_________________________________________

Leo

Leo was feeling a little beat from the trip, not that spending it on the Icarus was any different than spending a day in a small apartment, but he wanted to sleep in a proper room for the night…and his new home might have spoiled him…

That was half the reason he decided to take up the queen's offer, the other was more about putting one good foot forward, since he wanted to continue without any mistrust.

The mention of Fel also set his mind at ease when the queen looked surprised, because that meant that she wouldn't try anything stupid, not that he got the feeling that she would.

The servant pointed out three separate rooms for each of them to use, though they knew it was unnecessary.

When they entered a room, Leo noticed that Allis started acting a little fidgety. “Something up Allis?” He asked a little worriedly, and Elaria turned from the bed to face her as well.

The serpentine froze up for a moment before her hood slumped a bit, a reaction that wasn't one she normally had often and worried Leo greatly. “Elaria? Um, your sister's name… It's Venomara Scarlet… Does that mean, I mean is she, and are you?” She trailed off with a little hesitation.

Elaria looked away from the pair with a pained expression. “Yeah… And since you are a part of the relationship then you deserve to know that my real name isn't Elaria, it's Tessari Venomara Scarlet.” She answered with the grim admittance of murder, and Allis looked at Elaria as if she had.

“So your fathe-” Allis was cut off by Elaria.

“I don't want to talk about it!” Elaria paused to look at Leo with a pleading expression. “The past is the past, right?” She reiterated the familiar words with a shaky tone.

Leo's eyes softened as he recalled a long made promise that accompanied that conversation. “And I said that I would listen when you were ready, but now I get the feeling that you don't ever want to be.” He remarked sternly.

The green scaled woman shrunk as panic over took her visage. “I-it's - I-I can't. Please can we talk about this later?” She begged while trembling lightly.

A grim expression fell over him, because he knew for a fact that she would just continue to avoid the subject. “Elaria, if you don't tell me, then I'll just ask Sairiss.” He warned, but was only bluffing to get her to talk.

Elaria shot both of them a horrified look that made his stomach drop, and she rushed out of the room without a word.

Leo was about to go after her, but Allis slithered into his path to stop him. “Leo! Don't push her on this!” She scolded as she leaned left and right to block him from going around.

“Damn it Allis, you asked about it.” He spat as he was tempted to just push her out of the way with magic, but that would definitely be crossing a line.

Allis narrowed her eyes while she rose a little higher. “And I now regret it, especially after what just happened. You should know that you don't press people who get emotional like that!” She berated loudly.

The human ruffled his hair in frustration as he backed off toward the bed. “Seven months, Allis, there's a difference between letting someone have time to open up, and actively keeping secrets. Hell, she spoke so warmly of her sister, yet didn't even tell me her name! The only reason I'm asking now is because she might not ever tell me herself, and while the past is the past, she still needs to face it before she can truly move forward, burying it only hurts her.” He paused to fall backwards onto the bed. “Besides, I wasn't even going to ask her sister, I would feel like shit if I learned the truth from anyone else, even you…”

Allis was silent for a moment before she scowled at him. “If that's the case, then don't fucking use a relative against her!” She yelled before storming out of the room.

Leo laid there for a few moments as he simply closed his eyes and let out a breath that oozed depression.

“Can add dumbass, fuck up, and piece of shit extraordinaire to my list of titles…”

Still, even after all this time, he wondered why Elaria refused to talk about it.

_________________________________________

Sairiss

-FOURTEEN YEARS AGO-

A dwarf was strapped to a chair as he pleaded for his life while Sairiss watched her aunt rip off his fingernails one by one. “I'm sorry… Gods please… I'll pay yo-Bahh!” He screamed as she ripped another one off.

Her aunt set her pliers down on the table. “Sairiss honey, can you remind the forgetful man while I get started on his other hand.” She asked sweetly, and began to pull the small table around to the other side.

Sairiss's eyes were vacant as she recited the family's tenant. “Rule seven, complete the contract at any cost.”

Her aunt smiled. “Aw, so adorably correct you are sweetie, and this soon to be not so handsome fellow, didn't. In fact, they tried to do the opposite, and what do we do with those who do the opposite?” She questioned happily.

Sairiss looked into the eyes of the terrified dwarf, her own being devoid of any emotion. “Rule three, those who cross the family will suffer more than death would allow.” She answered blankly.

Before her aunt could praise her any further, the door to the room opened, and her older cousin stepped in. “Her father wants to speak to her.”

Her aunt's shoulders drooped while she wore a very disappointed look. “I guess lesson time is over…” She remarked sadly as she walked away from the dwarf, but then perked up. “Oh Sairiss, what's rule five?” She asked while spinning around to pick up a small blade from the table, before using it to slice off the dwarf's fingertips in one swift motion.

“Don't leave work half finished.”

______________________

-THIRTEEN YEARS AGO-

Sairiss was in the dueling pit, training with her newly discovered sister. Her father had found out that one of his old flings had produced a child, and that her mother was hiding it from the Venomara family out of fear. A sentiment that was right to have, as the woman was strung up by her tail and tortured to death out in some random forest.

Her father told everyone that he valiantly saved his Tessari from the people who did that, but everyone knew he liked to scheme, though no one knew what this latest one was.

Sairiss didn't care for the family though, and if anyone asked her what she did care about, she would say nothing. She had no motivations, no desires, and barely a will to live. So she just did what she was told, and remembered what was taught, not knowing what else there was for her to do in life.

‘So weak… Why is he even bothering to waste the effort on her?’ She thought with little actual interest while she parried her vastly under trained sibling.

“Hmm, it seems like this isn't enough of a challenge for you Sairiss… Bring in the slaves! We don't want her skills to dull on the fresh blood.” Cousin Risska ordered from up next to father, who sat and watched them with a slightly vague interest.

She sighed, as she always was singled out for her lack of any visible emotions, so during training she would have to face up to five slaves. It was often difficult to do, as all of them were fighting to free themselves from their failed contracts. She usually ended up getting a few broken bones, nothing their healer couldn't fix though, they were skilled and knowledgeable enough to heal the most brutal injuries like they never happened.

Sairiss was soon surrounded by four other opponents wielding dull training blades, and a very confused sister. ‘Right, she's nowhere near skilled enough to face one competent opponent, probably doesn't even know what's going on…’ She thought before taking the fight a little more seriously, but knew that she was going to end up crippled again regardless.

Sairiss rolled her eyes when her sister backed off from the melee, because at least she didn't have her attention split between five people. It wasn't a long fight though, as one of them managed to strike a hard blow against her shin, sending her to the ground from the fracture.

They all immediately closed in to break a few more bones, because they weren't allowed to kill, but needed to have their opponent unable to continue the fight to gain their freedom. She closed her eyes, resigned to what was about to happen when a voice shouted from in front of her.

“She can't fight, leave my sister alone!” Opening her eyes, she saw her sibling waving her training blade at her attackers.

Confusion fell over her and the slaves at the intervention. ‘What is she doing? Protecting me will only make Risska order them to attack her.’ She thought in utter bewilderment, and after a curt nod from her older cousin, the slaves began brutalizing the inexperienced girl.

Sairiss looked on as her sister screamed in pain, pleading for them to stop and someone to help, and her mind raced with questions and indecision. ‘Why did she do it? Is this a test? What should I do? Should I do anything? I don't understand. She's so weak, why try and defend a defeated opponent? It makes no se-’ Her thoughts halted when she locked eyes with her sister, and Sairiss felt a prick of something small.

For the first time in her life, she actually felt something, and she didn't know why. Her sister had more or less the same look as any of the people she killed or watched being killed, so why did she feel any different? The question didn't matter though, because the feeling was overwhelming to someone who was devoid of it, and Sairiss instinctually latched onto the faint embers of emotion while her sister's screams stoked it into an inferno.

