Festival of the Gods.
The fourteen-yearly grand ceremony of Aaron Landis.
As an ancient civilization with a history of thousands of years, Aaron Landis has believed in many gods since ancient times, and there are countless myths and legends circulating on the earth.
Among them, 'the gods of Aaron Landis' often blurted out by the people of Aaron Landis generally refers to the thirteen main gods of Aaron Landis.
…
In a chaotic world, there is no heaven and earth, no distinction between day and night.
The brilliance is born in it.
O great sun god Shamash, who brought light into the world.
…
The old mythical ballads are thus sung.
According to legend, the first born was Shamash, the sun god.
In the second year, Nanna, the god of the night and also the god of the moon, was born.
In the third year, Maghe, the god of the earth, was born.
The highest of these three gods divided the heaven, the earth, the sun and the moon and created Aaron Landis.
And in the ten years after the birth of Aaron Landis, every year, a new god was born.
Thirteen gods, the gods of Aaron Landis.
Every year is the birth year of a god.
Thirteen years is a cycle.
The fourteenth year is called the Year of the Gods.
It is not only the beginning of commemorating the imminent birth of the great sun god Shamash, but also the end of commemorating the birth of the thirteen gods.
Aaron Landis holds a grand ceremony every year.
It was a ceremony to sacrifice to the gods of Aaron Landis, and a ceremony to proclaim the majesty of the king to the people.
And in this year of the year of the gods, it will be called the festival of the gods.
This was the grandest and most solemn ceremony of Aaron Landis.
…
It was the height of summer, the brightest time in Aaron Landis.
On this day of the festival of the gods, the hot sun shone on the earth.
In front of the majestic Royal Palace, there is the Square of the Gods, which is so wide that it is almost impossible to see the edge.
On the square, at the end of Tongtian Avenue, a high platform towers above the earth.
It is so tall and majestic, as if towering over the clouds.
On both sides of the avenue, flags with gold patterns on a red background fluttered high on the Square of the Gods.
The golden lions on the banner would roar out of it at any moment, their huge eyes watching the avenue.
With a loud rumbling sound, a fiery red giant chariot came from the far side of the avenue, bathed in golden sunlight.
On top of the chariot, two knights who were known as the strongest of Aaron Landis drove it.
On the left is a black knight in black armor.
On the right is the blond Sun Knight.
After the fiery red chariot, the royal knights in crimson armor followed on horseback, and the cluster of fiery red hues, from a distance, looked like the chariot of flames lit the land it passed.
As the flame-like chariot moved forward slowly, the soldiers standing on both sides of the avenue raised their silver spears high and slammed down heavily on the ground.
They exuded a terrifying aura as if they were on the battlefield, and almost at the same moment, they all fell to their knees.
The flag flew under the scorching sun and fluttered in the wind.
The restrained horses let out a clear neigh, and in the eyes of everyone, the flaming chariot slowly stopped in front of the high platform.
A roar resounded above the square, and a huge figure jumped down from the high chariot.
The golden male lion stands proudly on the ground, his golden brown mane undulating like waves in the wind.
Before the might of the King of All Beasts, even the well-trained Divine Horse was slightly restless, but was immediately pressed down by two powerful knight riders, one on the left and one on the right.
A hand clapped on the head of the big lion who was majestically showing his majesty to the crowd. The big lion turned his head and shook his huge head towards Garlan, who had stepped off the chariot.
Garlan smiled, stroked Nega's mane with his hand, and then looked up at the high platform in front of him that seemed to be soaring into the clouds.
His eyes froze for a moment.
In the blink of an eye, fourteen years have passed.
Fourteen years ago, it was also this day, the year of the gods, the festival of the gods.
At that time, when he was very young, he was carried down from the high chariot by that man.
Fourteen years ago, on this day, he followed the tall figure to this high platform and became that person's younger brother.
The man said he would guard him as he would guard Aaron Landis.
The man said he would guard him and Aaron Landis until he returned to the hand of the gods.
