Persian Assassin: Dance of the Prisoners

His breathing was like a ray of venom penetrating into the skin on the back of his neck: "Your Highness, your dance just now was so captivating, it just made me burn with lust, I wish I could swallow you alive..."

A hoarse laugh emphasized the last word, as if chewing on it.

Two bloodthirsty red lips suddenly appeared in front of my eyes, and the sharp white teeth gleamed in the dark, clinging to my neck, and I couldn't move.His thigh was pressed between my legs through the thin and slippery silk, gently rubbing against my buttocks, the whole body was as hot as coals, dripping with sweat.

"You're a master at this dance. Tell me... have you ever danced this dance for any lucky fellow before? Your king, the boy who stayed by your side, or someone else?" A voice in the dark lust-lust Burning, with a hint of sternness that makes people shudder, it is clearly an interrogation-like tone.

"None of your business! Get out!" I struggled with my wrist, but his strength was terrible, like two pythons twisted my arms tightly.His chin rested on my shoulder, and his breath poured into my collar: "You said that I forced you here, will someone find out?"

"I'm warning you!" I gritted my teeth, trying to suppress the volume, "People may come here at any time, don't forget your identity! Vice Emperor of Rome!"

"Ah... When I saw you, I was so emotional that I almost forgot where it was. I thought it was just the two of us."

There was a faint chuckle beside his ear, his lips brushed against my cheek, and suddenly he opened his mouth and grabbed my earlobe.It was very painful, but at the same time, it also caused a strange numbness, which made me shiver suddenly.As soon as my ears loosened, I felt a stream of blood crawling down my neck.The smell of blood suddenly stimulated my nerves, which immediately dissipated a lot of alcohol, and my strength returned to my body.

I pushed his chest hard with my shoulders, staggered back a few steps, and couldn't help but swear.

The light was too dim, and in a flash before my eyes, I saw only a tall, ghostly figure flashing into the thick darkness, and then disappeared in an instant, as if what I experienced just now was just a hallucination after drunkenness.

My ears pricked a bit, and I reached out to touch them—the earrings used to attach the mask were gone.

Bitten off by this pervert.

The caressed skin of the thigh was still hot, as if it was burning inside the clothes, and Yulyans' hand seemed to be still there, lingering.I grabbed the fabric on my thighs, wanting to tear it off, but the alcohol came back at this moment, making me dizzy for a while.

Click, click, click.

There was another sound of footsteps.Fearing that Yulyans would turn back, I supported the stone pillar and retreated towards the light, bumping into a solid chest head-on.

The familiar strength embraced my body, making me feel at ease immediately.It's Ishkad.

"What's the matter? Are you drunk? I heard some voices over there just now. What's going on?"

Ishkad asked in a deep voice, his hands covered my cheeks, an ambiguous warmth passed through his palms to my skin, and his dark eyes shimmered with concern in the shadows.

"No, it's nothing, I just fell down." I shook my head in embarrassment, pinching the hem of my clothes guiltily.A sudden bout of dizziness hit me, making me a little nauseous and out of breath: "I can't... drink. I'm sorry, I seem to have screwed up tonight."

"No, you did a good job, Ah Thien. It's better than I expected." He stared into my eyes and pinched my shoulder with his fingers very tightly.

"Really? I hope the plan can go smoothly." My mind was confused, I took a deep breath, and suddenly heard footsteps from far to near.It was a group of court ladies, headed by the eunuch who stood by the throne.

"His Majesty the Emperor sent me to arrange the residence of the prince," he looked at us with a smile, "Prince Arshak looks a bit unwell, do you need to call the imperial doctor?"

"The prince is fine, he just drank too much, just take a rest."

Ishkad took my arm, put one hand around my waist involuntarily, and half-supported and half-hugged me.Following the eunuch who led the way, we were led into an extremely long corridor, like a nightmare that would never end. I didn't even know when I fell asleep in Ishkad's arms.

I vaguely woke up once and found myself lying on a big soft bed.The coat was taken off, and the soft blanket covered me.The body was clean, as if someone had scrubbed it for me, probably Ishkad.