Everything after that feeling was a blur, and Sairiss found herself covered in blood as she stood over the mutilated bodies of the slaves. The confusion lasted for a brief moment as her thoughts flung back to her sister, and she spun around in a panic to help her, completely ignoring the pain shooting up her leg with every step.

Sairiss's chest ached as she stood over her sister, and it only sunk more into the feeling as her eyes drifted along her broken and swollen limbs. She could hear her father laughing with joy from his seat up above, but she tuned it out when Tessari turned their head to her with great effort, and two genuine and simple words echoed from Sairiss's new meaning to live.

“Thank you.”

______________________

-TEN YEARS AGO-

Sairiss had returned early from her special training in the backcountry, wiping out a few small camps of bandits that the family was contracted for, and she couldn't wait to see her sister again as she skipped happily down the halls.

The task took a few weeks, and she had been thinking about what she would do with Tessari when she got back the whole time. Tessari always brightened her up, and her smile made her overjoyed to see.

‘Nothing else can compare to my belov-’ Her thoughts were halted by a shriek of anguish that echoed through the halls, and she was instantly sure who it came from as she sped to its source.

In mere moments she bursted into her father's chambers to see him sitting in a chair, casually reading an enchanted book while Tessari was cradled in a ball at the farthest edge of the room.

Rushing over to comfort her trembling sister, Sairiss glared daggers at her father. “What did you do to her!?” She demanded, and he glanced over to her with a mirthful chuckle before directing his attention back to his book.

She carefully pulled her sister up to look at her, and her heart cracked at the vacant stare in her eyes. “Tessari? What happened?” She asked with tears beginning to stream down her face, and her heart nearly shattered when her sister responded.

“Who are you?”

______________________

-FOUR YEARS AGO-

Sairiss had just finished up a contract even earlier than she usually did, something that she always tries to do to get back to her sister as soon as possible. Tessari was no longer the woman she used to be after that heart shattering day, as whatever their father did to her took away more than her memories. And the issue had many of the family members openly hostile to the broken woman, which only made her sister's life harder.

Currently, Sairiss was walking down the hold's halls, hoping that Tessari wasn't in the dueling pit again when she spotted her frantically sprinting toward her.

It was only for a moment that her heart brightened at the sight of her beloved sibling, before it chilled when she saw the blood streaming down her arm. ‘She's not in the pit and isn't on any contracts, so who dared to do this to her!?’ Her thoughts screamed in a murderous rage.

Tessari barreled into her chest, and looked at her with utter panic. “Their trying to kil- Agh!” She howled in pain after a crossbow bolt pierced her shoulder, and Sairiss traced its origin to one of her relatives down the hall.

“She's back early! Gonna have to kill'em both!” They yelled down the halls, and the keen killer's blood became icy as she realized what was happening.

The family was ruthless, strong, and powerful, everything that Tessari wasn't. It was only a matter of time before people would start to see her as a total waste of effort and coin.

Sairiss drew her sword, grabbed Tessari, and started down another corridor. “Damn It! They're making a break for his chambers! Cut them off!” The voice yelled from behind in a slight panic, and they were right to be, because no one crossed their father.

The pair of sisters were nearly at their fathers chambers when she heard the readying of a crossbow from behind. She spun around as soon as she heard a faint click echo down the hall, pulling Tessari ahead of her to deflect the bolt with one swift motion of her sword.

As instantly as she fended off the strike, she spun back around and continued to pull her sister toward their only hope, but they were stopped right at the last junction before the hall that led directly to their father's chambers.

An eight foot behemoth of a man covered head to toe in scars stood between them and salvation. “This is to strengthen the family. Stand down Sairiss, and you live.” Uncle Des said coldly, but she knew that it was a damn lie.

