Pivot of the Sky
chapter-166-30041322

Amon was in a bad mood. Killing Prince Snek of the Ejyptian Empire with a single punch did not make him feel good, neither did it make him proud of his prowess. It was just revenge and punishment, the price Snek had to pay for his actions.

Now that Schrodinger was gone, what else in the world could move his heart? Could the title of Supreme General and the prestige of his status be compared to the cat? That sense of loss followed him constantly, and since Snek deserved to die, Amon gave him what he deserved. Even if he was facing the Pharaoh himself, Amon would have done the same!

At this moment, Amon was sitting in a desolate field. The place seemed to have been ravaged by a plague of insects, and many leaves had bug-eaten holes of various sizes. Not far away, there was a small emerald lake which reflected the blue sky and white clouds and looked beautiful. Amon was oblivious to all of this and just sat there stroking an object in his hand.

The object looked like a slender strip of rough metal, but it was impossible to tell what it was made of. In the center was fused a transparent crystal stone, but it was not any kind of parangon. Holding this crystal stone up to the light, a thin slit-like pattern would appear in the middle, which resembled a cat’s eye shifting between day and night, but it wasn’t the kind of gemstone which was known as a cat’s eye on earth.

With Amon’s vision, he could tell that this was an artifact, and could never be created by any ordinary method. After Amon had mastered the real source power, this was the kind of weapon that he should be using. It could be used both as a staff to channel magic power and as a weapon in the combat. There were very likely many other sorts of magical properties and ways to use this object.

Amon could feel that this object had two special powers. One was “seal up” and the other was “let go”. This was the only thing Bastet had left in this world. When Moses and the others walked through the Red Sea, Bastet disappeared in the clouds and the scepter in her hand seemed to melt away before flying into Lynk’s hands. When Lynk caught it, it had changed into this form.

This was Goddess Bastet’s scepter, a weapon that she had used for centuries. She had been infusing it with her spirit, her power and her will. Unlike a normal scepter, it was able to change forms following the user’s will. When she finally departed, she left this object behind, as if it were the final testament to her former existence.

As for why it had become what it was, and what magic it had been endowed with, probably even Bastet herself couldn’t say clearly. It seemed to be the remains of a scepter, but it could also be a brand new artifact, completely refined and now pure of state but not yet built into shape.

After killing Snek, Amon did not escape from Ejypt, but headed north to the eastern shore of the Red Sea. He found that Moses and his people had crossed the sea safely, and that Metatro and Lynk were still following in secret. He summoned the two disciples and asked them what had happened, only to learn that Schrodinger had used her last chance of power to give him one last helping hand, and that Metatro and Lynk had seen her disappear with a smile.

Amon was unable to describe his feelings. He told Metatro and Lynk to leave as soon as possible with Moses and the others, as even though they had left the domain of the Ennead, they were still within Ejypt. Before they left, he reminded: “Don’t forget to take enough water and food with you before you go. You will be crossing the desert not long after leaving the borders.”

Metatro asked: “God Amon, won’t you leave with us?”

Amon shook his head. “Your journey is still full of difficulty and danger, so stay cautious. I just killed the eldest son of Ramses II, Prince Snek of the Ejyptian Empire, and I will walk out of the borders of Ejypt directly through the checkpoint, so that everyone will know where I am. In this way, Moses and the others will be able to escape from the unguarded places.”

The two disciples were going to say something else, but Amon simply waved his hand and closed his eyes, so they could only leave. Amon just sat there caressing the short scepter Schrodinger had left behind with his hand and sensing the strange material, as if he were gently touching her. He did not cry out loud, but his tears quietly fell onto the object. The crystal stone seemed to shine with an agile luster like a blinking eye, and Amon’s tears were absorbed into it without leaving a trace.

Within Amon’s name, there was a word An-ra, and it meant day and night, like the change of a cat’s eye. He sat from day to night, and from night to day, as if contemplating, dreaming, remembering, meditating. When the first light appeared in the sky, Amon stood up suddenly while holding the short scepter in his hand, his tears already dried, and he opened his eyes as he shouted: “You have been sneaking around for so long, if you want to make a move, do it!”

