The Aeon forest occupied a considerable chunk of the continent, but even greater than in its size was the countless unknown happenings to have occurred in this forest. There were simply many saints that step foot in this forest. Thus, Gael was simply one of many that have done so, his tomb hidden deep in obscure, with only the silver grass path to lead one to his resting place.
Due to this, the grass path was naturally very long. Ovid walked on it for a long time, yet could not feel any displacement from the location where they first found the grass.
The roof of the forest hid the sun, so the disappearance and reappearance of the sun were rather difficult to observe. Still, the sight of faint starlight through the dense leaves was ever-present.
They walked at an always leisurely pace. When Ovid or Aegis experienced hunger or thirst, the group would immediately come to a stop and feast using the materials from the many special rings and stones they had on their body. When Aegis would lose track, they would not hassle, first finding a comfortable place to sleep, paying no mind to safety.
This was more akin a camping trip then a track through a primitive and dangerous forest.
Strangely, none of the beasts attacked, even if Irene was a saint, there were many creatures that could rival her in prowess.
On one particular day, when the sun had faded, torrents of rain suddenly began to fall from the sky.
Although Irene was capable of using her magic to block of the rain and wind, she chose to unfold the umbrella Ovid had given her. While the rain was very violent, the umbrella seems to encompass all four walking in the forest, although it was small by nature.
Through the curtain of rain, a temple could be seen hidden behind many trees.
Through his spiritual sense, Ovid could tell that it was an old and rundown temple, the round inside that was decorated with many windows by many broken windows. Standing in the centre was a pantheon of gods long forgotten, and before them, was a round copper basin, where the flame that was supposed to burn eternally, much like the eternal flame of the Julian empire.
(Think Germanic Pagan temple)
This was a sacrificial temple, where people come and offer the blood of animals and their own.
The run-downed sacrificial temple sat at the side of the grass path, which gave Aegis a great sense of relief, as this indicates that it truly led to a great figure’s tomb. As for why she was still not certain if this was Gael’s temple, that was as, over the past million years, too many similar temples had been constructed by saints.
“This should be the first set of sacrificial temples saint Gael prepared,” Aegis eyed the temple and muttered to Anna in a soft voice.
Aside from Anna, no one had entered the temple.
Aegis has chosen Gael’s temple on the principle that it had yet to be disturbed, but that does not mean that no one had walked on the silver grass path.
Many had treaded on this path, finding the temple.
Afterwards, those people continued onwards toward Gael’s grave.
In the end, they all died.
Why has the temple never been disturbed? It would either be as it had only been built moments ago or the ones who attempted to enter it has failed.
It was rather easy for them to turn and leave, though the path back was a little long, it was not difficult for them to escape the fate of the pilgrims who had come to this temple… death.
But probably none of them had ever been or had brought a saint.
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Because of this reason alone, Ovid was actually quite confident that his fate would be unlike those of his predecessors.
From the broken windows, rain dripped endlessly, splashing into flowers of water upon the shattered stone floor. Before the liquid flower has a chance to bloom fully, it would be swallowed by even more downpour.
Although there were many firewoods outside in the forms of the tall trees, they were all quite damp. In the end, one of the wooden toys Anna had purchased in the market was chopped up into kindling, burning with a flame, but scented flame.
After ensuring the firewood would be enough to burn through the night, Ovid placed a couple vegetables that looked like yam into the copper basin with his sword.
Anna leaned against the foot of one of the deities, admiring the unrecognisable script of the words embedded into the iron blocks that were intended for the offerings toward the gods.
When the yam like substance as properly cooked, they gave off a light fragrance. Picking them from the ashes, Ovid passed them to Irene, Aegis and then Anna. Anna took them without much courtesy and ate the yam absent mindedly as she continued to stare at the structure.
Ovid looked at her silently, passing Anna a wet towel when the yam had been reduced to skin.
Anna lightly dabbed her lips with the towel. “I can use mana now. In the future, I can help you.”
This world and his former one was not one of the same. Yet when he looked into Anna’s earnest eyes, it was as if he was once again looking through the makeshift telescope he owned when he was younger. As he lived far away from cities, the sky there was clear, without any light pollution, the stars there were very bright, so bright as to cause one to be flustered, to the extent that it was impossible to speak of any filth under their watch.
