【Shine】One Thousand and One Nights

——The Seventh Night Part II——

They walked towards Uruk side by side, the sun waved away the clouds, the dry branches sprouted new shoots, the city was lit with smoke, and even the birds were singing for the light.

The crowd is cheering to welcome them back, just like many years ago in the world, they killed the bull of the sky, and the people prostrated in admiration and praised their bravery.

Xi Lai was still standing at the corner of the city wall, motionless. When he saw their figures, he jumped up and waved his hands happily.

"Poet! Well! You are back!"

Her teeth had grown back, and now she looked like a normal, excited little girl, chattering away to herself.

"I knew it was right to let the poet take over Eun! The sun is out! Eun is happy too! Hahaha I'm so good! My mother also said that I'm causing trouble for Eun, so I won't! Isn't it right? Yes No, poet!"

Normally Gilgamesh would be troubled by Sirai's repeated words and the girl's high-pitched voice, but at this moment he praised her without hesitation: "Yes, little girl, you have been a great help."

Xilai was stunned: "... Poet, you actually agree with me."

Gilgamesh snorted, "I've said it before, you caught my eye, I just agree, don't make a fuss."

"..."

Xi Lai's face turned red, and she shyly hid behind her mother. After hiding for a while, she revealed half of her face again and asked in a low voice.

"So, poet... are you going to Embilulu?"

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow, waiting for her explanation.

Although he didn't show dissatisfaction, the crowd dared not speak out because of his coercion, and Xilai also timidly fled to seek shelter behind Enkidu, lowering his voice and speaking slowly.

"Because...we are dead people. When En is angry, everyone wants to protect him and be with him forever...so, I want to eat you." She said guiltyly, "but now everyone I remembered... This is both Uruk and the underworld. We will disappear one by one. How uncomfortable it must be for Enbilulu at that time. If Embilulu eats it, he will really die..."

"Who are you?" Gilgamesh asked.

Xilai was confused: "I am Xilai, a poet."

Yeah.Gilgamesh nodded, and asked solemnly with a rare expression: "Silei, this is the real ushering in death—I don't even know where the soul will go after it disappears—even so, are you not afraid?"

"You called my name..." Xi Lai gasped in surprise and joy, and stammered, "I, we have all died once, so what is there to be afraid of? A very, very peaceful country that has grown and been blessed by grace! I am already very satisfied..." She raised her face and smiled, "We are all together! Everyone holds hands and has someone to accompany you along the way, so you won't be afraid!"

Enkidu truly felt the power of a river breaking its embankment, the bricks of Uruk, the date palms, the livestock, and even the royal palace, irretrievably turning into light and disappearing into the air bit by bit.

Countless people, people familiar or unfamiliar to him, passed by them one after another, the girl who came to eavesdrop on the story at night, the female officer who rushed to be on duty, the enthusiastic strong man, and the old man who satisfies and laughs with his wife ... They really held hands and jumped into Embilulu cheering like dumplings. The dark river swallowed them gently in the blink of an eye, one after another, they were all blessing.

"Well, you must be happy!" "Thank you" "Uruk is the city-state I am most proud of!" "Ah, I really don't want to die!" "Idiot! Shut up! Don't cry!" "Hahaha, you are still a young man." "The water is so cold!" "Please make Eun happy! Poet!" "I'm counting on you, Eun." "Such a handsome poet, Eun, you must smile at him more." ...

They laughed, cried bitterly, nostalgic, free and easy - disappeared in front of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

Xilai held Im's hand, like a worried elder sister, reluctantly saying goodbye.

"Fortunately, you are with me, so I don't have to worry about it." She said, "And I was called by my name by the poet, so happy!"

She happily "plopped" and smiled with Imbilulu and was embraced gently by Embilulu. Her curly long hair floated in the air for a moment, and disappeared on the river in an instant.

Enkidu had never discovered that the underworld was so quiet, even the vast plain gradually annihilated the grass and trees, the sun became dim, and the cold wind blew towards him.

