She received the gift of God [Greek mythology]

The Temple of Artemis is at the southernmost tip of the Faraday.

The horses and chariots of the guard of honor cannot go fast.Therefore, in order to reach the temple before moonrise, they had to start after noon.

The woman who served as the high priest of Artemis stood in the front carriage, and the waiters behind her held the fabric and box for offering.The other priests followed closely behind, and after many people in the temple, the girls who were about to perform the dance were riding in the bullock cart.They are dressed in pure white robes and crowns of green cypress leaves--that is the sacred tree favored by the goddess of hunting.

Pandora and Faol were mixed among the vast crowd of onlookers, following the guard of honor through fertile fields and hills, heading towards the edge of the island.

"Let me know when you're tired from walking, and I can carry you on your back." Fao was a little worried.

Pandora shook her head: "I like to walk. However, I have never been to the southern end of Ilysion."

"I seldom go there either. The south coast is full of cliffs, and it's easy to fall off. And the temples of Olympus gods are built on the high places there, and there is no one except those who are responsible for cleaning and offering sacrifices." Dare to disturb."

She originally wanted to ask Hermes if there was a formal temple there, but she didn't ask in the end.

Even if there was, anyway, he never took her there.

She also knew that this idea was unreasonable, so she let it go after thinking about it for a while.Besides, she promised never to doubt Hermes, not to explain to her, not to take her there, he must have his reasons, so forget it.Asking more may violate taboos, so there is no need.

Seeing that Pandora was a little distracted again, Fao pursed his lips and snorted.

She smiled: "If I think about other things, you will be unhappy. You like me that much?"

The tall, blond young man blushed, looked around shyly: "Shh, keep your voice down... you'll be heard." As soon as he did this kind of action, he was still a mischievous and easily excitable boy, and he completely forgot about other residents watching. don't see them.

Pandora stopped teasing him.

The lies and deception planted in her chest were not false.She couldn't say exactly when she started changing, but there was no doubt that she was different now than she was a few days ago.Not only Faol, but the Le aborigines are interesting riddles in her eyes. As long as she concentrates, even if she can't fully understand them, she will definitely find a way to solve them.

After a long silence, Faol suddenly whispered: "You are right."

Pandora froze for a moment before realizing that he was answering her teasing just now.

"But do you know who I am?"

She doesn't know the answer either.

Faol shrugged: "I don't know, but I know you don't know either, but I don't care." After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked: "If you want to know, I can go and find out. The old man must know."

The old man will only refer to the mysterious old man, the owner of Hexin Garden.

"No, that's not good. If they want me to know what will happen to me after I leave here, I will know." Pandora shook her head firmly, but a melancholy smile crept onto her eyebrows. "That's dangerous for you."

Faol lowered his gaze and didn't mention it again.

But Pandora knew that he would go to inquire about the news she cared about later.And even if he was questioned because of this, he would leave her clean.Even Hermes couldn't catch her "doubting" him.

Weird pain clenched his chest.She didn't escape, savoring the emotion called guilt carefully.Not if she had the courage to ask Hermes directly.As she learned to lead others with lies without changing her face, she also lost her original ability to speak every question that popped into her head.

But back then she didn't have that many questions she wanted answered.

So, she wants to treat Faol better.

Thinking of this, Pandora pulled her hand out of the young man's.When he turned to look at her in surprise, she imitated other men and women walking together, took his arm, and leaned her body slightly closer without saying a word.

Faol's ears were red again.

She also bowed her head.There is no other reason, but she just thinks she should do this at this moment.

Faol is very familiar with all the places in the Elysium, and he introduced it all the way. Before Pandora felt tired, the magnificent group of temples appeared in the field of vision.

Ilythion is always sunny, but today's weather is especially good.Half of the roof tiles on the rolling hills melted in the orange-red sunset, and the other half became a large solemn silhouette in the blue-purple shadow.And the clean Moon Chariot has already boarded the sky, shining coldly.

"It's a bit like Olympus."

Faol was stunned when he heard the words: "Have you ever been to Olympos?"

