Pivot of the Sky

Chapter 190: Saving Geshtinanna

Why did Dumuzid look for Amon and how was he able to get out of the Underworld? Things have to be explained from the beginning. Dumuzids origin was very different from Amons. His sister, Geshtinanna, was guided by Ea, the god of wisdom, at an early age, becoming a divine emissary of the Anunnaki divine clan. She also helped Ea to build his divine palace on earth.

The gods of Anunnaki have certain ways and habits that are different from those of the Ennead. While the Ennead built a huge divine palace called Aeru for all their gods to live and train, the gods of Anunnaki tend to build their own palaces. Geshtinanna was not good at fighting with others and had a peaceful and gentle demeanor. It was said that she could make the breeze and mountain springs produce sounds as beautiful as songs and that the divine palace of Ea was the most beautiful.

Geshtinanna also possessed the ninth level of the power of origin, was called Goddess Geshtinanna, and was said to be the closest to the gods among the divine emissaries. At her request, Ea agreed to guide Dumuzid to join the Anunnaki divine clan, but this was only permission, and the secrets of the power of origin were imparted to Dumuzid by Geshtinanna rather than Ea.

Dumuzid was well-known for his good looks in the Anunnaki divine clan, and he had learned the secret of becoming a god with little effort. He was also able to train in the most beautiful divine palace on earth and received the most attentive guidance. He was handsome and proud, as he had obtained great power from his training, and the bamboo staff in his hand was also a relic of Tiamat. When Tiamat fell in the battle of the gods, the bamboo staff became a trophy of Ea, who in turn gave it to Geshtinanna, who in turn gave it to Dumuzid.

The snake sculpture on the bamboo staff contained a piece of Tiamats spiritual imprint, and it was the experience of a snake. This experience also contained the secret of practising a unique kind of magic. After one refined this bamboo staff to merge with the heart and soul, one could then master this unique magic, allowing one to not only transform into a snake but also use various other powerful techniques.

This was a small part of the secrets that Tiamat possessed. Back then, she was able to guide a monster like Humbaba, so it was no surprise that such a secret could be found in her spiritual imprint. Ea as the god of wisdom had long transcended eternal life and was not interested in this secret, and Geshtinanna was also not keen to practice this magic. Dumuzid, however, spent a hundred years refining the bamboo staff, mastering this unique magic and obtaining a powerful weapon.

Although Dumuzid was very powerful, he was no match for goddess Mourrin. In her anger, Mourrin sent three divine emissaries to capture him with the Entangling Ivy and sent him to Kellas Underworld. This was the reason why Geshtinanna had looked for Amon in the first place.

Geshtinanna felt that Amon should take responsibility for being trapped in the Underworld and not let Dumuzid suffer in his place, but when she found Amon, she was stopped by Mourrin. Amon told Geshtinanna that he had not been replaced by Dumuzid, but had escaped from the Underworld on his own. If Geshtinanna wanted to save Dumuzid, she should look for Kella herself.

So Geshtinanna went to the Underworld. Kella was notorious for being difficult to deal with, and even Mourrin was extremely reluctant to deal with her unless necessary. Geshtinanna begged Kella for a long time before she finally agreed to release Dumuzid, and it was under the condition that Geshtinanna could replace Dumuzid with another god to serve in the Underworld.

The kind of god required by Kella in the condition did not refer to true gods who had transcended eternal life but to divine emissaries who had survived the test of endless arising and ceasing cycle. In the end, Geshtinanna had no choice but to replace Dumuzid with herself. After leaving the Underworld, Dumuzid kept trying to find Amon. He also thought that the matter was caused by Amon, and the person who was ultimately responsible should be Amon, so he wanted to catch Amon to get Geshtinanna out.

It was not easy to catch Amon, who had become the Head of the An-Ra Legion and later on, the Supreme General of the Ejyptian Empire, and so was staying in the divine realm of the Ennead. Not long ago, Amon left Ejypt and entered the Plains of Duc, and in the city of Salem, the shrine of Mourrin was built. However, it worshipped Goddess Mourrin and God Amon at the same time and even held a summoning ritual for the descending of the gods.

