Diana leaned quietly into Berta's ear: "Actually, the explanation is so-so, so that you understand. Let's not have such questions for us. We are just children for everyone."

      Smarta suggested they approach the hill closer and look at the barely noticeable shimmering strips of steel color rising up - the main defense. Inside these structures was the Athanasia bird. A fiery light came from it and you had to squint a little to look. Instead of feathers, she had small lightning bolts that flashed alternately all over her body. The bird was calm and unperturbed. She looked at everyone proudly and majestically, her gaze full of grandeur with the consciousness of her own dignity and importance at this celebration. Gracefully and stately - like a queen, she shifted her gaze from one side to the other. And if, by chance, your gaze met Athanasia's gaze, she stopped it and stared, motionless, and you felt a numbness, a slight tremor throughout your body, and it became hot. That's quite a test drive!..

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      The solemnity of the moment was felt in everything.

      And then, at some point, the bird fluttered, rose, the color of its lightning-feathers turned fiery red, and everyone felt an unbearable heat coming from it. It spread its wings wide, raised them above its head and began to circle, standing on the pedestal. Then it stopped and slowly descended onto it. As soon as the wings touched the surface of the pedestal, the bird flashed blindingly and scattered into millions of red rubies.

      A tense, even piercing silence hung in the air - a full majestic and frightening silence. Everyone looked at the bright purple abyss of rubies, at their countless number and could not take their eyes off.

      This general stupor did not last long, at some point, in the middle of the ruby ​​cluster, a flicker appeared, which began to emit a barely noticeable light. A new life was born. It became brighter and brighter, and the heat from it was scorching, fiery and burning. The rubies began to make a sound, as if something was crumbling or breaking. Suddenly everything froze…

      Now the sound changed and everyone heard a quiet knocking coming from inside. Shimmering and coming into motion, the entire mass began to contract towards the center and rise high above the pedestal. When the last gem hung in the air, the iridescent ruby ​​column collapsed to the ground and scattered again, and purple-red precious stones rolled across the entire square. And on the pedestal appeared the Athanasia bird. She was absolutely identical to the previous one, only small, just a chick.

      There was a noise and joy, everyone greeted her, rejoicing that this time too she found the strength to be reborn into the great Athanasia. With the pedestal, she was picked up and carried to the palace.

      When everyone got into the defense, Smarta realized that everyone was still under an unforgettable impression of what they had seen, she was the first to break the silence: "Well? Do you still want to have fun or is that enough impressions for today?"

      Diana replied: "I think that's enough for today. Right? Berta? How about you?"

      Berta raised her eyes to them, and in them there was still shock, surprise, and even fear from what she had seen and experienced.

      "Bertyunya, little one, were you scared?" - Diana took her on her lap. Hugged her, and then pressed her cheek to Berta's.

      "If it's a trick," the little one looked at Diana and said, "then a genius invented it!"

      "Yes, it's definitely not a children's show," Diana sighed, "but we also have a reason to have an impressive, but fun time. Smarta, Berta has a birthday tomorrow! Maybe you have any suggestions?"

      Berta looked at Diana: "Ma, how do you know it's today? Here, time and days pass completely differently than at home?" - raising her white ears in surprise, she began to look like a small white bear.

      "The birthday was supposed to be in two days. I've already ordered presents and all the decorations for the house. They're probably at the post office already? Yesterday I thought, we went to sleep twice, so regardless of the time, we'll consider your birthday to be today," Diana said thoughtfully.

      "Hooray! The best day! - Berta shouted loudly, jumping up.

      She began to dance, waving her paws in all directions, while spinning her tail like a fan.

      Berta shone and glowed with boundless joy: "Today will be a big holiday," she said, dancing, "and I'm the main one at it! A real holiday, not just some bird falling into childhood again! Hooray! So what? Where are we going? Where are the guests and presents?"

      Everyone laughed, looking at the little one who was jumping.

      "Bertyonka, you're so happy, as if the holiday has already begun," Diana said laughing.

      Smarta intervened: "Bertyunya, everything is right - you have a holiday today, so let's celebrate!"

