Alves stood there looking a little bewildered. His eyes were hyper active and the pupils twirling from one corner to the other. At first, he looked to the front... it was a vast area of plain earth, dusty and browny. There was no strand of green, no matter how little. Not even a dry one. To his left, there was a stump of rock. To his right, nothing. And to his back nothingness. He shook his head, trying to settle a dispute with his mind. "What is this place?"The very first question he could think of. But even before the man could answer his question, "I mean is this the training ground?"He realised that that was more of an appropriate question compared to the first one. Alves didn't stare at the man for a long time. He was more interested in finding out what this whole thing is all about, as well as what this place is called. He made to walk forward. "Don't!"The man called in caution and so suddenly that Alves shook, retracting both the thought and the action. "Huh?"Alves f
Alves couldn't tell what happened or how it happened, but somehow, he had been able to escape the dark holes of the cracking earth. And just few steps away was the mouth of the cave carved into the stump of a rock. The rate at which the earth was cracking increased by the minute and things were not looking good for him anymore. It was just a matter of time before he loses the luck and get gobbled up. "Heyy, Heyy"He called at Akulia who was standing at the mouth of the cave, staring at him as though nothing was happening. "Don't just stand there!!!"Alves yelled. But suddenly, the earth cracked before him, and a big dark hole was revealed. Making his chance of going to Akulia closely impossible. Alves slowly looked down. When he saw how deep the hole was, so deep that he couldn't see the base. He shut his eyes and puffed. I CAN'T DIE THIS WAY. He needed to remind himself that. He took a risk to look at his back. There was no patch of earth in sight anymore. All the earth had bee
"Is this a sort of joke? How can I do that? I don't even have any tools. I'm not a mountain climber. I've never done mountaineering all my life."Alves was raving and raging. But there was no one to channel the rage towards. There was no scapegoat for him. "Or could it be?"He got an idea. A seeming idea. "Is he fucking with me? Is this some sort of prank? Perhaps he is trying to get back at him. Perhaps I wronged him and he's trynna make me pay for it."Alves thought about it for a while then shook his head. Obviously it didn't really sit well in his mind when he processed the thought. "He couldn't possibly put my life on the line because of his quest for revenge. He dares not. I'm his fucking master!"Alves nodded. Then walked to the other end of the mountain top. "That's too high. Too fucking high. And scary."He took steps back. He puffed and shook his head. "I will not be able to do this. I can't even do it. He must be crazy to say I can do it."He took a quick pause then s
Alves kept pushing his body up, trying to look closely and make meaning of what was scribbled in the sky. He had his worries and bothers. He had so many thoughts tumbling upon one another in his mind, yet he needed them cleared out to be able to 'take in' this strange occurrence. It was a strange language in the sky. Sumerian. Something had been writing in the sky in Sumerian and he was having a great trouble making a meaning of it. "What language is this?"He couldn't tell. He had never seen something like that. He probably didn't even know that there was such a language. ヒント、落ちるThat was what was written in the sky. "What could this mean?"Alves thought out loud. He slowly got up on his feet as though it would prove useful in his quest to understand what the scribbled meant. But something quite strange happened as soon as he had the desire to know the meaning. "Hinto, ochiru"Was dropped in his mind. Those two words were like substances rising from the depth of the ocean to th
"That was quick."Came the voice from behind Alves. It was a familiar voice and Alves could tell instantly who the owner of the voice was. When he had fell and fell, he had finally landed on both his feet. He couldn't really tell how that happened, but it did happen. And he was still wondering when the voice from behind him came. Without complains, or hate, he turned to the owner of the voice. "I guess he saw something in you after all."Akulia added as soon as Alves turned to him. Alves' brows squinted in curiosity. Obviously a string had been picked in him. "Who are you talking about?"Alves asked, turning fully to face Akulia. "The supreme Deity."Akulia said. "The Supreme Deity?"Alves found himself exclaiming. He had meant for it to be a question, but somehow it had come out that way. "The supreme what? Supreme Deity? Who is that?"Alves couldn't hide the curiosity. He took two steps closer to Akulia who wasn't really looking him in the eyes. "Oh, His Eminence. There are
Alves looked around him. They were in an enclosed area which looked like a room with four corners. From inside the room, they could see the sky, because the room was roofless. There was enough ventilation, but neither of them could tell what was happening outside the four walled corner of the room. Perhaps Akulia could. If Alves was asked, he wouldn't be able to tell how he got there. They had just walked for a while and had ended up there. At some point, Alves was forced to think that these things grew out of thin air. As though they were illusive and subjective to abstraction. The mountain, cave, and now room!"We can get over with this already."Akulia's voice from the front knocked him out of the thoughts. He quickly took a glance at the earth beneath him. It looked like an area that was usually trodden by the hoofs of horses. It looked pretty parched, worn out and old. The smell of the air had a hint of dung and the area screamed stuffiness. Alves knew he couldn't build his wo
