Atlas Battle Song

"You are crazy."

Little Tland rubbed his eyes while mending the burned doll.Little Egg had burn ointment on his right hand, but he didn't care at all. He just sat on the bed with the cushions in his arms, watching his partner sewing intently.

"Quick, cure the puppet lion."

"I could sew you a new one! Why put your hand in the fire, it's abominable, woo-woo."

"Then it's dead."

"It won't die. It is the god of the puppet, and it can live on any puppet. We can always carry it with us in the future." Little Trander said.

"But..." Little Egg buried his face in the soft cushion, "I don't like my friends dying..."

"Coincidentally, I don't like it either."

Little Trande sighed and stroked the young master's braids.He remembered what the Countess had said before, and continued to say to Egg:

"I know what you are afraid of, but don't worry, I will always be with you. There are also examples of half-Sybyls living for two to three hundred years, I guess there should be?"

"..."

"Anyway, don't worry, I won't die soon like the countess said."

"really?"

"Lie to you, I'm a puppy."

Little Trander smiled, leaned over and kissed the young master on the cheek.Instead, he was lightly bitten by little Egg.

"Ouch, why did you bite!"

"I'm a wild leopard, you can't kiss me randomly."

"Why not let the kiss? Is it written in the law that it is not allowed to kiss wild leopards? Does Nushen have this taboo? I want to, I want to kiss ten more times! Press the kiss!"

Little Trander put the puppet and needlework on the table, rushed over and hugged the young master for a kiss.Little Egg got impatient, and the two boys wrestled each other.After playing around for a while, a warm feeling came to my heart, and Trander became serious and kissed the young master.

The kiss was short.

But as if they had just had a taste of rum, they timidly tried it a second time.

"Ugh..."

The teenagers were out of breath, freed from the eager tongue kiss, and felt embarrassed seeing each other's blushing face.Little Egg's braids were messed up, Trander couldn't help it, leaned over and bit the young master's snow-white neck lightly.

The skin was soft and smooth, and little Trander couldn't help but lick it again... The inexplicable excitement made his heart jump wildly.Involuntarily wanting to explore more, he put his hand on the young master's waist.

"Ah!" He came back to his senses, and immediately jumped off the little Egg, "Ah, ah, I'm sorry... Let's go ahead and cure the little puppet lion!"

"It's ok."

"..."

Little Trand turned his back and pretended to be concentrating on sewing the puppet, but his ears were already burning hot.

"The silly lion is blushing!" Little Egg poked on purpose.

"do not talk……!"

The puppet's skin was already sewn, and Trand began stuffing cotton into it.

Little Egg said suddenly, "Do you have any plans for the future?"

"Yes, I want to save money, become a knight, and be with you."

"Where are you going to be a knight?"

"Anywhere is fine, as long as it can protect you." Little Trande sighed, and the movements of his hands became careless.

It gave him a headache when the subject came up, and sooner or later they had to face it.Moreover, the Earl has discovered the delicate relationship between the boys, and he doesn't know what will happen in the future.Little Trande was mentally prepared, maybe it would be good to stay in Gorgon's house as a bodyguard in the future, as long as he could stay by Yigo's side.

Little Tland looked at the puppet in his hand in a daze.The puppet lion is still smiling with its balls open, it looks a bit silly, but the young master really loves it.

"Maybe we should stay here," said Trand.

Little Egg shook his head:

"No, you should leave here and go to the imperial capital. If you work for the Gorgon family, you will always be just a prince's soldier. But if you work for the empire, you may become a royal knight and become the emperor's direct subordinate. At that time all Everyone will approve of you. Trand, you should go."

"But then we have to separate."

"It won't be separated. I will also go to the knights in the imperial capital. The Gorgon family hopes that I will gain military exploits."

"Can……"

"There will be a conscription in the Imperial City next spring, and I will ask my father's friends to recommend you to become an apprentice knight."

