The Temple of Fire (2)
Why did you look?
Rune recalled Jed's past misdeeds.
At first, when they met, it seemed like nothing much, but then the secret of the black market came out.
In the desert, he'd threatened Rune to keep his family's secrets hidden, then got dazzled by money and swore loyalty.
He even taught Heungmi strange words now and then, earning a scolding from Rune.
And that wasn't all.
Recently, he'd failed at pitching continent migration to other female dwarves for the same reason.
'Come to the continent and it'll be great no matter what. As if that makes any sense.'
Heungmi pondered for a moment before speaking up.
"Um, Heungmi too. I saw Uncle Jed trying to bluff."
"Pardon? Me, bluffing?"
Jed feigned shock, but Heungmi nodded firmly.
She pressed both hands to her face, mimicking Jed's expression as best she could, and said,
"Like this—greedy eyes going, 'Hee hee. How much commission should I take? La la la~'"
She dropped her hands, back to her normal face, and held up three fingers, glaring at Jed.
"'Three times free matchmaking, totally free dates! Bite the bait, suckers! Kahaha!' That's what he said!"
"Eek!"
Everyone's vision blurred with secondhand embarrassment.
Jed slumped his shoulders dramatically.
"Oh dear... But I was just one more dwarf blinded by gold..."
"......"
He was definitely striking a pose and line from some play.
Rune slowly shook his head in thought.
'In the end, it wasn't just for the good of the dwarves advancing to the continent.'
Perdikion glared at Jed as if feeling betrayed by those words.
"Kyaaak!"
[This punk... You didn't deceive us, did you? All that talk of helping dwarves—it was just a means to pile up your own wealth!]
"Ah, no sir! How could that be!"
Jed hunched low, but Perdikion roared on.
"Kyaak!"
[How do we know that's not another lie!]
Jed shot Rune a pleading look for rescue, but Rune casually turned away.
Watching the furious fire dragon hatchling, who looked ready to breathe flames, and listening to Jed's excuses, Rune thought,
'I've turned a blind eye so far, but if we're talking lies, big and small, this guy's done plenty.'
He'd half-suspected it, but kept him around knowing full well what he was.
Anyway, that's why everyone sensed Jed as the biggest risk.
Under fire from all sides, Jed rushed to Rune and cried out,
"I'm truly wronged, sir!"
"Kyuu."
[...Are you really clueless?]
Jed waved his hands frantically.
"Well, truth can be a bit subjective, right?"
"Kyuuu."
[Subjective how?]
Jed cleared his throat with a hum.
"Sure, I've been greedy plenty. But what's truth? I love money, power, being better than others. Absolutely obsessed!"
He looked utterly shameless saying it.
Jed continued,
"I'm faithful to this self of mine! Sure, I've tricked others, but to myself? Crystal clear conscience! So yes, I'm a truthful dwarf."
The guy knew no shame.
But Rune watched for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Kyuuu."
[He is truthful, yeah.]
The fire dragon hatchling's eyes widened in shock.
"Kyaa?"
[For real, Rune?]
Perdikion's expression screamed it plainly.
'You're saying this scoundrel's ravings count as truth to pass the Temple of Fire's gate? ...Right?'
Rune nodded in reply.
"Kyuuu."
[It said to possess truth, not to distinguish good from evil.]
Perdikion alternated stunned glances between Jed and Rune.
But Rune was certain.
Truth: fact without lies.
True and unchanging.
Pure and upright.
Considering his usual behavior, Jed was the least related to it.
But being ugly and self-serving wasn't quite the same as being untruthful.
Unaware of Rune's thinking, the fire dragon hatchling warned again, still uneasy.
"Kyaaak."
[Think carefully, Rune. If you're wrong, you could burn up at that gate.]
Jed's dwarf-puppet body was made from the World Tree.
No way it could withstand such intense mana flames.
Jed scratched his chin and spoke up.
"Well, it's a bit scary, sure. But that doesn't mean I lied."
He whined a little, but not out of cowardly retreat.
Still, Rune double-checked.
"Kyuu kyuu."
[Jed. Can you speak that truth no matter the situation?]
Jed answered instantly.
"Of course!"
Rune peered into him and nodded.
"Kyuu."
[Don't forget that resolve.]
Perdikion whipped his head toward Rune.
"Kya."
[He's your kin who died and came back. Choose wisely, Rune.]
Rune nodded calmly at the concern.
"Kyuuu."
[It's fine.]
If anything, he was the one worried.
'I'm the real problem here.'
Rune swallowed a silent sigh and turned back to the gate.
He didn't voice it, but the inscription nagged at him too.
'If I say this body isn't truly mine, I might count as untruthful.'
This flesh wasn't originally his.
Which made this his crisis too.
But Rune had his own thoughts.
"Kyuuu."
[Every Fire Clan member before has passed. Surely some carried lies.]
He figured:
If possessing known truth was the condition,
They'd test something beyond appearances.
Which meant passing wasn't impossible.
Rune put on an innocent face.
"Kyuu kyuuu."
