{"Wait! Wait, wait. Are you saying that the former leader of the gods was a mortal?"} Exclaimed Lucifer in a exaggerated tone which caused everyone to turn their heads to him. Lucifer looked around and shrugged before saying, {"What? It's news to me."}
I think from the tone in the room and the expression on everyone's faces, that he had expressed what everyone was thinking.
Roha who had just appeared with the revelation that shocked everyone in the room, walked around the table and slid into a chair next to me.
I'm not going to lie, even though I knew she's not really here, her presence alone gave me goosebumps. Her gaze was on Lucifer, with a smile on her face, when her gaze shifted towards me, her smiled brightened and gave off a warm feeling.
Lucifer who was still the center of attention, quickly looked to Gambert and said, {"Gambi, you've known our previous master since your he's champion. Did you know about this?"}
{"No."} Gambert simply said. {"Whilst he was a straight forward person and told what he thinks directly to you, he, himself withheld many things and kept them to himself."}
As Gambert spoke, I couldn't help but to look at her. It was surreal, to think that I would be in the presence of a goddess or was she a demi-god? kind of like Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae.
Roha suddenly scooted a little bit closer to me and leaned in, as if she was about to whisper something into my ear. That didn't happen but instead spoke into my mind.
{Interesting thought. You could say that I'm like a 'demi-god', as you would call it. Though I would think that I'm more of a mortal than a goddess since my father married a mortal.}
Oh? Where are you parents now?
{They're...}
{"Little princess,"} Lucifer called out to her, cutting our little inside conversation short. His gaze was fully drawn to the woman beside me and Roha returned the attention back to him. {"How did you know your grandfather was a mortal? If our previous master never told anyone his secrets and he died when you were just a baby, How did you know?"}
{Simple. He told me himself.}
Lucifer's expression froze as he's eyes slowly moved to Gambert who tilted his head.
{He appeared in one of my dreams.} Roha clarified. {When I've became of age, he came to me in a dream and we talked.}
I could hear from her shaky voice that it was hard for her to speak about it.
{He told me his story, that when he was still a mortal, he was branded as a king's slayer. He was accused of killing the king in the kingdom that he was born in. It was also during this time that the gods held contempt for the people of the human realm. With wars and famine, the mortal world was in complete chaos. The leader of the gods, Razu and many of his followers plotted the demise of the human race. They sent a goddess named Valas to the human realm for observation. Valas who was tasked to watch the humans, came to understand them and their ways. During her observations, she watched one human in particular, my grandfather. Valas guided my grandfather out of his predicament and on a journey to the god's realm. It was during this journey that they fell in love with each other. She told him everything and he tanked her for saving his life. She prepared him as best as she could but...}
"Let me guess, he was already prepared." Tavish cuts in. "You say he was branded as a king's slayer, correct?"
Roha nodded her head.
"Then I believe he had all the capabilities to do such a task, that it would make absolute sense for someone to frame him for the killing of a king."
{I agree.} Roha nodded, her facial expression, stiff, her eyes filled with anger but it was only for a fleeting second as it disappeared as fast as it had shown itself.
"Wait, there's no mention of a goddess named Valas in the scriptures we have in the church..." said a young man from Marlo's side. It took me a second to recognize him as Light who's the guard for Rex and Luke's room. Before the Knight's order became under my control, I knew all of the guards who guarded my student's by name.
{Of course she was not mentioned, the gods rubbed her name from existence after my grandfather's death. Those cowards!}
"What about your parents?" Tavish asked. "Surly they wouldn't have done such a thing with your parents around unless..."
{You don't have to complete that, I know what you are about to say and I can answer it. My father did try to stop them but the gods had plotted this for a very long time, even before my grandfather's death. I wouldn't be surprised if my grandfather's death wasn't a natural one.}
{"He's death wasn't natural. He died in battle."} said Gambert who had kept quiet for a long time.
{I know and that's was what my first question to him was. The other gods told me that he just died because he was once a mortal and not fully a god. That he will always be a mortal, hence why his life as a god was so short. I told him what the other gods said and he laughed. He answered my question exactly as that, he died in battle. But deep down, when I listened to him, something just didn't felt right. Everything felt too abrupt, too chaotic and too coincidental. Right after the incident with my father and the other gods, my parents were forced separated and my father was locked up. My mother was sent back to the human realm. I didn't know what they did to her but all I knew was that my father is in Marsala prison.}
{"No!"} Gambert shouted. It was an abrupt shout that it even surprised Roha. Roha eyes wavered and brows furrowed.
{What's wrong? Uncle?}
{"We must save him, we must get him out of there!"} Gambert shouted as he slammed his fists onto the table that made the whole thing quiver from the force. {"You don't understand. The Marsala prison is not a prison at all. It's a place for those who are held there to be sacrificed."}
{What do you mean?} Roha's voice became more panicked. From how quickly her expression changed, partly from Gambert's sudden outburst but more substantially from what he had just said. Roha waited patiently for Gambert's answer though her body said otherwise.
{"Your grandfather tried to destroy that place but the gods hid the place from him. From my own understanding of what the place is by snooping around on the behest of my previous master and what I've overheard from the other gods, the place was used as an experimental area to conduct experiments on lesser gods."}
{But, what does that mean?!} Roha's voice became higher in pitch as panic finally took hold. I could see her hands shacking as they ruffled the helm of her skirt.
Without thinking, I reached over and placed my hand on top of hers, in hopes it would calm her down a bit. To let her know that I'm right here for her, but as I did, I was shocked. She told me many times that this was just a projection, that she wasn't actually here and yet I could feel her tiny hand underneath mine.
I thought, in my mind that my hand would go through hers but it didn't and when I squeezed her hand a tiny bit, I felt a give, I felt an reaction. Her hand had a warmth to it.
Unexpectedly, she flipped her hand over underneath mine and interlocked our fingers.
{Thank you.} She said in my mind. {But you should tone down your comparison of our two worlds. It's unrealistic. However, that's one aspect of why I lo... erm have chosen you as my companion.}
I was about to comment on the word she wanted to say. I knew what the word was because of how it sounded in the context of her chosen statement. But somehow my mind wouldn't let my question be asked as Gambert was about to answer her question.
{"Well, I'm not quite sure what it means... but I have assumptions. And the biggest one I have that is very plausible is that they are holding your father until you and our master compete in the games. Whatever experiments they are conducting there must not be normal as the whole place is shrouded in mystery and that they wanted it to be kept that way. Hence why when your grandfather found out about the place and tried to abolish it. The gods went on the defensive very quickly and changed the location of the place. Though this is also my assumption but I think the place is also connected to the tower..."}
"Wait, you don't mean the god's tower that every person and kingdom are currently trying to conquer right now? The same tower we are going to in a couple of months time?!" Marlos exclaimed as he nearly jolted himself out of his seat. He was listening intently on the conversation which caused that very reaction and effect.
{"Yes the very same."}
"What is that tower, exactly? If I may ask?" Marlos asked as he recompose himself and was now looking at Gambert but then turned his gaze to Roha when she spoke.
{The tower, should whoever conquered it will be chosen as a champion for one of the gods.}
"Wait, the gods told us that if we conquered it, we will get rewards like godly weapons and riches. They never said anything about being a champion..."
{Yes, if you reach the final floor of the tower and opened the door and entered it. You will be rewarded but that is only a consolation prize as it will not serve your fame but to give you the tools needed to compete in the games. Everything is a game to them. The door is actually a gate that opens to the god's realm and it is here where those who enter will be picked off by one or many gods.}