… Brother Camos…
Everything seems to have just happened yesterday.
But now, fourteen years have passed.
A cycle has passed.
Garlan stepped forward, the long snow-white cloak spread out behind him, on the stone steps he walked.
The golden stripes on the edge of the cloak shone with a star-like sheen in the sunlight.
A lapis lazuli gold crown dipped in blood stained his golden hair.
The male lion accompanied him.
The thirteen high priests of the gods were lined up on both sides of the stone steps, with their right hands on their hearts, and bowed their heads deeply as King Garlan passed by.
Garlan raised his head and looked at the thirteen giant statues of gods surrounded by fans behind the high platform.
He looked at them, and they bowed their heads slightly, and the huge eyes with gemstones seemed to be watching him too.
When Garlan walked slowly on the stone steps of the high platform, on the declaratory platform on the side of the square, the loud voice of the declarant resounded between heaven and earth.
As is customary in the sacraments of the gods, in the sacraments, every deed made during the reign of the king of Aaron Landis, who held the sacrament, must be read out before the public.
before the gods.
before all the people of Aaron Landis.
The merits announced shall not be deceived, forged or boasted.
Otherwise, false lies will anger the gods, especially the sun god Shamash.
If during the ceremony, the sky darkened and the clouds covered the sun, it meant that the lie had angered Shamash.
Shamash's punishment will fall on the lying king.
In all the dynasties, there have been many kings of Aaron Landis who have just been in power for a few years and have not been able to make achievements or are too stupid and have no achievements. The square was silent.
This situation can be extremely embarrassing.
However, even if it was embarrassing, no king dared to cheat in the festival of the gods.
It stands to reason that King Garlan has been in power for five years, which is not a long time, but no one in the audience worried about such an embarrassing situation.
All that the young king had done during his reign made the whole of Aaron Landis prosperous with each passing day.
It can be said that although King Garlan has only been on the throne for five short years, the combined achievements of several kings who have reigned for decades in previous dynasties may not be comparable to him.
However, a surprising situation still occurred.
In the past, Wang basically could finish reading before walking the stone steps.
However, this time, until King Garlan walked all the stone steps, people had already reached the throne of the high platform, and the declarant had not been able to read all the achievements of King Garlan.
Therefore, King Garland could only continue to stand and wait for him to finish reading.
Under the scorching gaze of the crowd gathered on him, the declarant, who was sweating on his forehead, quickly sped up his speech and smiled bitterly in his heart.
This is unprecedented.
This strange situation has never happened in all generations.
Garlan stood quietly, stroking the big lion beside him.
High Priest Shamash, who walked up the high platform behind Garlan, stood tall and straight, his usual majestic face seemed expressionless, but his eyes couldn't hide a hint of pride.
The high priests and ministers under the high platform smiled knowingly after looking at each other for a short time.
After a while, the proclamation officer, who was sweating in a hurry, could be considered to have finished reading, and he let out a sigh of relief, and then he couldn't help laughing himself, sweating profusely.
As soon as he smiled, he suddenly felt a chill on his face, which seemed to be raindrops.
The declarant's heart suddenly froze.
Are the clouds coming out and raining
how come-
He looked up, beating his heart, and then froze.
The sky is still bright and the sun is shining brightly on the earth, but under the scorching sun, there are thin raindrops falling from the sky.
Like a transparent bead curtain.
The originally quiet and awe-inspiring Plaza of the Gods suddenly made a slight noise, and the eyes of the declarant who looked up at the sky suddenly widened.
The fine raindrops reflected the sunlight, reflecting a little colorful luster.
On the high platform, the young king sat on the golden throne.
Behind him, over the giant stone statues of the gods surrounding the throne, a beautiful rainbow crossed the sky, looming, like a bridge connecting the heaven and the world.
A shocking scene.
Like a miracle.
…
Garland.
Son of the gods.
King of Aaron Landis.
A wise king.
You guard the land of Aaron Landis.
