Chaz and fate intervene

The inside of the temple was opulent. Many torches lit the sandstone walls, and the floors were covered with plush cushions. Pouring a goblet of wine, Semiru passed it to WhiteShadow, who had flopped down tiredly. Taking it with a nod, WhiteShadow took a moment to let it all sink in, and he questioned it all. "Semiru, why do you people worship me at all? And why do you make sac..." He stopped when he saw the follower enter, carrying the sacred sword Elysedon. It was stained with blood. WhiteShadow sniffed the air - it was Wolfang blood! He growled and went to move to his feet, but they felt like lead. He couldn't move. "Chaz! I'll kill hiiiiii...." He growled as he drifted off into unconciousness.
Semiru chuckled, turning to the loyal cultist. He took the sword from him, testing its weight in his hands. "Yes, it is a fine sword indeed, and shall serve my plans well." He chuckled evilly.
"But, your holiness, what happened to the Great One?" Asked the awed follower.
"Believe me, boy, WhiteShadow would best serve me as a martyr; and you, you do not help me at all by being a witness." So saying, Semiru brought the great sword crashing down, severing the follower's head from his shoulders. Semiru did his best to look surprised, before casting one of the torches amongst the cushions. He emerged from the entrance to the temple, staggering, his arms dripping blood once more. His followers, still restraining Chaz, looked up in shock. Where was their prophet? Semiru staggered to the altar as the flames began to glow from inside the temple. Closing his eyes, he began to chant.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot down from the skies, seeming to pierce the roof of the temple. At this, the flames leapt higher, pouring out the door, looking for oxygen. Semiru smiled to himself. The minor illusion had worked! Now for the major illusion, tricking those fools below. "Loyal followers! We have been betrayed! The Great Light is angry, and has smote his prophet in rage!" The crowd gasped, almost dropping Chaz. Chaz wouldn't have liked anything better at the moment, but he was already working on an escape plan, his hands reaching for the escapipe in his pocket.
"And why has this happened, loyal ones? Because the foolish prophet WhiteShadow allowed this unbeliever to LIVE! It is the unbeliever who has brought this upon us and for that he must DIE!"
The crowd hushed for a moment, as if thinking things over, then they gasped and screamed... At a sight PAST Semiru. The High Priest turned, to see WhiteShadow stalk out of the flames, rolling to quench the small fires that had sparked on his clothing. He rose to his feet slowly, pain obviously hindering him. He drew his scimitars, and the crowd fell into a hush. WhiteShadow stood, back to the flames licking the temple, and the glowing light still pouring from the temple. The light cast his shadow over Semiru, who raised Elysedon in fear. In the silence, the flames crackled loudly, and although WhiteShadow spoke only softly, his words could be heard clearly by all assembled.
"You drugged the wine. You killed that boy. Too bad you underestimated a prophet's... Resiliency." The sarcasm and malice from the Motavian was tangible.
"B-Blasphemer! You shall perish at my hand!" Cried Semiru, waveringly.
WhiteShadow gave what Chaz could only describe as a Motavian smirk, as possible as that is with a beak. He'd seen Gryz use it before. WhiteShadow dashed forward, his movements almost invisible as he batted Elysedon away easily with his own blades, before knocking Semiru cold with the hilt of his left scimitar.
Groaning, WhiteShadow stood on top of the altar, the heat beginning to irritate even the desert-bred Motavian. "Good people!" He cried, "This man has tricked you! I'm no prophet! I'm a Motavian like any other! Go home, leave this place, for while it is not sacred to the Great Light or any other Gods you may invent, it is sacred to me! And your continued presence only harms it further!"
The cultists stood silently for a moment, trying to deal with the death of their leader, and the destruction of their beliefs. Finally, a man released his hold of Chaz and threw his mask off. The rest soon followed, leaving Chaz standing alone in the clearing, and WhiteShadow standing alone on the altar, Semiru still sprawled unconcious.

Elysedon in his left hand. His red eyes burnt brightly as he descended the steps to come face to face with the hunter.
Chaz spoke again. "You have commited many crimes here, WhiteShadow. Although you've seen the light now that you've been betrayed, you and Semiru both have to pay the price for these murders."
WhiteShadow stared straight into Chaz's eyes, and handed him Elysedon. He also slung Semiru to the ground. "I have done no such thing, Ashley. You are the one at fault here. You have slain my kin with that sword of yours. I had no part in this Cult, but you obviously had a hand in slaying at least one innocent Wolfang."
Chaz was taken aback. What was this strange creature talking about? Here he stood, face to face with a unique Motavian, a large bounty on his head for theft aside from this devious cult here, and he's worried about the death of a deadly scavenger? "Your kin? What are you talking about? I've never met a Motavian who would call the vicious Wolfang a part of the family. I mean, you're both furry and all, but..."
"The Wolfang have been more of a family to me than any Motavian." Said WhiteShadow, his eyes falling to the ground at the sad memories. "And they have never threatened me, or been vicious; why would you have cause to slay one?"
Chaz straightened, checking his grip on Elysedon. This strange creature spoke softly, logically, but with his track record of thirsting for sacrifice, he could fly off the handle at any moment. "A pack of them attacked me. I was just passing through; and I slew their leader in self-defence. The rest fled. I have no crime to answer for... You, on the other hand..." Chaz got into a battle stance. Thinking he was innocent wouldn't mean he'd come quietly.
Seeing Chaz's movements, WhiteShadow rested his hands on the hilts of his scimitars, ready to unseath them at any moment. Suddenly, a haggard cough came from below them. It was Semiru.
"No! No, dammit! Don't give that hairy fool the credit! It was all my plan! My killings! It was so brilliant! With this manipulation of the people, they'll allow me back into the Guard without question! They'll see that excessive force is necessary at times! Ha ha ha! And I even managed to sucker my 'prophet'! Ha!" His eyes were wild as he rolled around in the grass, his mask off, the veins on his neck and forehead standing out. Chaz looked down at Semiru, confused, but then decided that he could deal with the WhiteShadow another day; he had accomplished his mission here. He gave Semiru a swift kick to the jaw to knock him cold once again, before strapping Elysedon to his back and picking up the prone High Priest.
"He will pay for his crimes today, WhiteShadow. You'll have to wait. In light of his confession, you can go for now. All the other accusations against you are local legends, and you have done some good here it seems. Now I leave it to you to finish here. You've already gone halfway to dissolving this cult, I'll leave it to you..." Chaz said, keeping a hint of danger in his voice as if to say: this isn't over.
"Then I shall forgive you for the death of the Wolfang, Chaz Ashley. But you'd best leave this forest quickly..." WhiteShadow seemed to give that same smirk again; "I need to purify this sacred site..."

Mere minutes later, Chaz led the former followers of the Cult of the WhiteShadow out of the forest and to the outskirts of Tonoe. He would take them to Krup, and take Semiru back to Aeido for justice. As he guided the shaken people, he was interrupted by a great war cry erupting from the forest. He turned back, to see the great blue beam of light become stronger, pulsing with energy. He had to shield his eyes as the light became too bright. He heard but could not see the explosion that disintegrated the temple. Oh yes, he thought, it would be interesting when their paths crossed again, indeed.