READ WEBNOVEL The ‘Dark Ages’ in the Land of Kings!
*Vol.1: Tales of a God.
Chapter 34 - The 'Dark Ages' in the Land of Kings!
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Pov. Thor.
Our stay in the land of Horus could be described as welcoming.
The gods remained in the land of men, but in specific locations, scattered across the lands and never next to each other. In a way, it was as if each god had his own 'territory' that he could call 'home'.
We ended up staying in the 'house' of Horus.
And when I say 'house' I mean 'obelisk'.
It was weird, each god's 'house' looked like a mixture of a temple and a standard house, with a kitchen, bedrooms, and so on; but with the structure of an obelisk.
According to Hrist, the structure of the obelisks was enchanted with Egyptian magic, which was intended to hide it from the eyes of mortals.
And it seemed that even among the Egyptian gods, no god can enter without the permission of the god in charge of the obelisk.
Initially, I found it a little confusing.
After all, the period was 'peace' and there was no longer a civil war between Horus and Seth.
When I asked Hrist about it she just said not to worry because they always have been and always will be.
Excluding special occasions, there are only two places where the Egyptian gods meet.
The divine court.
Located on the solar ship, the strongest Egyptian solar deity ship.
The divine court was presided over by Ra.
And this court was only held when there were things that were extremely important and related to the divine, such as the dispute between Seth and Horus.
The problem is that, according to Hrist, the court began the moment Horus claimed the throne from his murdered father.
If Horus and Seth's fight lasted approximately a millennium...
Yes, the gods don't usually agree with each other.
Nothing new.
The other court was the court of men.
Or, the court of mortals.
And it was currently presided over by Osiris in the land of the dead, called Duat.
Anyway, I think it was time to look for the god-scribe.
"Hrist, do you know where Thoth is located?" I asked.
The Valkyrie seemed to think for a few moments before speaking.
"If I remember correctly, he must be living in the obelisk right after the first waterfall in the river, he is one of the few gods who live there, if I remember him correctly, he likes the silence..." said Hrist.
What Hrist said interested me…but it also caught my brother's attention.
"Do you know him?!" asked Vali.
Apparently, my brother is worried about the current situation...
"Idiot! I'm not you! I went there because I was accompanying Odin at the time," Hrist replied with a furious grimace.
Following Odin?
It is rare for my old man to leave Asgard and encounter another supernatural deity, let alone another pantheon.
It must be important for the old man to seek out the scribe god.
"Very well, I'll be going... If anything happens let me know by the runes" I said.
Hel and Sif then looked at me.
"Can I go with you?"
Both asked the same question... Truth be told, I think it would be advantageous for not only me to learn from Thoth.
But, I didn't know if the scribe-god would be willing to teach anyone.
Furthermore...
"I don't think it's a good idea," I said with finality.
This seemed to have made Sif and Hel unhappy.
"Don't look at me like that, I'll just ask if I can have a little meeting with Thoth to learn something... I don't even know if he'll agree to my request, I just don't want you to go on a wasted trip" I explained.
That seemed to have calmed them both down a bit.
"You come back for dinner, right?" asked Sif.
"Yeah! Please, cousin! I saw that you brought that thing you call 'pasta' and stuff, so will we have 'that' for dinner?" asked Hel.
Just like her older brother... Hel seemed to have acquired a taste for Italian food.
"'That' is called pizza Hel, and yes I'll make it for dinner… Just please, while I'm gone, don't cause any trouble," I said.
Sif and Hel nodded, but Sif still commented.
"You should be making this request to Hermod," said Sif.
... She wasn't wrong.
"Hermod!" I said.
My brother then looked towards me.
"What's up brother?" asked Hermod, confused.
What to say... Hmm... Ah!
"While we're here, please be less…this," I said, gesturing to him.
The gesture? Well, you see...
"Thor...you're pointing out to my whole body," said Hermod.
"Exactly," I said.
Hermod then grimaced.
"I'm not that bad," said Hermod.
