Dalia knew that she was supposed to sleep and rest for the big day, but like many on Angaria, she just couldn't bring herself to do so.
'The big day'. It almost felt wrong to call it that, as these three words were usually used for happy occasions that one might look forward to. Still, she had gotten used to referring to it in this way, so she had continued without thinking much of it.
After tossing and turning for the 20th time in just as many minutes, she finally gave it up and silently tiptoed outside.
No matter where one was, there were always still those who might even be able to sleep through the Apocalypse, so she had to be careful not to wake them up.
On the way out of the tent, she saw that many of the beds were empty. Most of them belonged to the young couples who had recently gotten married, so knowing that they must be busy spending what could be their last night together in the individual tents outside, Dalia picked a different direction and headed for the open field where sparring practice usually took place.
Ever since they had begun learning to work together to control the amazing power that they were now ready to unleash on their enemies, activities such as these had been halted. Still, the area that had been designated for them was still there, so while carefully keeping an eye on the ground to make sure that she wouldn't trip, she made her way to the center of it.
Finding a nice patch of grass that felt soft and warm to the touch, she plopped herself down and finally turned her gaze to the breathtaking sight that had always captivated her ever since she was little.
To her, the sky had always seemed like a special thing as it could be enjoyed by anyone without having to pay anything. Even back then they had still been in that little village with nothing to their name, she had often sneaked out of the house in the middle of the night to count the stars.
Like all inquisitive children, she had always wanted to find out what lay there, in that starry sea. In fact, when she began attending the school set up in Lanthanor, that had been one of the first questions she had asked, but alas, she had not gotten the answer.
It was then that she had childishly decided that she would grow into an exploder who would find the answers to questions just like these, but of course, life had had a different plan for her.
As she continued to lay there and enjoy the night whose end would signal the beginning of the war, she wondered whether this would be the last time that she would see this pretty sight.
Enough, Dalia. Everyone is probably thinking the same thing… and it's not a question worth wasting time over. Think of something else. Think of the good things. Think of mom, think of the Godking…
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she felt that someone was near her, and when she got up to look around, she felt her hair being mussed up by someone.
"Aunty Eloise!" She exclaimed, before hearing the answering laugh that let her know that she was right.
"What are you doing out here all alone, little Dalia? Aren't you all supposed to be resting now?"
She blushed on hearing this question, and the only answer that she gave was a shrug.
Thankfully, that was enough for the woman, no, the Queen in front of her who laughed again and opened the mouth speak.
Only, before she continued, a sour expression came on her face and she suddenly said, "I'll be back."
She instantly disappeared after that, leaving behind Dalia who had a puzzled look on her face.
Eloise could see her confusion, but the being to whom she was going was not someone who should be kept waiting.
She had been hard at work all day, and she had only just decided to take a few minutes to rest. That was when she had spotted her familiar acquaintance all alone, so she had flown down to spend some time with her as both of them were currently without company.
The Emperor's message had ruined these plans, and when she reached the central spot of the continent where the grand throne of the Godking had returned, she saw him standing below it while being studied by a tall man in front of him.
She had teleported behind them, so at first, everything felt normal.
Yet, when she crossed this newcomer and arrived to stand at Fenoras's side, she saw the hollows where the sockets of his eyes had used to be and the gaze of the serpent that dismissed her after giving her a cursory glance.
The Emperor had a small smile on his lips, which meant that he was very, very pleased. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds even after she arrived, though, and then, it was finally the Basilisk who broke the silence.
"You look well, Fenoras. You no longer sit on top of this continent… But I knew that that would not bother you. Well, I said I would repay my debt, and here I am. I trust that your heir is ready? And by the way…where is he? I did contact him, but I received no response…and here I thought I was important enough that he would even jump out of bed if I called."
There was a satirical tone to what she was saying, but ignoring it, Eloise and Fenoras shared a look.
Never one to miss anything, Alistair spotted their expressions and frowned.
"What's wrong? It's the final stretch, so how could he have messed up anything? I gave him everything I could, so I came to tell him one last time not to f*ck it up. Answer me. Where is he?"
The volume of her voice rose with each word that came out of her mouth, and toward the end, she shouted the question that echoed in the air.
"The Godking is…indisposed. You may speak to his representative until he returns."
The answer made her look at them both with disbelief, as if she couldn't believe that someone had dared to speak in that way in her presence.
Her rage set the very air aflame. As the temperature started to rise, she turned to Fenoras with burning eyes, but he raised his hand and spoke again before she could say anything.
"You are mistaken. I am not the representative."
Once again, she was taken aback before she laid her eyes on Eloise and said, "You?"
The tone irked Eloise.
She had been equally surprised to find that Daneel had left a message for Fenoras stating that she would speak and make decisions on behalf of him for as long as he was absent, and she had even considered transferring the responsibility to the Emperor, who must surely be more qualified.
Yet, now, hearing the Basilisk say that word with apparent ridicule, she proudly set her jaw and teleported to the throne.
Sitting down, she looked down at the serpent and spoke in a commanding voice.
"Yes, me. Your contributions are all appreciated. You will be contacted when he is back."
Eloise didn't know where she found the courage, but she had dismissed Alistair in the same way that she had dismissed her when she first arrived.
This made the Basilisk's anger rise to a different level, and for a moment, Eloise wondered whether she had done the dumbest thing possible by infuriating their ally.
Yet, suddenly, a second later, all of it disappeared.
The Basilisk looked as if she had suddenly remembered something that had doused all those flames of rage, and for the life of her, Eloise couldn't imagine what it could be.
However, this question left her mind when the Basilisk said, "I'll find him myself."
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, but there was no visible change that Eloise could see.
Only, when she opened them again, they were filled with shock.
She even had to take a few seconds to recover, and after she did, she spoke with a halting voice before making an abrupt exit that took both of them by surprise.
"He-he…found her blood? H-how? I searched everywhere! No…there's no way that she will help him. He went on a stupid errand! He's a fool! All of you are fools! Without him, all of you are going up in flames! I-I'll be watching when it happens! But tell me when—no, if—he comes back. Goodbye!"