I didn't have the energy to look around, and a tidal wave of tiredness came up again, making me fall asleep again.

tbc

Chapter 33 [XXXIII] The Beginning of the Nightmare

The hand brushed reluctantly over the slender neck of the man on the bed, and the fermented wine seemed to surge from the fingertips that touched the skin, and overflowed into the heart, making the man standing beside the bed feel a little drunk for a moment.He stared at the boy's familiar profile for a long time, fascinated.Day and night for seven years, he watched the young man's brows become sharper little by little, from being weak and sensitive to being sharp like a blade.

In the past, even when he was asleep, even with someone he trusted by his side, his body was still curled up and tense, as if he could jump up and launch a deadly attack the next moment.Only at this moment, when he was drunk, did he relax rarely, revealing the tranquility and softness that rarely appeared on him, like any boy of his age.

Give him a chance to get close without being hurt by his blade.

The boy's alcohol-stained breath swept over his palm, and his reddish handsome face was within easy reach.As if lured by a magical force, Ishkad leaned over and lowered his head, gently brushing away the soft hair on his fingertips, and brought his lips close to his neck.

"Flavitz...Flavitz! I was wrong...I was wrong...forgive me..." This low dream made him stop in time.The boy's murmur contained a strong nasal voice, mixed with suppressed and intermittent whimpers——he was crying.

Another curse-like name.

Ishkad frowned, then relaxed.That's pretty much to be expected.Even the most powerful and elderly wizard in Persia he had found could not erase it from Altiane's mind, so what could set him free?

He can't forget the dead person, he can't release this memory, and he is even unwilling to reveal it to others, just like eating flesh and blood with maggots attached to bones, drinking doves to quench thirst until he dies.For seven years, they fought side by side, lived and died together, and were as close as brothers, and Ah Suin never mentioned a single word to him.He knew nothing about his past, about the name.

He stood up with a wry smile, and tucked up the corner of the blanket for the young man who was weeping softly in his nightmare, when he suddenly heard a sound of flapping wings reaching the window, which made him suddenly wake up from his drunkenness and become vigilant.He walked quickly to the window, the eagle flapped its wings, flew to his shoulder, and pecked his earlobe anxiously, leading him to look in one direction.

In the palace facing the other side of the wall, a slender shadow half-hidden in the shadow under the eaves, only revealing a trace of white clothes, indistinctly, a small piece of metallic light reflected in the dark by the dim light opposite.

The man is watching here.He didn't know why he was so sure, he was almost sure that the man was not looking at him, but the boy behind him.He can even describe the expression of the peeper standing in the dark——just like what he saw with his own eyes at the banquet, like a boa constrictor that just wants to wrap its prey tightly and swallow it whole, its eyes are full of love love-desire.

His heart tightened, and Ishkad immediately closed the window, but suddenly he heard a sharp sound coming through the air. Relying on his extremely fast instinctive reaction, he turned around and grabbed the sharp sound that flew past his ears. device.

It was a dagger with a small ball of paper embedded in the tip.

He unfolded it, and after reading the clear, concise and meaningful message on the paper, he frowned, subconsciously looked at the sleeping boy on the bed, and closed the window heavily with one hand.

———— That dangerous guy named Yuriyans wants to meet his Arthion alone.

***

Lightning pierced through the squall and rain like howling ghosts, and suddenly lit up the dark sky.

"Athioin...Athione! You must escape from here...survive and go back to Persia! You have the noblest... blood of the Persians! Remember your last name...Hoz..."

My mother's intermittent wailing before she died lingered in the sound of wind and rain, accompanied by a deafening thunder blast deep in my mind, which made me wake up trembling.

"Mommy mommy!"

Crying and groping in the dark, I was dragged into a lukewarm embrace, and the familiar fragrance and hanging hair surrounded me as softly as satin.A light kiss fell on the ear, and a sigh was like a ray of wind on a midsummer night: "What's the matter, poor little guy, are you having nightmares again?"

"Mom..." I grabbed Flaviz's clothes tightly, still in a dream, and buried my face in his porcelain-smooth chest, tears streaming down my face.

