It's not a big building. The main hall where the statue is located has a prayer room on each side, with a walkway in between. There are two circular rooms on the north side and two rooms on the south side. The room was once decorated with frescoes, but now it is covered with dust and it is difficult to make out the original appearance.

There are two golden doors in the east. Calamon reported finding a staircase leading to the underground city there. A faint sound of waves could also be heard there, reminding them that they were now on a cliff overlooking the new sea.

The group sat quietly, each thinking about their own business, trying to absorb what Scarlet Moon had just said. Wade continued to venture tirelessly, searching every dark corner.

Unable to find anything of interest, the Kand returned to the group, somewhat tired, with a helmet that was a little too big for him. The Kandes never wore helmets anyway, and they always found them annoying and uncomfortable. He threw the helmet to the dwarves.

"What the hell is this?" Hubble asked, skeptical, testing by the light of the Rodelith Staff. It was an ancient helmet, made by a fine blacksmith. Undoubtedly a dwarf, Hubble thought, his hand touching it pityingly.

A long animal feather adorns the tip. He threw the dragonman helmet on his head to the ground and put it on. The size was just right, and he smiled with satisfaction and removed it, admiring its handiwork. Robert looked at him with interest.

"That's horsehair," he said, pointing to the bunch of hair.

"No, it's not!" protested the dwarf. He sniffed it with a frown, furrowed his nose, but could not sneeze, and he looked at Robert triumphantly. "It's griffon's mane. ”

Calamon laughed. "Griffon!" he scoffed. "The number of griffons in Candela is like-"

"Dragon-like few. Rodrith interrupted him casually.

There was a burst of laughter all around.

After a few seconds, the conversation suddenly stopped.

Stone cleared his throat. "We'd better go to bed quickly," he said, "and I'll be the first to keep vigil." ”

"There's no need for a vigil tonight," Scarlet Moon said softly. She sat closer to the river breeze. The tall plains have not been very talkative since they escaped death.

He kept looking at the marble statue of Mishakai and recognized her as the woman who had given him the crystal staff in the blue light. But he refused to answer any questions.

"We are safe here. Scarlet Moon looked at the statue with certainty.

Calamon raised an eyebrow. Stone frowned and stroked his beard. For the sake of face, the two of them were reluctant to question why Scarlet Moon was so confident, but Robert knew that the two warriors would not be at ease if they didn't let people keep vigil.

But the dawn is coming, and they desperately need sleep. Rodrith had even fallen asleep wrapped in his robes in a dark corner of the temple.

"I think Scarlet Moon was right," Wade said. "We believe in these gods! It seems that we found them. ”

"Elves have never turned their backs on God, and neither have dwarves," Hubble protested through gritted teeth. "I don't know anything about the current situation! Leoaks is supposed to be one of the gods, and the dwarves have not stopped worshipping him since before the Cataclysm. ”

"Worship?" Robert asked rhetorically. "Or did you cry out to your people in despair when they were trapped in the kingdom of the mountain, and no, don't be angry—" said Robert, seeing the dwarf's face flushed with anger, and raised his hands, "the elves are no better. When our homes were deserted, we cried out to God.

We know that God does exist and we remember their exploits, but for us, they have the same status as a deceased loved one. Elven priests are long gone, and so are dwarven priests. I remember the story of Misha Kai, the goddess of medicine, who I heard when I was a child.

I also remember the story of the dragon. Rodlis would say it's a child's trick. But it seems that the story of childhood has come true again - to harass or save us, I don't know which one it will be. I saw two miracles tonight, one good and one evil.

If I believe what I see with my own eyes, then I have to believe both. But ......," the half-elf sighed. "I still think it's better for us to take turns keeping vigils. Sorry, ma'am. I really hope my faith can be as good as yours. ”

Stone was the first to keep vigil, and the others wrapped themselves in blankets and fell asleep on the marble floor. The knight inspected every room in the moonlit hall, feeling more of a habit than any threat.

He could hear the cold wind whirring outside. But inside it's warm and cosy – it's so comfortable.

Sitting under the statue, Stone felt a sweet sense of peace come over him. He sat up in shock, and realized that he had almost taken a nap during the vigil.

He reproached himself sadly, and decided to walk continuously for the rest of the vigil—a full two hours—as punishment.

