War and Fortune 2.238

Hera sent for Viggo, and he traveled to the painted painting.

The goddess had made her changes to the paintings she had promised, three in all, but Viggo had adhered to the request two more paintings. One for him, just thinking about the development and blacksmithing he would need to work on if he wanted to keep progressing and one day inherit the family business. The other painting was a request by Rosewisse, which was later joined by Semiramis and the rest. So, they took the painted picture of Alfheim with its exquisite white sand beach and spring vegetation and handed it to Hera. In total, five painted paintings that demonstrated the immense power and usefulness of creating "painted paintings".

Now, the goddess in her huge library, with countless shelves full of books, had placed the five paintings painted in a row on five individual wooden lecterns. Before, each painted picture looked like a real painting like the ones Kain owned and Eliana had painted. However, they now had an aquatic structure that gave the impression of seeing a landscape through a crystal-clear water well.

Hera, the goddess of creation, wore her usual white Greek toga and a laurel wreath made of gold. Her blonde hair emitted a golden sheen, her appearance was impeccable, divine, in the literal sense of the word. However, by carrying Dorian in her arms (a baby of months), she lost that aura of unattainable.

—How are you, Dorian?— asked Viggo, holding out his hands to the baby with blond hair fine as gold filaments. He had blue eyes like all Dragonroads.

The goddess Hera smiled kindly and held out to the baby wearing a light white robe that left her plump arms and legs in the air. Viggo hugged the baby and the latter looked at him with his innocent eyes, as did Eina, fascinated by Viggo's red hair. The latter smiled and stared at the goddess while his father, Kain, stood by Viggo's side.

—Viggo, pay attention— Hera said in a serious voice.

—Yes, auntie— Viggo said as he gave Dorian a little kiss on the forehead.

Hera grimaced with amusement and shook her head This would be the future king of the gods of Orario? He didn't look like someone very trustworthy with a baby in his hands. Hera looked at the five paintings painted with bookshelves behind them. This was the center of the library, where she had left ample space to place armchairs and be able to sit while reading.

—From left to right— said Hera —these are the painted pictures that your father indicated you would need—

—Grandpa...— Viggo was going to ask, but Hera raised her hand to stop him.

—We also consulted with the old man Xiao. We modified what needed to be modified, all with the intention of being useful to you—

—Sorry, keep going—

Hera nodded and said —each painting painted will extend your dwell time for one hundred and twenty days for one hour, which in turn will give you the opportunity to focus on what you want to learn, meditate on, or reason.

—That's great— said Viggo, but seeing the expression on Hera's face, he fell silent.

—It's not that simple— Hera added —maybe you don't realize it, but every painted picture is made for you to enter alone and no one else. That means that it will be one hundred and twenty days of isolation, where you will not talk or see anyone. That, for a human being and even, if you achieve divinity right now, will be a heavy burden—

Viggo froze. That meant spending a third of the year in complete and utter solitude.

—Don't worry, we're worried about you— Hera added in a firm voice. Even though his tone of voice sounded seductive, it felt powerful and magnetic —so you can only occupy one painting at a time, once every three months. Be wise, we will not be watching you. Distribute all three so that you can occupy one each month. As I told you, we won't be watching you, so if you do something crazy like using all three, one after the other, don't blame us if you lose your mind—

—Will it be a hundred and twenty days?— asked Viggo.

—Yes, one hundred and twenty days for an hour of the physical world— Hera replied —each is a particular biome. The first, the top of the highest mountain a world can have. There will be twelve square meters (three meters on each side) of meditation space where there will also be a peach that occupies a quarter of the space—

Viggo swallowed from just hearing that. It was true that he had overcome his fear of heights with Rosewisse's constant jokes, but that does not mean that he liked them. On the other hand, Hera was practically telling him that he should remain seated in a small space for one person.

—The second painting painted is a wide land of more than ten thousand square meters of desert— Hera continued —in the day it is hot like no other place and at night it is a real ice storm. In addition, enemies will appear in sequence from time to time, one for every square meter every minute. If you are not quick to defeat them all, you will be overwhelmed, defeated, and killed. A veritable hell of violence and death—

—Viggo, boy— Kain said standing to Viggo's left. The latter gave a spinning and looked at his father. Elf, white hair long to the waist, pointed ears and calm look. That gave a break to the mind of Viggo, who seemed more concerned second by second. However, Kain didn't want to talk to him, just catching his eye and stretching out his arms because he wanted it to happen to Dorian.

