THE LUNAR EMPIRE
***
HEINOUS--- THE INFAMOUS name of Destroyer of Peace's magical staff. It's a double-bladed staff that has a diamond for a blade and on both sides it has curvy metal blades protruding at each side of the diamond blades. Heinous wasn't any ordinary weapon because it was perfectly forged for Destroyer by a powerful blacksmith, which explains why it's the only weapon that withstood Destroyer's darkened power.
With Heinous in his possession, Destroyer can actually blend in with the shadow and becomes a shadow himself. Moreover, it gives him the power of the wind. A pair of magical shadow-like wings would appear on his back and he can conceal them at will.
Astier read in the book once that Destroyer used to dominate the night sky, searching for more strong wizards whose powers he can consume. However, he never fails to pay a visit to a certain kingdom, adoring its beautiful queen, and whenever he laid his eyes on her, he could never take it off again.
Astier's recollection was only interrupted when Grim returned to the room, carrying a glass of water. He didn't expect the Valley of Death can produce water as clear as crystal.
"You know already why we are here, right?" Ardelian began once more, glancing at Astier and then back to Grim. "I've told you everything since three days ago. As of now, it is not only you and I that know of Destroyer's return but also the Queen of Virgam Kingdom, and probably the Emperor of Lunar Empire. Soon, royal and empire soldiers will be after us---" Ardelian didn't even have to finish his sentence when Grim raised his palm in front of him, cutting him off.
"Say no more, my young lord. I am more than willing to help you," Grim declared with utmost confidence.
But it shattered so soon when Ardelian continued, "No, but we need to know if you have had any idea as to the location and whoever the stupid creature that took his Heinous. I can't keep covering for him. And there's a bigger chance that the queen who loves snowflakes might have probably heard of his survival by now, hence, we shall be seeing her again, to demand her sole enemy's head."
Yet it seemed like the peril of the queen who loves snowflakes had been buried deep in the snow when Astier exclaimed in utmost blissfulness.
"Really? I'm going to finally meet her! When is it!"
His two companions stared at him in complete disbelief. It was Grim who spoke first.
"Are you alright, my lord? Didn't you know that she's been wanting you dead since the first time your paths crossed?"
"What?"
Ardelian intervened, ignoring his good friend's foolishness knowing that he's already read it in the book. "As I was saying, we're going to need back Astier's Heinous in order for him to defend himself against the queen who loves snowflakes, otherwise, he's as good as dead."
"Wait, I thought you weren't going to let me die here?"
"You misunderstood. I said I wasn't going to let you die here, in the Valley of Death, not in Azalia."
"That is a very great concern for me you have there, mate. That's why I adore you," Astier replied in utmost sarcasm.
Ardelian waved off his comment and turns back to Grim. "You told me yesterday that you knew of the present location of Heinous. Can you tell us now where we can acquire it?"
The Grim Reaper's lips stretched ear to ear, all the while nodding his head several times like a little boy agreeing to something he fancies.
"Where is it? Who has taken it?"
"I did, of course."
His straightforward answer somehow shocked them both.
"Are you telling me that you were the one who hid away his weapon?"
Again, Grim nodded his head in excitement.
"How did it come into your possession?" Ardelian softly inquires after recomposing himself.
"Why, I was there the night when Destroyer was whisked away through a portal. I would want to divulge every detail I could remember but sadly, that night was very dark and I might have arrived too late for I came to witness only when Destroyer was hurled towards the portal."
"And did you see who threw me away?" Astier finally spoke.
Grim shook his head. "I'm sorry, my lord. But I didn't see anyone. When the portal closed, I came to approach the location where it opened and that was when I purloined the staff that was lying on the ground. And seeing the uniqueness of its creation, forged purely out of diamonds, I knew immediately to whom it belonged. You must have dropped it when you went through the portal."
Astier and Ardelian both nodded their heads. The information clearly shook their current beliefs about Destroyer's sudden disappearance. The book hinted to Astier that he vanished after his duel with the Third Queen of Azalia, where he lost. And Ardelian's knowledge also bore the same information.
