Pivot of the Sky

Chapter 167: Lion King

Gabriel took the parchment and asked: The letter to me is also an order, yet I cant read it until after I fight Amon? But Your Highness, my mission is to assassinate him, so if I am still alive by then, that would mean

Maria interrupted her with a wave of her hand. You dont have to say anything, an order from the Empire is an order and I wont make you go against it, but I also know exactly what kind of person you are. Gabriel, how long have you been by my side?

Gabriel replied: It has been six years since I first met you in Cape. Maria, if you are not the Adoratrice, would you have any other command for me right now?

Maria looked out the window with a faint smile. Whether Im the Adoratrice or the girl named Maria, I sincerely would like to thank you. Everything that I wish to say is already written in the letter. Is there anything else you would like to say to me before you set off for the mission?

Gabriel stood up and said word by word: This is a very difficult mission, and since the Empire has appointed me to execute it, I have a few requests.

Maria nodded. Its only right to have requests when accepting such a mission, go ahead.

Gabriel: Its impossible for me to go alone, I will need the assistance of mages, at least one supreme mage.

Maria replied: I have just discussed this with the three High Priests, and there will be a supreme mage working with you. Idu was once the Chief Priest of the An-Ra Legion, and he has volunteered to go with you on this mission. He also said that he will not return until the mission is completed.

Gabriel was slightly startled and said: The continent is so huge, I cant be searching for him aimlessly, nor do I feel comfortable conducting a manhunt openly. Thats why I need the Empire to send secret agents to find the exact location where Amon is hiding before I take action. I am a noble supreme warrior after all, and things should be done in this way to match my status. Same goes for High Priest Idu.

Maria simply replied: Rightfully so, as it should be! The two of you will only depart for the mission upon receiving the accurate location of Amon.

Gabriel: Lastly, I will need a weapon.

Maria: The various weapons and armor collected by the Shrine of Isis are at your disposal, no matter how precious or expensive they are, as a reward for carrying out this mission, the chosen equipment will always belong to you.

Gabriel shook her head. I dont need the Shrines weapons, I just need all the supreme mages and craftsmen of the Shrine to repair one weapon for me. It is the battleaxe that I used when I was fighting Enkidu. Many parts of the weapon were damaged, and I had used various precious materials to reforge and mend it such that it has almost completely changed the materials that it is made of. Now I need the help of all the supreme mages and master craftsmen to forge it into a perfect weapon.

Maria: I will satisfy your request and mobilize all the manpower to help you rebuild this weapon. You can set off when the weapon is complete since the Pharaoh did not set a time limit for completing the task.

Gabriel bowed. Thank you, Your Highness!

Maria looked at her meaningfully. Your requests are perfectly reasonable, Gabriel, it seems that youve learnt to do things by the book. Back then, when Gabriel was ordered to go to Cape to escort the Adoratrice candidate Maria, she was all by herself. Even though she was a supreme warrior, she did not even have a single attendant as she travelled a thousand miles. But now that she was ordered to assassinate Amon, she had so many requests to make.

Gabriel replied: Because this is about carrying out the orders of the Empire, not fulfilling my own wishes, so why not follow the official rules?

Maria nodded again. Alright, everything will be done according to your wishes.

They had finished discussing the matter, but Gabriel did not leave. She stood there hesitating for a moment before finally managing to say: Your Highness, may we have a few personal words?

Maria smiled faintly. This is a private occasion, feel free to say what you want.

Gabriel let out a long sigh. Im not used to talking like this, but I have to say it. The Empire appointed me to assassinate Amon, dont you think that they are simply using others to do their dirty work? The Supreme General is not a criminal or guilty of anything, but he is to be removed for the good of the Empire. However, dont forget that Amon himself is probably the best assassin on the continent, since he is capable of capturing a king alive, which is much harder than assassinating a king.

Maria withdrew her gaze from the window and looked at the table with her head lowered. It is said that Seth has given an oracle, there will be assistance from a gods emissary regarding this matter.

Gabriel: I dont care who is assisting, if I die in this mission it will be as if someone is using Amons hand to remove me. I have experienced something similar before, before I became a supreme warrior, but this feels completely different. After Im gone, what about you? This is clearly directed at you.

Maria seemed to say to herself: I know Amon, perhaps even better than he knows himself. The test that you are going to face is not about him. That is why I asked you to read the letter after the battle. Dont worry, Im not the same little girl I was back then,I no longer need your constant protection.

What she was saying was that Gabriels assassination would never succeed, because the supreme warrior was no match for Amon, and she knew with certainty that Amon would not kill Gabriel.

Gabriel, however, did not refute anything and continued: I am well aware of your situation. As the Adoratrice of the Shrine of Isis, you have become a symbol of the old covenant between the gods because of the new religious reforms of the Pharaoh, so the next step is bound to target you, since a change in your identity and status is required for the reforms concerning the gods to be a complete success.

Maria lifted her head. I understand, but no matter what, I am still the same me! I hope you will also remember that as people come into this world, they will eventually have to leave, so what is the faith that they seek?