He stood up, but stopped again, and he heard a singing, a woman's voice. Stone looked around, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Then his hand lifted the hilt of his sword, and he recognized the voice and the song. It was his mother's voice.

Stone recalls that on the way to escape Solania with her, it was only the mother and son, and a faithful servant, who had died before reaching Vero. It was a song that his mother used to hum.

Stone's mother often hugged him and hummed this calm, melodious tune, trying to banish her son's fears. Stone's eyes closed, and drowsiness struck him, and at everyone.

Rodrith's staff glowed softly, driving away the darkness.

Griffons - Strange creatures with the head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. They can fly through the sky at extremely high speeds and are one of the few creatures that can race against dragons. Elven aristocrats usually domesticated these rare creatures and used them as a means of rapid transportation.

"I'm sorry," Callamon said awkwardly. "I accidentally knocked off my breastplate. ”

Robert yawned and lay back in the blanket. The scene in front of Wade helping Callamon put on his armor awakened the half-elves to the threat they were about to face today. He also saw Stone put on his armor, and Zephyr lowered his head to polish his longsword.

Robert was adamant about what could happen today. It wasn't easy for him, especially for his elven lineage – elves cherish life, and while they believe that death is just a way out of the world, the end of any kind of life makes the world less joyful.

Robert forced a partial awakening of the human within himself, and he had to go on a killing spree today, even mentally preparing for the death of his friend.

He vividly remembered how he felt when he thought River Wind was about to die. The half-elf sat up abruptly with a frown, feeling as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.

"Is everyone awake?" he asked, clutching his beard.

Hubble walked over and handed him some bread and dry venison. "We're all up and finished breakfast. The dwarf muttered. "Even if the cataclysm comes, you may be able to sleep. ”

Robert took an appetiteless bite of jerky. Then he frowned and sniffed. "What's that weird smell?"

"Some kind of medicine that the mage drinks. The dwarf grinned, and sat down beside Robert. Hubble pulled out a piece of wood and carved it vigorously, scattering the sawdust. He took some kind of powder and poured it into a cup, stirred it with water, and drank it, which did not have this strange taste at that time. I'm so glad I didn't know what was inside. ”

Robert agreed, and he continued to chew on jerky. Rodrith was now reading his magic book, repeating the sentences over and over again until he remembered it. Robert guessed, wondering if Rodrith had a spell that worked as well as a dragon.

From some of the legends he remembered about dragons, he had heard from the elven bard Quevaranthos many years ago—that only very high-ranking mages had the opportunity to cast spells powerful enough to have an effect on dragons with their own magic! as they had seen yesterday.

Robert shook his head as he watched the frail young man recite the spell. For Rodlis's age, he was a very powerful man, and he was a genius, but dragons were ancient creatures. They had lived here before the elves, the oldest race, came to Candela. Of course, if the plan discussed last night had taken effect, then perhaps there would have been no dragon at all today.

All they wanted was to get into the Dragon's Lair and find the Platinum Disc to hand it over. It's a good plan, Robert thought, like a dream. Despair surrounded him like a mist.

"All right, I'm ready," Calamon said happily. The sturdy warrior was obviously much more relieved when he put on the armor. The dragon seemed to be a trivial matter at this point. He whistled an old ballad out of tune while stuffing his mud-stained clothes into his backpack.

Stone carefully adjusted his armor and sat away from the group, his eyes closed, performing the knight's secret ritual before the battle, adjusting his mental state to fit for battle.

Robert stood up, feeling a little stiff as he tried to get the blood circulating again, and the pain in his muscles gradually subsided.

The elves did not have any rituals before the battle, and only hoped that God would forgive him for the sin of killing.

"We're ready too," Scarlet Moon said. She wears a heavy gray leather pants trimmed with fur trims. She carefully combed her hair into a bun so that her enemies wouldn't grab her.

"I'll get dressed too!" said Robert, sighing, picking up his longbow and quiver that River Wind had snatched from the dragonman camp and hanging them on his back. In addition to this, Robert also carried a long sword and a dagger. Calamon carried a sword and shield.

and two daggers picked up by River Breeze. Stone held a two-handed greatsword. Hubble found a battle axe in the dragonman camp to replace his original weapon.

