The hospitality of the Priel family at least played a role in maintaining vital signs.
Kraft identified identifiable parts from the food that passed in front of him, filled his stomach with a few that seemed safer, then put down the tableware neatly, pretending that he was a Puritan who was very restrained in eating.
The baron expressed his appreciation for this state of abandoning food and drink, and ordered the steward to summon a guide and lead the well-rested convoy to the monastery.
Although he has not been there for many years, the current Baron Priory can still easily find the location of the building.
Standing at the top of the tower, looking in the direction he pointed, a gray-black corner was looming among the chaotic patches of mountain vegetation and mist.
It was at the other end of the basin. The mountain with an unfriendly slope was occupied by a large exposed rock wall from the middle. It was like a wooden pile that was moved by Heavenly Father, cut a few times and then inserted straight into the ground, and other peaks.
It forms a fence to protect the human lamb in the basin.
The guide repeatedly reminded everyone to calm down the horses in advance to avoid accidents on the only walkable road.
It has to be said that the people who originally chose the site for the monastery had far more strategic vision than the local families. If this poor place has sufficient food and water, even if no fortifications are specially built, it will be enough to disgust the attackers until the end of time.
No matter how many troops there are, they will be blocked on the mountain road. At most, they can only deploy a frontal force of a dozen people, and it will be even more difficult in some places.
However, the part belonging to the monastery does not start from the mountain road.
Before they stepped into the shadow of the mountains, they noticed some abandoned land and buildings, which were clearly separated from the surrounding harvested fields by an invisible boundary.
Weeds and shrubs that have been in rotation for countless years have flooded the field edges. Occasionally, wild berries with plump fruits can be seen hanging on the vines covered with fine thorns. It seems that the soil that has been idle for a long time is very fertile.
Climbing plants grow like scales all over the building walls. Most of the xylems have deteriorated due to the erosion of the humid climate, and hang down in a loose, softened, semi-corrupted form. The parts that rarely get sunlight are smeared with green and white spots, which is disgusting.
.
However, the main body made of rocks is still intact. From the shape, we can see the stables, windmills, and even some houses for cultivators, indicating that the permanent population was no less than that of some small and medium-sized villages.
This is all part of the monastery's property. According to the guide, many low-level monks and tenants once lived here, but it was abandoned after the monks left.
It seems that the Priyer family faithfully carried out the will left by the church and did not use these idle lands even in poor economic conditions.
The desolate scene continued to the foot of the mountain, where the guide found a few dozing soldiers, or militiamen with scrawled arms. The calluses on their hands looked more like farm tools than weapons, and there was still dirt between the fingernails.
The guard's job is probably more leisurely than that of most tombkeepers. After all, even the deceased will not visit this place that has been forgotten by the Father for twenty years.
The guards sleepily cleared away all kinds of debris, extinguished the cooking fires, and made way for the team to pass.
Kraft dismounted and embarked on the road that he had been repeatedly warned to be careful about, and found that it was very different from what he had imagined.
Before they reached the halfway point, they began to regret why they had to unload the things from the carriage and use horses to carry them.
This road paved with gravel has not been completely eroded after twenty years. Even at its narrowest point, it is still about the width of a semi-carriage. There are not many plants growing on the road.
rise.
On the inaccessible cliff, instead of adopting a convenient and labor-saving suspended plank road, a road was directly hollowed out into the rock.
The builders obviously enjoyed their work and added a lot of carvings with themes from sacred scriptures on the inside of the road, seemingly hoping that more pedestrians would stop and admire this expensive stretch of road.
More than twenty years are far from enough time to erase these works. After repeated dissolution, the dried mineral paint particles still stubbornly remain on the surface where moss cannot grow. Some of them drip down along the carved lines, making the overall outline and color disconnected.
A grotesque flowing image.
The unpredictable wind direction in the mountains blew clouds and mist carrying light rain, and the team slowed down.
Brother Raymond was able to have time to explain the content to the group leader and his two disciples who were halfway through becoming a monk.
At the bottom, the prophet receives the Ten Commandments, and the followers closely follow the prophet standing on a high place, receiving enlightenment from above in the composition. The continuous mountains at the feet cleverly utilize the dark brown color of the rock itself, and the clouds are holed above.