As he spoke simply he waved the short scepter, and a strange power sealed all the energy fluctuations in the surroundings. A powerful aura which had been hidden was finally revealed, and a man wearing armor appeared on the slope of the hill. His cheeks were red, his helmet had wing-like decorations on it, and his armor reflected a multicolored hue. He was a small man, but his two arms were much longer than average, and he could reach out and almost touch his calves, and the weapons in his hands were like two spears but half the length.

The man was also taken aback when he was suddenly forced out from hiding by Amon. He held his weapons in his long arms defensively and shouted: “I’m just a passerby! If you can hang around here in this wilderness, I can pass by too!”

However, Amon did not bother with his pretense and simply called him out: “Who sent you, Khepri the God of bugs? What do you want with my people? Seeing that I stayed here, you stopped to stare at me for one whole day and night. Don’t forget that this area is no longer within the divine realm of the Ennead!”

Khepri was shocked and took two steps back, staring at me, “How do you know me? Don’t call me the God of bugs. It’s the sacred scarab. I’m Khepri the God of sunrise! By the orders of the Leader of Neteru, Seth, I am to observe the movements of the Ducians and give them guidance at the appropriate time.”

Amon approached with his short scepter in his hand. “Guidance? Don’t think that I don’t know about the good things you all have done, more like threatening them after driving them into a corner, isn’t it? Even after leaving the territory of the Ennead divine realm, you still refuse to stop bothering them. I forgot to tell you that I just killed Prince Snek of the Ejyptian Empire not too long ago.”

Khepri shook his head. “I was just doing my job, like a scout sent by an army. Supreme General Amon, I did not attack you. If you offend me, it will be the same as offending the Leader of Neteru, Seth.”

Amon walked forward step by step and Khepri retreated step by step. Amon pointed his short scepter at Khepri and said as he walked: “So what if I don’t offend Seth? How did all the suffering experienced by my people during this journey come about? Do you know what happens to the scouts sent by the army when they are exposed? Stand still and stop moving, you will understand very soon.”

Khepri shook the half-spears in his hands. “Amon, don’t mess with me, I am a disciple of the gods.”

Amon said with a sullen expression: “I’m not messing around, I’m just trying to tell you to stop following my people and stop bothering them with insects! No matter who you are or what your name is, if you don’t leave now, then don’t ever leave.”

Khepri’s face clouded in uncertainty, and having retreated to the top of the hill, he shouted: “You are a mere mortal, not a match for a neteru – you cannot defeat me!”

Amon’s expression did not change at all, and one could not see any changes in his emotions either. He said indifferently: “Khepri, I know that you have many incredible powers related to your origins, and some of the things that you can do, even true gods aren’t capable of. But I also know your weakness. You are not very strong in direct combat, and if your defenses were to be broken by magic, you would become very vulnerable…”

Amon reached the top of the hill with steady steps and raised his scepter calmly. Below them was a steep cliff, and Khepri stepped backwards into the air. “Don’t come over, if you dare to make a move, I will dare to…” Before he finished his words, he rolled in place into a cloud of smoke and dust. The cloud of smoke and dust seemed to be made up of countless dots, which then flew away in all directions rapidly.

Amon exclaimed: “When it comes to escaping, you’re pretty skilled!” Then he stuck the short scepter at his waist like a sword and turned eastward with his hands behind his back.

Amon knew Khepri, the Ejyptian god of sunrise, for he had seen him in Schrodinger’s spiritual imprint. This god was timid, but could change his form at will, was adept at stealth, and excelled at manipulating all kinds of insects. As such, it was a huge pain to be targeted by him. Even though Moses and the rest had already left the divine realm of the Ennead, Seth still sent such a disciple to follow them. Fortunately, he was detected by Amon in time.

……..

A god on the clouds snapped in discontent: “Useless thing, you haven’t grown one bit after all these years of cultivation!”

From a distant place, another woman’s voice suddenly appeared: “Is this the method you chose, Seth? It’s a bit disgraceful to send bugs to mess with us, isn’t it?”