He smiled softly: "I'm not your mother, but if you don't mind, I can be your father. Stay by my side, and I will never...will let you suffer again."

His slender hands caressed my temples, making my tears well up.

The word "father" is so strange to me, but it doesn't mean that I have never longed for it.I used to see my mother shed tears every night, always looking at my face as if she was looking at another person.I wiped away my tears, shook my head stubbornly, and mumbled a few words: "It's funny, you're only a few years older than me..."

"Then let's be brothers...or lovers." He whispered the word, like rain falling on flower petals.

"Lover?" I raised my head in bewilderment, looking up at Flaviz's incomparably beautiful face, under the drooping eyelashes like clouds, his blue eyes seemed to reflect the sea of ​​stars, making one willing to drown in it.

"What is... a lover?"

He smiled, his smile was like a bright moon, but his figure was shattered into powder in the flickering electric light, and the burning fire gradually drifted away: "Eternal life loves each other. I love you. Do you love me... Ah Liu because?"

Do you love me... athion?

Flaviets!

I reached forward and took an empty hand.His mind finally broke through the barriers of the nightmare, and everything in front of him disappeared in an instant.I opened my eyes, and it took me a while to adjust to the light and see where I was.

It was a very ornate bedroom, with gilded walls and a gleaming marble floor.The bed I was lying on was surrounded by four gold-plated Roman columns, and the dark red curtain was dragged down from the top. The sunlight from the translucent stained window penetrated it and filled it with a layer of warm red mist.

The room was quiet, as if I was the only one.Recalling the situation after getting drunk at the banquet, it was vague, and I vaguely remembered being helped back to the room by Ishkad.

I don't know if it has been exposed.I was scared for a while.

"Ishkard? Where are you?"

At the same time as I opened the curtain, Ishkad's tall figure approached the bed.The light pouring down from the colored windows was so radiant that I couldn't keep my eyes open for a while.I raised my head and squinted my eyes, propped myself up, and was about to take off the blanket and get out of bed, but I heard a hula, and the curtain was pulled shut abruptly.

"You...you put on your clothes." Ishkad's low voice came, obviously showing a bit of embarrassment.

That's when I realized I was half-naked, except for a humiliating gold-leaf crotch under the blanket.Obviously Ishkad helped me undress, and imagining how drunk I was last night, I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.I hurriedly put on my clothes and mask, and I walked out as if nothing had happened.

Ishkad was feeding Altaïr, the poor big guy was starving, and was devouring the cherries and grapes in the silver plate.

My heart skipped a beat, I quickly walked over and grabbed Altaïr's head: "Hey! You're not afraid of being poisonous, so just feed it to him?"

"Do you still need to remind me?" Ishkad glanced at me helplessly, and lit up a silver table knife in his cuff—he must have passed it off the banquet table.

"Choo-chuo--" Altaïr thumped dissatisfiedly in my hand, making a ridiculous rooster-like whine.This is a military raptor, making such a sound, is it worthy of its dignity?

I glared at it, and as soon as I let go, it stuck its head into the food plate like an ostrich, and I was dumbfounded.

"Altaïr was imprisoned for a few days, and the person who imprisoned him didn't give him food or drink, so he was so hungry." Facing such a ridiculous scene, Ishkad's face was gloomy.

"Who dares to do this to it?" I frowned, and a name immediately popped up in my head --- Yulyans.

"It must be that guy again..."

There was a surge of anger in my heart.

No wonder I haven't seen Altaïr in the past few days. I thought it entered the palace to check the environment, but I didn't expect it to fall into the hands of Yuriyans.Should I be glad that pervert didn't turn it into a dish?

Ishkad nodded, "It's Julyans. I think he got some information from Altaïr through some means, and knew our whereabouts in advance." He paused, "He must let You went to the appointment alone before you were willing to hand over something very important for His Majesty the King to control Armenia."

Appointment alone?My scalp was numb: "What?"

"A military talisman that can control Armenian troops." Ishkad looked out the window, closed the window tightly, and took out a small scroll from his belt, "This is the latest secret order sent by His Majesty's letter eagle. He asked us to communicate with Yuriyan Si privately contacted, tried to form an alliance with him, and got the military talisman."

