Lord Shadow

IN THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN

Under the snowy large mountains of the Ice Region, the Revolutionary Army makes their base there.

Hundreds of tents were made by thick fur of beasts that roams the Mountain lines up on the foot of the mountain to protect the soldiers and civilians from the biting cold of the region

Some lives in ice-like structure resembling that of an igloo.

But there is also some that built houses made of wood though only certain people with prestige and strength lives in the wooden house since wood is hard to find in the Ice Region.

There is a house made of wood that sits atop a hill in the foot of the mountain.

The house is large and surrounding the house was hundreds of tents all have hearth fire in the tent.

The tent itself was large and interconnects with each other that could fit hundreds of men under the tent tarp.

The tent tarp is made from an elastic skin of a beast and was protected with the fur of White Giant Bear.

With the hearth fire in the middle of the area, the men do not suffer from the cold. These men were soldiers.

They were organized and disciplined. And they all will lay down their lives for the person who lives on the wooden house atop the hill.

The wooden house has the flag of the French Empire waving proudly on the top of its roof.

In the wooden house atop the hill, lies one of the pillars of Revolutionary Army, Jean the former Emperor of France.

Jean, who was sleeping soundly with Paulette beside him in his embrace after a session of sex, was suddenly startled when he felt that his senses alerted him.

He got up and Paulette also wakes up after noticing the urgency in the way Jean was behaving.

‘What happen?’ Paulette immediately asks as she dresses herself quickly following Jean who is walking around in circle inside the house.

Jena did not know what but he creased his eyebrows and replies

‘Nothing good, I think.’ He quickly summons his generals and they immediately were called to their post as Jean could not shake off the feeling that some disaster is about to befallen the base.

Meanwhile, in a large palace made entirely of ice, Katarina who was in her Ice Room was the first one to notice that there is something happening.

She already absorbs some of the elemental energy in the mountain giving her some insight and feelings when something happens to the White Mountain

When she extends her consciousness outside of the Revolutionary Army quarters, what she saw was something she never expected.

She saw a man in black attire was flying in the air chasing a golden chariot. The other thing that shocked her is the person riding that chariot.

It is Sasha Makarov.

Before, no matter how Katarina employ her consciousness to search for her, she could not find Sasha.

Maybe, Sasha has a way to avoid detection.

But then she finally realizes the problem. The black attire man was also a Seed Forming user and not only that, he also seems to be stronger.

Katarina just saw in her consciousness, how the Green flames did not hurt him even a scratch.

When two expert fights, especially expert like this that packed such a destructive power there would be unintended consequences

And Katarina finally sees what unintended consequence that was. That explosion rocked the top of the mountain which is filled with snows.

She could see a fast flowing avalanche is coming down from the top of the mountain and based on its trajectory it will bear down on the Revolutionary army new headquarters.

At this time, Katarina quickly retract her consciousness and got up from her Ice Bed and immediately went out of her room.

Her forehead was already sweating with nervousness and her hands were trembling. Seeing that gigantic avalanche, how could she not be shaken?

Then when she reaches the balcony of her palace, she yelled.

‘Emergency protocol. Avalanche is coming. All available personnel must gather in front of the palace. For the residents, remain calms. The situation will be easily contained.’

Katarina who is watching all the personnel of Revolutionary army are gathering in front of the palace knows she needs to show something to maintain the morale.

‘I, Katarina and Jean, will first stop the initials wave of the avalanche. My Brother Boris will organize the other prevention measures.’

Her words are louds and reached everyone in the compound.

Katarina finished saying this jump from the balcony and then she waved her palm and trail of ice materializes out of the falling snows, creating a surfer trail in midair, making her seems like wave rider riding the trail of ice as she was going to the direction of one of the influential personnel of Revolutionary Army, Jean

***

In one of the hills overlooking the mountain range of the ice region, a man can be seen staring at a distance.

The man was bandaged from top to bottom. The bandages are red in color and coiling red mist surrounded the man.

There is a sword stored in a sheath on his left hip. The sword resembles a katana but a little bit longer than a katana by a few meters.

His face was bandaged but it could not hide the maliciousness in his gaze. Like there is an irreconcilable hate towards something.

A consuming vengeance.

The man itself stood proud and full of dignity. 6’5 feet tall, he was a tall man. But the smell of him would repel most people.

‘Narleod, you okay?’ A man beside him was asking the bandaged man. The man beside him was a few meters short of Narleod.

Childish looking face and smooth skin. Almost like a man child.

‘Warp. You think this plan will work?’ Narleod ask, his voice was gravelly and hoarse, hard to listen to.

Warp look at the distance and said

‘The signal has been lit. The base of Revolutionary army is compromised. This is our chance to steal one of the Hyper drives. If we manage to install it to our battleship, then our battleship is no longer just a battleship. It will become a Battlestar.’

‘Budiman. Hmmm. You trust him?’

Warp shakes his head.

‘I trust that he knows what’s best for him.’

There is a smile forming in Narleod stiff face.

‘And…..I might even get the chance to incite Boris to declare war with Raymond.’

Warp on the other hand disagrees as he grabs a hold of Narleod shoulders and looks him in the eyes.

‘It will not work. Raymond and Boris are not idiots. They already suspected there is a mole in their midst. The Dark Speedster reports to the higher ups that there is a traitor amongst the upper echelon of both of the Organization’

Narleod snorted

‘When will I get my revenge then? Do I have to resort to this petty scheme just to take his life!’ Narleod yelled as he pushes away Warp hands and turns around in dissatisfaction

‘Patience, my brother. Now is not the time. There are too many variables at play.’ Narleod turns back and look at Warp and then he just grumbles as he walks down from the snowy hill.

Warp just sigh.

Vengeance almost blinded Narleod to the most profitable route. Even though, today the operation can be done, for some reason Warp did not feel right.

Warp knows that Will knows that Warp is a part of Narleod people.

A year ago, the Dark Speedsters would have risk his life to relay the news to the World Government.

But after he returns from his journey, Will seems different. Like a new man. Better and improved.

He is faster than before, and his lightning seems to change colors when he runs.

Warp didn’t understand why Will didn’t tell Shogun Hirate of his affiliation. Will did not ask for gold or position in the League of Freedom so Warp is at a stump.

He doesn’t know what to do with Will. He can’t just kill the most important messenger of the World Government without raising some alarms or suspicions about his identity.

For some reason, as Warp walk down the hills, he feels that there is someone else pulling all the strings.

And as he jumps over the ledge, Warp feels….manipulated. And when he landed, he knows he needs to know if he ever going to let his mind have peace.

And in the snow he walked forward before teleporting with the bandaged man walking the path of vengeance.

***