Chapter 24: Presenting the offering

Yurek was nervous. He had the hide armor in his arms, but he wondered if he was worthy to present it. He wanted his entire family to see him do it, so, Karakon had gone inside the temple to get the priest.

The dragon came back out with the old man, and Yurek presented the armor.

"The animals were respected, until their last breath," the goblin spoke. The priest took the armor in his hands, and looked it over.

"Fine make," he spoke, as he turned the armor every which way. "Made from the heart?"

"Yes, and from the soul," Yurek spoke. He had felt as if someone had guided his hands last night, as he made the armor. As if Gog were looking down at him and smiling.

"It is enough. Would you like to place it in the temple?" The priest offered. Yurek was ready to burst from the joy that those words brought him. Then, he glanced at Fen, and he knew that the armor was not meant for the temple.

"No, I'd like to place it in the temple gardens, by the oaks," Yurek said, and the priest nodded.

"Know that there is a place for you in the temple, if you ever change your mind," the priest then led them to the gardens. There were three oaks there, and Yurek laid the armor at the base of the biggest one. He patted it, and he could swear he heard a war horn blow in the distance.

Fen took out a couple of coins, and handed them to the priest.

"Place the armor in a glass case, won't you? Protect it from the elements. My son deserves nothing less," the priest accepted the coins, and nodded towards some monks that were walking by.

"Bring one of the glass cases from the basement here. Make sure that it is clean beforehand. Bring me an ember encrusted one," the priest spoke. Yurek's eyes rose to the man's, as the monks went to do as they were bid.

"But, shouldn't this armor be presented to the test of nature?" The goblin was confused. Goblins were primal creatures. There had not been any glass cases back in his tribal cave.

"Young boy, maybe in your tribe things were different, but you must not be selfish now. You must share Gog the Mighty with the people of Mante. Give them the chance to beg for his blessings," the priest patted Yurek on the shoulder, and then the monks came back with a clear glass case with ember edges and a stand within. "This oak will be guarding your work, and the glass will preserve it."

The priest took the armor, and placed it in the glass case. Then, the glass case was placed under the oak, and a rune was put on the case. The leaves of the oak rustled, and Yurek could have sworn he heard laughter in the branches.

"I dare say you have been accepted," the priest spoke, clearly having heard and felt all that as well. "Mante is truly blessed, to welcome two Gods in its walls."

"You don't mind that goblins are going to come here for guidance, from now on?" Yurek asked, his voice small. The priest knelt, so he was at an eye level with the goblin.

"They won't cause trouble in the holy grounds. Don't you worry," the priest stood, and then stared at a gathered crowd behind them. "Would you like to address them, or should I? I have to admit, I don't know much about Gog."

"I'll address them," Yurek spoke, and he made a couple of steps towards the crowd.

"This is the armor blessed by Gog the Mighty, the goblin war chief," Yurek began, and everyone listened to him. Not everyone could beg for their God to be allowed to call the temple home. The priest had not accepted any gold for that purpose since he took the position. Everyone knew it was a great honor. "He accepts everyone. Even those that can't go into the temple."

Fen smiled at those words. He was not very religious. He was a demon, after all. But he had heard the hunting horn blow in the wind. Had felt the warm breeze that smelt faintly of freshly spilled blood.

As his son dazzled the crowd with old goblin folk tales, Fen couldn't help but stare at Eleric and Alistair, who were side by side and looking on with pride in their eyes. He smiled at them, and went to the glass case.

Pulling out a dagger from his belt, he laid it on top of the case. If there was a deity that would accept him, then it had to be the goblin one. Fen smirked at himself, when he stood.

First the One-armed Smith had let him drink from his blessed water, now Gog was not chasing him away from his armor. Could it be? Was his curse close to lifting?

The incubus was not cursed to be such, as he had been born a demon. Rather, he had been cursed to be alone. A curse heavier than any other. If the hag that had taken away his freedom had been speaking the truth back then, that meant that now he had people who loved him for true.

Fen backed away from the glass case, and allowed for other pilgrims to leave their knickknacks by the armor. His mind raced with the thought that, even if he had to never stray too far away from Eleric, he could be free.

Anmu slithered to him, after leaving a lock of his hair by the armor, and took a hold of his hand.

"What are you thinking of?" The Naga asked him.

"That life is a beautiful gift," Fen answered him. "And I have much now, that I didn't for centuries."

"You know, for a long time, I thought that I will die alone," Anmu spoke, voice soft. "Then, Eleric came and knocked on my door."

"He is what glues us together," Fen agreed. "Something will have to be done about his and Sebastian's lifespans."

Anmu looked at him, and nodded.

"He won't like it, neither of them will," elves were long-lived, but they too aged. They, too, died.

"He will grow to like eternity. They both will," Fen told him. It will take a bit of searching, but he was sure that he would find what he was looking for. A spell so powerful, that even life could be shared between the caster and the person the spell was cast on.