《The Legacy of Gilgamesh》Chapter 27 The Mad King 2
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But even with his divine gifts, the inevitability of death still loomed over Auther. As his life span extended beyond that of mere mortals, the ravages of time still gnawed at him. In his golden years, whispers of darkness would haunt his thoughts, and yet he was the King Chosen by God, how could he cower in the face of death? He convinced himself.
But as each passing day brought him closer to his final breath, the once mighty ruler became consumed by a fear of the unknown, and his ego was unable to shield him from the inevitable.
Seeing his once-towering stature diminish, Auther felt the weight of mortality bearing down upon him each passing day. He remembered the days when he was feared and revered, his kingdom sprawling and thriving under his rule.
The thought of his legacy ending with his death was unbearable. In his desperation, he remembered a figure he encountered in his younger years, a man towering and commanding, who had the power to bend lightning and make the storms kneel at his command.
The Great God he named Gaia. He was a being of unparalleled might, with a voice that thundered like the storm and eyes that shone like stars. Auther was but a mortal when he first met the Great God, a mere shell of his former self. But when the Great God chose him to be the vessel for his immense power, Auther was transformed.
Gaia imbued him with knowledge beyond the reach of mere mortals, and bequeathed upon him the infinity fire, a flame that burned with a brilliant light. He was also gifted with the divine sword Excalibur, a weapon that would strike fear into the hearts of all who dared to oppose him. And finally, Gaia granted him the power of the gods, making him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
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As Auther's fear of death grew stronger, he became increasingly devoted to the Great God Gaia. He commissioned the construction of magnificent churches in his honor, and the creation of countless statues that depicted his perceived form, remembered from the fleeting glimpse he caught during their journeys.
To ensure that his devotion was truly remembered, Auther returned to the place where he first met Gaia, and oversaw the construction of a massive statue, towering over the land, depicting the Great God in all his splendor. Beside it, he built a chapel, grand and opulent, filled with intricate details, a testament to the devotion and reverence he held for the deity that had granted him the power of the gods. The chapel was a place of worship, where the people of the kingdom could come to offer their own prayers and tribute to the Great God Gaia, ensuring that his legacy would live on even after his own death.
As the years passed, Auther grew more and more powerful, but he never forgot his encounter with the Great God. He yearned to see Gaia again, even in death, and he longed to visit the kingdom in the clouds, where the gods reside. He dreamed of becoming an immortal and powerful deity, just like the Great God Gaia who had blessed him with his immense power.
King Auther, ruler of the Holy Empire, made a bold move in declaring the religion of Gaia as the sole religion of the empire. He named this new faith Giamor, with the deity Gaia serving as the Great God of Creation.
Auther, a devout believer in Giamor, then relocated the capital to the Holy City of Giamor, where towering status of Gaia is and where he would preside over grand sacrificial ceremonies annually in hopes of pleasing the all-powerful Gaia.
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To further spread the word of Giamor, Auther handpicked a group of individuals he deemed pure in their belief, dubbing them "Saints." These devoted followers flocked to the temple day and night, offering prayers and offerings to Gaia in the pursuit of immortality, a gift they believed the Great God of Creation would bestow upon them.
Despite all his efforts, King Auther was met with silence from the deity he so fervently worshiped. The lack of response from Gaia caused the king to question the adequacy of his devotion, leading him to fall into a state of depression and cruelty.
His once clear judgement became clouded by his own emotions and ideas, causing him to lash out and bring about the deaths of countless subjects for even the slightest perceived slight. This cycle of violence and darkness continued until the day before his death, when the weight of his actions finally caught up to him.
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