Lord Shadow

“O, here

Will I set up my everlasting rest,

And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars

From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last!

Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you

The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss

A dateless bargain to engrossing death!”

– William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

PANDEMONIUM FRONT GATE

The moment the door was opened and she takes a step inside the Center Palace she saw a few familiar faces.

She smiles. But not all of the people waiting for her were smiling in happiness. Some of them are frowning. And some of them are expressionless

The Gate Guardians that opens the gate all stand in attention on top of the garrison walls. The moment Sofia enter the Centre Palace ground the Gate Guardian immediately push the door closed shut once gain.

The protection barrier was set up once again.

Sofia was looking at a man. She expected him to be here. Because he was her teacher.

‘Teacher’ she shouted in happiness

‘I don’t deserve to be called teacher’ This man is none other than General Wang Jian. Then they hugged. Wang Jian smiles proudly

‘You have returned. It took you long enough’

‘Hmm. I just needed a reason to return home’ she nodded as she breaks the hugs. Then she looks at the other few people waiting for her. There is Sasha.

Her face is expressionless. Sofia doesn’t know where she picked up this habit but maybe she picked it up from Azief.

It was always a running joke in their group.

Azief expressionless face. Thinking about the face she is about to meet later, she doesn’t know how she should feel.

And then she remembers why she came back. She would never tell the truth to other people, but at least she will not lie to her own heart.

‘You knew I have come back?’ Sofia asked puzzled at Sasha appearance here. She knew Azief did not put anyone on her tail even though she was here for a couple of days already.

She was thinking about what she is feeling and what she should talk about when she meets him again.

That is what takes her so long to return.

‘Sina informed me. So, I was prepared to bring down the protection barrier.’ Sasha replies curtly.

Sofia looks at Sasha and then said

‘She could never hide anything from you. Still her best friend I guess?’ Sasha only rolled back her eyes.

She sighed.

Azief never treated Sasha more than just his subordinate and Sasha never minded.

Because there is bad blood between them in the Fake World and the Death Monarch could hold quite a grudge.

It has been good enough that the Death Monarch did not kill her back then

But Sina has always treated her good. They were friends. Maybe it is because the secret they shared in their journey back then in the Forest Region but they are close.

In the tight knit group of Azief, Loki, Sina and Sofia there is not space for her. But Sina always has a space for her.

And Sasha knows about Sofia problem with her getting close with Sina.

Sofia is jealous because she is no longer the only best friend. If there is one thing that held the group together it is Sina ability to embrace other people.

‘To your dismay, I still am’ Sasha reply back.

Sofia just shakes her head. She never likes Sasha. There is the fact that she kidnaps Sina in the past but the other reason was because she could never get a read on her.

So, she could only say these kinds of things. There is also a few Palace Maidens she knew that is waving to her happily but she also does not see a couple of people she expected to see.

And then she ask

‘Where are Freya and Athena?’ Sofia asks.

‘As you can see with your own eyes, they are not here’ Sasha replied unenthusiastically. Sofia rolled back her eyes and shakes her head.

‘Are they still mad about the Pegasus incident? Is that it?’ Sasha did not nod but she did not shake her head either.

She just remains silence on the matter. She will not be a mouthpiece for the two generals because she did not need to be.

Her job is only to make sure there is no chaos in Pandemonium, no funny business of trying to assassinate the Death Monarch or anything like that

Her job is to maintain the safety of Death Monarch and to act in his interest.

She did not need to concern herself with court politics or the responsibility of other division or department.

She only needs to be faithful to her job description and faithful to her employer. As long as she do that, she is safe no matter how many times the officials in the court throws accusation at her.

As long as Death Monarch trusts her, her position is as stable as an unmoving mountain.

Sofia question is like putting her in the middle of a minefield.

She has no intention to step on that minefield. It has long been known that Athena and Sofia clash frequently during their stay on Fake World.

At the time Sofia was not as powerful as she is now and while she says she never loses, in other people eyes, she did lose.

And for a time during the Ice Mountain who at that time stand erect and the whole world thinks that Katarina sacrificed her life to die with Death Monarch, Sofia was dubbed as the strongest woman in the world.

But the only reason she was dubbed as such is because no one challenges her for that title. In Sasha estimation Athena is perfectly capable of taking down Sofia at the time.

