Pivot of the Sky

Chapter 41: A Divine Wager

Inanna leaned her voluptuous and tender body onto Amon and whispered in her mellow voice, Im not scared, with such a strong and handsome hunter by me But why did you choose to let them go? They tried to kill you. They dont deserve your mercy. An enemy pardoned is still an enemy.

Amon thought for a second and answered, Im not interested in killing, and I dont think there is any worth in doing it. They are not my enemy, but their own enemy. I chose to let them go because Im certain they will not give me more trouble in the future. A senior friend of mine once told me that if you choose to forgive, you should think it through carefully and prepare to bear all possible consequences for your choice. You should ask yourself if you are resolving hatred, or inviting greater harm upon yourself or on those you care for.

Inanna glanced at him, moonlight glistening in her eyes like the reflection of a lake. She tried to look for an answer in Amons face. Then she showed him a charming smile, Your senior friend is funny, and you are even funnier. A young handsome hunter, talking as if he is a god.

Really? Im talking like a god? Amon had never thought about this. After all, he had no idea how a god behaved. He soon lost himself in the quiet and beautiful rural scene as well as Inannas beautiful smiling face. Strolling happily with Amons arm in her embrace, Inanna stilled and observed the beautiful scenery, dropping the matter as if the conversation never began.

For a long while, Amon kept quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Inanna noticed the long silence and asked gently, Amon, are you angry with me? Ive brought too much trouble to you today.

Amon shook his head, Not at all. I am enjoying the stunning scenery. I dont want to break this quiet and nice ambience. Why would I be angry at you? Youve done nothing wrong. I was once ordered to be punished in front of my whole town, directly demanded a finger of mine be cut off. There was even an instruction from my Kingdom asking for my head. But I know Ive done nothing wrong. After all Ive been through, I have no reason to blame you for anything.

Inanna gaped at him, covering her open mouth with hands, Amon! You havent told me about your legendary experiences. Youre making me adore you even more! You should be my hero!

Time flew. Before they could talk more, they arrived at the grassland where Amon first met Inanna. Amon looked around and asked curiously, Where are your sheep and your cote? Maybe I should accompany you to your home.

Inanna untied the lamb and handed the lash to Amon, Keep this. Its the shepherds gift for you. My place is very close. You dont have to go with me. My lord wont be happy if he sees you. Thank you, handsome hunter! I wont forget you. Im looking forward to seeing you again! My poor lamb, come home with me!

She gathered her skirt and trotted away in the moonlight, disappearing behind a small hill. The lamb was not leashed, but it bounced away happily, trailing Inannas steps. Amon was startled at the lambs actions it did follow Inanna. Was it really the one she had lost?

Inanna ran to just outside of Amons Detection Eyes range. The lamb behind her had disappeared. She floated into the air and flew off towards the horizon just above the sweeping grassland.

At the edge of the grasslands, on top of a hill stood a tall old man. Inanna landed at not too far in front of him.

The two seemed to have arranged to meet there. Had Amon been there, he would have been shocked to find that the tall old man was the very same shepherd he met earlier on the farm outside Som.

Inanna smiled and spoke to him as soon as feet touched the ground, You lost, Enlil. That young hunter has fulfilled everything youve requested!

He was not captive to my beauty. He showed no greed, refusing to eat all of my pancakes, he did not ask for things he does not need. He refused to be lazy. He did not use anger to hurt other people. He showed to envy towards others who possessed more than him.

The shepherd cut off her speech scornfully, I dont doubt that. Look at the dress he bought you. Much more expensive and beautiful than what he bought for himself. But what amuses me is that you look so ridiculous in that dress!

Inanna didnt react to his taunting. She continued, He did not have the meaningless and ridiculous arrogance because of the power and wealth he had, unlike many other mortals.

The old shepherd nodded assuredly, You win. From now on, you can freely enter and leave my realm as you please. And you get Duc back. But what do all of these things mean to you?

Maybe it means something, maybe not. But I have to try. Enlil the almighty god, has it ever crossed your mind that you could lose to me one day?

