Of Wine and Elder Branches

Part Nine: A New Life in Sahara'Eden

A sandstorm was approaching.

Hundreds of miles from each other, three kingdoms glared at each other from opposing sides, waiting for the call to charge. The prize for the victor, lying on the sand and guarded by a mirage, Sahara'Eden, was certainly watching from its gates.

Sahara'Eden could not be seen in the dunes, as only those worthy to cast away their present lives were permitted to pass the gates and enter the desert paradise. There stood two clay watchtowers, serving as gatekeepers for outsiders. One could enter Sahara'Eden, but one could never exit Sahara'Eden.

Yet, there were three kingdoms, Qreton, Zauthean, and Afirani, all determined to have Sahara'Eden for themselves and unwilling to share it with any other nation. Kingdoms such as Scydelle, Aelfdene, Abyssos, and HavenHell were not interested in Sahara'Eden.

Even so, the Aristocracy of Qreton and the Pirate King both were craving the idea of a refined oasis. They could hoard all their wealth and never have to fear battle with other nations. They could keep their citizens content while keeping the power. Afirani wanted Sahara'Eden because of their roots, as they believed it was their land and theirs alone. With no kingdom able to negotiate, war was but to follow.

And Delilah's task was to stop it.

She and Falael Faelanduil were given orders by the Angel Dianne, straight from the King of Haven himself, that they must find a way to stop the dunes from being stained with blood, or else more unfortunate souls would enter the Aerial Realm. Haven and Hell were already dealing with a war themselves, as the Queen of Aelfdene was plotting world domination and needed the strength of the Angels and Demons. That was what Falael explained to her anyway.

Delilah did not know why they were chosen. Perhaps it was a coincidence, or maybe Haven had seen their sins and believed they deserved to fix what they started.

Delilah was involved with all three kingdoms in some way, and she felt guilty. She had killed several Zauthean pirates and stole one of the Pirate King's ships to carry Pathfinder. She coerced the Afiranian Princess to create her an item of great value only by playing nice with her. Lastly, she killed many Qreton people during a mass protest while destroying much of the city grounds.

She wanted to blame the wine-God, Bacchus, for her cruel deeds. She wanted to use Frenzy as an excuse for bringing out another self that she never thought she had inside. Alas, Delilah knew deep down that those dark thoughts and her actions deserved judgment. As Dianne had explained to her, the Aerial Realm would decide her fate, whether her sins would be forgiven or punished.

She stood atop a watchtower, gazing below at the armies. Zauthean had its war elephants and pirate soldiers, with war horns booming and elephant hooves thumping. Qreton had its mages and elemental golems, where Delilah had seen their capability firsthand. Afirani, despite their lack of power, made true in numbers. Their army and magic variety were immeasurable, with armored hippos as well.

Delilah was given her weapons, Frenzy, and Pitchfork, to stop the war. After that, she would return the trident back to Abyssos and the dagger would vanish away. She knew the only way to grab the armies' attention was with the trident.

"I'll send a flare as a warning," Falael shouted from the opposing watchtower, with a flaming arrow by his bowstring. "As a warning for impending danger."

"What happens if they ignore it?" Delilah responded.

"Then there's no hope of stopping them," he said with a frown. "Haven should have given us a simpler task. If only our Queen wasn't insane, they'd be stopping this war themselves."