As the evening approached, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and a cavalry team of a hundred people had stopped moving forward and camped on the edge of a small stream.
The cavalry was busy, the bonfire was soon lit, the broth in the copper pot on the bonfire was boiled, and a strong aroma was emitted in this rough camp that had just been set up.
The small stream flows briskly, making bursts of running water, and small fish swim carelessly in it.
Heimos sat on the rocks by the stream, his jet-black boots on the gravel.
The stream was crystal clear, and his figure was clearly reflected.
The young man sitting by the stream lowered his head slightly, and his honey-colored skin glowed with the wild luster of a beast standing in the desert in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The dark forehead hair slipped in front of his eyes as delicate as silk, and the corners of his eyes were slightly curved, revealing full of sharpness.
The golden red eyes reflected the fiery red sunset, like flame colored glazed beads.
Obviously it is inorganic indifference, but it gives people a dangerous allure and beauty.
Early this morning, Heimos left the royal city and led his subordinates to the city of Menister.
He only told Xie Muer about this.
Before the sun rose in the early morning, he quickly left the royal city without saying goodbye to Garlan.
He lowered his eyes, quietly watching the briskly flowing stream in front of him, his fingers caressed the green malachite ring on his left hand unconsciously.
It seems to have become a habit of his, when he is upset, when he is anxious, he will touch it subconsciously.
He finally chose to serve Garlan as a knight.
He gave up the throne that could have been contested.
However, even though he had already made a decision, he was still... uneasy.
In the deepest part of the body, there seems to be a caged beast roaring, roaring, crazy and wanton, with an extremely dangerous atmosphere.
As long as there is an opportunity, it will break out of the cage—
Heimos knew how difficult it was for him to barely suppress the beast that lived in his body.
After tossing and turning last night, he suddenly didn't want to stay in the royal city, so he left without saying goodbye on the grounds of rectifying the army of Menister City.
He needs to spend some time alone elsewhere and clear his mind.
There was a long cry in the air, awakening Heimos. He raised his head and saw a pitch-black eagle circling high in the sky.
He looked at Anu who was taken with him for a while, then lowered his head again.
On the fairly clean slate beside him, the bowl of boiled broth that was sent by his subordinate not long ago was still steaming. He reached out and brought it to his mouth and drank it.
Heimos had just drank half, when suddenly hurried footsteps sounded from behind.
The knight who had brought him the broth just now walked quickly behind him again, leaning over and saluting.
"His Royal Highness."
"What's up?"
Heimos still sat on the ground and took another sip.
The knight kneeling on one knee lowered his voice and reported: "His Excellency Priest Xie Muer has sent a secret report, asking you to rush back to the royal city as soon as possible."
"Oh."
He drank the remaining half bowl of broth, Heimos responded lazily, and threw the empty bowl aside.
The knight handed over the secret document with both hands.
Heimos absentmindedly looked at the small fish swimming nimbly in the stream, while casually reaching out to take the secret document.
Bright red ink pad covers the seal to ensure that no one else can open the secret document until it reaches Heimos.
The knight, still kneeling, watched his master tear open the seal and take out the secret inside.
He watched his master glance at the contents of the parchment with a disinterested look in the corner of the still-setting sun.
Just glanced.
The knight felt the air around him suddenly tighten.
He saw his master's languid golden red eyes suddenly burst into anger.
"What are those guys doing!"
Heimos clenched the letter in his hand tightly.
His face was terribly ugly.
What are those idiots in the royal city doing!
He had only left for a day, so let Garlan—
The knight on the knees was a little stunned. He couldn't guess what was said in the secret letter, but it made His Highness Heimos, who had always acted calmly and calmly, show such a furious look.
He looked at the almost torn letterhead in Heimos's hands with exploratory eyes, and suddenly felt cold all over his body, his heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any further.
"I'll go back to the royal city first, you guys will stay here tonight and go back after dawn."
The knight watched in amazement as his master raised his hand to whistle after he dropped such a sentence, followed by the sound of a horse that was leisurely nibbling on the grass not far away.
Its fiery reddish-brown mane waving in the wind, and it ran to its master in a blink of an eye.
Heimos turned on his horse, dressed in the starlight of the night, and galloped away in the direction of the royal city.
…
prince
Tapti looked at the empty bedroom in front of him in astonishment. The thin blanket on the bed was lifted, but the boy who was supposed to be lying on it disappeared.
The windows were wide open, and the night wind blew in from outside, blowing the gauze curtains in the room endlessly.
Because the matter of the prince's illness could not be spread, she stayed here alone on this day.
She just went out and told the maid outside to bring hot water and cook some white porridge, but after a few minutes, the prince disappeared into the room.
The stupor was only for a moment, and the female officer, who had already experienced countless storms and waves, quickly calmed down.
She carefully examined the traces left in the bedroom, and then looked out the open window.