"Count yourself dead."Alves was back on his feet. He could feel the rage in his heart. And if he acted on that at that instant, he might be able to make something tangible of it. "You talk too much for a rookie."Akulia scorned. That let hell loose as Alves charged at him immediately. "A rookie?! Die you motherfucker!!!"Alves didn't charge at him throwing punches, instead he went like a bull. Like a ram. His head being his weapon as he accelerated. With his head thrown into Akulia's stomach, he pushed his way forcefully, his head as the aid. And it did work. Just like a bull would push its opponent back with its death horns till there is nowhere else to go for the opponent, so did Alves passionately kept going and going till there was nowhere else to go. Akulia's back was pressed to the wall and Alves' head was still pressed to the former's stomach. Alves started plant punches into the rib sides of Akulia. He did it wildly and uncontrollably. As he punched and hit, he cussed,
"How is that possible? How did I win the training? I mean, how did I turn out to be the winner of the task?"Alves had a lot of questions to ask, and those were just the opening half. "I mean, you are the one who kinda hit me."He took a quick pause, turning to face Akulia. He didn't really worry much about the weird reactions of Akulia before the chiming of the notification in his wrist. Something which seemed more important had snatched his attention. "When you hit me, I had blood in my nose and stuff. But when I hit you, you didn't even feel an ounce of pain. How did I become the winner then?"Alves wanted and needed someone to answer his question. But at that moment, all he could do was wait for what would happen in the nearest moment. Perhaps he would be able to bank on it. When the walls of the room had fallen away, crumbled to pieces by the unbelievable punch of Akulia, the day had paved for a very beautiful sight. Up ahead of them was what looked like an ocean. Crystal cl
News began to spread across Grimmings about the mystery of the newly discovered Dragon King and mysterious Trillionaire. The news started as still and random as the flowing breeze, until there was a twist which made it hostile, raging like a ferocious wind across Grimming Hills. "That can't be true." Someone said to the people who surrounded him. "The dragon King? He is who?" The same person carried on the argument. "You were not listening?! I said that he was the same person as the son-in-law of the Casper mansion!" The lady who was the centre of attention, said. "What!" Almost everyone who was encircled in that group exclaimed at the discovery. "How is that even possible? It does not make any sense." Someone argued passionately. "That was the same thing I thought in the first place, but for no reason, things started to play out." "But we only just discovered that the dragon King is alive. It hadn't even been more than twenty minutes ago since the press meeting ended! How coul
Inside the Casper mansion, there were a couple of people gathered in the living room. They all had their eyes glued to the screen of the TV. Their facial reactions emphasised how absorbed and engulfed they were by whatever was going on on the screen. "Why does it feel like I'll die of curiosity?" Michael muttered, almost falling off his seat. "My heart will be ripped open." Simeon had few of his fingers over his lips in anticipation. "I can't breathe." Their sister was trying to divide her attention between not looking and looking. Madam Casper was seated in her special chair, staring sternly at the screen. Her gaze was locked in as though she would be paid handsomely for the attention squandered. No, invested!On the screen of the TV, there was an explosion at the entrance of the media train, and everyone was waiting, watching with their hearts in their mouths. A man dressed in an entire that wasn't typical of the modern era walked into the media train. There was a black mask on
The Prime Minister walked briskly into the media train. There were all several screens set up. As soon as he stepped into the designated area, all the cameras and lightening whirred in his direction. His face was supplanted in the chain of screens, which looked like a cinema. There was hardly anyone on the media train. The cameras seemed to have the mind of their own, zooming in at intervals on the face and other parts of the Prime Minsiter. "Now you are live." A robotic voice said in the train. The Prime Minister took two steps forward into the stream of limelight. "I'm sure that everyone knows who I am." He started. "I am the Prime Minister of this great country, Grimming Hills." He continued. "There has been a lot happening in this country ever since I assumed the position. Though most of them have been significant changes and growth in the economic sector of the country, some of them have been a little concerning." "At least, so it started in the past few months until recen
