Pivot of the Sky

Chapter 138: The Key of Destiny

According to normal procedures, the Pharaohs orders should have been sent to Mount Horeb first, and someone from Mount Horeb would then send the slaves to Amons territory. However, Amon did not do so. Instead, he directly sent one of his personal guards to travel to Mount Horeb as fast as he could and demanded for the slaves on the spot. He was worried that someone would interfere with the process and accidentally cause something to happen to the slaves. He didnt want to leave things to chance.

The chief officer of Mount Horeb, Pawara, had yet to receive the Pharaohs orders when Amons guard arrived. Placed in a difficult situation, He wanted to persuade the guard to wait for the orders to come before doing anything. However, the guard didnt buy that. With his hand pressed on his sword, he said: Is the order of the Supreme General not an order? I will be taking the slaves now. You are free to report to your superiors about this. The Pharaoh has already agreed to this matter in front of all the ministers and generals, do you still think that Im lying to you?

This guard had experienced battles of life and death in the recent wars and he exuded a murderous aura as he spoke. He only listened to Amons orders, so he was unrelenting in accomplishing the mission. Now that Amons reputation was unmatched in the entire Ejypt, Pawara could not afford to offend him. Thus, he finally handed over Moses and the rest to the guard. To prevent any accidents from occurring, he even sent a team of guards from Mount Horeb to escort them all the way to Amons territory. In any case, the responsibility now fell on Amon, since he was the one who forcibly took the slaves.

Amon did not possess any real authority, but he did have the necessary status and prestige. Just as Aristotle said, if it was appropriate to rely on ones status or position, one should not refrain from doing so. Back then, he had to read the books written in Hieroglyph secretly in the Archive like a thief. Schrodinger once gave him two codes, one was related to the text of The Land of Marduc, while the other led to a confidential document of the highest order. All this time, he was unable to find the opportunity to read it.

With the status that he now possessed, all he had to do was to write down the code and send a guard to the Archive. The Shrine would then have the document delivered to him without asking any question. That was the power of status.

The territory of the Ejyptian Empire was vast and sparse. Its people were mostly distributed along the banks of the Nile River, in Upper and Lower Ejypt. In the center of the Empire, only the long stretches of land along the riverbanks were suitable for farming. Further east and west were large swathes of desert, barren land and mountains. Only smaller scale towns and sporadic villages existed in these areas, along with the occasional nomads. Far from the general population, there were also many monsters which inhabited the areas.

Located in the southern outskirts of Herak, Amons territory was huge. It included the seasonally flooded riverside farming land. It also included the sporadic farms not far from the riverbank, as well as large pieces of grassland at the foot of the western mountains. The unpopulated mountain range further west was also part of Amons territory, where the noble lords sometimes visited for hunting.

The territory bestowed by the Empire is not the same as completely private land. The people living in this territory are servants in the name of Amon, and they have to work for Amon with no pay for three months every year as their duty. If one did not want to work, they would need to pay an appropriate sum of money. On the other hand, Amon is unable to transfer or give away this land at will. He is only eligible to receive the benefits and proceeds from this land. The authority to dispose of the land is in the hands of the Empire, but the descendants of Amon are able to inherit the ownership of the land.

In addition to the original occupants of the territory, Amon also has his own private servants, including his bodyguards, slaves bought in his name, as well as hired servants, all living in one large estate.

The former Ducians numbered sixty in total. More than forty of them were young miners, while the remaining ones were former servants of Moses. Now, they had all become slaves of Amon given by the Pharaoh. Having been brought here from Mount Horeb, they were uneasy and nervous. They had already heard of how Amon had become the Supreme General of the Empire, as well as the stories of him leading the Ejyptian army to defeat Hittite and Bablon. They also knew that he was the one who requested the Pharaoh to grant him all the former Ducians as his slaves.

After Amon went to Mount Horeb one and a half years ago, the living conditions of the miners improved a lot, and they were no longer subject to verbal and physical abuse. But they were still unable to escape the fate of being slaves. Amon was once an exile of Duc, but now that he had achieved such a great status in Ejypt and the former Ducians were now his slaves, how would he treat them?

There was also another issue which Moses was worried about. He accepted Allahas guidance and had been secretly preparing for his return to his homeland. However, one and a half years had passed, and he had not heard from his god since then. Now that such a turn of events has occurred, it seems that the future of his people is uncertain.

