Lord Shadow

  'How will you help me?' Arial smiles and nodded

'As expected of you. I thought you would be more in awe with me'

'I am' Azief said

'I just don't think that you did not bring me here simply to make me at awe with you. You said that I help you. And that you owe me. And that you have to repay me. I am asking you how?'

He paused for a second and then he said

'Knowing the lore about you, you are the Lord of Creation, the Right Hand of the One, The One with Many Names, I think there is nothing you could not do'

'You could create worlds simply just by breathing. When you gaze upon something, Life is given. That is what I heard of you in the lore. Whether it be an advanced civilization or a primitive civilization, one way or the other, in a different name and a different form, you were exalted above all other Gods'

Pausing for a second Azief then said

'For a being like you, how easy it would be to repay me? Why now? Why wait? You could have blessed me before. You could even send some life force when I am desperate'

He paused for a second and then he added

'I'm not blaming you. I'm just curious. Why now?

Arial smiles and he did not immediately answer. Maybe because there is too many questions. Or maybe he is thinking of the answer.

Azief look at the Creator and he could see his smile. 

His smile seems to contain a mystery that he belies no living being could unravel 

His eyes seem to contain infinite wisdom that if you were to look and stare at those eyes, your mind might not just take it and break apart under the pressure of knowledge and wisdom

each of The Creator movement seems to follow a certain rhythm of nature. 

Azief shakes his head.

Maybe, it is not that the Creator follow the rhythm of nature but the rhythm of nature following the Creator rhythm.

Even when he is just there, not doing anything, this feeling that Azief felt, like he is enveloped by Everything is profound in his heart.

It is hard to describe such an encounter. There is no space and time disintegration, there is no fireworks and miraculous phenomena. 

But, this feeling, is the only way for Azief to know how mysterious and mystical this being that is beside him right now

Compared to all of those phenomenon, this feeling that he could not describe is more terrifying for him

He had seen giants who each steps create a pulsar energy. He had seen a titanic being whose gaze disintegrated the sun and the stars.

He had seen titanic beings that stretched infinitely long that he could not see the true height. But even then, he was fearless. As long as there is a chance, he could muster the courage to fight

Because even though all of those things are terrifying, it is something that born into shape, it has form, it has substance

But for the Creator, what he felt could not be described. 

There is no word for this feeling. 

There is this feeling each time that he looks at you that everything about you seems to be stripped apart 

Like your past, present and future is all seen by him. 

That your every thought, your every pattern of thinking, your desires and your wants, your fears and your weakness all of it laid bare in front of the Creator.

And there is this feeling of warmth, that make your heart yearns, longs and love. A subtle kind of warmth of welcome. 

The feeling of being enveloped and embraced by Everything. How then could words ever express these feelings 

And without words, this feeling that has no name, is more terrifying and more mysterious then any sun smashing, world breaking, heaven sealing acts.

The wind blows between them and Azief black robe flutters contrasted with that of Arial who is wearing white robe. 

Then Arial said

'You ask why did I not blessed you before?'

Arial did not ask the question hoping for the answer instead he reply it the moment he ask it

'How do you know I did not?' he said while smiling mysteriously

'What do you mean?'

'Every breath you inhale, every step you take, every decision and every action you did, how do you know I was not beside you, helping you? When your target hits your enemies, when your life narrowly miss death, when your death is near and suddenly there is a chance of living, how do you know, that is not my blessing?'

Azief become speechless.

Arial shakes his head and then said

'Child, I was with you. I am with you in those moment and I have been with you in each moment of your life to even the degree of a nano second. I have seen you before you were even born. I know of your birth long before your ancestors even know. I have watched every mistakes you make, every evil deeds. And I have also watched you in your best'

He sighed and then said

'Humans are a flawed creature. I did not expect perfection from them. They are humans after all. They were allowed to make a few mistakes here and there'

He then said something else

'And you seem to think that repaying is something that is easy. I think I could tell you this since it would not be long before you too would reach a high level. I think you know that there is Karma, connection or bond whatever you want to call it when someone owes something, right?'

Azief nodded

'Azul owes you greatly.' Azief frowned. Why would Arial suddenly talk about Azul but he did not interrupt

'The stronger you are, even one simple debt of favor and gratitude forms strong Karma. Some are even almost hard to untangle and unravel. Because as you know, the stronger you are, the less you needed the help of another.'

Azief nodded.

That makes sense

'As such, the stronger a person are, when they owe someone, the stronger that bond is. Of course, that is not the only thing. It is also the extent of the debt. After all, lending someone money so one could but a drink to refresh themselves and saving one life is a different degree of debt'

Azief nodded again. He knows that the Creator is saying all this to teach him something. Azief could feel it in his heart that the Creator is trying to guide him

'Azul owes you a great defy because not only you bring him his beloved back, you also helped him realize his Grand Path making him be able to take that last step. You might think why would I talk about Azul. Don't you see?' 

Azief heard the Creator words and then he understood.

The stronger a person is…. the heavier the Karma. The more serious the degree of the debts, the powerful the bond.

Even if the Creator saves his life countless of time, who could be sure that he had paid all the Karma. But knowing a being like Creator it must be one hell of a debt to pay and then Azief then say

Azief could guess the origin of the debt. This must have something to do with the prophecy of Asrana.

He had confirmed certain things while certain things are still just his conjecture. But what kind of things that the Creator would do for him if he were to ask a wish?

Azief knows that a Wish is like a neutralizer of debts. He wanted to know what could he ask for? And he could sense that the Creator seems to guide this conversation to reach that point

'If I ask you to revive everyone on Earth Prime right now, everyone that have died since the beginning of the Fall, could you do it for me?' Arial nodded and said nonchalantly

'All it takes is a snap of a finger' Arial said.

But then smiling he ask

'But, if I do that, my debt to you is resolved. Think carefully. Do you really want to do that? Think about what you know' Arial said smiling.

Azief eyes narrowed. 

It is what the Creator said

Then suddenly Arial said to him

'I thought I told you to think of me as Arial' Hearing this Azief look at the Creator and he confirmed that Arial could probably read his mind

Arial smiles and said

'That's more like it' Arial could probably hear out loud what he is thinking. 

He did not say anything about this and instead closes his eyes and thought silently to himself

"But, if I do that, my debt to you is resolved. Think carefully. Do you really want to do that? Think about what you know" these words made him hesitate

Think about what he knows? What did he know? Azief thought to himself. 

He of course did not think of reviving everyone. 

He just throws it out there to know what The Creator could do. It seems that if the Creator wanted to revive everyone it is truly easy for him

But it the word "think about what you know" that makes Arial think. And then he understood what The Creator is trying to say to him