This I disagree with.
"Who thought it was a good idea to steal Sleipnir at 10 years old?" I asked.
This seemed to have activated a neuron in my troubled brother.
"In my defense, I was young," said Hermod.
That wasn't a good excuse for one simple reason.
"Hermod... Vidar told me he tried to stop you, but you went anyway, and he's only a year older than you," I said.
That seemed to have embarrassed him.
"Ah… Well, so what? Do you think Vidar was more responsible?" asked Hermod.
... Back then?... Definitely not.
The problem is that of all my brothers...
Hermod was the 'troublemaker'.
He only gets on the line if there are some specific people around.
I am one of them.
"I don't care if Vidar was more responsible. You know as well as I do that you're the one who usually causes trouble," I said.
That seemed to have silenced Hermod.
I then turned to the group.
"I'll go, if something happens that ends up in politics, let Hrist sort it out, and if something happens that ends up in direct conflict… let me know," I said.
I then left.
As soon as I got out of the obelisk, I summoned my chariot and bolted to Thoth's 'house'.
As soon as I reached the obelisk in just a few seconds thanks to my chariot, I wanted to summon some of my divine power, just to alert Thoth that I was here.
However... I ended up not needing it.
"I'm busy!"
I heard a voice and looked towards the origin.
It was a bird.
A bird that glowed a ghostly blue color.
It was kind of obvious that the bird was made of pure divine power.
So this is one of this god's capabilities?... But what good is this thing other than the second pair of eyes?
"I assume you're Thoth... I'd like to have a meeting with you when you're available," I said.
The bird seemed to consider.
"... In that case... You can come in, unforeseen meetings can arise from the need of one of the parties, I don't need anything at the moment, which only leaves you..." said the bird.
So that means he's already assuming I need his help...
It was then that a door emerged from the obelisk, inviting me in.
The bird then left the branch on which it was perched.
"Follow me," said the bird.
I couldn't deny the request; after all, if I went inside the obelisk, I was pretty sure it would take time to find Thoth with the traditional search method.
Pov. Third-person.
The bird, of the Ibis race, guided the god Thor through the obelisk.
What had Thor noticed most along the way?
Papyri.
Papyrus stacked on shelves, on the floor, furniture...
They were scattered all over the place.
And Thor had a feeling that probably the entire obelisk was like that.
"...You're not very organized, are you?" asked Thor, looking toward the rolled-up scrolls on the floor.
The bird that flew a little ahead of Thor then replied.
"With every second that passes, the past tends to grow, if I were to organize everything?... Would I lose the preciousness that is history" said the bird.
From the bird's response, Thor could already have an idea about the kind of person Thoth was.
For Thor, the scribe-god Thoth could be described as someone obsessed with recording events.
But Thor didn't understand that kind of ambition.
A few minutes passed and Thor realized he was now in something resembling a library.
And at the center of that library, a man was talking to himself as a quill jotted down a papyrus.
"...Considering the adaptability of these beings, the future of such a species is very indeterminate, their reasoning ability is slow, but it's changing – No, correct that part – It's evolving* in a matter of a few years, and it seems that this achievement is transferable to their descendants. Violent capacity still prevails, but there is considerable improvement in social behavior than it was millennia ago, however, further observational studies must be done lest it ends up as a failure... *sigh*... Again" said the man, with a tone of defeat.
As the man spoke, the quill was writing rapidly on the papyrus at the same pace.
When the man finished speaking, the quill stopped.
It was then that the bird that was guiding Thor flew towards the man.
And merged with him.
"Oh? A visitor? I see..." asked the man.
It was then that the unknown man turned towards Thor.
"Greetings visitor, Horus has informed me of your group's stay, my name is Thoth. If possible, could you introduce yourself and tell your purpose for coming here?" asked the man, now identified as Thoth.
Thor then took a step forward.
"My name is Thor, son of Odin, and about my purpose?... I would like to learn" said Thor.
This seemed to get Thoth's attention.
