CHAPTER 52

  FAREWELL OTHERWORLDER

  This was Hans’s first night in the hidden village, at least when he was conscious. Yet, his regular guest visited him in the dream, jolting him to wake up. He complained, “Come on Armin. I know you have a lot of regrets, but isn’t reminding me is overdoing. I promise, I will not let Vanessa live in fear, so stop comparing her to your sister.” Hans sighed and stressed, “And stop forcing me, man, I’m doing my best here, Anfaleen is not some chump change I can just blast off, Geez!”

  This was a one way conversation, For quite sometime, the tyrant king, his ancestor and the first king who stabilised Parv after Dietrich kept showing up in his dreams.

  It wasn’t totally because of these dreams he was so hell bent on avenging Vanessa but it was the majority of what motivated him in this path of vengeance. A sufferable scene that kept reminding him the loss of a caring sister.

  “There is no way, I’m going to get sleep now.” Hans stood up from his slumber. There was still time for sun to show its face but the illumination of barrier was comparable to bright day.

  “I wonder if I take Anfaleen’s head off I’d stop dreaming his Regretful memories I— it better be, this is too depressing.”

  He shook off his head and came out of the cavern. “You can’t sleep human?” Hans heard and turned, it was a dwarven woman. He had no time to converse with the dwarf before, so he greeted back. According to the infected people, this woman was the sole person who helped them to live in hiding. She wasn’t one of the infected, so Hans wondered why she was still staying here but chose not to ask. His plate was already full and he didn’t need anymore trouble on his way.

  “The weather, the brightness, everything stays the same here.” The copper skinned dwarf said.

  Hans nodded, as he glanced her thick braided hair-tail which was even thicker than his legs. He didn’t asked anything else, both just stood there in silence.

  Soon, sun too, rose from his slumber, adding a bit of more brightness to the already lit place, and people started coming out of their caves. This was the first time Hans took a good look to the place called the hidden village.

  a place hidden deep within the mountains, where this dwarf and her companions had crafted a secret hideout. A place which was synonymous to their last time in the world, a place where they waited for a merciful death. But since he came here, the air became jolly and occasional laughter could be heard. He looked far, to the place where these people were coming out—A network of cavern.

  He soon came to his yesterday spot where he cured many. For the first time he noticed the obsidian stones, inlaid to the ground forming runes. “So this makes the village invisible to the world above. The surface glows with a pulse like a heartbeat, shielding the village from the outside world.” He paused, “I should really go back now.”

  He wasted no time and started using the sun’s energy to aid him in curing with Paradise garden. He suffered the usual backlash of getting himself parched but Zilong and other didn’t loitered around and helped him with his watery needs.

  And as the last batch got cured, Zilong who was sitting beside Hans, pointed out, “Some are completely healed, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah.” Hans wiped his sweat, pointing, “But many of them still show some mutation. Even you—”

  “Stop!” Zilong interrupted him, questioning, “Didn’t you say, Your prowess will grow in due time?”

  “Yes—”

  “Then that’s enough. We had a lot of deaths because of high mutation, but since your treatment, the mutation has gone down.” Zilong patted Hans, aiming to cheer him up, however his hand carried quite a force and crashed Hans right on his face.

  “Ugh, Hey, take it easy!” Hans complained as he rose dusting off his front, prompting Zilong to chuckle. He stared at the handsome face, this was contrast to what this huge man was a day ago. There was a lot of mutation left in his system, Hans couldn’t grasp the complex Barkan essence which was fused with Zilong’s body permanently. Yet, even that couldn’t hide his sharp featured face, “Jeez if jawlines could cut.”

  Zilong interrupted his thoughts, cheering him with a warm voice this time, “if you feel that bad, then grow your abilities and come back to cure them. Simple.”

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  “Its not that I feel —Wait a minute. You said you’ve a lot of death? Then these people—”

  “Not all became successful specimen in Anfaleen’s trials. I escaped, but these guys are the failed products he released inside the barrier. Just to keep his hands clean.”

  “He is one sick bastard.” Hans added.

  “Indeed he is— ah! Before I forgot, here it is.” Zilong put an iridescent scale of his in Hans’s hands. It was similar to what he left for his unborn child. He warned again, “Don’t tell them about me.”

  “I promised, they won’t hear a squeak about you from me. You have nothing to worry.” Hans patted his chest in confidence. He stood, dusting off his bottom.

  “It seems, I should hurry back.” He felt the familiar presence as a tremor reached him, “Someone is here to pick me up— But before I go, please make sure these people are ready to take revenge and if possible break more infected out from the Council node.”