The moment the battle turns into a short distance battle, Sofia would be overwhelmed with Athena ever changing attacks.

Of course now that Katarina is back, that title was returned to her and no one seems to be stupid enough to challenge her for that title.

Her name itself is deterrence just as Death Monarch name is enough to deter his enemies.

Then Sofia looks back at Wang Jian and asks

‘Loki?’ It was a question and Wang Jian understands it. He shakes his head

She only creased her eyebrows but other than that she did not comment much. Then smiling she said

‘Well, if I know him and I think I do, I would bet he would return unexpectedly later.’

Wang Jian only smiles bitterly.

Many people outside Pandemonium and even some people in Pandemonium believe that Loki had a falling out with Death Monarch.

That Loki by saving Hirate in the Massacre of Island of Peace, Loki had break relations with Pandemonium and Azief.

But Wang Jian knows.

How could this matter easily be concluded?

Those people outside don’t know Azief and Loki as he did.

They might have a falling out but for them to be enemies, unless Loki really did something unforgivable Wang Jian doesn’t think this matter would stay as it is.

Loki would return and like always Azief would accept him.

Because Wang Jian knows better than most about what connect those two men together.

They are family. Wang Jian has seen it enough to know the only reason Loki could escape from Azief is because Azief did not give his all.

Azief let Loki go.

That is obvious to Wang Jian and people in the know. But it clearly doesn’t seem like so in the eyes of the world.

To them Loki and Azief both had a great falling out. And since Azief did nothing to dispel such rumors it grew and now has a life of its own.

Maybe it is because Azief knows this he did not bother to say anything about it.

Since he never care about what the world thinks about him anyways so why should he lose his time trying to convince the world what he knew.

Sofia did not know what Wang Jian is thinking because she is looking at the direction of the throne room.

There is something in her eyes. Wang Jian could see it too. There is longing in her eyes.

Sasha did not say anything but she melded with the moonlight and disappeared in sparkling light.

But Sofia still does not bother to see Sasha. She trained her gaze at the throne room, there, near the top structure of the Center Palace and then she said

‘Is he here? Today?’ she asked Wang Jian. Wang Jian immediately knows who she is talking about

Wang Jian nodded. There is a bitter smile on Sofia face as she nodded

‘Good. There is a lot we need to talk about’ Sighing she added

‘And there is a lot I want to say to him’

Wang Jian nodded and then he was hesitating before he finally made up his mind. He then said to Sofia

‘Whatever you decide, you know you could always come to your teacher. And Sina is always there’ Sofia hearing Wang Jian words nodded

Then Wang Jian jumps on his Pegasus and stride out the Gate. He did what he was supposed to do. The other Army are all camping in the wilderness and clearing out the monster.

Only he was ordered back to the Palace. He was ordered by Death Monarch himself to accept Sofia when she returned to the Palace.

So, he has been waiting for days.

The Death Monarch …..way of doing thing is quite frustrating. He shakes his head and muttered to himself

‘It is their business. I have no say in it. I just hope whatever they chose would make both of them happy in the long run’ he said before sighing and rode away from the Palace ground.

Sofia looks at the entrance gate and then she pushed it and the creaking sound of the gate opening sounded out through the large Monarch Road.

On each side of the roads is the Keep of the Palace and the Palace Maiden all bowing slightly toward her.

She smiles a bit and then she walked and enters the palace.

***

Ok, this arc is nearly at its end. For people who knows about me you all knew that after an Arc I will always take a break.

When this Arc ends I will probably stop updating Lord Shadow in about three weeks. In that time I will updated my other stories like Age of Adventure or Song of Heroes.

Anyway, this part of the story pick up from the last chapter.

this chapter have five parts. And people who is in ******* would have seen all five parts tomorrow because I scheduled it for tomorrow

If you want to support me you can vote for my story or become a patron.

My website is w3 ******* com/keikokumars. w is three times and there is a dot in the space. I did not post the link because I think it would be censored by All.

Anyway be prepared to be hot and bothered in this chapter

And guys and gals( Thought I don’t think many girls read this kind of story)do check out my other novels Age of Adventure and Song of Heroes. Song of Heroes is kind of stopped for a moment since I am editing Age of Adventure and writing Lord Shadow at the same time.

But do check it out.

Anyway, this is it for today. Wait a few days before I post a new chapter though maybe by this time I am already finished with the new chapter

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