For the priests accustod to glory and splendor, this was quite a shock.
The hermit Naya clearly was not used to being disturbed, and on this solitary island, there was no place for guests to stay.
He casually pointed to a flat area of ground and said,
"You may rest here for tonight."
The priests looked at each other in dismay. There were no planks for beds, no bedding, not even straw to lie on to soften the ground and ward off the tornt of insects—a hardship almost unimaginable for those who enjoyed cleanliness and the dreams brought on by sweet-slling incense.
Just as they were about to say sothing, High Priest Ora and the blind priest swept a glance over them.
That look made the priests shudder, and they fell silent one by one.
The hermit snorted coldly; it seed that the High Priest was a clear-headed man.
Before coming to the solitary island, the hermit had seen too many high-ranking individuals, yet utterly foolish.
So, as dusk settled in, a group of priests made their makeshift lodgings for the night.
High Priest Ora commanded the accompanying priests to fetch the balasting straw from the boat and spread it on the ground, and they lay haphazardly on the coarse straw.
After a day of ups and downs, their hearts were restless, but they were also exhausted. Not long after nightfall, they all fell asleep.
Inside a distant wooden hut, a wood fire was burning.
Although most of the thick smoke from the burning dry wood billowed through the open window, the choking sll of smoke was still persistent.
In Ajia Land, so wealthy families and palaces might have a deep, wide pit called the "courtyard stove," used for cooking and heating.
Additionally, nobles used small stoves made of stone and clay placed by the bed or chair to keep warm.
But in this wooden hut, there was only a rough stone fire basin.
Antion sat on the ground, warming himself by the basin.
And the hermit Naya that everyone feared was now bowed slightly, as if in deep thought.
"Grandfather Naya, what are you thinking about?"
Antion asked flatly.
The hermit Naya slowly began,
"Antion... The great Kagawus led to be separated from the world, to co to this solitary island, and now has returning. For what purpose?"
At this mont, hermit Naya’s tone of inquiry was genuine; he seed nothing like Antion’s teacher.
Antion slowly lifted his head and spoke softly,
"Kagawus once whispered in my ear,
He has given a prophecy for the coming Golden Age."
"Grandfather Naya, everything we do will prove Kagawus’s prophecy."
Amidst the swirling smoke, the hermit sighed deeply,
"We are all creatures of prophecy,
fully aware we are within a prophecy, yet unable to see the end of our fates."
Antion asked softly,
"Are you hesitating, Grandfather Naya?"
The hermit smiled and shook his head,
"No, the Gods will rember my na. And my revered Kagawus favors , bringing you to this solitary island."
Antion smiled as well and nodded.
After a mont of contemplation, the hermit asked,
"Antion, do you know what I will encounter?"
Antion responded slowly,
"Kagawus told I should not tell you."
The hermit nodded in disappointnt, then bowed his head, placing one hand over the Eye of Prophecy, and the other over his heart in prayer.
Antion leaned in, laying his hand over the hermit’s.
It almost seed as if he were listening to the hermit’s prayer!
After a long while, Naya lifted his head, his aged eyes looking at Antion.
Had there been an Observer, they would have been astounded to find admiration and veneration in the hermit’s gaze.
And throughout the conversation, Antion had maintained a dominant position, with Naya’s tone reflecting utter respect.
Hermit Naya looked at the young man before him.
He knew the divine secret,
and that secret, in part, was his own speculation. After receiving Kagawus’s favor, the mysterious Prophetic God guided him to the solitary island, revealing divine visions to him.
In legend, the Hermit Naya was known for his reclusive and inscrutable nature, leading High Priest Ora to even suspect he was a prophet of Kagawus.
Little did they know that the chosen one of Kagawus was not Hermit Naya,
but the young man before them, Antion.
This youth had been selected by Kagawus, who had even bestowed upon him the na "Antion."
Hermit Naya knew that thousands of years ago, an elf nad Antion had rejected the selection of Kagawus.
And this na carried Kagawus’s past regrets.
Antion claid to be his disciple, but such words were rely to avoid revealing Antion’s true identity.
In fact, Hermit Naya had never taught Antion; it was Prophetic God Kagawus who had truly instructed him.
"Child of Prophecy."
Looking at the youth before him, Hermit Naya murmured to himself.
Thick smoke swirled inside the wooden hut, its pungent scent filling the air, while Antion rely stared at the flas before him, perhaps contemplating the direction of his destiny.
As the guardian of the Child of Prophecy, Naya had to leave the Solitary Island where he had lived for decades and return to Ajia Land to support the Great Temple against the Church.
.........
.........
Early the next day, when High Priest Ora opened his eyes, he was startled to find that Hermit Naya had already been standing not far from the sleeping priests, leaning on his wooden staff.
Ora was amazed to see that Hermit Naya appeared like a ghostly figure; he looked up at the sky, which had just shown the first light of dawn, yet Hermit Naya seed to have been waiting there for so ti.
"Let’s embark."
Looking at the awakened Ora, Hermit Naya spoke.
The High Priest naturally did not dare to delay; he hastily awoke the sleeping priests, instructing them to quickly pack up and set sail imdiately.
Not long afterward, as the sailors and captain on the ship hoisted the anchor, Naya stood on the deck, gazing fixedly at the isolated Solitary Island, watching it grow smaller and smaller in his view until it disappeared over the ocean’s horizon, yet he did not take his eyes off it.
Not far from the hermit, High Priest Ora and the blind priest stood with respectful deanor, more like servants ready to serve than priests worthy of adoration.
But Hermit Naya paid them no attention and sat directly below the mast, then silently ditated on the swaying ship.
As dusk fell, facing the ever-waiting Ora and the blind priest, the hermit slowly began to speak:
"You want to go to Ajia Land, for what purpose?"
Naya’s eyes were closed, maintaining the posture of ditation.
He clearly had little interest in the priests’ intentions.
Ora and the blind priest exchanged glances, and then High Priest Ora slowly said:
"Hermit, it’s because... there’s a place called New Rule Garden, which many also refer to as the Church."
"Oh?"
"It’s not a place of worship for Kagawus."
"Which god do they revere there?"
Hermit Naya asked.
After a mont of hesitation, the High Priest spoke softly:
"They believe they serve the creator, the Supre God."
The hermit, initially indifferent, slowly opened his eyes,
"This is... strange, aren’t only the elves who believe in that Divine?"
Ora moved forward slightly, whispering:
"Because... a man nad Noen, he has been regarded as a prophet by the Stone Slave people, so..."
"A prophet?"
The hermit bowed his head in thought,
"I have only heard of Prophet Al, a legendary figure from the ancient tis."
Then Naya asked further:
"Are you certain he is a true prophet, not a false one?"
Ora and the blind priest looked at each other again, and then slowly said:
"He should be... a true prophet. But he has now departed, yet his New Rule Garden continues to grow, even... leading to the abandonnt of many of Kagawus’s temples."
Hearing this, the hermit slowly stood up, facing the direction of Ajia Land, staring out over the vast ocean.
"Letting Kagawus’s temples fall into decay?"
The hermit’s gaze was profound,
"In that case, let that Church wait."
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