Chapitre 8: City of the Sun!
Osiris gazed at his brother, his expression a mixture of disbelief and resignation. "My dear brother, do you truly fail to grasp the depth of Nephthys's feelings?" he implored, his voice tinged with concern.
Set replied without mincing words, his tone decisive. "I understand perfectly well," he stated flatly.
"But my feelings for Nephthys have changed. I no longer harbor love for her," Osiris continued, a trace of sadness in his voice.
"Hasn't our sister Isis spoken to you about this?" Set pressed, seeking confirmation.
"Yes," Osiris sighed deeply, his disappointment evident. "I had hoped you might reconsider your stance after meeting her again."
"Moreover, you've seen for yourself that Nephthys's affections for you are genuine," Osiris pointed out solemnly.
"One-sided love is doomed to fade," Set declared firmly, his face serious.
"Perhaps," Osiris conceded with another heavy sigh. "Poor Nephthys."
Curious about their sister's return, Set inquired with calculated casualness, "Will Isis be returning soon?"
"Yes," Osiris nodded, his mind elsewhere.
Set chose not to press further; he had made his point. He silently hoped that nothing would develop between Osiris and Nephthys. Planning his departure from the temple, since Nephthys was there, Set was all too aware of the unspoken tension. Despite being interrupted when she tried to confess her love, the message was clear to him, and it was uncomfortably evident.
He had come to Osiris's temple initially to preempt any potential romantic entanglements between Osiris and Nephthys. Though he wanted to caution Osiris beforehand, the opportunity hadn't yet presented itself, and now he felt compelled to monitor them closely, despite the awkwardness.
For the next ten days, Set was nearly inseparable from Osiris, whether the latter was tending to the harvest or performing ritual sacrifices.
Osiris, feeling somewhat cornered, finally addressed the elephant in the room as he set down a sheaf of wheat. "Dear brother, when did you become so clingy?" he asked, in genuine exasperations.
"I'm not sure," Set responded, feigning ignorance before swiftly changing the subject. "Brother, why do you engage so directly with human sacrifices?"
Osiris, picking up the fallen wheat, explained, "Authority. I am the god of agriculture and fertility, and thus it falls within my domain to interact with such matters."
This detailed the complicated relationship between the gods and humanity, where the divine beings of the City of the Sun typically remained aloof from human affairs, only intervening when their domains were directly involved. The emergence of Reran, who left the City of the Sun millennia ago to establish temples on Earth, had changed human perceptions of gods, bringing them into closer contact with deities other than the Supreme Sun God. However, the inherent risks of human faith, capable of corrupting and even creating malevolent deities, made most gods cautious about accepting direct worship or sacrifices from them.
"Agriculture and fertility are deeply intertwined with humanity," Osiris explained, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship. "By safeguarding them, I in turn reinforce my own dominion."
Set, ever inquisitive about the mechanisms of divine influence, queried further. "And what of the blank power of faith?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
He had never accepted sacrifices himself, for he knew the blank powers would dissipate as soon as they materialized.
"I have chosen not to absorb that power," Osiris responded, his brow furrowed in concern. "Instead, they accumulate in the temple statues and, contrary to expectation, they do not vanish."
"I intend to discuss this issue with the god Ra at the upcoming Council of Gods," Osiris declared, hoping for a resolution.
Set, thinking he had sidestepped any implications of the conversation, gave a noncommittal hum and excused himself, leaving Osiris to his thoughts and the cultivation of seeds.
As dawn broke the following day, Isis returned under the usual sun. She appeared exhausted, a faint, unsettling scent of Apep, the chaos serpent, clinging to her.
Osiris rushed to her side to offer support. "Little brother, little sister, you're both here," Isis greeted them with a weary smile.
"Say no more, sister. You need to rest," Nephthys urged, her expression filled with concern.
"Rest well, sister," Set added with a nod, echoing the sentiment.
Isis gratefully accepted their support and was escorted into the temple's sanctuary by Osiris. Meanwhile, to avoid any awkwardness, Set stepped outside the temple, his gaze drifting to the freshly risen red sun, a symbol of Apep's defeat.
"As the divine meeting approaches, I hope Shu will grant me a role in the next cycle," Set mused aloud, though the thought of confronting Apep made him uneasy.
The idea of facing the deadly serpent was daunting. "If things turn dire, I'll just have to flee," Set resolved quietly, ready to escape should the need arise.
After lingering outside for a while, Set heard Isis's rejuvenated voice and re-entered the temple. Her energy seemed restored, her fatigue swept away by divine rejuvenation.
"The divine meeting convenes tomorrow. We should journey to the City of the Sun," Isis announced with a bright smile.
Set agreed, eager to witness the abode of the gods firsthand. "It'll be a relief not to keep such a close watch on Osiris," he thought, relieved at the prospect of focusing on other matters.
Isis and Osiris then each took out their ankh, the sacred symbol of life. Together, they channeled their divine energy into the ankhs, which hovered in midair, radiating a brilliant golden light.
Golden divine patterns emanated from the ankhs, weaving through the air and coalescing into the form of a portal.
Observing this, Set produced his own ankh, infusing it with his power and sending it to float alongside those of Isis and Osiris, ready to step through the newly formed gateway.
Nephthys joined the ritual, adding her ankh to the formation. As she did, the four sacred ankhs aligned, unleashing a surge of divine energy.
The air before them shimmered as intricate divine patterns solidified into reality, a magnificent golden door materialized, adorned with intricate carvings depicting mountains, rivers, deserts, flora, fauna, and the bustle of human life. It stood majestic, suspended in midair, a gateway of pure gold beckoning them to the mysteries beyond.
Observing the completion of their work, Set reached forward to reclaim his ankh. Isis and the others followed suit, each retrieving their sacred symbols. As the ankhs were removed, the golden door responded, its halves parting slowly, revealing the path they were to tread.
This was the Sun Gate, a divine passage opened only by the gods themselves, leading directly to the Sun City, Heliopolis. Behind the slowly parting doors, the glow of a radiant red sun beckoned them onward.
"Let us proceed," Isis said with a reassuring smile, taking Osiris' hand in hers.
Together, they stepped off the ground and floated through the golden gateway. Set, with a sense of anticipation, followed them into the Sun Gate. Passing through the portal, he felt a comforting warmth from the red sun, a stark contrast to the awe-inspiring scene that awaited him.
Beyond the threshold, a red sun dominated the azure sky above a majestic city constructed from gleaming white boulders. The city walls were etched with elaborate depictions of the sun god, radiating authority and ancient power. To the left of the city stretched a golden ocean, its surface dotted with countless blooming golden water lilies, while on the right, an impenetrable jungle sprawled into the horizon. The city's backdrop was a vast expanse of void and chaos, stark and formidable.
In front of the city, a broad road unfurled, flanked by endless grasslands.
The spectacle, though familiar from memories, struck Set with renewed wonder upon seeing it with his own eyes. However, his astonishment was soon overshadowed by the sight of dozens of other gods. Gods of varied forms, some with beast heads on human bodies, others wholly beast or wholly human, traveled the road towards the city.
Recalling the memories merged within him, Set recognized their names and powers. A sudden realization dawned on him, he was akin to the Beast-Headed Gods among them. This insight into his identity sparked a flurry of thoughts as he accessed his fused memories. With a smirk, he affirmed to himself, "Indeed, I am one of the Beast-Headed Gods, my human guise now it seem is but a façade!"
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone