Chapter 82: False Dawn 6
Elania and Yolani crossed the bridge towards the Purple Tower, their footsteps echoing on the stone.
“I want to learn about it, too,” Yolani said, glancing up at Elania.
Elania nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. “That’s fine.”
Yolani grumbled, her shoulders sagging slightly. “I need a break from all the work, anyway.”
Elania slipped an arm around the other girl, giving her a gentle squeeze. “We can always lounge about or go for a trip.”
Yolani shook her head, a wry smile on her face. “There’s no way. Between the airships, the mushroohums, the Neftasu Council, and Ember’s requests, we’re way too stretched.”
Elania frowned, then nodded. “Let me know if there are any things I can pick up to lighten the load.”
Yolani smiled. “I’ll let you know right away—I already push as much as possible on you.”
Elania feigned a hurt expression. “Hey… I’m not a hole to fill in.”
Yolani giggled. “Sometimes I wonder, especially at dinner.”
Elania let out a mock-hurt scoff, placing a hand over her heart. “I can’t believe my oracle has betrayed me so badly.”
Yolani hummed, a teasing smile on her lips. “I can’t believe my demi-divine is supposed to be the older one.”
Elania sighed. “I’m sorry I ever made a big deal out of that.”
Yolani laughed, the sound filling the air as they approached the tower entrance.
The Silvers let them pass, and a servant greeted them inside, offering them a place to sit and wait along with some tea. They accepted, settling into comfortable chairs as they engaged in idle chatter.
A little while later, Arlois arrived. She looked at Elania and Yolani. “What do you need?”
Elania met her gaze. “We have some questions about demi-divine things.”
Arlois nodded as she waved them towards a private room, the same one they had used to chat before.
Elania sat beside Yolani across the small table from Arlois, and she leaned forward, her gaze focused on the pair. “What do you wish to know?”
Elania glanced at Yolani, who nodded encouragingly. Taking a deep breath, Elania turned back to Arlois. “After merging my [Regalia], my [Divine Power] capacity has increased, but I’m not sure how good it is.”
Arlois raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“The maximum is fifty thousand,” Elania replied with a hint of uncertainty.
Leaning back in her chair, Arlois nodded approvingly.
“That’s fairly good, much better than I expected.” She shifted her gaze to Yolani. “The [Regalia] must have been exceptionally crafted and compatible with Elania, considering how high the increase is.”
“It seems like a ridiculous amount, considering how it ratios into [Power] and what exponential releases can do,” Elania said.
Arlois nodded, a serious expression on her face. “You haven’t seen any real fights yet, at least not between demi-divines. When you do, it will seem like the world is ending.”
She paused, considering her next words. “You should aim for several hundred thousand over the next few years, once the [Regalia] is fully completed.”
Yolani shifted in her seat. “I haven’t even started on the next step.”
“You should do so soon,” Arlois said, fixing her with a pointed look. “While you have the chance.”
Elania leaned forward, concern etched on her features. “How are things with the Monevoians?”
Arlois sighed, her shoulders tensing. “There is no news, which I take as the worst sign. They are likely to attack without warning.”
Elania and Yolani exchanged a worried glance before Yolani spoke up. “If that’s the case, shouldn’t we be preparing for another battle?”
Arlois nodded. “We are, just not as hurried. We don’t want to break morale, and we do not know if it will come in the next few weeks, months, or even years.”
“This really sucks, not knowing,” Elania said, slumping back in her chair.
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Arlois nodded. “You’re correct.”
Arlois looked at Elania, her expression serious. “There’s no reason your [Divine Power] should be kept so low. I’ll recharge it for you.”
Elania blinked, surprise evident on her face. “What? How?”
Arlois glanced at Yolani before answering. “I have to kiss you.”
Yolani tensed up beside Elania.
“On the forehead,” Arlois quickly added.
Elania turned to Yolani, seeking her approval. The other girl hesitated for a moment before nodding. Elania faced Arlois again. “How will it work?”
“I’ll simply transfer my own [Divine Power] to you. You won’t have to do anything,” Arlois explained.
Elania frowned. “If it was that easy, why didn’t we do it before?”
Arlois sighed. “By doing so, it will make me more vulnerable to you in the future. You’ll have a natural feel for my [Divine Power] and energy, and it will also affect your [Domain] slightly.”
She paused for a second, staring at Elania as if measuring her. “Your [Domain] has strengthened and started to take shape already, so it isn’t as large a concern.”
Elania’s eyes widened. “What does that mean? [Domains] have shapes?”
Arlois nodded. “The formation of a [Domain] is a very personal process, as I explained partly before. Too much information isn’t good because it can affect how it turns out. The closer it is to the demi-divine’s own subconscious feelings and actions, the stronger it will be.”
Elania shook her head. “I don’t feel like I’ve made any progress.”