But luckily he is not alone.

Gilgamesh asked him, "How long can you last?"

Enkidu carefully felt the remaining power: "Perhaps it is similar to you?"

They looked at each other, and Enkidu took Gilgamesh's hand and asked curiously.

"Since there is still some time, would you like to tell me, where did you go after my death?"

"It wasn't an interesting experience," Gilgamesh recalled, "I came to the underworld, but I couldn't find you—you were hiding in the deepest place—and then I asked Apus," he ignored En Qidu couldn't help but interrupted to correct the teardown of "It's a threat", "He succumbed to me and made an agreement with me that he would not make any small moves to hinder me, and I will recognize the real one from countless worlds by myself. You, retrieve your memories and feelings by yourself."

"I've known for a long time that when I'm in the underworld, those guys won't let me find you so easily," he smiled maliciously and sneered arrogantly, "As revenge, before I was alive, I ordered people to put them down for being humiliated. The abandonment of human beings, how to save in vain, how to witness the process of the world being taken from them to human beings was engraved and recorded in detail on clay tablets. The ugliness of being ridiculed by the most despised human beings!"

"You still carved clay tablets?" Enkidu valued Gilgamesh more than gods.

Gilgamesh was satisfied with his focus: "Of course it is impossible to describe them all, but the clay tablet is an important treasure used to describe the glorious deeds and heroic legends of me and you. It is enough for those guys to occupy a corner !"

"I...with you?" Enkidu was stunned, "Even then, I'm already dead?"

"What is death? There is nothing immortal in this world!" Gilgamesh laughed, "Flowers wither, rivers dry up, and even dynasties will eventually be overthrown—but ah, Enkidu, even if the world is destroyed At the end of the day, I will not let go of your hand. Tens of thousands of stars have witnessed that even if I die, I will hug your bones, and let the ancient poems flow our legend."

He squeezed Enkidu's hand.

"Is this love? This is a request. I want you to be with me all the time in the future, and future generations will not be able to avoid you when they hear my great name. See, no matter whether you are alive or dead, this way you are a parting Leave me alone."

Time has stopped.

Even the silent underworld seemed to be moved, the cold wind stopped blowing, and everything was silent, not daring to disturb.

This flamboyant, defiant king was watching him resolutely and tenderly at this moment, even though his body was gradually dissipating, that straight body did not show the slightest timidity.

Even if he died at this moment, he would have no regrets, Enkidu thought, seeing his fingers become pale and transparent.

"How should we end?" he asked.

Gilgamesh replied, "Newborn."

"Ok?"

"'They ushered in death, and new life.'—you forget the story too soon, Enkidu," he reproached with false disapproval.

"Hahaha!" Enkidu laughed heartily, "It turns out that this is not the end—this is really great."

He hugged him and murmured contentedly: "It would be great if I could meet you again when I was born again."

"We will meet again." Gilgamesh tightened his arms and promised him firmly, "I promise you."

Enkidu closed his eyes and smiled slightly.

"I'm waiting for you. If you don't come to me, I will come to you. I will meet you in every world, and we will be together in every world."

He seemed to hear the sound of the wind, grand and gentle, kind and cold, just like they are still standing in the world, watching the sun rise and set.

"Then, I'll take a step first," Enkidu whispered with a smile, "see you later."

With nothing in his arms, Gilgamesh lowered his head, his blond hair fell down, covering his expression, only his soft and firm voice could be heard.

"Ah, see you later."

—the light disappeared.

The wind blows across the empty land.

This is the once undead country, the depths of the underworld where countless souls were imprisoned.

The bustling capital covered with green grass and the sun and the moon changed into nothing, the naughty children disappeared, the smoke from the kitchen was blown away by the cold wind, and the flowers and dew were swallowed by the darkness.

There is only one long, dark river flowing far away, guarding the depths of the underworld where there is no one there for 100 or 1000 years.

Waiting for the next meeting.