A flower fell on the flower bed outside the window, and the traces of being stepped on can be vaguely seen on the soil.
Tapti suddenly knew what to do.
She turned around, intending to let the guards guarding outside notify Xi Muer to come over.
But before leaving the hall, a burst of hurried footsteps came.
As soon as the female officer looked up, she saw the tall, familiar figure hurried towards her.
His Highness Heimos.
Seeing the gloomy face of Heimos who was walking fast, Tapti jumped in his heart.
Speaking of which, she was still thinking during the day that Prince Garlan fell ill, and it was really strange that he didn't see him appear.
Heimos passed her by, as if he didn't see her existence at all, and walked straight into the bedroom inside.
Tapti turned around subconsciously, followed and re-entered the bedroom, and closed the bedroom door.
After she entered, she saw Heimos standing in front of the door slowly moving his gaze from the empty bed to the open window.
"The prince should wake up."
Tapti said, "He left on his own. With a body like his, I don't know where he went, His Highness Heimos, we must find him quickly..."
"no need."
Staring fixedly at the open window, Huymos said, "I know where he went."
After he finished speaking, without waiting for Tapti to answer, he propped up his hands and jumped out of the window.
In just a few breaths, his back disappeared into the vast darkness.
…
The hall made of snow-white jade stood quietly in the night, cold and clear, and could not feel a trace of breath.
It is the exact opposite of the bright and brilliant golden temple.
In this hall, even if it is brightly lit, it seems to feel a chill that goes deep into the bone marrow.
The White Hall, the hall of the dead.
When Heimos walked into this huge white temple, the icy whiteness struck him overwhelmingly.
Pale eyes.
Translucent soft white gauze scattered around the hall, gently blowing with a little breeze.
Huge white stone plates were placed on both sides with huge ice cubes, making the temperature in this hall much colder than outside.
The one-person-high incense burners placed on both sides exuded a faint fragrance, lingering in the hall.
At the end of the snow-white hall, a green peacock sarcophagus was placed on the high platform.
In the green, complex and delicate lines are carved on it, and the gold that blends into the fine lines flashes with a golden luster under the light.
On the wall behind the malachite sarcophagus is a relief sculpture of a goddess wearing a white lotus flower.
She held the red feather and clasped her hands in front of her.
Ornas, god of the underworld.
The goddess who guards the dead.
She lowered her eyes with compassion, as if looking down at the peacock sarcophagus in front of her.
The huge white wings spread out behind her, showing a circular arc, as if guarding the great king.
Camos lay in the cold malachite sarcophagus, and his clean body was changed into pure white soft silk clothes.
The dark brown skin, carefully smeared with olive oil and spices, glowed in the light, making the Lion King, who lay there peacefully, look like he was just sleeping.
Countless flowers were scattered around the malachite sarcophagus, paving down the white stone steps.
The teenager sat on the snow-white stone steps, leaning against the cold peacock sarcophagus behind him.
He sat in front of the malachite sarcophagus, hugging his knees and burying his face between them.
Long golden hair hung down from his slender shoulders, and the ends were scattered on the stone floor around him.
The boy's feet are naked, stepping on the cold white stone steps, stepping on the bright red petals scattered on the stone steps, the complexion is getting whiter and whiter, almost translucent and fragile.
A huge white hall, the hall of the dead, is empty, without the slightest anger.
Terribly quiet.
Only the blond boy sat alone under the huge peacock sarcophagus.
Heimos stepped forward, his dark boots making dull footsteps on the snow-white stone ground.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the hall.
He walked to the stone steps in front of Garlan.
Then, he leaned over and knelt down in front of Garlan.
He stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to touch the boy in front of him.
But before his fingertips touched the blond hair, his hand stopped in mid-air.
After a while, Heimos's hand was slowly held up and retracted.
His fingers were clenched tightly and hard.
The black knight who was frightening on the battlefield clenched his hands tightly, as if he didn't know where to use his powerful strength.
He was half-kneeling in front of the boy who was hugging him and huddled beside the peacock sarcophagus, seemingly at a loss.
He really didn't know what to do or say, so he could only stay in front of Garlan in silence.
The hall was very quiet, only the sound of each other's breathing could be heard, and the firelight on the stone pillar swayed on the two of them.
Maybe a long time ago.
Or maybe just for a short while.
Finally, the boy who had been holding his knees and buried his head raised his head.
Apart from being slightly pale, his face was clean, without any other traces, let alone tears.
When he looked up, strands of hair fell from his cheeks like gold.
Garlan didn't hide here and cry, his expression looked calm, and he looked at Heimos in front of him lightly.
He even gave Huymos a slight smile.
"Heimos, you know, I saved a lot of people."
He smiled and spoke softly.
"Look, I saved you when you were very young, didn't I?"
"When I was very young, I rescued the children who were caught by the altar of the cult of all things. Many children..."
Garland spoke softly.
The golden pupils were slightly absent-minded, as if recalling.
