Chapter 4

The three moons are about to align on the far east. In a few more minutes, ascending colors of red from dark to light shades can be seen due to the unusual alignment of the three different sized moons. Creatures of this world welcome this moment with respect to their own cultures. Some race sees this as a bad omen while some others see this as a way to celebrate. This may appear as death for others but this will serve as a sign of life for a very limited few. They had been waiting for this event to happen for two decades now. They waited patiently for this time to arrive. Everything has been prepared and followed the way the ancient book has instructed them. At least 10 figures had been patiently waiting outside of the great hall. As if something that they expect is about to happen. Something that they don't want to miss is about to take place inside this magnificent hall. At the center of the waiting figures, a woman sounding voice suddenly broke the silence. "This is the moment we had been waiting for! We, the last loyal servants of lord Thanol had promised to not fail it again. We as members of this house made sure that we do our assigned role accordingly. Lastly, we will continue to serve the Demoguru family and the house of the heroic demon lord Arod Demoguru up to the last of our breathe. Everyone, please welcome the new lord of the Demoguru house..." She suddenly stopped.

Before she finished what she's about to say. The moons had already aligned. The red colored orb at the top of the great hall supported by a tower structure at the middle suddenly glows blood red. The temperature around the great hall started to rise. The atmosphere feels more humid with the slight scent of iron. An old looking man wearing a hood suddenly moves towards the giant doors of the great hall. Holding an ancient book on his right hand while he held a staff with a similar red orb at the top on his left hand. He walks at a slow phase but he made it look as if he's really meant to do that. Sounds of incantations can be heard coming from him as he slowly walks toward the front of the giant doors. He continued with the incantations as if he is reading it directly from the ancient book he is holding. Once he reached the front of the giant doors, he placed the ancient book at the doorstep. He then slowly pulled out a small bottle that seems to be filled with a red solution. He opened the bottle and poured it around the ancient book as he continued with his incantations. By the time he was finished with what he is doing the light from the orb at the top of the great hall disappeared. A splash of cold air suddenly replaced the warm temperature around the great hall. Blinding darkness started to emanate from the inside of the great hall. It grows out from the inside of the hall seeping through unknown openings as if being forced to go out. The darkness then reached the old hooded man. Not fearing for anything, he just stood there as the darkness continues to grow beyond him reaching the other figures waiting outside the great hall. The darkness has now covered a substantial area around the great hall. It looks like a half circular dome of darkness. No light can reflects at the dark dome. Even the red rays of the moon cannot penetrate the darkness. It remained there for a while. Then suddenly a red glow started to emanate from inside the great hall then quickly sweeps the darkness around the area of the great hall. Everything has now returned to normal, the temperature, the humidity, and the scent. Then the old hooded man slowly opened the door of the great hall. He entered the door quietly as if not wanting to wake up a sleeping demon. With a swing of his staff, the torch attached to the thick stone columns lights up and started to blaze. One by one the other torches started to follow bringing light inside the great hall. He then walks towards the stone altar at the other end of the great hall. As he gets closer, he whispered something and pointed his staff towards the direction of the floor lamps standing at each side of the stone altar. The floor lamps then suddenly started blazing. A laying figure can now clearly be seen at the altar. The old hooded man then slowly walks towards the altar. He then reached something out of his coat as soon as he got arm reach close to the laying person. He then slipped what he pulled out earlier inside the pocket of the laying person. It hit something, a chink can be heard inside the great hall. The old hooded man then smiled as he moved away from the laying person. He headed directly to the giant doors and quickly left the great hall.

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The stone altar feels cold as the flame from the floor lamps at the altar dances to the gentle breeze coming into the giant hall. Thick stone columns installed with flaming torches on its side supporting the building lines up like towering trees from the stone altar towards the giant door at the other end of the hall. It seems to be the only way out of this magnificent structure.

Someone lays on the stone altar for quite some time now. Cold air from an unknown direction passes on each side of his head causing chills coming from his ears that run through his whole body. That woke him up with an aching head. He slowly opened his eyes as he peered on the arches in front of him. Seeing how the arches have been labored with intricate designs, he can simply wonder about how long and how many people would be needed to complete this kind of work.

He rose up holding his forehead while he wonders, "Did I went to one of those temples that I always pass by going back home while I'm drunk last night? I don't think this is one of those buildings, this is way too big.". There's something that tells him that he's forgetting something. Something important that might have happened to him before waking up in that altar. Feeling some weight from one of the pockets of his work pants, he slowly reached out and was surprised to find some coins from it. He doesn't remember having those last night. He then started to worry while he urgently searched for his things. "Have I been mugged last night?" the only thing he can think of right now. With nothing left to do, he then averted his attention to the two gold coins embellished with an intricate design. Some writings seem noticeable from the side of one of the coins. He tried to read it slowly, "Ego ingredior viam meam domum". That left him wondering what it means. Suddenly a change in the temperature and the ferocious movement of the winds that used to be calm earlier are now visible. It's too obvious that it reflects through how the flame coming from the altar lamps violently moves. The flame of the torches coming from the giant door's died out one by one until the only ones left are the flame from the altar lamps. Then someone just suddenly spoke "Grata domum, dominus"...

