The night was deep, and the darkness was like a sea falling from the sky, drowning everything silently. Dots of bonfires lit up the city in the lake, like small islands in the sea, flashing with brief light. The largest island in the dark sea is naturally the towering temple and the chief palace hidden behind.
At the top of the chief palace is the ancient and ancient main hall, which is engraved with the vicissitudes of the past. Fish oil candles burn among the paintings of gods. The faint fragrance floats from the incense burner, like the undercurrent of the sea, or the gentle caress of a jellyfish. And under the comfort of this silence, a skinny old man with white hair finally opened his eyes with difficulty from a deep sea-like sleep.
"it's dark..."
The elder stared at the sky at the top of the zenith, his eyes filled with chaos and turbidity that could not be resolved. He stared blankly for a long time before regaining some clarity and allowing his eyes to return to depth.
"It's getting dark again..."
Shadow Guard Chief Chevali pursed his lips and stood behind the elder's bed like a sculpture. In his hands was a clay pot that seemed to have never been put down, and at his waist was a sharp bronze axe. A few steps opposite him was the elder priest, Ugel, with a towel in his hand and tears in his eyes.
The elder slowly opened his mouth and tasted the honey water in his mouth. He exhaled softly and asked in a weak voice.
"Chevali, did I sleep for one day or two?"
"Sir, you have slept all day."
Chevali bent down and carefully lifted the elder up, leaning on the thick cotton backrest.
"Before, Elder Ugel fed you some honey water, added some salt, and some processed avocados."
"Um."
The elder nodded calmly. Then, he turned his head and stared at the bonfires everywhere in the capital outside the window sill. He was lost in thought for a long time before looking at Ugel who was standing on the other side.
"Ugel, you are determined."
"Elder...wuwuwu!"
Wugel lowered his head, his voice was trembling, and tears kept welling up in his eyes. There was genuine sadness on his face, as well as fear and confusion about the future.
Since last December, when the king vowed to conquer the East, the elder has been unable to get out of bed and cannot move around at all. In March of this year, after the expansion of the grand temple was completed, the elder fulfilled a long-cherished wish and fell into a coma from time to time. He was asleep far more often than he was awake throughout the day. By this time, in late May, the elder was already too weak to eat and could only survive by drinking carefully prepared honey water.
Seeing such a frail elder and such a dim sun, even though Wugel had always been afraid, he could not hide the sadness in his heart! After all, he has been following his elders and obeying their orders since he was a boy. It has been almost forty years now! In these forty years, he grew from a young priest apprentice to a priest and elder in the capital. The immortal elder has always been high above, and is the sustenance of all his awe and respect, and is also his usual reliance...
"Stop crying...I'm not dead yet."
After looking at Ugel who was crying like a child, a faint smile flashed across the elder's face. Then, he looked calm and looked out the window again. Facing the main hall is the expanded and more majestic Great Temple.
"Ugel, how long has it been since the expansion of the Great Temple was completed?"
"Six...sixty-three days."
Ugel raised his head and answered with tears in his eyes. Ever since the expansion of the Great Temple was completed, the elders have always asked questions like this about the past time. This is like an important node, deeply engraved in the elder's heart and in his life.
"Sixty-three days have passed..."
The elder looked out the window for a while. The great temple towered in the darkness, outlines vaguely. It is like the Snake Mountain where the God of War lives, and also like the stairs leading to the Kingdom of God, embodying the infinite faith of mortals. After a while, the elder slowly lowered his eyes.
Wugel wiped away his tears with a towel, put it back in the bamboo basket, and changed it. He brought many towels, mainly to serve the elders. Then, he looked at the elder who was looking down in deep thought, and waited blankly for two moments before he was surprised to find...
"ah?"
"Shh, let the elder sleep a little longer."
Shadow Chevali stretched out his hand and asked the priests and elders to wait patiently.
"Uh...ok."
Then, Ugel sat cross-legged on the ground, and Chevali stood like a sculpture. Two hours passed in a flash. It wasn't until the night fell, almost before dawn, that the elder woke up and opened his eyes again.
"Ugel..."
Wugel lowered his head and fell asleep, drooling from his mouth. The elder's weak call did not wake him up at all.