I unroll the scroll.

It is not the commonly used Pahlavi language, but the ciphertext written in the neat and elegant ancient Persian cuneiform script.The handwriting is fading, and there is a king's seal on the lower right corner, which is deeply pressed, reminiscent of its heavy weight and His Majesty the King's gesture of crouching over the desk to review the memorial.On the night when I was approved to join the Ghost Legion, he personally put the Wang Ling on my palm.It was a supreme honor and an oath of loyalty.

But the same royal decree now makes us obey an enemy?

"Could it be possible that we still have to listen to Yuriyans to give orders?" I crumpled the roll of paper in my palm, unwilling and annoyed, "I don't want to face that pervert alone! You saw him too..."

I clenched my fists tightly, like a stick in my throat: "He possesses evil powers, so he is not a character to be trifled with!"

A dull ache in one leg seemed to remind me that Yulyans was waiting for me to fall into his trap.But even though I said it reluctantly, I knew that I had no way to escape, and getting the military talisman was a secret order from His Majesty the King.

"Tatu and Isos have sneaked into the palace, and they will watch over you in secret. Don't worry, I will also watch in the dark, and nothing will happen to you. Don't worry." Ishkad said calmly, embracing me back, and patted my arm.His eyes are always as firm as a rock, giving people the power to feel at ease.

But being hugged by him at this moment, I felt a little uncomfortable, and took a step back, deliberately ignoring the fleeting disappointment in Ishkad's eyes: "Understood."

dong dong dong-

There was a knock on the door.

tbc

Chapter 34 [XXXIV]

Perhaps because he was busy with political affairs, Constantius did not summon us during the day, but ordered his eunuch Obius to lead us to visit the imperial palace of Nuoda.

Through the introduction of Obius, I know that we are temporarily living in Daphne Palace. From my bedroom, through a long colonnade, I can lead to various places in the palace, including the arena, reception hall, banquet hall, royal baths and The main hall and other palaces extend in all directions, just like the old saying "all roads lead to Rome".

As proof of this statement, the walls of the palace display all kinds of plunder from every country Rome has ever set foot in.India, Egypt, Carthage, Gaul, Greece, Seleucid... Of course, there are also those from Persia, many of which I have seen in the scrolls that recorded ancient rare treasures drawn in the court.

Just like then, I am full of curiosity about these rare treasures, and I am eager to know the stories and legends hidden inside.In Persia, the Treasure Pavilion is not something that people of my status can enter casually, so visiting my father’s Treasure Pavilion has become a big hobby of mine.That place taught me to use Persian, which is my other mother.

As my eyes passed over them one by one, one of the Persian-style daggers welded into the hand of an angel caught my attention-it looked very similar to "Sun" and "Moon", but the top of the handle The gemstone is in the shape of a star, dazzling in the sunlight.

That may be the "Xingyao" among the three national treasures.

My heart skipped a beat, and I subconsciously stretched out my hand to touch the starstone, and glanced at Ishkad. His eyes made me more convinced of this.

If there is a chance, I must steal the glow of the stars back...

"That dagger is the 'Star of the Star' from Persia. It is a very ancient treasure. His Royal Highness seems to like it very much?" The voice of a strange man came through the moment I thought of it.

I looked around and saw a tall black-haired man in a green toga with a white background walking towards us from the other end of the corridor.

"Good morning, Lord Nairird." Obius leaned slightly.

Borrowing the overly dazzling sunlight, I squinted at the approaching person.His black hair was long and curly, and his skin was a light tan, obviously from the East.When he stepped into the sunlight and his face was illuminated, a very strange feeling surged in my heart.

This face has been stained with the vicissitudes of time, but through his outline, it is still easy to describe how handsome a man he was when he was young.His face is as sharp as a knife, and a pair of black eyes are like black pearls just picked out of shells, containing the calmness honed by time, and revealing a brilliance that has been weather-beaten.

This is not a simple person.

While I was secretly making judgments like this, I felt faintly in the back of my mind that this man seemed familiar, as if we had known each other for a long time and met here again.I tried my best to search for clues in my memory, but I couldn't catch any evidence.I did not know the man, nor could I possibly have known a Roman court official.

