Daneel didn"t have to think long, at all, to give his answer.
"There are many words that I might use to describe you, but "incapable" and "overconfident" have never been a part of that list. I know that you are filled with emotions at the moment, G.o.ddess, but even then, I trust you. Go forth, and good luck. I only have one condition: there is a small part of my consciousness within your mind. I a.s.sure you that it is not capable of thought, but I have used a special enchantment that will allow me to be notified in case you are in life-threatening danger. I care too much about you to allow you to go on such a dangerous mission without backup. And of course, if you need my help, you are welcome to it. Until you ask, though, I promise that I will not step in."
He spoke in a soothing voice while also casting the spell which allowed it to have a calming effect on Xuan, and thankfully, it worked.
She took a few moments to gain ahold of her thoughts and think, but after that, she nodded slowly and looked up.
Her eyes had always been one of the most dazzling aspects about her, and although Daneel had noticed them before, it was only now that they were exposed to him in all their glory.
They had a faint golden tinge to them which was only exposed when they were bathed in light, but even if that wasn"t the case, the emotions that were always on full display within always made them a sight to behold.
Right now, the emotions he could see were still predominantly rage and a thirst for revenge, but slowly, he could see the dawn of coldness which meant that Xuan would be entering a state of frigidity which would only disappear after her mission was done.
This was to be expected when one was the subject of so much betrayal, so Daneel braced himself to get an answer filled with nonchalance.
Surprising him, though, that coldness thawed for a brief moment, while Xuan rushed forward and gave him a hug for the briefest of moments before whispering "Thank you" and going back to where she had stood.
The King was startled, but that surprise turned into pleasant joy as he realized what this meant: clearly, he held such an important place in her heart that she had even been capable of putting aside all of those negative emotions for his sake for a moment, and this also gave him the a.s.surance that the woman who had taken his first kiss, both the unintentional one and the one that he intended with all his heart, was still safely present.
"I"ll be looking forward to seeing what you do, G.o.ddess. I don"t think I need to tell you that Heroes, especially ones as entrenched in power as the one you are targeting, are tough beings to kill. I"m an exception due to the gift that Ancient Angaria left for me in this place, but-"
"Don"t worry. I think…I know what to do. I"ll be taking Eloise with me- is that all right?"
Xuan looked like she had just gotten the idea, but Daneel loved it.
Clapping his hands and smiling broadly, he said, "That"s great! I"ll find someone to take over her responsibilities- it won"t be a problem. I"ll even feel better knowing that she"s with you. The two lionesses of Angaria set out to write a saga on their own! I"m excited to see what happens. Before that happens, though, there is a small meeting that needs to take place. Do you mind joining in? It won"t take long, but if you need some more time alone, I would understand."
Xuan replied in a heartbeat.
"I"ve been lied to all my life, Daneel. I feel as if I don"t even know who I am. I expect all these emotions to hit me like a meteor later, but right now, I have a clear purpose, and that is allowing me to hold on. Lead the way. I can tell that the meeting is important, and I need something to distract myself, even for the time being."
Daneel could see the pain that once again flashed across Xuan"s eyes as she said this.
She was right. He couldn"t even begin to imagine just what she was feeling, but as for a distraction…he had the perfect one.
He simply nodded and opened the door, and it was only after all the sovereigns saw that Xuan was still up and about that they breathed out sighs of relief.
Glancing to the side, Daneel saw that Xuan actually noticed this. It had caused the corners of her lips to twitch, which was a great sign.
Although those present didn"t know her, they knew what she had been through to be loyal to Daneel, and they all greatly respected her.
It even looked like they had prepared something to say, but Daneel sent them all messages saying that they should hold it until she was done with her task.
All of the sovereigns understood without needing explanations, so Daneel flicked his fingers to conjure 11 thrones.
Their number had swelled by 2, and although the sacred number of the continent was no longer being conformed to, it was still comprised of people that Daneel would trust with his life.
Percy was momentarily shocked, at first, as he realized that he had gained entry into this exclusive clique.
He even sat on the throne closest to him and caught it with both hands as if he was afraid that someone would take it away, but the rest just looked at him and smiled with welcoming expressions on their faces before taking their seat.
Only Ca.s.sandra took Aran"s idea and secretly used her Phoenix"s flames to heat the bottom of the seat to see what would happen, but even then, Percy held on as if he couldn"t feel the heat on his bottom.
"Knock it off, guys. You don"t know how much this means to him- he hasn"t had a family he could call his own for as long as he can remember. Finally, he"s a part of something that resembles one. Be welcoming- and I expect that Aran, you"ll hit it off with him quite well."
Sensing the seriousness in Daneel"s words, Ca.s.sandra instantly stopped and even went forward to apologize to Percy after shooting Aran an admonis.h.i.+ng look, as if she hadn"t been the one to go along with it.
Grumbling but decided that he would do so, too, Aran sat down…only to activate a hidden formation on his seat which caused a loud farting sound to echo throughout the empty city.
For a moment, everyone stared at each other, and then they all burst out laughing as they saw that their new member wasn"t that much of a pushover, after all.
Percy was, of course, the one who had facilitated it, but while seeing him, Daneel saw that he also glanced in Xuan"s direction.
Hence, it became clear that he had also done it to lighten the mood for Xuan"s sake.
Xuan did, indeed, seem more relaxed, and seeing this, once again, Daneel felt glad about his decision to trust this exemplary member of the Sect of Hedon.
"All right, settle down, settle down! The fate of the world is at stake here, you know…"
With Daneel"s insistence, everyone took their seats, with Aran being the last after mouthing the word "Touche" to Percy, who responded with a flourish and a bow.
