“That’s quite a dramatic reveal,” said Raiden.

“It’s supposed to be,” said Charon. It was difficult to pinpoint his reactions or expressions. Not only did he retain his expressionless tone of voice, but he did not have a face to read right now. There was merely empty darkness instead of facial features. It was unnerving, yet hypnotic at the same time. Was this what it was to stare into the abyss until the abyss stares back?

“So how do we do this?” asked Raiden. He placed both hands on his hips. He didn’t look intimated. There was no fear in his eyes. Mjollnir lay on the ground by his leg.

“If we talk, then you learn something. If we fight, then you will lose and learn nothing.”

“Correction,” said Raiden, he pointed at Charon. “You can’t fight.” Then he used this thumb to point at himself. “But I can.”

“Are you testing me?”

“Are you breaking the rules?”

Charon moved forward a few steps. Although, it was difficult to say whether the being had even walked. The cloak was long enough that it spread out on the ground. When Charon moved, the ends of the cloak moved along with him without looking like they had been dragged. It made it gave the eerie impression that he was floating rather than walking. “Enough of this. You’re only going to cause more harm.”

“Yes, about that,” said Raiden, wagging his finger at Charon as though he was scolding the being. “You have convinced them that you have granted them some noble purpose. They believe that they are doing good. That through sheer compassion and sacrifice, they are saving people’s lives. But none of that comes close to why they do what they do. Why their lives have a time limit.”

“The Gods have given them purpose,” said Charon. He raised his pole and brought it down on the ground. “And a new life. An everlasting one.”

“Of course the Gods are going to say that, ferryman. That’s what they want all Guardians to believe. You’re just the middle manager, here to make sure everything stays on track.”

“I am here to protect them.”

“Yet the one protection they don’t have is from you.” Raiden’s voice lost some of its mirth. It was as though the more he spoke, the more the layers of affability began to peel off. Yet despite the change, he still remained in control of his reactions, so far. He didn’t interrupt Charon.

The more often Maitho met Raiden, the more he began to wonder why exactly Raiden was the villain. Everyone made him seem like the devil, ready to tempt you into a world of destruction and chaos. Yet the simple fact that he never brought civilians or the innocent into the conflict showed a man who wasn’t interested in wanton violence. The people under his command could have easily captured them if they had used lethal weapons. Yet back in the alleyway, when he and Epona had faced four members of his army for the first time, he had noticed something odd about the gun the woman he had tackled was holding. It was a tranquilizer.

Their adversaries had chosen to chase them down the street instead of threatening them with guns. At no point had they discharged a weapon, except for that one time when they had to get rid of Epona’s horses.

Of course, there were the snipers. But something told Maitho that those guns had non-lethal rounds. Or at least, that was what he strongly believed.

What about the explosion at his apartment? Couldn’t that have caused collateral damage? There were people on the streets below who could have been injured by flying debris. The explosion could have affected the neighboring rooms as well, possibly injuring the people inside.

Was anyone really injured?

Maitho wanted to answer the questions. He realized that at that moment, it probably wasn't the best time for pondering such ideas.

“Even now, you know that you don't have the permission from the Gods to do this,” Raiden continued. “You cannot be involved in the conflicts of the Guardians.”

“I know my fate,” said Charon. “The Guardians are more important to me.”

“Oh please. Stop with the noble act. You do realize that if you are taken away, then there will be no one to stop me from making sure they see the truth.” Raiden walked a few paces. Then he stopped. “Perhaps that is what you want. If you get taken away by the Gods, then the Guardians will hold me responsible for your fate. They’ll never lend their ears to me ever again.”

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“You are not to come into contact with them.”

“But that is not your choice, ferryman. You cannot touch me, lest you face the wrath of Deva.”

“What is he talking about?” asked Brigid. “Are you going to receive some kind of punishment for your interference, Charon?”

Charon’s head half-turned towards her. “Nothing you should concern yourself with, Brigid.”

“The law of Deva,” said Raiden, raising his voice as though he was making an announcement for the whole city to hear, “states that no God, Goddess or entity of Deva can directly interfere in the affairs of Earth. Nor can they cause harm to any Guardians. Should they break the rule, then they will be reborn. Trust me, that’s worse than it sounds.”