Arlois met her gaze. “You have definitely made concrete moves toward one.”
Yolani spoke up. “Is it possible to change your [Domain] in the future?”
Arlois turned to Yolani. “While it’s possible, it generally only happens if the demi-divine goes through something exceedingly traumatic... like losing their oracle or loved one.”
Elania tensed up, her jaw clenching. That wasn’t a thought worth entertaining.
She took a deep breath before saying, “Arlois, do the transfer.”
Elania watched as Arlois walked around the table and sat beside her. She smiled at both her and Yolani, then cupped the sides of Elania’s head in her hands, leaning in to kiss her forehead.
An electric sensation ran through Elania’s body, making her feel as if she was being shocked. She became aware of Arlois’ wings expanding out of her back, then closing around her and Yolani, who was holding on to her side.
A wave of maternal warmth washed over Elania, leaving her unsure of what to think, do, or say. She felt frozen in place as Arlois wrapped her arms around her back, hugging both her and Yolani to her chest.
[Divine Power] flooded through Elania’s veins, and she felt as if she could crush a hundred armies or save a thousand cities—as long as Yolani was by her side.
As quickly as the transfer began, it cut off, leaving Arlois panting as she released them.
“I didn’t expect that,” Yolani stammered.
Elania blinked and looked at her [HUD].
[Divine Power: 48,580/50,000]
She wasn’t even sure what that number represented compared to her early [Power] numbers, other than it being an order of magnitude higher.
Arlois said, “There, you should both be strengthened now.”
Elania looked to Yolani, who still stared at them in shock. Turning back to Arlois, Elania asked, “What did you do to Yolani?”
Arlois explained, “I cleaned the impurities in your connection and made it so that instead of just providing [Divine Power] for her, you now provide reinforcement and improvements to her physical capabilities, including resilience and healing.”
With that, Arlois stood and returned to her seat across the table.
Elania frowned as she felt Arlois’ movements while the other woman walked. The sensation was strange, almost as if Arlois’ presence was now a part of her.
“What is that?” Elania asked.
Arlois mirrored Elania’s frown, her expression thoughtful. “It’s likely a resonance of my [Divine Power] within you.”
Elania probed the feeling, her discomfort growing.
Yolani winced. “I feel it, too.”
“You are deeply connected,” Arlois explained, “so that’s not a surprise.”
Elania let out a tense breath, the words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them. “Why does it feel like you’re my mother now?”
Arlois’ expression softened, a hint of understanding in her eyes. “It is just a reverberation.”
Elania blinked in surprise. “You see us as your daughters?” she blurted out.
“The feeling is way too strong,” Yolani mumbled.
A smile played on Arlois’ lips as she spoke. “Well, if you feel at all the same way, it’s probably amplified. But it doesn’t mean anything serious. I feel that most of the others are my children as well.”
Elania fought the urge to call Arlois a liar. The connection, the bond screamed that loudly. It wouldn’t be good to air that, though, so she remained silent.
Yolani cleared her throat. “Arlois, your [Domain]… you are a mother to the city?”
Arlois looked at them, without giving anything away.
Elania shook her head, words spilling from her lips. “No, Arlois’ [Domain] is that she is the ruler of the city, and all of its people are her sons and daughters... and she’s closer to some of her children than others.”
Arlois looked away as she spoke. “It is incredibly impolite and improper to point out another demi-divine’s [Domain], especially after they just filled you with their own energy.”
The memory of Arlois’ abuse, the threats and the reality of her own weakness, resurfaced in Elania’s mind.
She still couldn’t forgive Arlois for that violation. That was incredibly sad, because she liked Arlois. Not as her mother, but as an… older friend? Sibling? A mentor for sure…
Clearing her throat, Elania decided to move on to the second reason for their visit. “We’d like to check on Tessa,” she said.
Arlois nodded, but before she could respond, a knock at the door interrupted them. As it opened, Lyra entered, her eyes snapping to Elania.
Arlois frowned, turning her attention to Lyra.
“What is it?” Arlois asked.
Lyra crossed her arms, her gaze still fixed on Elania. “I’m glad you are here. I won’t have to send the Silvers to find you,” she said sharply.
Blinking in confusion, Elania asked, “What?”
“There has been a major crime: the theft of followers by a non-Tower,” Lyra accused. The woman leveled a finger at her. “You’ve been converting the people of the slums with succor and shelter, growing your followers at our expense!”
Elania’s mind raced. “They were starving and had nowhere to go.”
Lyra shook her head with a glower. “They go overboard! Contia will overpopulate and become burdened by them if the population isn’t kept in check.”
“Elania has been assisting them for two months already, and she was just assisting with the city’s infrastructure,” Arlois said.
Lyra was not satisfied.
She shook her head and dramatically pointed at Elania again, voice ringing out in the room. “I formally demand a council hearing on the matter!”