The shepherd sneered, In the flow of endless time, you are bound to find one like him. Im just a little curious. How did you find this man so quickly? That boy bought a lamb with two silver coins and put in no effort to bargain.

Inanna laughed out loud. Her laughter was as clear as bells ringing. Its simple. Hes a Ducian. He might still be laughing at you for selling it so cheap! Oh, god Enlil. Almighty as you are, you still cant see through all of the myriad living things. I may have lost my herd, but Ive just found a lost little lamb.

Enlil changed his countenance, No wonder he had the strength to defeat those two men, being a fifth-level sorcerer. It was the technique of Duc. There are still Ducians alive! And you just happened to find one that fulfils my demands?!

Inanna couldnt be happier, Yes! Just before you launched that furious flood, a boy was thrust into a forced exile. Its said that he had tributed a Gods Tear to Isis. But it was not his fault! Ive made quite an effort to find him.

When the Ducians return to the land of Duc, I will still have it as my realm.

Mourrin, you celebrate too early. Nothing is certain in the unknown future, just think of the difficulties you will face.

What would Amon think, if he heard this dialogue? Inanna called the shepherd Enlil the almighty god, and the shepherd in returned called her Mourrin! That was why Amon found her to look familiar. He had seen Mourrins statue in the shrine countless times. However, he failed to connect the solemn statue to the sweet and lovely shepherdess.

Inanna replied, I laugh because Ive seen the almighty god Enlil lose control in a game. Dont forget the bet between us. If ever there was a man, who wasnt enchanted by my beauty and did not finish my cake, who came to you, asking to redeem what I have lost, fairly and faithfully, and agreed to the price you gave without a bargain, then I win. If he has even satisfied all the other demands, you will not hurt one more Ducian.

Enlil revealed a scornful smile again, Hes just a fifth-level sorcerer. He should venture to take care of himself, loitering about on this continent full of evil. As for this land, you cannot foresee its future.

You dont need to care so much about this boy, replied Inanna, It is I who won the bet. Dont forget that there are other Ducians alive. You cant stop them from returning to their homeland.

Enlil nodded indifferently. I wont stop them. But you cant help them either. That sorcerer has already helped you win the bet. Are you just going to let him go?

Inanna smiled again, He is handsome and funny. Im interested in him.

Enlil sighed, Another poor man falls into your hands. I mourn for his coming miserable life!

Inannas laughter stopped. Her face flashed a glint of anger,

Enlil, you cross the line!

Enlil ignored her rage and spoke dryly,

What man that you have loved has ever experienced a good life? It has nothing to do with me. Its your problem. But dont forget, you cannot use divine power when you leave my realm this time. And theres Humbaba waiting for you in the Euphrate river. What do you plan to do?

Inanna humphed angrily, If you send orders for Humbaba to stop me, I will use my divine power.

Enlil shook his head, Humbaba is not going to attack you. He still wants his heads intact. But his descendants live in the River too. Hopefully, young Amon wont be the fastest to meet his tragic fate amongst all the men you have fallen in love with! Hmm, he might have already met it a while ago, had he not those little tricks to save his skin.

Amon didnt know that Inanna was Goddess Mourrin, Patroness of Duc, nor did he know about the bet between both gods, which he had inadvertently helped her to win. More interestingly, although Amon was only a fourth-level sorcerer, Enlil and Mourrin took him as a fifth-level sorcerer.

Amon watched Inanna disappear behind the hill. He cast Detection Eyes to scan around. After he was sure that nobody was following him, he began to walk towards the Euphrate River. According to his original plan, he was to cross the river, then promptly head east.

Metatro had told Amon that in order to go to Bablon City, he first had to cross the Euphrate River. But he must not cross the river at night, because there were crocodiles and more ferocious monsters dwelling in the river. The monsters were said to be the offspring of Humbaba, the Patron of the Euphrate River. They only came out at night. Therefore, one should never swim across the river, however strong he was. The only choice was to take a ferry at noon.

Amon didnt need to swim. His bone could transform into a big boat. But after what happened in Som, it was no longer an option for him to use the bone. Considering the kind of trouble that a single parangon could cause, a rarer and more precious sacred bone would only bring more inconvenience.

