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THE ENDS AND THE BEGINNINGS

A torrential rain fell so freely it showed no signs of stopping, even after pouring for nearly a week straight . The streets of the city appeared barren of life, sucked into an entirely different reality than what they were used to . While everyone else wondered why it was raining in desert, Lino figured it had to do something with the ruins -- as they’ve most-likely collapsed entirely by now .

He currently stood atop a tall platform inside one of the towers within the city, overlooking not only the city itself but also the desert . His gaze veered onward toward the horizon, the latter blanketed by gray and black clouds and endless thunder and lightning .

Hearing the footsteps behind him he turned, his eyes glistening strangely . Valkyria stopped a few meters away from him and bowed lightly, causing him to sigh .

"I’ve decided to leave . " Lino said as he shifted his gaze off of her onto the sprawling, now wet, desert .

" . . . I see . " Valkyria said, trying to control her voice . "Is there nothing I can do to change Your mind?"

"You could become my wife . " Lino chuckled .

"Very well . "

" . . . it was a joke . "

"Regardless . "

"There’s no need for you to become a part of my world," Lino glanced at her yet again and smiled freely . "And even less of a one to drag your entire tribe into a conflict well beyond you . "

"It is the reason we exist in--"

"It’s not," Lino interrupted . "Just like anyone and anything else, you’ve no reason for existing . You make one . "

" . . . it was made so . " Valkyria persisted .

"Perhaps . . . a long time ago," Lino said . "Not anymore . You have a new reason Val . One far more honorable than indulging my whims . "

" . . . "

"You’ve an entire Tribe to look after," he added as he took a gulp of a rather sweet wine, a local product . "You shouldn’t betray their hopes of surviving and prospering in this world . "

" . . . why are you projecting?" Valkyria asked directly with a somewhat harsher voice .

" . . . because saying I don’t want you to serve me sounds a bit harsh, doesn’t it?" Lino chuckled oddly for a moment . "Anyway, this isn’t a place for me . It’s time to let the old legend go, Val . "

" . . . your battles and wars will be endless . " she mumbled . "They may cost you far more than what you’re losing here . "

" . . . perhaps . " Lino said .

"No matter what you say, Lino, I haven’t chosen to kneel before you because of my Ancestors . " Valkyria said . "I’ve done it of my own heart and mind . It’s painful . . . your rejection of both . "

"What would you have me do, then?"

"You made a correct choice," Valkyria continued . "To leave . Your growth would be stunned here . However, you told me you don’t want to be another Empyrean, no?"

" . . . " Lino merely nodded .

"Then answer me this . . . when did the Empyrean come the closest to achieving their dreams?"

" . . . "

"When they had someone behind their back," Valkyria said . "And that’s what I’ll give you . Don’t fight the world alone, Lino . It’s a hopeless battle . "

" . . . here . " Lino flickered his sleeve and sent a couple of talismans flying in her direction . "One’s to contact me, the other is to locate me . If you truly made this decision of your own mind . . . I’ll be expecting you . "

"Good luck on your journey . "

" . . . I’ll visit . "

" . . . liar . "

Lucky and Felix were currently sitting on a porch, the latter indulged in reading an old-looking book while the former drank, seemingly bored with staring into the horizon . She glanced in short bursts at the tower rising above all others at the center of the city, sighing from time to time .

"What’s the matter?" Felix asked .

"Nothing . " Lucky replied .

" . . . I’ve realized you’re a lot like the Master . " Felix commented, grinning . "Maybe that’s why you seem to hate him so much?"

" . . . I hate him because he never makes the right choice," Lucky said . "Before I had the chance to do so . "

" . . . are you in love with him?" Felix questioned, looking at her oddly .

" . . . " Lucky glanced at him and suddenly laughed, startling him for a moment . "What makes you think that?"

"I don’t know . Just a guess . "

" . . . no . Not anymore at least . " she said .

"Anymore? You were?" Felix asked, seeming stunned .

"Hm," Lucky nodded . "It was while we were still young," she continued . "Well, I wouldn’t exactly say I was in love with him . It was more of a case of the angry infatuation blinding one’s judgment . "

" . . . I can sort of understand it . " Felix smiled . "He can be . . . quite infuriating . When did you stop?"

" . . . when I saw his heart die . " Lucky replied . "And realized I’d never be loved back . "

" . . . " Felix suddenly bit his lower lip as his eyes veered downwards . "I . . . I’m sorry . . . "

"Eh, don’t worry about it," Lucky said . "We were young and all . Those flames rarely ever survive . What about you hotshot? Any lucky lady waiting for you in the City of Sun?"

"Ha ha . . . no, no such thing . Well, I imagine my parents had already arranged someone and are simply waiting to inform me of it . "

"Eh, whoever she is, here’s to her . " Lucky raised her gourd but, realizing Felix wasn’t drinking, shot him a murderous gaze before emptying the contents of hers .

"Will . . . will you follow him?" Felix asked .

"Yeah . " Lucky replied without hesitation . "What? You’ve made a decision as well?"

