116 City of desire 1

Ed stepped out to the other side and looked round at grey rocks and grey grass. Even the sky stood grey and the blue hue of the two suns above it were, defeated by the blandness all around, as it's light reaches the ground already filtered grey. Everything looked grey, no matter what colour of garment one wore, it looked grey. Only Ed's robes remained ink black.

"Where are we?" Ed asked Nti Anem

"Afiong plains." Ed heard Ku Nam say as he approached them. Ed had long seen him since the light realm table but did not acknowledge him.

"We meet again." Ku Nam said.

"Afiong plains?" Ed asked in answer.

"Those suns up there are but four moons spinning around each other at such speed, they look like two moons standing still." Ku Jian answered. She frowned at this cousin of hers that had just walked up.

"How do you know brother Ed?" she asked.

"We met a few times." Ku Nam answered, "Are you intending that we follow his lead?"

To this question, Ku Jian's frown only deepened. More than anything, she wanted to follow her brother Ed even though she knew she was in charge of leading the Ku clan through the light realm. Taking them along with her would be a big inconvenience for brother Ed and leaving them behind was allowing this cousin of hers to do as he liked. Even though he was still of low cultivation, she did not underestimate him one bit. She glanced at Ed for a moment, but he was staring at the blue moons.

"Time for us to leave." Ed said to Nti Anem and he nodded in return. At his words, she made her choice.

"Ku Fre!" she called and a muscular man appeared before her.

"You will lead the team in my absence. You know the plan my father talked about. You can execute in my stead." she said and the man glanced at Ku Nam, who was staring at Ed, before nodding. Nti Anem threw a slip into the air and a portal crackled into life, then stepped through. Ed followed with Ku Jian still grasping tight his sleeve.

As they stepped into the portal they discovered that they did not appear a distance away. Instead, they stood in a dark space with many doors.

"Ah, I see... this is a web point." Nti Anem said.

"Father said that all portals lead to the web point. The heart of all doors. If you can figure out which door leads to where you wish to go, you can enter through, no matter how far." Ku Jian explained.

"Which door, huh? Ed?" he asked.

"It's not behind any of these doors." Ed answered.

"I see, these doors do not lead to everywhere then. They must lead to nearby places." Nti Anem said, and Ku Jian blinked in confusion. He brought out a compass and whispered to it. The compass's pin spun for a while, then landed on a door.

"Energy manipulator." Ku Jian said in disbelief.

"Let's go." Nti Anem urged and they opened the door and stepped through. The moment they came out the other way, they all frowned, but for different reasons. They were standing on a busy street in a large city, at least they thought it was a city. Traders were selling grey food, clothes and weapons, people were arguing on the street with spectators surrounding them, the street was bustling with people. People who were born and raised in the light realm.

"This is where you wished to go?" Ku Jian looked round the street filled with women dressed in revealing outfits and frowned. She clutched unto Ed's sleeve even harder.

Nti Anem looked down on his compass and frowned. He could not understand how this light realm could break his enchantment.

Ed felt a familiar energy in the air. In the past, he could only translate this energy as a soft flowery smell, but the him now, could feel it as it truly is, a dominant energy.

"This place can break the power of Slah?" Nti Anem asked in disbelief.

"Slah? It has been long since any has called her by that name. Who are you?" a voice asked. They all turned to see a dark skinned bald man in maroon robes standing behind them; at least Ed saw him in color.

"You are the first person I have met that knew that name. I should be the one asking." Nti Anem responded.

"I am just a traveller." the man said.

"Quite a colourful traveller in a grey world." Ed commented.

"I could say the same for you." the man responded, all through, a soft smile never leaving his face. To he and Ed's words, Nti Anem and Ku Jian frowned.

"See? Only you think I am colourful." the man said and Ed frowned. He had suspected that no one could see that his pasty skin, dark hair and black robes had not turned grey like every other person. The only other person that was wearing colour in this world was this bald man. Even his dark skin was clear as day.

"Why is this so?" Ed asked.

"Let's go inside and have a chat. Standing outside the arena is dangerous." the man said and walked inside a store with engraved sign board saying Library.