"Agni? You sure that's the name?" Kai asked, it seemed as if he was confused and refused to believe what Lui was seeing.
"Yes, Agni. They are chanting that name. I think maybe he stopped the war." Lui replied, Kai was still struggling to consider that possibility. Lui's seemed to getting back to normal when suddenly he shouted, "Wait! There's something else."
"What is it? What are you seeing?"
"The Emperor." Lui stopped speaking, and for a few moments, they all sat in silence.
"What about the Emperor?" Kai asked, finally breaking the silence.
"An arrow, he's dead." Lui's eyes suddenly returned to normal, he was about to fall onto his head when Kai stopped him. Lui was about to faint, he looked at Kai with a tranced look and said, "Stop him. If the Emperor goes to this war, he will die."
Upon saying those words, Lui lost consciousness in Kai's hands. But Kai and Daichi were left shocked and terrified of the upcoming future.
"If the Emperor dies in this war, the chances of Brethren taking over will increase at least a hundred times." Daichi spoke in a trembling voice.
"I know." Kai said as he put down fainted Lui onto the bed, "And that is exactly why we must not let that happen!"
"But how will we do that? It's just like Lui warned us; now that we know the event, anything we do trying to avoid it, will only increase the chances of it happening even more."
"I do have a plan, but it is a rather risky one." Kai answered.
"What are you planning to do?"
"I will warn the Emperor about his imminent doom."
"And he's gonna hear out the man that attempted to kill the prince. Do you really believe that?"
"I know that Daichi. But we don't have any other choice. I have to do this."
"They will imprison you." Daichi was deeply concerned about him, "No, no, no. We absolutely cannot risk that much. There has to be another way."
"There isn't!" Kai shouted at Daichi, "Now, you take care of Lui, and stay here. I will go and warn them, do not worry about me."
Kai departed, despite Daichi's disapproval of the plan. Kai also knew this was probably a bad idea, but he had to be the one to do it. The Emperor's death stressed Kai, but what was more concerning was the addition of a new name, or rather a very old name, Agni.
The name of one of the first 4 gods; also the strongest one at that. The resurgence of such a mythical deity had to be impossible, he knew that very well. But whoever this person impersonating an old god was, had to be someone stronger than any 'Royal Bloods'.
While contemplating all this, Kai reached the huge gate of the royal castle. The guards stopped and interrogated him, "What is the purpose of your visit?"
"I'm here to speak with your Emperor." Kai answered nonchalantly.
"Speak with the Emperor you say?" the guard who seemed to be the leader asked, "Do you have an invitation from the palace? Otherwise, you cannot enter."
"Invitation? Well I don't exactly have that, but I think I have something better."
"Better than a Royal invitation?"
"Indeed, the invitation is only useful once you're at the gate. What I have is able to bring me here without any problems."
"What exactly do you have?" The guard was curious about this stranger's belonging.
"This" Kai said as he showed them the wanted poster for the bounty hunter named 'Kai Yamada', "It says that anyone who gives news about my location gets 7000 Aurums, but I doubt I'll get that for walking here by myself."
The moment the guards realized this was the wanted man, they surrounded him and pointed there spears and rifles at him. Kai put his hands up, and cooperated with them as they cuffed him and took him to the dungeon.
In the dungeon, Kai was chained and locked in a cell. He had to wait there for 3 hours before anyone came to converse with him, but the one who came was not who was expected.
"I was quite specific when I asked for the Emperor of Agnisthal." Kai said to his visitor, "Why are you here, instead of him?"
"The Emperor is not someone you can just meet as you please. He has sent me to hear your nonsense." Calix answered, he was the visitor.
"Hear my nonsense? Nonsense?! My 'nonsense' is of utmost priority, your Emperor has to know."
"Then you should waste anymore time, speak." Calix said in a calm demeanor.
"Fine. Tell the Emperor, that if he goes to this war he is wedging, he will surely die." The solemnity in Kai's words were clearly felt by Calix.
"And how are you so certain that what you're saying, will turn out to be true?"
"I, cannot disclose that. But I swear on my life, Your Emperor's life is in danger, and so is Agnisthal. The Brethren has to be stopped, and this war I believe is a construct of their planning."
Calix was taken aback by this man's certainty in his words, and deep down he knew that Kai was indeed correct. But as Kai didn't have a valid source, Calix decided to leave this man imprisoned in this dungeon.
"Well, in that case I will just leave you alone with your thoughts and theories. I have much work to take care of." Calix said as he turned around and started walking away, "And do not worry, you will meet the Emperor after the war, when he comes to judge you of a Royal blood's attempted murder."
Kai saw Calix leaving, and had to make a tough decision; he had to warn the Emperor, at all costs.
"A Norn told me!" Kai shouted; Calix stopped, as he had heard something he never expected to hear ever again.
"A Norn? Impossible, you're a liar." Calix dismissed him.
"No! Its true! I had a Norn take a look into the future; he told me about the Emperor's death."
"All the Norns were killed years ago. Yet you dare to demand that you know an alive Norn? Why should I believe you?"
"Uhm, uhhh. The eye! Their pupils are never red in color, and when they see future the smaller eyes within their eyes have the same-colored pupils as their normal eyes. You can ask anyone that has seen a Norn before, they will tell you I'm not lying. Just call someone who knew a Norn."
Calix quickly turned around, he seemed to be in shock, as he knew that only someone who is close to a Norn can know that information.
"I do not require ask anyone else. But how is that possible? All the Norns were killed."
"Well, I came across probably the last alive Norn." Kai said.
"So there is still a Norn. And he saw that the Emperor died?"
"Yes"
"What else did the Norn see?"
"That, I will tell the Emperor."
Calix knew forcing this man was useless, hence he didn't. "For that we will need the Norn to be present."
"Why?" Kai asked abruptly.
"I doubt the Emperor will believe your words of all people. But if we have the Norn here, then convincing him will be quite easier, no?" Calix tried to bait Kai.
Kai felt as if something was fishy, so he played a trick of his own, "Fine, I will give you the location where he is. Tell the soldiers to ask for the Brown-haired Norn, specifically."
"Good, I will send soldiers to retrieve the Norn. Once he is here, I will take you to the Emperor." Calix left the dungeon and went straight to Shyam. He ordered him to find the Norn and have him killed in the way.
"But brother, We have already killed all the Norns. How can one still be alive?" Asked Shyam.
"I do not know, but he must be removed. We cannot risk leaving a prophet alive, Now go and find the brown-haired Norn." Calix gave out his order, and the soldiers set out.
*Knock*Knock*Knock*
Daichi heard someone knocking at their door, but it was not expected. Kai knew the rune to unlock the gate, so whoever had come was an outsider. Daichi took an earthen cup and turned it into a sharp and pointy earthen knife. He held it in his hand and hid the hand behind his back; then he carefully opened the door and found 5 soldiers waiting.
"May I ask why you are here, gentlemen?" Daichi asked courteously, still hiding the knife behind him.
"We are here for the Norn." One of the soldiers replied.
"The what?" Daichi tried to act clueless, all the while he tightened his grip on the knife.
"No need for any façade, boy. Kai Yamada has sent us to bring the Brown-haired Norn to the Royal Castle." Shyam said to Daichi.
"He did?" Daichi was confused as to why Kai would want them to take Lui, but then it struck his mind; Lui didn't have brown hair. It was Daichi himself whose hair was brown. Daichi realized Kai's trick.
"He asked for the brown-haired Norn, you said right?" Daichi asked as he turned the knife into a bracelet on his hand, "That would be me."
Daichi smiled and went on with the soldiers.