The eyes of the Tyrants depicted in the artworks were made of elemental crystals and they seemed to follow the observer wherever they moved.
"This is the Inner Circle, where the leaders of each tribe can freely talk without worrying about things like rank and formalities. We are all equals here." Syrah said while glaring at Ryla.
After introducing the goblin, the ogre, and the Traughen representatives to Morok, the Hati Queen had an orc shaman establish a mind link with their guests to share with them everything about Zelex.
She told them about the role that each fallen species played in their society and how things had spiraled out of control after Glemos' disappearance.
Morok already knew most of those things thanks to Lith so he had a hard time paying attention and feigning interest. Everything else, however, shocked him to the bone.
Listening to Glemos' methods to further the evolution of his subjects and about the cycle of hunger and death the monsters had undergone for generations made him regret that Ajatar had killed his father so quickly.
'I also feel like a jerk.' Morok thought. 'All this time I only worried about my bloodline legacy to not make a poor figure with my in-laws. I had more or less guessed from Echidna's words what kind of life her people had to endure yet I never cared.'
He wanted to apologize for his own behavior and express how disgusted he was by what his ancestors had done to the fallen races but it would have done him no good. It wasn't just Ryla who still considered Glemos a god.
Aside from the Queen, the Balor representative, and the Warsage, everyone else clung to their faith to make sense of their hardships. Each one of those present had just lost their husband in the rites of passage and doomed a child to the same fate.
'Lith was right. Telling the truth would have achieved nothing. They would rather fight to the death than admitting they have lived their whole lives as puppets.'
"Soon after lord Glemos' disappearance, the Harmonizers in the mines and the cultivated fields crumbled. and so did the non-imprinted ones we kept stored for the new generations." Syrah said.
"Only pregnant women, growing children, and the members of the senate wear their Harmonizers at all times. Women to alter the life force of their newborns, children to get closer to perfection as they develop, and senate members because it gives them control over the array system.
"For everyone else, it's just a bothersome piece of metal since thanks to the mana geyser and the alterations in our life forces, we can maintain our unfallen state anyway."
"I see." Morok nodded.
Now that his scales had healed, he could feel the arrays surrounding Zelex working in a similar way to the Harmonizer, enveloping him in a thick layer of world energy that naturally seeped into his body.
'Damn, if I hadn't a bright blue core already, between my scales and the arrays it would be like using Accumulation all the time. Too bad that right now it's useless to me!' He actually thought.
"On top of that, lord Glemos never taught us how to craft anything." Syrah sighed. "Very few of us have regained the ability to cast high tier magic and with our short lives and no mentor, we are still figuring out the basics.
"That's why we ended up working with the Undead Courts. We don't want to, but we have no other choice. Without Glemos and his Harmonizers, Zelex is no longer capable of self-sustaining.
"Our new generations can improve only by luck and to give a child a chance at evolution, someone has to take their own life so that the Harmonizer can be passed on. The Undead have given us a bit of food and have promised to share with us what they discover about the Harmonizers, but we don't trust them.
"We have locked our city to undergo the rites of passage away from prying eyes and to move Glemos' legacy without them noticing."
"So the demon was right?" Morok jumped to his feet with a mix of enthusiasm and confusion. "Is the Tyrant's bloodline legacy really here?"
"Of course." Ryla gave him a radiant smile that creeped him out.
"Then why didn't you use it to fix your problems? I mean, it must contain the blueprints for the Harmonizers." He asked.
"Because lord Glemos forbid us to enter his chambers and I've kept my word." The Fomor threw a disgusted look at the other monsters. "Also, there's no way that ignorant peasants can understand a god's workings.
"But that doesn't matter anymore. Now that lord Morok is with us, there's no need to pander to those undead vermin anymore. Please, take your rightful place among your loyal servants and guide us toward a better future."
"I can't make you any promises but if you allow us to take a look, we can at least give it a try." He replied.
"We?" The monster representatives looked at the two women in confusion while Ryla was clearly upset at the idea of sharing such a treasure with strangers.
"I'm not my father. I am still young and I'm lacking in the Forgemastering arts." Which was a polite way to say that he couldn't craft a dimensional amulet for his life. "Lady Faluel is my teacher. If there's anyone who can decipher my father's work it's her."
"Do you trust her?" The Fomor asked.
"With my life."
"Then say no more, my liege." Ryla stood up, giving him a deep bow before walking through the door of the Inner Circle and leading the way.
"Where are we going?" Morok asked after they had been walking for a while.
"I have no idea." Syrah replied. "This area is reserved solely for the high priestesses of Glemos. As far as I know, no one but our lord and his most loyal servants have access to this side of the building."
The senate extended for hundreds of meters in every direction, forming a small city of its own. The more they advanced, the more luxurious the furniture became. The high ceiling was painted with frescos depicting the exploits of the Tyrant bloodline.
The gold-veined white marble was covered with wards that only Ryla's Harmonizer could deactivate and only for a brief moment upon her passage. The corridor ended with a thick white wall comprised of a mix of white marble and crystals.
"You guys wait here." The Fomor placed her hand on the wall and offered the other to Morok.
"I told you, I'm not good enough to decipher my father's work on my own." He remained still, refusing to take her hand. "I need Lady Faluel's help."
"And she can come later." Ryla didn't budge. "There's something I can only show to you."
"Right now? Can't it wait?" The idea of remaining alone with the Fomor after Glemos had already tried to fix him with Echidna didn't sit well with Morok.
'If I reject her, she might refuse to bring me to my legacy and these poor people will be screwed. If I don't, my marriage will be over before it even begins!' He inwardly whined.
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