Chapter 18: XVIII Three Years
After waking up, the first thing he saw was Shadow's face above him, he closed his eyes again and it takes him a few seconds to realize he was on shadow's lap.
"Master? How are you here?"
She was stroking his hair as she said.
"Me? Its not a real body, this is just an an illusory avatar I sent to search for you. When I found you, you were sleeping in a cocoon and a had to wait three years before you..."
Elijah was immediately scarred.
"Wait, master, you said Three years?! Not two months, six months, one year, but whole three years?!" Elijah nearly wet his pants, no way he's been asleep for three years. He didn't even feel the passage of time.
Shadow sighed. "Yeah. i said three years, now say what happened after our mental connection was lost."
After Shadow's avatar had disappeared after reactivating their connection.
So after keeping the letters Chloe left for her parents and brother, Elijah headed to the woods in order to get used to his slightly older body when he heard several wolves approaching him.
He threw his hammer flying in circles, one of the wolves, with a scar on its eye gave a side step and launched its claw ripping a piece of meat off his hand.
"Ouch!" A flash of golden light passed by his eye slowing everything down. The beasts suddenly stepped back as if they had seen the king of death, at the same time, the hammer which he has thrown at the wolves returned to his hand just in time he smashed down on the with a massive pressure pouring out of him creating a huge hole on the ground.
*Crack*
When he recovered his senses, all the wolves were already scattered all over the land. When it finished Elijah grabbed his right arm in pain.
Ever since he awoke, there was something new within himself, a bestial and powerful will has penetrated deep within his bones giving an intense and ferocious aura that would affect others around him.
"Kid, did you train enough for now, your cousin is around, go find him to take you back home. Do not you want to see your parents? Just remember not to tell anyone about what you do say."
His eyes lit up.
"Really, can I go now?"
"Yes, you can go back now.
Elijah's grandfather, Luke, was sitting in his chair worrying about the missing Elijah and Chloe.
It's been three years since Elijah and Chloe went missing in the treasure hunt. They sent several groups to look for them, but nothing was found.
Chloe's brother, Noah is still searching for them every day off. Now he has been promoted to external sector director of the Royal Academy, he only needs to work twice a week, giving enough free time to cultivate and search for his sister and cousin.
Even though he was not so close to Elijah, he still remembered the times he went with his sister to play with them and teach some things.
One year ago the king had died and within the govern of the new king, he decided to pass his title to his eldest son and from them, he has been resting in the house before the war begins, now that the Briles Kingdom was preparing an army to attack the Thunder Hammer Kingdom. It's only a question of time in the beginning of a war.
...
It was later on the same day when Luke saw two silhouettes emerging from the forest.
At first, he thought it was only Noah, but after the silhouettes continued to approach, he finally recognized who it was. Luke got up quickly and ran out of the Mansion.
Beside Noah he could see a young boy, with delicate features, a black hair, and thoughtful gray eyes. He had a look of weariness that he gained after having faced a few magic beasts and knowing the price of lack of caution. But seeing his grandpa, he released a smile of amused friendliness and pleasure which could arouse feelings of warmth, and something more, in many women.
"Grandpa!" Elijah jumped, giving him a hug.
Luke was still surprised to see his grandson,yet for a brief moment he was startled. It has past three years, but the aura which he gave off grew several levels, making him even doubt it was the same person as his grandson.
As for a six year-old boy who had disappeared for three years, returning like this, how could he not feel happy?
Luke as looked at Noah and asked. "Noah, how did you find him? And where is Chloe?"
Noah responded. "I don't know, it was he who had found me, and from what young cousin said, my sister left for us with Elijah before she left as well."
Elijah finally remembered something he needed to do.
"Ah! Grandpa do you know where my parents is? i think they must be worried about me."
"They are in their castle in cooper town, your sister is also there, she left the academy after you went missing and is now taking care of your parents. But I think it's better if you take a shower and eat dinner before you go looking for them tomorrow morning, you can also tell me what happened to you in these three years. Noah, you come too, this is a good chance to know your cousin better."
"Yes, Grandfather"
Knowing they could not refuse it, they could only do what he said.
Walking the way back, Elijah told some of what happened back then. After telling them until the part he exploded with power and saved Chloe from the draugen.
To Noah, Elijah was the closest person to his sister and one of her few true friends as well as a important member of his family.
Arriving at the part he had passed out and went to a strange world where he saw a fight between two gods and a palace that was now in his body.
He remembered what Shadow said to him when he met her avatar after waking up, that he could not say anything about what he seen that day to anyone.
In the morning Elijah wakes up and went directly to cooper town. Seeing his grandchild go, he remembered something important, he had forgotten to tell him.
"I forgot to tell him about the Northern Region Meeting, forget it, he will know when he arrive there."
On the level he was now just using his Void Steps was enough to reach cooper town in less than one week.
At the moment Elijah's mood is somewhat excited.
"Perhaps father and mother still think that I'm dead." Thinking about this, he becomes more eager to meet his Parents.
Suddenly he sees the silhouette of Cooper Town in front of him.
He then speeds up towards the town like a beam of light.
"Kid, I wonder how everyone will react when they sees you." Shadow says to Elijah using the mental connection between them. Elijah cannot help giving a faint smile. With his current speed, he arrived at his castle in a short time. He used his sense to detect everyone on the caste.
"Oh? Only mother, sister and aunt are here." Elijah increased his speed as he appeared right within the surroundings of the castle in an instant.
When he closed his eyes, he could feel his mother, sister and aunt by the fountain eating fruits. The the of them had a similar depressed aura around the witch made Elijah feel pain in his heart for having to let them worry for so long.
Suddenly, a blur appears before them and they could see the body of a boy.
"Ah!"
Catherine cannot help crying out in shock. She could never imagined that her son, That has been lost for three years would appear in front of her like this.
"Son!" "Ell!"
With a movement, Catherine and Ophelia hugs Elijah tightly. Tears stream down from their eyes uncontrollably. Elijah also felt how frail their bodies were, even Ophelia, who was a highly talented cultivator has become much thinner than because and his mother as well.
"All right, mother, sister. It's all fine, I won't disappear again." Elijah can also feel their excitement and hurried to comfort the two.
When he released them both, Elijah turned to his aunt and took a letter out of his pocket and handed a letter to her. "Ah, Chloe wrote this letter for you. Something happened and she couldn't come."
The eyes of his aunt were slightly swelled as she held onto the piece of paper with both hands, struggling to hold back her tears.
"Mother, where's my father? Why are he and my uncle not in the castle?"
After letting go of Elijah, Catherine immediately says, "Your father? he went with his uncle to the Northern Region Meeting hosted by the King, to discuss the possible war with the Kingdom of Briles!"
"Our Kingdom is at war?" Elijah is startled.