Lord Shadow

‘Milos!’

A gruff voice shouted in anger while throwing a metal pan towards a young boy.

The young boy was running around the street while mocking as he runs from a grumpy old man who is now throwing fishes at him.

‘HAHAHA’ the boy laughed

This is Eden.

The only civilized city in the world and the largest city in the world. Many forces and people nearby the Plains pay visit and then inevitably stay here.

Milos was one of them.

He is a fifteen year old kid with his sweet hearts manages to survive the Fall and hiding out in the Forest Region before he met a Syndicate that helps him run from the Forest Region and send him here to Eden, the land of opportunities.

He is now running through Accord Road, as he turns back and sees that Old Grumpy Hank has stopped chasing him and he laughed.

On his hand is a few fish as he quickly store sit in his storage rings he got as his payments from working with Burt one of the builders building the gigantic palace where the City Lord will live.

Accord Roads reminds Milos the roads in Italy when he was vacationing with his family before the Fall.

Green spruce and apple trees lining both sides of the roads.

Not far away there is a patrolman on top of his mount a Fire Horse looking as dashing as knights of old.

He looks stern as Milos think to himself.

‘But now not’s the time’ Milos thought to himself as he quickly jumps a fence and hides himself.

Milos is one of the lost boys. Not lost boys but one of the Lost Boys, a gang member.

Of course when he said gang it’s not like the gang before the Fall. It’s not like they killed or robbed people.

Do that and you would be killed by people stronger than you. Milos is just a Pillar Forming low realm.

They just do occasional pranks. The gang part is just to make themselves look formidable. This city is well regulated. And people know where to draw the line.

They didn’t let gangs flourished.

There is a saying that said in clear water there is no fish. Well, not this city. You want to live and survive?

Then hunt!

Or do something with your skills. Even builders could get rich.

As Milos walking down the street and biting a bite of apple he got from Hank he has arrived at Briarfront.

After a few weeks, certain town is formed. There’s Huntersburg which is full of hunters trading stories and hunt spots.

There is Keyvine where many thieves trade tips and tricks. There is Labortoen. Merchanton.

The name is pretty self-explanatory.

Milos look at the distance and he smiles.

‘Dawn is breaking’ he said as he saw the sun began showing its face. A new day is beginning.

There is lot of business being opened as dawn just break.

Eden is strong economically with many new industries flourishing like the sale of potions, magical items, armours, poisons, skills, arrays papers, formation stones, and many others.

The wide street is full with vendors coming to opens their stalls.

As Milos is bored he began walking towards the gatehouse in the north. He knows some people in the Guard.

The city gatehouse after it has finished construction has become quite grand.

With money pouring from the hunting and the guilds raid, the city is slowly becoming grander and prosperous.

The stonework’s of the gatehouse was quite beautiful evoking an ancient feeling. It has gigantic archway with twenty foot wall, the archway must also be gigantic.

Even if somehow the stone walls crumbled, there is another layer. Iron towers lined the walls.

This is all in the preparation of battling the monster horde that will come. Milos is also preparing himself for that ordeal.

He might be drafted after all.

Since from what the Imperial Residence reported, the monster horde will attack all regions without exception.

What the people and the rulers don’t know is from where this attack will come from and how these monster hordes will emerge.

But many great personages in the world have confirmed the news with Lee Sangmin.

Lee Sangmin himself as the undisputed ruler of the Forest Region has convene the Meetings of the Lords of the Forest and have already started building fortification around their illusory barriers.

The World Government offers their help but Lee Sangmin refuses citing that the Forest people does not need help and is capable of repelling their monster horde problem.

Considering that all things that entered Forest Region would only be at most Energy Disperse Stage, Lee Sangmin might have already had a winning strategy.

That barrier sure did made living in Forest Region like an easy mode game.

But why then people don’t move inside the Forest Region in bulk? Because as Milos already knows, once you’re in the Forest, the Forest won’t let go.

Suppressed by the nobles of the Forest, always being prevented to increase your level what kind of life is that?

A life for cowards!

Milos did not realize he is clenching his fist but then he take a deep calm breath and look at the ramparts.

Banners hangs from the ramparts, most of it is from noble houses.

In the North gate, the banners of the House of Salvatore hang proudly. In times of emergency the House of Salvatore is entrusted with guarding that position.

The city lord gave Ezio Salvatore the title Count Ezio as he brings a lot of Italian survivors to the city, rendering merits to the City Lord.

Count Ezio himself owns a castle on the northern part of the city.

The stone guardhouse on the other hand resembles dragon statues which is why some of the city people started calling it Dragon House.

