The Truth [ Part 1 ]

After getting settled into Breton's mansion, they were all brought to a large dining hall in the evening. This room was not spared from the white, blue, and gold theme that graced the rest of the house. The dining table looked to be made of a similar wood to an ash tree, covered by a sky blue laced tablecloth.

A magical chandelier hung over the long table, lighting up the room with orbs that looked similar to Emre's light spell. The table was already covered in a feast, seeming in intent to welcome the party. As they all took their seats, the party stared at the food with watering mouths but dared not start without permission.

It seemed the Regala's had something else to do because they were not present for this dinner. Emre figured they had gone to their own abode while the party was getting adjusted.

"It's been a while since we've had such a large dinner here in this house." Breton started, everyone looking away from the food to pay attention. "As I've informed you before, you are considered guests of my house right now. Should you need anything, feel free to just ask the servants that have been assigned to you. If it is something you don't believe they can answer or handle, you can come to me!"

A warm smile was plastered on his face as he spoke. He was being overly gracious and Emre knew it was merely because of him and Idris. The Paladin did not dare to skimp on the opportunity to get on their good side. Emre figured he would be able to use this to his advantage in the future.

Especially since Breton was his greatest link into accessing places that might be otherwise prohibited to be in. Ragan was his other link to things, but given Breton's position was almost on par with that of a King and he had an active title that was respected by the entire continent, Emre thought Breton to be a more important asset to use.

Emre found himself glancing toward Killan. Although Emre was the one Breton was looking to, Emre would not micromanage the party which had been under Killan this whole time. Although everyone was aware of Emre and Idris's position, this did not change the fact that Killan was still the leader of this party.

Noticing this hint, a respectful smile appeared on Killan's face as he responded on behalf of the party.

"We thank you for your gracious hospitality. Most of us have little power and I'm not sure how we'll be able to repay this kindness, but should you need anything that we might be able to help with, we would be perfectly willing as long as it's within reason."

Emre hadn't really seen Killan as a good talker, but when it came down to it, he wasn't that bad. Breton, who had been looking mostly toward Emre, ended up diverting his attention to Killan. Breton's face did not betray what he was thinking as he nodded toward him.

"As much as I appreciate it, I am merely doing this to help you all out! I do not need to be repaid." Breton said.

"Very well, but the offer still stands should you change your mind." Killan responded.

Breton let out a chuckle before gesturing to the feast before them. "Alright, enough with the pleasantries, there is a meal to be had! Feel free to dig in."

Emre knew despite Breton's words that he wasn't just doing it out of the goodness of his heart. What person was ever so kind that they would not expect something in return? Regardless, such fancy food before him was an easy distraction.

After eating mostly stew and whatever they managed to catch while on their trip, a meal like this was more than just luxury. There were all sorts of dishes that seemed to have been prepared in a short time just for them so Emre did not hesitate to pick up his utensils and begin to eat.

Putting the noble etiquette he learned from Ragan to use, he ate with some sort of dignity. Of course, the others who didn't learn were eating as they usually do. Luckily, no one was being messy. Breton didn't seem to mind much and Raina was already used to this conduct.

The meal was finished with very little chatter, everyone's bellies being filled to the brim with expensive food. No matter how much more they wanted to eat, their stomachs simply wouldn't allow it, much to their regret.

"Thank you everyone for joining me in this meal, I hope you enjoyed it." Breton said and didn't leave room for little more than nods as he continued. "I'll be excusing myself now. If you need me I will still be awake for a few hours."

With that everyone gave small bows as he exited the room. Raina followed after him shortly after. Fortunately no one dared to voice their thoughts out loud in front of the servants that remained in the room. Everyone stood up and also excused themselves.

Their assigned servants followed behind them in silence as they walked together. In the end they decided to visit the garden for some fresh air. The garden was massive and even included a fountain and a gazebo. The air was filled with the pungent smell of flowers.

