Strength and Power

Chapter 36 - Tale of Three

Avil entered the temple and found himself stifling a gasp as he entered the modest looking building, only to find a religious set that put even the royal treasury of his father's kingdom to shame. The floors were polished to  such a fine sheen that it literally was like walking across a large mirror. The floor was- well he had no earthly idea what it was made of because there was no defining trait to it whatsoever other than it was reflective. When he looked down all he saw was himself looking back up at him and the-

His head shot straight up when he saw the night sky being reflected right behind him and when he turned to look he felt his knees buckle slightly at the sight before him. Above him, all across the ceiling was what he could only describe as a perfect representation of the night sky. But, Avil let out an involuntary gasp when he realized that it wasn't a painting. This ceiling wasn't even really there, it was literally a gateway of some sort to the stars beyond the blue of the sky. What was more was that each wall was exactly like the floor, they were perfectly reflective making it seem as though he and the others within the room along with all the furniture were floating out among the stars. 

It was actually incredibly disorientating not knowing exactly where the floor was and feeling like he'd fall forward into the void of space with every step he took. He took to grabbing hold of the furniture around him to make sure that he didn't fall over or into the void that was below him. As he did he became painstakingly aware of several bystanders watching him, some of them being children and asked their parents what it was that Avil was doing. He felt a rush of heat shoot up his face and he could even see his own cheeks beginning to turn red with embarrassment so to save him more than than he was already getting Avil simply threw himself down onto the nearest bench to him.

As he did the rest of the people in the room began to turn their heads toward to front of the room and almost on cue a gong began to sound. As if they were one living being the people all stood up to their feet and Avil followed suit not wanting to appear rude. The gong or bell rang a total of ten times, and upon the tenth ringing did a man of such great age begin to shuffle into the room with a walking stick grasped firmly in hand. The old man's entire body was shaking as though he were waging a never ending battle with gravity just to stay on his feet. The runic symbols on his cane upon entering the room began to glow and everyone that was sitting among the benches raised both of their arms, brought their fingers together, formed something of a hoop with them, and then finally leaned forward as if bowing to this elderly man. 

Now that he could actually see him, Avil was amazed by the length of the man's beard and hair that went nearly down to the ground. In fact if it weren't for the braids and tails he had in them Avil wouldn't have doubted that the old man's beard would have touched the ground. His skin was pasty, almost see through making the blue of his veins stand out like awful bruises. He couldn't see the old man's eyes because his eyebrows much like his beard and hair were extremely long, so much so that they completely hid his eyes from sight. What he could see of the old man, was that his face was deeply cracked with the wrinkles that befell a man of his great age. He was wearing a hooded robe of smokey white though along his shoulders were three flowing symbols that appeared to be fireballs, each one a different color; one was green, another was red, and finally the last was blue. In face not that he looked at it, Avil could see that the runes alone the old man's cane were glowing in those same three colors. 

Something was different about him, Avil couldn't place it but there was something just- off about this old man. As the elder took his place at the front of the room atop a small pyre where there also rest a clear crystal ball with three other jewels within, only then did the rest of them people in the building raise their heads up and sit down. Once again Avil followed their cue and sat down on the bench he was at looking forward attentively at the elderly man.