Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic (Part I)

0186 The House of Black and White! (II)

From the path running through the Green hills, opposite the one leading into the village, walked out a man in a black cowl.

At one glance, Kai recognized the gait. That hideous walk, like a pheasant darting around.

When the man neared Kai, he took off his hood. One-eyed. Smiling.

Was this Simon? Kai didn't even deign to ask this question now. It didn't matter.

"You are alive!" the Faceless man exclaimed impressively. "This is the second time you have proved a man wrong, Red."

"I am not here to gossip like some roadside wench," Kai said slowly, taking a stance. "Am I still the candidate for the Many-Face God's priesthood?"

"You certainly are," the faceless man nodded. "It takes more than that for us to strike off a name from the list. The question is, why are you here?"

Kai knew this question implied that his answer would dictate how things would play out from here onwards. But his answer was already sitting on the tip of his tongue.

"I want to learn Occlumency and Legilimency," Kai told him. "And I have 6 days on me."

Both men stared into each other's eyes, the faceless man trying to learn some unknown secret from Kai's face. But Kai had already locked his emotions.

"Your slave has a big mouth, eh?" the faceless man quipped. "One can't just come and learn our arts, Red, even if they are candidates."

"I will pay..."

"However," the faceless man said, cutting Kai's offer, "the High Priest has given specific instructions regarding you to Chief Bishop. If you have something to say, then you can say it to him directly."

"The Chief Bishop is here?!" Kai asked, his eyes widening. "On the 4th floor?" A Chief Bishop was a 12th-floor Powerhouse, to begin with. For him to be here, wouldn't he face the harshest restrictions?

Kai couldn't fathom the reason for his presence on this floor.

The faceless man smiled slyly and nodded.

"Take me to him, then," Kai told the faceless man. "I will not go back empty-handed."

Simon laughed. He lifted his hand, and under Kai's stunned gaze, uncurled his fingers. There was a wet Iron Coin in his palm, broken in half.

How?! He had just asked himself, when the man threw the two halves towards him, which Kai snatched out of the air.

"Follow me," the faceless man said, donning back the hood. "The Many-Faced God has waited for you too long."

As he saw the robed man stepping off the bridge, Kai narrowed his eyes before taking a deep breath and following him.

Their destination lay somewhere in the sea of darkness, deep into the hills that were not green anymore.

The black-robed and hooded Simon took Kai deep into the forest, treading on some unknown trail that had branched away from the main road a long time ago.

"Keep with me," the faceless man said, without looking back. "You cannot find the temple by yourself."

Kai skipped a few steps, catching up to the man. The forest had come alive, now that the stars and a bright moon had claimed the black sky. Odd chirping, slithers, and hoots of owls rang in his ears, and the leaves rustled as if someone was following them since they had left the bridge.

By now, he had already told Simon that he had waited for a long time for him to show up after breaking the coin. But when no one appeared, he carried on with his plans. Simon had looked at him oddly then, wondering something, but Kai was determined to not tell them about his meeting with that man.