“Great, now anything else.” Amara asks, Adaly looks at her and kindly smiles at her friend “No, just once more thank you and I would like to be alone now.” Adaly says and Amara chuckles “Yeah so that is not happening. I am not letting you out of my sight. Unless you and Sam want to do something, I will accept looking the other way at that moment.”
Adaly rolls her eyes and goes to sit down, “Fine, then you are standing there for a while.” Adaly says and she cast devils’ eyes connecting only to Josenno. He is in the woods near the manor, together with Jasmin “Now what?” Jasmin says. “The coast is clear on the north side, let’s start leaving. I have an ally in Culguard who has a ship that can take us to Fomeria.” “Will we be safe there?” Jasmin asks and Josenno hesitates “As safe as we will ever be with Ilhoketh banning Es-Grenalieth. Now let’s go” and Josenno leads them through the woods.
Adaly opens her eyes and sees Amara still looking at her and Adaly rolls her eyes once more “You still here?” Adaly says snarky and Amara gives her a serious look “I told you I am not letting you out of my sight.” Adaly grunts and gets up walking back to the camp, and Amara follows closely.
Amara and Adaly come back to camp “I will take first watch” Adaly says angrily and the rest just nod in agreement while Amara steps towards Livia “She is not leaving your sight, got it?” Livia looks a bit surprised “Sure…” and then Amara turns to Adaly “You are not leaving the camp, you are staying here. If I wake up and you are not within my sight, there will be hell to pay.” “Are you done? Can I also say something?” Adaly yells back “No” Amara says and starts setting up her sleeping back at the edge of the camp.
Adaly rolls her eyes and goes to angrily sit down, but she stays in camp, she knows better than pissing Amara off.
After about half an hour Adaly stands up and goes to sit next to Livia “I will not tell Amara if you need to be alone for a minute.” Livia whispers and Adaly smiles “It is okay, she is right on a certain level. I don’t want to cause a risky situation just for a bit of alone time. If everybody is awake and I am at yelling distance it is a different story. But now… No, I will stay here, and wanted to talk to you… I wanted to apologize for sidelining you today”
Livia looks surprised at her “Thanks…. How are you doing?” Adaly chuckles nervously and rubs the back of her neck “That is a long story, but I also wanted to do a confession. But first how are you doing? With the whole this is a suicide mission thing?” Livia looks her over “I am not happy with it, but it was always a long shot. This mission is worth everything to me, and if we can use this to save Ashe, we should. Now what do you want to confess?”
Livia invites Adaly to continue. Adaly takes a deep breath “So I have been lying… I do know what he intends on sacrificing Ashe for….” “That is massive, what is it? And why haven’t you told us before?” Livia rants with enlarged eyes. Adaly swallows “It is dangerous information to know, so I will not tell all details. I told Sam and he has not told you, which should tell you that this is not just my opinion. But to summarize on a high level, the ritual will enhance a tieflings powers, turning them into a weapon for him.”
Livia looks at Adaly and Adaly looks around checking if everybody is still asleep before continuing. “Es-Grenalieth believed I was his intended target… Because one of the things that happens in the ritual is that the tiefling will lose themselves, and act in his service afterward. Now as mentioned before I didn’t believe Es-Grenalieth’s reasoning of him being weak, because we know the other thing… However today…. My father offered the ritual to me.” Livia grabs Adaly’s hands “We will not let him get you.”
Adaly kindly smiles at Livia, holding her hands. “The reason why I am coming clean to you now is because I might want him to get me though.” “What?” Livia reacts not understanding, Adaly sighs “You understand that this mission might ask everything from us, and with both of us the stakes are personal. If we fail, I will never be free of my father, not even in death. If you fail you lose your sister, who is worth anything to you. The others don’t have these personal stakes, so they don’t understand…”
Adaly looks at Sam and Amara, neither of them would ever let her do this. Adaly takes a deep breath before continuing. “My father made a mistake…. Es-Grenalieth has found a way around his control. A way that the person who was turned weapon could turn on him…. If we are at our lost, if we need an extra edge… I can go through the ritual and help in that way. Direct his created weapon towards him.”
“At what cost?” Livia asks, and Adaly looks down sadly “Everything…. The ritual corrupts, I… I will lose myself, there is no coming back from this. So, I rather not do it, but if it is necessary and the time is right, Livia, please do not stop me. This mission is worth everything to me, Sam and Amara don’t seem to understand that.”
“Did I ever tell you about how Ashe got captured?” Livia asks. Adaly shakes her head. “She had a human lover. She sacrificed everything to try to save her from Ilhoketh, but she failed and got taken.” Adaly swallows “Why… why tell me this?” Livia looks Adaly over “I understand wanting to sacrifice yourself for a loved one…. But let’s not be rash about this, otherwise we might end up as my sister.”
Adaly looks away, but Livia moves herself in Adaly’s view “So, I understand that this is plan E, using the twilight bomb is plan D. Let’s make sure plan A, B or C work before even considering this.” Adaly nods in agreement. “For me this was always a suicide mission, but I will do my best to make sure you guys survive this” “Same” Livia says sadly and they hug, ending their hard conversation.
Stories of my brain 