- Now you can feel if there is another chosen one or a sanctuary of the gods nearby, and not wander around the city as you did here. - Avel turned to me with cheerful notes in his voice.
Other chosen ones, I doubted that I would encounter such, but the fact that now I had the opportunity to find other sanctuaries, even those that were abandoned, made me happy.
Rising from the throne, I expected that the connection would weaken, but I clearly felt in which direction the sanctuary of the gods was located.
- Could you tell me if there is protection in the sanctuary of the gods from the discovery of things that have a spell on them? - I asked Shomufi who looked at me in surprise.
I sighed and began to explain that I had with me the uniform in which I joined the academy before I became elected and if it was found, questions would arise about where Prince Alurik disappeared.
Listening to my explanation, avel beckoned me with his hand to one of the walls and, running his hand along it, a small space opened up in front of us where we could put something.
- Put it here, once upon a time the chosen ones left personal belongings here, but now, as you can see, it is empty. - Shomufi turned to me with memories in his voice.
Taking out the form and quickly placing it in the space and nodding to avel, who immediately closed the space and looked at me expectantly.
- In your time, the chosen ones could add their magic to the armor they wore? - I asked Shomufi. I had no desire to test my desires to combine darkness with armor without making sure that nothing would happen.
There was silence, avel looked thoughtfully at me and then at my harbinger armor.
- Yes, some chosen ones tried to do this, but there is a possibility that the armor will not withstand your magic and it will lose all its properties. - Confirming my fears, avel turned to me. - I sense changes in your armor that will reduce the chance of its destruction
Thinking about the words of my interlocutor, I realized that a lot had changed not only in magic but also in the creation of armor.
I was frightened by the risk of losing my armor, remembering how my sword became unusable due to the fact that it could not withstand the battle with the wyvern and sighing after making a decision that could either destroy my armor or make it even more reliable.
- Where can I try to improve it with my dark magic? - I asked avel, who sighed and extended his hand to the center where all the thrones stood.
Going out to the place indicated by Shomufi and taking off the armor of the harbinger, I saw my wounded part of the body, I could see avel's eyebrow arched in surprise, but without asking anything, he watched my actions with interest.
Having removed the armor, I felt how it was getting colder, crouching in front of the armor and taking out a crystal of darkness and bringing it to the place where I planned to place it, I saw how it began to shine slightly.
And as soon as he touched the armor, it also glowed dark, small magical appendages appeared that stretched towards the armor, opening his fingers allowing the appendages to take the crystal, I watched as the crystal penetrated the armor.
Gradually, the color of the armor began to change, red and black stripes began to appear on the armor, which stretched towards the crystal, which was located where the chest was.
Only part of the crystal was visible, which glittered and shimmered with darkness inside, making sure that the armor had not lost its properties and putting it on and getting rid of the feeling of cold and feeling how the armor pressed against me stronger than before and ordering it to change its appearance to the shape of the stufon, having changed, I noticed that the crystal also disappeared but small red and black lines also stretched towards the center.
- We can congratulate you that in your time they learned to make armor with which the elements do not destroy the armor. - Avel addressed me with a congratulatory voice.
Turning my gaze to my interlocutor, I understood that the time had come to say goodbye, but I still had so many questions about the chosen ones and the gods, as well as about the departed races, but I remembered that I promised Keirin to return in a month.
- Thank you, I wanted to ask before I leave here, what kind of statues are placed in this part of the city and what kind of battle is depicted in the painting in the corridor? - I asked avel, looking at him, for some reason the statues and the painting I saw did not leave my thoughts.
Avel, hearing my questions, narrowed his eyes and then heard a heavy sigh in which there were different emotions.
- I don't know if on the way here you saw a tower where the history of my race was depicted from the time God chose us. - Avel said thoughtfully, looking around. - At that time, there were other races that were just beginning to accept themselves and the world.
Listening to Shomufi, it was clear to me that my question was not pleasant for him, but still he decided to answer it, remaining silent and waiting for the story to continue, and sitting down on the throne, I looked expectantly at avel.
- We, like children, got to know each other and united against someone, gradually alliances began to be consolidated by marriages between species. - Shomufi said, he stopped paying attention to me and raised his head up and looked from one standard to another. - There was one race that refused to kneel before the gods; they did not want to depend on anyone, including the will of the gods.
Remembering the monster from my first test at the academy, which was spoken of as a cursed race that angered the gods, I just shook my head, expecting to hear a similar story about this strange race that avel spoke about.