They found themselves gathering under the white gazebo despite the cold air pricking at their skins. With it originally not having enough chairs inside, the servants rushed to get extras so they could all sit. Emre watched each servant with an excruciating gaze.

The servants, having been warned beforehand that he was the one they needed to please the most, felt their hearts pricking in unease under his judging blue gaze. He seemed just like the rest, if not weaker, but they could not comment on it. They only needed to listen to orders.

"It's very nice here." Gerrar commented once they were all relaxing.

The sky was darkened and crickets had begun to chirp without restraint. None of them minded the cold as much as they used to, but their ears were already becoming numb. The servants on the other hand were cursing under their breaths on why they had to wait outside in the freezing cold just for these people.

As if reading their minds, Emre looked toward the well dressed butlers and maids. "You all can wait inside. If we need you we'll call."

At first, one seemed to want to protest but another servant gave him a quick glare. With bows of resignation, they all filed back into the warm house and simply watched for signals in the windows. Being the only ones in the garden now, they felt a bit more relaxed.

"There are eyes everywhere." Killan commented with an unhappy tone.

"And there are probably some servants who can read mouths." Ragan added with a nod.

"We don't have to stay here." Emre reasoned.

"I don't know, I quite like the fancy room and lavish meals." Gerrar responded with Conin nodding his agreement.

"We might as well enjoy the noble life while we have the chance. We won't be able to stay here forever. We all know why we are being treated this way right now, but we still can't afford to let our guards down.." Killan added.

Unsurprisingly eyes flicked toward him and Idris. Emre set out a sigh and waved his hand.

"I know, I know." Emre sounded exasperated. "Had I known that Elayna would bring me to meet the Paladin of Tirian all the sudden I wouldn't have gone."

"And you're meeting the new High Priest tomorrow, right?" Ragan asked.

"Yes, Breton is going to bring Idris and I to the Capital Temple. I think it would be best if just us two went."

"If that's what you want." Killan sighed. "There are some other things we have to do anyway."

"Killan just wants to go see his momma as soon as possible." Gerrar chuckled.

"Oi!" Killan's face flushed in embarrassment but he didn't deny it. "Who wouldn't? Besides, she threatened to nail me to the house if I didn't visit the moment I arrived last time I got a letter from her."

They all took a moment to laugh. Emre couldn't help but realize that he was going to be doing the same thing. He wanted to talk to Tirian as soon as possible. He was hoping he could make some arrangements with whoever the new High Priest was to figure out how exactly talking to her would work out.

"Listen you two, as long as we can fight alongside you when the going gets tough, you can keep your secret meetings secret." Killan then said, pointing at him and Idris.

"How gracious of you to allow.~" Emre said with a mock pompitous accent.

Killan let out a scoff. "Seriously! Even if we aren't together, we're still together. If you two need to go off without us to do your thing you can, but don't you dare leave us out of the fight."

"We won't." Idris spoke up.

Emre nodded his agreement. This party wasn't weak by any means. Emre didn't want to put them in harm's way, but he wouldn't go against their wishes either. Seeming satisfied, Killan leaned back in his chair.

"Also, while you are at the Temple, I will go seek an audience with the Commander." Ragan changed the subject. "Of course, I won't reveal your identities until you're able to meet him yourselves."

"Alright." Emre agreed.

They would be able to make a plan more efficiently once they had a gauge on the people that were willing to work with them. While Emre and Idris were trying to gain allies from the Temples, Ragan would be trying to get help from the Kingdom itself.

"While I don't know how much money you all have at your disposal, you should work on upgrading your equipment as well." Emre then mentioned. "If you all want to fight alongside us, I personally would feel much better if you're all well equipped. I've seen that most of your armors and weapons are worn and chipped."

"I'm sure we can figure it out tomorrow. When we head into the city we'll try to find a decent blacksmith." Gerrar answered.

"I know one of the best in the city." Ragan intercepted.