Pandora wanted to smile.Strictly speaking, she was born in Olympus.But she dared not claim that.Moreover, a certain envoy flew too fast, and now she only left a rough outline of the residence of the gods: covered with white snow, and a magnificent palace touching the clouds.

"Looked at it from a distance."

Nor is it a lie.

The guard of honor and spectators climbed the long stone ramp until they came outside the walls of the Temple of Artemis.

Only then did Pandora know that only women could be the audience of the Maiden's Dance in the square square in front of the temple.Men can only be an audience outside the wall.Although Faol was a bit reluctant, he still let Pandora go alone.

"We'll meet again after it's over." When Faol said this, the girls in the guard of honor happened to line up and walk inside the wall.Pandora looked at their snow-white skirts raised with brisk steps, and suddenly said: "They are so beautiful."

Faol gave her a strange look, hesitant to speak, as if he was too shy to speak.

Pandora smiled at him, joining the flow of other female residents walking inward.

In the middle of the square stands a tall stone statue of Artemis. The goddess looks like a girl with a bow and arrows on her back, accompanied by a golden deer.

Pandora remembered that Hermes mentioned that every statue of a god can be regarded as the incarnation of a god.Coming to the statue is equivalent to meeting the goddess face to face.Neither Artemis nor Apollo, the siblings were not involved in the birth of Pandora.But she still lowered her eyes respectfully.

While the spectators poured into the corridor on the edge of the square, on the open-air altar covered by the main hall, the ceremony had already begun.

Fragrance and mist linger, and the sound of music is endless.The residents of Ilysion couldn't see Pandora, and she didn't want to squeeze to the front, but stood far away in the corner of the corridor.

When the moon rose to a sacred position in the sky, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

The crisp tambourine sounded overlappingly, and the girls in white held cedar branches, formed a circle arm in arm, and began to dance around the statue of Artemis.

There is no accompaniment, only the rustling of bare|bare soles lightly grazing the fine sand.

The mercury-like moonlight shrouded the goddess's courtyard, and the flying skirt seemed to be shining.

Pandora's breath stagnates.It's not as if, it's really shining!

The dancing girls are shining.

Selene's moon car boarded the sky, and the night fell completely.And the same cool white color emanating from the outstretched slender arms stained her vision.The skins of the residents of Elysion standing in front of her were also glowing with a translucent white light. They were all silent, obviously motionless in place, but from time to time they gave disturbing double shadows.It's as if their bodies are just a thin layer of cocoon, and something will break through the shackles at any time and return to its original shape.

Pandora trembled.For the first time, she felt personally that the residents of Zhifu Leyuan looked the same as her under the light of the sun, but in fact they were all dead people who had long left the world.

It is not a living mortal body that lives here in peace day after day, but a soul approved by God.

She understood at last why the nights in Ilythion were so still, why the hill where she lived was far from all the villages, and why Hermes told her not to wander about until daybreak.

The girl's dance continues.

But Pandora has completely lost the mood to watch.She wanted to escape, but was afraid that the night would strip her of her hidden magic, and be noticed by the silent inhabitants instead.She could only stand stiffly where she was, pretending that she too was a member of the glowing crowd.

When the tambourine sounded again, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The women crowded under the porches poured into the square and began to dance too.Pandora completely retreated into the shadow of the stone pillar, looked around, looking for a way to leave the temple quietly.Faol was different from the other inhabitants, and he might still be found.The thought just passed by.Pandora couldn't help thinking, what if Faol becomes like everyone else, what if...

A string of melodious and soft notes slid past my ears.

It's a lyre.

Pandora turned around following the sound.Deep in the corridor, a closed door faced her silently.She took two steps closer carefully and listened attentively.The piano sounded again, as if responding to her hesitation.

She went to the door at once.

But the door was locked.A solitary keyhole is like an empty eye.

The dancing in the square was still going on, because of the large number of people, it seemed a little frantic.She did not want to go back to the square.

Pandora slowly leaned over, boldly touched it, and peeked into the keyhole.

She was sucked in instantly.

Dizzy, after standing still, Pandora found herself standing inside a strange palace.There was no light on, it was pitch black, and she couldn't see what the inside of the hall looked like, only the metal and precious stones exuded an almost imperceptible faint light.Looking back, the small door she passed through was gone, only two closed copper doors, the keyholes without keys were wide open.