- My fellow tribesmen tried to explain to them that their race would become more powerful and that the gods would not abandon them and that the chosen ones would appear among them. - Avel's drawn-out sigh was heard. - But they refused, so we lived nearby until one day we found out that they were sick.
Thinking about what they heard, is it possible that the gods punished them for refusing to worship them? If representatives of races had pride, then the gods also had it and they could punish this race as a warning to others.
- We tried to help them, asked the gods to help them, at first the leader refused our help until the disease touched his child. - Avel said in a quiet voice, looking around. - The gods did not answer pleas for help, and one day all representatives of the Galui race became stones.
Hearing that everyone I saw was once alive, a chill ran through me, how can an entire race turn into stone, it seemed to me that Shomufi had told everything, but from his look I saw that this was not all, resting my hands on the throne and waiting for what he would say next.
- When they were found all in stones, we decided to bury them, burying them, we returned back to our cities. - After falling silent, avel threw a piercing look at me. - In the morning, the residents of the capital were faced with the fact that in the middle of the square stood the galuis whom we had buried.
Confused by what I heard, it seemed to me that I had misheard, but Shomufi repeated, watching my lost expression.
- Like you, the inhabitants were lost by what they saw, many thought that we had angered the gods and they set them up for edification, showing us what would happen to those who contradicted them. - Avel said with a grin, walking up to one of the thrones and running his hand over it. - Many wanted to bury them in the ground again, and when the avels began to gather to bury them again, the Galuivs noticed a piece of paper in the hands of their leader. It was written there that we should wait until nightfall.
Frowning, I could hardly understand what was going to happen at night and who had the opportunity to excavate and transfer the entire race to the capital of the avels, in which the inhabitants did not notice anything.
- Many were afraid of what might happen and begged our ruler to bury the Galuiians, but the ruler refused. - In Avel's voice one could feel that he was worried both for the Galui race and for his own if the avels angered the gods. - All the strong warriors arrived in the capital and cordoned off the square, waiting for the night and watching as the day came to an end, everyone looked at the Galuys with alarm. When the night came into its own, a noise was heard under the stones and then they began to fall.
Observing the behavior of my interlocutor, I could see how his hands began to tremble more strongly, remembering what he had experienced at that time, removing his hand from the throne and clasping them together, he continued.
- All the soldiers who were in the square froze, not believing themselves or their ears, the sounds of breaking stones continued until they died down. - Avel said, I heard a sigh, I became more and more interested in what happened. - When the sounds of falling stones stopped, living Galui stood in front of us, the warriors had the same face as you now. Their leader told the whole story to ours and they made an agreement we allow them to live here during the day and at night they guarded our lands.
No matter how I tried to hide my shock, I failed poorly, remembering how many statues I had seen, it was unclear to me why the galuis did not attack me or the residents in another part of the city.
- How did they curse them? Did you find out which of the gods cursed them? - I asked avel, who just shook his head. - If they are acting as night guards, why didn't they kill those who live in another part of the city?
Asking questions one after another, I did not notice how my voice changed to a demanding one, which avel immediately felt, releasing his hesitation in which a warning was visible.
- Chick, don't forget, I will consider your behavior a mistake, but if it happens again, you only have yourself to blame. - Shomufi said in a threatening voice without taking his eyes off me, waiting for a nod from me, he removed the hesitation and his gaze softened. - We tried to find out who cursed them but all to no avail, the gods did not answer when we asked them about them. The reason why the residents of another part of the city were not killed was my order to them not to touch people.
Listening to what avel said, I wondered how long he lived if he saw the appearance of a race such as the Galui, who lived only at night.
But why didn't I see them at night when I was moving around this part of the city? And I didn't hear any sounds that were similar to something falling.
When I wanted to ask another question, avel raised his hand calling me to be silent.
- Chick, I answered your one question, if we continue this conversation, you will stay here for a very long time, it's time for you to return and start your journey. - Avel turned to me in a calm voice and without waiting for an answer from me, raising his hand up and making a strange movement, a door appeared in front of me. - Farewell, chosen by the goddess Ges.
When I wanted to answer him, I noticed that Shomufi was nowhere to be seen; whether the reluctance to answer my second question was caused by something else, I didn't know.
Glancing at the door that looked like wood, looking around the throne room again, saying goodbye to part of the memories of avel, who most likely was watching me, I opened the door.