Wade had a picked up dagger and a Houpak staff. He was very proud of the dagger, so when Callamon told him that the dagger was only useful for ferocious rabbits, his pride was visibly badly hit.

River Wind hung the sword on his back and carried Robert's dagger. Crimson Moon carries only a crystal staff. We were all armed, Robert thought desperately, not knowing how much of a difference we could make.

Everyone left Mishakai's main hall, and Scarlet Moon walked last. She gently stroked the statue as she prayed.

Wade led the group, jumping happily, the ponytail flicking behind his head. He'd be seeing a living dragon in no time! The Kanders couldn't think of anything more exciting.

Following Calamon's guidance, they headed east, through a golden door again, and then to a large circular room.

A tall, mossy pedestal was in the center of the room—not even the tallest river breeze could see what was above it, and Wade stood in front of it, looking at it thoughtfully.

"I tried to climb up last night," he said, "but it was too slippery." Don't know what's up there?"

"Whatever is on it, the Kanders won't be able to get it!" said Robert, exasperated. He leaned closer to the staircase that swirled down into the darkness to examine. The staircase was in a dilapidated state, with dead plants and mold on it.

"The Road to Death. Rodrith said suddenly.

"What?" said Robert, taken aback.

"The Road to Death. The mage repeated. That's the name of the staircase. ”

"How do you know the name of this staircase?" Hubble frowned.

"I've read about the city. Rodrith replied in his usual faint voice.

"This is the first time we've heard you say that," Stone said coldly, "what else do you know but didn't tell us?"

"And a lot of them, knight!" said Rodrith with an angry glare. "While you and my brother were playing with the wooden sword, all my time was spent on books. ”

"Yes, learn the mysterious, evil knowledge," said the knight disdainfully. "What the hell is going on in the Tower of the Mages, Rodrith? You can't get these magical powers for nothing. What did you sacrifice in the tower? your body – or your soul!"

"I'm in the tower with my brother," said Callamon, the warrior's usually cheerful face now grim. "I've seen him use a few simple spells and mana wizards to mana.

He defeated them, but they wounded him. I hugged him and got out of there. And I-" The big man hesitated.

Rodrith stepped forward briskly and placed his cold, thin hand on his brother's arm.

"Beware of what you say. He whispered.

Calamon took a hard breath and said, "I know what he sacrificed," the warrior said gruffly. He looked up proudly. "We swear we can't tell anyone.

But you and I have known each other for many years, Stone, and I promise you that you can trust my brother as much as you trust me. If I lie, my brother and I will die. ”

Rodlis's eyes narrowed as he swore an oath, and he looked at his brother thoughtfully. Robert then saw the corners of his mouth rise, and his previous earnest expression was once again replaced by habitual cynicism.

Such a change can't help but make people feel a little chill, because just now, the twins really seem to be carved into the same mold, but in the blink of an eye, the two of them are the opposite side of the coin.

Stone stepped forward and silently clasped Calamon's hand. Then he turned to Rodlis, trying to restrain himself from showing disgust. "I apologize to you. The knight said unnaturally. "You should thank Heaven for giving you such a considerate brother. ”

"Yes, I do appreciate that. Rodrith whispered.

Robert looked sharply at the mage, guessing whether the sarcasm in his words was genuine or his own heart. The half-elf licked his dry lips, his mouth bitter.

"Can you guide us?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," replied Rodrith, "but we have to be here before the cataclysm." What I have seen is more than 100 years old.

During the Cataclysm, a burning mountain range descended from the sky, and the lair of the Lone Earth Dragon was thrown off a cliff. The staircase wasn't destroyed so I recognized it, and down there—" he shrugged.

"Where do the stairs lead?"

"It leads to the Hall of Ancestors. In the Dragon's Lair in the Lonely Land, the remains of deceased priests and kings are enshrined there. ”

"Let's go," said Calamon, "and the more we talk, the more scared we become." ”

"That's right," Rodrith nodded. "We've got to go, and we've got to move fast. Our time limit is only until dark. The city will be occupied tomorrow by a large army from the north. ”

"Wow!" Stone frowned. "You can say you know a lot, but you can't even know that! But Calamon is right! We've been around for too long. I'll take the lead. ”

He began to walk down the stairs, careful not to slip on the stairs. Robert saw Rodrith's eyes! a narrow, hateful golden gaze—following Stone closely.