The moon was bright. Standing on the bank of the river, Amon could vaguely see the villages and fields on the other side. It was unwise to think that no one would notice him if he expanded the bone and crossed the river right now. A mage could tell by sight that someone was performing magic with magic artefacts, not to mention the monsters hidden in the river.

Unfortunately for Amon, it was even riskier to use the boat in the day. Instead, Amon decided to walk along the river to find a ferry. After all, he was in no hurry. He could afford to get a good nights rest if needed. It had been a long day for him.

Walking through the sparsely grassed riverside mudflat, Amon stopped at a hollow between two mounds. He remembered that it was time he made some food for Schrodinger. The cat seemed to have had a really good nap. It made no noise despite the many trials that happened today.

Amon sat down and relieved his shoulder of his big bag. He was about to scoop Schrodinger out when the cat just hiccuped and showed its face lazily, permeating the heavy scent of alcohol. It stretched its limbs and shook its hair, loosening itself up after a good sleep. One of the two bottles of wine that Amon had bought in Som was already emptied.

Amon smiled, So you keep a bottle of wine untouched, Schrodinger. Is it for me or for yourself tomorrow?

Schrodinger had been ignoring him in the past year, but it had been Amons habit to talk to the cat. To his surprise, the cat responded. It reached out its paw and started writing on the muddy ground. Amon was taken aback. He stood up hurriedly to see what the cat had written. By the moonlight, he saw a long phrase

Dont try to look for me. I will come to you. Beware of that woman. Dont let her see the bone. Never make her angry. Never [] her, or you will be in big trouble!

Amon was startled, What do you mean? You dont want me to look for you? Are you going to leave? Who is that woman? You mean Inanna?

Schrodinger provided no answer. It erased the phrase with its little paws, then turned around and scaled the mound, disappearing into the tall grass. It was not easy to look for a cat at night. To make things worse, Amon couldnt sense Schrodinger with Detection Eyes. He couldnt tell where it was once he lost sight of the cat.

It was impossible for Amon to understand Schrodinger most of the time, with what little knowledge he had of it. Since it said that it would return later, there was no use for Amon to worry. Schrodinger also warned him of Inanna. Though Amon could deduce that she was not an ordinary shepherdess, he could not imagine what else she was hiding from him.

In the last sentence that Schrodinger wrote, there was a space between never and her. There must be a verb missing in the sentence. Amon had no idea what it should be. There were too many possibilities. But given her and Amons age, and the day and night they spent together, the most likely options were obvious. Schrodinger had also said to never make her angry, cautioning Amon not to offend this woman. Then it ran away without any explanation.

Amon thought hard. In the end, he decided to listen to the cat, since it was usually right and because he trusted it to get him this far. Another question came to his mind: was Schrodinger saying that he would meet Inanna again?

It was a waste of time to ponder a question he couldnt answer, or at least not now. Amon shook his head and threw it to a corner in his mind. He cleaned his hair, wiped his body and his old clothes with water magic, then put on the newly purchased flax suit and the cloth shoes gifted to him. The shoes were comfortable. Amon felt gratitude to Inanna for asking for this pair of shoes for him.

Amon stored his old clothes and the other set of flax clothes in the bigger bag, right over the bone. This piece of sacred artefact from the Isis Shrine couldnt be sensed by Detection Eyes. As long as Amon left it in the bag, no one would know it. In its nature, Schrodinger was the same as the bone. Even the greatest mage would not know that there used to be a cat in his bag.

It had become his habit to meditate at night. It not only helped him recover his stamina and energy, but it also brought peace to his mind. In this deep serenity, Amon would always test his magic power, though not by casting specific magics but by extending his spirit to the outside, sensing and communicating with the surrounding world as he had learned at the very beginning.

In the tender moonlight, a dim perturbation resounded deep in his serene spiritual world. Perhaps perturbation was not the precise word. It was the feeling of a budding new power. For the first time, he could see his mind, his body as well as the moonlight, the river, and the grassland.

But he was not looking with his eyes. It was a response. The power inside him was resonating with a cognate that existed in everything, too feeble to notice, too large to perceive. It was the very source of magic power that mages use to cast magic spells. Only by understanding its nature could a mage begin to comprehend the essence of magic itself.

