Avon was completely stupefied by what he saw.
When he came to the end of the path, without a doubt he was no longer in the village he was standing in a green grass plane.
"Don't fall behind..."
Avon didn't move off immediately he just stood there looking at the grass plane.
This was his first time seeing something like this, if he knew what ocean was it would be the best comparison for this, a ocean of grass.
After a while, he had to suppress his curiosity to follow the chief and just like before he was completely ignored.
As they continued to walk deeper into the graces land it started getting colder and colder, eventually, the ground was covered in snow even though he was freezing his ass off he momentarily forgot the cold and started admiring the falling snow.
"Boy keep walking we don't have a lot of time"
Just like before the chief only spoke up in moments like these and nothing else afterward.
Avon decided to just follow behind him without saying a word its not like he'd get any answers anyways.
"We're here"
Directly in front of them was a huge structure, a huge stone tower in front and some giant statues that he couldn't clearly see starting from the left and right side of the building forming a circle.
Avon sixth feet stature wouldn't be as large as one of the statue toes.
"Stop staring and let's go"
When they were on the steps in front of the stone tower the once freezing cold complete vanished, there was no evidence that ever existed unless he looked back at the snow that was still falling behind them.
The chief didn't immediately go inside but turned to Avon and looked at him speaking very slowly like he was talking to a few month old child but despite his tone sounding bit condescending, his express showed that he was dead serious.
"When we get inside just follow behind me do no stop or pick up anything, we do not have a lot of time left here so we have to be quick, do you understand?"
Avon didn't hesitate he started nodding.
"I don't need you to nod, yes or no?"
"Yes chief I understand"
The chief pushed the huge creaking stone doors, dusty and other small stones fell as he pushed.
When he stepped inside only the sections of the floor that he stepped on glowed with an orange light and nothing else, Avon did as he promised and just followed behind the chief.
Less than five minutes later he was outside of the stone tower and inside the circle formed by the giant statues.
The chief walked up to the stone altar in the center of the circle and cupped his hands and dipped them in the stone basin and drank the water, he then kneeled down in front of the altar and began to pray.
"Immortal mother, beacon in the dark, your humble servant requires your aid. Sustain him so he may exchange him childlike ignorance for wisdom. I plead this of you in your eternal light, O light in the heavens. Grace him with your eternal grace"
At first, when he just started praying nothing happened but as the prayer continued the markings on his skin started glowing, his gray hair started returning to its original black color even though his face looked like it aged a few years backward.
After a few seconds of that, the eyes of each of the statues started glowing bright blue one after another.
When all the eyes started glowing a few voices were heard all at once, young, old, male, female, the seven voices all blended perfectly with one another none overpowering the other.
--Khan why have you come?
It was only then that the glowing on the chief's body stopped and he opened his eyes but still didn't stand.
"I brought a young man with me, the mother has visited him in his dream and offered him a gift..."
The voices didn't sound out again as if they were thinking.
--What was the gift that she offered you?
Avon was standing there completely expressionless, his mind was completely blank.
How else was he supposed to react?
Noticing his lack of reaction the chief had to kick him on his leg to wake him up out of his dazed state.
"I-I-I don't know s-s-sh-she didn't tell me"
The voices once again went quiet.
--Mhmm, what happened when you tried to pass your day of adulthood
This time Avon was no longer in his dazed state so he answered almost immediately.
"Nothing at all happened"
This time when the voices went quite the voice of a child asked a question.
--What did she call you?
Avon thought for a second speaking his thoughts aloud.
"What did she call me?.....She didn't - Mansa....."
The moment he said the name a dry wind blew forcing Avon and the chief to cover their faces and close their eyes.
When the wind subsided and they opened their eyes they were standing in the middle of a desert.
Khan immediately got down on his knees and started praying again.
Avon wasn't the same he was already familiar with this place. The only thing different was the seven statues of giant statues that were still staring at him with their glowing eyes.
--Mansa
This time it wasn't one of the seven voices that spoke but instead a familiar one 'his own voice'.
When Avon looked up he saw the woman slowly descending from the sky with her signature smile.
The voices simply said one word in greeting but it was filled with the utmost respect.
--Mother
When Khan heard the greeting and looked up at the woman who had just made contact with the ground he didn't utter a single word his eyes just rolled over.
He'd fainted.
"Chief!"
Avon ran over to him and started jerking his body trying to wake him up.
--Khan is fine, he's just sleep
It was the voices that spoke up again, Avon didn't believe right away instead he placed his hand over the chiefs mouth to test if he was breathing only after he felt that did, Avon get back up.
--Have you thought about my gift?
It was only now that Avon came to his senses and realized that the woman who he'd spoken to so casually previously before was the other god who'd fallen with Alaric, the mother.
When he tried to kneel down and beg for forgiveness he felt two hands holding his upright.
--There is no need.
Once again it was 'his voice'
He had intended to just ignore it and still bow out of reverence but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't, the hands held him firm in the end he could only give up.
--What will be your answer?
When this was brought back up the already glowing eyes of the statues glowed even brighter showing their interest.
Avon didn't know what to say he couldn't turn her down because she was the 'mother' as well as if he did this it would probably count as him becoming an adult but he didn't know what it was so he was hesitant.
--I will not harm you Mansa
Avon looked deep into her eyes then took a deep breath.
"I.....I accept"
No reply came from the voices or 'his voice' when he looked at the 'mother' she was still smiling at him.
When his eyes met hers he couldn't look away he felt like he was trapped but not in a bad way it felt very comfortable.
A warm burning sensation was coming from his lower back coming up in two straight black lines on the left and right sides of his back which then branched off with a line running along each of his ribs, all the lines met in the center of his chest with only the tips touching each other.
Despite all of that he didn't flinch he captivated by her eyes