Since they both saw and heard who were attacking them, the only course was to kill both. “Rule five…” She trailed off with a knowing sneer before shifting into a fighting stance, and swore that she would kill every person involved in trying to harm Tessari.

Uncle Des barked a deep bellied laugh, pulling out his plated knuckle dusters. “Can't blame a man for trying.” He remarked humorously, and she could hear two more closing in from behind.

“I am sorry though, but it all comes down to rule one.” Uncle Des genuinely apologized with a mournful expression as he took a single step forward, the foot fall sounding like a massive thud due to his sheer weight.

Sairiss thought that this would be it, but a voice from behind the colossal titan froze everyone in place, and the air itself felt frigid as the look of death crept into the eyes of their attackers.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Always strengthen the family.”

______________________

-PRESENT DAY-

Sairiss was walking to her room, the private meeting with the queen having taken less time than originally thought. The dragons were more than likely going to be the next obstacle on the selarin royal's path, but the ex-mercenary had made it clear that she had no interest in helping once her own goals were done. Consequently she was dismissed as soon as the debriefing was done, stating that she needed to have a talk with her daughter.

Admittedly she was passingly curious about what the queen's next moves were going to be, but it didn't matter since the issue with the nobility would be solved soon enough.

The family wouldn't allow that to happen though, since the nobility being removed from power would be a crippling blow to the coffers, and with Leo in the capital, they would soon arrive with some kind of stake.

An assassination attempt was definitely likely, because the chaos happening through out Selaria would be their most lucrative period, and they might want to draw it out as long as possible. Even if it does drain the nobility dry, her father would probably see it as an opportunity to gain control over Selaria.

She sneered at the thought, as it was certain that a clash would happen soon. Even though she was getting close to her goal, she made a promise to Tessari that she would never have to see that man again, and it pained her to have potentially broken it.

As she neared her room, she spotted her sister crying while crouched against her door, and she instantly bolted over to her, barely making a sound. “Tessari! What's wrong? What happened? Who do I need to kill?” She questioned hurriedly, while the last one slipped out reflexively.

Tessari looked up at her with watery eyes, and her heart ached at the sight. “Ca-can we talk inside…?” She asked through a few sobs, and she quickly unlocked her room and hurried them in.

She took a seat on the bed next to her precious sister, and was ready to go out and savagely kill anything that might have left her in such a state. “I… I need advice… Leo-” The single mention of his name caused her to immediately cut off Tessari.

“Did he do this to you?! I'll kill him!” She yelled as she tried to get up from the bed, but Tessari grabbed her arm.

“He didn't do anything wrong! Please just listen…” The disheveled selarin pleaded, and her logical side took over to sit back down.

Tessari slumped. “I want him to know the truth about our family, but it's just too horrible to talk about…” She said to her shock.

“He doesn't even know who you are, and you're with him? Does he even truly love you then?” She questioned critically, seeing that the relationship would obviously hit way more than a bump with that massive bit of closed off information.

Tessari hardened her gaze at the question. “Of course he does.” She paused while a pained expression over took her again.

“But… that's the problem. He's so kind and loving… It hurts whenever I think of telling him about the family, and what they put us through, what they've made us do… I can still remember the screams of every person I killed.” She trailed off, and Sairiss felt pity for her cherished sister, but could never emotionally empathize with that feeling for another.

The empathetically limited killer wished that she could experience her sister's emotions, because she was at a loss when it came to feelings, so she did her best to logically reason it out from her own emotions toward her sister. “Does he love you?” She questioned with very real doubt.

Tessari scowled slightly at her as if she insulted her in some way, which hurt. “I just told you yes, he does. So much so that it wouldn't surprise me if he picked a fight with the gods to keep me safe.” She said with a certainty that caught Sairiss off guard.

‘Alright, if that's the case, then maybe this won't be so hard…’

“Then no matter what you tell him, what you've done, or how horrible our family is, is ever going to change how he feels about you.” She told her from her own heart, hoping that his feelings were the same if he would go that far.

