Vacant Throne

Even knowing that the apophis hadn’t randomly murdered humans and wasn’t likely to go around randomly murdering humans, taking the apophis back to Illuna was still an iffy idea at best. A gremlin could be easily ignored by the general populace as a quaint curiosity. They were half the size of grown men and not particularly strong either. An apophis hanging around the camp, big enough to easily spot from the farmland north and east of Illuna, would surely start rumors spreading. Not the idle water-cooler rumors either. There would be whispers of the monsters preparing for an attack on the city, using the gremlins to infiltrate and spy or some other such nonsense. And once the city guard started adding in rumors about how a bunch of humans had been murdered just outside the city, plus the lines of inquiry going around on Alyssa and Brakkt’s part about a giant snake, the situation could rapidly deteriorate.

Luckily, Alyssa did have an alternate solution.

After ensuring that Lueta did know about the signs monsters left to direct them and warn them of nearby dangers, Alyssa described Volta, the oasis, and the signs Volta had left around Illuna on the way out. The apophis didn’t seem that pleased with the idea. Without proper communication between them, Alyssa doubted that she would ever find out why. However, she suspected that even with as standoffish as Lueta had been toward the other monsters, it had still considered that community to be its own. Being told to leave probably didn’t sit well with it. Especially while the monsters were still camped around Illuna, potentially putting them in danger that Lueta could help with if it were nearby.

“Though… I don’t know how well you’ll be able to… fit inside. The actual interior of the oasis is quite large.” Maybe not quite large enough for Lueta. “The entrance I know about is… not. Still, Volta should be able to help. Whether that help comes in the form of shelter at the oasis, finding somewhere else you can stay, or even coming up with a plan to let you rejoin your companions at Illuna is something you’ll have to discuss once you get there. If Martin does take my suggestion and offers the monsters a small plot of land away from the city to farm and tend to themselves, I don’t imagine there will be much opposition to you joining up with them.”

“I hope so,” Worrik said softly from Lueta’s back. “It would be sad to have to say goodbye.”

Lueta, of course, didn’t answer. The apophis hadn’t even made the woodwind-style noises much now that it had calmed down. It just silently slithered alongside the draken as everyone headed back toward Illuna. They weren’t going anywhere near the top speed of the draken. Alyssa hadn’t been sure how fast the apophis could go, but it didn’t seem to have a problem keeping up.

“Rokien will probably want to meet with you before you split off to the oasis. Maybe? Probably. He has taken over as the leader of your group of monsters, so that seems like something a leader should do.”

“Still can’t believe my brother is looked to as the leader. He used to call people who tried to organize communities fools. He spent all day out in the forest, chopping trees and hauling the lumber back home.”

“Well he and Fezzik were the only two to step up when we asked to speak with their leader. Fezzik has decided to leave things to Rokien at this point in time though. He helps out the human guards now. Probably to avoid any potential responsibilities of being a leader.”

Worrik chuckled. At least, Alyssa thought it was a chuckle. He had made the noise a handful of times during their conversation. It was a very bovine sort of sound, though not quite a moo. More like a series of low throaty tones? Regardless, he looked off to the darkened horizon. “Fezzik was my brother’s lumbering partner. Not surprised he doesn’t want to lead either. I assume that Gimme is no longer with them?”

Alyssa started to respond, but hesitated.

Black feathers were drifting through the air, almost invisible against the night sky.

She looked back behind her. Finding nothing, she looked forward again.

Alyssa wasn’t surprised in the slightest to find Tenebrael perched on top of Izsha’s head. It was the exact same way she had appeared there so many months ago while they had been out to rescue Oxart. Her legs were crossed and she was leaning forward, elbow on one knee while she rested her chin on her palm. Her bare palm. Her other hand still had that evening-gown glove pulled up past her elbow.

Time was still moving forward, as evidenced by Izsha still jogging along beneath Alyssa. If it were just the draken and Fela, Alyssa wouldn’t hesitate to strike up a conversation with the invisible angel. But with Worrik and Lueta right next to them, new acquaintances who Alyssa did not want to seem insane in front of or give them any other reason to doubt her sincerity, she kept her mouth firmly shut. She did, however, hold up her hands in the shape of a T. Time out.

“Last time,” Tenebrael started in a good-humored melodic voice, “you fell off the relic when time resumed.”

Alyssa still didn’t respond. She simply started glaring.

“Alright. If you insist.” Holding out her ungloved hand, an array of mystic runes popped up in the air around a glowing circle. “Halting entropic progression.”

Ready for it this time, Alyssa didn’t fly forward. A good thing too. She would have cracked her teeth on Tenebrael’s pasty grey knees. It helped that Izsha wasn’t moving as fast this time. She would just have to be careful when time started up again. If it happened unexpectedly, she might still wind up on her back. And this time, she wouldn’t land on a dry desert. She would hit the marsh. It might seem softer with the water and moist soil, but she thought she preferred the dry desert more. It was less of a mess.

