"How's the al?" Amaryll didn't sit beside them but continued to serve everyone. She ran around the hall, making everyone eat more than their stomachs could bear.
Her hospitality didn't spare even Michael. After eating almost twenty different delicious dishes, Michael was stuffed.
"It was delicious," Michael said, making Amaryll grin widely.
If Michael had to guess, whoever cooked the als must be at a 6-star chef level because the als were more delicious than Raylene's cooking.
After Michael filled the little bit of emptiness in his stomach with hot water, Catalie appeared in the hall.
"The usual place?" she asked Amaryll,
"Don?" Amaryll pouted and looked at Don with puppy eyes,
"Why not?"
"Thank you!" she dashed at Don and hugged him tightly.
Michael was confused, wondering what was going on, but soon he received his answer when Catalie teleported him to another place. In a blink of an eye, Michael and everyone previously sat behind the long oak table that appeared under a big apple tree on a small hill.
Michael was imdiately captivated by the most beautiful scenery in front of him. He could see the entire Everlight from up here as well as the big lake across the fields.
As the light drained away, there was barely enough even for shadows. Whether one liked it or not, the darkness arrived and blanketed everything. Even the stars and moon cowered behind a dense layer of cloud in the sky, giving the air a cold tincture.
Everlight's beauty ca from its nature. Rather than destroying nature to build things, the citizens of Everlight seed to have learned to coexist with nature. Hence, there were so many trees that decorated the kingdom.
These trees were crazy silhouettes against the newly silver sky, its blue hue almost gone until dawn. Their branches swayed in the wind, creaking into the gusting air. Then, finally, the first sound of the nocturnal animals arrived, a hoot of an owl, a rabbit taking cover in the hedgerow.
The lake in the distance mirrored the cloudy sky and the moon peeking through the clouds as the trees had hidden their bold greens. Finally, dusk was the ti to move into the shadowless world.
Michael just stared at the sight before him without batting an eye. He was simply speechless. At that mont, Michael had a fire in his heart to settle sowhere he would feel like what he feels right now.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Knight asked as he ca beside him with Don.
Michael nodded, standing between Don and Knight. The trio stared at the scenery together.
"You guys created a beautiful place. Glad I could be of help,"
"Don't let the serenity fool you Ghost," Knight said as Michael turned his head towards Knight,
"Every day is a battle to keep this place as it is,"
"I don't know when I will be pulled back to my universe. But until then, let know if you need anything,"
Michael patted Knight on the shoulder,
"You've already done enough for us, Ghost. Now tell us what we can do to help you?" Don asked Michael,
"You boys get back here when you're done with boy talks," Amaryll shouted from behind. Michael looked over his shoulder to see Amaryll, Arrora, and Catalie sitting under the apple tree and picking up a few apples to snack on.
"I am looking for sothing called the Key. Apparently, the queen is also looking for it,"
"The queen, huh? That's what you call her," exclaid Knight,
"What do you call her?"
"Aathreya. That's her real na," Knight answered Michael,
"Couple of years ago, we didn't even know she existed,"
"I just knew about her a few hours ago," Michael sighed,
"Where did you hear from her? Those cannibals aren't the very talkative type,"
"To be honest guys, this isn't the first universe I visited. Before coming here, I went to two other universes. I was fortunate to et soone who knows a lot more about the queen,"
Of course, Michael couldn't say he first heard about the queen from the system when he killed the skinless creatures. Hence, Michael altered the truth a bit. Since Michael felt no need to hide from Knight and Don about traveling to other universes, he told them about it.
"Hunter?" As soon as Michael heard the na from Knight's mouth, Michael raised his brows.
"You know him?"
"Yeah. One tough son of a bitch, isn't he?" Knight chuckled,
"The only one who killed Aathreya's soul piece," Finally, Don opened his mouth, and by the tone of his voice, Michael could tell Don was surprised and shocked by Hunter.
"And crazy enough to try to absorb her soul piece," Knight burst into laughter, but just like Don, he too seed startled by Hunter's feat.
"When and where did you guys et him?"
"Shadow Realm. It was unfortunate we were just there for a couple of minutes and didn't have the chance to et that crazy son of a bitch," Knight sighed,
"But, he seed to have t you,"
"Might be a different tiline,"
Don's words made sense to Michael. Hunter, Draven, Michael, Don, and Knight traveled to other universes in different tilines. So Michael felt he might et so of them in the future in his own universe.