Tessari's visage softened at the words, and her eyes grew a bit distant as she seemed to recall something. “Gods, I'm being selfish again…” She trailed off bitterly, much to her sister's confusion.

Before she could ask what she meant, Tessari pulled her into an embrace. “Thank you Sairiss, and not just for this, but for everything.” She paused to pull away.

“I would have been killed so many times if it wasn't for you, and yet I never once properly thanked you for all the love and care you showed, even though you could have just left me behind.” She paused again to smile with a warmth that melted Sairiss's heart.

“So thank you.” She finished with a genuineness that struck Sairiss's very core, causing her to freeze up for a few moments as the words sunk in.

She began to tremble as tears streamed down her face, recalling the last time she was genuinely told that by her sister. When Tessari pulled her into another hug, it only made her cry harder. The feeling was indescribable to Sairiss, and something in her had a massive wait lifted from it. She balled the back of Tessari's clothes while she wailed into her shoulder.

Even though she was so happy to hear those words again, there was a deep and burning anger that raged underneath it all, and she remembered what she promised to do. So as much as she wanted to just leave with her sister, a single thought echoed through her mind.

‘Rule five, don't leave work half finished.’

_________________________________________

Elaria

Sairiss was beyond helpful in helping her sort out her feelings, though she still had a pain in her chest while walking back toward her room. The way she left Leo and Allis wasn't the smoothest, and she hoped that Leo wasn't angry with her for running off like that.

After going over the whole situation in her head, she realized that Leo was just prodding her to open up. It was probably the logical thing to do to get her to talk about it, but she would have to chastise him about using a loved one like that. He could have just asked Allis, but that would likely have made nowhere near the impact that Sairiss would have.

“Oh thank the gods, are you alright? I've been looking all over for you.” Allis questioned while pulling Elaria into an embrace.

Elaria welcomed the gesture, but was worried that it wasn't Leo, and thought that he might be mad with her. “I'm fine Allis. I just went to have a talk with my sister.” At those words Allis seemed both relieved and pissed.

“Well you shouldn't have had to. I'm so sorry for bringing up the topic of your family, and Leo needs to apologize for what he did.” The serpentine remarked sternly.

“It's alright Allis, I'm sure he's realized that too, and as for my family… He was right to push, since I would have just kept avoiding it…” Elaria admitted with a bit of shame.

“Does that mean you're going to…” Allis trailed off with concern.

Elaria rubbed the back of her neck with a resigned expression. “Talk about It? Yea, come on, I want to explain it to both of you, even though you might already have some idea.” She remarked grimly while they started down the hall.

Allis laid a comforting hand on her shoulder as they headed back. “I'll not judge you for the actions of the rest of your family, or what you might have done when you were with them, especially if the rumors are true…” She reassured warmly, which did go some way to relieve her, since Allis already knew about the Venomara.

‘I just hope that he can forgive my past…’

_________________________________________

Leo

Leo had been staring at the ceiling of his room for nearly the past hour, going over all the series of events that led him to this moment and how he could have done better, which only made him even more depressed and was the main reason that he avoided doing that in the first place. Unfortunately, he needed to do some self reflection, because he felt like he was taking this world for granted again, a mistake that cost him way too much at Telnar.

‘Allis was right to be pissed off with me, especially with how her family was used against one another… If someone used my grandfather against me like that then I would flip out as well… But the look in Elaria's eyes, it was like I said I was going to dig up every buried body in her backyard… Maybe I should just let sleeping dogs lie…’ He sighed sadly as he closed his eyes, sinking further into a depressed mood when an irritating feeling crept over him again.

His eyes shot open and he sat himself up with a scowl. “Alright, who the fuck is there? I know someone has been watching me since I arrived, and I am in no fucking mood right now.” He demanded with irritation as his head swiveled to look around the very empty room.