Alves was waiting patiently for the arrival of the Prime Minister. No matter how much he tried to dissuade himself from worrying about the punk who had claimed to have his full picture, he just couldn't get the thoughts off his head. He got up from the couch and walked towards the door again. "When did the media get here? I mean, it hasn't even been a minute since the news was broadcast. How could they have arrived here in such a sort space of time?" He murmured, looking through the door. He walked out of the door and headed towards the gate. He was in the compound of the tower. No matter how zealous and intentional the media personnel were, they could never break in. "We are here to meet with the mystery man!" A voice called from outside the compound. "Please, we would love to have a word with you, sir.""Please come answer some of our questions." "We know you are in..."Alves could hear the people calling at him. Leaving the compound premises wouldn't be much of a hassle for h
The flaps of giant wings preceeded the wave of wild wind, which swept across Huthi Farmland. The dragon descended at the front of the two bamboo stalks which served as the portal to the parallel world. "What the hell?" Alves was reluctant to climb down from the back of the dragon. It had been clouds and clouds when they travelled from the place where they left the Supreme Majesty. To suddenly find himself back at Grimming Hills was something he could never have anticipated. "Why did I find myself here? Why didn't I return to the Kingdom? What happened? Is this the doings of the Supreme Majesty?" The dragon pushed its head forward till it touched touched the earth. Alves climbed down from its back. "Did I really fly from like two worlds to Huthi under an hour?" He heard the wings of the dragon flap. The Supreme Majesty had told him that the dragon was his spiritual pet. He still didn't know what that really meant. The dragon lifted itself from the earth, and off it flew, as
"What is sleep?"The Supreme Majesty asked again, waking Alves from his sleep. Alves sat up suddenly. He looked around him. It was as though he was making an effort to understand what was happening."What causes sleep?"The question came again, and he looked in the direction of the voice. Seeing the Supreme Majesty, he looked around him again. He was in a strange area. Clouds surrounded the both of them, yet the earth was rocky beneath him. He slowly got up on his feet. The Supreme Majesty had his back to him. Alves took careful steps towards the divine creature. "Where am I?""Where are we?"Alves asked intermittently. "What is this place?"When he looked to his front again, the Supreme Majesty was no longer there. Alves was neither surprised nor flustered. He had grown to acknowledge wonders like that. "Do not play the word game, Son."The voice came from behind him this time. He turned to look. "Why do you keep asking me what causes sleep? And what does sleep mean?"Alves arg
Warm hands were wrapped around his arm as he was led towards the lake. He couldn't make them stop. He didn't want to. They led him into the water. He took a few steps, pushing the water with his knees. That was how much he had been gobbled up by depth of that part of the lake. When he looked down to see, he could see the depth of the lake so plainly and clearly. The lake was crystal clear. The base of the lake was fine. No stone, no speckle. Just pure white sand. He looked to the front and couldn't find any sort of creature in the lake. No fish, no matter how small. Not even a fingerling. When warm palms glid down his arms and chest, that was when he was knocked back to the reality, which was quickening and pacing. The ladies were rubbing his arms and chest. They were scooping water and washing him. He wanted to argue with them, but then he recalled that it was the man from the hall who must have given them the guts to do that. He decided to go along with whatever they had in mi
"What causes sleep?"A voice zoomed to Alves as soon his eyes opened. He sat up and looked around him. At first, he didn't see who was talking, but when he looked again, there was an old but lanky man standing not far from him. The man had white flowing beards, which were in knots. His hair was snowy white with strands of blacks. "Do you have an idea, dear son?"The man turned away from him and walked towards something that looked like a throne. A shiny throne carved out of red gold. Alves had never seen anything of such elegance and beauty. The sight alone was breathtaking. HE JUST CALLED ME SON?Though Alves' mind was busy admiring the qualities and beauty of the Palace, he didn't trade the important details. Alves watched the old yet young man settle into the thrown. He quickly looked around him if there was any other person in the Palace. There was no one in sight. His only company was the strange old man. DID THOSE WINGED CREATURES BRING ME HERE? IS HE THE SUPREME MAJESTY? MY
"I'll kill you! You are dead!!!"Alves yelled as he kept falling and falling till THUD, his body hit the hot and thick surface of the body of lava. "Oh Lord. Oh God. I'm dead."He started to fight his way, trying to do whatever he could to get out of the thick and sticky body of liquid. "Do something you fucking, Ri. Fucking do something! Where is the hidden weapon I would be able to use in a difficult time?"In the middle of his bickers and yelling, something quite strange hit him. "Huh?"For a moment, he stopped fighting and kicking. "Wait a minute."He pulled one of his hands out of the thick liquid. "What's happening?"He turned the sticky hand to this side and that side. "Nothing is happening. No pain? No scar? No heat?"He couldn't believe his eyes. He tried to move his body in the lava. He turned around and saw how fiery and scary the lava seemed from distance. Moving to this side and that, he felt no pain. It felt like he was drowning in mud. Instead of a lava. "Is thi