Gabriel had more to say, but she stopped talking. Then she bowed to the Adoratrice and took her leave. Maria got up and went to the window. As no light was lit in the room, the darkness was all around and the starlight spilled onto her through the window. She stood there quietly looking into the distance, and nobody knew what she was thinking about, but she remained like that for the whole night.

..

Amon traversed the mountains and fields at night, when the stars were bright, but he always felt the eyes of someone watching him. It was dawn at last, and he stepped onto an official road, the road that led out of the Ejyptian borders along the coast to the city of Syah in the Kingdom of Hittite. It was the same route that he had taken when he had led the An-Ra Legion, and not far ahead, there was a checkpoint.

Dawn had just arrived, and there was no one else on the road. The guards on duty were making a fire to cook their breakfast, and the smoke from the fire was slowly rising up in the distance. A few warriors with spears opened the wooden gate in front of the checkpoint and saw Amon walking over with a short scepter kept at his waist and his hands behind his back. Due to the peace treaty with the Kingdom of Hittite, the usual checks at this checkpoint were not strict, but now that orders had been received to apprehend Supreme General Amon, the people passing through were to be questioned carefully.

As Amon walked in the thin morning mist, the soldier on the other side shouted out, Traveller, what is your name, where are you coming from and where are you going?

Amon replied in a loud voice: My name is Amon. I am going to the Duc Plains, and I have heard that the Ejyptian Empire is looking for me.

All the soldiers in the checkpoint stopped whatever they were doing, then they ran out in formation with their weapons. Amon walked over, but the soldiers lowered their heads as if they didnt see him, so Amon said once more loudly: I am Amon!

Suddenly, a soldier said to the person next to him: Yesterday I heard thunder so loud that it shocked my ears and left a buzzing sound. When I woke up this morning, I couldnt hear anything clearly.

Another soldier replied: That seems to be the case for me as well, I keep hearing a ringing sound in my ears. The officer of the checkpoint came over and said to Amon: Traveller, you are not carrying anything, so theres no need for checking. You need to pay five copper coins to cross the checkpoint, but if you dont have the money, I can lend it to you.

Amon understood that these soldiers were unwilling to apprehend him, but according to the laws, if one saw a fugitive but did not take action, one would be held accountable in the future. Amon had wanted to announce his identity and then break through the checkpoint. He did not want to make things difficult for anyone but the soldiers guarding the checkpoint unexpectedly reacted in this way.

He could not say anything else, so he handed the officer five copper coins and said: Thank you, I have money.

With that Amon walked out of the checkpoint, dozens of soldiers lined up, pointing their weapons at the ground and bowing in greeting. Not far ahead was the sea coast, and further north along the coast would be the Syah Desert. Amon had not left the borders for long when he suddenly heard the sound of galloping of a horse behind him. There was a man riding a horse who had caught up with him.

He stopped and looked back. The rider was the officer of the checkpoint. The officer came near and jumped off his horse before bowing towards Amon and handing him a package. There is a desert ahead, you will need food and water. Then without any further words, he turned and jumped onto his horse, preparing to leave.

Amon asked a question: Who are you?

The officer replied: My name is Vanliart, I was a cavalryman under Captain Mahu in the beginning. I grew up with Mahu and Misphi together, and it was also old Mahu who taught me body arts.

So thats what happened, what a coincidence indeed! This group of soldiers stationed at the border checkpoint was recruited from Misphis hometown. They were all originally Mahus subordinates and fellow villagers, and were of course extraordinarily grateful to Supreme General Amon, so it was no wonder that they had acted as they did today. Amon had created a huge commotion in Memphis, and if Sabaf hadnt committed suicide, he would have been sent to this checkpoint as well.

Rod Drick had ordered the An-Ra Legion to search for Amon, but surely he knew what would happen in the end. It would be a miracle indeed if they had caught Amon! If any soldier really dared to fight Amon, besides the fact that he probably wouldnt be a match at all, in the future, when he returned to the legion for drills, it was very likely that he would get an arrow shot at his back! This was not a war with the enemy, and the soldiers of Ra Legion knew very well what contributions Supreme General Amon had made as well as why he had killed Prince Snek.

Amon was grateful, and although he did not need the package, he put it into the rib nevertheless. Continuing on his way, he followed the coastline through undulating meadows and hills with sparse shrub growth. The road faded away or rather was no longer needed, and the desert lay ahead.

If one had followed Amon and watched, one would have noticed that even though he seemed to be walking unhurriedly, he was actually moving faster than a horse carriage, and that the distance covered by each step was as constant as being measured by a ruler. After a days journey, the light yellow sand dunes came into view. He sat down at night to rest and meditate, and then resumed his journey when the sun rose.

The last time he had taken this route, he had been leading the great An-Ra Legion, and now he was all alone. Under the morning sun, his shadow stretched long onto the dunes. The rising sun was scarlet in color, and the distant sea reflected sparkles of golden light in the azure blue water. The undulating dunes shifted into various shades of yellow, white, and pink, and the sea breeze was a little moist, but hot air gradually rose from the sand under the sun.