"Next spring? That's too soon, we're going to be separated in a few months!"

"It won't be separated. You should become a knight attendant first. I won't be able to join the knight order until I'm 15 years old. Then we can be together in the imperial capital."

"15 years old! Then I have to be separated from you for 3 years!"

Little Trand cried out in horror.In the minds of children of this age, this is almost half a lifetime.

"Trand, 3 years is not that long. The Sybils can live for almost 300 years. Don't worry, Dad will definitely let me join the Royal Knights. Dad himself is not good at swordsmanship, and he couldn't be a knight in front of the imperial court when he was young. .I am much better than him. At that time in the imperial capital, we can always be together without adults in charge."

"So... can we really be together in the imperial capital?"

"of course."

There was snow outside the window.

The world seemed to become a mass of white light.The two children could not help being distracted.

"That, Master Egg..."

Little Trander summoned up his courage: "I will definitely become a very powerful and powerful man in the future, and I will be able to stand side by side with you at that time. I will protect you and accompany you...so...so... "

Little Egg tilted his head and listened carefully.

"So... can I love you?"

Trande's tone was very firm, and he didn't seem to be asking a question at all.But shyness and anxiety shone in those bright green eyes.

Little Egg smiled and touched his partner's ears, "I like little lions."

"I love you, Master Egg, and I swear I will always love you."

He took little Egg's hand and kissed tenderly the wrist, the palm.

Little Tland felt a little strange, he had never said such a serious thing.Words are like the snow outside the window, falling solemnly and brilliantly, like angels, filling the hearts of young people.

This is holy, he thought, and it must come true.

"Then I also swear that I will definitely return to Trander." Little Egg smiled and kissed his partner's hand.

If there really are gods in the sky of falling snow, they will see the hearts of the two children.They are like two groups of pure white flames, trembling close to each other on the ground.

Since then, the two boys have cherished their time together even more.Because when the spring comes, the two will part again temporarily.

Little Egg wrote a letter in his father's name, and found Trand a position as a knight squire.Sir Kardud served in the Second Royal Knights. His ancestor was a vassal of the Gorgon family. He was happy to accept Trand as his squire and promised that if the boy did well enough, he could recommend the boy to join the knights group.

In the past, only pure-blooded Sibyls and noble children could join the Royal Knights, half-Sybyls and ordinary humans were not eligible.However, in order to balance the interests of various races, the empress Turna relaxed the conditions and allowed those with outstanding martial arts to join.

Once you become a royal knight and get the golden snake ring badge, you will belong directly to the emperor and have the opportunity to get close to the core of imperial power.

Such an opportunity is rare for a young man from a humble background.Little Trand knew instinctively that this was his only chance to change his fate.If he has made outstanding military exploits, he may be awarded titles and fiefdoms one day.

He wanted many things, and he wanted doubly what others wanted.Power, status, money, he knew the power of these things too early.The power ring may be more powerful than the gods, and a bag of gold coins may save those who cannot be saved by prayer.Little Trand always missed his mother. He used to be a poor boy with nothing, so he couldn't protect his mother.If you become a better person yourself, things will not be like that.

The boy made up his mind to use every opportunity to climb up.

When he climbed to the top of the tower, he could get the emerald in the golden box... Egg would be his, and no one could take it away.

"that is it!"

"What are you thinking about, brat, concentrate on training!" The swordsmanship teacher rubbed the back of Little Trand's head angrily.

"oh oh."

Little Trander turned his head in embarrassment, and looked at the young master who was sitting on the side watching his training.

It was snowing outside, and little Egg was sitting quietly, with bandages on his hands, a cloak of silver sable fur on his shoulders, and a dark green obsidian bow tie on his chest.

"You're like a portrait." Little Trander couldn't help but take a second look, but was spanked by the fencing teacher.

"Yes, a portrait."

Little Egg remembered this sentence, and when he got back, he told his mother that he wanted a portrait.The countess agreed.

