It was a very strange, peculiar feeling, one that irritated Annanu somewhat. But Annanu was not an emotional creature after all. Even nature's fury had reason as its prerequisite.
Though this had nothing to do with reason.
Annanu looked at the composed Ruslan, gritted his teeth, and stood up.
For some reason, Annanu could actually sense something from Ruslan now.
A feeling called "familiarity."
Why did he feel familiar? What made him familiar?
How long had Annanu even existed?
At most, five or six years. The time before he had taken form held no meaning at all. What could he have seen then? Abzu's corpse? Or the goddess Lahamu and the first Lahmu?
Ruslan could not possibly be one of those three. That was impossible—just thinking about it sounded absurd.
Walking up to Ruslan, Annanu reached out and placed a hand around Ruslan's neck, his voice carrying a trace of complicated emotion. "Why are you unwilling to tell me who you are?"
"Because there are some things you cannot understand yet."
Ruslan did not panic even with a hand that could crush his neck at any moment resting there. His expression remained utterly natural.
"Then when will I be able to understand?" Annanu frowned.
Ruslan opened his mouth, but in the end, he did not say it. He chose silence.
But Annanu had already formed some guesses.
"Does it require my death?"
He asked.
Ruslan glanced at Annanu, then closed his eyes.
The two remained in that position for a long time.
Ruslan felt nothing. Even if Annanu truly killed him, he would still be his Lord Anno. Ruslan's affection and reverence for Annanu would not waver in the slightest over something so trivial. If anything, Ruslan might even come to like Annanu more because of it.
It was