The lyre that had lured her through the keyhole sounded again.From the depths of the temple.

Pandora was as calm as possible, stroked the double snakes on the buckle of the golden belt, and summoned up her courage to chase the sound of the piano in the dark.

But it didn't take long for the sound of the piano to stop.

The surroundings fell into a fog-like silence, her throat tightened, and she stopped to look back.Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and she could just make out the outlines of stone pillars and statues.She should still be in the temple group, but she didn't know which god's territory she had strayed into.God is not kind to intruding strangers.Shouldn't she beg forgiveness immediately?

"The master of the temple, the great god, please forgive me. I didn't mean to break in... I got lost... Please guide me in the direction to leave."

Pandora waited for a moment.The dead air surrounding her became even colder and more gloomy. If there was a god paying attention here, her prayers obviously did not please him.

The sound of the piano just now came from the depths of the hall.She can't go back the same way, she can only go forward.

Extremely nervous, Pandora's senses also became confused.She misheard her own footsteps as trailing footsteps several times, but dared not stop.If she walked too fast, she was afraid of disturbing the hidden things in the dark; if she walked too slowly, she would feel prying eyes lingering on her back, waiting for her to show her timidity and stop, and they would pounce on her mercilessly.

It was fear that had driven her from the square, and it was another fear that now teased her slowly.Fear of the unknown.

After walking into a dark corridor, even the glow of gemstones flickering like phosphorescent fire disappeared.Pandora couldn't see anything, so she could only walk slowly to the side of the wall, groping forward.

Her fingertips suddenly felt empty.

Before she could withdraw her hand, the monster hiding on the wall opened its mouth and swallowed her from fingertips to wrist.

Pandora screamed, trembling all over.

The severe pain did not strike.

She moved her wrist, and the cold hard object rolled over her skin, it was lifeless, it was a stone.She withdrew her hand slowly, unharmed.She probably accidentally stuffed her hand into the niche shaped like a beast's mouth.

It was a false alarm, but Pandora's legs were a little weak.She didn't want to go any further.A name is on the tip of the tongue.If she called for help, she believed he would find her.but……

She bit her lip stubbornly.

She just didn't want to ask him for help.The sun had already set for a long time. If he really cared about her safety, he must have discovered that she hadn't returned to the hut long ago, and he should have come to find her long ago.But he was busy meeting Heber today.They are all gods who live on the top of the snowy peaks of Olympus, what is she.Knew it would be like this.She thought that by focusing on Faol, she could stop thinking about him for a while.It's all because of that dream.

Pandora didn't know if this feeling was love, but it humiliated her.

It's better not to.If she can't get out, then let her rot here.She thought aggrievedly.For the first time, intense and complex emotions ignited in her body, and she was quickly overwhelmed, and simply sat down on the cold ground with her knees wrapped around her.Only hot tears fell down, one after another.

The sigh-like sound of the piano floated suddenly.

Pandora raised her head in a daze, a window opened somewhere, and the moonlight leaked into the long corridor.

The faint light reveals the patterns on the cold stone floor tiles: two snakes intertwined, with their heads facing each other.Her heart skipped a beat, she stood up trembling, and wiped her tears with her backhand.Strangely enough, the tears wiped more and more.She ignored it and quickened her pace, almost running towards the source of the light.

Walking through a long and narrow corridor and pushing open another door, Pandora was suddenly bathed in bright moonlight.

The sound of the waves hitting the rocks and the damp wind blowing against your face.

The last door of the hall is the cliff facing the wide ocean.

The water surface is black, only the undulating waves hold the moonlight and sparkle.

And Hermes sat sideways on the rock at the top of the cliff.He was holding the lyre in his arms, and he was plucking the strings with his fingertips casually.In the middle of the phrase, he stopped abruptly and looked sideways, his dark green eyes flickering against the light.There was nothing unusual in his tone:

"Even I dare not go directly to the temple of Artemis and steal you away."

This is the explanation for the incredible magic of the keyhole.

Then, he smiled lightly, as if he didn't see her tear-stained face, and asked casually, "Did you have a good time?"