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The old hooded man came out of the great hall smiling. He picked up the laying ancient book at the front of the door and continued towards the woman sounding figure who was talking earlier. "We had been successful my lady. I can clearly feel the strong blood of lord Arod within him.".

The figure then showed out a smile as if satisfied with what she heard. He then turned around to face the other waiting figures, "Our new lord has finally arrived. He is still resting inside the hall but we will make sure that he is safe. Worry not my dear house members, we will now reclaim what we had lost. This is just the start but we won't be able to achieve it without your help and support. In behalf of the sleeping lord, I would like to ask for your loyalty and continuous support to recover the honor of the family that we had served for more than a century.".

All the waiting figure simply nod while smiling. The burning passion started to show on their faces after they heard the news. It is now time to rise again our dear house of Demoguru. This is what they had been waiting for. This is what they had been preparing for. Everyone now looked at the great hall with a burning pride and passion. Everything now rests with the new lord of the house.

"We would like each one of you to do your best to prepare the castle prior to the arrival of the new lord. Please prepare a feast for the new head of the house has finally arrived." while she gestures towards the direction of where the castle is.

Everyone bowed at the great hall and left as if they already knew what they needed to do.

The woman sounding figure then turned around again to face the old hooded man to ask, "Can we meet him now?".

"Let him rest for a while. I'm sure he will call for us."

"How would we know?" while she sound abit worried.

Then suddenly, black swirling smoke engulfs the old hooded man as he slowly disappeared along with it. The whole scene was so fast that it left the woman sounding figure in shock. She did not know what happened. She tried looking for the old hooded man around him but it seems that he does really disappeared along with the black smoke. She suddenly stopped looking and stared directly towards the great hall. There's something that forces her to enter the hall. She felt as if she is being commanded to do so.

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What Taketo heard surprised him. He pushed himself up to a stance from the cold stone altar. He noticed the two old looking blazing floor lamps on each side of the stone altar where he laid earlier. He didn't know where that voice came from. He still really can't figure out what happened. His memory is still in a bit of a slur. Then slowly, memory of what happened camr in to him. That is when he expects that he already died from an accident in order to save Mina. So he wonders why he is still breathing. How he can still hear, smell and feel everything that is around him. "Is this the afterlife?" the though came in to him.

Then suddenly, a figure of an old hooded man came out from the shadow. The figure then kneeled in front of him, "We had been waiting for you, my lord.".

That surprised Taketo more to the point that he accidentally dropped the 2 gold coins to the stone floor. The coins then rolled toward the kneeling figure. The old hooded man then picked up the coins and slowly stood.

It then walks toward Taketo, "I'm sorry to surprise you, my lord. I am Greimond Leecher, serving as your house cardinal. I am here to offer you my loyalty and service. Please accept my submission coin as a sign of my intention." as the old hooded man reach out his hand toward Taketo as if giving the gold coins that he picked up earlier.

He continued on what he is saying with as if he is teaching, "This submission coins cannot be transferred nor stolen, my lord. This will only work according to the subordinates will, my lord.".

Taketo reached out the 2 gold coins. He remained silent. He tried to recollect his thoughts to understand what is happening right now. As soon as he managed to collect the courage to ask, the giant doors suddenly opened. He heard the creaking sound of the doors as it moved. Greimond noticed his lord's reaction thus it prompts him to snap his finger. All the torches are now again aflame. This lights up the inside of the great hall. Taketo then noticed someone familiar coming from the other end of the hall. Taketo patiently waits as the figure got closer. As soon as the walking figure reach Greimond, she then kneeled in front of Taketo, "Welcome back home, my lord.".

This time, Taketo forced himself to reply as remember more of the things that happened, "What are you doing here Nikita and why are kneeling in front of me? Where are we?".

The kneeling figure then stood up, "My name is Meridona Talganor, my lord. I'm Demoguru family's housekeeper. I will do my best to serve you, my lord.".

Taketo felt a bit confused when hearing her answer, "Don't make fun of me Nikita. What did happened last night while we were drinking? I remember I followed Mina running outside the bar. That was the time when something crashed at me.".

"I believe that was my twin sister you were talking about, my lord. She is currently in your old world doing reconnaissance job for the house, my lord.". Meridona then answered with more assurance. She then followed her last reply, "Also, her name is Peridona Talganor, my lord.".

Greimond then remembers the coins that he just picked up earlier, "I remember, you have another submission coin other than the one I had given you, my lord. I believe that is Peridona's submission coin. You may be able to call her soul back into our world temporarily to clear all those confusion you have right now."

Taketo then inspects the gold coins that he is holding. He noticed that the other coins had something different written on it. He then tried checking the details as he reads what's written, "conspectu meo in tenebris eritis.".

The shadow inside the hall started to grow as if it is living. It covered the great hall in darkness. All of the shadows had been then sucked up on a single point in front of Taketo beside Meridona. A kneeling figure then appeared from it in front of Taketo. Someone that looked like Meridona then appeared, "What can I do for you, my lord Taketo?"

It was Nikita kneeling in front of him. He can't be wrong this time. This person already knows his name. Peridona then stood up then slightly bowed at Taketo, "Firstly, I'm sorry for what I've done, my lord. I am just following my orders. Other than that, I'm also here to bring you some news, my lord."