Dumuzid heard the news at the divine palace of Ea, and the person who told him the news was Bright Moon Night, who had come to the palace to recuperate from his injuries. Among the various divine palaces of the Anunnaki gods, the one with the most suitable environment for recuperating from injuries was Eas divine palace. Dumuzid confirmed three things: first, Amon had left Ejypt and had come to a divine realm of the Anunnaki; second, Amon also possessed the ninth level of the power of origin; third, Amon had gained the affection of Goddess Mourrin.

When he thought of Geshtinanna still suffering in the Underworld while Amon was living so freely, how could Dumuzid not be furious? He took up his bamboo staff and immediately tried to find Amon, but was dissuaded by Bright Moon Night. He told Dumuzid that he had fought with Amon, and not only did he not get an advantage, but he also escaped with injuries, and Dumuzid was afraid that he was no match for Amon alone.

The only way to catch him was to look for an opportunity to strike when he is alone. This ambush was planned by the king of assassins, who thought that Amon would definitely go to Mourrins divine palace. It was not convenient to bring too many men with him, so he waited quietly near Mourrins divine palace, where he was sure he would eventually find the best opportunity.

Dumuzid did listen to the advice of Bright Moon Night, but he did not believe that Amon was that powerful. Amon was just a mortal who had just passed the test of endless arising and ceasing cycle, how could he be compared to a divine emissary like himself? Dumuzid was very proud and had never suffered a loss from anyone other than Mourrin, so he decided to capture Amon himself and send him directly to the Underworld.

Bright Moon Night was unable to dissuade Dumuzid, so he said: If you want to go alone, I will not stop you, but in case you are not a match for him, its better to have a backup plan. I will set a trap at the edge of the Syah Plateau, and with your speed you will be able to escape, so lure him there. When he falls into the trap, we will take advantage of the opportunity to take him down, and he will not be able to escape. I have not fully recovered from my injuries now, so this is the best option we have.

Bright Moon Night was the best at ambush and assassination in the Anunnaki divine clan, and according to his advice, Dumuzid did intercept Amon, but was unable to handle Amon by himself. Then he remembered the backup plan prepared by Bright Moon Night, and hurriedly escaped. He deliberately slowed down to lure Amon to the trap but did not expect Amon to sense something wrong at the critical moment, revealing Bright Moon Nights position with a scroll.

This was what happened, and the situation of Geshtinanna was told to Amon by Mourrins emissaries, while the rest was told by Bright Moon Night. Amon found a trap between the cliffs of the mountain range ahead, arranged very skilfully, and if he had fallen into the trap from chasing Dumuzid, it would not end well for him.

The deadliest part of the trap was a very well-hidden small magical formation. If left untouched, there would be no abnormalities. It required a very powerful magical power to instantly detonate it, and even though it just blew up a few rocks, it made use of the mountain structure. Above the trap was a thousand-foot cliff sticking outward covered with cracks and holes, and if an explosion occurred, the mountain wall on this side would collapse.

In order to prevent Amon from escaping, this magical formation also had another function, and that was to instantly converge the power from the collapse of the mountain wall into one, firmly imprisoning the space where Amon was. When the trap detonated, Bright Moon Night and Dumuzid would then combine efforts to prevent escape, and Amon would not have been able to escape no matter how powerful he was. Even if it had been a true god who got caught off guard by the trap, he might not get away unscathed either.

After carefully checking the structure of the trap according to Bright Moon Nights confession, Amon was also shocked by how dangerous it had been.

The reason why Bright Moon Night was willing to honestly confess everything was because Amon promised not to kill him and would let him go. Shubra told Amon that the emissaries in the Anunnaki divine clan could fight with each other, but without the permission of the god-king, they could not kill the emissaries in the same divine clan. This was also one of the covenants between the gods after the battle of the gods.