Besides, she didn’t want to wind up having to peel off leeches if there were any around.

Keeping the muscles in her lower back tense to avoid such a terrible fate, Alyssa stared up at Tenebrael. “So?” she said. “How have you been?”

“You would not believe Iosefael,” Tenebrael said with an exasperated sigh. “I get that she isn’t used to managing an entire world. Earth is divided up in… Well, not physical segments, but she only has to worry about a fraction of the population back there. The population of Nod is much smaller than Earth, but it is still quite a bit larger than what she is used to over a much larger area. You’d think she would be better at adapting, but centuries of sitting in her little bubble have left her… lacking in adaptive skills.

“And that isn’t even getting into the relics,” Tenebrael said with another sigh. “Iosefael will always prioritize a human soul over any other, which has led to some problems… Lots to clean up. A whole lot more than I expected. But I could complain about Iose’s job performance for hours. I’m sure that’s not what either of us really want to talk about.”

“Don’t we have all the time in the world?” Alyssa said, waving a hand around at the still forms of those around her.

“Not precisely. The Ophanim still turn in the Endless Expanse. What I’m doing right now is a temporary measure, even if your sense of temporal progression doesn’t recognize it that way.”

“In that case, yeah. Don’t care that much about your angelic nonsense.”

“Only the angelic nonsense that matters to you?”

“Only the nonsense that matters to me and my friends.”

“I expect you’ll be wanting to connect to me now?”

Alyssa nodded. “Unless you’re planning on creating bodies for Irulon whenever she needs.”

“Even if I didn’t have Iosefael’s mess to tend to, I am still resuming my former duties of reaping the souls of the deceased. A task that occupies a bit too much time to be on call to answer a mortal’s whimsical prayers.”

“Really? Thought you liked Irulon.”

“Oh I do, it’s just that like is a very relative term. Especially in this context. Besides that, there are limitations to what I can do for a mortal. Best to delegate all that to you.”

Alyssa couldn’t help but frown, wondering if Tenebrael was even trying to break free from those limitations and restrictions. Her programming. It sure didn’t seem like it, but what seemed to be and what actually was could very easily be two different things. In the end, Alyssa doubted it would matter. Tenebrael was an eternal being. Or something close enough to eternal that it didn’t affect Alyssa in the slightest. Long after she was gone, Tenebrael would likely still be drifting aimlessly about, trying to break free of chains that she knew were there but couldn’t even see.

Thinking about it like that, Alyssa felt bad. Pity. Pity for a god-like being that was more trapped than any mortal.

Perhaps I should do more to help her out. To say that she was dismissive and disdainful of the angels she had met would be a lie. She really wasn’t. Though disdainful, she wouldn’t dismiss Adrael. The red-dressed Archangel was too dangerous to simply dismiss. Kenziel she had really only encountered the one time. One and a half? Either way, she hadn’t interacted with that Archangel nearly enough to have formed an opinion of her. Iosefael…

Alyssa might be dismissive and disdainful of Iosefael. In her defense, the angel was rarely useful and had all but admitted to wanting her dead in the past. Maybe that had changed since being brought over to Tenebrael’s side of things, but it was hard to shake that initial impression.

Tenebrael was helpful, sometimes. She was vexing, most of the time. Most everything she did or did not do was veiled behind claims of her programming hindering her. Alyssa had to wonder if the angels had anything like a soul. Could she, as she had tried to do with Izsha, just reach her hands inside Tenebrael and fix whatever was broken?

It hadn’t gone so well on Izsha, but that was Alyssa’s fault. Tenebrael had tried to help. It was Alyssa’s lack of knowledge and experience that kept Izsha from getting back to her feet on the same day it got injured. So perhaps reaching out and trying to rewire an alien god would be a poor idea without at least some mild learning…

But in the future, maybe she should try to do something.

For now, her friends came first. Irulon, specifically.

“Delegating to me,” Alyssa repeated. “But you’re going to show me the ropes, right? You did promise Irulon that you would be at least somewhat active in this issue.”

“At least enough to get you started. Beyond that… I’ll check in on you periodically. If you are struggling, I will dispense some additional wisdom.”

“There’s no one here to impress, you know. You can talk like a normal person.”

Tenebrael harrumphed, crossing her arms. “You’re no fun, you know? Even when we first met, you didn’t treat me with the awe and respect I so deserve.”

Alyssa just rolled her eyes. “When we first met, I was in the middle of fighting for my life. And, frankly, I thought you were just a creepy cosplayer who broke into my house along with your boyfriend who I… uh…”

“Murdered?”

“Was forced to defend myself from.”

“Uh huh.”

Alyssa shot the angel a glare, wondering if helping her out really was a good thing or not. Shaking her head, she decided to focus on the actual matter at hand. “Reconnecting won’t be an issue, will it? Going through that adrift place again…”

“I don’t know exactly what you mean by that, but I don’t see why it would be a problem. You tried to connect three times, successfully connected twice, one of which was entirely on your own. I imagine it will be quite simple this time. Like stepping into a familiar coat.”