He emphasized that the prophet's robes are usually blue or purple to reflect holiness and authority, while the mountains and clouds on the lower left and upper right are decorations used to express a sense of mystery. They are not the protagonist but indispensable.
Many contents that laymen pass by in passing actually have corresponding default rules or metaphors.
The sequence of these relief paintings begins with the prophet's admonition and goes up to the birth of the chosen ones: a baby with a halo above his head is born in a simple room, surrounded by angels and flocks of sheep. The sheep actually have their own names.
and specific locations.
These tedious details are actually reflected in the work, and the energy invested is evident.
Next, there are the deeds of the prophets and the chosen ones on earth in the name of the Father. It is really difficult for Raymond to take these contents so seriously after his trip to Dunling Underground Lake.
Kraft and Kupp could not be said to be fascinated by what they heard, but they could only be said to be drowsy. They were confused when they entered the scenic spot and found that the tour guide was a history teacher and was still explaining the key points of knowledge. They secretly guessed that the person who made mistakes in the past was
It wasn't because I was sleepy that I could fall through the air on such a wide road.
The fresh graduates from the church school from Dunling may be more familiar with these than Raymond, and they are not interested in hearing them again.
However, Yvonne showed a good interest. This was the first time that someone told her a story. Although the content was a bit old-fashioned, she had not heard it much after all, and Kraft obviously did not have time to tell it.
Bedtime story person.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Being the only audience gave Brother Raymond some comfort and motivation to continue explaining.
The team continued to climb in the drizzle, sometimes resting in a slightly flat open space on the way. When approaching the top of the mountain, the rain finally stopped, and the gloomy light passed through the clouds and sparse tree crowns, falling on the moist eyelids, forming a reflection of
Colorful arc-shaped halos diffuse in dense fog.
The first monk who climbed here may have seen such a scene. The rainbow after the rain seemed like when the prophet climbed to the top of the mountain, the Lord's revelation fell from heaven. Therefore, the location of the monastery was chosen.
In the eyes of those who came later, those mottled reliefs and changeable weather only brought an inexplicable sense of depression.
The sky in the mist is very close at hand, and there is an illusion of suddenly walking from the church hall into a small dark room. The infinite space outside the field of vision evokes the instinctive uneasiness of being peeped in the dark in the original memory.
The dull pain in his consciousness seemed to be getting worse. Kraft looked around cautiously, and intuitively did not smell any strange smell.
But Raymond's explanation stopped. He stopped in front of what was probably the last relief. The message of the relief could even be discerned by a layman.
It is the scene of the saint's ascension to heaven. The gate of heaven is open, and the clouds are decreasing layer by layer and curling in a whirlpool, creating a real sense of dynamic space. The intricately carved wings are stretched high in the sky, making a leading position, and there is nothing behind the door and wings.
There are no celestial bodies, nor carved scenes of prosperity in heaven.
The saints with transcendent status stand at the highest point of the mountains, and angels holding holy symbols, trumpets, and flags are on both sides of the road to ascension, led by the Virgin to welcome new members of the kingdom of heaven.
Believers with different postures looked up while surrounded by mountains. Some were praying, and some stretched out their hands as if to embrace and hold a ray of holy light, which was out of reach.
"What's the matter, do you want to take a break?" Lectures while climbing a mountain is a difficult operation that tests your lung capacity, especially when the students don't listen carefully. Kraft is willing to understand that he is exhausted physically and mentally, "But we are very tired.
It’s almost to the top.”
"No, no, no, it's just a small problem." Raymond showed the uncomfortable expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder when he saw a small corner of the paper tilted and then pressed it unevenly, "There is something wrong here."
For the sake of respect, although Kraft actually didn't care at all, he was still willing to be a helper: "What place is it? Can you explain it to us?"
"This mountain is not right. Logically speaking, the ascension to heaven should be on the Mount of Olives. It is the only mountain on the plain and was uprooted by the miracle of the Heavenly Father."
"Is it possible that the stonemason who didn't know better carved it wrong?"
"It's logically impossible. This is so different from the Mount of Olives. It's definitely not unintentional. It's a bit like..."
Following Raymond's train of thought, Kraft also observed this relief, and the time and patience he poured into it would only be more than what he had seen before. There was no reason why the key points were wrong.
However, the terrain in the picture is indeed not flat. It is surrounded by mountains, which looks a bit like...