Ishual slowly lowered his hand, palm down, and smiled when the red sun continued its movement and plunged into the mountains. The sky was dark flames gradually from orange to purple, violet to purple, to acquire the deep black tone of the night. One by one the stars were appearing.
The song rose to them and blinked in astonishment, a monotonous sound, serious, issued by a million throats singing for him, raising their voices to the sky in tribute to their king. His smile widened. Every day felt the same: the tension to stare at the red ball, the relief that, once again, obeyed his orders, the euphoria soaking his body at the sound of the hymn of praise. Daily
felt the same, but that day, as everyone was as if I was the first time.
The stars looked and bowed before him. And then it was them, his subjects, who knelt on the cobblestones of the square while singing. Ishual was about to shout for joy.
The same impulse to scream I felt when I made the trees that lined the wide avenue flourished, its intense aroma, sweet and spicy at the same time, filling the night and impregnating his clothes and hair. It also caused him chills, even when the buds became branches felt the irrepressible urge to sing for joy. Always, day day. Always like the first time. Always.
Power.
"Oh, Ishual, God incarnate, who came to us to reward our faith ...
the high priest's voice singing the invocation of the night echoed in the warm air of the plaza, in the sudden silence of the faithful who gathered at the feet of their king. There arose a gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the trees, the light clothing of thousands of men kneeling, long hair and thin Ishual.
-... and dwell with Your people, and we bendecís on behalf of Forth, Laima, of Havelya ...
A sudden chill ran up his back. The gentle breeze swept Heloros her face to the winter wind. He shuddered and opened his eyes, not understanding where it came from that feeling so much like ... fear.
The bombastic voice solemnly continued to list the names of the gods sharing the pantheon with him.
-No.
The priest was cut short. His voice broke on the paved surface of the square, bouncing between the kneeling bodies. She turned, startled, and dropped his eyelids to keep their eyes locked on the eyes of Ishual.
"Always has been, Divinity.
"No," he repeated. He managed to control the trembling of her voice barely. Have you always been well, he wondered. And why suddenly everything looks different ...? The High Priest
needed no explanation to re-turn to face the crowd and raise his arms again. However, the gesture, which had always been of reverence, seemed like a joke more than a display of adoration.
"Oh, Ishual, God incarnate, who came to us to reward our faith, and dwell with Your people, and we bendecís in Your Name ...
"Better Ishual tried to smile, insecure, and confused because they can not understand why. The priest's face never changed expression. Undaunted, reverent ... scathing. "Always
has been, Divinity, "replied quietly.
always been that way, yes. If there was a fixed entity in the world were the traditions of the hidden kingdom Ishual adored. The words, facts, faith, devotion, and always, always.
So what has changed now ...?
Ignoring his own concern, and waved in the breeze calmed down instantly. A lock of hair fell over his forehead, hands free playful wind; him away with a careless gesture, and his eyes fell upon the face of one of the junior priests who accompanied the High Priest in all invocations. The young man bowed his head and pulled In view of their god.
The chill returned to sink his sharp claws into his column. "I reject ...?, thought, suddenly angry, furious, incredulous. -Leo
fear in your eyes, "he whispered in a tone so low that not even reached his own ears. The young acolyte, however, heard him. He raised his face and stared. Do you dare to look at me? Ishual inquired, puzzled and angry, struggling to ignore the tremor that was threatening to take over their members. Did you forget what is respect? He opened his eyes, terrified. Do you also ridicule ...? Rabies joined
mistrust and shook the world. Ishual made an abrupt gesture.
It was not his hand but his wrath to the priest that pushed so hard that it was drawn by an invisible wind to the edge of the platform, where he stumbled for a moment before falling into the open arms and knees of the bodies crowd.
the high priest's voice did not waver and the Invocation of the Night, the longest of the Five Invocations, continued to echo in the crowded square, but Ishual noticed the subtle change in the environment, the thousands of thousands of breaths becoming staccato gasps, excitement, the lust for violence, blood. The anger of those who tore the body of a young priest down there, the wonder, the awe of the thousands of eyes on Ishual.
faith came to him like a wave and shake your hair, a much stronger breeze, burning, a sea of \u200b\u200bwarm, moist skin and soaked into his body, flowing inside your veins, washing the terror and uncertainty, the power emanating from his subjects kneel in waves that converged on the throne of God Incarnate. He closed his eyes, tilted her head back and moaned.
Ecstasy.
keep believing, articulated in his mind, ignoring the drone of the voice of the High Priest. The feeling of faith stroking his soul was so pleasurable that he had to restrain not to scream. Keep believing, ordered, pleaded silently, clutching the arms of the throne with his hands.
were the gods who made the rules. And he was one of them. If you do this I had to kill them all one by one, I would. Creed.
A sneer. A whisper in your ear: But are the gods who created the world? Or the world who believes the gods?
looked up and stared blankly at the High Priest.
- What ...?
The priest turned to hear the murmurs of the faithful and stared at the ground at the foot of Ishual. He bowed so pronounced that swept the marble floor with the long ponytail with straight hair.
"Only he pronounced the Invocation, Divine.
- Invoking ...?
Far from being shocked, the priest bent over.
"Oh, Ishual, God Incarnate," intoned, "that came to us to reward our faith ...
The rest of the sentence she had no idea. Ishual squinted thoughtfully, looking without seeing the glowing face of the priest. Came to us ... Never had noticed that specific phrase. In those moments, however, he found it disturbing. As disturbing as the insolent look of the young acolyte whose blood drenched the plaza.
- "Vine" to you? Asked finally unable to contain, interrupting the prayer. The priest looked at him, blinking, and lowered his arms.
-Bajasteis us to reward our faith, divinity. "A new bow. Arms folded across his chest.
- went down? Ishual inquired, anxiously. What do you mean?
The priest bent down again. -Will reward our faith with your presence. With you, Divine. "No," murmured
Ishual. No. I've always been here. I remember ... I remember. Always.
The priest nodded.
-Bajasteis us. You have been here forever.
Always. Always has been. But there was a time when it was not, it was not ... He closed his eyes, confused. Make up the sun, the grass growing at my command ... My faithful, my subjects, their faith. So sweet, so tasty. Empowering them.
Ecstasy.
... What has changed?
Then he understood. And understanding fell on his head like a millstone, like everything a temple erected in his honor. He opened his mouth, but had to make a huge effort to find her voice.
"It was they who created me" she whispered, terrified. It was they who believed in me. His faith made me.
And his faith is wavering. He put hands over her ears, but still could hear the mocking laughter of God in his mind. Is the world who believes the gods? His own laughter. Who do you pray a god when you feel afraid?
- And what happens if you stop believing ...?
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