Alyssa would never have described a coat as familiar, but she figured that was a moot point. “Alright. Let’s do it then.”

Tenebrael held out her ungloved hand, palm up.

Alyssa’s eyes flicked down to the gloved hand, an action that surely did not go unnoticed, but Tenebrael didn’t comment on it. Reaching forward, Alyssa placed her hand on top of Tenebrael’s. Then she frowned. “Did we hold hands any other time we did this?”

“Can’t hurt, can it?”

“Mhm…”

“I’ll give your soul a little poke. If you need a little assistance, I’ll try calling for you.”

So it wouldn’t be like the time Alyssa had been sitting in front of that demonic ember. That was good to know. That place. Adrift, she called it. It had some kind of effect on her memory and determination. All three of the other times she had entered that place, she hadn’t been prepared. They had all been unexpected. Each subsequent time got easier to… navigate.

The fourth time should be even easier. Especially knowing what she was getting into.

Taking a deep breath, Alyssa steeled herself.

“Alright. Do it.”

Alyssa was… quite sure she knew what was going on as a peaceful calm enveloped her.

Izsha was no longer there. The draken had slipped out from under her. Alyssa hadn’t fallen with it. But the rest of the world had fallen with Izsha. Fela, Dasca, Musca, Worrik, and Lueta were nowhere to be seen. Tenebrael as well was missing. Alyssa could still feel the warmth of her hand on hers. She just didn’t feel her own hand.

She didn’t have a hand. Not anymore. Not in this state.

But she could imagine a hand. And imagination was key. Both previous times she had connected to Tenebrael, she had done so using her imagination. Specifically, she had imagined herself interacting with Tenebrael. This time, she hadn’t forgotten why she was in this state. She recalled perfectly just what it was that she was trying to do.

It wasn’t hard to imagine Tenebrael reaching out for her. Perhaps that was why Tenebrael had held out her hand before starting this whole process, to get it fresh in Alyssa’s mind. As such, it was equally simple to imagine her own hand reaching out for Tenebrael.

The moment the figments of her imagination connected, Alyssa felt it. The warmth of an angel. It wasn’t that intense of a feeling. Possibly because her physical body was still connected to Tenebrael’s physical body—for as much as angels had physical bodies. But the feeling of warmth intensified tenfold.

Gripping that sensation of warmth, Alyssa started trying to find her way back to her own body. To do so, she imagined pinching her own arm. Just a hint of pain pulled her back. Perhaps this whole thing could be thought of as a dream and a pinch was what it took to wake.

Two more pinches had her lurching forward.

Lurching forward in reality.

Her eyes snapped open. She couldn’t see her own eyes, but she could feel that warmth in her. They were glowing again, she knew.

“Did it on my own,” Alyssa said, feeling a bit parched in the throat, but otherwise mostly back to normal.

She was about to ask if it would be possible to get a pair of sunglasses that might not melt if she got a little angry. Losing her last pair had been annoying for more than just hiding glowing eyes from random people on the street. Spending so much time outside in general was a pain without some nice sunglasses.

But Tenebrael wasn’t there anymore. Izsha’s back was empty save for Alyssa. Time had not resumed. She could clearly see that. Izsha was perfectly still, as were all the others. But time was stopped and Tenebrael was gone. Alyssa looked around just to be certain. She didn’t know why Tenebrael might have hidden behind her, but she thought it might have been plausible given angels’ penchants for appearing outside direct line of sight.

With time having been frozen, Alyssa didn’t even know how long it had been since they started the whole adrift thing. Had it taken so long that Tenebrael had to leave to attend to other matters? Had something gone wrong? There was no sign of a battle. No scorch marks on the marshland nor any craters. If Tenebrael got involved with a fight like she had with Iosefael, Alyssa would have expected such remnants.

But everything around her looked completely untouched.

They had connected a few times without any downsides on Tenebrael’s part. So Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and assumed that Tenebrael had just needed to be elsewhere for some divine reason that she probably wouldn’t bother to explain later. Pulling out her phone to try to call the angel, Alyssa found it completely non-responsive. Probably something to do with time being stopped.

She was surprisingly calm about that little issue. Alyssa had a feeling that, using Tenebrael’s power, she would be able to restart time without too much trouble. Probably. But in the event that Tenebrael had left time stopped on purpose, Alyssa hesitated.

Tenebrael might come back. If so, Alyssa still had things to talk about with her. She could try to restart time and just carry on as normal, but decided against it. Just in case Tenebrael did leave things as they were for a reason, Alyssa decided to experiment on something else.

Matter creation. It was what she had to figure out before she could truly help out Irulon.

She wasn’t going to try to make a person at the moment. That seemed a bit complicated. But sunglasses were just a bit of metal and glass. Maybe some plastic thrown in. It sounded simple.

Holding her hands out in front of her, Alyssa started working.