This is doing a good deed, York told himself. There is no greater adventure than this, to make a dangerous place disappear completely - what adventurer can do that? This glory will be sung in Cloverland and Whinworth for a hundred years, and every bard will write new songs for them.
But he vaguely felt that this was not the whole reason. Maybe it’s been a long time since he’s been back to the Twinkling Pool, maybe he’s moved by the long process of the cavemen’s servants turning from elements into mysteries, maybe kindness is the trait Lucia bestows on her creations, but he’s never understood the true meaning of it.
Even if you endure the torture of the curse, you must do this.
"For the sake of being both elemental beings, I will give you freedom."
York looked so heroic and sacrificed that the apprentice almost thought that he had some unspeakable shadow about playing wind instruments.
Uriel secretly asked the dwarf: "What's wrong with him?"
"Perhaps he thinks he doesn't have enough roles." Painter glanced sideways at the orange-faced man, "Most light elemental creatures have fixed professions, either the Warrior-type Final Darkness Vanguard or the spell-casting Dawnsinger. No matter which one , being immune to most dark curses will definitely be no problem.”
Even if there is a curse in the co-authorship, this guy will be fine? Then why is the reaction so exaggerated...
The apprentice was speechless.
"I still don't know why you felt like you were gifted by Otto for a moment, boy, but I hope this won't bring bad consequences to us." The dwarf patted his pants. Uriel saw that he actually wanted to pat him on the shoulder, but suddenly he remembered that he had said that he had been away from his tribe for a long time.
Uriel responded in a low voice: "No, Mr. Painter, no. I promise."
"I don't know the war and history of that year, nor do I understand what kind of disaster the evil dragon Wintherspoon was. Adventurers chased honor and wealth, hunted for treasures everywhere, and showed off their adventures... But about the cavemen and steel rock guards, I think You did a good job.”
"Tell the truth." The apprentice thought of the experience in the illusion, that time he did nothing and watched Joey roughly smash the curse and the stone giant together. But Joey didn't do anything wrong. "I deserve it."
"Adventurers don't need to be modest. Humility is a knight's virtue, although few of them can do it." Painter laughed, and the dwarf's big nose no longer looked evil, but looked funny.
This is also a wandering traveler. Adventurers, mercenaries and glory may not be as important as home. The cave people sleep forever in the valley. Do they have any members living outside? Maybe. When the demons attacked Nox, countless minor races perished like the cavemen.
The dwarves are not among them, they are part of the Oathkeepers and were once part of the Grand Alliance of St. Milende. Croita, the School of Silence, the Oath Keepers Alliance, the Council of Radiance...the alliances established to resist the demons have disintegrated, but the mystics still exist.
"Am I really starting?"
York squeezed the bone claw, and he followed suit, turning it into a flute and even adding a windbag. Apparently he was not confident about his playing skills, so he chose the instrument he was good at to avoid making mistakes.
Once the curse is removed it will be nothing more than a bone. Of course it is also a mysterious item, but that is not an issue worthy of attention. If it believed Uriel's promise, it would not add any obstacles.
At this time, the mercenary was still asking: "Has it started?"
Suddenly, a piece of ice splattered under his feet. The messenger's face was expressionless, and his eyes alone conveyed the clear meaning of "If you keep talking nonsense, I will freeze you too."
So no one dared to delay, and silence suddenly fell.
The melodious sound of the flute echoed in the valley.
The tone is not refined, but simple and innocent. The wind blows into the air bag, and then in turn changes into notes and jumps out. What creates them is the skin bag, the reed and the blowpipe; the existence of the latter two is puzzling, but the wind will never care about these. The melody floats out from the sound pipes and flows out from the silver bones and joints. The tones of loneliness and watchfulness come from the other end of time and space, long, hoarse and sweet, lingering under the night and the fragmented bright moon.
Uriel was a little surprised. He didn't expect York to have this skill. A warrior wearing armor and holding a sword is completely different from a singer reciting poetry and music, right? Who would have known that beneath the rings and leather, there is a heart that loves art and beauty in a body that is not made of flesh and blood?
But if the dwarf wants to know what the apprentice is thinking, he will definitely tell him that in Knox Bar, the mercenaries celebrate the time of drinking, and York always plays the role of bard. Of course, this was forced, because he couldn't save the money to write off the debt. Between a pile of dirty plates and bagpipes, a fool knew what to choose.
The ice stopped shaking, and things below became quiet. The loud and long flute sounds and music have been away from them for a long time.
Unknowingly, the young man let go of his restraints and listened to the sounds in the Valley of Sleep, just like a stone sculpture listening to the call of the thrush in the forest. The steel rock guards crawled out of the earth, and the valley and forest shook together.
The elements are like sand accumulating into a tower, gradually stacking up into a tall form. This time it was no longer an illusion. The dark metal-colored rock giant stood under the moon. Its outline was rough and obvious, and almost every inch of its smooth cross-section told its indestructibility.
