The party hurriedly readied their weapons and pointed them at the robed figure. They maintained vigilance in case of an ambush, considering they did not expect just one opponent.

“Who are you?” Rox asked the question on everyone's mind with a cold voice.

“Now, now, that isn't how you greet an old friend, is it?” The figure said as he pulled his hood down revealing the face of Chiron, barrier mage of Fira. “I know it's only been a little while since I last saw you, but that's still quite cold.”

Everyone was stunned, only Rox could reply, “Chiron? What are you doing here? Why have you kidnapped one of the dragonoids? No, more importantly, the barrier of Fira can't function without you. Why have you left the City?” He fired off a rapid succession of questions, having been caught off-guard.

Chiron gave a hearty chuckle dripping with malice , “What is with that fake concern for my city? Someone like you doesn't care, don't act as if you do. For your information, in the thousand years you've been gone we've made great strides in magical technology. Now barrier mages can leave the city for a month out of a year, so long as they charge a barrier battery to maintain it while they're gone. It's a temporary solution, but it lets me leave to deal with scum. Like I did in my glory days!” He said, ignoring most of the questions and simultaneously accusing Rox. He then smiled at the party, “I don't think I've ever seen Rox this shaken, though. I'll admit it's amusing.”

“How can you say that, of course I care about Fira!” Rox said, genuinely hurt by the accusation.

“Don't you lie to me, I've had enough of it. I'm tired of your deceit. You nearly killed all of the mediator gods, our protectors. You dare stand there and claim to care even an inch about us?” Chiron's rage was apparent on his face, as if it had been boiling over for centuries and he finally had the opportunity to act on it. Then, suddenly, he calmed down.

“I've never done any such thing, I've never even met them!” Rox said in his defense. A terrible mistake.

“Oh, haven't you? That 'friend' that you introduced me to a millennium ago came back a few years ago and told me everything, Rox.” He said in a controlled tone. “How they tried to bless children with their powers and how you tried to kill them for it after annulling that very blessing! She told me everything, Rox!” His tone rose into an angry shout that echoed through the empty room.

Rox's party looked at him with a mixture of confusion and horror. Kara's look hurt him the most, since she knew who he was. What little color he had in his pale skin drained as he cursed himself for hesitating to explain more to her out of concern for her safety. It did not occur to him that something like this might happen.

“Rox. What is he talking about?” Kara said with a small, hurt, voice. He could see it in her eyes, because of what she knew about him, she was even more likely to believe Chiron's words.

“It's hard to explain, Kara.” He said to her, not knowing how to explain. She looked at him as if he had just stabbed her in the back.

“Friend? You mean the one that my dagger belonged to?” Toley asked, taking two hesitant steps towards him.

“Yes, Toley. As I said, she visited me a few years ago. When she did, she revealed to me the truth of everything. She is the mediator god, Fira!” The man spoke as if every word were a new incriminating accusation towards Rox. “Rox tried to kill her, as well as all of the others. He even succeeded at killing one of them, the mediator god of Illusion, Illusia.” The news that Toley's mentor and caretaker was a god filled him with both confusion and pride. More than that, though, it lit flames of rage in him towards the man who apparently intended her harm.

“That's not true!” Rox shouted, unable to listen any longer. “She died because of her own decision!”

“A decision that you lead her to! That you made her choose!” Chiron fired back at him. Rox was shocked into silence. “Not denying that part, huh?”

“Why are you here, Chiron? Why did you kidnap the kid?” He said, trying to steer away from the topic. His party looked at him fearfully, Kara now saw him with eyes of uncertainty, and Toley's with hatred.

“Great deflection, traitor. No, I did not kidnap him. I was in town still when that happened. It was one of my allies who did that, but I wanted to be the one to confront you here. I wanted to be the one to see your face when your crimes came to light.” Chiron said with a malicious smile.

“Rox, is what he says true? Did you try to kill the mediator gods? They're the only reason we can all live without being used as puppets by the gods!” Sheeron said to Rox, clearly swayed, yet trying to give him a chance to explain.

“No, it's far more complicated than that, I never tried to kill them,” Rox said. Kara silently sighed in relief, with what she knew, that was enough. She might not know the full truth, but those words were enough to keep the faith.

Sheeron nodded a few times, thinking, then responding, “For now, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Only because I doubted you once already. However, I expect an explanation when this is over.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“I agree with Sheeron.” Feera followed up Sheeron while giving Rox a stern look.

Toley, however, was not so easy to convince. “How can you all accept that so easily? Rox hasn't said anything except denial in trying to kill them! He could even be lying about that!” Toley said in rising anger, flames showing up on the floor around him.

“We don't have enough information about the situation, Toley. You need to calm down, he already said he'd explain later.” Sheeron said, reprimanding Toley for his uncharacteristic hot-hotheadedness.

“No! I want an explanation right now!” The boy said, having lost all reason the moment his mentor had been brought into the conversation. The flames near his feet rose up to his ankles alongside his temper. He looked at Rox and shouted, “Why?! Why did you do it?!”

