Suddenly seeing a group of armored men surrounding him, Kaelon's face paled.

  "Oh shit."

  It was too late to run, every paladin was staring straight at him. Kaelon took a deep breath to calm himself before climbing out of the sewer.

  He dropped his sword on the ground and put his hands up. Looking at the armored group, his legs shook slightly. Blood dropping onto the clean streets from his wounds.

  "Please don't kill me! I only want to hide here for a bit. I'll go back to the slums after the fighting stops, I swear!"

  From behind the group, a laugh echoed out. The armored men parted, making way for a small elderly woman to pass through. She wore a caring smile on her face as she walked up to Kaelon.

  "We're not here to kill you child. We're here to take you home."

  Kaelon stood dumbfounded at the woman. His mind was a mess trying to come up with an explanation for this.

  "I'm sorry, what is happening?"

  He snuck into the upper districts just to be surrounded by guards. But now that they caught him, they want to take him? Everything happened too fast for him to keep up with.

  The old woman's expression became one of pity as she looked Kaelon over. His many wounds leaked blood like fountains. In this condition he wouldn't make it much longer.

  "Come boy, we can heal you at the temple. After that I will explain everything."

  As her words fell Kaelon felt the pain and exhaustion he accumulated kick in. His head throbbed and his body burned in pain. He staggered forward, preventing himself from falling.

  Kaelon's mind was slipping in and out of consciousness as the pain came back. He finally completely fell unconscious before being caught by one of the paladins.

  The next thing he knew Kaelon was waking up in the temples infirmary. He laid on a nice comfortable bed and looked around alertly. This was a completely unfamiliar place and he wasn't in the best condition.

  His body felt like dead weight and he struggled to make the simplest movements. Kaelon's mind raced as he looked around the strerile room.

  He didn't wasit long before someone opened the door. The old lady from before now carried a tray as she approached Kaelon's bedside.

  "You're awake? How do you feel boy? Your body was in dangerous condition and you lost a lot of blood."

  Kaelon took a second look at the woman in this new environment. She was a short and frail looking woman, but her presence was heavy. There was a certain weight behind her every word and action.

  "I'm fine, just a little tired. I'm good to go home now. The fighting should be over now anyway."

  The woman's eyes narrowed slightly at his words.

  "That's the thing boy. You won't be leaving the temple. At least not any time soon anyway."

  Kaelon's eyes widened as she spoke, fear and anger began burning in his chest.

  "What do you mean?! Why can't I leave?!"

  The woman's eyes softened a little and showed even a little reverence towards him as she continued.

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  "You can't leave because Altan has decreed it so. You are His son, and He won't have you live in filth."

  Her words completely silenced Kaelon, they fell like water on his burning emotions. His face blank as he processed what she said.

  Altan was the God of the Sun, an existence that Kaelon couldn't possibly comprehend. Yet this woman was saying He was his father. That Kaelon was a demigod.

  "... What are you saying? Altan isn't my father, I don't even know who my father is."

  The woman's gaze became even more pious as she kept going.

  "But He is your father. Your awakening yesterday let Altan find you. He felt your presence in the city and quickly bestowed a divine message upon us."

  The woman stood up as her faith overcame her. Her arms raised high in parise of the divine.

  "We were to bring you back to His embrace and guide you to His temple. Now that our mission is done you must convene with Him. Your father awaits your call."

  Kaelon sat in bed completely confused by what was happening. First he was caught in a gang war and now he was a demigod. Everything was changing way too fast for his liking. He wasn't even sure he believed anything the woman said.

  "Convene? How am I supposed to do that? This whole thing really makes no sense. I'm not a God's son, I'm a slum rat."

  The woman looked at him with a stern gaze.

  "You are no slum rat. All you have to do is pray at Altan's alter. He will come to you and then you will see the truth."

  Kaelon shot up at her words.

  "Alright then, let's go. I'll see for myself if I'm really some demigod."

  He staggered slightly when getting up but his determination burned fiercely. Kelon had no idea what would happen but he had to find out.

  The woman guided him out of the infirmary and into the beautiful halls of the temple. The walls were filled with elegant paintings and divine markings. The atmosphere of the temple was very solemn and devout. Everything inside its walls was about worshipping Altan, the great Sun God.

  Eventually Kaelon was led to large prayer hall. On the opposite side of the room loomed a tall statue depicting Altan in all His glory. A ball of fire representing the sun rested in His hand and lit up the surroundings.

  Kaelon could vaguely feel a stare locked on to him the moment he stepped in the hall. He walked up to the statue and kneeled before it.

  "Altan, God of the Sun. Eldest of the Gods and Ruler of Stars. I pray to you for answers, they say I'm your son, they say You await my call. Well here I am, if You're really my father answer my call."

  Suddenly the statue before Kaelon flashed a brilliant golden light. The light filled the prayer hall and completely engulfed a kneeling Kaelon.

  Kaelon blinked his eyes and found himself in a different space. Here, golden light filled the area and a beautiful sunset constantly filled the sky. He looked around in awe for a second, taking in the sight that was this divine realm.

  "How do you like it? Not too shabby huh?"

  From behind Kaelon a deep voice echoed through the space. Kaelon spun around to see a tall man holding a fireball in His hand. His golden hair and eyes shone with a divine radiance.

  "... Altan, you really answered my call."

  Altan looked at him with an unreadable gaze, His eyes softened at the boy's words.

  "You're my son, of course I answered."

  "So what that lady said was true? You're my father? Why didn't you find me before? Surely you knew about me?"

  Kaelon's expression became a bit desperate as he realized the truth. His father was a god, He definitely knew about him. Yet he left him in the slums for years, it was only after years of struggle and his mother dying that his father cared.

  "Things aren't that simple Kaelon. Even gods aren't omnipotent. I couldn't actually see you until your divinity slightly awakened. That's why I only came for you now."

  "Then what about before? Why did you leave my mother behind?"

  Kaelon's expression was that of a neglected child. He couldn't understand why his father would leave him and his mother behind. If Altan was a god with extreme power why didn't He do anything as his mother died from disease?

  "I met your mother while I was wandering the mortal realm fifteen years ago. She never knew my actual identity, and we spent a few months together as part of a caravan. She ended up pregnant but I had to leave the mortal realm. War was beginning to ramp up between the gods, and I had to deal with it. By the time things settled you were already born and I couldn't find you."

  Kaelon stood dazed looking up at his father. Now that he had his answers Kaelon wasn't sure what to do.

  "What now then? What do I do?"

  His father looked at him with a proud gaze.

  "Do whatever you want. Dream big and work hard to make your dreams reality. Your divinity has already started to awaken, now all that's left is to refine it. You, my son, will achieve extraordinary things. This era will no doubt remember your name."

  Kaelon absorbed his words and was about to reply when the divine real disappeared from his sight. He found himself back in the prayer hall, kneeling before the statue that he now realized bore some resemblance to him.

  Turning around he saw the old woman from before looking at him with devout eyes. She kneeled on the ground and lowered her head.

  "Son of Altan I, Elizabeth Day, am at your service."