Shubra and the other two emissaries could help Amon take down Dumuzid and Bright Moon Night, but they were not allowed to kill the two. However, Amon was not an emissary of the Anunnaki divine clan, and since Dumuzid and Bright Moon Night had already tried to kill him, it was only logical that he had the right to kill them. Bright Moon Night had been beaten half to death, and when Amon asked why he attempted to assassinate him, Bright Moon Night replied that he had been ordered by Enlil to do so.

Bright Moon Night had no personal grudge against Amon, and at this moment his life had fallen into Amons hands. Even he himself did not understand why Enlil sent him to assassinate Amon, but Enlil was the god who guided him, and since Bright Moon Night had accepted the mission, he had no choice but to do it.

Amon then asked: If I let you go, you will come back to assassinate me after you recover from your wounds, or you will not be able to free yourself from your mission, right?

Bright Moon Night lowered his head and did not say anything, but Amon felt a strong emotion from within him, that is the great terror regarding life and death. With Bright Moon Nights achievement, Amons special ability usually did not work, but at this moment, he was able to experience it so clearly, this meant that Bright Moon Night was already desperate, realizing that he was bound to die today.

People like Bright Moon Night may not be afraid of death, but they can not avoid the great terror that arises from facing life and death. There are many kinds of terror in the world, such as encountering fierce beasts in the mountains, worrying about people close to them being hurt, living with a corpse in a dark room, and other situations and the meaning of terror is not necessarily pure fear.

When on a battlefield surrounded by killing, many warriors fearlessly rush to the enemys weapons and are killed in action before they even have the time to think about it. However, if they were allowed to calmly face the approaching death and soberly experience life slipping away, most of them would not be able to stand it. The situation was even more special for gods like Bright Moon Night.

They had already passed the test of endless arising and ceasing cycle and obtained seemingly endless life as well as the chance of becoming a true god, so their judgment of the value of their own lives was naturally different. Unless they had no choice, they would never risk their lives in life and death struggles, and would not even do anything that would threaten their lives, because it was simply not worth it.

They obviously had seemingly eternal lives, but to watch themselves die just like mortals gave rise to a great terror regarding life and death, and it was very difficult to understand unless one had reached this realm. Amon felt the emotions of Bright Moon Night, and he slowly recounted the story of the supreme warrior Gabriel of the Shrine of Isis who was ordered to come after him.

When Amon finished telling the story, he said to Bright Moon Night: I can let you go and not kill you, and also give you a chance to free yourself from your mission. But you have to agree to one condition, and that is, you can come to me for a formal duel when you feel that you are fully back to your peak state. No more ambushes or assassinations, wait until the day you are confident before you come, and in the meantime, you shall not harm my disciples or the people of Salem.

Amon let Bright Moon Night choose for himself, either he would die now or he would make a vow to accept this condition and integrate it into his spiritual imprint. Bright Moon Night stood up and bowed to Amon. I understand now, why you are standing on the altar with your arm around Goddess Mourrin, and why Dumuzid is so angry. In any case, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to choose, I vow to accept your condition and will formally ask you for a duel when I am ready in the future.

Bright Moon Night told Amon everything he knew and was let go. Shubra asked again: Dumuzid is still here, what do you want to do with him?

Amon asked: Did the goddess have any orders when she sent you?

Shubra replied: The goddess only instructed that if we find Dumuzid attempting to harm you, we should use the Entangling Ivy to take him down and hand him over to you without saying what to do with him. He clearly wanted to kill you just now, and even if you kill him that is also fine. The goddess means for you to handle things yourself.

Amon nodded and said: I understand, I will decide how to deal with him, many thanks to the three of you!

Shubra quietly told Amon the secret of using the entangling vine net, and disappeared together with Shara and Taku, who might have gone back to the goddess Mourrin to return to her orders, or might still be secretly protecting Amon in a place not far away. At the edge of the big pit where a fierce battle had just broken out, only the sitting Amon and the bound Dumuzid remained.

Amon kept looking at Dumuzid without saying anything, with little expression in his gaze. This gaze made Dumuzids heart tremble, and he finally shouted with a reddened face: What are you going to do to me exactly? Let me tell you, I am not going to beg for mercy from you!