      They celebrated the birthday in the Valley of Water Parks. It was a plain between the mountains, where Living Water flowed from all the waterfalls. Flowing from one body of water to another, it playfully tossed up small fish, and they, flipping over, flashing their colorful sides, plopped into the water. There were thousands of them. There was no need for additional lighting, everything around was lit up and shimmered from these fish, emitting a rainbow light. There were many small and large establishments with food on the shore. The design of all of them was completely different: there were platforms on transparent suspensions, and from above you could look at the vacationers walking below; there were tables located on steps up a wall that overhung, and next to them, large flowers the size of a large plate hung on long stem-lianas.                These flowers were cut and food was brought on their petals, and a new flower grew at the cut site, in front of everyone's eyes. You wanted to visit everywhere, see everything and try everything.

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      The table at which they decided to celebrate Berta's birthday slowly rose upwards, then a transparent dome descended from above, and water poured onto it, flowing down. There was a feeling that you were under a waterfall. On the water walls of the dome: small emerald inhabitants of the Living Water appeared and then disappeared. They did not hide, but were transparent, like water, but at one moment they could become visible emerald-malachite in color with a strip of red dots on their backs. Very beautiful!

      A quiet melodic sound rang out on Smarta's keychain and she said: "Oh! They've arrived, meet the guests! I invited two of my best friends to get to know you and celebrate your birthday with us, Bertona. They came with their pets. Do you mind?"

      "Even, "yes"!" the girl nodded in agreement. - New places, new acquaintances - everything I like!"

      The friends turned out to be twins. We would say about them: advanced, sophisticated, very glamorous and modern. Their long dresses were clearly custom-made from a fabric that rustled like rain when they walked, and looked the same: it seemed that water was flowing down the person walking.

      They turned out to be very lively, cheerful, and talkative. Absolutely effortless to communicate with. It was easy and simple with them.

      Pointing with her palm at the twins, Smarta introduced them: "Mya and Em, and their favorite pets, Lexi and Lota."

      After that, she introduced them to Diana and Berta, reminding only that Bertonka was the main one at this holiday today, she was the birthday girl.

      Lexi and Lota were of the same breed and very similar to each other. Their appearance was extremely unusual: the height of Berta, the fur was striped alternately: white and beige. The beige stripe was longer than the white one and protruded slightly higher: a long stripe - a short one, then again, a long - a short one. Very unusual! The tail was round and fluffy, but the ears were like Berta's, only dark beige. The eyes and nose were as black as Bertyunya's.

      They approached the birthday girl, touched her nose with their noses in turn and, squinting their eyes comically with pleasure, said: "Hi! Happy Birthday! Let's be friends!"

      At the table, it was noisy, fun, and there was a lot of delicious food.

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      Lota turned to Lexi and said: "Let's give Berta a gift that will always remind her of us and stay with her forever?"

      "Well, that's it, I won't see a gift! Ma won't let me get a tattoo," Bertyunya replied sadly and quickly, "and then, where? Only on the stomach, and when I grow up, I'll have a fur coat on my stomach too."

      Lexi laughed: "Bertyunya, you know how to overwhelm with incomprehensible words. And they've probably already told you that? By the way, what's a tattoo?"

      Berta thought: "Well, not to go into details - it's a drawing on the skin."

      Lota intervened: "Firstly, we don't draw anything on our skin, and secondly, you didn't guess."

      Lexi approached Berta, took her tail, and dipped it like a brush into the dark beige stripe on her neck. And the tip of the tail darkened even more. Then she touched the ears and ran along the back, and these places darkened from light beige and became the color of dark caramel.

      Lota nodded: "It turned out great! It's fashionable and stylish with us now."

      Berta waved her tail in all directions, her chest forward, and rearranged her paws as if at an exhibition. Model! She was all white, and the brush on her tail, ears, and back were a dark caramel color.

      "Yes, now I'm a cool fashionista, I'm trendy, cool, awesome," Bertyunya looked absolutely happy. "Thank you, thank you! Something new again - it's for me, it's right up my alley. It's great to be a birthday girl in any world!"

      Later, they all decided to take a walk through the Valley of Water Parks and go to the largest lake, which was called the Lake of Reflection. Its surface was absolutely like a mirror: a perfectly flat surface, no waves and the same mirror reflection of everything around. But if you get very close to the shore, then the water looks completely transparent and you can see small fish swimming.

      Lexi ran up to Berta and said: "Let's go talk to the fish. They love to talk to the vacationers in this park."

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      Diana approached Berta, Lexi, and Lota, who were playing on the shore. She walked along the shore, stood for a while, looking at the fish jumping out of the water, and when she turned, she turned to the little ones: "Bertyonka, we've already seen such fish before we got here. Remember? The fish that told us how to get out of the magic corridor or, if we want, to reach the turn in the cave, looked the same."

