"Ugh, later. I need to stretch my legs before I fight another being." I responded, annoyance laced with my voice.
Jumping out of the medical bed, I swiftly climbed into my Servant of Order uniform, a new emblem stitched into its design. Four strings coming into one being held by an overarching hand.
Without saying anything, I left the room. Liliana and Julius quickly rushed to my side, not intending to leave me alone. I didn't mind Liliana, but Julius' mellow presence put a damper on all my current emotions. I trailed behind us, warily fidgeting with his fingers.
As we walked down the halls of the Spire, all servants bowed at my feet. I didn't expect to see such a sight; the same servants who spat in my path were bowing like dogs. The irony wasn't lost on me, although it didn't bring me any pleasure, only pity.
"Evernight, what will you do as a Divine String now?" asked Liliana, tugging at my sleeves.
"Do? What is there to do but follow Ickni's orders? I'm nothing close to being free, I'm just closer to Ickni's eye now."
"You shouldn't call the Custodian by her real name; she might get angry," said Julius meekly.
"It's fine. She doesn't seem to mind."
"But… I've heard of some servants who called her that, and the next moment, they were a pile of blood. Please be careful."
Julius grasped his own sacred band, caressing it softly, while he couldn't exactly see into Julius' emotions. I didn't think he was the type to follow Ickni's orders without the sacred band. There was just something about how he touched the sacred band as if he was petting a wild beast, lulling it to sleep.
"I will. I thank you for your concern, Julius."
"Is this gratitude? You are welcome. Could you kill me now? Please."
I rolled my eyes at Julius' behaviour, slightly increasing my walking pace. But my attempts to escape were met with failure, Julius upping his own pace each time, perfectly matching my own.
"Hm, I suppose that's true. But you don't have a sacred band, why don't you just kill Ickni? This world is harsh and full of peril. If you become the new monarch, then you'll have all the happiness in the world."
Julius' face went white at Liliana's words; his warning of a reckoning over a mere name had apparently fallen on deaf ears for Liliana. Not even blinking twice before wishing death on the almighty power in this Dominion.
"I wouldn't have happiness, and Ickni's not some pushover; she rules his Dominion for a reason. Her mind is something not even the peak of devils would want to face."
"Don't talk about killing the Custodian in my presence, are you some idiots?!"
Liliana and I both ignored Julius' ranting and whining, dismissing him with a flick of our hands. Despite our dismissal, he still followed along for some reason unknown to both of us.
"You think so? I think Ickni is a pushover; you should do it. Kill her and seize power for yourself, or else we'll all become slaves. You know that, right?"
"Where is this coming from? Stop talking about such things. You'll only be hanged for such talk. Stop it." I ordered.
"Okay, I'm sorry. But in the end, we'll see which path comes to fruition."
Liliana was right, of course, and I thought about the desolation of Ickni every day. How could I not think about escaping this horrid existence? This whole Dominion only induces misery into my heart; I wouldn't let this carry on for much longer.
I just needed more time to master my abilities, then I'd put an end to her tyranny.
Eventually, we reached the garden of the palace, gazing up at the roaring sun. The same feeling of bliss runs through my veins, the light embracing and harmonizing with my soul. Julius hung in the doorway of the palace, sticking to the shadows, not daring to move another step.
"Julius! Don't tell me you're scared of the sun. How pathetic. You were fine on the day of the Primordial Terror's appearance," teased Liliana, sticking her tongue out, clearly trying to antagonize the poor man.
"But. That was important; I had no choice. I hate the sun and its dreadful light."
"You're such a weirdo!!!"
Julius' brow twitched violently, but he didn't move, retreating further into the shadows, his face barely visible now. Liliana sighed deeply before turning her gaze back to me, cupping her hands behind her back.
We idly stood in the center of the evergreen garden, enjoying the sunlight on our skin. I practically enjoyed the feelings of my skin being rejuvenated. The divinity flowing in my veins was present in every move, no longer a mere trace that couldn't pull on without extreme concentration.
Creating five small light balls on the top of my right fingers, I juggled the balls around, getting a feel for my power once again. Once I was satisfied, I threw the balls into the sky, commanding them to shatter, painting a beautiful constellation over the horizon, its beauty amplified by the roaring sun.
My constellation's shine was blocked out by the familiar six gray and emerald wings of Artoria Luminous. She gracefully touched the ground, wearing an awkward smile, while he approached me.
Her footsteps were soft and serene, although she wore ominous plate armour of black and scarlet; not a single movement gave any indication that she was a trained killer.
"Lady Luminous, it's nice to see you unharmed. I heard you went on quite a dangerous mission," said Liliana, bowing.
I didn't know Liliana was capable of being polite; I always thought she was naturally antagonistic.
"Thank you, Liliana. It's great to see you are in good condition, Evernight. You gave me quite the scare," exclaimed Artoria.
"Thanks. You went on a mission?"
I was interested in every one of Ickni's actions, also, I just wanted to hear something cool, to be honest.
"Yes, it was nothing special. A sizable group of flying forsaken was spotted heading towards Grandheart. It was a band of considerable strength; the anti-air cannons would have struggled."
"Is that common? I haven't seen anything like that since I came here."
"Not really. It's most likely due to the extreme power you released in fighting the Primordial Terror and the overload that seemed to happen to you. Forsaken are drawn to divinity; mass amounts will gather the eye of every single forsaken in the whole of Kathoros."
"Oh… I'm sorry I caused so much bother. I didn't mean to. It's just He—"
Artoria put her hand up to stop me signaling that I should stop before I accidentally leaked something to Ickni by tugging on her sacred band.
"It's of no concern. No one faults you for fighting to survive."
Her words invoked a flood of memories to come rushing back.
"Wait. Where is Lilia? I have to apologize to her; I also killed her over a misunderstanding."
Artoria's eyes swiftly averted from my own, her head tilted ever so slightly to the ground.
"You can't see her. Your suspicion was confirmed by Ickni and Julius; she did bear the scent of war. Whether she had contact with a devil isn't known; she's confined to her room and refuses to speak. Ickni would never allow you to see her."
"What? But it was a mistake, I just lost my mind for a moment, there's no reason she should be punished for a silly mistake."
"Just forget about her, Evernight. There is nothing you can do; contact with a devil is a crime worse than blasphemy. If she doesn't speak, she'll be executed, and if she does, she'll meet the same fate. Seeing you would only give her hope, don't make her despair any more."
My jaw stiffened at her words, the familiar taste of metal overcoming my senses.
"I suppose you're right, but it doesn't hurt any less."
"I know. I trusted Lilia too to recommend her; it hurts me as well."
I didn't respond to Artoria's words, my gaze becoming distant, and all the memories of Lilia running through my mind. I looked for any signs of devils, but I couldn't pick a single strange detail about them.
"I'll be going now. I have business with Ickni."
Artoria walked past Liliana and me, heading inside the palace, briefly nodding at Julius, still hiding in the shadows. He jumped back slightly when making eye contact with her.
"It'll be okay, Evernight. Lilia will find some way to push through. I haven't met her, but I'm sure her spirit won't falter."
"Yeah, you're right. Lilia wouldn't let this be the death of her."
Liliana's sweet smile brought me back from my sadness; her words always rang out true in my ears. Although her personality was anything but wise. She sometimes produces rather intelligent words. Her pink hair blew in the wind as we headed back to Julius. I needed an outlet to vent my emotions, and Julius was ready to be that outlet. How could I refuse such an offer?