"Your Highness, if you like that dagger, I can ask St. Augustus for instructions, I think he will gladly give you such a beautiful guest. Sorry... forgot to introduce myself, my name is Narmid , is Your Majesty’s Minister of Dream Interpretation, I hope my recklessness did not offend you.”

Narmide approached with a polite smile, but I couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.

There was something about him about him that reminded me of my adoptive father.

"You are too enthusiastic, and I thank you for His Royal Highness." Ishkad responded.

Considering my identity, I only nodded to Narmide.He went straight to me and bowed back to me, "If you have any needs, you can come to me directly, and I will let you arrange everything as much as possible." He paused, " This is a gift that Augustus ordered me to bring to you, and I hope you will like it."

After speaking, he took out something from his belt. It was a pure gold earring inlaid with a rare malachite, which looked very expensive.Ishkad took it for me, but his other hand reached out to my waist and stuffed something into my belt.

"Your Highness, your eyes... are very similar to those of an old friend of mine."

When passing me by, Narmide suddenly said this.There was a strong melancholy in his tone, as if a damp wind was blowing by, causing a burst of unknown grief to suddenly surge in my heart.It's like my mother's sobbing mixed with the sound of the wind every time there was a thunderstorm when I was young, it made me involuntarily moved.

I stood there in a daze, until his footsteps went away, and I came back to my senses.

After Narmide left, I took out the mysterious gift in my waist and found that it was a Persian gold coin—that means he is a Persian and also our ally.

Ishkad noticed the gold coin in my hand, frowned, and winked at me.I understood the excuse to ask Ishkad to accompany me to the bathroom, but I didn't expect Obius to follow in.

Facing our vigilant eyes, Obius had a clear expression on his face, and confessed to us that he was Julyans' internal agent, and he was ordered by him to secretly hand over the news to us, and he was also the one who led me to see him at night.

Seeing that we don't trust him very much, Obius took the initiative to reveal a secret that shocked us all——the dream interpreter Narmide who "met" with us just now, his real identity is a rumor Prince Holzmir, who fled to Rome and whose whereabouts are unknown, is the elder brother of our current King.

When he finished speaking this sentence mysteriously, Ishkad had already strangled him by the neck, and I rushed out the door quickly, but Narmid had already disappeared without a trace.

"Your Highness... Please believe that I never deceived you. Please follow me, in case the walls have ears." Obius walked in front of us and motioned for us to follow him.

Following him, we passed a secluded colonnade, went down a stone staircase facing the sea, and came to a garden near the sea.This place is very quiet and secluded, and it seems that no one plays and lingers here, so the exquisite flower beds and fountains are covered with vines, the trees are lush, and the bushes are overgrown, like a tomb, but there is still no lack of vitality, and there are solitary and self-admiring, self-prospering everywhere. put flowers.

When I slowly entered the depths of its embrace, a cluster of red flowers caught my attention.It looked like the strange flower on Yulyans, so red that it was coquettish and bloodthirsty.I don't know what was driven by the idea, but I couldn't help but reached out and picked one of the flowers. When I bent down, I saw another cave behind the flowers.The gloomy tree shadows are heavily painted on a female statue cast in white stone.

In the mottled and hazy twilight, her graceful posture of half-kneeling and playing the harp is so lifelike and natural, embellished and dyed by magnificent red petals, just like Venus in the sunset, coming here to rest here.

I couldn't help but stop for it, and my gaze focused on her face through the shadow of the tree. When I saw her face clearly, my heart felt as if it had been hammered, and my breathing was stagnant.

The statue has a beautiful face that can stop the light and the wind in an instant.

———It actually looks like...Flavitz.

For a moment, I seemed to be back in the sea of ​​red flowers behind the temple.Flavius ​​played the harp and chanted Greek poetry in the twilight.The gentle sea breeze raised his white robe and blond hair, and butterflies and flower petals were attracted by his stunning appearance, dancing around him.And beside him, I was chasing the wind and catching butterflies wantonly, or lying quietly on his lap, listening to his singing like weeping piano and whispering chant like wind like dream.

