Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 515: Three kingdoms i

The night is bright tonight with the moon shining brightly. The large trees sway left and right like a great powerful wind had passed it by.

And the wind blows coldly tonight at the Holy Temple of the Gods which is rare considering the fire inside the temple. 

The temple itself was dark and unlighted. 

No Acolytes. No Priest can be seen patrolling the yard of the temples.

Almost like an omen of something dire. But it was not only the blowing of winds that seems to portends some dark events, it was the smell that fill the area.

The smell of meat, of blood. The Holy Temple of the Gods is quiet. Eerily quiet. There is no humming of the Priest or Songs to the Gods like it always used to

In the large Temple, the statue of the Gods, thirteen of them all large and majestic resided there, a shrine to the holy image of the gods

It is a sacred place for the Priest and in the Shadowlands only certain personages can visit the Temple. 

When a matter of utmost importance that concerns the safety of the whole Thirteen tribe needs to be discussed, the Great Priest will convene the Godsmeet in this very temple.

The Thirteen Tribes had warred against each other for countless of years but they will not eliminate each other tribes and they surely will not capture or kill Grand Priest of the Gods.

They were waiting. 

Waiting to cleanse themselves from the Unpardonable Sins. A promise that had to be fulfilled.

The Thirteen Tribes had wrong Nasrana before and was cursed to defeat the Spawns of Darkness. 

Like the Church was guilty in Levitia death, trying to cleanse the world of Holy Blood, the Thirteen Tribe was heinous in the way they treat the Great Prophet Who Brings the Truth.

But they were also given the chance for redemption by offering their help to the Conqueror.

It is foretold, that the Conqueror will awaken here, in the New World, and will lift the fog of Darkness and calm the monsters in the Deep Sea, pacifying the Deadly Winters and the scorching Hellfire heat from the Heavens.

If the Conqueror wins his final battle, the curse will be lifted and Novus Gaia will enter a new era of peace.

The tribes will be unified and an era of prosperity will dawn until the next Ages Prophecy rears its ugly head again.

The temple of the Thirteen Gods carries many meanings to the tribes of the New World, as a place to seek guidance from the Gods.

Its importance in the hearts of the Thirteen Tribes is paramount. 

Offerings offered by heroes of ancient past, of great Warchief and leaders of the Tribes are still there inside the temples, untouched even by the most vilest war waged amongst the tribes.

Since its founding, the Holy Temple of the Gods has never been looted or robbed else they incur the wrath of all the Tribes.

The Three Great Tribes regarded the Temple of the Gods as a sacred and holy place worthy of protecting, and every year, old men and women who can no longer offer their service to the tribes or wanted to serve the Gods will come here, offering their loyalty to the Gods.

Many great Warchief and leaders of tribe who approached old age come here to offer their service and as such the Tribes regarded the Temple even more important than their life.

Deserving of respect and reverence.

The statue of the thirteen Gods was designed in a way that inspires awe, standing in their respective positions parallel to the constellation of the stars with Asrana Mahava as the Prime Star is now stained with red blood.

The red blood dripping slowly like a ticking of a clock

On the center of that huge temple, there, in the center, stand the largest statue of them all, almost like a witness, stained with mortal blood.

The statue of Asrana Mahava. 

Standing there, its eyes looking at the sky, with his left hand holding a shield, and his left hand holding a beautiful sword, he looks more like an Avenger Devil than a god.

While the other gods were represented with some kind of unworldly decorations and mystical weapon, the largest statue in that temple, surprisingly shows the main God, Asrana, to be this plain compared to the others.

Lord Eremetheus, the God of Trickery, the fifteen-foot statue, shows him stealing the fire of Varleon with his Staff of Lies in his left hand, showing his most famous Quest while at the same time showing his guile and cunningness.

The statue of Lord Orhan, the God of Wisdom shows him commanding the soldiers and leading them to victory with the Spear of Gathering Souls.

But Asrana Mahava statue is unremarkable. It does not show him leading any soldiers or any mythical feat

Yet, he was the most important and was most integral in most of the culture and mythology of the Thirteen Tribes.

The Thirteen Tribes acknowledge that Asrana out of all the Gods in this temple is more important and more deserving of respect because he come from them and was like them

He bleeds the same. He felt the same as them.

