THE MULTIVERSAL CRIMINAL

Chapter 31: Encounter: Part 2

Moruzen was destroyed. He didn't know what to make of it. There were so many questions slamming in his head. And worst of all, Valal was missing. He had never done anything major without orders from him. But he had faith he was doing the right thing.

Earlier when all the Gods were fleeing, and Moruzen was crumbling, he had watched from the shadows as Juvo led his army out of the devastated building. He had sneaked in and abducted one of his men. And luckily, no one had noticed.

Now, he chained his victim up and hoisted his body to his eye level. His flailing limbs were mockingly weak. The horror on his face was unmistakable.

But Laraken was too angry to think straight. He needed to let it out.

He kicked his hostage.

Again.

And again.

Till he begged.

Till he was wasted.

Laraken wasn't finished yet. He shocked him through the chains and he cried out.

Feeling less worse he came face to face with him. "You see? You won't live if you go against me. Try being dishonest for once and I will end your existence right here. In an instant. Hence, answer me truthfully. Do you follow?"

The hostage slowly bobbed his head.

A sinister smile played over Laraken's face. He sat down on an altar and sighed deeply. Once he had calmed himself, he asked, "Where did Juvo get this power from?"

__________

Their frightened state was incomparable to any experience they might have had in their lives. The uncanny feeling of the ship exploding, them getting flung out into the multiversal plane- all sorts of negative thoughts reigned over their minds.

Elmitrios had so far managed to keep his vessel in one piece. But he doubted if that would be the case in the near future. Juvo's attacks were systematically placed and it seemed like he was getting accustomed with Elmitrios' maneuvers.

He was helpless in this situation. How he loathed Juvo. If only he were on ground. But his rationale told him it would have been no good either. For this form of Juvo was at par with the Gods; if not greater.

__________

"Are you sure? That's what he said?" Laraken spoke loudly, confused at the form of reality breaking across him. His voice echoed in the dark chamber in an eerie rumble.

"That's what he said. When he rescued us all, he told us about it. It was like, he never required the Book of Gods. The key was the ultimate power," the hostage ended the explanation.

Laraken shot past him. What was he saying? What was in it? Those keys were set up eons ago. Nobody remembered what was in those vials.

But he was sure of one thing. That Juvo's key was different. From the hostage's explanation, it had a blue liquid while the key was supposed to contain a green one. That was the reason why the book did not show it's contents when he used the key in it. The liquid was different.

But, it gave him power. This Godly power. That was distressing. What was it that had such raw power inside?

There was only one way to find out. He brushed past his hostage. "Please don't leave me like this!" He heard him scream. He only gave him a sideways glance; then disappeared in the shadows.

__________

At last, Zyphon was in sight. With great effort and pain, Elmitrios had successfully brought the crew to the place where they had started from. For the time it had taken to come to Zyphon, Juvo had relentlessly kept on attacking his ship. But the shield seemed to hold and Elmitrios had been able to evade most attacks.

He steered downwards and spiralled down on the planet. The shots went past the sides of the ship and hit the ground, eruptions spurting out in many places at once.

Elmitrios brought the ship to the monastery, in a gradual descent, where he had picked them all up from.

But he noticed a change.

It seemed to be crowded.

The mob was not in hundreds...

...from what it looked like, the numbers must have been in millions!

Who are they?

The massive mob was monochromatic. They shone.

For they were not living. Not in the traditional way. They were robots.