NoGift

Chapter 133: another artifact

"SO, tell me everything you know about that artifact your family was trying to protect," Argent said immediately, going straight to the point.

With Argent's question, Clay couldn't help but wonder what's with this sudden interest with the artifact? Clay wasn't stupid to not notice that Argent was giving a particular high level of importance to this matter. If not, he wouldn't be offering to help him and even fund his cause. But he clearly remembered when he first inadvertently told them about the artifact, Argent only showed a tiny bit of interest.

So what changed? The only reason he could think of was that in the last five months since they last met, they discovered something related to the artifact. Maybe once he told them all the information he had, they could also shed some light on the reason why the most powerful religious group in the world didn't hesitate to massacre an ordinary family just for an old relic. What exactly could this artifact do?

With that thought in mind, Clay finally started telling the twins what he knew.

"The information I have is limited. When I was young, Father would often tell us a tale about our family's ancestor. The ancestor was a farmer who was born in a village covered by snow all year round. He was a mute and an orphan who was shunned by the villagers. Because he had no family and no one wanted to take care of him, he lived outside of the village. He build a home at the foot of a mountain. Even though the weather was not favorable to growing a lot of plants, he still persisted in planting them. He was happy and contented with his life. He loved the forest and the mountains.

"Then one morning, the farmer found a wounded silver doe in the forest. He patched it up and brought it to his home. The meager food he had, he shared with it. He slowly brought the doe back to health. But then, a villager found out about the silver doe. He called other villagers with him and went to the foot of the mountain to take the doe from the farmer. The other villagers didn't hesitate to agree. Because according to legend the blood and meat of a silver doe could not only increase the level of a Gift, it could also prolonged one's life and heal any kinds of ailments.

"When they reached the home of the farmer, they told him that he must give them the silver doe. Of course, the farmer refused. No matter what kind of threat the villagers said, the farmer still didn't give them the doe. They were furious and became violent. They tried to take the silver doe by force. But the farmer protected the doe with all his might. Even when his body started to be covered with wounds, he still continued to protect the doe. But when someone was about to bash his head with an axe, a blaring white light suddenly appeared. And when that light subsided, the most beautiful woman they had ever since appeared before their eyes.

"She has long moonlight silver hair and a pair of emerald green eyes. Her ears were pointed, a clear sign of her race. She was an elf but not just any elf. It was the Elven Queen. The silver doe rescued by the farmer was the queen's most important spiritual companion. She punished all the villagers that tried to hurt the farmer. Forever expelling them from their land. Then she rewarded the farmer for his kindness. She gave him the ability to speak. She made the land where he was standing the only place where flowers would bloom in that village covered in snow. Then she gave him her most beloved ring. Asking him to protect it and letting the future generations of his family to be it's guardian.

"The farmer was grateful and greatly flattered. He promised the queen that he would do as she asked. Soon, the farmer married and had a son. So as not to forget the Elven Queen's request, he would tell the tale to his son every night. Then on his deathbed, he told his son where he could find the ring and asked him to be its next guardian. It continued on until it was broken in my father's generation."

Clay finished. He tried not to get emotional. Telling them that story was like remembering all those nights that their father would tuck him and his sister to bed. Those memories were still painful for him to remember. On another note, that story was probably the reason why he felt very sympathetic towards the elven boy.

Aurum felt like she just heard a very nice children's story full of life lessons. She looked at her brother who was still silent at this moment. A lot of things was going on inside her mind after she heard everything that Clay said. She was sure that there was definitely even more complicated things going on inside her brother's head.

Aurum was right, dozens of things truly flashed inside Argent's mind all at the same time once he heard the things that Clay said. She needed to rearrange it all first. But with the mention of the Elven Queen and the ring, there was no question now in her mind that Clay's family was indeed the family that inherited the sacred artifacts of the elves. She remembered what Jaxon said about the family in Sarmatia that the Elven Queen chose. That family was most undoubtedly Clay's family.

"You said your family was from Southeastern continent?" Clay nodded, not sure where Argent was going with this. "Are you originally from there or did you move from Sarmatia?"

Clay furrowed his brows. "Yes, we moved from there when Flora was born. How did you know about that?" he asked, a little bit doubtful.

"There was a legend in Sarmatia talking about how the Elven Queen gave her favorite jewelry to a family living there and asked them to guard it. That's why I asked to make certain that your family was the same one that the legend was talking about," Argent answered.

"This artifact, why does the Temple want it?" Clay said, finally asking the thing he most wanted to know.

"I don't know," Argent answered honestly. She didn't know what the Temple wanted with the three sacred artifacts. But she do have an idea. "I just know that there's three of those artifacts and the Temple wants them all."

There were three? "Don't tell me the three represents the three mythical races?"

"Wow. You actually have gotten smarter since we last met," Aurum commented.

Clay almost didn't blacken his face. Aurum Blackbourne sure had a way with her words. "What's your connection to those artifacts?" he asked Argent, ignoring his sister.

"I can't tell you. But let's just say, just like you, I'm also trying to piss off the Temple," Argent just mysteriously said. "Now, did your parents tell you where the ring was?"

Clay didn't insist on knowing Argent's plan. Because there was no point, this guy would definitely not tell him about it. "No," he said, answering the duke's question.

"Then did they left something to you?" Argent noticed him hesitating. So she reminded him, "Remember, you said you're going to tell us everything."

Clay sighed. "My father gave me an amulet before we separated from them."

That caught Argent's attention. "Where is this amulet?"

"It's with my sister's." Clay left it to Flora before going to Achea. Since he's trying to save someone from the Temple, there's a high chance that he would be caught. He couldn't risk the chance that the Temple might take the amulet.

"Well, it looks like we already have our next destination once the Festival of Creation ends," Argent said to her sister.

Aurum immediately understood what her brother wanted to say. "We're going to go to his sister then?"

"Yes." And they're going to discover what secret that amulet held. If Clay's father gave it to him knowing that he might be killed in the next minute, then there's no doubt that the amulet was the key in finding the Elven Queen's ring.

"You do both know that I'm still here, right? Don't just make decision without hearing if I agree or not," Clay said, understanding that the two planned to go with him once the festival ended.

The twins ignored Clay and just walked out of the abandoned building.

Aurum glanced back at Clay. "What are you doing, slowpoke? Hurry up, we're now going to Victoria City."

Clay just shook his head and followed the infuriating twins.