  Zilong nodded in affirmation, “I don’t want these people to get used by you. But as you’ve said, being alive and living is quite a different thing. So, Please, make sure your plan has minimal casualty.”

  Zilong’s voice was almost pleading, he could also sense the infuriated presence coming at their general direction and with quite the speed. “I don’t know who it is but they’d reach us in mere minutes” He hurried Hans but before he went, Hans quoted Zilong, “Hope sure is worst of all evils because it prolongs our suffering —but it is what kept you alive till now, Mister Zilong. See you again in two years.”

  Hans left leaving a warm smile in Zilong’s face and like a mirage the hidden village disappeared. He kept going on further towards Hera, since he had a guidance tool crafted by the village’s dwarven woman, it was quite easy to find Concordia node with that.

  Hans giggled, feeling the scale, “I’m bringing you quite the gift Del—”

  “You’ve a lot to explain, Hans.” A voice echoed just from his behind and he was captured with no efforts.

  “Hehe, I got caught.” Hans showed a silly smile, “I was just curious—”

  “Shut up. Since you like visiting the prison so much. I’d gladly throw you inside.” Hera was furious. He never saw her this angry and her current temper wasn’t something he could cool off with few words so he just let her scold him.

  However, he was really thrown into the underground prison. “She wasn’t kidding” he murmured, several days had already passed since his misadventure and adding few days in imprisonment, the day for volunteers to return came.

  Hera didn’t allow anyone to visit Hans. She wasn’t at node but out in Deadlands and had every route to Clandor Node surrounded. Stalking the place for days, waiting for her sister to show up.

  Reina albeit not wanting, eventually had to confront Hera. “Your stubbornness is appalling sister.” She disdained.

  “So does your stupidity, Reina.” Hera bit back but not only with words, she added a shot of an extreme pulse of light that flew past to Reina, burning her side locks.

  “So, finally. My sister is angry.” Reina said, nonchalant. She didn’t even flinched at Hera’s attack, which unguarded, was capable of blowing any one’s head, including hers.

  “Why are you here Reina?” She asked or more like ordered her to tell.

  “To tie up loose ends—”

  “It looks like you were the one tied up, Reina.” Hera glanced at her pitiful appearance, a wry smile on her face.

  Reina remained silent on her provocations but she had something else to ask from her sister, “So, why are you here Shaerra? Are you really going to fight me this time—”

  “No, I won’t but my actions will change devastatingly if you do not stop bothering that child—”

  “Why. Just why are you all hell bent in defending him?” Reina fumed, she wanted one thing and every strong person kept adding a layer over layer of protection on that very thing. “Just why?” She bellowed, her voice hoarse.

  “I don’t know. Maybe its because people like you keep finding his father in him. He is different so don’t push him to become another Samson Parv. I came to ask you a favour and I’m asking it very nicely. LEAVE. HIM. ALONE. Tell each family member that I, Hera, will be protecting him. Touching him is like provoking the Hornet’s nest, and this queen bee isn’t one to forgive.

  Reina remained silent but her frustration was apparent in her face. However, Hera wasn’t done, “I had waited for you quite a while so answer me this Reina, which bastard was it? Who betrayed me?”

  “Only a fool keeps a person who is eager to sell himself. Your Concordia’s Prodigy, Zephyr. It seems your new toy is quite close to the girl he is crushing on. Jealousy, is a dangerous thing—”

  “Shut it! Now my next question is for you traitor, Was once not enough so you did it twice, a father wasn’t enough so you came for the son too—”

  “Hey! Hold your horses. I came to stop them. They were bent on killing each other, Hell! They almost did. I saved them both. The child was injured too, so please find him, prioritise him,” explained Bernard.

  Hera chuckled at his words. “I found him after two days, ‘unscathed’ he wasn’t hurt a bit.”

  “No, its not possible.” Reina finally got provoked, “He lost his hand, my skill is not insignificant enough to heal that easily.”

  “Stop it, Queen. I told you to not get involve with him. You don’t understand Imperials, the less they are the stronger they will be. There is a higher power protecting them. How do you think, I got here this easily?” Bernard who avoided his sudden arrival story till now, spoke. “I got connected with OSIRIS, with only one order, to send Hans on a designated Co-ordinate—”

  “Where?” Both sister spoke at the same time.

  “I don’t remember. It got erased from my head when I fulfilled the order.” Bernard responded, “Only the child knows.”