"Learn? What? Or rather, saying, Why?" asked Thoth.
Thor then responded without hesitation.
"I would like to learn magic, due to possible future…need," said Thor.
Thoth seemed to consider.
"Hmm… 'Need', huh… How do you define it?" asked Thoth.
Thor thought for a moment before answering.
"It would be something indispensable for me," Thor replied.
Thoth looked at Thor as he analyzed the answer.
"You say 'indispensable', but you didn't say the reason... A need is something indispensable, I agree with that, but there is always a reason. An example is the need for mortals for water, the reason why water is something indispensable for them is that without it mortals will die... So, what is the reason for your 'need', son of Odin? No half-answers please," asked Thoth.
Thor seemed to think for a moment.
"You are quite curious, has anyone ever said that?" asked Thor.
Thoth just shrugged.
"I'm referred to as the 'god of wisdom', many think it's because I have the answer to everything, but it's a misconception. I'm curious and I'm hungry for knowledge, and I love it when accumulated knowledge is put to use! A wise one does not squander how much he knows about things... But he knows things and remains silent because it is in silence that you begin to reflect on the things you know" said Thoth.
The god Thoth was known for many things...
The scribe.
The lonely.
The... Impartial.
The title 'impartial' is best known among the gods for one simple reason.
Thoth condemns choosing aside when it comes to battles.
Because if chose sides… Well, history will be written by the winners.
The god-scribe prefers only to observe a bloody battle that is taking place in front of him, and only then to record the events most faithfully.
However... There were times when he was not impartial.
And Thor knew about that.
"... It is a strange concept of wisdom that you speak... After all, you were not 'silent' when the last court of the gods took place between Seth and Horus, besides having shown clear support for Horus, and you saved Hathor with your magic," said Thor.
Thoth didn't look shaken.
"True, but keep in mind that these were specific situations that I had to intervene in because if I didn't do what I did, I would risk the future of my pantheon..." said Thoth.
Thor was a little confused.
Risk the future of the pantheon?
"What do you mean by that?" asked Thor.
Thoth then looked at the Norse god and spoke with a smile.
"The age of the gods... Will end," said Thoth.
This surprised Thor a little, after all, it was a statement made with a tone of affirmation so strong that it seemed immutable.
"...And do you know how?" asked Thor.
Thoth then snapped his fingers, and a papyrus flew towards the scribe god's hands.
"First we have to go back a little in history... A few millennia ago, that structure that you and your group used, was much more than it looks..." said Thoth, with a mysterious smile.
The piece of papyrus then opened and then an aura formed and then a kind of hologram appeared.
The hologram showed an image that Thor immediately recognized.
The Richat's structure.
Known as the eye of the Sahara.
It was then that the hologram 'changed', and then the image seemed to show vegetation and water in the place and, it now looked like a place inhabited... by mortals.
"This place was a joint experiment between some pantheons... Nereus, son of Pontos and Gaia, built a utopia for mortals, who grew so much that their population exceeded 1 million people... We, gods, were authorized by Nereus, to see this city that humans lived in. At the time I went, it was absolutely splendid, gods and mortals living side by side..." said Thoth.
Thor could think of only a few things as he looked at the image of the city.
Concentric circles.
In the middle of a kind of 'lake'.
Thor could only associate this kind of geometric structure with a particular legendary city.
Atlantis.
But Nereus?... In legend it was Poseidon.
But Thor came from that place, and at first glance, he only saw mountains and valleys... It didn't look like it was ever a big city.
"How did it end up the way it is today?" asked Thor.
"Arrogance," said Thoth.
Thor looked at the Egyptian god, and he could see the expression on his face as he looked at the picture...
Disappointment.
"The city was to be perfect, it was founded by a mortal created by Nereus called Atlas, a new culture was established in that city, the mortals called themselves Imazighen, and in that place they remained coexisting with gods, the city had as its main objective to cohabitation between gods and men... After a few generations, the humble people of the Imazighen began to deny the gods, and this displeased some of us. Pontus then declared his son Nereus's project of the perfect city a failure and we gods erased the city from the map over 5850 years ago," explained Thoth.