Nothing was mentioned of him being thrown into a portal, and more importantly, how was he able to open one? Only the Seven Queens and a few other rulers in Azalia had the authority to open a portal.
Does that mean that someone with authority helped Destroyer the night he disappeared?
"Also, I have another matter I would like to inform you." Grim took out something from his pocket and tied his middle-back-length black hair in a ponytail, a few strands were messing with his pale face. And having his hairstyle changed also transitioned his appearance, from a naive and innocent-looking boy into a stern, cold, heartless and cruel man that would literally rip out your soul the longer you stare at his coal-black eyes.
Both his palms rested on the table as he leaned forward, implying the graveness of this matter.
"The two of you may believe that his memories were lost, possibly because he arrived in the Mortriason Realm and has forgotten everything after ten years. But his memories were never lost, nor were they forgotten in the first place."
"What do you mean by that?" Astier softly inquires.
He looked straight into his eyes. "Your memories have been taken away from you, Vikrastier Caz Igreed. By someone powerful who wants to keep one of the most powerful beings in Azalia to be locked away forever."
♛♛♛
EMPEROR KALRESU STOOD in front of a large portrait of his father hung in the gallery. He admired his old man for how he ran the empire with great success. His empire strived in the past and now it has become the most powerful and wealthiest human empire in Azalia. Many other rulers envied him, and their jealousy might have grown by now knowing that it is currently ruled by another powerful emperor, which is him.
A mischievous grin flashed on his lips. "Don't you worry, father, I will make you even more proud. Our entire crops and other lands have been bountiful, each day our farmers and workers produce great harvests. The prices of our products have doubled again. Many kingdoms have demanded more products from our empire. Some are even willing to pay thousands of gold to buy land from ours.
"But, of course, our land is far too precious to be sold to some foreign kingdom. They envy us too much because our products are a hundred times better than theirs, no matter what kind of magical fertilizer they use, but they will never outmatch ours."
They have only the greatest fertilizer in all the land of Azalia, and nothing in their world can compete against it.
The riches of his empire were also extended in the kingdom of Virgam, the only one that Emperor Kalresu accepted to be a part of his possession. So, not only were they producing and selling goods from the Lunar Empire but also the kingdom of Virgam does the same.
Apparently, their work there is far more exhausting, pressure is always laid upon their shoulders each day. Imperial soldiers are keeping a close watch, whipping those who are slacking off, inflicting suffering on the ones whom they deem to be too slow in order for them to work fast.
The system in the Virgam Kingdom can be differentiated from the Lunar Empire by how the imperial soldiers assigned in Virgam abuse their authority and unnecessarily rushes the workers whenever they want to.
Sometimes they'd hire several women to dance for them in the middle of the street just for entertainment.
The Virgam Kingdom does not, at the moment, has soldiers of their own. Emperor Kalresu thought it was better and more fun to just give them imperial soldiers. And apparently, their queen had no choice but rather obey the emperor.
"Destroyer of Peace has finally shown himself after disappearing for ten years," Emperor Kalresu told his chancellor.
"The rumours about him being spotted by the sisters in Contella Town have been proven correct. The queen had struck him through the heart, as it was said in her letter," informed the chancellor.
"And I supposed you have also heard about the rumours of his survival? Destroyer can't be killed that easily. And it was stupid of them to neglect to bring his head to me!"
The chancellor knew how crucial it is knowing that Destroyer could just barge into their palace and demand their heads. But the queen knew already that should she encounter him again, his head should be a price she is subjected to deliver to the emperor. The chancellor also thinks that the queen had no reason to lie in her letter.
But why would she leave his body alone after killing him? That question has been bothering him since he received that letter from the emperor.
His thoughts halted when the emperor spoke again.
"Send another letter to Virgam Kingdom," Emperor Kalresu commanded, his fists tightly clenched.
"Tell them, that if they want to live in a less tormented environment, they should deliver me Destroyer's head!"