" . . . heh, it was never really even a dubious question . I’ve always known I’d go where he went . "

"Sounds like you’re the one who’s in love with him . "

"Call it what you will . . . but he showed me an entirely new world, and I feel like following him will lead me to more experiences like those, rather than just staying cooped up in a safety of a random corner of the old one . "

"That’s inspiring . "

" . . . yeah . "

"Hey, wanna come back to my room?" Lucky asked suddenly, shooting Felix a strange gaze .

"Hm? Why?" Felix looked at her innocently . "Do you need help with something . "

"Oh, yeah . Something like that . "

"Huh . Alright, sure . "

Lino suddenly came to a halt as he glanced inconspicuously and dubiously at his temporary residence . Shaking his head and smiling wryly, he turned left and headed toward the city’s exit, walking casually while ignoring the blasting rain . Here and there he spotted lights flickering within the homes, their noises drowned out in the rain .

Lost in thoughts, he ventured through the calm, empty streets of the city without truly paying attention to anything . It was only when he reached the end that he came to an abrupt halt, his eyes widening in surprise and shock . Just outside the city walls stood a figure clad in black, doused in rain from top to bottom .

She appeared even more majestic and daunting within the darkness of the raining night, with her black hair falling freely down her shoulders, her eyes almost like shining stars . They quickly spotted him and locked their gaze onto his, not letting go . After a brief shock, however, Lino came to and slowly walked over before stopping in front of her .

" . . . hi . " he said, smiling lightly . "I didn’t expect to see you here . "

"I didn’t think I’d come here . " Evelyn said .

"Why have you come here?" he asked .

"I needed to see you . "

"What for?"

"I’m not too sure . "

"Well, I’d invite you over to my house," Lino said . "But it’s currently occupied by two rather . . . engaged individuals . "

" . . . let’s take a walk, then?" Evelyn proposed as he turned around, extending her arm . Lino sighed briefly and locked his with hers, following in her footsteps as they descended down the hill into the wet desert .

"How are you?" he asked .

"Swarmed . I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a month . " she replied .

"That’s tough . "

"It is . But it’s worth it . "

"I imagine . " Lino said . "How’s Al’?"

"Probably not too thrilled that you still call him Al’ . "

"Ha ha . . . yeah . I guess I lost that privilege . "

" . . . he’s locked himself up," Evelyn said somewhat somberly . "Refusing to leave, cultivating every day all day long . Can you imagine why?"

"I think I can . " Lino said .

" . . . does he stand a chance?"

" . . . no . " Lino replied .

"Hah . . . " Evelyn sighed, shaking her head . "I told him so . But . . . well, he was never the one to pay much heed to the advice of others . "

"Let him indulge," Lino said . "Anger is oft’ the greatest fuel of man’s heart . "

"It seems more to me as though you’ve ruined him . " she commented .

" . . . heh . If he were that weak . . . he would have never reached the heights he had . " Lino said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye . "You . . . on the other hand . . . "

"What about me?"

"You don’t seem to be handling it all that well . "

"What? Can’t a girl try and avenge her Grandfather when so close to his murderer?" she said, smiling widely .

" . . . I suppose there’s nothing wrong with trying . But . . . can’t you see it’s impossible for you?" Lino said, smiling back . He’d long since felt Evelyn trying to infest his body with her Qi, though all her attempts were at best just futile . She didn’t even manage to break through his skin .

"You’re still far stronger than our estimates . . . just who the hell are you?"

"I’m just a lonely beggar taking a midnight stroll with a beautiful Empress, hoping she would stop trying to kill him . "

"I’m flattered you think so highly of me . " Evelyn commented, retracting her Qi . "What do you plan to do now?"

"I’m leaving," Lino said . "So I guess your timing was impeccable . "

"What about Felix?"

"He seems to rather enjoy following me . " Lino said . "Don’t worry though . I’ll return him in one piece once he grows tired of it . "

" . . . I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done . " Evelyn suddenly said as she stopped walking, loosening her arm from Lino’s . "And . . . if I ever do get strong enough to kill you, I promise you I will . "

"I know . " Lino said, smiling .

"So don’t go dying before that . " Evelyn said, her eyes fluttering underneath the wet hair covering them .

" . . . that’s one promise I can’t make, though . " Lino chuckled . "But, I’ll do my best . It’s been a pleasure meeting you and getting to know you Evelyn . You’re a fascinating woman . As I’ve made a promise to your Grandfather," Lino fetched out another talisman from the void world and handed it over . "You can have this . "

"Hm?"

"Should there ever come a storm you can’t withstand," Lino explained . "Give it a flicker . "

" . . . how comforting . Indeed, you’re the most not-beggar beggar that I’ve met in my life," Evelyn said, smiling faintly . "Good luck, Lyonel . "

"Godspeed . "

Lino watched as she stormed like a black bolt, streaking through the sky with a thunderous roar matching those of the distant clouds . He stood in the same spot, his hands in his pockets, rain freely falling over him . He remained staring and standing for a while, seemingly carving out a spot in his memory for this very moment . He only left when the sun finally showed its brief flutters from behind the clouds, leaving behind only a faint chuckle and a set of footprints in the sand which lasted but an hour, soon buried as all others ’neath the streaking wind .