"When we went to his universe, we didn't et him," Knight explained.
"But we all seed to share a common enemy, didn't we?"
Michael nodded,
"What do you guys know about her? Damn it, I have enough enemies and problems as it is. Now I have to deal with her. Give a break,"
"You don't have to worry about her. The other soul pieces cannot do anything until we defeat her here. Maybe scream and pull so illusions if you co across them. Otherwise, they will remain dormant,"
Finally, Michael received so good news from Knight.
"What do you an?"
"No one knows her origins, but she belonged to this universe when she was alive. So the main part of her soul is here sowhere in this world. Until we wake it up and defeat it, the others will not and cannot do anything. We are not in a rush to face her. Just like you, we already have enough enemies,"
"That's good news, sort of. Have you t one of her generals?"
"Not yet, but I have a feeling we will soon," Knight said.
"So if her soul is in pieces, that ans soone else broke her. Am I right?" After connecting the dots, Michael concluded that soone else had battled Aathreya.
"The Guardian Gods before us," said Don as usual without showing any emotion.
"According to the ancient scripts left by the civilization before us, Aathreya was a goddess of war. Sothing made her go to the dark side. That's all we know. We have no records of the one who defeated her and broke her into pieces," Knight exhaled and continued,
"Imagine how powerful she must have been when she was whole,"
"Imagine how powerful the god who defeated her must be," Michael couldn't even fathom the power of the god who defeated Aathreya. A single general created by Aathreya was powerful enough to destroy Michael's words in a few hours.
But thanks to Knight's information, Michael cald down as he had no need to worry about Aathreya until Don dealt with the soul piece in his world. Fortunately, Michael had a feeling Don was more than capable of destroying her soul piece.
To be honest, Michael decided not to worry about Aathreya until he first dealt with the Skyhall and the great eight clans. There was no point in worrying about her and the hydra at this point in ti.
"So what about the key? You know anything about it?"
Unfortunately, Knight shook his head,
"No idea, but if the shadow realm brought you here, it must have its own reason. Who knows, maybe you got what it intended for you to,"
Michael looked around Everlight and took a deep breath.
"Maybe I did,"
Surprisingly, Michael did not feel disappointed. Instead, he felt satisfied. By coming to Don's universe, Michael received a legendary item, learned more about the queen, and made so powerful friends. Moreover, he felt relaxed. It had been so long since he loosened up a bit and enjoyed the calmness.
"Enough about Aathreya and her fanatics. Tell about yourself and your world Ghost,"
"Hey we need to hear that too. Ghost co here," Amaryll shouted from behind as Michael smiled.
"Let's go," Don turned around, walked towards Amaryll, and sat beside Arrora, leaning back on the tree.
"I am sorry Ghost," Knight said after lying on the ground.
"Why?"
"She is going to ask you so many questions,"
"Shut up, Knight. Don't believe him Ghost,"
"It's okay," Michael smiled,
"But let ask you a question first," Since they were all here, Michael decided to ask the question that had been nagging his brain since he arrived at Everlight.
"Why do you guys trust so much? You shared so much with when you just t a few hours ago. What makes you think I'm so trustable?"
Asked Michael.
"We trust you because we trust Reghys," Amaryll giggled,
"Besides, you ca from another world. What reason might you have to harm us?"
"Hmm," Michael nodded.
"Speaking of Reghys, where is she?" Arrora asked, resting her head on Don's shoulder.
"She's with Lia,"
"I wish I could eat so of these," Suddenly Catalie looked at the apple in Michael's hand and sighed.
"Just wait a few more months Cat. We will find you a suitable body," Knight said as Amaryll rolled her eyes.
"This ti, try to bring a body of a young girl instead of an old man's body,"
As soon as Amaryll mocked Knight, Michael was taken aback by surprise.
"The first thing I am gonna do tomorrow is dispose of that body," Knight growled.
"Well, if you don't mind, can I take a look at the body?"
Amaryll frowned,
"Why?"
Amaryll couldn't think of a reason why Ghost might want to take a look at an empty body void of soul.
"Because I have a demon butler and he needs a physical body,"
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