The Rodhi Mountains held everything that makes the life of a common man hard, for 10’s of kilometers there is only mountains and trees which houses all kinds of wild life, it is a great place for hunting, but those who come in search for a place to live are never to be seen again.

But what many don’t know, is that on one of the 1000’s of mountain, there is an oasis that nature made out of pity to adventurers who come too far and may stumble upon it, but no one ever know that this oasis existed in the savage mountains. Due to their fear of getting lost and dying in the mountains.

An old hunched figure ascended the mountain, a putrid smell of rot and blood came out of his body, his eyes were dim, but his speed remained steady, as he closed in on his dreamed place.

The man gave up everything, for the sake of a promise to the one he loved, he has never seen her for the past 30years, the day she left him was still entrenched in his eyes, his brain played the scene again and again how her youthful back moved away from him, but all he could do at that time was just sit on the ground and cry over and over again.

He committed atrocities and used his influence in the name of justice but what he was doing was trying to fulfill his said promise, which resulted in more death and ruined the lives of many.

He was conscious of his action, the harm he caused and the people that died following him tormented him each night, in the day he would fight and lead his army while walking on thin line between life and death. He did this for the last 30years and didn’t had a breakdown on the hope of meeting her again.

He has fulfilled his conditions. Maybe today is the day he can see her again, the man didn’t had much life left in him even though he is just a bit over 70yrs, his organs are already giving up, the stretched out fight that continued for days has affected his vitality, thin blood run through his veins signifying the loss of his vitality.

The man used his old sword, as he treaded the mountain which once used to be their home, the time he spent on this mountain was at most 2years, but for the man, those 2 years were the best time whole 74years of life that he lived.

Looking at the entrance of the unnamed Oasis that he once called home. ”Haaaah! Beautiful as I remember it.” A hot steam rose from his mouth and nose, at this elevated level the temperature was a bit low, and his breathing was heavy too due to thin air, but the valley outside the Oasis was already filled with vitality, everywhere he saw, flowers and trees moved in the wind, and the fresh mountain air held the strength to cleansed the odor coming from the man’s body.

The fresh air gave him strength, as he sped up suddenly eager to reach the Oasis so that he could meet her just a bit soon.

There was fear inside of him too, will she be able to identify his current self. After his last battle, he directly came here without any other thought, he was dirty with a long beard covering his face, his hair long gone white, with wrinkles and scars covering his face. The man he used to be 40years ago was long lost.

He reached the Entrance of the Oasis soon, but the thought of how their meeting will conduct, he forgot about everything, the large water source that mirrored the sky, and the surrounding lush vegetation never entered his eyes.

The murky eyes of the man shined with vitality, as they searched for her.

But without a green hut on a hill there was no one present.in the large valley, this valley existed on the top of the mountain, invisible to everyone unless they grow wings somehow.

The man didn’t felt uneasy noticing that no one was around, instead. ”hmm! she is probably in the house. Her habit is still the same”

The house he made from his own hand using the wood and mud from the Oasis was now one with the nature, vines and grass were grown from its walls, giving it the illusion of it being covered in green fur. This was the shelter they lived in for 2 years, the hut was short, and 2 grown opposite sex people living in a same room never caused them a problem. They both even never had any physical contact, until one day the man earned the right to hold her hand.

Seeing the green hut, he reminisce about the past, during the first few days in their new humble home, both of them couldn’t sleep, their head always remained opposite of each other. The 40year old man at that time felt very embarrassed at that time. What she felt was unknown to him, maybe she shared the same sentiment as him.

Moving closer to the hut he didn’t felt any activity from it, there was a shred of fear in his heart, and as he get closed to the door, he paused. There was slight amount of fear and dread in him that he hadn’t felt for the last 30years, he didn’t wanted to come into conclusion and was ordering his body to push open the door, but his hands remained stationary in the air.

‘Move it!! Move it!! Move damn it!!’ The man shouted in his heart, which jolted his body awake, the door flung open as the warm sun illuminated the insides of the hut. The inside of the hut also had the same appearance as outside but with moss added to it and he hut being empty, there was no one in here except some utensils and pots made of clay that were now broken or covered in green.

The sword that supported the man’s hunched body fell on the ground, but the man remained steady, his heart was in turmoil, but he calmed himself down, as he went inside and picked up a pot gently so as to not break it, a tear fell from is eyes, as he saw the image carved on the pot.

The image remained the same fighting the passages of time, it was a brittle product, but the image carved on it exuded a familiar feeling, he remembered the day when she was making this pot, he kept coming and irritate her, to get a view on what will she carve on it, but much to his surprise, the image depicted a man hunched over toward a woman who was making pottery with a sly smile.

If this carving was seen by anyone else, the people would have thought that a man was ogling a lady with evil intentions while she made the pot. He didn’t felt mad at that time instead he laughed, he felt happy inside and peace at the same time when he first saw the carving.

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It was the same for now too, he was laughing as tears streamed down. ”She is probably late, I should wait for her.” The man never let go of the pot, as he went in the corner where he used to sit and watch the woman he loved while she made food and sat again after 30years, he hugged the pot close to his chest, and the home seemed warmer all of a sudden.

“She will come!”

The man moved his head towards the opened door, and started watching the scenery outside, but the beautiful view never registered in it, he was waiting to see her again.

Will she even come?

Has she forgotten the promise?

Has she abandoned him?

These thought never occurred to him, he was lost madly in love. The carved pot keep giving him encouragement.

A whole night went by and a new day began. But there were no traces of anyone except the man in the hut.

He wanted to go and check the entrance of the Oasis, but instead an odd thought occur to him.” I will surprise her once she reaches.” He wanted to make fun of her and tease her for being late like young lovers.