Only the voice could be heard but the person who was speaking could not be seen, so that person should be very far away. Seth said towards the direction of the voice: “Mourrin? You must be truly in love to be so concerned about your lover boy! Don’t worry, once he is out of my divine realm, I won’t make things difficult for him anymore. After all, everyone knows who he is to you.”

Goddess Mourrin laughed. “This place is not within the divine realm of the Ennead, so if you really intervened it would be a violation of the agreement of the gods. After sending out such a sneaky disciple you still want to say that you don’t want to make things difficult for him? We’re all gods, there’s no need to be pretentious!”

Seth said with a grim expression: “Don’t call me a god, I’m the Leader of the Neteru, Seth!”

Goddess Mourrin stopped laughing. “It’s just a different name. After all, you still possess eternal life. If this is truly your faith, I wouldn’t mind accepting your denial of divinity. Anyway, I’m only here to warn you not to interfere in the affairs of the Duc Plains, that has nothing to do with you!”

But Seth laughed. “Your flock has finally overcome the obstacles and dangers holding them back. You might think that the flock belongs to you, but don’t rejoice too soon, I don’t think those people will truly believe in you.”

If one could see this goddess right now, Mourrin’s expression would certainly not look good. She replied: “This is my covenant with Enlil, and my promise to Amon. As for how they choose to face it, I cannot protect them if they turn their backs on their guardian gods just as the people of Duc did in the beginning. After all this suffering, the lost sheep should understand the decision of fate. …I’m just warning you, don’t get any ideas about Amon.”

Seth was still laughing. “Is there a need for someone else to deal with Amon? It’s enough to have you! Have you forgotten your incredible curse? Those men who fell in love with you and those who you loved, which one of them has had a good end? How can Amon get away with it when Enkidu has just proved it? Take a good look at Amon, he’s just a child, but he’s already been through so much suffering all these years! The gods are waiting to witness your curse once again exercising that incredible power.”

The clouds rolled and tumbled, and Goddess Mourrin appeared with an ivy scepter in her hands. With rising anger, she said: “What do you want, Seth? Are you looking for a fight? For gods who have transcended eternal life, the consequences of doing so would be unpredictable!”

Seth looked at Mourrin and gently shook his head. Clasping his hands together, lights flickered in the sky and he transformed into a twisted beam of light and disappeared, but his voice could still be heard: “Mourrin, you’ve hurt too many men, so many that you’ve forgotten yourself. Don’t forget that the Ennead has taken in a wandering Lion King who is not as cowardly as Khepri. Amon has the Tiamat’s Wrath at his disposal, so no one is willing to drive him into a corner, but it’s hard to say with the Lion King’s temper. Your curse will soon be fulfilled once again.”

Mourrin snapped in anger: “You’re sending the Lion King out to deal with Amon? What good will you get out of doing this!”

Seth’s voice slowly faded away: “I’m not sending the Lion King out, just telling him all this and allowing him to leave. He will naturally find your little lover and challenge him to a duel. When that happens, let Amon pray to Goddess Mourrin for protection! Since Amon killed the Prince of the Ejyptian Empire, the shrine will send someone to hunt him down, and as Leader of the Neteru, it is my duty to send an emissary to provide assistance.”

……

Amon set out towards the border of Ejypt, climbing mountains and crossing rivers whenever he needed. Whenever he encountered them, he would also pass through villages and roads without avoiding them, not caring if he was seen. When night fell, he also ate meals and lodged in several towns and bought many things.

Rod Drick had ordered a manhunt for Amon throughout the territory of Cape, and performing the inspection duties were the city guards stationed at various checkpoints. On the other hand, the An-Ra Legion were responsible for performing the search duties throughout the city. It was impossible for merely a few thousand men to search a city of this size thoroughly, and if Amon tried to deliberately hide, almost no one would be able to find him.

But what Amon did was to travel in a straight line directly towards the border. On the way, he passed through inhabited areas, and also saw soldiers on horses patrolling to and fro. Obviously, they were all out to hunt for Amon, and many of them Amon still felt familiar with, because they were his former men.

