I quickly summon the mirror in panic.
"Cassie! What the hell is going on?! Why is everyone in the third nightmare?!"
Cassie jumps and turns her head to the mirror
"you didn't know?"
I feel my eye twitch.
"No. Of course I didn't"
i run my hand over my face
"with everything coming up, almost 100 people under my care went into the 3rd nightmare. I've got no doubt only 10 have a chance at coming back"
she nods
"i am aware. Although seer did prepare, so maybe more"
I sit down and I lean back
"most of them are awakened, not ascended, too"
Cassie nods
"Hey Cassie, please make sure this doesn't ruin my reputation"
she waves her hand
"ive already prepared for that no need"
I nod slowly
"okay thanks Cassie. I have no clue how I'd manage my reputation without you"
she turns her head like she's looking around
"listen. You are very very easy to manage. Hate to say it, but compared to neph, you're the easiest person to deal with almost ever."
I snicker
"am I tha.... actually I see what you mean."
Neph may be good at the whole public appearance thing but by god does she have some truly devious slip of the tongue moments. Must be hard to manage
"my sim... sima.... condolences"
"how do you know how to say condolences and not sympathies?"
Later I take a deep breath. And I finally make my grand appearance at the Chained Isles. As the dream gate opens everyone on the other side goes silent. I had used storms last hope to get here from my territory. Maybe I should recruit bloodwave. He's my favorite house of night saint and second favorite non cohort saint. Although my top non cohort saint is undoubtedly
"saint Tyris of white feather. I hope you have been in good health"
oh goodness she's so cool! Without a divine aspect she took on a corrupted titan for so long! She's truly the best to ever do it!
"Sovereign heat seeker. I have been. You wish to discuss about the area i control?"
I nod
"i would. Although do not take my words as making or forcing you to act. For your role in the Antarctica campaign and the domain war I have the highest respect for you"
Goodness she's so calm and stoic all the time!
"I understand that. I can't say your role in those was not important either. Come let's discuss this matter"
she's too cool!
Later when the meeting is over. I sit on the ship, next to the steering oar with noctis controlling the ship. I have another very important meeting. With the coming conflict I intend to prepare well so this meeting is very needed. After some time I finally get off. I step onto the rough ground. A basic road. Wonder when he had that made. I step into the white mist. I am heat seeker. A sovereign. A divine aspect holder. I am heat seeker. I keep walking forward step by step. I hate the hollow mountains.
"Oh heat seeker! I thought you would never visit"
i look up at mordret. His... real body? Hm weird
"if you want to know, I'm simply sure you wouldn't attack me"
I nod
"makes sense. Let's go already. I don't quite like this place."
He nods offering his hand. I take it and with the sound of breaking glass we appear in his castle.
"Hm. You seem to have furnished this place."
He nods still holding my hand.
"Yes. Although as seishan said, nobody has danced in this place for some time"
oh thats what he wants. I pull my hand out of his grip.
"Yeah."
What a horrid joke.
"Oh. Well, didnt you bring a gift? It's only polite to do so when you come to someone's home after all"
he lean his head slightly towards the side. I take out a wrapped up box that I hand to him. He blinks a few times then he smiles
"oh you did. Oh how am I so surprised, you really are something else"
he unwraps it. Its just a dagger with some minor enchantments made by noctis and some food.
"I propose a kind of alliance. We both know what's coming."
He glances up from the box
"really, and what exactly are the terms and the like?"
"You play the villain, and i the hero. From what I was made aware of the last one can only makes emotions already there worse. So we will need a scapegoat and a hero"
he tilts his head his smile forced, for some reason.
"I suppose so. But why not changing star?"
I sigh heavily
"because my domain offers protection against mind attacks and theres a lot less dirt on me. With the gamble nephis did against the sovereigns, it could plant doubt in her, but everyone knows of my stance on what the sovereigns"
he looks away for a bit. His face twists, slight fear and a lot of distaste
"Why.... did you bring back unrelenting storm?"
His voice lacks that slight dramatic twinge
"I didn't quite mean to, but I had to use what I could get."
He sighs gaining back that mask he always has.
"Well i do get that, i really do not see why it has to be one of the plagues."
I shrug
"their not corrupted anymore. And I don't normally send them to deal with people"