TCGP (part 2): My journey in the Grand grotto

Part 5

Going back a over a week in time, before we even got here, I can clearly remember her saying these very honest words, they were engraved in my mind:

(Theraspy): "I'm old now son, don't assume I am invincible now eh? If you bail on me, you know I am probably done for, right little guy? One day it is going to be you doing life, without me, you hear??"

She asked without really expecting an answer. She had many rhetorical moments and since young, I learned to never answer to this type of question. Some questions are not meant to be answered, so do not answer them. The right answer is literally to keep your mouth shut.

When uncle Dokeb came back from that famous journey from around the world alone, everybody was happy to see him, he really looked like a hero at the time, well a hero to everyone but himself.

At the time he did not know that Edega would die, so he was that glad to be back and had no regret, however he was fairly deceived to not have found any land to rule over.

Little did he know (of course), he was going to be accepted a few month later as the next king by the one who was in charge at the time. First of all because he was very wise, but also still "young" and strong.

Dokeb back then was far older then the king, but looked about half his age. It was due to all the age reducing potions he had come across in his travels. These were famed potions every legendary adventurer looked for in order to go over their race's age limit, and this, since the age of the world itself.

The king of the Marula at the time who had been on the throne since Edega and Dokeb were born however requested to be part of the higher council (called "Benediction of the gods") after transferring power to Dokeb.

These potions were rare but uncle was able to get a whole load of those age reducing potions when he helped out an artifact merchant by defending him from getting robed for months trough enemy territory and then inviting him to live as a royal guest in Thie adisol, his very own capital. The merchant was unexpectedly thankful and gave Dokeb his most praised possession: 2 boxes containing 16 of these potions.

...

A man named Zinur, the grand sheik, god of the purple templars located in Snow plains was most likely the sage that came up with the delicate recipe allowing anyone to exist within this plane for eternity. Some say Zinur is so ancient that the number for his age does not exist in any language yet, but from what I have heard, their tribe only pass down their recipe to their absolute best student when they are about to die. Zinur from my sources is "barely" about 1200 years old. Majur his father was the last holder of the recipe, and his father before him. Majur, the original grand sheik died to a group of adventurers that put their hand on hundred of age reducing potions. They became rich instead of becoming immortal. They all died a long time ago, such simpletons, hard to grasp the though process of dying for wealth.

...

When our family used to live in the Plains of bliss, our house was a tower full of written knowledge, mostly books Edega had gathered himself while on their journey.

So many of his followers where carrying books, he had to admit most of the guys on the team at some point had no armor or weapons, they just had backpacks full of books, following him for months as he defended them. My mother at first taught it was a waste (and the risk was tremendous in most people's opinion), but realized later on how important this choice had became within the evolution of our race as she herself was reading every day for centuries now thanks to him.

As I said earlier, we had finally arrived in Dokeb's palace as planned, a couple of weeks after leaving home and stayed in his capital for about a month... I have to confess I loved everything about this place, I could recognize stuff from back home that were originally from this region. Physical items, but also the way people acted. Their manners were surprisingly familiar to us Cashmyrs. Dokeb laughed when he saw me the first time as mother presented me and said looking in my direction:

(Dokeb): "You look just like my long lost friend, it's annoyingly stunning."

Then he turned to mother and asked with a proud smile:

"So you guys didn't call him Little guy like, legally in the end, did you, right Theraspy?"

(Theraspy looked downwards): "His official name is Debagiis."

I was a bit annoyed because Theraspy called me "Little guy" far more often than my real name and she was the one that had insisted on not calling me Little guy in the first place. Not only that, I was rather old now (*sigh).

Side note, this place was definitely worth giving it an attentive visit, please check it out if ever you are close by, I can guarantee that you will be welcomed and cherished if you are good aligned.