Amon smiled lightly. I didnt ask you to beg for mercy, Dumuzid, you were trying to capture me alive today, but then you tried to kill me when the fight became dangerous. Since you want to kill me, you have to think about the possibility of being killed by me, and you have nothing to complain about. I just want to ask you one question, is it worth it for you to die by my hand?

This sentence hit Dumuzids soft spot. On one hand, he hated Amon because Geshtinanna was trapped in the Underworld, and on the other hand, the more important reason was because of Goddess Mourrin. Amons success was like a shining symbol of Dumuzids failure, while Amon standing on the altar with Mourrin in his arms was a silent mockery of Dumuzid. The proud Dumuzid despised Amon from the bottom of his heart, but, no matter what he thought, Amon was the most qualified person in the world to mock him.

Even if Dumuzid was not afraid to die, dying in Amons hands was the least worthy choice. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was no other choice left. Dumuzid glared at Amon as he gasped: Since I have fallen into your hands, you can go ahead and kill me, but you should be aware of the consequences of doing so!

Amon shook his head gently and said: Consequences? You mean to say that if I kill you, I will attract the gods revenge? I have not provoked you before, nor do I even know Bright Moon Night, but arent you all just as intent on dealing with me? Whether you kill me or send me to the Underworld, is there a worse outcome in the world than this? Youre mistaken about one thing, the one who should take revenge is me!

This was very true, why would Amon be afraid to offend the gods and release the emissary who tried to assassinate him? Amon did not choose to offend them, but they were already trying to kill him, so even if Amon offended them, what more could they do to him? Dumuzid was speechless for a moment, and Amon sensed a strong fear rising within him.

Amon said again: If I were you, it is indeed not worth dying in my hands. Even if you have to die, you should die in the hands of Kella, understand what Im saying?

Dumuzid raised his eyes and stared at Amon with malice and hatred. You want me to rush into the Underworld to fight Kella and save Geshtinanna? This is nothing but wishful thinking, it is impossible to be a match for Kella in the Underworld, doing so is as good as committing suicide.

Amon laughed coldly and said: Dying like that is better than dying like this, at least you did your best, whether you chose the wrong way or not. I feel the fear in your heart, you are proud and you despise those lowly beings, but your soul trembles all the same when your life that could have been endless is coming to an end!

Since you know very well that it is suicidal to attack the Underworld, and you will still be unable to save Geshtinanna, I will give you two choices. The first is to die here by my hands! The second is to go back to the Underworld and exchange Geshtinanna for yourself. She is innocent and should not have to suffer for you.

Dumuzid hissed: How dare you give me such a suggestion, what is the difference between being in the Underworld and dying?

Amon: Of course theres a difference, because you could have saved Geshtinanna, and if I were you, I would have done it! Think about it, you are going to die anyway if you dont go, so why not make your life worthwhile? Please make your choice.

Dumuzid closed his eyes, and the ropes wrapped around his body constantly trembled. He seemed to be thinking about something but also seemed to be trying to break free. Amon snapped his fingers in the air and a golden glow appeared on the rope, firmly binding Dumuzid again. Dumuzid opened his eyes and said: I choose to go to the Underworld in exchange for Geshtinanna! But I know her, its useless to do so, she will still ask Kella to exchange me for her, and in the end, it will make no difference!

Amon nodded. I have thought of all this, and will personally send you to the Underworld and wait outside of it for Geshtinanna to come out so that I can have a good talk with her.

Dumuzid shouted angrily: Are you going to tell her that you rescued her from the Underworld? Amon, is this how you please women? Its not enough to seduce Mourrin, and now you want to seduce Geshtinanna as well!

Amon almost laughed in exasperation, and he shook his head repeatedly. This is not to please a woman, I am just doing what a man should do to realize the original meaning of life. I know Geshtinanna will still choose to exchange herself for you, and thats why Im going to talk to her. Since you made this choice, lets go!