The vertical pupils glowed faintly red, which was undoubtedly the embodied fire.
Uriel felt the two mercenaries around him suffocate subconsciously. Fortunately, York's music did not stop. He couldn't help but glance at the light element.
"You are free, guardians." Uriel tried his best to keep his voice in tune with the rhythm of the music. "The curse no longer exists, and the cave people...the cave people have also rested in peace."
He didn't dare to blink, staring at the steel rock guard in front of him. They were twenty feet from this little plateau, but one of the rocks that made up the body was half that distance. Joey was not afraid of them. The sword of ice and snow grew inch by inch from his hand, but was held down by his apprentice.
"You said I was the leader." He reminded.
So until a stone giant bent down its mountain-like body and approached them with its cracked head, the messenger made no move.
Uriel breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the goddess for giving him a second chance. Everything is different this time, maybe the ending will be better.
"You...do you have anything else?"
he asked cautiously.
The steel giant was speechless. It seemed to be staring at the bagpipe in York's hand, causing the latter to almost press the wrong key and had to deceive himself and close his eyes.
"Shouldn't they leave?" the dwarf lowered his voice.
Who knows what they are thinking? Uriel tried his best to think about the possibilities. "After all, they have been guarding for thousands of years. Maybe, maybe they need time to mourn their past."
The big-nosed dwarf twitched his beard and looked unconvinced.
"Its eyes are on the body, not on the head."
Suddenly, Joey spoke. He didn't look at the approaching rocks, but instead focused on the stone monster's rock armor.
Uriel quickly raised his head and met the line of sight projected by a pair of vertical pupils. He was stunned for a moment, and an idea came to him out of nowhere.
"What does this mean?" Painter stretched his neck, but his sight was still firmly blocked by the messenger, and he couldn't help but feel anxious.
The messenger ignored him completely.
Uriel took a deep breath and unfolded the scroll of oath. He knew magic always made things easier.
A large cloud of golden powder poured out and scattered in the air——
A moment later, a thick, deep singing voice and a melodious flute sounded through the forest. The movement spreads and stretches, and the melody reaches to the sky. That is the echo of history and the long song of the soul.
The stones are singing, anticipating the flutes of the cavemen. They have never stopped for thousands of years, and they have only received a response today.
Painter was stunned and speechless. The messenger took half a step forward and stood side by side with him. "Is this what you saw?"
"completely different."
"Then this is your effort." The messenger let go of his hand, and the weapon made of ice and snow disappeared.
"How are my efforts?" asked the apprentice.
It was impossible to say that he was not uneasy. Uriel longed for Joey's approval more than anyone else. The first mysterious person he met was Joey, and it was Joey who introduced him to the world; the contact started from the Cloud Train, to the battle and communication in Four Leaf City, and even the relationship between Croita's mentor and apprentice. , Uriel couldn't even describe his feelings for Joey.
It is a longing. It comes from the guidance of fate. After Cecilia left him, Uriel regained the purpose of living from the messenger, which was to explore the end of the mystery.
Even he refused to become Joey's apprentice because of this - he longed to become a mysterious person like the messenger, but he couldn't do this without a good mentor.
how do you feel? It was difficult for him to ask this question, only because of the self-esteem he had only built up in the past two days.
Joey gets Sauron back. "It's very beautiful."
Before he finished speaking, the singing gradually stopped. The steel and rock guards stood solemnly in the valley, and the night wind blew and took away their bodies.
The elements are changing into their most essential form, and the Valley of Sleep has since disappeared.
York put down his bagpipes and looked at the sky. "Coffee is such an important thing. Without it, I can't even distinguish between dreams and reality."
"It doesn't matter." The dwarf shrugged, "As one of the most famous mercenaries in the Four-leaf Territory, you will have an endless supply of coffee bean currency. When the time comes, if you owe money to any bar, just give it to them. A bag of coffee beans.”
"Then Boss Calder will beat me up."
"As long as you know."
Uriel suppressed his laughter: "How long until we get to Winnie Watts? You should be able to make it in time, right?"
"Leaving Four Leaf City is the most important thing. We have saved a lot of time compared to taking the Eternal Blue Vein." The dwarf replied, "Most of Knox's guys who stayed in Four Leaf City died in the city... We survived only because of Berti's care."
When this topic was mentioned, the light element was even more frustrated than him, "I would rather face the other companions a few days later."
"We all know it's not your fault."
York was not comforted, and the song of the stone also touched him, which made the mercenary leader unable to restrain himself from recalling the companions he led. He took out an armband from his pocket with the emblem of the adventure group on it. "I'm not qualified to be the team leader."
But a voice came out:
"I said you are suitable, then you are suitable -"
York's hand shook and the armband fell to the ground.
"Captain!?"
