(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

wipe the ichor from my cheeks.
"YES... YOU MUST HAVE EXPERIENCED REGRET TO BREACH THE FORTRESS.
WRITE IT UPON A PIECE OF YOUR FLESH AND YOUR PASSAGE THROUGH THE
PORTAL IS ASSURED."
"And the portal... you say you don't know where it is?"
"YES... ONLY THREE HAVE KNOWN THE WAY. THE FIRST ONE WAS YOU...
THOUGH YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN, NOW. THE SECOND LIES BEYOND THE
PORTAL, AND SHALL NOT EMERGE. THE THIRD..."
I listened intently, "The third...?"
"...THE THIRD ONE YOU HAVE ALREADY MET. THEY KNOW OF YOUR
CONDITION, THE FORTRESS AND YOUR NEED TO REACH THERE... BUT THEY
SHALL NOT HELP YOU. THEIR SHIELD IS ONE FORGED FROM THE COLD
METALS OF LIES AND DECEPTION, A THING YOU CANNOT HOPE TO BREAK
WITH MERE WORDS. YOU MUST DO BATTLE WITH THEM."
"Who is it?"
The heads remained silent for a time, giving me naught but smug smiles.
Finally, they spoke: "YOU HAVE MET THE LIAR -- AND NOT FOR THE FIRST
TIME. THE LIAR KNOWS... BUT DID NOT TELL YOU. A PETTY BETRAYAL
BETWEEN IMMORTALS..." Some of the decomposing heads rolled their eyes
and snickered at me.
I scanned my memory, sifting through the dozens of faces I had known. Yet
only one came to mind, implausible as it was. "Trias?"
"OH, YES... THOUGH WE KNOW HIM BY HIS FULL NAME: TRIAS, THE
BETRAYER!" The pillar shook with mirth, the pile of rotting heads tottering
back and forth as it laughed at my distress. A few of the heads chanted
mockingly: "Betrayer... Betrayer... Trias, the Betrayer..."
"But... he said he didn't know..." I murmured in shock. A deva... how could a
deva betray me? Betray anyone?
"HE LIED TO YOU." Some of the heads squinted, gurgling and chortling softly
-- laughing at me. "BEWARE WORDS SOAKED IN HONEY; THEY ATTRACT ALL
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