"Take this child and head east," the King of White Crown said, "to where the Gold Bull stands tall. That is the promised land I grant unto you."
"You shall raise him to adulthood. Tell him of the sacrifices and devotion you have offered today. Inform him that though the old blood has run dry this day, new blood will flow unceasingly, for in the future, the blood of the whole world shall gather here. You have lost your kin, but new kin will be born. The wealth you have lost today shall be returned ten thousandfold, perhaps even more, in days to come."
Thus the White Crown King decreed, "This is the covenant I establish with you. Go and etch it upon the stone foundation of the Gold Bull. For as long as the Gold Bull stands, your prosperity shall remain unshakable."
So it was that amid pious praise, the elderly woman lifted the infant, bowed deeply, and then walked towards the east, vanishing into the wilderness.
All was silent once more.
Yet the long wait persisted.
