Either way, the closer he came to Angaria, the stronger he felt the happiness that one would be filled with when they were returning to their home after a long stay elsewhere.
The events in the eye had all happened quickly, but it had felt like days had pa.s.sed due to all the quick decisions that he had had to make.
Beside him, the mosquitoes were all being protected by barriers, as their bodies weren"t strong enough to withstand the friction that came from going against the air.
He glanced toward them, and even though he could almost swear that what he saw in their eyes was also the unbridled excitement and joy that came with flying freely in this manner, but he had given them no extra cognitive abilities, so Daneel a.s.sured himself that he must have seen wrong and looked away.
As more and more details of Angaria came into sight, he took a look at all of the preparations that were continuing for the war.
Would it be enough?
This question had haunted him day and night, and it still continued to do so, now that the final battle was so close.
Until now, though, he had been the only one who could judge, but thankfully, with the arrival of the three flying behind him, he had three extra sets of eyes that must definitely be capable of a.s.sessing everything he was doing and telling him whether they would be as effective as he hoped against the force which had just been struck a ma.s.sive blow.
Just as this thought came to him, multiple screams of fury and anguish were vaguely heard from far, far above the spot where he was. The members of the Church had awakened, and even as they rapidly left in the eye whose tentacles had begun to propel it away from Angaria at a blinding speed that Daneel would not have thought possible for such a large creature, their anger could be felt as their primary objective had failed, which would definitely spell disaster for their future.
Daneel did not have the luxury of feeling pity for those he did not know. Even if they had been nothing but upstanding individuals who had only come here after being commanded by the Church, he had no choice but to send them back with failure, as he had millions of lives to worry about.
As soon as he reached the height which was possible for Heroes to fly to, he began teleporting to the throne in the air right above the central point of Angaria after sending a single message to the three a.s.sa.s.sins of the TriCobra Sect.
"Follow."
He felt that he could almost hear their teeth grinding as they obeyed the orders of the one that they had tried to awe into submission just a few minutes ago.
Just a few seconds after he reached the throne and took a seat, they arrived.
They did not bow, and Daneel was not feeling petty enough to force them to. Their expressions had been enough enjoyment, so he decided not to push it too much, unless it was needed.
"Let"s start this again. Tell me about everything that you were sent with to help my continent. And after that, tell me everything about the Mainland. And when I say everything, I mean everything."
Seeing that he did not order them to sc.r.a.pe and scurry, Husare began to finally let go of her anger.
When she answered, though, her tone contained a faint bit of satisfaction.
"It is impossible to follow your second command, as we have been ordered not to give any information that is not relevant to the task at hand. We do, however, have a database compiled about the strengths of the Church and the types of soldiers that can be expected to attack, along with a collection of resources that have proven to be effective against past conquests. Finally, we have a few Artefacts that will aid you in your preparations, and hide all of these new additions to your cause. They have all been sent by the lady Alasdair. Oh, yes, I almost forgot: there is also this…"
Saying so, Husare took out a small dagger.
It was unlike any dagger the Daneel had seen, with a blade made of s.h.i.+mmering crystal that almost seemed to fade in and out of existence as he continued to watch it.
Its hilt attracted the most attention: bent thorns were affixed all around it which curled toward the blade, making the entire thing look like a Venus flytrap.
Its appearance made him feel uncomfortable, but before he could ask what it was for, the reptilian said, "This was sent to heal the one whose consciousness has been extensively damaged. The fact that you were bestowed with this object of great value is a wonder, and it is puzzling that it was actually Lord Hydra who sent it. It is possible that the Lady called in a favor to have the Lord part with one of the legendary Mindflaying daggers. With a touch, they can either destroy, or rebuild. They can usually be used multiple times, but this is one which only has one use left - I recommend that it be used immediately, as it will decay in a place such as this, where the level of Energy is so low. If the decay begins… The healing might be affected. Bring forth the one who has been injured."
That last sentence sounded like an order, but the tone it was said in was suggestive.
Daneel was too caught up in his excitement to care, though.
Love him or hate him, the man that was going to be revived was one of the most influential in the history of the continent, and despite his mistake which had led to the destruction of the Empire, Daneel admired him fiercely.
Without further ado, he asked the system to teleport the emperor to where he was, after telling it to make sure to study the process of healing well.
The moment the body of the s.h.a.ggy old man who was actually dressed in the grand clothes of an Emperor appeared, the reptilian began to walk forward.
The dress was obviously the work of Arafell, who had been caring for the man in her own way, and now that he saw it, Daneel felt that it was apt.
As soon as Husare reached him, in a movement that was too fast to follow, she plunged the target into his mind, following which the web of needles at its hilt latched onto his head.
It only took a single second, during which Daneel hadn"t even decided whether he should worry.
Emperor Fenoras, first of his name, lord of all things living and dead on the continent of Angaria, Master Artificer, Apocalypse Bringer, and creator of the Grand Inheritance…opened his eyes with full and complete clarity for the first time in thousands of years.
He looked around dubiously for a moment, but as if some memory had suddenly been pushed to the forefront of his mind, he raised his hand and forcefully pulled the sword he had given to Daneel…before lunging in his direction with the intent to kill.