Chapter 32: Garish Winds

Nyx stared at him with utter disbelief.

"What?", she asked.

"Blue hazel and black lavender. Why? Is there any problem?"

"N.. No. Nothing. Just confused by the strangeness of it. Rather uncommon, isn't it? I mean, what do you mean by blue hazel or black lavender. How can hazel be blue and lavender be black?"

Lay wore an expression which bordered on smirking, but of course, he rarely did smirk.

Pat interrupted.

"Of course not, Nyx. Those are the aliases of something else. I don't remember exactly but I've read it in one of the Herbarium series books."

"You're right, Pat. It's not what the name suggests. It's something else. I'll leave you two to find it."

He smiled as he got up and walked out of the kitchen.

"Pat, do tell me when you find out, okay?"

Pat nodded, but she also sensed an alien emotion flooding Nyx's face. It spoke of a danger which Pat could not have imagined.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Good thing that you told us, Pat", Alex murmured.

He was unlike his usual self—less composed and more lost. Pat looked at Li Juan, who was sitting next to Alex, worriedly. Juan nodded in acquiescence. Pat got up and left.

"Brother, what is it? You seem distracted. It is anything pertinent to the Nyx issue?"

"You could say so. The exorcist has arrived."

"Where's he?"

"With King Vasik."

"Oh. Cool."

"Please tell the girls to be careful. We need to be privy about the details of our discussions. Neither Nyx, nor Fuxi should have a hint of anything."

"Understood. I'll warn the girls. They probably shouldn't be alone with Nyx."

"Yes, always have one of us around when meeting Nyx."

"Done. I'll get going."

The sky outside rumbled. The window pane bled newly born droplets of the sky's tears.

* * * * * * * * * *

King Vasik had transformed into his human form. He walked alongside Black to approach the long path leading to the glasshouse.

"So what we agreed upon remains valid until the end of this war." Vasik reiterated.

"You've already driven the point home, dear friend of mine. I'll save your human, given it's in my hand. I'm yet to meet her."

"I know you'll try your best. You may not have heard this but Fuxi is waging war with the powerheads in heaven. The godlings aren't siding with him at the moment."

"No wonder he's trying to rake in demonic spirits."

"Hmmm.. They might not be demonic, you know. I'll wait for your expert opinion on that after your encounter with Ara. Until then, I'll lay low like always."

"Right. See you then."

* * * * * * * *

"Blue hazel, black lavender", Nyx muttered.

"What?" Lord Fuxi asked.

"Nothing.. Nothing, my Lord. It's something I heard today."

"I heard you well enough too. But why now? That was ages ago."

"I heard a story from Lay today. He must have picked it up somewhere, but he emphasised on the words. As if he knew something. It put me off."

"Hmm. Something is suspicious about that guy."

"I agree. Would you please, I don't know if I should ask, but confirm if any of those souls haven't returned to heaven?"

"Hmmm.. It's been a long time. But I'll ask someone to verify the directory."

"Thank you, my Lord. That will put my mind at ease."

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Aleksandr.." King Vasik growled.

"King Vasik." Alex greeted grimly.

"What is the meaning of all this? Black tells me that you're about to do something which will put us all at risk? I thought we agreed upon quietly exorcising her while we distract the god. But this is madness. This will put both Ara and the rest of us at risk. "

"King, I wonder if you know this. Ara was a young girl when she was brought to be a Legend. She was determined but her qi was feeble. During the same time, a princess of heaven was condemned to death because of something she did: she murdered young babies and kids to assuage her depleting strength. She was suffering from some celestial illness which the physicians could not understand. They had suggested that she needs the kind of energy young ones have, that too, a lot. They didn't, of course, mean murder. But her uncle, and sometimes lover, Fuxi, aided her in doing just that. But the heavens found out and her soul and powers were separated. The soul was trapped in a hellfire ball; the powers, however, was gifted to a young girl.. I'm sure you all know her. "

" Don't tell me.. ", Vasik grew pale.

" You're right, my dear friend. If it's true, then the soul belongs to Ara's body, as much as she herself. Chances are high that... " Alex couldn't complete what he was saying; his eyes turned red and a pained expression flashed across his face.

Black, who was quietly listening to the conversation, spoke for the first time.

"Then I guess you've got the right man here."

Alex turned to look at him, bathed in moon's glory. The wind blew as if the world was its golden flute.