Emre listened passively for the rest of the night as they discussed which places they would visit tomorrow while he and Idris were going to be busy at the Temple. Eventually they all decided to retire for the night once the moon was clearly visible in the sky.

The servants let out breaths of relief, astonished at their abilities to lounge and chat with little care for the cold. Once they were all led to their chambers, Emre found himself finally being able to admire his room.

He and Idris were both in a different branch from the other party members, seemingly being given better treatment. His room was massive, looking like a combination of a bedroom and a study no less extravagant than Breton's own study.

The room was mostly white and lacked the sky blue color in many parts of the house to be replaced by mostly light gold. There was one large set of glass double doors covered by curtains behind an ash wood desk space. To the left of the room was a low tea table of the same type of wood and a couch and chair. To the right was the bed.

It was a canopy bed and was large and plush. The pillars were intricately carved with golden paint weaving through the indents. A silk of gold was tied on the pillars, ready to be released whenever to give the bed complete privacy. The blankets were soft and felt in sharp contrast to his own scruffy blanket that he had been using.

There was a small chest at the end of the bed with a cushion on it so it doubled as a seat. It wasn't really needed as there was a couch and chair though. There were two ash wood nightstands on either side of the bed.

To the right of the bed was a large bookshelf with various types of books inside. On the left was the dresser as well as a door that led into a small walk-in wardrobe. Curious, he found himself looking inside to see it was already stocked with all types of styles and colors.

All the clothes looked well-kempt as if they had just been cleaned and placed in here. It gave him a small sense of unease as he exited and pushed aside the golden curtains covering the double doors. With a click, he unlocked the door and walked out into the chilled night air.

There was a large balcony that overhanged what seemed to be a garden that was different from the one they had all just been in. Looking to his left he could also see another balcony next to his own which he could tell was Idris's room.

As he thought about this, the door to the other balcony opened and Idris stepped out. Emre let out a laugh and seemed to startle Idris as he looked over with raised brows. He immediately relaxed once he realized who it was.

'I was just about to tell you to come out.' Emre said.

'Really?' Idris asked as he stepped to the front end of the balcony and leaned on the railing.

'Yep.' Emre recklessly hoisted himself up on the railing and began to teeter on the edge.

Idris looked at him with alarmed eyes but Emre easily righted himself and began to slowly walk along the edge.

'What are you thinking about the fancy treatment?' Emre then asked as he stood on the corner next to Idris's balcony.

'Get down first and I'll answer you.'

'Oh? Are you worried?' Emre grinned mischievously.

Idris flashed him a look that Emre couldn't tell if it was indignation or worry. He kept his mouth shut and walked over to his own corner of the balcony. Emre guessed there was about a 5-foot gap between them. Looking down, if a regular person fell from this height they would either break most of their bones or die.

'Just get down.' Idris said.

Emre was amused. He had levitation so even if he slipped he would be able to save himself with it easily. Of course, Idris didn't know this. Emre didn't even know if Idris knew the spell.

Would this be considered bullying?

'Should I jump over there?' Emre asked with the mischief still clear in his tone.

Idris's eyes narrowed, the chocolate color fading away into his natural icy blue color. Seeing he was getting angry Emre let out a small laugh.

'Okay, okay!'

Quickly he hopped down and leaned on the railing. He managed to catch Idris rolling his eyes as they switched back to brown. A smile was still curled on Emre's features despite his unsuccessful bullying.

"So? How fancy is your room?" He asked.

"Too fancy."

"You don't like it?"

"It just…" Idris tried to search for the right words. "It feels fake."

"He's trying to appeal to us."

"Why?"

"Hmm, probably just for a strong backing? He knows…" He cut himself off as he glanced around the garden below before switching to telepathy again. 'He knows we're not human. We can both use holy element magic which automatically makes us closer to the Gods in his eyes. We also didn't exactly tell him that we can hear their voices yet, he probably wants to know but wont ask. There are a lot of reasons why he'd want to get our favor. He has also addressed me as a holy being.'

