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 copsed entirely by now .


    He currently stood atop a tall tform 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, thetter nketed by gray and ck 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 shifted 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 be my wife . " Lino chuckled .


    "Very well . "


    " . . . it was a joke . "


    "Regardless . "


    "There’s no need for you to be a part of my world," Lino nced 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 ce 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 Empyreane 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, thetter indulged in reading an old-looking book while the former drank, seemingly bored with staring into the horizon . She nced 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 . " Felixmented, 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 nced at him and suddenlyughed, 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 mes rarely ever survive . What about you hotshot? Any luckydy 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, wannae 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 nced 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 sting 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 d in ck, doused in rain from top to bottom .


    She appeared even more majestic and daunting within the darkness of the raining night, with her ck hair falling freely down her shoulders, her eyes almost like shining 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’de here . " Evelyn said .


    "Why have youe 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 upied 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 . " shemented .


    " . . . heh . If he were that weak . . . he would have never reached the heights he had . " Lino said, ncing 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 hell 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 ttered you think so highly of me . " Evelynmented, retracting her Qi . "What do you n to do now?"


    "I’m leaving," Lino said . "So I guess your timing was impable . "


    "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 evere a storm you can’t withstand," Lino exined . "Give it a flicker . "


    " . . . howforting . Indeed, you’re the most not-beggar beggar that I’ve met in my life," Evelyn said, smiling faintly . "Good luck, Lyonel . "


    "Godspeed . "


    Lino watched as she stormed like a ck 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 whichsted but an hour, soon buried as all others ’neath the streaking wind .