Runic symbols were carve don the stones of the walls by Sigil master and Arrayist to increase its durability.

As Milos is slowly nearing the guardhouse he could see a cleric of a holy order is welcoming and inviting everyone to the house of worship.

The symbol of a cross could be seen from afar. Milos just look at the church with apparent disinterest.

Most of devout Christian enter the Holy Order of St Paul to fight monster and believes in the teaching of someone claiming to be a Bishop in Vatican City who proclaimed that the Fall is God test and punishment.

And their enemy?

The monsters of course, which the Bishop claims to be Devilspawn.

Whatever the case, they seem to be doing some good as they hunts monsters and rescue people.

What Milos doesn’t like is how they obsessively listen to the Bishop order without questions.

In the end, power is the only thing that matters. Milos thought to himself.

If he was as strong as the City Lord, Milos could walk anywhere he wants and do what he wants.

Sometimes when Milos opens his eyes and starts his morning, he could see the City Lord flying over the city, like a watchful God.

There was one time when Milos was standing on top of the city walls and he managed to see the City Lord, standing on the air, high above the clouds, looking down…..probably hearing everything.

There was even a time where the City Lord helps a man who got his building in fire by simply blowing his breath and swept away the fire.

Milos even heard….people praying to him in dark corners of their house.

Being the Lost Boys, Milos hides very well, and infiltrates many houses searching for information that is required of him.

The City Lord was like Superman.

A God.

A boy like Milos could not help but admire that kind of men. Even women wanted to gain the City Lord favour and maybe become his concubine.

After the Fall, many men took many women and vice versa.

Strong women even have a few boy toys.

And strong men have a lot of women.

At least that how it was before in the community Milos lives after the Fall.

But the City Lord rarely enjoys in entertainment always looking serious and solemn….rarely a smile.

He did not indulge in carnal activities like those strong people Milos use to meet before, making the City Lord not only a paragon of strength but also of morals.

Whatever morals are in this kind of chaotic times.

As Milos entertain his thought he is slowly reaching the guardhouse.

And he began seeing the sight of guards checking wagons and goods and searching all who enters.

Milos could even see some of the noble family greeting their family from another region that came here after hearing the news.

Wanted poster is also posted on the front of the city gates mostly the face of spies and criminals.

Milos smiles as he recognizes one of the Lost Boys picking a pocket among the crowds. They look at each other and the boys just grins.

Lost Boys have their code. And one of their codes is Protect each other. Right below Don’t be a snitch.

Milos come to the guardhouse and greet Muthu an Indian man who has dealings with the Lost Boys before.

‘I wanted to use a room for a while’ Milos said and Muthu just nodded.

Muthu is never talkative. He is taciturn and short but bulky. His hair is curly and not in a good way.

No one really knows what he is thinking…or maybe he doesn’t think at all. He does have quite a temper when he is drunk.

Milos then began

Outside Milos could see pilgrims setting up camp outside the walls waiting the guards to give them permission to enter as adventurer groups protect this band of pilgrims.

Just inside the gates, a few women pass out flyers to the brothels. Some passes out flyers to their taverns or inn.

In the afternoon after finishing his nap, Milos went out.

‘I don’t think he will chase me this long. After all he has a business to operate.’ Milos said to himself as he began walking again. He will go to the Five Points.

To be honest the Five Points is like the Pentagon.

It was the city Department of Defense. It was very large and it is still recruiting people to enter the army with a lot of benefits and rewards.

Of course Milos is not going there to enlist but to meet one of the Lost Boys contact.

It was evening. Milos is walking through Merchnaton. It was full of elaborate guild manors, business and workshops. It was a sprawling trade center.

Most of the task of the Lost boys don’t make sense. After all, Milos is just an errand boy. He is now going to Hamburg Castle.

The surrounding are of the castle is half castle half wilderness. Bushes, trees, gardens and lawns integrate perfectly with the castle.

He must have a hell of a great gardener. In the months he has joined the Lost Boys he learned many things.

He knows that Lorais, the Swiss man that begs on the street for food headed the Beggar Association in the Sewers.

He knew that Wanda the scar faced woman secretly fund many of the dark crimes in the streets.

He knew that Altonas the Bogotan national has a fondness for little boys and engage in that carnal pleasure every week.

He also knew that Lord Solomon that lives in his mansion on Hergsburg who enforces strict penalties regardless of one’s position and praised by the people for being impartial is actually a submissive personality in bed and always hires a dominatrix from the brothels.

Milos also knows that some of the officials in the City Lord employs is seeking ways to remove their connections to local brothels as the City Lord frowns upon his officials engaging in the dark sides of the city.

Milos learns that there is no saint here.