For Thor, the story was surprising, but...
"Why are you telling me this?" asked Thor.
Thoth then looked at Thor before replying.
"Humans have disowned us because we lived among them before... If we do the same thing now as we did in the past, how long will it take until the same thing happens today or a thousand years from now?" asked Thoth.
It was then that Thor realized something.
Something Horus had talked about during his first encounter with the Norse group.
'Protector of these lands'.
Protector.
Not ruler.
"Who is the ruling god of these lands?" asked Thor.
Thoth then smiled in response.
"No one... The land is in the hands of mortal tribes," replied Thoth, with a smile.
Thor, however, saw nothing funny.
"Why did you do this?" asked Thor.
Thor ended up discovering something about the Egyptian pantheon.
Horus renounced the government... But not the protection.
"Why? The answer is quite simple, don't you think?... The Humans" said Thoth.
"I know you mean humans, I want to know, why now?!" asked Thor, insisting.
Thoth then sighed.
"We gods control mortals too much... It was because of this 'control' that the 'perfect city' project was a failure in the end," said Thoth.
The argument was that humans had resented the gods before because they didn't have something that defined them...
The Free will.
"I convinced Horus to give power to mortals after some time of reign... And in return, he would leave one of his lineages among mortals," said Thoth.
'One of his lineage among mortals'...
It only meant one thing in Thor's mind.
Demigods.
"Who is the lineage of Horus?" asked Thor.
Thoth then denied it.
"Not yet... We are waiting for the right moment and, by my calculations, it will be a few centuries from now... How do I know that? Mortals reek of conflict at the moment, what is missing now is one mortal with the desire of conquest and resources," said Thoth.
That's what was missing.
A mortal with a desire for conquest and who has the resources to support that desire.
When this power-hungry mortal is born with the right conditions, he will remove any obstacle in front of him if it meant power concentrated in his hands.
Hundreds of mortals will die.
Thanks to what Thoth revealed to Thor, the reincarnated Norse god could finally have a brief idea of what year he was likely in.
Before the first Egyptian dynasty.
And if Thoth's calculations were correct...
Thor was probably in the pre-dynastic Egyptian period.
The period that only ended with the accession to the power of a considered legendary person.
The first pharaoh.
Narmer.
With Thoth commenting on the 'lineage of Horus' among mortals, Thor was sure the first pharaoh would be part of that lineage.
Narmer unified Egypt through war and bloodshed.
The dynasties that followed were not a bed of roses either...
But that wasn't what Thor had in mind at the moment.
"...So you're just going to watch mortals kill each other for power?" asked Thor.
Typical divine action... But again, when didn't humans fight for supremacy?
"When you talk like that, it's very biased... My argument is that humans are changing and therefore the best course of action would be to let them solve their problems. We, gods, will return to what we were before… Figures admired by mortals," replied Thoth.
Thoth's argument was clear.
The gods have tried to guide humans in the past in a more direct way... And this has resulted in humans' resentment towards the gods.
Thoth then asked a question that roused Thor from his thoughts.
"While I enjoy talking about the fascinating species that is humanity... You have yet to answer my question," said Thoth, looking up at the Norse god.
That's when Odin's son remembered why he was here.
"I would like to learn, if possible, the same technique you used to heal Hathor," said Thor.
Thoth stared at the Norse god.
"...And the reason?" asked Thoth.
Thor then looked Thoth in the eye and said without missing a beat.
"Be stronger," said Thor.
This seemed to amuse the Egyptian god.
"Is that your answer? 'Be stronger'? I suppose that's a very predictable response for a Norse god," said Thoth.
The Norse god then commented.
"I don't care if it's predictable, it's my answer for a good reason... I need it if I want to get prepared for a sticky situation," said Thor.
Thor was aware of beings that could kill him if they had the right things.
Like a powerful poison.
