CHAPTER 456

NINE YEARS (VI)

Ten-mile-a-change – that is how Daniel had begun thinking of the Empyrion ever since they’ve departed from their first city. Though perhaps slightly skewed and simplified, it seemed almost as though, behind every corner, a new world awaited. High-rises followed by sandstone-crafted huts and dwellings embedded in thick and round hills beyond which a field of cloth-and-straw tents spread as far as the eye could see. And even beyond there, bedded over a sparkling lake, wooden dwellings arose in strange, twisted shapes, seemingly carved directly out of the odd willows themselves.

It was difficult to comprehend such changes, especially so on such a small scale; after all, despite being a massive Empire, Empyrion was still on a smaller scale. One ought to expect a sense of uniformity tacked with a few diversified points of uniqueness that each culture bears proudly. Yet, more so than an Empire unified beneath a single banner, it all seemed like a string of cities and towns and villages strewn about at random, with no rhyme or reason. There were also the Mountainmen, or at least how Daniel called them; seeming savages wearing loincloths and leather-bound satchels living in the mountainous caves and dwellings, singing and dancing around burning fires deep into the night.

Perhaps the sole sense of uniformity lay in the fact that each and every new point they encountered frequently sported a single sign – a spiraling cross, a sign of Chaos. Dyed in bloody red most often, it was plastered on the prominent buildings, sometimes even carved directly into the highest point of the city or town. He’d even seen hundreds of people with the same sigil either carved out or painted on their bodies. Perhaps, he mused, that was all it took. A singular sense of unity. A point of recognition in one another. Everything beyond that, really, served to dissever that simple bond.

Mode of transport, too, changed frequently; he went from driving those strange carts with wheels that could reach the speeds three times that of a well-bred horse, to riding those very horses, to carriages, and even strange, mutated beasts in the likeness of lions. It all seemed dependent on terrain, he realized rather quickly; for the flatlands, carts were the most frequent ones, while the rough terrain was the home ground for the beasts.

His guide was a young woman, not yet even twenty, draped in oriental clothing bound with a golden sash cast circularly at an angle over her left shoulder. The most striking feature of hers was the reddish eyes that seemed to radiate both in light and dark. She had a mellow and calming voice and a smile that could disarm even the most hardened veterans of war. It was from her that he'd learned they were heading to the Empyrion's heart, the city risen from the ashes of the Forgotten Kingdom – Inmistus.

She was also the one that explained the places they were traveling through, giving their brief history and who the inhabitants were. Daniel found it beyond fascinating, trekking the unfamiliar lands, yet seeing the familiar cultures. In one of the towns where they took a brief rest, he’d actually seen several former Disciples of the Crypt, much to his shock, openly practicing their Arts to the audience of many.

“—we’ll be arriving shortly,” the woman said. Her name was Ayla, an unfamiliar sounding name to Daniel, though very much pleasing to the ear. “Your friend will join us in an hour or so.”

"Is there a specific reason why we had to travel separately?" Daniel asked something that was on his mind for a while; before embarking on the journey, both Shane and he were given different Guides and took different routes even.

“There are many places to see, yet not enough time,” Ayla said, smiling faintly. “We simply wished for you two to experience different parts of the Empire and share your stories.”

"Oh." Daniel nodded absentmindedly, wondering how much of it was actually the truth.

“Besides, you two are somewhat special guests.”

“Hm?”

“You’ve been granted the audience with the Lord Empyrean,” Ayla said, chuckling at Daniel’s sudden shift in expression. “Though, ‘the audience’ part is hardly what you imagine; he’ll probably just drag you to a room and drink you till a blackout.”

“…..” words got stuck in Daniel’s throat; meeting with the Empyrean? He hadn’t thought about it – not even once. Despite what Shane and he knew, neither considered their knowledge all that important, really, as there were many more who knew just as much if not even more than them. They were surprised they’d even meet someone from the upper echelon of the Empyrion, yet now he’d learned they’d be meeting its head, its founder, the antithesis to the world itself – Bearer of Chaos.

Daniel had heard many stories about the man – none of them good. A beast in human's cloth, a shadow of death masquerading as a benevolent creature, a reaper of souls with no kind part to his twisted heart; in his mind, the Empyrean wasn't a human – not in shape or make. He was a concept, an abstract thought far removed from reality. An umbrella for the concept of Chaos itself. Not a person, certainly not someone he'd be privy to meet. Yet, he was meeting the enigma itself. On his first day here.

Should he be honored? Worried? Terrified? Fleeing? He thought of all those things, their projection reflecting in his gobsmacked expression that was neither here nor there, causing Ayla to burst out into free laughter. That laughter, however, didn't register with him. Images built out of the stories that were sold to him began consuming his mind; a pair of eyes, a pair he himself had witnessed a long, long time ago, staring down at him from above as he knelt, shaking. Yes, he would have to kneel. Kneel and pray he'd be given a pardon.