A whole day went by again as he thought how’s he going to greet her, his never went shut the whole time, and as the new day arrived, there were no changes again in the Oasis, and the man still sat in the corner with red eyes and he tightly held the pot enough to cause a few crack s to form on it.

He never got up, the thought of her being just around the corner, kept him from moving away from his usual place, maybe when he goes out, he will be able to meet her soon, but his newly formed greeting will be wasted.

All the time he kept reliving those 2years and his brain kept pummeling into insanity as his already weak body was starting to break and strain.

A whole year went by, the rotten smell from the hut had long disappeared. Inside lay a body of a pathetic man, fused with the wall and the pot that he once held, the maggots has long disappeared. The body returned to earth, only few patches of flesh remained on that body, with its hollow eyes looking at the opened door, which was now barred by the vines acting as a screening.

For the next 100years, this place remained devoid of any intelligent life, until this place was marked on the map.

*****

“The Orthot Empire was born after 30years Emperyum war ended, for the first 6 years the empire was ruled by Honazz Orthot who ruled with Iron will and controlled all the happenings in the empire, while eliminating all those who opposed him to maintain the stability in the newly formed empire. After the first few years he was voluntarily gave up the throne to his sister Teenazz Orthot, who became the new ruler and the carrier of the name Orthot Demoness.”

The boy touched the photo of ice cold woman in the picture, her eyes were blue like clear sky, but carrying the dominating will of a Demoness, she was not a beauty that can cause nations to fall, but a divinity that made the nations drop on their knees and worship her.

“Hah! Pretty smart to use her brother as a decoy.” Moji laughed as he read this part in the book. It was clear that the Empress used her boy as a decoy during the unstable period of the young empire and she will be saved from the people that are planning to assassinate the leader of Orthor, her brother was her insurance.

“Hmm! At the very least this book contains the true history.” Moji was a big bookworm, he still preferred the paper-back editions of books than the digital ones. Even though he was only 14years old, his thought process was much more mature than average kids in his circle, making him an outcast in his age group.

There was another picture of an adult male with black hair and a ripped out face, the picture didn’t contain his face as it was ripped out of the historical documents, this was what remained of his last existing picture. The man didn’t had a name, as during the aftermath of the Emperyum war his name was considered taboo by the whole empire. All of his relatives were burned at stakes, all his generals were executed publically to quench their anger. His mass of supporters were hunted down throughout the empire and every of his belonging was destroyed. The Orthot Royal family wanted the man’s memory to disappear from the world.

According to the book, the man was the key figure during the 30year warring period. His stupid actions were the reasons for 60% deaths in the war. He was the only individual that was hated by most of the world, he earned the name of “Scourge” by the end of the war, and that is used even until now.

“Some say he was entranced by the Queen. Haha!! Stupid people will be used throughout the times.” Moji loved to make his own conclusions while reading the books, either they be fiction or the true history of the older times, nothing was true, only a part of history will be recorded and altered according to the people or the country it happened.

“Hey dweeb! You are needed downstairs. Go and help mom!!” A slightly older boy suddenly pushed opened Moji’s door and shouted at him, his eyes were filled with disdain, but due to wearing a waiter uniform, it seemed a bit comical.

“Yes! Big brot…!!!!” Before Moji can even reply, he saw that no one was standing on the door anymore, it seemed that the restaurant is crowded today, as his always bitter brother didn’t have the time to put him down of his high horse.

He placed the newly published book on the table and he stood up. He went downstairs while picking up and wearing his uniform down the way.

As he presumed, the restaurant was crowded even thought it was noon. ’Hmm! Something’s going on?’ It wasn’t as if the restaurant is used to be empty during this time, but the thing being this odd is that the schools are closed due to summer vacations, and most of the customers during this time of day used to be students when the schools were running, but now the restaurants was filled with people of all age groups.

“Hah!! Seems like the Lord Noble still has some conscious to descend upon us commoners. Go and tend to table 12-15.”

Ignoring the sarcasm his brother showed him, Moji went over the kitchen first and greeted his parents first who were the chief cook in the restaurant.

“Moji!! Something big had happened. And the atmosphere seems not right, be careful today ok!!” His worrying mother gave him a slight advice, which made the bad feeling inside of him increase a bit, his father seemed concentrated on making food for customers so he didn’t greet his son back, but concentrated on spice paste to go golden.

Getting out of the kitchen he went over the work instantly, his moves and social abilities were very well trained, but he thought that showing off his skills today was not a good Idea.

He moved toward the 14th table, he saw his fellow waiters who were nervous but were still serving food, while there were others busy calling someone over phone, and he even seemed to notice some people tearing up.

“Something bad has happened.”

As he took down the orders, his eyes shifted toward the TV that was displaying the place that he was very used to seeing, it was the train station that was just 2 blocks away from his house/restaurant.

“The situation in the complex seems to be worsening, as we can hear an increase in gun-shots and screams coming out.”

Moji silently served the customers with coffee and water free of charge on his own.

The reasoning due to this crowding in his restaurant seems to be due to the curfew abdicated by the police to contain prevent any stampede, the people on the road have already filled in the closest establishment they can find.

“This is a good chance to produce some goodwill.” There was not a shred of worry on Moji’s face anymore, instead he thought of somehow profiting from this one time chance that those stupid people has given him.

He wore an empathic face as he served the customers and while providing extra service to the customers so that they will remember them.

His brother seemed to have the same thought after seeing his younger brother, and Oslow seemed to be working a bit better than him in due to showing his gentle face towards the customers, his brother treated the elderly a bit better than others too.

Too bad that other waiters in the restaurant weren’t able to pick it up in time.

All the customer’s concentration was all focused on their phones or the closest one held their eyes on TV.