Immorton

What have you done? ! "

Imerton opened his eyes wide, his mind roaring frantically.The priests pulled him away vigorously, but he turned his head, unable to look away as if petrified.On the curtain, Ansuna's black silhouette was slashed across by a knife, and finally fell to the ground.In a hurry, he exerted his arms suddenly and broke free from the shackles around him.After only taking two steps back, he suddenly stopped, his face full of horror.Ah, he has seen, he has seen the sight of this moment!When they first flashed before his eyes, he dared and would not touch these scattered ominous omens and put them behind him.Now that Ansuna was really dead... so what did the many new images that had just crossed my mind represent?At that moment, he froze in place, trembling uncontrollably.The priests hurriedly dragged him back, and behind the curtain, the palace guards on duty were still slashing as if venting their anger. The pharaoh was assassinated, and they could not survive... In desperation, he once again shook off the warmth of the crowd. hand, rushed back behind the golden curtain that symbolized the supreme kingship.The young and pure princess stayed opposite, her face full of bewilderment.He suddenly felt that their looks and gestures were probably very similar.This inexplicable thought flashed like lightning, he was startled, came back to his senses, and shouted sharply: "Notify the crown prince! Notify the crown prince!"

"I'm here!" The answer came from the corridor, accompanied by hurried steps.The crown prince hurried in, glanced over, his face turned pale, and he stared up at him, "How did it happen?"

"He's only 19 years old. What have I done..." He thought bitterly, and answered, "I don't know, Your Highness, I don't know either," at least this sentence is true, "I was talking to the king Ansuna came over, and I withdrew without paying attention," he took a breath, his voice choked slightly, "when I recovered, I saw her shadow pull out the murder weapon from Wang's body and stab himself body." He covered his face with his hands, bent down deeply, and tears overflowed from between his fingers, "Forgive me, please forgive my negligence, Your Highness, Your Majesty."

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The oil lamps by the wall burn silently, and the Temple of Death is still cool and quiet.Imerton sat on the ground with his back against the wall, staring blankly at the statue of Anubis in mid-air.The Jackal's face was half hidden in the swaying light and shadow, calm and unmoved, as always.

He has been there all night.

The sound of light and steady footsteps approached and stopped beside him.Then came the soft voice of the priestess: "There are many things waiting today, we need you, Imerton."

He didn't answer.After a while, she sat down beside him, with a cloud-like soft and bright breath: "Imorton, we...you shouldn't lose control, it's wrong...but you are our mentor, we will always stand With you. Don't worry."

He turned his head blankly and looked at her: "Stand by my side?" His eyes gradually gathered, "Do you know what I have done? Do you know what I will do next?"

She smiled reassuringly: "Even if you don't come in and out with you, everyone can notice it. Of course, not everyone knows it. In fact, most people are not that sensitive. However, as long as they notice, many people have expressed concern to me. The rest remain silent. Don't worry, no one will tell the outside, I'll watch."

He smiled sadly: so what, what's the point... In those stolen sweet and bitter time fragments, he and Ansuna had imagined countless times that they would be together one day, but he had lost her, he He will lose her forever, even if he insists on finding her—this is God's will, punishment for his blasphemy.He shouldn't, can't be with her anymore, never can.But, Ansuna... He lowered his head and covered his face: No choice, no choice this time, he promised Ansuna, how could he let her wait forever at the gate of the underworld, becoming a wandering lonely soul?As long as she is alive, even... even... is fine.

As soon as he made a decision, his heart was at peace.This time, he will no longer ignore those glimpsed images, even if the actions that rely on foreknowledge often lead directly to the doomed ending. "Patience, be patient." He told himself in his heart, then stood up, and asked softly, "If I leave, will you still follow me?"

The priestess then stood up, her voice soft but firm: "Of course, we will accompany you."

"Okay, go ask those who have expressed concern and see who is willing to travel with me." He took a step forward and explained calmly, "Those who don't want to go and anyone who knows will be sent to a temple in another place. The chief and second priests from all over the place come over and let His Majesty choose a new high priest, he needs someone he can trust completely, and I'm afraid I'm not among them." He stopped abruptly, let out a choked laugh, and covered his eyes with his left hand, With his right hand clenched into a fist, he propped himself up against the rough and cold stone wall.

The assistant beside him turned his head away, as if he was looking at the mural on the other side of the corridor.