'Mm… I also wanted to ask you about that.'

Emre felt his chest tighten and the lightness of his expression wavered. Idris noticed right away and his face became serious. Glancing away, Emre laid his chin on his arms as he continued to lean on the wooden railing. Idris leaned forward and spoke again.

'Emre, despite what you told Elayna, I know you were really thinking about it… You are a dragon right? Not a holy being?'

'I am a dragon.' Emre answered first.

Idris seemed a bit relieved as Emre looked back at him with furrowed brows.

'And I am also a holy being...'

A look of confusion crossed Idris's face this time. 'You're both a dragon and a holy being?'

'Yes…'

'How?'

Emre leaned away from the rail, grabbing tightly onto it as he leaned back. He was trying to force himself to calm down as he weighed his options. Should he tell Idris everything?

'Listen, Emre. I agreed to work with you if we didn't lie to one another.'

'I'm not lying.'

'I know you're not.'

'Then—'

'But you're also not telling the whole truth either.'

Emre stayed quiet again. Would Idris believe him? He had to… because Emre couldn't lie to him. But would he accept it? Would he accept the crazy circumstances of Emre's life? What if he got angry and didn't want to work together anymore?

'Do you really not want to tell me?' Idris asked, his voice softening.

Emre straightened up and looked at Idris's face. It was dark, but Emre could still clearly see his face. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. His face looked soft but at the same time it looked a little hurt. They hadn't been traveling together long, but they fought together, worked together, and made an oath to not lie to each other.

They had agreed to be friends.

'I do…' Emre ended up muttering, his nerves causing his heart to beat hard in his chest.

'Then why are you hiding it?' Idris asked in earnest.

The crickets sounded deafening as another bout of silence met them. The chilled breeze brought the strong scent of flowers. Then Emre let out a strained laugh.

'Fear?'

'Fear?' Idris's expression became concerned. 'What are you scared of?'

Emre tried to search for the right words before blurting out. 'The truth.'

'Emre—'

'I'm scared that the truth will change things.'

'Things?'

'Yeah…' Emre let out a sigh. 'I'm scared it will change how you view me.'

'It wont.'

Emre's eyes narrowed. 'How could you know that?'

'Because the Emre after the truth is still the same Emre as before the truth.' Idris spoke with confidence.

Emre let out a weak laugh and rubbed his face with a hand. 'I guess that is right.'

'So, will you tell me?'

'Everything?'

'Everything.' Idris gave him a nod.

Emre felt defeated. 'Okay…'

'Hold on—'

Emre glanced up to see Idris climbing up onto the railing. His eyes widened as Idris quickly and deftly hopped over and landed onto Emre's balcony. He wanted to scoff but Idris walked over to the door and gestured for Emre to follow him. With a sigh of resignation, he followed.

Closing the door behind him, the two walked into the room. Idris walked over to the table before turning to Emre. There was a small flash of magical energy and Idris's form began to slightly change.

He became a few inches taller and his black hair began to lengthen to his mid-back. His ears, which had looked like a humans, became longer and pointed. The chocolate brown color of his eyes switched to icy blue and his face seemed more elven in nature.

So it was going to be like this? Emre could tell this was Idris's true humanoid form even if there wasn't much change. Closing his eyes with yet another sigh, he also began to shift into his form into his true human form.

His bluish black hair washed into white and flowed down to tailbone length. His long eyelashes also became white as the bright blue color of his irises blended into a golden amber. His ear tips elongated and pointed just like Idris's.

'I can see why you changed your hair the most.' Idris commented.

'I told you I was too pretty.' Emre was trying to be lighthearted but his voice was lackluster.

'Mm.'

Emre couldn't tell if he was agreeing or not as Idris took a seat on the couch. Emre decided not to think about it as he walked over to join him. He couldn't relax even on the comfortable couch and ended up tightly folding his hands together on his lap. His chest felt tight with anxiety as Idris looked at him.

'I guess I'll start at the beginning...'