“That is enough.” Charon spoke in his usually expressionless tone. Yet this time, it sounded like he was casting a desperate warning.

“You don’t protect them, Charon. That's not what you do. You own them.”

“You heard what I said.” Charon gripped the pole tighter.

“They have the right to know that the Gods are toying with their lives. That you are simply here to keep them in line.” Raiden held his hand out by his side. Mjollnir appeared in his grasp. “Isn’t it strange that every single Guardian comes close to dying exactly when they turn twenty-three? It’s almost as if their fates were already written.”

“Speak no more.”

But the damage was done. Maitho felt a chill course through his body. Another revelation by Raiden. This one was starker than the previous one. He thought back to the moment in the hospital. The sheer hopelessness that he had felt. All he had wanted to do was for his life to come to an end. It would be a mercy, knowing what awaited him in his life. But realizing that none of it mattered and that he never had a choice to begin with was an idea that his mind could not grasp.

He looked around at the others. Each of them held looks of sheer disbelief on their faces. Bevan did not hold his face back from showing what he felt. Brigid was more reserved, yet her pressed lips and the widening of her eyes told the whole story.

“Your close call with death was part of a grand plan. A schedule, shall we say, that only the Gods knew. All Charon had to do was arrive at the right moment and claim to be a savior.”

“Raiden.” For the first time, Charon’s voice had risen. It wasn’t a massive change. In fact, if one hadn’t heard him speak before, they would not have noticed the difference. But Maitho recognized it. The slight increase in intensity and volume.

Charon turned into black smoke and shot towards Raiden. The Norse Guardian reacted without hesitation. He swung Mjollnir. But instead of landing a blow, the hammer passed through the smoke without causing any reaction.

The smoke transformed into Charon behind Raiden. The being raised his hand and pressed his palm against the Guardian’s back.

It was a gentle touch. There was no power behind it, at least none that Maitho noticed. Yet Raiden was thrown forwards several meters before landing face-down on the ground.

The Guardian picked himself up, his legs shaking.

“That counts as an offense,” said Raiden, turning around to face his opponent with a smile on his face.

“I will not warn you again,” said Charon.

“Now I can defend myself how I please.” Saying that Raiden pointed Mjollnir towards the sky. He spoke something in a language that Maitho did not identify instantly. He could only guess that it was Old Norse, considering the pantheon of the hammer’s wielder.

After completing the chant, Raiden pointed Mjollnir at the ground in front of him.

Within seconds, Maitho felt a rumble. The ground beneath him began to shake like it was a precursor to a powerful earthquake. In front of Raiden’s feet, the very earth itself began to move. It started with little shifts, but steadily grew into bigger movements. Soon, the ground began to spin. It was like watching the formation of a whirlpool, except that instead of being out at sea, it was being created on land. The spinning continued to increase in speed. Right in the center of the swirling mass of rocks and dirt, a small hole appeared. The hole continued to grow, sucking up dirt, rocks, and any other material into it.

After the hole's diamter grew to several feet, the spinning stopped.

“What are you doing?” asked Charon. There was no fear in his voice. Yet it almost sounded like he was concerned.

That was when it appeared.

In the hole, something moved. Maitho saw large grids of scales, like those that belong to a snake. Yet the size of the scales themselves made him believe that whatever was down there was much larger than a snake. Much, much larger. Maybe bigger than the warehouse. It wasn't easy to discern the size from just what Maitho could see.

The movement stopped. “I hope you are ready, ferryman,” said Raiden.

Then the scales parted. When they did, they revealed a giant eye. The eye itself was a sight to behold. It had a clear pupil that made Maitho feel uneasy. The iris shone orange, but it appeared fragmented on the outer edges. Beyond the iris, the eye was yellow like the shade of sunflower petals.

The eyes shifted around, stopping for a brief second at each Guardian. When it glanced at Maitho, he felt his body freeze. It was as though his entire system had shut down. He was afraid that even if he willed himself to move, his body would not respond.

The eye finally settled on Charon, locking onto the being.

“It can’t be,” said Charon. A note of disbelief emanated in his voice, which only served to bolster the fear already spreading inside Maitho.

“I’m afraid it is,” said Raiden. “If you continue this fight, then you will face the world serpent himself. I will have to release Jörmungandr."