Seeing that everyone was gazing at him intently, Daneel first took a deep breath, as he couldn"t believe that it was finally time.
He had been planning on doing this soon after the war, but the Basilisk had interrupted him.
Now was as good a time as any to begin something that he had been looking forward to for a VERY long time, so with a smile, he said, "All right, sovereigns. The stage is set. So, now…it"s time for the unification."
Seeing the excitement that instantly came in everyone"s eyes, Daneel, too, took a deep breath filled with antic.i.p.ation before beginning to talk about his plan, and while doing so, he couldn"t resist speaking in his mind.
"System, just you wait…finally, the time for the upgrade is nigh!"
…
A few hours later, Xuan and Eloise were standing above the crack in the ground in which the G.o.ddess"s Sanctum Sect was located.
All around them, clouds were lazily moving west, confirming the news that a storm would soon lash the land in that direction, but both of the women were absorbed in their own thoughts.
Eloise"s ashen-grey eyes were staring off into the distance, out of focus, as she was still thinking deeply about the plan laid out by the King.
As his plans went, this was actually one of the simpler of the lot, so she didn"t know why he seemed much more excited than she had seen him in recent times.
Meanwhile, Xuan was looking down at the place that she had thought was her Heaven-sent home for the better part of the last two decades.
She remembered each and every second she had spent in the Sect vividly, as she had always treasured them all, and thanked the Heavens for giving her the opportunity to live without being embroiled by hate.
And this…was the reason why she also vividly remembered every moment she had spent with the women she had cared for more than her own life.
The anger that she had managed to control began to rise again, and feeling the temperature going up, Eloise snapped out of her thoughts.
Looking around and seeing the direction in which Xuan"s gaze was pointed, she walked forward hesitantly and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
No answer was heard for a minute, but Eloise waited patiently.
It wasn"t that she didn"t have answer, but rather, Xuan knew that she was not the bratty G.o.ddess anymore who had used to never have to control any of the words spilling out of her mouth.
She looked back now, and realized how much of a spoiled child she had become. And hence…she realized just how much that period of torture had changed her.
This joined together with what had come into being after the revelation regarding her life, and once again, Xuan found herself questioning her ident.i.ty.
Who was she, really?
What did she want to do, in life, except for taking revenge?
Did she just want to be a silent companion of the King while he kept striding forward?
Or was it such that being a seer would be the only reason behind her being valued?
The path of questioning one"s own ident.i.ty was a dangerous one that veered all too close to insanity, and it looked like Xuan had strayed too far into it.
She looked down at her hands with a puzzled expression and almost felt disconnected from her own body, while her mind felt as if it was being crushed by all the questions that she did not have answers to.
"I am Eloise. All my life, I"ve wanted to serve the people who cannot help themselves. Even when I was but a powerless Princess, I tried my best to help the people who were being abused by my father. That wish of mine only started to grow stronger and stronger, and it was only after I gained an opportunity to act on it did I realize that it is what gives me true happiness. I feel as if my entire heart is filled with joy when I see someone better their life through my actions. I gave my heart to Daneel, and it is only with him that I can feel the same amount of happiness and warmth. Both of these things are important to me- I am not just a damsel who has been swept up in his wake. We have been blessed, in one way or another, with the ability to have dreams, and the power to make them come true, Xuan. I know that you, also, love him dearly. But you must also be equally aware of the other things you want to achieve in this life. We need to have our own reasons to live and grow stronger and fight. Mine is to keep growing stronger so that I can help both him and the people as much as possible. What are yours?"
Eloise"s words acted like a rope that had been thrown to her while she was drowning in the sea of doubt that she had suddenly become submerged in.
Who was she? What did she want? Apart from being with the one who had saved her, what other purpose did she have that would push her to become better than she was, right now?
The questions returned, but this time, Xuan was able to think and try to find an answer.
She decided to detach herself from all emotions, and after doing so, she went through her entire life once again.
Childhood- vilified and mentally abused.
Teenage years- "saved", and spoiled, while being told that the world was hers.
Youth- spent gallivanting the continent while training without having a care for the world, until finding someone whose story had captivated her.
Finally, now- tortured for what felt like years and forced to change into someone she couldn"t even recognize, while also being exposed to the truth regarding her life.
Now that she looked at it all at once, Xuan realized that she had been powerlessly pushed along, all her life, by someone or the other.
Power.
Control.
Strenght.
Yes!
The strength to control her own life, and the power to never have to be placed in a position like the one she had just managed to escape, with the help of the man who meant the most to her in the world.
Slowly, purpose began to fill up Xuan in the form of raging flames which drove away and evaporated the sea of uncertainty that had almost consumed her.
Her eyes became clear, and her hands rose as she directly absorbed the Energy around her, and broke through once again to reach the level of an Eminent Champion.
It had been taken away from her, but she had taken it back.
Even Daneel snapped up his head in the direction where Xuan stood, and as she answered Eloise"s question, even the G.o.dking heard her voice filled with the power that came from finding oneself.
"This World has blessed me with both the ability of a seer, and the top-grade talent of a seed. So far, I have allowed myself to be steered by others with no clear purpose or direction, while taking their own dreams as my own. Now, finally, I know what I want to do. The peak of power is my goal, and nothing shall even detract me from the ambition to reach a level where I stand above all, and below none. Never again shall I be helpless in the face of those who wish me harm. Never again shall I give a chance to anyone to force me into submission. My life belongs to this goal, and to the one who saved me and gave me the chance to even find it. All my power will always be at his behest, and I shall never, ever be a burden at his side. Until I have found the peak which many only dream of, I shall never rest. I…am G.o.ddess Xuan."