"If I didn't exist...you wouldn't be saved, the palace would be on fire, and a lot of people would die in this fire..."
"If it wasn't for me, those children would be killed as sacrifices... Those civilians would riot at the instigation of the cult for a long time... Countless people would be affected, and then all of them would be suppressed and killed..."
"At that time, the plague in Vernal City will break out... Countless people will die from the plague."
"... the mission of the Tasda will be destroyed in the desert, a war will break out between Aaron Landis and the Tasda, and tens of thousands of people will die in the war..."
"The city of Tozes will be attacked by pirates, and most of the people in the city will be killed by the pirates..."
"The city of Twilour will be engulfed by flash floods, and the whole city will be buried in the flood..."
The young man said in a low voice.
One sentence after another.
He seems to be pouring out all his achievements at this moment.
He seems to be constantly praising himself and telling his importance.
Heimos didn't say anything, he just listened quietly to Garlan's words.
After speaking for a while, Garlan suddenly stopped.
His eyes fell on Heimos's face, and he looked fixedly at Heimos's eyes.
The man's golden red eyes are obviously the color of fiery flames, but they are extremely indifferent to everything in the world.
He suddenly asked: "Heimos, if you didn't have my summons, you would give up the royal city, wouldn't you?"
Heimos still did not answer, his pupils deeply reflected the figure of the boy in front of him.
He looked at the blond hair that was scattered messily from Garlan's eyes, raised his hand, and gently lifted it behind Garlan's ear.
Garlan didn't move, his eyes were a little dazed.
Although he asked that sentence, he didn't need Heimos to answer.
Because he had seen that scene with his own eyes in his dreams.
"That's the will of the gods...they say, that's the trajectory of fate...whether it's me, or..."
Whether it's me, or brother Camos.
"Fate is already doomed, and no one can change it..."
Garlan closed his eyes, his slender eyelashes fell and landed on the boy's pale cheeks.
The lightly moving eyelashes, at this moment, looked like the wings of a butterfly that could be easily broken, inexplicably fragile.
"So, look, if you don't have me, you'll give up the royal city..."
he whispered,
"I know... you're going to stand back in order to save the legion's strength, and let the other nations fight on the land of Aaron Landis, and you'll wait patiently for them to exhaust their strength in each other's fights and take advantage of the fisherman. Benefit…”
"The king's city is broken, and many people in the king's city will die under the hooves of the Gasdadians..."
"When other nations fought on the land of Aaron Landis, countless people were killed in the war..."
The young man spoke loudly, laughing as he spoke.
His face is very good-looking, and when he smiles, it makes people unable to take their eyes off him.
His smile was always warm, like the bright sunshine of the dawn.
But at this moment, although there was a smile on his face, the smile did not reach his eyes.
"But, because of me, none of this happened, and everyone survived."
"Look, Heimos, I've saved so many people...and countless lives..."
Garlan repeated this sentence again, suddenly turned his head, and turned sideways.
He looked at the huge peacock sarcophagus behind him, stretched out his hand and pressed it.
The cold breath infiltrated from the fingertips, and he pressed his fingers on the malachite sarcophagus a little harder.
He digs down hard, as if he wants to dig his fingertips into a cold hard stone.
The knuckles he tightened were almost white, and the slender fingers were so hard that they seemed to be broken in the next second.
A hand suddenly stretched out from the side, grabbing Garlan's hand on the sarcophagus.
Heimos squeezed Garlan's hand tightly and pulled it down.
He saw that Garlan's fingertips had faintly oozing blood.
He lowered his head, put the bleeding fingertip into his lips, and sucked.
Garlan stared blankly at his fingers being put into his mouth by Heimos, and the warm touch wrapped around his fingertips, as if to dispel the chill he felt on the Peacock sarcophagus just now.
He didn't move, just pursed his lips a little bit.
Those bloodless lips were pursed as tight as a straight line, and a strand of blonde hair was also pressed tightly into their lips.
Heimos opened his mouth, still maintaining a posture of half-kneeling in front of Garlan, looking up at Garlan.
Garland looked at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled.
But in this smile, a tear suddenly fell from the corner of the slightly curved eye.
He smiled and said, "I have saved countless people... but only the people I most want to save cannot be saved."
Tears fell from his misty golden eyes, he said.
The boy seemed to be laughing, but the tears that fell from the corners of his eyes kept falling on the back of Heimos's hand.
Burning hot.
Like a broken thread.
More and more, more and more.
uncontrollable.
unstoppable.
Garlan sat quietly in front of the green malachite sarcophagus, his eyes drooping, his water-stained eyelashes fell on his tear-stained cheeks.
Tears fell silently from his eyes.
The white halls of the dead are silent in the night.
The boy's calm face didn't even look like he was crying.
But he did cry.
in the most painful way possible.
[I have saved countless people.]
[But only... I can't save the person I want to save the most.]