The Hun God Swords - Angel of hope

Untitled Part 186

The high priest of the talts walked slowly among the colonnades of the endless hall toward the seemingly tiny platform in the distance, on which a person was visible behind a desk. On the left, it was slowly becoming clear in front of Eskam that a lot of people were busy at their tables.

In front of them are rolls of paper stretched on a blackboard and written in Roman. In addition to their right hands, there were also stretched papers on the scaffolding. On them, Eskam clearly recognized the roses used by the taltos. Almost innumerable rolls lay on the ground, which had already been completed, with ink stains on their edges.

The priests' hood did not cover the top of their heads. The light of the flames played on their bald white scalps. One of them slowly looked up at Eskam. His mouth looked as if he had been sewn together. The expelled nodded silently. He signaled his respect to the newcomer. Then he nodded imperceptibly with his head to those busy five lines away.

Eskam signaled to the outcast with a smile, understood his greeting, and saw what he wanted to show him. The monk returned to his preoccupation.

Eskam's much-seen eyes had already noticed him from afar, as soon as in the farther rows or twenty monks did not show his bald-shaven scalp, the hood was folded over it. The writing is also only mimicked, their gaze is not raised on the papers containing the rose, but because of their slightly turned head they felt it, watching every step.

As Eskam approached the podium, the seemingly aged person sitting there stood up. He slowly limped down the stairs, spreading his arms to greet the newcomer with a hug:

- Eskam. My old friend. - the words, the joy, were honest. This was both felt by each other, and the embrace stretched a little long.

- Well, we're really meeting here. You hold the office of high priest in Rome. When I first heard his news, I could hardly believe it. "Eskam's words were friendly and appreciative."

- Let's go a little further. There are too many ears in this part of the room, and I have nothing to say about them. The High Priest of Rome nodded at the expelled.

Eskam followed his old friend to the table, which was located in the middle of a large area behind the rows of columns on the right. There food and drink, two chairs were visible. After they both took their seats, they began to stare grimly at each other. First, Eskam spoke. He felt he had to break the silence:

- How much time do we have to talk face to face? - the question was measured.

- Until I signal my device. That's all. The answer was overly threatening. "My message, don't put your feet on Roman ground without Attila and the army." Not just behind the city walls of Rome. Or maybe you didn't get it?

- I know about it. I had to see with my own eyes where the preparations were going.

- The former talts enjoyed and quickly copied the roses describing the operation of the Hun empire into a language understood by the Romans. Their work is flawless. Their drawings are accurate. According to the plans, the new empire can be built without hindrance. They who are here now are very educated people of Eskam...

- I know. We pushed them out because it was their desire that they are working on now. Faith and secular power come together through them. Well, they do what they do for their own dreams. Work well. Eskam smiled.

" But why did you come here, despite my words, Osijek?" This is a trap. You can't leave Rome alive. You won't get out of the church either. The Pretoriaians are captured.

- Your situation is worrying, too. Plans leaked out of Flavius' circles. The Senate is still playing a double game...

- I 'm dying, Eskam. He pointed to the right side of the high priest's body. My device nodded. - I'm not worth the next winter either. The epidemic that devastated the poor quarter hit me too. My healing power is abandoned.

- Your faith has left. My friend. The power is in you, you just can't get it anymore. "My device was measured and brittle."

- What else do I have faith in? The thirteen returned to Eszkam...

- I know. One of them is in Flavius' army. The taltos measured measuredly what he thought was true.

- How? The high priest of the Romans turned pale. - They're not human. They are not mundane. Any fight against them is ineffective. They cannot be destroyed, and humanity will fail again. Their voice is a liar...

- But we got a new chance. The sword is on the ground. The lives of the thirteen must also be transient. We live and do what we do so that what we have done against our ancestors does not happen again. Humanity will not fail. "Eskam's composure passed to the other priest."

" So you still think your judgment on the servitude and destruction of people will be changed by the higher power.

" I think so, I know, and I know we can decide our destruction." As well as our bondage. That is not immutable. That must be so. And once upon a time, you believed and could subordinate everything to a common goal. The taltos was still smiling.

" Even so, your journey here is over, Eskam." Why did you have to reveal our plans to the emperor?

" You know what I think they're doing here." Secular power and...

" The high priest of the taltos sent them here and allowed them to do so."

" Gorda may have seen it as good then." The taltos shook his head.

- What are your intentions during the interrogation? The high priest took out a vial and placed it on the table in front of Eskam. - It works quickly and is painless.

- What do you mean? Eskam was still smiling. "Aren't you afraid of your own skin?" You said your death wasn't far off.

- Your own betrayal was lost by Eskam. The light of Amon Ré's last offspring also fades. The Roman high priest regretted.

- Then tell me. The taltos was still smiling.

" The time of the great taltos leaders is running out." Thirteen can destroy their memory in the space of a single man. One hundred and five hundred winters? Eskam! If Attila fails, everything can be lost. Not only the Taltos, but the Huns, and with it the great king of their empire, are forgotten by the people. What if, as an emperor, you don't do what you need to do? The desire for power can take away his mind as well. Another living deity?

" Don't worry about Attila, or us." Our guards are prepared. Don't worry so much. Do what you have to do. the calmness of the taltos seemed boundless.

- I'm sorry, Osijek! I'm really sorry. The Roman high priest nodded.

He slowly got up from his chair and turned his back on Eskam. Sitting in the chair, the taltos released the metal buckles holding the heavy bearskin and descended on the back of the cloak. The finished head tapped on the floor. He didn't want any obstacles that would have made his movement more difficult.

Turning his two short blades towards his forearm, he stood up slowly and turned. The ornate uniform of the Pretorians gleamed in the light of the fires. Around some of them lay monk hoods on the ground. There were more and more of them in the huge hall. Oskam walked slowly towards them.

The battle noise from Horka was almost lost in the huge hall. The sound of screams watered on the walls. After a long time, the Pretorians dragged two bound persons out of the main entrance of the church and made their way to the Imperial Palace.

The removal of the dead took until morning.