The mentally exhausted human rubbed his temple as he let out an exasperated breath. ‘I think I might be losing it...’ He thought tiredly, but the door to the room opened before he could drop back into his sulking, and in walked Elaria and Allis.

A pain of guilt shot through him as he immediately got up and apologized to both of them. He was surprised that Elaria was very forgiving, but Allis stuck to being a little standoffish, which was more than understandable.

His green scaled partner sat him down on the bed and had a serious look in her eyes. “Leo, I'm going to tell you a little about my family….not everything though… I- I don't think I can do that yet, It's just that some of those things are way more painful to talk about...” She explained with a deep hesitation, before an awkward silence stretched on for a few minutes while Elaria tried to find the words to start.

He had become very annoyed, not with Elaria herself, but with the fact that she thought that anything she or her family would have done could ever change his feelings. “Elaria, you can tell me anything. I will not ju-”

“I know! It's just, you're so kind, and the Venomara can be even worse than the monsters that attacked Telnar. To describe that to someone like you is impossible…” She trailed off with some implication that he was obviously missing.

A blank and unmoved expression was fixed to his visage, as he could think of some even worse things from earth that would pale in comparison to what happened at Telnar. ‘But she doesn't know that!’ He realized as he facepalmed hard, confusing the two selarin greatly.

Of course she was afraid to tell him, as he never once talked about any of the atrocities from his own world, only the positive technology and how dull and peaceful his own life was. He felt like such an idiot when he realized that it must have sounded like a god damn utopia to them, never going into how utterly fucked the rest of the world actually was with it's long and bloody history.

He looked at the two somberly. “Elaria, Allis, it seems that you two have a bit of a misconception about where I actually come from, and why I feel so strongly about the injustices of this world. But before I explain, I need you both to promise me that what I am about to tell you doesn't leave this room.” He asked both of them with a very serious expression, because a lot of the concepts that he was going to go over would probably wreak havoc on the rest of the world if they ever got out.

The two of them looked a little puzzled. “Sure, but you've already told us plenty about your world, what more is there?” Allis asked a little skeptically.

“How cruel my people can be…”

_________________________________________

Elaria

Frozen, that's what the two selarin were while Leo described unimaginably destructive weapons, mass killings, vile torture methods, social disparities based on the obscure, the absolute cruelty of slavery without the use of any magic, genocides that make the light-born's look like a joke, and war after war after war. Even with all that, what horrified the pair was how casually he explained everything, and in such detail.

Elaria's entire view of the man was shattered, as he continued on unabated by the two. She believed that he came from a utopia, a place that saw life as precious and needed to be protected, and that's why it was so hard for her to tell him about her family.

Now though?

It was like comparing a breeze to a storm, because he didn't just say that a war happened and a lot of people died, but went into the details and death on a scale that made any war on their world look like a tavern fight.

Bombs that leveled cities and poisoned the area for centuries, gas that caused an excruciating death, mass slave exploitation that makes the guilds a preferred alternative, a gruesome amount of ways to execute someone, and so many words for genocide that made both selarin begin to feel ill.

“Alright! That's enough, we get it!” Allis shouted with a shaky hand while she held it over her face.

Elaria had to agree, this was just too much to take in and she was at her own limit. “I… I didn't know. But how could you possibly value life in a world like that?” She questioned disbelievingly, because it simply didn't make sense.

Crossing his arms, Leo looked at Elaria with expectant eyes. “What were the exact words I said when it came to the past?”

Clarity had struck her as she recited his words. “You can't let the past define you, only learn from it to better yourself now, so you can be proud of yourself later… You try to better yourselves...”

The human smiled, though his eyes were a bit distant. “Correct, though we have a bad habit of repeating history…” He trailed off for a moment before continuing with a brighter expression. “So, I want to let you know that even if I assume that your family does the worst things that even my world has to offer, It won't change how I feel about you. And whatever you did before we met, does not reflect the woman that I've come to know now.” He remarked with a hard conviction that set Elaria at ease.