The room was silent, aside from the crackling flames of Toley. The first to speak was Chiron, “Yes, Rox. Tell us why you did these horrible things. I thought we were friends. I knew you had your secrets, but I never imagined that the person I thought was as bright as the sun had such a long shadow.”

Rox could not help but sigh. This was quite the fine mess. He felt lucky that the party, except for Toley, was mostly taking the accusations with level heads. “No matter what I say, you won't believe me, right? So just tell us what you want.”

“You. I want you dead. You're a threat to the mortal races, that's why you were sealed away.” Chiron brought his hands out from underneath his cloak, in one hand he held a crimson short-sword and in the other, he held a gray wand. “I knew you'd come if we kidnapped the monster kid. They freed you from your prison, you owed them.”

“Did Fira put you up to this?” Rox said, having one other question on his mind, but he couldn't say out loud.

“No, this was my decision as a member of the mortal races you tried to doom.” Chiron spat.

“That means one of the others is involved too, damn. Fira was never this good at misleading people.” Rox said, mostly to himself. Although loud enough that everyone else was able to overhear the cryptic words.

“How dare you put her name and such a lie in the same sentence!” Chiron said as he began to dash at Rox. “I'll end you, once and for all!” He yelled as the distance between them quickly closed.

However, Chiron stopped in surprise as Rox blocked another attack before his. Toley now stood in front of Rox, seething in anger, claw-equipped hands being held at the wrists by Rox to prevent them from slashing him. “Give her back!” Toley screamed while looking up at him with fury in his eyes.

Rox could not understand his actions. He knew why he was mad, but the actions Toley was taking did not make sense. None of what was said should have led him to believe that Rox had anything to do with the disappearance. Anger might be a blinding emotion, but this was pushing it, even Chiron was surprised for a moment.

“Even your own ally can see the truth in front of him, fantastic! Let's get rid of the threat together, Toley.” He said, dashing around behind Rox and attempting to stab him from behind with the crimson sword. However, it was deflected by Feera's daggers.

“Ah ah ah, mean elf guy. I can't have you hurting my partner like that.” She said, smiling at the old man in a way that did not reach her eyes.

Meanwhile, Sheeron used the flat of his axe to knock Toley unconscious since Rox was still holding him by the wrists. “Uprising averted, please do continue though,” Sheeron said to Chiron as he took the now-unconscious Toley from Rox.

“That was a bit anticlimactic.” A deep female voice echoed in all of their heads. “I expected better from him, it seems he needs more training.”

Everyone looked around for the source of the voice, but only Rox knew who it was. “What, was your name invoked so many times that you had to see what was going on?” he called out sarcastically.

A thick, red smoke quickly formed and exited Toley's body. It floated a few meters away, then twisted and turned until it took the shape of a human-like female figure. She stood only five feet tall with long hair that seemed like fire itself, nearly blonde at her head near the roots then turning more red as it went further down the length until it became fully crimson at the fringes. Her body was quite voluptuous and would give even Feera a run for her gold. She wore armor similar to that of a lightly equipped rogue, multiple belt pouches on her torso and around her waist, with flechette throwing-darts strapped to her thighs. Strapped behind her waist were two blades made from orichalcum, a large one that seemed to be blade-heavy and a smaller knife that seemed to be made for throwing. Matching her hair, her clothes and armor were a mix of fiery hues and her eyes were constantly changing like burning flame.

“Just when I thought this couldn't get any more complicated, you show up,” Rox said, disdain in his voice as everyone looked between the two in confusion. Everyone except Chiron, who immediately dropped to his knees in reverence.

“Good to see you too, uh, remind me what you call yourself now?” She said awkwardly, yet lightheartedly.

“Rox.”

“Yes, Rox. How have things been? Still got that streak of bad luck?” The woman asked. Feera could not help but quietly laugh at that, thinking of the mantis and other creatures he had fought along the way to this room.

“It’s been great ever since I was able to use my six senses again, no thanks to you.” He said bitterly as everyone now began to get an idea of who they were seeing. “You?”

Fira smiled mischievously as she looked at him and his party, “I'll be great after I put you back where you belong.” Flames rose around her, flowing into her hands until they formed crimson blades similar to Chiron's.

Rox raised his own weapon towards her, as did the rest of the party, while Chiron raced behind Fira to gather mana for a spell. “Sorry Fira, that place has gotten a little overgrown. I'd prefer to rent somewhere else.”

“Don't worry, I'll be sure to take it up with the landlord.” She said with a smirk.

“What the hell?” Sheeron said to Rox after their back-and-forth was over.

“That makes three,” Rox replied with a slight chuckle.

“You are the worst kind of person.” Sheeron snapped back.

“Preaching to the choir, cutie,” Fira said to Sheeron from across the gap.

“No.” Sheeron and Rox said in sync before, once again, giving each other a disgusted look.