      And they told everyone present at the birthday what happened to them before they met Smarta and, in general, how they got into this world.

      "Yes, it's interesting," Smarta said, "but helping those fish escape from the closed waterfall and get into the Great Water is difficult. Diamond-water is a magical stone. The fish were right that you can only buy it, but, that's an option, only no one sells it. Other options: get it as a gift or win it as a prize. Of all the above, it's weak but real - only a prize. That is, a prize for winning the grand tournament "Duel of Minds". But the rules, which unexpectedly change when they are announced before the start of the competition, are such that it is unrealistic to win. I don't even know if anyone will want to compete with Mayin First for the Staff of Power themselves? Knowing the consequences in case of defeat, it's unlikely..."

      Everyone was silent, it was clear that everyone had their own thoughts about it. And, of course, no one wanted to be that opponent.

      Mya looked up and said, "The white light is coming, we need to hurry home. Tomorrow is the tournament. Tomorrow we'll find out who it will be? How it will all be and, most importantly, how it will all end?"

      Everyone began to gather.

      Morning came. It was kind of an ordinary morning, but in the air there was already some tense anxiety and anticipation of an important event that would soon happen in the lives of the inhabitants not only of the City of Desires, but also of the entire Lower Level.

      First, all sounds disappeared and it became quieter around than usual.

      "It's begun," Smarta said, "today we will either finally see changes in our lives, or, quite likely, everything will remain the same for another thousand days."

      A long hum sounded somewhere far away, turning into a thunderous rumbling roar. This frightening sound slowly grew and intensified. It rolled across the sky and unceremoniously entered all houses and premises. It could be heard in every city of the Lower Level.

      At this time, Smarta's keychain signaled again that they had visitors. Mya and Em arrived with Lexi and Lota. Entering the house, Em asked Diana: "Maybe we'll leave the kids with you? There is a huge crowd of people there and we will all be calmer for them if they are safe. For example, here."

      "Well, I don't even know," Diana replied, "I try not to leave Bertonka alone."

      "So they will be together: Berta, Lota, and Lexi," Mya intervened, "they will stay here: they will eat, play, and we will finish all our business and return," then after a short pause she continued, "I hope, I really hope, that we will all return together. In any case, at least we will be calm for the kids."

      "Of course," said Smarta's mother, "they need to stay. We'll leave the Screen on for them, and they can watch and listen to everything that happens at the "Duel of Minds" on it. Their presence there is hardly necessary, they won't see anything from below anyway, they will only get tired."

      Diana stood hesitantly, not knowing what to do.

      "And what do you think?" - Diana turned to Bertyunya.

      "Ma, what if I need you?" - leaning on the sofa with her paw and wrinkling her nose questioningly, Berta asked.

      "Well, yes," Diana smiled, "without you, and there's just no way!"

      It was clear that Diana was already starting to laugh and she said: "Alright, let the kids stay home. We'll try to come back from the tournament as soon as possible. I hope our participation there is just to support the crowd and nothing more. Knowing the consequences for the loser, I wouldn't want to attract attention. We'll have to stay away from the center stage. Although, I'll tell you, winning the Staff of Power, and with it the Diamond-Water, would be very useful for us!"

      Seunch, Smarta's father, took his Talking Pendant off his neck, turned it over, and pointed it upwards. A beam came out of it and a screen appeared in the middle of the hall, showing a square with people who had already arrived at the tournament.

      "The Screen is activated," he said. "The summoning roar is already heard too loudly, let's hurry. Get in the defense."

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      The transformation of the defense allowed everyone to comfortably sit inside.

      Diana hugged Berta, stroked the white back with an already caramel stripe, touched her cheek to her head, saying: "I hope it's not for long. Sit quietly, don't make noise. You'll see everything on the Screen."

      "Maybe, if I don't go, no one will notice?" - Diana tried to clarify with Seunch once again.

      "No, it won't work at all. That's for sure. See, high in the sky is a dark spot - that's the Gray Shadow. That's what the guardian-observer is called, who sees all the inhabitants of the Lower Level from above: through walls, water, earth - through any obstacles. Absolutely everyone must be present at the "Duel of Minds". If the Gray Shadow sees anyone after the tournament starts, they will be destroyed for disobeying Mayin First. Smarta has probably already told you about it. So it's better to be there, but at the same time remain in the shadows," he looked around at everyone sitting in the defense salon and made sure, "everyone sat down? Then on the road!"