Chapter 116: The Truth

Beads of sweat gathered on Charon’s forehead as he subconsciously took a step back. Emerius made a move to respond for him, his gaze sharpening as he turned to defend his friend, but Darius silenced him with a snarl. "I seek answers, Emerius. The facts are not lining up. For all we know, Charon could have been taken over by the mist. The person in front of us could be little more than a puppet." ’This isn’t good, he caught one of the plotholes. I need to give them something, anything to re-direct them!’ He looked to the others for support, but found nothing until Annie stepped forward. "Charon, I know you have a good excuse for this, but I’m curious as well. When you spoke to the mist, you mentioned a name. Achlys. I’ve read about her in various texts, but nothing concrete. She is associated with dark ancient cults, not something you seem to be knowledgeable about." Instead of helping him, she doubled down on Darius’s statement, making things worse. Where those two threw their support, Liam and Red would certainly follow. The only unknown was Emerius, who was currently warring between the sides. Charon’s gaze crossed each face as he studied them, trying to figure out the best path forward, when he finally sighed and raised his hands. "Okay, okay. You deserve an answer, and I can give you one." With gritted teeth, he gave the Warden an order. ’Separate from me.’ His summon hesitated for a moment, as if unsure if the order was imagined or not, before slowly detaching himself from Charon. The chains rattled against the cloth as it was dragged from his flesh, coming to hang in the air in front of the stunned onlookers. The links swayed in the air like serpents, clinking softly as though each one had a voice of its own. They shimmered faintly in the dim light, an otherworldly radiance that made them impossible to mistake for ordinary iron. The Warden’s cloak was black as midnight, eerily similar to that of the stones around them. Although it had just been a robe until recently, it looked more threatening without a human face behind the hood. Annie took a step back, her scholarly curiosity battling against instinctive fear. Her eyes darted between the floating chains and Charon’s strained expression, lips parting as though she wanted to ask something but thought better of it. Liam wasn’t nearly as subtle. His hand shot to the hilt of his axe over his shoulder, though he didn’t draw it yet. "By the gods... what in all the hells is that supposed to be?" His voice was gruff, laced with suspicion, but also unease. Darius, however, didn’t flinch. He leaned forward, studying the summon with an intensity that made Charon’s stomach knot. He raised his hand to touch the fabric, unbothered by Charon’s stare. It was a sharp contrast from Emerius, who had the consideration to wait before grabbing at his crown. Red’s gaze lingered longer than the others. For once, her stoicism cracked, just a fraction. Charon caught the faintest curl of her lip before it smoothed again. She already knew, he realized. She had been waiting for him to show it, unsure if he would. Emerius finally broke the silence, stepping half a pace closer as if placing himself between Charon and the rest. "Charon... what is that?" Charon forced a breath through clenched teeth. The chains rattled in response, like they recognized his anxiety. ’Well, here we go. Time to spin another story.’ "This is what I’ve been hiding. When I received my power, it didn’t come on its own. I was also given something called an Archmage soul, which I could spend to summon a creature." Annie gasped, and Emerius’ head snapped back as if he were slapped. The shock was clear on their faces at his mention of an Archmage soul. "I used it, and found myself on the beach of the River Acheron, even though I wasn’t physically there. Then, a creature found me. A floating cloak with a skeleton inside and chains wrapping around its limbs. It pulled itself onto me, merging into my flesh." Charon gestured to the Warden floating in front of him, the bodyless shape twisting to face him. "That’s how I met this guy, whom I have been calling the Warden. He has been with me ever since, helping protect me against whatever I face. Achlys, the mist figure, didn’t recognize me. She recognized him and trusted him enough to help me as well." The woman in question scoffed as she floated a few feet away, her voice ringing out yet garnering no reaction from anyone except Charon. "You lie to your friends so easily, boy. I take it as a sign of future troubles. No lie, no matter how well crafted, survives the tribulations of mortal relations. I have seen it time and time again." He ignored her, unwilling to split his focus at this tense moment. Darius’s jaw tightened. His hand hovered near his sword as he studied both Charon and the Warden, suspicion plain in his expression. "You gained an... Archmage soul..." The man glanced at Annie as if willing her to explain, which he eagerly obliged. Her gasp turned to fascination as she spoke, excitement filling her tone. "I am unsure how Charon’s ability works entirely; however, I can infer things from other summoning abilities. They usually operate based on a currency unique to that element, which we can assume for him is souls." She paused as if to have him confirm, which he did with a reluctant nod. ’This isn’t good. She is too smart for this stuff; she could figure out the rest of the details and collapse this house of cards right now!’ "If so, then it will naturally be based on the magical hierarchy we all know, from Novice to Archmage. Perhaps he did something notable while alive, so Death sent him here with a gift, that soul. I would imagine it’d be very rare..." Her eyes lit up like the sun. "You have to tell me more, Charon! This is an exciting and rarely documented field! This could be an incredible discovery!" Darius raised a hand to stall her. He clearly didn’t want to let things get sidetracked; the rest of his queries were still unanswered. "So this was your first summon, yet you never told us? Why?" Charon swallowed, forcing himself not to retreat further under Darius’s stare. He could feel the weight of every gaze pressing against him, demanding the truth, or at least something convincing enough to pass for it. He responded slowly, his voice steadier than he felt. "I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know it mattered until now. I was disappointed, even, when I first received him. The Archmage soul sounded so important, and I only got a piece of clothing, not some unstoppable monster to fix all of my problems. As far as I was concerned, he wasn’t important enough to share." The Warden shifted in front of him, chains scraping softly, the sound more unsettling than words. The group tensed as one, their unease only growing. ’I hope he knows I don’t mean this. I’m not trying to piss you off, Warden, I’m trying to keep your true power secret so we don’t become a target!’ Darius watched him closely, his hand drifting away from his pommel as he spoke. His tone wasn’t unkind, but it also lacked warmth. "Your reluctance to share his existence has implicated you in something far worse. As it stands, I am uncertain if I can trust this..." He turned to Red, his intent clear: Is Charon telling the truth now? Charon stared at her with wide eyes. ’She could reveal everything right now, exposing me for my lies and sharing all the secrets I’ve kept so far. They would turn on me, even Emerius.’ Red’s gaze stared back at him, a silent battle occurring in the air between them. Everyone shifted nervously, the seconds stretching far longer than they should. Even Darius grew wary, his eyes narrowing as he tried to discern why the answer was taking so long. Charon swallowed hard, knowing that she held all the power right then. Finally, with uncaring words that lacked emotion, she spoke. "The truth has bloomed freely for all to see. Do not trample it in search of the weeds that never were."