Elaria took a deep breath, feeling way more comfortable discussing what her family does, but still not entirely ready to go into what she had done. “My family are called the Venomara, after a long dead relative from the last era. We-they are deal makers, and will do anything for the right amount of coin, information, items, or basically anything of value.” She paused to grimace.

“And I do mean anything. A few of the family members don't believe it, but apparently my father took a contract to kill a minor god and made it look like an accident…” She admitted grimly, and Leo's brow arched a bit at that.

A slight pain shot through her chest as she went on to explain further. “Murder, torture, theft, assassination, black mail, triggering wars, pay them appropriately and they will do what the client wants to the letter. But what's terrifying about them is that w-they don't stop until they complete the contract, and will do anything to maintain and strengthen the family.” She paused as she felt her eyes water.

“Even kill their own weaker relatives…”

_________________________________________

Leo

Leo awoke very early the following morning due to feeling as if he was being watched, again. At first he thought Allis might have entered the room, since she decided to sleep alone to cool off from everything he had told her, along with still being a little angry with him for using another person's relative against them.

‘Yeah, really fucked up there…’

As he looked around the room he saw that it was empty, but he continued to feel like there were eyes on him. So unable to go back to sleep from the feeling, he chose to leave his green scaled partner and slip out of bed to get ready for the day.

He yawned while stretching his arms out as he entered the bathroom. His mind drifted to what Elaria said about her family, and if he had to be honest, it wasn't nearly as bad as he thought. But he couldn't really picture much, because she still hasn't told him the details, which was alright with him because he learned his lesson from prodding too hard.

Although, like he told her many times before, he loved the woman she was now, and doesn't care about the one she obviously left behind. But If he ever did come across the people who specifically tried to kill her, he might be tempted to send them on a permanent trip off planet.

He slumped as he looked at himself in the mirror. ‘I really need to make it up to Allis, because I royally fucked up with what I did there. Maybe a quiet dinner and a few basic lessons on biology, she definitely wanted some more alone ti-’ His thoughts were interrupted by a very unfamiliar voice that echoed to his left.

“Hello? Testing testing. Is it working now?” A male voice that sounded like it was speaking out of a fishbowl called out from the wall next to the sink.

A confused expression crossed over him, because he turned to see a variety of runes on the wall that were definitely not there before. “Uh… Yeah, I hear you…?” He answered hesitantly.

Voice four : HA! Told you I didn't need Ezekial! I don't owe you shit now James!

Voice three : Fine…

Voice one : Cut it out you two. I'm pretty sure he can hea-

Voice eight : Oh oh! Hey Leo, can you show me your-

Everyone : Sara!

Voice eight : Hey I was expecting to see him make a mess out of-

Everyone : Sara!

Voice eight grumbled : …

Voice seven : Hey Leo, Ezekiel says to go fuck your self! Hahha!

Voice one : Jack would you plea-

Voice five : Leo, I need a second opinion. What's your take on lizards with breasts?

Voice two : I swear to god Elsie!

Voice five : Fuck off Eugene.

Confused was no longer an accurate word to describe what Leo felt, just listening to what sounded like a low quality voice chat argument.

Voice one : I told you two to cut i-!

Voice six : About your relationship with Elaria, I recommend that you just talk things out with her to get as much out in the open as possible.

Voice nine : Don't forget that boundaries are always important.

Voice six : Absolutely, and make sure that you apoligi-

Voice one : Guys, your derailing the conv-

Voice Ten : Ahh so this is where the party is!

Voice eleven : Everyone's already here! I knew I should have just followed Lee.

Voice one : Fuck it! I knew this was a bad idea! Leo, just make sure you visit the city's temple before you leave!

The runes on the wall suddenly vanished along with the overlapping arguments that permeated the space, and Leo stood there with his jaw hung open as he realized what just happened.

“Were those… Were those the gods…?”

_________________________________________