According to Bair, it was a state that only a fifth-level mage could reach!

But Amon was just a fourth-level sorcerer! Perplexed, he opened his eyes, sinking into thought with knitted brows. He couldnt remember feeling the coming of the test, let alone its passing. He knew that he was at the fourth level of body arts and magic, and the next test should be the devils temptation.

There was not much information concerning this test in Bairs notes. It wasnt mentioned what the devil was and what kind of temptation would appear. CrazyOles message was vague about it as well. It only said that to pass the test, one had to go through many trials to find himself again. Amon wondered if he had made a mistake, that he had been obsessed with just an illusion during meditation. Then he realized that the quickest way to prove it was to try with his magic power.

Sitting on the ground, he picked up his staff and waved it. The view around him remained unchanged in his eyes. But if a person watched Amon from afar, he would notice that the moonlight between the mounds suddenly disappeared, leaving a dark shadow as if the area was engulfed by the dusk. It was the Hide spell. Amon had blocked out light, sound and other information around him from diffusing to the outside. Only a fifth-level mage could perform this type of magic. Now Amon had just cast it with the help of his staff.

Amon maintained the magic. He sharply caught a subtle change in the environment. The intangible power that was everywhere in the world was oscillating. He soon realised that channelling such magic consumes a lot of magic power. How could he make this effect sustainable? There must be a way

He took out five parangons, placed them around him and activated them one by one. Remaining seated, he felt like a drop of water that had merged into an ocean, flowing adrift, echoing with the vast, ubiquitous being that he discovered. After a long time of exploration, he found the correct way to connect it via the five parangons, establishing a stable state of resonation with this force of nature.

Now, if watched from afar, the shadow would have disappeared. The hollow between the mounds was still in the bright moonlight, but Amon was no longer present. He had successfully distorted and altered the space around him, creating a small area that only belonged to himself without consuming his own magic power. As long as the parangons were activated in this specific order, he could hide in this area for a long time.

The joy of success only made him more perplexed. There was a better way to check his level. He could just remove the Terroculus and try to read the next message from CrazyOle. It would be available when he ascends to the next level, and should now be accessible. So he took it out and activated it. As he had expected, he heard CrazyOles voice once again Hahaha, Amon, youve finally become a fifth-level sorcerer. You passed the devils temptation. I dont know if I should express my congratulations or my sympathy and solicitude. You must have experienced a lot and braved some hardships in this mundane world. The test could vary from the simplest to the hardest among all. Things may have already happened before you were aware of them. Looking back, you can well realise the whole process, but no one could ever tell you clearly in advance, because no one can experience what you experience, including me

In the next part of the message, CrazyOle explained to Amon the way he dealt with magic power would change in the second stage of magic practice. The elemental magic that Amon started to learn from the first level was a rudimentary method to manipulate the magic force that floated in nature. However, a primary practitioner wouldnt fully understand the essence of the force and make use of it.

Once a magic practitioner attained a better understanding of this force, he could manipulate it more artfully. What CrazyOle showed him was not the way to practice magic but the principles of the different ways to apply the magic. The last part of the message was something that Amon had never been exposed to. It was knowledge dealing with magic formations.

A magic formation was not an accomplishment. It was an abstruse way to combine multiple forces to achieve a specific effect, a special arrangement that can conduct the forces of nature in accordance with a certain rule. A significant part of the formations was created to build a particular environment to help mages learn or practice. For example, CrazyOle built the cold spring outside of town to assist Amon.

So far, CrazyOle had taught Amon everything that a mage could practice!

There was the making of scrolls, staffs and other magic artefacts, the building of magic formations, methods to practice every type of magic and how to use them. Even the most powerful supreme mage was not proficient in every type of magic. One must learn to choose his own particular path and set of skills.

CrazyOle was a versatile sorcerer. He was not highly adept in every field of magic, but having spent decades across the continent collecting and arranging voluminous literature, he left Amon a veritable encyclopedia of magic, hoping for him to become not only a supreme mage but also an erudite of magic, a great artificer and formationist.