As he was thinking of this he arrived at the Castle.

He looks at the castle and then he went to the front gate. Showing his identification he enters the castle.

‘What is this feeling of unease I feel?’ Milos said to himself.

The reason why he is feeling something is wrong is because he was escorted into the Hall with respect.

‘Please wait for our Lord here, mister’ the servants said to him which only serves to increase the alarms bells inside Milos mind.

He sits himself on one of the chairs on the Hall and smiles awkwardly at the servants before saying

‘I’m fine. I’ll wait here’

When the servants went out from the Hall, Milos quickly get up from his seat and looking left and right.

What mission did the Lost Boys is doing now? He ask himself. Then Milos spotted a window and he smiles.

He was about to go to that window when suddenly he felt his body limp and he falls down and closes his eyes as a cooling sensation fills his body

He could utter the word ‘What’ before passing out.

***

A woman appears from behind the curtains of the windows, almost like she was emerging from the shadows.

The woman looks at the boy and examines the boy with scrutinizing looks.

‘Hmm. What is so special about this boy?’ she said puzzled.

The woman is tall and slender.

Her face is covered with a red smiling demon mask, with horns on each side which seems to enhance her ferocity.

Then the door of the Hall was open and the Lord of the castle enters with his servants.

The Lord when he sees the Red Masked Woman, he immediately stops in his tracks and sweats formed in his forehead.

The servants release a sound that sound like a yelp and was about to scream intruders when he realizes that his Lord glares at him and he halt his words.

The Red Masked Woman then looked towards that Lord and colors drained from the Lord face as he tries to smile.

The Lord gulped and he said to his servants

‘Go out and don’t disturb me. You saw no one here!’

He said to the servants and the servant is quick to understand. Whoever that Red Masked Woman, she must be someone whose identity is very terrifying.

The servants quickly runs out from the room.

The Red Masked Woman is Trisha, the Envoy of Lord Loki.

Seeing that his servant has left the Hall, the Lord slammed the Hall doors and quickly come in front of that woman and said

‘My Lady, this lord is honored’

‘Honored? This is your duty to the city.’

‘Of course, of course’ the Lord of Hamburg said stutteringly in fear. This woman, no one knows her names but everyone called her the Red Smiling Demoness.

Of course, not many has actually seen her. Many of the upper level officials knew that this Demoness is actually the Envoy of Duke of Northern Eden.

Lord of Hamburg knows about her because his uncle works for the inner circle of officials in the city.

Who could have thought that last night, this jinx of a Demoness pays him a visit to contact the Lost Boys and specifically orders that Milos was the one to meet him?

He of course did not have any intention to disobey the Demoness orders or else his head might roll.

Everyone knows the brutality of the Red Masked Demoness.

Trisha looks at the boy again and she crouches down and pluck something from the boy neck. It was a needle.

This was what she used to incapacitate Milos. A paralyzing poison was smeared on the needle.

‘You have done a great service for the Duke. He would surely remember this when he return back to the Capital’ Trisha said to Lord of Hamburg, her voice monotone and lack emotions

Lord of Hamburg nodded furiously and feeling a little proud of himself. Maybe he would be promoted or something when Lord Loki returns to the Capital

‘You know what to do with the boy?’ She asked and her red eyes scanned the Lord of Hamburg.

The Lord of Hamburg gulped and nodded his head.

‘Enlist him in the army and provide him with all of his need. Train him to enter the Imperial Guard.’ He replied nervously

Trisha nodded.

‘Good.’ She was about to leave as she was about to step into the shadows before she suddenly halt her steps.

And she turns back to see the Lord of Hamburg and the Lord of Hamburg once again feel dread.

‘What is she still doing here?’ he inwardly thought.

‘My Lady, what is the matter?’ he ask, trying to sound as polite as possible without leaking the eagerness he felt for the Demoness to quickly get the hell out from his castle.

‘Fail this task and I will collect your head. Remember that’ she threatens like she was saying casual words.

Saying her final words she then melded with the shadows and disappears.

The Lord of Hamburg finally could breathe a sigh of relief but not before slumping to the floor and almost crying.

This is the most terrifying experience he ever felt since the Fall.

The pressure of dying could make even a gown man like him lost all of his shame and if not for his status as a lord of a castle he might even wails and sob like a girl right there and then.

But then he looks towards the unconscious boy and sigh.

‘Haish. Now, I have to care for this boy. As if my problems is not enough’ He said it as he look towards the fire in the fireplace, burning brightly in this dark night.

‘This might be an opportunity for him’ he inwardly thought as he lift the boy on his arm and walked to the guest chambers.

Tonight, the wind is cold and the night is quiet.

***