William Shakespeare once said that eyes are the windows to your soul, and at the moment, Ovid could not find anything wrong with the statement. Anna’s eyes were both clear and bright, when she spoke of her desire to help Ovid, it was certainly with the purest intent.
Ovid said after closing and opening his eyes, “That’s good, but don’t overextend yourself for me.”
Anna smiled and asked, “Do you want to discuss the nature of magic?”
When two people from the clergy first meet, they would only discuss two matters, that of god, and that of magic. Usually, the conservation was not meaningful, as everything that could be said has been recorded, but by now, it has essentially become a second form of greeting.
However, Ovid’s perspective to magic was completely unique to this world. The questions raised by Anna would be answered by Ovid through the application of universal laws. When he would encounter a question he could not answer, Irene would usually intervene, placing in her own insights.
Aegis, being shy in nature, would only listen.
As expected of someone who had lived for ten thousand years, although Irene’s words were short, each one was akin to a bonfire in the darkest of nights, illuminating both Ovid and Anna’s understanding… although Ovid still stubborn stuck by his own path, Anna took in the information enthusiastically.
Both certainly are genius rarely seen, but Anna was the better student by far.
The cold rain hit the leaves of the trees harder and harder, the ambient noise muffling their voices as they converse. As the fire in the copper basin burnt warmer and warmer. Sitting across the circular temple, their faces were illuminated as they delved into deep thought.
It was only very late in the night, did Ovid cover himself with a thin blanket. Closing his eyes, he delved into a deep sleep, like a bear hibernating.
Anna, who thought the flames were becoming too hot, and the air too humid. Crawling toward the mobile icepack, she hugged Ovid, through the sheet, and also fell asleep.
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“That woman is so pretty, couldn’t she behave appropriately?”
After an unknown time had passed, Margrethe’s childish voice echoed through the run-downed temple.
The humans she had captured had told her that only the most comfortable bed, layer many times was appropriate for a princess. Following that, Margrethe had always slept on many layers of bedding, so much that even a saint would not able to perceive were a pea placed under the bedding.
From her side, a voice said with much amusement, “That tale is nothing more than a story a man wrote to express his desires to be a noble himself, it doesn’t actually mean that the qualification of a princess would be the extravagance of the bedding.”
Margrethe was speechless for a moment. After she had been attacked by Cai Hua, she had spent much effort convincing a truly matured phoenix to take revenge. While she could not find an appropriate reason, Margrethe still said confidently, “Even then, she should not sleep on the floor. That is something only savages and servants do.”
The matured phoenix, who was named Ulrika smiled but did not continue to say anything.
Since Ovid and the rest had left, there was no purpose for Margrethe and Ulrika to remain any longer, soon, they left the temple.
The great monsters along the silver path road were unnatural powerful, their mana fluctuations filling the forest. Some were so strong that they even frightened Margrethe. However, they did not attack the two phoenixes, even possessing a behaviour that seemed unnatural subservient.
This was because of the two had the purest bloodline of the bird race, that of phoenix.
Unlike the dragon counterpart, the phoenix remained completely aloof from the humanoid world, choosing instead to coalesce with the other creatures of the forest. This caused many flavours and debt to be gathered by them. In the end, the other creatures were too reliant on the phoenixes and dared not to disrespect their presence, if Margrethe said not to attack Ovid’s group, then so be it.
Obviously, there were many beasts who had no attachments to the phoenixes, residing in their territory as an independent power, but the phoenix race contained unbelievable and mysterious powers, always maintaining a great distance between them and the sacred creatures.
“I must have revenge on that loose woman. Relying on a saint to steal my blood essence is something I cannot forgive. Since the Northern had left for an unknown reason, with sister here, I will definitely defeat her,” these were the thoughts occupying Margrethe’s mind.
Margrethe gazed past the countless trees, her eyes like those in her phoenix form. In the end, although she did not see the group, she acted as she did, Margrethe said, “If I can enter the tomb as well as killing that woman, I can wait a little longer.”
Margrethe loosened her hair that had become wet from the rain, before continuing onward. Her bare feet stepped on the silver grass, which was like the moon’s light of Ovid’s world. Ulrika followed closely behind her, while further behind, there were countless monsters that followed behind quietly like the planets following their star through the empty universe.