Not to mention the future weapons that will exist in this world... Like Longinus.
The reincarnated Norse god knew he needed something that could cover up this flaw he had regarding immunity.
It was then that Thor found out about the technique that Thoth possessed.
A technique that revived a goddess shortly after being decapitated and, of course, killed.
Even Isis, the supposed goddess of magic, was not shown performing such a feat.
Who contested this feat was Thoth.
A scribe-god.
... That must have been a severe blow to the goddess Isis.
"Needs to get prepared... Hmm... Sure, why not," said Thoth, shrugging his shoulders.
This action surprised Thor a bit.
"…Just like that?" asked Thor suspiciously.
Thoth then replied with a smile.
"I already said I am the god of wisdom, son of Odin... While I enjoy accumulating knowledge, it is even more refreshing to put that acquired knowledge into practice... And share it" said Thoth.
For some reason... Thor thought Thoth would make a good teacher in modern times.
But there's still something Thor was curious about during the conversation...
"By the way... You said that the age of the gods will end because of humans, but what's stopping the gods from eliminating humans again?" asked Thor.
After all, the gods have already made humans start over by destroying an entire city.
What would stop the gods from doing the same thing?
Thoth's answer was given with a smile.
"Your question is valid, gods may have killed many human settlements throughout history. But I'm sure that eventually, we will find formidable humans, that will represent the pinnacle of their race, but when? I don't know," said Thoth.
Humans reacting.
That statement held Thor's attention for good reason.
Because Thor knew the story of a human, even with divine blood in his veins, considered legendary through an ancient epic known in his previous life.
A legendary king, who disrespected the gods, and defies them.
Gilgamesh.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Your lessons start now! Let's go my student!" said Thoth.
This seemed to have awakened Thor, who then remembered his group.
As Thoth liked to share knowledge, Thor saw an opportunity for his group to also learn from the scribe god.
"Wait, I'll call my -" said Thor, before being interrupted.
Thoth was not happy.
"No, I only accept teaching one student at a time, after all, if knowledge is dispersed at the same time to other parts, it is unlikely that they will fully understand, and so it is very likely that each student will develop a selective memory that will only remind him of some things, but not everything," said Thoth, as he walked quickly out of the library.
Thor then caught up with the scribe-god.
"What about the talk of enjoying sharing knowledge?" asked Thor.
Thoth then looked at Thor.
"But I'm sharing knowledge with you, if you want your group to learn too, you will be responsible for their teachings, after all, I dropped my chores to teach you, and already made me lose minutes of unrecorded history... By the way," said Thoth.
The god-scribe then snapped his fingers and then a piece of papyrus, along with a quill, appeared beside the god-scribe.
It was then that a light blue aura emerged from Thoth's body and 'came out'.
The aura had the form of the scribe god.
"Ugh... I never like to do that, it's always weird... Very well, you know what to do" said Thoth, looking at his 'clone'.
The 'clone' of the scribe-god looked at Thoth and did not respond, but snatched the quill and papyrus from the air and began to walk towards the center of the library from before.
This ability caught Thor's attention.
"Intriguing skill... What do you call it?" asked Thor.
Thoth looked at the Norse god.
"I don't have a specific name for it, but basically it's a stable construction made of divine power, so things like breathing, eating, sleeping, talking, or anything like that, are impossible actions for it to perform. However you can write, the problem is that it's too fragile so it's not very useful in battle if that's what you have in mind. Let's go to your first class in body recombination magic before we evolve into muscle rewound magic," said Thoth.
Thor could only sigh.
After all, the Norse god knew that he would be visiting these lands for quite some time if he wanted to learn the resurrection technique perfectly.
But if everything is right, the result would be worth it.
But if there was anything else Thor was interested in, it was building a utopia.
A city where gods cohabited among mortals...
Thor could only imagine such a city.
Well... That's it, folks!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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Forgive me in case of grammatical errors... I tried. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I still haven't figured out how to link the paragraph images... Someone, please help me!