[It'll be okay. Let's go in, bro.]
Perdikion eyed the gently urging Rune, then touched the blazing gate.
"Kyak."
[Everyone cross safely.]
Whoosh!
Mana-forged flames enveloped Perdikion.
Moments later, the fire vanished—and so did he.
Heungmi gasped, hand to her mouth.
"Ah! Lord Perdikion's gone!"
"Ppi-yak?"
Rune stopped Heungmi and Baekya from rushing to the gate.
"Kyuu kyuu."
[Wait a bit. He might come back out.]
Watching the gate, Rune recalled the instant before being engulfed.
'He definitely said something.'
He hadn't heard clearly, but no doubt.
His jaws had moved like answering someone.
When Perdikion didn't return no matter how long they waited, Rune said,
"Kyuuu."
[Guess we'll know once we pass through.]
Heungmi shot up a hand at that.
"Then Heungmi will go first!"
"Ppi-yak!"
Baekya flapped in solidarity, perching on her head.
Rune nodded.
"Kyuu kyuu."
[Sure. If you can relay the situation inside, do it.]
"Yes!"
"Ppyaak!"
The determined duo plunged into the flaming gate.
Mystical crimson and scarlet tongues swallowed them, leaving only hot lava and flames behind.
"Uh... looks like there's no coming back, huh?"
"Kyuu."
[Yeah.]
Rune approached the gate lightly.
Jed trailed like an eager pup needing to pee, muttering,
"Ugh, talk big as we want, but this fire's a tiny bit scary."
"Kyuuu."
[Isn't that weak talk for a smith who handles fire?]
Rune meant it as lighthearted ice-breaking, but Jed scratched his head.
"Well... it'd be a lie to say I'm not scared."
It was fire shaped like a gate, but alive and writhing.
Even Rune felt overwhelmed by some inexplicable aura.
"Kyuuu."
[Just remember what I said, and you'll be fine.]
As Jed looked puzzled, Rune added,
[This gate tests courage too. Whether you'll embrace even a shameful truth as your truth.]
"Oho! How'd you know that, sir?"
"Kyuu."
[Heard a similar tale.]
Experiences as a divine beast.
From before becoming a hatchling—his past life—so he couldn't say outright.
'Can't tell him I've seen tests like this in my past life.'
Rune skipped details, just working his jaws.
"Kyuu kyuuu."
[Whatever happens inside, follow the truth within you.]
Emboldened, Jed stretched grandly.
"Hooah! I trust only you, sir!"
The relaxed Jed leaped into the gate.
Left alone, Rune waddled in after.
Whoosh!
Scorching flames and lethal heat brushed his whole body.
"...?"
Silence fell.
Rune opened his eyes.
He couldn't hide his shock at the sight.
"Kyuu?"
[A path?]
Two forked paths.
And beyond them, two figures.
"Kyuuu...."
[Why is that form here...]
Rune's jaws moved, then realization hit.
Perdikion must've said the same before vanishing.
Left path: dragon hatchling Rune.
Right path: the imugi on the verge of ascension.
Both stood identically, asking Rune,
[[What is your true form?]]
Confirming it, Rune smirked inwardly.
'So this is the real test.'
Wrong choice, and he'd be trapped here—that was the hunch.
'Hope the others are doing okay.'
After a moment's thought, Rune slowly lifted a forepaw.
"Kyuu."
[The answer is me. You're both my forms.]
The two figures on the paths swapped places.
Two differently colored keys floated to Rune's paw.
'Two keys, huh.'
Whoosh!
He looked up—already out, with a fiery door behind.
"Kya!"
[Rune! You did it!]
Perdikion, who'd been pacing, rushed over swiftly.
Heungmi and Baekya followed beside the dignified, balanced-gait Perdikion.
"Lord Rune!"
"Ppyaaak!"
Rune asked the arrivals,
"Kyuu kyuu."
[Solved it quick. Everyone did.]
Heungmi beamed, giggling at the praise.
"Yes! Inside, black fox Heungmi, rose Heungmi, and some grown-up Heungmi all appeared. Had to pick the real one."
As expected.
They'd faced similar dilemmas.
"Kyuuu?"
[And?]
Heungmi hugged Rune's waist, eyes sparkling.
"I yelled, 'Heungmi is Heungmi!' and poof—they all vanished!"
"Kyuu kyuu."
[No reward?]
"Nope."
Rune eyed her quizzically as she shook her head.
Glancing at Baekya just in case—Baekya tilted his head blankly, clueless.
'So Baekya skipped the test entirely.'
The others got no keys, no test even.
Seemed each trial and reward varied.
"Kyuuu?"
[What about you, bro?]
"Kyaa kya."
[I got something besides a key. But when did Jed go in?]
"?"
Rune turned to the gate at mention of Jed, who'd entered first, not emerging.
"Kyuu?"
[No way?]
They waited longer, but no Jed.
That ominous hunch felt spot-on.
Just then, as dread built, something fiery spat out from the gate with a ptooey!
"Aigoo!"
Unmistakably Jed's voice.