Your deeds are praised by all.
You are the immortal glory of my Aaron Landis.
…
…
The day passed, and soon it was late at night.
The vision that happened at the festival of the gods spread across the entire royal city almost in an instant.
Everyone said it was a miracle.
It is a symbol that the gods admire and protect King Garlan.
Even in the middle of the night, they were so excited that they couldn't sleep, talking about the beautiful and shocking scene with their relatives and friends at home with great interest.
Therefore, the royal city, which has long been quiet in the past, is still brightly lit at this moment.
The palace was quiet, and the lights went out one by one.
However, the master of the palace did not stay in it.
Cloaked in the darkness, Garlan, accompanied by a group of people, came to the opposite side of the palace.
Originating from the north, the end of the river Enki, which runs through the whole of Aaronlandis, passes through the king's city, and falls into the sea at the end.
The Royal Palace is at one end of the Enki River.
At the other end, opposite the royal palace, is the tomb of the successive kings of Aaron Landis.
A river separates life and death.
The mausoleum of the king was built as grand and grand as a living palace, but without the gold and other colorful tones that adorned it, it was pure white from beginning to end.
It symbolizes the final destination of a soul that is washed away from lead dust and returned to pure white after death.
In the dark night, Garlan stood quietly in front of the mausoleum of the magnificent white palace.
Five years ago, he personally put Camos brother's sarcophagus into it.
He has not been here once since then.
… And now, he was finally able to face his brother’s tomb calmly.
The female officer followed behind him, also staring at the white mausoleum in a trance.
After a while, she withdrew her gaze and looked at Garlan.
"Your Majesty, are you really going to stay here tonight?"
she asked softly,
"You're tired and need a good rest..."
Garland looked back at her and smiled softly.
He said, "Tapti, tonight, I want to have a good talk with your brother Wang."
"I wanted to tell him that I worked hard... I've done a lot of things and I'm serious about protecting Aaron Landis..."
After a pause, he raised his hand, put it to his lips, and snorted uncomfortably.
He whispered: "Also, about that matter, I, cough, anyway, before I announce it to the public, I must tell Brother Wang first, otherwise Brother Wang will be angry."
The female officer was stunned for a while, and when she reacted, she couldn't help but laugh.
"That's right, he will definitely be angry."
She laughed out loud.
"No, whether you say it or not, King Camos will definitely be angry."
"Well... I know that too..."
A cough suddenly sounded beside him.
The high priest Shamash, who was on the side, had a bad expression and coughed twice, interrupting the conversation between the two.
Garland and Tapti glanced at Ximuer at the same time, and then turned their heads at the same time.
Although he led a group of guards and stood a little further away, the one-eyed knight with his ears and eyes turned his head sideways, and the smile on the corner of his mouth couldn't help overflowing.
The high priest, who noticed this, glanced at Cayhus unpleasantly.
He said solemnly, "Watch out."
"Yes, Your High Priest."
Kaihos held back his smile and replied, turning back and arranging the guards he brought to important locations one by one to prevent others from intruding.
Then, he watched Gallan, the female officer, and the high priest walk into the royal tomb.
Although it is a crescent moon, the stars are shining, covering the earth with the shallow stars and silver, so the sky is not dark.
Not long after Kaihos stood there, suddenly, a familiar tall figure appeared here wearing starlight.
He hesitated for a moment, then showed a clear expression.
"Your Majesty, they have already entered."
he said to the visitor.
According to the regulations, no one is allowed to enter the royal tomb without the permission of the king.
The golden-red eyes were like crimson rubies burning in flames in the dark night, and glanced at Kaihos faintly.
"I'm waiting for him outside."
Heimos replied.
Then, his eyes turned to the white royal mausoleum standing quietly in the night.
…
A snow-white palace.
On the white stone wall, the relief of Ornas, the god of the underworld, is lifelike.
Her huge white wings engulfed the mausoleum's palace.
This is the palace of the underworld.