The scenery before his eyes was vast and mysterious, a desolate beauty between heaven and earth. A gust of wind blew, and Amon suddenly stopped to take a deep breath. It was the scent of wine! Although he wasnt an alcoholic like his father, he was definitely a superb connoisseur of the fine wines in the world, and this wine was good!

Looking across the distance, in the direction of the horizon, there was a tent on the highest sand dune, and it was there that the scent of wine originated from. Amon used the Detection Eyes technique at full power, and saw that it was a tent with a golden roof decorated with a shining jeweled dome, while its four pillars were draped with ornate embroidered ribbons. However, there was nothing covering the sides, so it resembled a pavilion.

In the tent sat a man with long golden brown hair and wearing bright red clothes. At the first sight of him, Amon had an explicable feeling mighty! The man appeared to be roughly over thirty years old, and his physique was extremely impressive. He exuded an air of majesty, as if all the living things which could not be seen in this bleak desert were trembling under his presence.

There was a table with three chairs in the tent, but there was only one person at the table. Wine and food were placed on the table, and the man was drinking from a large golden cup encrusted with various gems. When Amon saw him, the man reacted, and he looked up and said: Where is your homeland, traveller from afar? The journey is long and lonely, so why not stop and have a drink with an unfamiliar friend?

He didnt look like he was speaking loudly, but it seemed that his voice was innately incredibly loud. Even though the tent was so far away, echoes could be heard from the sand dunes around Amon. Amon approached step by step, saying as he did so: Why are you drinking here, strange friend? The view is spectacular from here, but this corner is painted with melancholy. What kind of guests is this great wine waiting for, may I ask?

The man stood up. I was waiting for you, Amon.

Amon had come so close, but there wasnt even a trace of his steps on the fine sand that he walked upon. However, walking up this dune was like walking against an invisible gale, and with each step, the sand that he stepped on seemed to instantly turn into quicksand and flowed downwards rapidly. His clothes and hair fluttered backwards and it whistled in his ears, but the scenery around him remained still and peaceful.

Amon did not slow down as he climbed the huge dune steadily, a trail of fine sand leaking beneath his feet as if it were ripples in the water, and eventually disappearing again. It was a silent battle, and the man standing on top of the dune was able to exude such a great pressure, as if he was a god.

Meeting like this, it was obvious that the other party was waiting here for him since some time ago, and Amon couldnt hide even if he wanted to. After ascending the dune, he asked: Are you waiting for me? I dont remember ever meeting you.

The man smiled and pointed to the chair across from him. Strange friends can also sit down and drink wine together. There are not many people in this world who can sit safely across from me and drink. Does Supreme General Amon have the guts to do so? What do you think of the wine here?

Amon pulled a chair over and sat down. I can tell that the wine is excellent from the scent. You really put in the effort to prepare such great wine in such a desolate place, is this specially prepared for me?

The man also sat down and replied: It is for the sake of entertaining you and also for my own enjoyment. Life is not an easy journey, so why not treat oneself well?

Amon nodded, I can tell that you are a man who knows how to indulge himself. While waiting for someone in this desert, you set up a tent and a banquet like this, like a king on a picnic. Can you tell me your name, and what you want with me?

The man said without missing a beat: I heard that you are very smart, so guess who I am?

Amon shrugged his shoulders. How would I guess? Why dont you just tell me which god sent you?

The man said: When the sun rose, I enjoyed the radiance bestowed by the gods on the plains; when the shadows of the mountains were shortest, I longed for eternal youth and beautiful love; when the gods fell and my home was gone, I roamed alone with my bleeding old wounds at sunset. Is that old song talking about you or me? The favored lover of Mourrin, Amon.

Amon suddenly remembered something, and he narrowed his eyes before asking: Ugallu the Lion King?

The man smiled slightly. You surely arent stupid, Im the Lion King Ugallu!

Amon was surprised. Ive heard of your legend, but our paths have not crossed before, so why did you come to me specifically? If its because of Goddess Mourrin, I dont think it has anything to do with me. If you choose to block my path, I will still continue to walk my path.

At this moment, another powerful force suddenly appeared from underground, and three human forms surged from the sand dunes not far away. A powerfully muscled man and two voluptuous beauties emerged out of the sand, but they were old acquaintances again. Amon stood up and exclaimed: Scorpion King! Why are you here too?

Girtablullu walked into the tent with his two companions, sat down and smiled. After hundreds of years, the Lion King has finally come out, more powerful than ever before. I heard that he wanted a duel with you and had invited me to be a judge. Come, lets drink to that first!

After sitting down, Girtablullu hugged the two female scorpions as they sat on his lap. One poured wine into a cup, while the other held the cup up and fed it into his mouth. Girtablullu emptied the cup and smacked his lips. Good wine! Ugallu, you always know how to indulge yourself, but its a pity that you still have to pour your own wine. Why dont you bring some lionesses? Are you still thinking of Goddess Mourrin in your heart, or still afraid that the goddess might be jealous?

Ugallu poured himself a drink and said: Girtablullu, we havent met for over two hundred years, have we? Youre still the same, just more handsome and stronger than before. I dont recognize these two beauties though, you must have raised them during the last two hundred years? Have a few more drinks if the wine is good, and when youre done, come be the judge for our duel.