The elder did not shout again. He just stared at the fat face calmly, his eyes flickering slightly, wondering what he was thinking about.
"Um?"
A gust of night wind blew through everyone's clothes, giving them a slight chill. Wugel suddenly shuddered. He opened his eyes suddenly and saw the elder's expressionless face and eyes as deep as the sea!
"Ah! Ah!...Elder, you...you're awake!"
Wugel panicked and hurriedly got up from the ground, stood by the bed again, and then hurriedly wiped his saliva.
The corners of the elder's mouth were slightly raised. He waited patiently until Ugel finished sorting it out, and then asked calmly.
"How is the situation of the Eastern Expedition?"
"Replying to the elders, everything goes well in the Eastern Expedition!"
Wu Geer's heart was beating loudly. He replied nervously and panicked.
"The two armies conquered all the important towns and entered the heart of Tlaxcala! King Avite captured the Shensu Pass and the Feathered Serpent City in the north, and was about to surround the three snake cities. And His Highness Shulot conquered the Water Valley in the south. The city and the mountain city are dealing with the Holy City..."
"Holy City?"
"Yes, the Holy City of Cholula. They also sent envoys to bring me gifts... ugh!"
Speaking of this, Wu Geer paused and his face suddenly turned pale.
"Ah...but...that...I didn't accept it! I really didn't accept it this time!"
The elder's face was expressionless and he looked at Wugel deeply. He didn't ask any more questions, nor did he pay attention to the priests and elders who were explaining in a panic. He just pondered in his heart.
"Holy City Cholula...Holy City Cholula!..."
Faint waves rose and fell in the elder's heart, and they were like the coldness of the deep sea and the hardness of the rocks on the seabed. Then, the raging torrent rose from the abyss of the sea floor, rushing and spinning silently, sucking all the living fish in the sea into the bottomless darkness!
"Um..."
After a long time, the elder lowered his eyes and said calmly to Wu Geer.
"Ugel, go back. From tomorrow on, don't come back again."
"Ah? Elder! You...you...wuwuwu!..."
Wu Geer was shocked, and a bone-chilling chill instantly surged into his heart. He threw himself down beside the bed, hugged the old man's old and thin arms, and confessed heartbrokenly.
"Uuuuuuuu! Elder, I don't dare to accept bribes anymore...I really don't take them!..."
The corners of the elder's mouth curved again. He looked at Wugel with a calm expression, and then said slowly with a smile.
"Go back! Starting tomorrow, go to the high priest group and sort out all the academic affairs... If you don't know what to do, go to other elders and ask them clearly... You still have time, so you can study hard."
"Wuwu...ah?..."
Hearing this, Wu Geer's crying suddenly stopped. He raised his head and looked at the elder hesitantly.
"I...still have time?"
"Um."
The elder slowly reached out his hand and gently rubbed Ugel's head. The hand was old and gray, without any strength, yet seemed to have a huge weight.
"Go back. We can... meet again."
"ah?!..."
Under the repeated impacts, Wugel's mind went blank. Under the guidance of Shadow Chevali, he stood up in confusion and walked out of the deathly silent and deep hall. The fresh wind blew from outside, and he was like a fat dolphin in the deep sea, suddenly jumping out of the water.
"This is..."
"Elder Wugel. Please keep your mouth shut about everything today."
Shadow Chevali bowed slightly and saluted Ugel. Then, he turned around and returned, leaving only the fat priest and elder alone and disheveled in the wind.
The long wind blows the curtains of the gods, like the dance of the gods at the end, and also reveals the blurred face of the main god. The shadow stepped on the thick shadow and returned to the elder's left and right, like a long snake guarding the main god, silently.
"...Dawn is almost here..."
At some point, the elder lay back on the bed. He stared at the open zenith and smelled the faint fragrance. Uncontrollable sleepiness hit my heart again, with the smell of death. Before falling asleep, he left his last words, low and emotionless words.
"This evening, please invite the high priest."
"Your will be obeyed, elder."
Shadow responded in a low voice. He disappeared behind the elder, stared at the old man, and slowly closed his eyes. Then, the candles were blown out, and the deep sea of darkness surged in again, swallowing up the last hope of life in the darkness before dawn~