Those were the happiest and most carefree years of my wandering half life.

Recalling it now, it seems to be just a dream in another life.

"Who is that statue...?"

I stared blankly at the statue and muttered, in a trance, almost unsteady on my feet.

"Ernise." Obius' voice came softly and lowly from behind, "She is the saint who guards the Temple of Vesta Goddess Vesta... the biological mother of His Majesty Julius."

With a trembling breath, I stared at the portrait's face: "Ulyans'... biological mother?"

Obius lowered his eyelids, a trace of complicated waves appeared on his mask-like face covered in powder and fat.He lowered his head slightly, as if he didn't want to look directly at the statue, and smiled: "Yes. She is beautiful, isn't she? There were many royal heirs who were obsessed with her, including the great former king Constantine the Great and his His younger brother Julius --- the father of His Majesty Julyans. It's a pity that the saint must stick to her virginity... until later..." He paused, and suddenly realized something, "Ah, how should I talk to you What about this? It’s really impolite.”

"His appearance..." I asked urgently, but was interrupted coldly by Ishkad: "I don't think that's why you brought us here?"

Ignoring Ishkad's obstruction, I grabbed Obius by the collar: "Tell me, does Yuriyans' face resemble that statue?"

I thought I could calmly accept the fact that Flaviz died, but to this day, I find that I am still sensitive to all his attachments, even if I know it is just speculation, I am not willing to let go of a little bit.

tbc

Chapter 35 [XXXV] lured into the bag

Ignoring Ishkad's obstruction, I grabbed Obius by the collar: "Tell me, does Yuriyans' face resemble that statue?"

I thought I could calmly accept the fact that Flaviz died, but to this day, I find that I am still sensitive to all his attachments, even if I know it is just speculation, I am not willing to let go of a little bit.

"You haven't finished talking about Narmide, please continue."

Ishkad grabbed my hand vigorously, pulled it away from Obius, and patted the dust for him.

Obius shook his head with a noncommittal smile, and answered irrelevant questions: "It is rumored that Prince Hozmir is dead, and that is just for safety. I think you all know that High Priest Shahrvi still has power left and intends to reach him. To die, he had no choice but to hide his name in Rome and serve Augustus for two consecutive generations. But his heart is still loyal to Persia, and he will try his best to assist you so that you can return to your motherland in the future in a legitimate way."

My adoptive father once told me what the High Priest of Shahrvi did.He was a well-known usurper of power in the previous dynasty. He once conspired with the dignitaries to intervene in the government. Several princes spent their childhood under their sway. It was not until His Majesty the King was 16 that he took back the power forcefully, triggering a civil strife. Hozmir is He escaped during that turmoil, but his adoptive father did not mention the specific reason for his escape.

I only know that Shahrvi was expelled from the court and disappeared among the people. It is said that a secret and dangerous organization was established to oppose the court and intend to establish a cult regime.But as to why he refused to let go of a prince who fled without real power like Hozmir, it was inconceivable.

"Do you have any evidence? You say you are from Yuriyans, how can you prove that you are worthy of our trust? Tell me, give me a reason so that I don't choose to silence you now."

Ishkad asked lightly, but there was a deadly threat in his tone.

Although his hands were still resting cautiously on his waist, the cuffs were slightly exposed.

I took a step closer to cover for Ishkad, while vigilantly observing the movement nearby.The hidden weapons we carry can kill people in the blink of an eye, and can corrode the corpse from the inside within the time of a small Cebal hourglass, turning it into a skeleton in just a moment, leaving no residue in the end.

It's not just intimidation.

There was a trace of fear in Obius' eyes: "If your highness meets His Majesty Yuriyans tonight, you will know the truth of my words. Back then, Prince Khozmir fled to his best friend, the King of Armenia, in order to protect He was considerate, and the king of Armenia sent the wolf army guarding the royal treasure to protect him and go to Rome."

I looked at Ishkad.I remember that I did read that this incident existed in the volumes recording the history of Persia, but the records about this Wolf Warrior Corps were vague.