After taking them to his territory, Amon did not make things difficult for them. He also did not give them preferential treatment. Since they were slaves, it was not appropriate for them to even sit together with Amon to eat their meals. Amon did not let them live in the estate or give them houses to live in. Instead, he sent his guards to set up a row of military tents at the grasslands located at the foot of the mountain. For now, they were to live in these tents. Next, he summoned all of them to see him.

When Moses and others saw Amon, they all knelt down to greet him. Amon raised his hand to stop him. This is a private occasion. Everyone here is a fellow Ducian, so lets save the politeness and be frank. I asked the Pharaoh to give you freedom, but the Pharaoh rejected my request. So I arranged for everyone to come here instead. If any of you have any requests, you may voice them out now.

One woman, a former maid of Moses, said meekly: Winter has just passed and the weather is still cold, would it be possible to give us houses to live in? Even if it is just stone houses like at Mount Horeb.

Amon smiled. The tents that you live in now are the military tents that I used before, and they are capable of keeping out the cold. There will be houses, but you need to build them yourselves. In my territory, you can go up the mountains to carry out logging and mine the stone to build your own village. Spring is coming. There is a lot of land at the foot of the mountain that can be cultivated and irrigated by the waters of the Nile River. Seeds and farm tools can be obtained from my housekeeper, all you need to do is ask.

Amon did not provide them with ready-made things. Instead, he let them build their own houses, cultivate the land, and hunt the beasts in the mountains. Some of them were disappointed, but couldnt say anything. Moses bowed and said: Thank you, Supreme General! Thank you for everything you have done for us! But we have a common goal, and that is to return to our hometown. I heard that the area has already become a piece of fertile land amidst the wastelands.

Amon replied, Even if you go back there, you still have to rebuild your home. Why not start making preparations from now on? There is no need to be anxious. If it is possible, I will try to satisfy your wishes, but we need to wait for the opportunity to arise.

After this meeting, Amon did not see them anymore, seemingly keeping a distance from them on purpose. This was normal since there was no reason for a high and mighty Supreme General to get close with a bunch of slaves.

Hence, the new life of the Ducians began. They were originally the best craftsmen on the continent. After getting the tools, they felled nearby trees and within two or three days, they finished building enough wooden houses for everyone to live in for the time being. Next, Moses ordered the strong ones among them to mine stones at the nearby mountains transport the stones to the camp. With the materials ready, they set out to build a permanent and durable area of residence, planning according to a large-scale village, even leaving a spot for the location of the Shrine.

Someone asked Moses: This is not our home, what is the point of building it so well?

Moses replied: My father once told me, the body is the courtyard where the soul lives, and the place where we live is the home of the body and mind. If the body and mind lose their support, and we do not know where the soul is, or what we are seeking, then we are truly homeless. We still do not know how long we are going to stay here, so why dont we build a proper home? Even if we return to Duc, we also need to do the same thing anyway.

Someone who was dissatisfied with Amon once complained to Moses: With the kind of reputation and wealth that Amon now possesses, he refuses to give us anything! Instead, he tells us to build a village on his territory for him and cultivate the lands for him. We are all his slaves, and everything we build is not ours, it is Amons!

Moses replied with a laugh: The achievements made by the Supreme General belong to him alone. They do not belong to you or me. You complain that he did not give you more, but think about it, does he owe you anything? As the drunkards son, he has been bullied a lot by the rest of us when he was young. Dont forget that we expelled him. Now that we have become his slaves, we should thank the gods that he is not mistreating us! This is Amons territory, but it is also the place where we live and farm. If you want to live better, you need to do it yourself.

While Moses was leading the people in building a new home, he had been eagerly looking forward to another thing. Allahas messenger could arrive at any moment now. This was the hope that truly supported him. Moses himself has been taught to awaken the power of two sides, and now he has already become a sixth-level mage and a sixth-level warrior. If he wants to run away by himself, it is totally possible.

The method that Amon taught Moses was slightly different. He only let Moses train his basic power, purely seeking advancement in his levels and not teaching him any specific magic skills or martial arts. Even then, with what Moses has already achieved, he only needs to focus on hiding his identity if he truly wished to escape. But, what was the point of escaping alone?

Amon had been secretly observing Moses and the rest, and when the Ducians had finished building the wooden houses and started cultivating the land, he finally decided to summon Moses again. There was just one tiny problem. Now that Amon had lost his power, he could no longer use any magic, so he handed this task over to Metatro.

