Celestial Kingdom.
Dragon God Endora gazed upon the distant Mortal World.
She seed to have seen sothing, shook her head, and then spread her wings, leaping to the door of the Prophetic God Kagawus’s Temple.
"Endora?"
Kagawus happened to be behind the Temple, questioning with curiosity.
"Kagawus, Baird is about to awaken his beloved."
Dragon God Endora spoke slowly, her breaths heavy.
"Baird?"
Kagawus paused, montarily startled, then rembered the Hero who had shone brightly in several great wars,
"That mortal Hero?"
Afterward, Kagawus couldn’t help but recall the Divine being who had committed a heinous cri.
The God of Lies and Deceit, Slaier.
Endora looked at Kagawus, saying solemnly,
"I know you’re thinking of who, Kagawus.
You’re thinking of your forr Subordinate God, your once beloved Slaier.
And I have rembered Him too."
Kagawus’s voice beca anxious,
"What’s the matter, Endora?!"
Endora let out a cold laugh, continuing,
"Have you forgotten, Kagawus?
Slaier made set three wagers with Baird.
Once Baird accomplishes them, I would bestow upon him sothing he has never had before."
Kagawus strode forward quickly,
"I rember, Endora."
Dragon God Endora pointed towards the distant lands, enunciating each word,
"At that ti, I didn’t tell you, in truth, I didn’t know what I should grant Baird."
Kagawus stood stunned for a mont.
Endora went on,
"I asked Slaier, and He told He had his own plans, that there was no need to worry for now.
But now, He has fallen, long dead, and Baird has acquired the Heavenly Descending Gem and is about to fulfill his wager.
Kagawus, Slaier was once your Subordinate God, do you... do you truly know if He had any arrangents?"
Dragon God Endora was almost grinding her teeth.
Endora, who revered the strong, was naturally proud. She would never make a wager with mortals, not even with Baird, if not for the promise of a Golden Age.
Originally, her wager with Baird was entirely Slaier’s scheming, but now Slaier had fallen, and Baird was on the cusp of fulfilling the wager. Such a predicant left Endora at a loss.
Honor, love, wealth... the Hero nearly had it all; Endora didn’t know what he had never possessed.
Except for...
Thinking of sothing, Endora challenged Kagawus with a sneer,
"Perhaps to let him ascend to the Celestial Kingdom, to beco one amongst the Divine?"
Kagawus shook his head,
"That is utterly impossible."
Endora still sneered,
"Then what am I to do, break the wager and let my dignity be trampled upon completely? To let the Oath God despise ?"
Kagawus lowered his head, muttering,
"Slaier... His plots were always ticulous, never so simplistic."
Then, the Prophetic God fell into deep thought, remaining silent as if recalling sothing.
It was unknown how much ti had passed when Endora, growing impatient, watched.
Kagawus suddenly looked up, having rembered sothing,
"The gemstone! That Heavenly Descending Gem!
And... and the beloved of Baird..."
Within the majestic and mysterious Temple,
Kagawus gradually had realized Slaier’s plans.
Baird led the packhorse across the expansive wilderness. He had crossed countless streams and climbed over imposing mountains, finally arriving at a small city-state within Ajia Land.
The packhorse pulled a heavy bag filled with gold, silver, and jewels that Baird had accumulated over years of campaigning. Baird lifted his face to gaze at the modest gate of the city-state; at that mont, his emotions were indescribable.
Was it excitent? Ecstasy? Or perhaps release?
The packhorse neighed with thirst; it had traversed too many roads. Before reaching the city-state, it had crossed a deserted desert, accompanying Baird all the way back to the nurturing rivers of Ajia.
Baird patted the packhorse’s head, motioning for it to quiet down, but the beast was too thirsty, neighing incessantly. Baird then took a waterskin from the bag and fed it to the packhorse.
The packhorse drank from the waterskin with large gulps, its thick throat rolling with each swallow.
"My dearest."
Baird looked ahead at the city gates and murmured.
Over the past twenty years or so, almost every generation of companions knew of Baird’s quest for the Heavenly Descending Gem for his beloved.
However, Baird never ntioned the na of his beloved.
And his companions, either out of respect or because they had inquired but received no definitive answer, never pressed the issue.
Baird led the packhorse into the city-state. His large and robust stature caught the attention of the guards stationed at the gate, who stepped forward to intercept him.
"Who are you?"
The guard scrutinized Baird from head to toe, noticing the Dragon Skin on his back, which suddenly reminded him of sothing.
"Baird."
Baird replied.
The guard was taken aback for a mont, muttering twice in surprise, then suddenly recalling sothing.
"Are you the Baird from the poems? The Baird clad in Dragon Skin!"
Baird smiled warmly and nodded.
The guard quickly stepped aside to clear the way. Had he not been assigned to guard the gate that day, he would have invited this hero for a mug of barley wine or to hear his tales of war.
As Baird’s figure gradually disappeared from the guard’s view, the guard bit his lip, eventually picking up his spear and following Baird from a distance.
The guard temporarily abandoned his duties,
After all, who wouldn’t admire such a hero among heroes?
Baird entered the city gates, taking in the long-missed air, then fixed his gaze on the path ahead, confidently seeking out his beloved’s residence.
He caressed the Stone Box in his arms, his thoughts stirring slowly.
Baird had not opened the Stone Box during the journey; he was afraid of being bewitched by the gem’s radiance.
This gemstone was only for his cursed beloved, and only a treasure without equal could wake her from her slumber.
Baird turned left and right, finally halting in front of a courtyard.
Around the courtyard, there were so colonnades, adorned with exquisite reliefs and paintings depicting ancient myths, all covered in dust.
Weeds proliferated randomly along the streets, birds fell dead from the dry branches of olive trees, rotting and stinking on the ground as ants struggled to dismber them.
Baird pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped inside nonchalantly.
An elderly man with kind eyes sat on the stone chair, becoming excited at the sight of Baird and attempting to stand up.
"Your legs aren’t steady; please stay seated!"
Baird spoke affectionately, quickly moving forward to assist the elder.
The old man smiled, nodded, and looked joyfully at his son-in-law.
A maid was leaning against the wall; she widened her eyes in surprise at the sight of Baird, just as she was about to say sothing...
Baird made a shushing gesture; he knew his mother-in-law was still resting at this ti.
A breeze blew, lifting dead leaves. The maid nodded repeatedly and then hurriedly pointed towards the depths of the courtyard.
"I know, I know."
Baird nodded slightly, understanding the maid’s gesture.
Not far away, the guard approached cautiously, having witnessed Baird entering a courtyard.
He rembered this place had been neglected for a long ti.
At the courtyard gate, dust accumulated, with dead branches and leaves scattered on the ground, the ants still breaking down a carcass.
The guard edged closer, peeking inside.
His eyes widened with horror.
On the stone chair, against the wall, within the entire courtyard, there were only two dried-up mummies, rigidly maintaining their final living postures!
anwhile, Baird acted as if nothing were amiss; he shared his journey’s events, his voice gentle and even. Here was a hero expressing all his tenderness, conversing and laughing with two mummified corpses...
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