Chapter 1: The Female Deity in Empire Blue Castle

800 years later...

ROW / Deity of Storms and Rains

At the Sky Frost Library

Arctic Hall

"My Lord" Yesta appeared.

"What is it?" I answered without looking at her. I was reading the entire Erthen Ground weather report.

"My Lady is missing" she nervously answered.

"Have you checked the vineyard?" I asked without looking at her.

I scrunched my face as I saw something that caught my attention from the report. "She's probably roaming around." I added nonchalantly.

"My Lord, we've checked it, we've also gone to the orchard, the wine cellar, the fountain, and the lake." This time, it was Weros, Aseure's servant who answered.

I put the report down and raised my head while pinching the bridge of my nose. "Get out. I think I know where she is."

"Yes, My Lord." They responded and hurriedly left the room.

These immortals can't even look after her.

Where else would she go aside from the forbidden and coldest floor at the bottom of the entire castle.

At the Winterberry Arsenal

Underground, Empire Blue Castle

The sound of my footsteps echoed across the corridor. Storm warriors guarded each door.

I stopped my tracks in front of a certain room. "Is she here?" I asked a warrior.

He nodded and I entered the Thunder Room. "Enough of your hiding Aseure, Yesta and the rest have been looking for you for hours." I firmly stated.

"Do you intend to turn the whole castle upside down?" I added.

"You surely know where to hide." I smirked as I looked at the intense electric energies across the room. Other than me and her, no one can enter it. This is where weapons forged from lightning and thunder are stored. So, electricity travelled across the room. Enough to electrocute anyone who enters it.

"Aren't you too busy these days?" She replied while turning the page of the book I bought her from the Erthen Ground a couple of years ago.

There she was sitting beside the window.

"Indeed…but then, someone has been missing for hours." I smirked.

"Tsk." She rolled her eyes, closed the book and started to put on her shoes.

I came closer and helped her strap it. "There you go" I said as I looked at her. She refused to meet my eyes.

I stood up.

"So what prompted the Thunderbolt eater to hide here?" I asked.

"You haven't gone out of the library for two days so no one dines with me. I think you're the one hiding." She softly replied.

"I have some serious matters to attend to Aseure. I cannot always accompany you." I stood and sternly answered back.

She looked shocked with my response, which made me want to take it back. "Then why won't you let me out?! I also want to see what's beyond the gates and make friends" She replied, angrily.

"I told you! You can't go out." I turned my back to her and sighed. For some reason, I don't want others to know about her.

"But why!" She frustratedly asked, hurriedly caught up and stopped me from my tracks.

She looked at me searching for an answer.

I raised my voice "I've said this before. Outside the gates, there are immortals and creatures who can harm you!"

"Then you can come with me." She answered.

"What?" I asked.

"I said you can come with me. That way, you don't have to worry." She explained. She kept persuading me as we left the room.

"Tsk." I snickered. "Not going to happen" I added sternly. Over the years, she has gotten better at reasoning and responding to me. Enough to sometimes stop me from talking.

A few years ago, she would be content with painting in the Winter Jasmine Lake, playing music with the wine glasses in the Hoya Pavilion or playing various tricks and games on me around the castle.

In recent years, she's been asking me to take her when I go out.

"Row, pls." She pleaded and pulled the sleeve of my robe.

"I'll play Storm's Flower tonight…if you agree." she softly added.

I stopped in my tracks…that song? I looked at her. I've been asking her to play it for me for years but everytime I asked, she rejected. She refused to play any song in front of me.

"Really?" I shouldn't have let this out.

The last time she played it was 500 years ago. After she found out that I caused a calamity in the Erthen Ground after fighting with the God of Chaos, she never played it again.

Aseure nodded.

"Alright." I took her hand and stared at it. This hand can play even the most difficult songs in the entire Cloudberry Abyss.

She pulled her hand. "You're agreeing?" she asked.

"Yes, but you can only go out when I'm with you." I told her seriously, but was regretting having said it. No matter how hard I try, I can't keep her inside for long.

"and play it anytime I ask you to." I demanded.

"Hmmmm" she nodded.

"Come, let's eat." I told her and she followed.

At the Storm Hall

We appeared at the main hall. "My Lord, you found her" the servants all stopped and looked relieved.

"Fools" I sneered at them and sat down on the couch.

All servants kneeled at his words. "We're sorry My Lord." Yesta replied.

"Tsk." she rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction…at my words.

"Stop with the eye rolling. It's irritating." I stated.

"Good." she replied.

"What?" I asked.

"I said it's good that you're irritated. After all, you've worried everyone for not coming out of your lair for two days." she explained.

Does everyone include her? I asked internally.

"Don't make me sound so evil." I said.

"Well, you are" her eyes widened at me.

"It's okay, please prepare us food" she urged the servants. "I'm hungry" she added.

I looked at Yesta.

Yesta whispered in my ear. "My Lord, except for drinking spring water, My Lady also hasn't been eating well for two days." I frowned.

"Are you an idiot!" I stood up and raised my voice angrily.

The rest of the servants who were with us lowered their heads in fear.

"What?" she looked shocked at my sudden outburst.

"Why weren't you eating?!" I immediately stood in front of her and held her wrist strongly.

"You're hurting me" she said as she tried to pull it. I let go as I realized her words.

"I just didn't have any appetite…that's all" she averted my eyes.

"Aseure, what would you do without me?" I looked at her. My question however, made me feel uneasy.

"I'll follow you wherever you go" she answered back.

This…somehow brought relief, and made me feel warm.

"My Lord, My Lady…the food is ready." Weros informed us.

That night, she played the song for me at the Hoya Pavilion and then went to sleep.

I, on the other hand, had trouble sleeping after hearing and watching her play it after 500 years. Out of all the music she could play, Storm's Flower was definitely the most serene. She said she composed it for me… to calm me down. So, it was a song I could call mine.

From the first time she played it 500 years ago until now, nothing changed.

In the middle of the night…

I went out of the wine cellar.

"Thunderbolt eater!" my voice boomed over Blue Empire Castle. Probably, waking up everyone as I walked through Azure Hall.

"What?!" I could hear Aseure's irritated voice echoing in my ears. I guess she woke up from her bed with a jolt. I smirked.

"Did you drink my 500 year old wine?" I asked her as I knocked multiple times. I stood in front of her door, waiting for her honest response.

"Uhh no of course not!" She hesitated for a moment and I sensed denial.

She drank it.

"Then you ought to replace it!" I shouted enough for her to hear, retreating to the Arctic Hall.

STORM'S INFINITY

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