—Give me your brother, Viggo— said Kain —you're hugging him very tightly—

Viggo looked down and saw his little brother in his arms. Yes, it was true, his arms were getting tighter and tighter and although the baby still didn't start crying, he seemed uncomfortable.

—I'm sorry, father— said Viggo, he held out to Dorian and Kain received him. The latter smiled and glared at him so that he could concentrate on what Hera was going to say. Viggo nodded, looked at the goddess in her Greek toga and the golden laurel-shaped crown on her head.

—May I continue?— asked Hera with a sarcastic tone of voice.

—Yes, I'm sorry, Auntie— said Viggo.

—Well— said Hera —now, yes, the second picture is hell in every sense of the word where enemies will appear who will fight you without any compassion. Think carefully before using this painted picture because in the literal sense of the word it can kill you—

—I get it, I'll be careful—

—If that were enough— Hera said disdainfully, shaking her head. Surely, he got into the painted picture thinking that it would be just fighting. It was one hundred and twenty days of relentless struggle. Hera didn't know how Xiao could be so cruel and her husband allowed something like this to exist. Hera took a deep, continuous breath —the last painting painted is a grassy plain in the middle of a valley. The climate will follow the normal course of Orario. So, if you get into late summer, you will live autumn and part of winter inside the painted picture. It's a place for self-contemplation, Xiao said; you'll need it—

—I understand— replied Viggo, somewhat frightened by the situation. The last painted picture did not look terrible, but it looked like a real place to meditate, very different from the first painted picture.

—Are you interested in trying the first picture painted now?— asked Kain as he held baby Dorian in his arms —it will be an hour of time in the real world, but inside the painting it will be one hundred and twenty days of forced meditation. You can eat and relieve yourself, but there will be no one to talk to, nowhere to go, no sex, no laughter, no company. Just you and nothing else—

Viggo felt his heart pounding at an accelerated rate. He felt strange, as if he was in his body, but at the same time he was not. He looked at the five painted paintings, especially the first one, where he had drawn a huge mountain from above with a peach and a flat surface on its top.

—I, I— said Viggo, feeling freezing.

—If you don't want to, don't do it— Kain said.

Viggo shook his head, advanced slowly to the painting, not looking at anyone, but just as he was going to touch it, someone took him by the wrist. Viggo looked at the person who stopped him, his aunt Hera, who was looking at him calmly.

—Do you have everything you need?— asked Hera.

—I, yes, aunt— Viggo said with difficulty, raised his right hand and showed the gold ring that his father had made for him, where he carried most of his things.

Hera looked at Viggo, a young face with a helpless expression. She worried, looked at Kain and asked —Will he have enough?—

—Yes, he has enough food, but if he is not wise, he will not be able to survive. It's their choice, not yours, Hera— Kain said.

Hera frowned; she didn't like it when Kain made such cold decisions What if her Dorian tomorrow had attitudes like Viggo's? Would he also send him to train away? Of course, she would not allow it.

Hera looked at Viggo again, red hair, young face, handsome, but with an expression of helplessness that only he could put –I will ask you once again– she said unconvinced —Are you sure? It is one hundred and twenty days of forced meditation, where there will be no company but a peach tree—

—Yes, auntie— Viggo said quietly and with some fear. The loneliest thing he was was when he was with his master's family, but he saw them every day. There were few people, but there was someone to talk to —I will—

—Son— said Kain, Viggo looked at him holding his little brother Dorian and Kain continuously — remember, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. It doesn't matter what happens, it doesn't matter if you start thinking about other things. There are no things like good or bad. Just stay calm, focus on breathing, and try to keep a blank mind, a mind that lives in the present—

—I, father, understand— said Viggo, then looked at his aunt Hera who was still holding him by the wrist. She let go, Viggo smiled, nodded, and walked until he put his hand on the painting. Then, in a single instant, he felt a stream of cold air waving his hair. He looked forward and saw the peach tree in one corner, taking up nearly a third of the space. Then he looked behind him and saw a deep, if not an endless, precipice. Viggo leaned forward and fell to his knees on the solid rock floor. There was nothing but the sitting space and the peach tree. Nothing. In the distance you could see valleys, more mountains, the white clouds that traveled from side to side, but nothing.

Viggo sat on the rocky and flat surface, he could see some pebbles, but no roots, moss, or other kind of life form. The wind passed waving his red hair and Viggo looked at the vastness of this land. Viggo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he remembered what his father told him, to concentrate on breathing. That was the important thing, a starting point and to resume meditation if he was losing concentration. Breathe, feel your lung inflate and your diaphragm expand. Exhale, feel the air coming out of your lungs.