Strangely enough, even though these soldiers were galloping back and forth on all roads, they just weren’t able to catch Amon. Some of the horsemen even saw Amon walking on the road and deliberately yelled: “You there on the road, be careful not to let the horses hit you! We are currently under orders to hunt for Supreme General Amon.” Then the horses would just gallop past him.

It was a little frustrating for Amon as the soldiers had obviously seen him on the road, but they just pretended that they did not know him, and chose not to catch him. Actually, Amon had no intention of being caught, but neither did he want to hurt the soldiers. How could these soldiers be a match for him?

Once, a nosy mayor reported to a squad of cavalry patrolling the area that a man resembling Amon passed through town yesterday and spent the night at an inn. The mayor was immediately taken away by the soldiers and questioned on all sorts of details throughout the day, as though the mayor was the wanted person. When the situation was confirmed, a large group of people was mobilized, and the soldiers made a huge commotion in the process of searching. By then, Amon had already left through the mountains and fields.

The journey was peaceful and uneventful, the mountains and rivers approaching and leaving as he passed. Amon encountered another troop of horsemen galloping down the official road, and when they saw him from afar, they slowed down their horses to a trot before carefully passing by his side. The commander in charge even greeted him in an unusual manner. “We are on a mission, and further ahead is the border. Dear traveller, you still have a night’s journey before leaving Ejypt.”

Amon nodded. “Commander, you have my thanks!” He finally smiled, his heart that had been heavy for days felt a bit lighter. He had not come to Ejypt in vain, as he had left behind many good memories. After resting in the mountains for the night, as he continued forward he reached a checkpoint at the border where dozens of soldiers were stationed. The time now was ten days after he killed Snek.

……

The Shrine of Isis received an urgent order from the capital, and several high priests immediately reported to the Adoratrice, whereupon they had a discussion for a long time. Then Maria sent everyone away after summoning Gabriel, and then she sat in silence. Ever since Maria was a young girl, Gabriel had followed the Adoratrice, and never before had she seen her eyes look so sullen.

The sky gradually darkened, and was eventually filled with twinkling stars. Gabriel finally asked: “Your Highness, does the order from the capital have anything to do with Supreme General Amon?”

Maria replied softly without any perceptible emotion in her voice: “Yes, it is not only an order from the Pharaoh, but also a secret decree jointly issued by the Shrine of Ra and the Senate, as well as an oracle from Seth, the Leader of Neteru. The Shrine of Isis is to send someone to hunt down and kill Amon immediately.”

Gabriel’s tone was suppressed with grief and anger: “Why are they doing this?”

Maria looked out the window, gazing across countless distances into the horizon. “Amon’s killing of Prince Snek in the middle of his army has signified a complete breakdown of his ties with the Empire of Ejypt, and this is something that any other ruler would have done.”

Gabriel said: “I know of this matter, there were over a thousand people present to witness it. Snek called Amon back, and Amon walked back, but it was Snek who ordered the attack first and then was killed by Amon’s punch.”

Maria nodded. “If you were Amon, would you still be able to return to Ejypt to stand trial? Just like with Bair back then, the Empire decided not to pursue the matter publicly, but to simply send someone to assassinate him.”

Gabriel asked with her brows tightly locked: “Who are you going to send?”

Maria pushed a bunch of documents to the other side of the table. “The oracle has named you, and the Pharaoh has officially ordered this task to be given to you. You were the one who discovered Amon by the Nile River in the first place, and since he has served the Empire with merit, that merit also belongs to you. Today he has broken ties with the Empire, so it is your duty to destroy him as well. This is what the Pharaoh’s decree stated, and the Empire is sending you directly!”

Gabriel lowered her head, her lips pursed tightly in silence. Maria just looked at her sadly. After a long time had passed, Gabriel finally looked up and said: “Your Highness, before I leave, do you have any other commands?”

Maria took out two sealed parchments. “Here are two letters. If you find Amon, give this letter to him first and wait for him to read it before you draw your sword. The other letter is for you, to be opened after you have fought Amon. This is my command and order, and you must do as you are told.”