A mortal turned God. 

The only strange thing about his mythology is that even though now the Thirteen Tribes worship him, Asrana had never lived in the past and his stories were never told in the context of the Age of the Gods lore.

Instead, Asrana, according to his mythology, did not even appear yet. But his coming has been prophesied millennium before. 

Imagine the unbending and unwavering faith! 

The Savior is not yet born, but from Ages past, people of the Thirteen Tribes have been worshipping him with almost no doubt.

'It is incredible' the man said looking at the statue, almost like he was staring at the statue hoping for it to come alive. 

He is standing near the feet of statue of Asrana.

In his hand was a blade stained with blood, dripping from the edges and some scattered flesh near him. 

Mangled corpses lied near his feet, flowing river of blood around his vicinity.

Behind him was the corpse of thirteen men with robes and tattoos. Each of them was badly mutilated with each of those men wears a variety of expression in their faces.

There was horror. There was fear. There was shock. They did not go easily. They went in pain and fear before they die.

Then admiring the statue, he turned back to look at his handiwork.

Chief Priest of the Thirteen Tribes that convened the Godsmeet was slaughtered by him, his flesh was teared apart by his hand and slice to a thousand pieces, not one of Thirteen Priest was allowed to live. 

Doing this act of murdering a Chief Priest of the Thirteen Tribe, if he got found out, he would be vilified by every person in the New World. 

He would be hunted without rest.

Yet, he did not regret.

The ones committing this unholy act in such a holy place is three people.

Elkar Forneus. Jurgan. Astiel. 

Elkar for his burning revenge for the death of his family. Jurgan for the pleasure of chaos. And Astiel, to free his Father.

'They are a stubborn lot' Jurgan said as he flies down from the top of the entrance and landed beside Elkar.

The entrance to the Temple is underground. And the entrance was from the top, almost like a huge cavern descending down to this Holy Temple.

'But they succeed to erect the barrier'.

'Nothing can come out' Astiel said nodding.

'They wanted to contain our Father.' Jurgan said, gritting his teeth.

A barrier magic of the Thirteen Tribes. Nothing could come out from the thirteen tribes other than some holy creatures. 

Which means unless the Final battle is fought and the winner emerged, the location of the battle between the Vanquisher and Conqueror will happen here.

Vanquisher, Vasir, a mortal form of his Father. 

The Creator has ordained this battle since the beginning of time, since the first galaxy burst into existence.

From now on, nobody will ever be able to sail the Dark Sea to go out from Novus Gaia. You can come in, but you can't get out

They also erect the Wall of Repentance.

'The Three Tribes will man it and they will war against each other. That is good.' Elkar said as he reveals his smile. 

They know about the Three Tribes that rules pass the Shadow Lands. 

The Three Kingdoms of the Shadowlands.

Both Jurgan and Astiel have seemed more human as they transform themselves. Their magic slowly returns to them as Darkness covers the world. 

If before they look like the description of Demonkind from the Old Books, now they slowly understand the importance of subtlety.

Elkar did not interfere as they were occupied talking with each other. He has seen with his own eyes that the Chief Priest all have magical power.

But their magical power is specifically made to hinder the plans of Morningstar. Almost like they were the Protectors of this World

Elkar shakes his sword and the red blood on his sword was washed away to the side.

'What now?' He said.

Jurgan and Astiel look behind them and look at the statue of Asrana and smile. 

Then Astiel stamped his foot on the ground and an earthquake happened and the statue of Asrana cracked.

'Now we wait' and saying this Astiel open up his wings and fly upwards.

'You have done your job splendidly, Elkar. Our Father will reward you when he awakens.' Saying this Jurgan also fly upwards. 

Elkar then look at the statue of the Thirteen Tribes and then he closes his eyes, he spoke to that unmoving statue.

'The Demonkind will reign again in this world. I have learned many truths when I learned under Astiel. The ruler of Arakath is an Angel. To let ourselves, Demons, to be ruled by Angels! How muddleheaded the world is! Nothing is more absurd' 

Saying this he also flies upward and then as he was in a distance he could see the cavern shakes and then with a tremendous sound of quake, the cavern cave in itself.

The Temple of the Gods buried under rubbles of dust and soil and also buried the unsung heroes of the Great War.