A few days later, the four-person team departed from Uruk, crossing wetlands and the vast Mesopotamian plains.
They arrived at the banks of the Euphrates River, where lush greenery resembling a tropical rainforest came into view. The humid, sweltering climate along the way was marked by tangled vines and large mosquitoes and plants with unmistakable traces of ancient life.
They even saw man-eating flowers over two meters tall, spiders nearly the height of a grown adult, and several Cretaceous period pterosaurs gliding overhead from time to time.
These monsters clearly treated the rainforest as their territory and hunting grounds. Whenever they swooped down, they'd grab bizarre insects or magical beasts of various sizes, then tear them apart mid-air before devouring them—primitive, savage, and bloody.
Throughout the journey, Ishtar, as a native goddess, couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying power of the feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl.
To be able to reshape geography and ecosystems on such a broad scale—this was a power a tier above the Goddess of Demonic Beasts, Gorgon, who merely used humans to create magical beasts through the "Mother of Genesis."
Reflecting on herself, even with her divine authority as a goddess of fertility and war, and bolstered by native blessings, Ishtar wasn't confident she could pull off something like this with ease.
Quetzalcoatl truly lived up to her status as one of the four creators who perfected the Mayan world.
She was indeed powerful—and dangerous!
At that thought, Ishtar grew nervous, glancing warily around the rainforest, constantly on alert for a sudden ambush from the Mayan chief deity.
At that moment, Samael, who was leading the way, noticed her unease. He turned back, gently patted her shoulder, and spoke in a calm tone.
"Don't be so tense. Relax—everything we've seen so far suggests that Quetzalcoatl isn't planning to kill us."
The ancient serpent pointed to their surroundings, his expression certain.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"This rainforest is dangerous. Even we have to tread carefully."
"But look—we've passed clear, deliberately cut paths, and not once have we seen human remains. Don't you think that's strange?"
"After all, we're not far from human settlements now."
At his words, Ishtar looked ahead and finally spotted the silhouette of the city of Ur, partly obscured by dense forest.
"Could it be... those pterosaurs are hunting magical beasts and venomous bugs here to secretly protect the nearby humans?"
Ana looked up at the pterosaurs flying overhead, their presence devoid of hostility, and pondered aloud.
Samael gave a slight nod, affirming the young girl's intuition. As a reward, he habitually patted her small head with his right hand.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, atop the pyramid-shaped temple, the South American wind goddess—sensing it all through the pterosaurs—smiled faintly.
"Mhm... what a perceptive little one. You've hit my soft spot again."
"But whether you're friend or foe, that's just your wishful thinking."
"It's not so easy to sway a Divine Spirit's will."
"So, you adorable, fragile little lives..."
"Go ahead—try your best! Show me your struggle!"
With a soft giggle, Quetzalcoatl, standing at the top of the Divine Tower, bared a grin laced with savage anticipation.
But in the next moment, her subtle connection to the pterosaurs was suddenly disrupted by a surge of Ether.
Her vision darkened briefly, and her awareness snapped back.
Tch, got spotted? Not bad!
Ah well... the suspense makes it more exciting. Don't keep me waiting too long, alright?
Quetzalcoatl leaned back against the Solar Calendar Stone behind her and gazed into the depths of the lush rainforest.
At the same time, Merlin raised his staff, yawned, and gave a lazy nod to Samael.
The vain Great Goddess also gave a half-hearted wave, struggling to maintain what little was left of her dignity.
"Well, that's what I think too."
Yes, yes, you're absolutely right.
The ancient serpent nodded in agreement, though his thoughts said otherwise—better to play along than risk this hard-earned ally getting annoyed and walking away.
Seeing how tactful he was, Ishtar beamed, hooking her arm around Samael's neck.
"I'm really starting to like you. You talk nicely, you're a decent guy, and most importantly, you bring me good luck!"
"Why don't you just stay at the Temple of Uruk and be my priest?"
This guy? Decent? Are you blind?
How does someone that scheming keep getting praised while I—his dear older brother—end up taking all the flak?
Merlin was instantly wide awake, the corner of his mouth twitching as he recalled that contract clay tablet riddled with traps. He clutched his chest in mock emotional pain.
Get lost.
Samael casually flipped Merlin the middle finger, returning a cold sneer at the latter's over-the-top eye-rolling and exaggerated expressions.
But before the ancient serpent could come up with an excuse, Ishtar—whose enthusiasm rarely lasted long—suddenly turned to look at the city of Ur a hundred meters ahead, her mood lifting.
"Nope, nope! We've been walking all day, and this rainforest is hot and sticky—I'm drenched in sweat!"
"It's already getting late, and traveling at night would be dangerous."
"Let's stop in Ur first, take a proper bath, and have a good meal!"
The three others found her request reasonable, so they nodded and followed her lead.
Once inside the city, they saw that the roots of surrounding vegetation had pierced through the city walls, while the dense forest overhead blocked most of the sunlight.
There were no signs of bloodshed or corpses in the streets, but every figure they saw was either a woman or a child.
Most of their faces carried a mix of sorrow and numbness.
Curious, Ana and Ishtar approached a few of the passersby to ask about the situation, and from their answers, they quickly understood the reason behind the city's bleak condition.
Ur had been consumed by the forest soon after its rapid expansion.
Although the city's High Priestess had sent multiple calls for aid to Uruk, the messengers either failed to make it out or the soldiers dispatched for rescue were swallowed up by the dense jungle—none of their bodies ever found.
After several failed attempts, despair took hold of Ur's people. In the end, they chose to submit to Kukulkan, the goddess residing within the forest.
Following her orders, they began selecting elite male warriors each month to be sent to the Sun Temple in Eridu for sacrificial rituals.
Since none of the men ever returned, to the people of Ur, this was no different from a death sentence.
Over time, their will to resist was worn away. Now, they'd become completely resigned to their fate—leaving the city wasn't even something they considered anymore.
Even so, despite their submission to the goddess of the jungle, a lingering unease remained.
Because Samael and the others didn't demand they choose sides or prepare for war with Kukulkan, the priestesses willingly arranged lodgings, clean clothes, and food for the Uruk reinforcements.
...
That evening, Ana leaned against a railing, gazing at the sparse lights scattered across the city. The faint sound of sobbing reached her ears, and her expression tightened.
"Even if Kukulkan really loves humans... that kind of love has already brought suffering to the people of Ur!"
At some point, Samael had come to stand behind her. He spoke softly, his gaze distant with reflection.
"Between humans and gods, there's often a gap. Some relationships are like how we treat pets—cats and dogs."
"Feeding them, petting them—that's love. But chaining them up, or neutering them, might also be considered love from the owner's perspective."
"That's why... until you've built mutual trust and understanding, don't speak of humanity when it comes to gods."
Just as the ancient serpent fell silent in thought, a strange tremor rose beneath his feet—like the churning of the earth's crust. At the same time, the threads in his mind suddenly tightened and rang with tension.
Eridu... be careful... danger...
Disjointed thoughts converged into a warning—a whisper from the Mother Goddess, Tiamat.
It carried both concern... and unease.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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