Not long after, he put down his hands and continued on his way, "I will bid farewell to His Majesty after I have been busy for a few days. Starting tomorrow, let the priests who may be in charge of temples in various places preside over the sacrifices. They must be familiar with how to do it. In addition, make more arrangements Some young apprentices are here, His Majesty may need peers..."

The white light at the other end of the corridor gradually brightened, and the altar was approaching.Imerton stopped, turned his head, and said solemnly: "Nice, no matter what, I am very comforted, you are always by my side."

Equally solemnly, the priestess Ness took half a step back, bowed slightly, and bowed her head.Then she raised her head and raised the corners of her lips mischievously: "So Imerton, where are we going?"

"Ah, to Greece, to Asia Minor, to the other side of the Red Sea." Imerton replied with a slight smile.

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Three years later.

"Imorton is back?" The young Pharaoh raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I thought he chose to exile himself."

"Maybe he changed his mind." The person below bent down deeply, with his head lowered, "The news from the temple, they will be here tomorrow."

Pharaoh paced back and forth a few steps, then turned and stood still: "Then, let's go and see tomorrow what he is doing when he comes back." As he spoke, the smile on the corner of his mouth passed like a cold wind.

the next day.

Under the noon sun, the ground in front of the temple was filled with blinding white, making it impossible to look directly at.

Imerton and Ness walked across the square and up the steps.At this time, there was the sound of horseshoes behind him.Emerton turned his head, looked intently, raised his hand to signal Ness to stop where he was, and turned to meet him.

In the center of the square, the pharaoh reined in his horse, looked down like a vulture, and looked down at the wise man he had respected as he hurriedly approached, and saluted before his horse.He had thought that one day this man would stand by his side as reliably as he had stood by his father.However, when his father died, the man did nothing.Never forgive, never.

He played with the reins of the horse and said casually, "I have come to greet the returning traveler. Ten people left the temple, but only two returned home. May I have an explanation, Servant of God?"

Emerton kept his eyes between the horse's front hooves all the time, and he needed to be more cautious: "Your Majesty, God sometimes summons his attendants in unexpected places. Among us, the four of us stay in the land of disbelievers on, to convey the will of the gods. A servant of the other gods joined us, wishing to bathe in the light of the sun god. He remained in the temple on the banks of the Nile, accompanied and guided by two priests. The other two were in a small adjoining temple. found the right place."

The Pharaoh glanced at it, but only saw the drooping head. He paused and chuckled, "But you're back. I assume you haven't been summoned along the way?"

Imerton was silent, and when he spoke again, his voice was unexpectedly low: "On the way, I observed the power of the alien gods, sought ancient knowledge, listened to war songs from all sides, and tasted the joys and sorrows of others. However, my heart , I have never found peace. Anubis guided me back here to find peace in papyrus and stone carvings. Your Majesty, I do not intend to take on the duties of sacrifice again. Perhaps, for the rest of my life, I will never step out of the temple grounds The door to the library."

Silence fell again.Imerton stared at the ground between the horse's hooves, the hot, harsh white searing his soul.Finally, the horse's hooves began to move sideways, and the young king left.And he remained motionless until long after the sound of the hooves had disappeared.

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Two months have passed.

"Looks like Imerton is keeping his word," thought the pharaoh, listening to the news from the temple.

"...He went underground directly after talking with the high priest. Afterwards, except for his assistant, he never had a conversation with anyone, nor did he leave the library. His assistant took care of him and participated in the sacrifice normally, but rarely Talk about him. People don't talk about him anymore, it's like he never came back."

"So, he really imprisoned himself? After exiling himself? Is it that simple?" Pharaoh whispered softly, as if talking to himself, and then ordered, as if casually, "Don't look at it specially," hesitated, and added He said, "Be careful at ordinary times."

Six months later, the pharaoh gave up paying attention to Imerton's dynamics. A new war was coming, and there were too many places that needed priests.

One morning eight months later, the courier brought an urgent report.

"...After we discovered that King Seti's tomb was intruded, we checked all the accessible areas in the Valley of the Kings, and found that there was no loss except for the sinner Ansuna's coffin being opened and the mummy missing. It seems that the thieves wanted to Ansuna's remains."

Pharaoh said with a cold face, "Go and see if Imerton is still there." Gritting his teeth, "Gather my guards and King Seti's guards."

After the sun had fully risen, the temple returned, and Imerton and his