"—you really ought to stop telling people they'll be meeting me, Ayla," a new voice suddenly joined the duo, startling both Ayla and Daniel; the former's faint cry blushed into a wide smile right after as Daniel's eyes veered sideways. Sitting by Ayla's side in the carriage was an unknown man. He appeared to be in his early fifties, his lengthy hair half-black and half-gray, beard slightly unkempt, colored the same. There was a large scar cutting through his left eye, the other, healthy one as dark as the night itself. He wore simple clothing, black trousers, and a white shirt, quite a contrasting image to the well-dressed Ayla next to him. "You enjoy torturing people far, far too much. I'm beginning to worry."

“Aren’t you the same, though?” Ayla said, chuckling. “Isn’t that why you like me so much?”

“Oh, I love it,” the man nodded. “But, you really need to start avoiding me as the main subject. I’m fairly certain there are other ways to scare men shitless.”

“I’ll fancy a thought or two when I’ve some free time.”

“Tsk, sly-tongued as always. I’ve set a bad example,” the man sighed, shaking his head and turning toward Daniel who was yet to catch up to reality. “Tall, broad, honest eyes. You could work a bit on your control, but a fine make altogether. I’m assuming you’d like to partake in stoneworks, no?”

“… yes…” Daniel replied absentmindedly, still out of it.

“I’m told you and your friend are from the Hallowed Valley,” the man said, his general demeanor turning sour and cold. “I’ve got a particular interest in that place. I hope you won’t mind if I ask you a few questions.”

“… ah!!” Daniel’s mind finally seemed to catch up to the events of reality as he rapidly skittled off his seat and began crashing to his knees only to be stopped by a firm hand that held his shoulder tightly, not allowing him to move an inch closer. “L-l-l-lo-ord… Lord…”

“As you can clearly see," Lino sighed in exasperation; after all, he'd long since lost the account of how many times he'd relived this exact moment over the last nine years. Too many. Way, way too many. "I'm not a tri-headed serpent, not a formless, world-devouring beast, not a shadowed figure going around impregnating fair maidens, not an animal, not a reaper of any kind or sort. Just a man, a slightly tired one perhaps, but just a man nonetheless. In that vein, can I expect the courtesy of being treated like one? Please?"

“—I—I…” Daniel stuttered, unable to come up with a reply; to treat the Empyrean as just another man? Impossible. Simply impossible.

"Fine, you can look at the floor and stutter your way through the sentences, just don't kneel," Lino said. "I've had too many heads bang themselves against the floor in vain hopes I might enjoy it for some reason. Sit up." Daniel gave in to the hand's push and sat back up onto the chair, unwilling to look up at the man again, however. "Tsk, I ain’t getting anything out of him. Oh well. At least he’s handling it better than the other one.”

“What happened to the other one?” Ayla asked.

“He passed out immediately after Seya introduced me.” Lino replied.

“… ah, you are too terrifying, after all,” Ayla shrugged, looking away. “A man of your disposition, walking around in tatters, unshaven for months, stinking of stables. What would your subjects think if they saw you?”

“—what do you mean? Didn’t we answer that question like three years ago?” Lino said, taking out a cup of ale, taking a sip right after. “They vehemently rejected me being the Empyrean. I was a doppelgänger apparently. I still haven’t forgiven the bastards. Unable to recognize their own Emperor.”

“Even Aaria chided you,” Ayla said, turning back to Lino who suddenly winced. “One would think your own daughter embarrassing you and running away in tears would be a wake-up call. Lady Hannah’s voice could be heard well into the Empire that night, do you know? Your fight became a myth, still sung about in many bard compendiums and tavern songs.”

“… you’re one hateful kid,” Lino said, swallowing hurt back into his gut. “And you used to be so cute. What happened to you?”

“I was raised in a family of morons,” she shrugged. “And I didn’t wish to be one.”

“… oh. You’re just angry I keep sending you to these seemingly menial jobs.”

“I am, yes.” Ayla rapidly nodded. “Does that mean the torture is over?”

“… you’ve embarrassed the Professor too much,” Lino shrugged. “You still have to pay.”

“I corrected him! He was wrong!”

“No he wasn’t.”

“Y-you, you’re going to debate me on that?!” the seemingly docile and kind girl exploded, waking Daniel from his stupor, causing the man to finally look up in wonder and saw her leap over and wrap her arms around the man’s neck, pulling at him relentlessly while the latter simply ignored her, drinking casually. “I will never subscribe to the moronic notion that it’s okay to be ignorant! Ignorance is a chasm, you hear?! A chasm!!”

“… welcome to the Empyrion, Daniel,” Lino turned toward the man and smiled surprisingly warmly, causing Daniel to jolt for a moment. “My dearest home, of my heart carved. I hope you’ll find it pleasant.”