One night, Moses, who had been working all day, was meditating in his house. Being at the sixth-level in the power of two sides, he was at the peak of the advanced stage of practising both magic and body arts. Although he had never learned any magic skills, his magical power was significant. Naturally, he was able to figure out many rules of using the power, and some basic magic skills appeared to be evident. However, he kept Allahas words firmly in his mind, focusing on the principles and the understanding of the power.

The work during the day was hardly difficult for him. If necessary, he could work tirelessly for another ten days. He also never stopped meditating during the night as it was the only way he could continue to see the hope in life amidst the suffering.

At this moment, a tiny voice resembling the buzzing of a mosquito entered his ears: Moses, I am the messenger sent by God. Make your way out of the village quietly and meet me on top of the hill west of here. I have some questions to ask you.

Moses nearly jumped up from his bed from joy. The day he had been waiting for finally arrived! Looks like Allaha did not forget about him and had been silently watching him and his people! He hurriedly wore his clothes, brushed away the dust on his hair and clothes and tidied his appearance before leaving the camp and sprinting towards the hill on the west.

The hills here werent very tall, but they were very steep. The rocks were exposed on many parts of the hills, and this was where Moses had mined the rocks with the others. A dot of light in front of him was leading the way, and Moses walked past the quarry mined by his people, climbed the cliffs, and reached the peak. Standing in front of him was a man in a cape, holding a stick in his hand.

Even with his excellent eyesight, Moses was unable to see the mans face clearly. However, under the starlight, he could see clearly what the man was holding in his hand. It was the staff used by Allaha! Kneeling onto the ground, Moses asked: Messenger of God, are you the one who summoned me?

Metatro nodded. Thats right. God sent me to see if you and your people are prepared.

Moses nearly cried from excitement as he said: Thank Allaha my god! You still remember me. Youve been watching us all along!

Metatro said in a serious tone: Have you forgotten? Do not mention his name! Not even in front of me!

Metatros words were very interesting. Moses could mention God, but he could not mention Allahas name. Since he could not pray to any other god, then whenever he mentioned God, he would be solely referring to Allaha and not any other god. From this moment onwards, the word God now had a specific meaning for Moses.

Metatro asked Moses many questions, including how he had progressed in his practising in the past one and a half years, and what preparations he had led his people to make. Moses answered all the questions respectfully and in detail. Moses himself had the highest achievement in the practising among the Ducians, having achieved the sixth-level. He also quietly preached the miracles of God Allaha among the Ducians and told everyone that this god would guide them back home.

Moses also awakened the power of two sides for twelve other Ducians, and now they all had made it to the advanced level, a fourth-level mage and warrior at minimum. The Ducians all knew that this was a secret that must not be revealed. Even if the tiniest amount of information was leaked to the outside world, it could bring death to all of them. So everything was done in secret.

At Mount Horeb, they were busy with heavy labor every day, and so it was difficult to make more preparations. Moses could only instill hope and belief in them and remind everyone to protect themselves well. As for the miners who had not awakened the power of two sides, they would continue to practice the technique of Duc. It is not only a valuable skill, but also a means to strengthen their body and mind.

Metatro nodded in satisfaction. From today onwards, come to this place every night. I will teach you magic skills and martial arts, and you can pass on the knowledge to others. Whenever you are training, you must take great care not to be discovered by the outsiders. Take this stick and disguise it. Dont let others see its true shape. It is both a combat weapon and a staff. God is allowing you to use it for the time being.

Amon was giving the iron stick to Moses, and other than the Gods Tear, there was still a Terroculus, Aquaticore, Ventussalte and Pyrosprite embedded in the stick. However, the secrets of the staff were not told to Moses. The Terroculus was naturally not the one which recorded CrazyOles messages, and the Ventussalte was also not the spatial artifact originally in the stick. Amon had changed all of them to new ones.

Since Amon could not use his magical power, this stick was useless to him for the time being. As a slave, it was not convenient for Moses to pull out a weapon or a staff in public. Although Amon had many items, this stick was the only one that was suitable for Moses to use. After wrapping a piece of cloth around it, it was difficult to tell the true purpose of this stick. As a precaution, Moses also ordered his people to make a walking stick with a similarly shaped tree branch.

Just like that, Metatro taught Moses various magic arts and martials arts every night. After a simple demonstration, he would let Moses practice on his own and teach the others what he had learnt. When they were still in Mount Horeb, it was impossible to teach Moses. Now that they were in Amons territory, there were no longer any concerns, so they could now learn and practice freely without interference.

