After taking a portal sent by Gleam from a prayer sent by Leonna, we managed to get to the Town of Colors in a short amount of time. What we were met with was a huge crowd of humans and demi-humans shouting curses at someone.
"Where is the alleged traitor?" I asked Leonna.
"Follow me," Leonna said, "I have permission to be up there, and I'm sure that the commander will allow you to pass as well."
We made our way around the mob and to the barrier that separated them from the man with a noose around his neck.
"Is he really a traitor?" Dusk asked.
"We haven't heard their proof yet," I said. "So we don't know for sure if he's guilty or not."
"I see..."
"...!"
Wait, hang on a sec...
"DUSK," I shouted, completely surprised. "HOW DID YOU GET HERE?!?!"
"I followed you outside and through the portal." she said.
Damn, I could've sworn that she was still inside.
"Don't worry," she said. "I told everyone else to stay inside, so they'll be fine."
She gave me a thumbs up.
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT," I exclaimed. "We just stopped an invasion from the Army of Darkness, as well as the brainwashed dragonmen, so there's no telling what they'll do if they find out that you're a dragonman."
I made sure to whisper that last part.
"Here, put this on," Leonna said, tossing her a jet-black hood. "I don't know who you are, but if Hiro and Xylvia trust you then I won't think too much of it. However, I do still want to know who you are and how you got here."
"Very well," Dusk said. "And thank you very much."
"Alright, follow me everyone."
Commander Zeigal was at the border.
"Who's the hooded girl?" he asked as we greeted him
"She, as well as her family, were thrown out by the people of the Dark Territory after her sister was killed." I said.
"...!"
"Hiro, what are you doing." Xylvia said, trying to shut me up.
I kept going
"She carried her family to the forest that Xylvia and I are currently residing in and we took her in. She said that she wanted to join us in stopping this war, so we let her join in."
The reason I was saying this was because Dusk told me to.
"Hiro, when we get to this commander person...I want you to tell them who I am and how I got here." Dusk said.
"A-Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes. I don't want to hide anything from them. It would damage the pride of being a dragonman."
I forgot that dragonmen are prideful beings.
"Is your pride really worth more than your life?" I asked.
"Please let this my my decision and mine alone," she said. "I want to gain the trust of these people, or at least for a non-agression pact with them."
"Alright, then If that's what you want, then I'll oblige."
"Thank you Hiro."
After she said those last words, she smiled a smile that made her look like an entirely different person.
A smile that illistrated a kind-hearted girl.
"Her name is Dusk Fang," I said to the commander. "She means no harm and is not under the Dark Territory's curse."
"So they were brainwashed," Commander Zeigal said. "That woukd make sense since they weren't ever the type that would just join with the Army of Darkness on a whim... Alright, I'll trust you on this one Hiro, but I will keep my eye on her."
"That's fine. Thank you."
He then allowed us to pass through the barrier.
"A smart choice," Dusk said. "A non-aggression pact before trust. It shows that he won't attack, but only if I oblige by the rules."
"You're mind works in a weird way," I said. "But I can see how that would be a smart choice. You can never let your guard down with anyone that seems trustworthy."
As we walked closer to the man with the noose, I could see Gleam and a bunch of other soldiers with her as they looked like they were about to talk to the angry mob.
"It looks like we're going to get our explanation." Xylvia said.
"Let's hope that this proof is false," Leonna said. "This alleged traitor did save my life after all."
"...?"
I took a closer look at the man and realized who he was. The elf ears were what gave it away.
"Hey, that's the doctor that healed you," I exclaimed. "How the hell did he get accused?! Wasn't he in the cave with everyone else?"
"Shhh! They're starting."
"Let us begin the trial!" Gleam announced.
"Very well," one of the soldiers said, pulling out pieces of paper. "We are gathered here today for the trial of Ray Connor, who has been accused of treason for leaking information about us to the Dark Territory. To the right we have our witnesses for the Opposers, and to the right we have our witnesses for the defendant. Our great goddess Gleam will be the one who will give us the verdict. We will start with the Opposers."
"So we're supposed to be the witnesses for Ray?" I asked Leonna.
"Yes, since you and I were the only ones who saw him," she said. "You don't think he did it do you?"
"I doubt it. Then again, I don't even know the guy at all. But even so, you seem to trust him so I'll be on your side for this one."
"Thank you."
"I would like to start with a witness," a civilian said on the Opposers side. "I would like for Tia to-"
"This trial is over," Gleam suddenly said. "My verdict is that Ray Connor is...not guilty."
"...!"
Everyone groaned and shouted in protest at Gleam's sudden statement. Leonna and I were also taken aback by this quick verdict.
"I'm glad the he's not guilty," Leonna started. "But...this is a little sudden."
I had to agree with her. Why did Gleam deliver her verdict so suddenly?
"NO!!!" a girl's voice shrieked.
We all turned our head to the Opposers side and saw a girl make her way to the center, a few feet away from Gleam.
"HE'S GUILTY!!! I KNOW HE IS," she shouted, her face turning into a disgusting anger. "I saw him talking to himself. He said something about the 'plan moving forward' and how 'the city will crumble soon' and a bunch of other gibberish and threats! Therefore...therefore..."
Her teeth suddenly started to clench so hard that I could hear them cracking from where I was standing.
"...THEREFORE, HE'S A THREAT TO THIS CITY, AND HE SHOULD BE KILLED BY THE NOOSE!!! DO IT NOW!!! I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE GET KILLED BY ASPHYXIA BEFORE, SO PLEASE...SHOW IT TO MEEEEE!!!!"
SMACK!
Gleam suddenly smack the girl hard on the cheek. When she fell to the ground, I was able to get a brief good look at her.
Her hair was blond and her eyes were a dark brown. She was about average height and was wearing a frail white dress that looked so bad that even the black leather that I was wearing looked like the Holy Grail compared to hers.
"Ray, do you know this woman?" Gleam asked Ray.
"I do," he said. "This woman...is my lover."