"Go on." I ordered, tightening my grip on his neck.

"Wolf Warrior Corps, as the name suggests, the cavalry in that regiment use wolves as mounts, and all of them are brave and skilled barbarian warriors. Of the 500 pursuers, only ten were lost. Now that the talisman that can mobilize the legion is in the hands of His Majesty Yuriyans, I think it must be something that your Majesty the King needs to control Armenia."

My heart skipped a beat, and Ishkad looked at each other at the same time.It really is a military talisman...

"Why did Prince Hozmir assist Yuriyans and give him such an important thing?"

Ishkad's words expressed the doubts I had.

"Assist?" Obius raised his eyelids, and his gaze fell on the statue leisurely, his eyes sank in a kind of obsession like the fading twilight, "No...he is Yuri just like me Followers of Jans, we serve him. Just 11 years ago, on the night Julius came to the Hagia Sophia to accept the angel ceremony, Holzmir and I obtained the oracle of the sun god through divination. Yu Lyons is the king chosen by the gods, and will be an emperor who conquers the world. His appearance is like a god, but his language is like a demon, which is insanely seductive. At such a young age, his talent and learning surpassed him. Any of the godfathers of . . . "

He talked eloquently, and walked slowly into the patch of red flowers, his expression suddenly became crazy, he raised his arms, looked up at the sky like a troubadour, and whispered.

"'When Jupiter reaches the edge of noble Aquarius, when Saturn comes to the 25th star field of Virgo'1—that is the time when dynasties change, he ascends the throne, and the universe turns around."

I don't know if it was a sign from the sky, but when Obius finished speaking, the sky suddenly darkened.

The setting sun, like a golden ball falling from the hands of the God of Light, quickly sank into the clouds, as if it was about to sink into the sea in an instant.A sea breeze hit, blowing the bushes whirling.

My eyes cast through the shadows of the swaying trees to the sea.

There is only a blood-red halo at the junction of the sea and the sky, but it dyes the entire sea surface as gorgeous as the strange flowers surrounding the statue.Controlled by the invisible hand of Fengshen, Yunyi vaguely condenses into a shape of a python-like dragon with bat-like wings, just like the carvings on the mask of Yulyans.

My eyes widened in astonishment at the sight in front of me, and Ishkad was also dumbfounded.

"Soon...soon, that heralds the fall of Constantius II and the rise of a new emperor." Obius murmured looking at Yunyi, his voice blurred by Fengliu, "It's just His destiny with Rome is destined to be attracted by a foreign star...that star is his Achilles' heel."

He turned his face, and his gaze darted across my face, vaguely worried.

Achilles' heel 2?

I remembered the vague details of the legend, and my heart thumped inexplicably. I followed the direction he raised his hand and squinted to look far away. Sure enough, I saw a looming star in the dark part of the clouds. Surrounded by clouds, it seems to be a carefully guarded treasure.

As it fell below the surface of the sea, the vision in the clouds gradually disappeared.

When the night was slowly falling, an unusual movement suddenly came from not far away.

"Someone is coming." Obius warned nervously, Ishkad and I quickly hid in the shadow of the tree, but Obius also hid.I guess maybe it's because of some forbidden palace here.

A series of slow footsteps overlapped and slowly approached from far to near, and the faint light came out from the mottled tree shadows, setting off the tall and slender figure, and my heart speeded up suddenly.

With the rustling sound of passing through, a touch of crimson purple illuminated by candlelight peeled off from the dark night, revealing half a pale side face, as if a demon spirit had floated quietly.Yuriyans held a candle used in worship.

My chest was throbbing wildly, and I was vaguely aware of his purpose for coming here.

Sure enough, he walked towards the statue, knelt among the blood-red flowers, bent down deeply, placed the candle lamp in front of the statue, and murmured something in a low voice.It seems to be praying.

Obius doesn't seem to be deceiving me.He is worshiping that statue.

My eyes wandered between Yulyans' profile and the statue's face, and my breathing was short.

Ishkad noticed my strangeness and gently shook my wrist.His finger was wet, and I mistook it for a snake for a moment, and trembled like a frightened bird.

this fine