On a sunny day, a well-known painter came with several apprentices to paint portraits for the children of the Gorgon family.

Little Egg's request to be with Little Trand was rejected.After all, the portrait was to be hung in the study, and together with the portraits of the ancestors, there was no reason for a boy of West Plateau descent to appear there.

"Then... I'm going with the Muppet Lion," insisted Little Egg.

"My dear, it is unseemly that you are nearly thirteen and almost a grown-up," said the countess.

"..."

The little girl stood up and said, "Can I hold the puppet? Brother can hold that little black cat."

The countess thought about it, and it was okay to hold the cat, so she agreed.

The little girl quietly leaned into Igor's ear and said, "Just treat the little black cat as Trand, since he's so black anyway."

"He's not that dark either, the color of toast at most."

"The color of baked pudding."

"Trander catches crows in the middle of the night."

"I was caught by a hunter when I went out, and I went back to make a honey-roasted lion."

The siblings turned their heads in unison, looking at Little Trand.

"Honey roasted lion."

"The pudding lion."

"Ha...Master Egg, Miss Ishtar..."

The siblings also kept staring at Trand while the portrait was being painted.There was a chill behind Little Trand, and he could only smile awkwardly.

As soon as the painter said "thank you", the three children ran away.Little Trand ran ahead, and the brother and sister chased after him.After the lion cub was caught, Egg and Ishtar dragged him to the playroom and tied him up to play the game of returning from hunting.

One winter passed, and the portraits of the children were done.It's time for Little Trande to go to the imperial capital.

Little Egg said that the kitten in the painting represented Trande, and this was the portrait of the two of them, "When I see this in the future, I will think..."

"Will you remember me!"

Little Trand was a little moved.

"Think 'Trand looks so dark,' honey toast."

"Humph!"

Little Trand pretended to be angry.

"I still have this," Little Egg took out a beautiful glass box, "very rare!"

"What's in it?"

"nice one!"

"Show me, show me—!"

When the glazed box was opened, Trander was a little disappointed, there was only a baby tooth inside.Probably the nanny told the young master some childish folk tales.

"If you put your baby teeth under the pillow, no fairy will come to exchange money with you. Besides, your Gorgon family is not short of money at all!"

"hey-hey."

Little Egg laughed and said nothing.

On the day the ice of the fountain melted, Little Trand was going to go.He got a horse with which to carry his little pack.

Children, servants, and knights came to see him off.

"Goodbye, silly boy, you have to come back often to visit the young master and us." The old nurse cried while holding the boy.

"grandmother."

Little Trande's eyes were moist too, and he really loved this stern yet gentle old nanny.

The knights were not so sentimental, and gave the boy a sword and a set of armor.

"Stinky boy, if you can't get along in the imperial capital, come back. The young master let you go, this is really a big loss for us."

"I'll be back, let's have a drink together then."

"Let's talk about it when you're old enough to drink and find women, hahaha."

The maids were especially reluctant, because the boys used to polish the silver with them, and the little ones used to amuse them.

Little Ishtar took the governess's hand, and suddenly burst into tears.The aloof image that the little girl usually insists on can no longer hold back anymore.

"Brother Trand, wow—!"

Little Trander wanted to cry too, but so many people watched, he patted the little girl on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't cry Ishtar, real men don't cry! You will also come to the imperial capital to be a knight in the future." , shall we play together again then?"

The atmosphere made little Trand's nose sore, as if he was really saying goodbye to his family.The past few years living in the Gorgon family really gave him too much.

"Silly lion."

At the last moment, Master Egg came over.Little Trand was ready to say a lot of sad and inspiring words, after all, he thought about it all night yesterday and took some notes.

"after……"

Little Egg smiled and hugged Trand.

"my friend."

That's all he said.

The tears still couldn't be held back, Little Trand hugged Master Egg and began to cry.

Goodbye, long summer.