said . "We were young and all . Those flames rarely ever survive . What about you hotshot? Any lucky lady waiting for you in the City of Sun?"
"Ha ha . . . no, no such thing . Well, I imagine my parents had already arranged someone and are simply waiting to inform me of it . "
"Eh, whoever she is, here"s to her . " Lucky raised her gourd but, realizing Felix wasn"t drinking, shot him a murderous gaze before emptying the contents of hers .
"Will . . . will you follow him?" Felix asked .
"Yeah . " Lucky replied without hesitation . "What? You"ve made a decision as well?"
" . . . heh, it was never really even a dubious question . I"ve always known I"d go where he went . "
"Sounds like you"re the one who"s in love with him . "
"Call it what you will . . . but he showed me an entirely new world, and I feel like following him will lead me to more experiences like those, rather than just staying cooped up in a safety of a random corner of the old one . "
"That"s inspiring . "
" . . . yeah . "
"Hey, wanna come back to my room?" Lucky asked suddenly, shooting Felix a strange gaze .
"Hm? Why?" Felix looked at her innocently . "Do you need help with something . "
"Oh, yeah . Something like that . "
"Huh . Alright, sure . "
Lino suddenly came to a halt as he glanced inconspicuously and dubiously at his temporary residence . Shaking his head and smiling wryly, he turned left and headed toward the city"s exit, walking casually while ignoring the blasting rain . Here and there he spotted lights flickering within the homes, their noises drowned out in the rain .
Lost in thoughts, he ventured through the calm, empty streets of the city without truly paying attention to anything . It was only when he reached the end that he came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in surprise and shock . Just outside the city walls stood a figure clad in black, doused in rain from top to bottom .
She appeared even more majestic and daunting within the darkness of the raining night, with her black hair falling freely down her shoulders, her eyes almost like s.h.i.+ning stars . They quickly spotted him and locked their gaze onto his, not letting go . After a brief shock, however, Lino came to and slowly walked over before stopping in front of her .
" . . . hi . " he said, smiling lightly . "I didn"t expect to see you here . "
"I didn"t think I"d come here . " Evelyn said .
"Why have you come here?" he asked .
"I needed to see you . "
"What for?"
"I"m not too sure . "
"Well, I"d invite you over to my house," Lino said . "But it"s currently occupied by two rather . . . engaged individuals . "
" . . . let"s take a walk, then?" Evelyn proposed as he turned around, extending her arm . Lino sighed briefly and locked his with hers, following in her footsteps as they descended down the hill into the wet desert .
"How are you?" he asked .
"Swarmed . I haven"t had a good night"s sleep in a month . " she replied .
"That"s tough . "
"It is . But it"s worth it . "
"I imagine . " Lino said . "How"s Al"?"
"Probably not too thrilled that you still call him Al" . "
"Ha ha . . . yeah . I guess I lost that privilege . "
" . . . he"s locked himself up," Evelyn said somewhat somberly . "Refusing to leave, cultivating every day all day long . Can you imagine why?"
"I think I can . " Lino said .
" . . . does he stand a chance?"
" . . . no . " Lino replied .
"Hah . . . " Evelyn sighed, shaking her head . "I told him so . But . . . well, he was never the one to pay much heed to the advice of others . "
"Let him indulge," Lino said . "Anger is oft" the greatest fuel of man"s heart . "
"It seems more to me as though you"ve ruined him . " she commented .
" . . . heh . If he were that weak . . . he would have never reached the heights he had . " Lino said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye . "You . . . on the other hand . . . "
"What about me?"
"You don"t seem to be handling it all that well . "
"What? Can"t a girl try and avenge her Grandfather when so close to his murderer?" she said, smiling widely .
" . . . I suppose there"s nothing wrong with trying . But . . . can"t you see it"s impossible for you?" Lino said, smiling back . He"d long since felt Evelyn trying to infest his body with her Qi, though all her attempts were at best just futile . She didn"t even manage to break through his skin .
"You"re still far stronger than our estimates . . . just who the h.e.l.l are you?"
"I"m just a lonely beggar taking a midnight stroll with a beautiful Empress, hoping she would stop trying to kill him . "
"I"m flattered you think so highly of me . " Evelyn commented, retracting her Qi . "What do you plan to do now?"
"I"m leaving," Lino said . "So I guess your timing was impeccable . "
"What about Felix?"
"He seems to rather enjoy following me . " Lino said . "Don"t worry though . I"ll return him in one piece once he grows tired of it . "
" . . . I"ll never forgive you for what you"ve done . " Evelyn suddenly said as she stopped walking, loosening her arm from Lino"s . "And . . . if I ever do get strong enough to kill you, I promise you I will . "
"I know . " Lino said, smiling .
"So don"t go dying before that . " Evelyn said, her eyes fluttering underneath the wet hair covering them .
" . . . that"s one promise I can"t make, though . " Lino chuckled . "But, I"ll do my best . It"s been a pleasure meeting you and getting to know you Evelyn . You"re a fascinating woman . As I"ve made a promise to your Grandfather," Lino fetched out another talisman from the void world and handed it over . "You can have this . "
"Hm?"
"Should there ever come a storm you can"t withstand," Lino explained . "Give it a flicker . "
" . . . how comforting . Indeed, you"re the most not-beggar beggar that I"ve met in my life," Evelyn said, smiling faintly . "Good luck, Lyonel . "
"G.o.dspeed . "
Lino watched as she stormed like a black bolt, streaking through the sky with a thunderous roar matching those of the distant clouds . He stood in the same spot, his hands in his pockets, rain freely falling over him . He remained staring and standing for a while, seemingly carving out a spot in his memory for this very moment . He only left when the sun finally showed its brief flutters from behind the clouds, leaving behind only a faint chuckle and a set of footprints in the sand which lasted but an hour, soon buried as all others "neath the streaking wind .