The sarcophagus of King Camos has been sealed into the deep underground palace. Above the hall on the ground, a huge stone tablet is erected.
The crystal-clear white jade stele, which is as tall as three people, glows with a serene luster under the warm yellow light.
The lower half of the giant stele is engraved with the great achievements established in the life of the Lion King, and the engraving is infiltrated with blue pigments.
The upper half of the stone tablet is engraved with a mysterious and ancient pattern. On the earth, a king wearing a golden crown rides on a lion with wings, and spreads his wings to the rune representing the sun.
The carving of the pattern is gilded.
It symbolizes that the sun god Shamash sent his mount to take the owner of the tomb to the kingdom of the gods.
Garlan leaned over and placed a cluster of fresh white lotus flowers under the white jade tablet.
According to legend, the white lotus flower worn by the goddess of the underworld was born from the tears of those who lost their loved ones who fell into the underworld.
There were still transparent water droplets rolling on the white petals, dripping on the bottom of the stone tablet.
"Sorry, Brother Wang, it took so long to see you."
The female magistrate and the high priest stood silently on both sides, while Garlan sat down on the stone steps directly under the stone tablet after putting down the bouquet.
No manners, no manners.
The high priest's eyebrows moved slightly, but he glanced at Garlan, lowered his eyes, and remained silent.
"Today is the festival of the gods again, do you remember? Fourteen years ago, on this day, I followed you to the high platform."
Bending his left knee and sitting under the stone tablet, just leaning on the stone tablet, Garlan raised his head slightly, put one hand on his knee, and turned his eyes to the void, as if he was looking at the memories of the past.
He smiled lightly, his eyes soft, as if he was really talking to King Camos.
"In the blink of an eye, it has been five years since I put on your crown."
"I think in the past five years, I have done very well."
Garlan said with a smile, tilted his head and looked at Xie Muer.
"Isn't it, Xie Muer?"
The high priest glanced at him and hummed softly.
"Look, Brother Wang, Xie Mu'er has admitted it, so I definitely didn't lie to you."
"I have done a lot of things... Well, although there are some things I don't know if you will agree, but I think that will be good for Aaron Landis's future, so I think you should not object to it, brother."
Garlan said softly, taking the things he has done over the years, one by one, one by one, even if it is a small thing, as well as the changes of Aaron Landis in these years, bit by bit. , all said.
He seemed to have something to say.
His demeanor was like that of a child, talking to his elder brother about what he had done, proudly showing his achievements, and looking forward to his elder brother's praise.
Garland spoke for a long, long time.
The high priest and the female ruler had been standing silently, only a clear voice echoed in the empty hall.
I don't know how long it took.
In the hall where the warm yellow fire swayed, it seemed that the passage of time could not be seen.
It was not until a faint light on the horizon shone into the hall from a distance that Garlan finally finished speaking.
The night has passed.
Garlan stood up and placed one hand on the stone tablet.
"One last thing..."
he said softly,
"Brother Wang, I have someone I like."
"When I was in Judas City, when I said I liked Heimos, I lied to you."
"But now, I'm serious."
"I like Huymos and I want to be with him all the time."
Garlan bowed his head, and his long golden hair rustled from his shoulders.
His hand was on the stone tablet, and his forehead lightly pressed against the cold stone tablet.
"I know that you will not object. After all, when I lied to you, you said that no matter what it is, as long as it is my decision, even if the whole world objects, you will stand by me. "
Long lashes drooped down the cheeks.
Garland closed his eyes.
He said softly, "...Isn't it, Brother Wang?"
There was a long silence.
The female officer stepped up the stone steps, and she stretched out her hand and put it on Garlan's shoulder.
"That's King Camos just trying to be brave."
He grew up with King Camos from a young age, said Tapti, who knew his character well.
"He said that, I guess he must be thinking about finding a chance to beat Lord Heimos hard."
Garlan was stunned for a moment, turned to look at Tapti, and then laughed.
"It seems to be the case."
he said with a smile.