Moses was smart. This was also due to the good education he received from childhood and the suffering he has experienced in the past few years. After more than ten days, Metatro has more or less finished teaching. The techniques could only be perfected via more practice, so he returned to Amon.

In the estate, Metatro sighed as he said in a surprised tone: God Amon, are all your people geniuses? Twelve of them have awakened the power of two sides, and in just one and a half year, they managed to reach the advanced levels. Especially Moses, as long as the conditions are right, I think he will have the opportunity to break through to the seventh-level. This is much faster than I was back then!

Amon was not surprised, and he explained with a smile: You only saw these people, so you were surprised, but have you ever wondered how many generations have been brutally eliminated in order to produce the current generation? The mining skills of Duc are passed down from generation to generation. A long time ago, the living conditions in Duc were much harsher. If an adult man could not master this skill, it would be difficult for him to survive there. Many died as a child. Our population has hardly increased in the past few hundred years.

Under such harsh conditions, these descendants have inherited the most powerful force in their blood, which is the essence from years of accumulation. If not for that, do you think that they can still live as normal after all these years of misery? As for the twelve people, you only think of their one-and-a-half-year cultivation, but from the young age of sixteen, they have learnt the technique of Duc, which is actually the basis for the power of two sides.

Other than Moses, they have practiced longer than you and me, its just that none of them has opened the real door. Even so, they have not exceeded your speed of advancement or surpassed your achievements. You and I can already be considered miracles in the eyes of ordinary people, but think about Enkidu again. At the age of twenty one, he became a ninth-level warrior. What kind of existence is he then?

Metatro laughed. I wasnt comparing it in such a manner. I just thought that their speed of advancement is really amazing, and its not just one person but a whole group of them. Although your explanation makes sense, the practice of the power of two sides has its own rules. Hard work is not the only thing that is needed, there are various tests to pass at each stage as well.

Amon continued: They are much more suited to practising this kind of power compared to the others, especially Moses. Having lost their homeland and trapped in a foreign land, they have to engage in hard labor every day, and yet they do not give up the hope in their hearts. Dont forget that only nobles can practice magic on this continent, and slaves are not allowed to practice body arts. How many noble mages have undergone such trials of hardship? How many warriors have been through years of toil and torture before they awaken their power? They deserve their achievements!

Seeing that Moses and the others have not given up hope and are making preparations, Amon sent Metatro to the Duc Plains to see how Lynk is doing. Before leaving, he told Metatro to retrieve several items from the Ventussalte which was also a spatial artifact. The items included the slightly damaged scorpion-shell armor, a flying shuttle and a golden spear.

This spear was more than ten feet long, and it looked different from standard spears. It looked like a very slender droplet, and it was unclear what material it was made from. Even with the eyes of a master craftsman, it was impossible to tell how it had been made. Amon handed the spear to Metatro and said: You have always envied me for having an amazing staff which could be used as a weapon at the same time. The sword that I gave you last time was destroyed in the fierce battle with Enkidu, and this spear is even more amazing than my iron stick.

Medanzo took the spear and tried wielding it. He remarked in surprise: God Amon, where did you obtain such an incredible artifact? It seems indestructible, and is the best weapon I have ever seen. Did you make it yourself? What is it called?

Amon sighed. I didnt make it with my own hands. I call it the Key of Destiny. You have seen it before, and you even fought with the owner of the weapon.

Medanzo said blankly: Impossible, I have never seen such an amazing weapon, let alone fight with it.

Amon explained: You just didnt recognize it. It was Enkidus sword. Its been damaged when he used it to attack the cloud eagle of Horus. During the final battle, when Enkidu fought the dark lightning, the light from the sword transformed into a golden mist, and even the shape of the swords body changed. In the final moment when Enkidu rushed towards the sky, he threw it towards me. I managed to trap it inside the Ventussalte, and it ends up like this.

Metatro held the Key of Destiny and exclaimed: So it was the remnant of Enkidus sword. Injected with all the power in his life and tempered by the vortex, it turned out like this. This is truly not something that can be made by mortals!

Amon nodded. It is indeed a wonderful artifact. When I look at it I see destiny, choices that we make facing our own destiny, which then determine our destiny. It flew towards me for the sake of killing me, but ended up one of my belongings. I do not want to use it, so Im leaving it in your hands. This may be the weapon that suits you best!