Aztec Eternals

The night is deep, and the darkness is like the sea falling from the sky, drowning everything silently. Dots of bonfires are lit in the capital city in the lake, like small islands strewn with stars in the sea, flickering for a short time. And the largest island in the dark sea is naturally the towering and majestic Great Temple and the chief palace hidden behind.

At the top of the chief palace is a simple and ancient hall, engraved with the vicissitudes of the past. Fish oil candles burn right between the murals of the gods. The faint fragrance floats from the incense burner, like the undercurrent in the sea, or the gentle caress of jellyfish. And under the comfort of this silence, a skinny white-haired old man finally opened his eyes with difficulty from his deep sea-like slumber.

"it's dark"

The elder stared at the sky at the top of the zenith, his eyes filled with inextricable chaos and turbidity. He stared blankly for a long time, only to regain a little bit of clarity, and let his eyes return to deepness.

"It's getting dark again"

Chevali, the head of the shadow guard, pursed his lips and stood behind the elder's bed like a sculpture. He was holding a clay pot that seemed to have never been put down in his hands, and a sharp bronze ax was on his waist. A few steps across from 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 lightly and asked in a weak voice.

"Chevalli, did I sleep for a day or two?"

"Elder, you slept all day."

Chevali bent down, carefully lifted the elder up, and leaned against the thick cotton backrest.

"Before, Elder Ugel fed you some honey water with some salt and processed avocados."

"Um."

The elder nodded calmly. Then, he turned his head and stared at the bonfires in various parts of the capital outside the window sill. He was in a daze for a long time before looking at Ugel who was standing on the other side.

"Ugel, you have a heart."

"Elder, woo woo woo!"

Ugel lowered his head, his voice was trembling, and tears kept pouring out of his eyes. On his face, there is genuine sadness, but also fear and confusion about the future.

Since last December, after the king swore to conquer the East, the elders have been unable to get out of bed and cannot move around at all. And in March of this year, after the expansion of the Great Temple was completed, the elder fulfilled a long-cherished wish and fell into a coma from time to time. During the day, he fell asleep far more than he was awake. By the end of May at this time, the elders were too weak to eat, and could only live by drinking carefully prepared honey water.

Seeing such a frail elder and such a dim sun, even though Ugel has always been afraid, it is difficult to hide the sadness in his heart! After all, since he was a boy, he has been following the elders and obeying their orders, and it has been almost forty years now! In the past forty years, he has grown from a young apprentice priest to the elder priest of the capital city. The immortal elder has always been high above him, and he is the sustenance of all his awe and respect, and he is also accustomed to relying on it.

"Don't cry, I'm not dead yet."

Looking at Ugel who was crying like a child, a faint smile flashed across the face of the elder. Then, with a calm face, he 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?"

"Sixty-sixty-three days."

Ugel raised his head and answered with tears in his eyes. Since the expansion of the Great Temple was completed, the elders always ask such questions, asking about the past time. This is like an important node, deeply engraved in the heart of the elder, and also engraved in his life.

"Sixty-three days."

The elder looked out the window for a while, and the Great Temple towered high in the darkness, outlining a vague outline. It is like the Snake Mountain where the God of War lives, and it is also like a ladder leading to the Kingdom of God, embodying the infinite belief of mortals. After a while, the elder slowly, slowly lowered his eyes.

Ugel wiped away his tears with a towel, put them back into the bamboo basket, and changed one. He brought a lot of towels, mainly to serve the elders. Afterwards, he looked at the elder who was looking down and thinking, and waited for two moments, only to be surprised to find that

"ah?"

"Hush, let the elder sleep for a while."

Shadow Chevali stretched out his hand, asking the priests and elders to wait patiently.

"Uh ok."

Then, Ugel sat cross-legged on the ground, and Chevalli stood like a sculpture, and it took two hours in a blink of an eye. It wasn't until the night was deep and it was almost the darkness before dawn that the elder woke up faintly and opened his eyes again.

"Ugel"

Ugel hangs his head, he is already asleep, even drooling. The elder's faint call did not wake him up at all.

The elder didn't shout anymore. He just stared at the slightly fat face calmly, his eyes flickered slightly, and he didn't know what he was thinking about.

"Um?"

A gust of night wind blew through everyone's clothes, causing a slight chill. Ugel shuddered suddenly, he opened his eyes suddenly, and saw the expressionless face of the elder, and the eyes as deep as the sea!

"Ah! Ah! Elder, you... you are awake!"

Ugel panicked, got up from the ground in a hurry, stood by the bed again, and wiped his saliva in a hurry.

The corners of the elder's mouth twitched slightly. He waited patiently until Ugel finished sorting out, and then asked lightly.

"How about the Eastern Expedition?"

"Reporting to the elders, the Eastern Expedition went well!"

Ugel's heart was pounding. He replied nervously and flustered.

"The two armies conquered all the important towns and entered the heart of Tlaxcala! King Avit captured the Shensuo Pass and Feathered Snake City in the north, and is about to encircle the three snake cities. His Royal Highness Shulot conquered the water valley in the south City and Hilltop City, dealing with the Holy City"

"Holy City?"

"Yes, the holy city of Cholula. They even sent envoys to send me gifts, eh!"

Speaking of this, Ugel paused, his face turned pale.

"Ah, but I didn't accept that one! I really didn't accept it this time!"

The elder was expressionless, and took a deep look at Ugel. He didn't ask any more questions, and ignored the priests and elders who explained in a panic, just pondered in his heart.

"Holy City Cholula Holy City, Cholula!."

Faint waves undulated in the elder's heart, carrying the coldness of the deep sea and the hardness of the rocks on the seabed. Afterwards, the turbulent torrent rose from the abyss of the seabed, swirling silently, dragging the fresh fish in the sea into the bottomless darkness!

"Um"

After a long time, the elder lowered his eyes and said calmly to Ugel.

"Ugel, go back. From tomorrow onwards, don't come here again."

"Ah? Elder! You...you... woo woo woo!"

Ugel was shocked, and a bone-chilling chill surged into his heart instantly. He flung himself down beside the bed, hugging the elder's old and thin arm, and confessed heartbrokenly.

"Woooo! Elder, I don't dare to accept bribes anymore, I really confiscated them!"

The corner of the elder's mouth curled up again. He looked at Ugel calmly for a while, then smiled and said slowly.

"Go back! From tomorrow, go to the high priests and take care of all the religious affairs. If you don't know anything, you can find other elders and ask them clearly. You still have time, you can study hard."

"Uh huh?"

Hearing this, Ugel's crying stopped suddenly. He raised his head and looked at the elder hesitantly.

"I still have time?"

"Um."

The elder slowly stretched out his hand and gently rubbed Ugel's head. That hand was old and gray, with no strength at all, yet it seemed to be extremely heavy.

"Go back. We can... see each other again."

"ah?!"

After repeated attacks, Ugel's mind was blank. Under the guidance of the shadow Chevalli, he stood up in a daze, and walked out of the dead silent and deep hall. With a fresh wind blowing from outside, he jumped out of the water like a fat dolphin in the deep sea.

"This is."

"Elder Ugel. Please keep everything about the elders secret."

Shadow Chevali bowed slightly and saluted Ugel. Afterwards, he turned around and returned, leaving only the chubby priest and elder messy in the wind alone.

The long wind blows the veil of the gods, just like the dance of the gods, and also reveals the blurred face of the main god. The shadow stepped on the thick shadow, returning to the left and right of the elder, like a long snake protecting the main god, silently.

"Dawn, it's almost here"

At some point, the elder lay back on the bed again. He stared at the open zenith and smelled the faint fragrance. Uncontrollable drowsiness hit my heart again, with the taste of death. And before falling asleep, he left a last sentence, low and emotionless words.

"Tonight, invite the high priest to come."

"Follow your will, my lord."

Shadow responded in a low voice. He disappeared behind the elder, staring at the old man, and slowly closed his eyes. Afterwards, the candle was blown out, and the deep dark sea surged again, swallowing up the last vitality in the darkness before dawn~