"If King Camos is still there, with his character, he will probably find excuses to teach Lord Heimos every day from now on."
"Oh? Not really?"
"King Camos has always been very narrow-minded when it comes to matters related to you. I don't think he will be relieved if he beats him once a day. He will probably beat people three times a day."
"Well, it seems a little…"
"I said, if this is the case, he is fine when he is young and strong, but what if he can't beat Lord Heimos when he is old and old?"
Garlan's golden eyes blinked.
"Then I'll let Heimos deliberately lose to him?"
"If King Camos sees that Lord Heimos is pretending, I'm afraid he will be even more angry."
"Well, he'd definitely lose his temper then."
One minute of silence.
"Tapti."
"Um?"
"Are we talking ill of your brother like this?"
"Should count."
"Then you say, if all the bad things we said here are heard by Brother Wang, will he be very angry now?"
"… I think it is."
The young king and his mistress looked at each other.
Then, laugh at the same time again.
Behind the two smiling at each other, the high priest stood there with a blank expression on his face.
The morning sun shone in, illuminating the white palace and the cluster of white lotus flowers under the stele.
…
…
When Tapti followed Garlan out of the gate of the royal tomb, the sky was already slightly bright on the distant horizon.
After walking out of the place sheltered by the eaves, a bit of cold water suddenly fell on her cheeks.
Then, a few more drops.
The sky started to rain at an unknown time.
Not much, just a misty drizzle.
Tapti wiped the rain dripping from the corners of his eyes, looked up, and was startled.
She saw Heimos standing not far away.
Obviously not just here, as long as you look at the man's jet-black hair wet by the night dew, you can guess that this person has been waiting here all night.
He stood quietly, dripping from the tips of his hair wet by the night dew on his shoulders.
His whole figure seemed to melt into the night.
No, in other words, between heaven and earth, he is like the incarnation of night.
However, when the man who looked like the incarnation of the night raised his eyes to look at Garlan, his eyes, his face, and his whole body seemed to light up in an instant.
Like the moon that shines only when it is illuminated by the sun.
"Heimos."
She heard Garlan calling Heimos's name and trotting towards him.
All along, Tapti didn't like Huymos very much.
Actually, it wasn't because she didn't like Heimos approaching Garland.
The real reason was that she didn't like Heimos' eyes.
This person's eyes are always bottomless, like a dark abyss with no end in sight.
This man, his thirst never ends.
His insatiable desires and ambitions, like fires burning everywhere, made him more dangerous than anyone else.
Tapti has always thought so.
But now, standing behind Garlan, she saw the look on Heimos's face.
Heimos stood there, extending his left hand to Garlan, who trotted toward him.
She was behind, unable to see Garlan's expression.
But she saw that Garlan raised his right hand and stretched forward, as if to put it on the hand that Heimos held out to him.
The two of them were about to clasp their hands together.
She saw Heimos looking at Garlan with a more gentle gaze than anything else, as well as the smile he showed at Garlan.
She had never seen such a bright and contented smile on this man's face.
That smile, as if he already had everything, the whole world.
…
never mind.
The female officer stood silently, watching the scene.
fair enough.
she thought, smiling.
That's… good too.
The misty drizzle fell from her eyes like a broken bead curtain.
In the rain curtain, the hand that Garlan was about to put on Heimos's hand suddenly paused for a moment.
Tapti's pupils suddenly dilated.
It came suddenly and without warning.
Before everyone else, she watched her prince fall forward.
The long golden hair that flew up when she fell passed her eyes.
Her mind went blank for a moment.
…
Fine shreds of rain rustled from the bright sky.
The fountain sprinkled in the pool, and the stone statue of the star goddess Isdar stood quietly in the courtyard.
The drizzle wet the stone statue little by little, and the rain gathered in the corner of her eye. After accumulating for a long time, a water mark slowly slipped from the corner of her eye.
Like a teardrop from the eyes of the goddess of fate...
That is the beginning of fate and the end of fate.