Worlds Apart

Numb

While taking a moment to process this reality, Eerika storms up to the newly discovered couple. To put it bluntly, if I thought I was pissed, Eerika is on a whole other level.

"You dare return to my presence, traitor." She seethes, stepping up into her space.

Eadric's lips part, alarm lacing his features. "Eerika, what are you-?"

"What is she doing here, Eadric? Why is she alive?"

"We found her before the wave hit." He explains, his eyes darting between the two anxiously. "She's been with us since you banished her-"

"Yet you have no knowledge of why she was banished." Eerika declares, turning back to Iolana. "You didn't tell them, did you, coward?"

In response to Eerika's prodding, Iolana swallows thickly before claiming, "There is no purpose, Eerika, us living in the past. You saved my people, I saved your brother. Let us consider our matters settled for the sake of our people-"

"They are not your people!" Eerika shouts, drawing one of her swords from over her back. She sets the blade along Iolana's neck before stating, "Your people watched as I banished you all those years ago, and my judgement still stands."

"Eerika, please," Eadric intervenes, setting a cautious hand over his sister's shoulder, "I know you two have history, but Iolana is on our side. She proved herself dozens of times on the ring-"

"This isn't the ring."

"Yet whatever happened between you two was four years ago. You can't just cast her out-"

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Eadric. You have no knowledge of the trecheory this traitor has committed."

"Trecheory?" Eadric asks, his brows furrowed as he looks over to Iolana. "What trecheory?"

With both siblings now looking to her expectantly, Iolana glances between the two but refuses to say anything on the matter as Eerika scoffs under her nerve.

"Fine." She decides, finally sheathing her blade. "Stay quiet for now. But you best realize that I only do so for the sake of letting the truth slowly wither you away until you become nothing but an empty confession, and once you decide you're ready to own up to your sins, I will be there, ready to kill you at your worst in that very moment. Until then, stay the hell out of my sight."

With that, Eerika calls her people to resume withdrawing back into Superior for cover.

Maaike looks to me somewhat sadly as Eadric moves to set a hand over Iolana's back, drawing her weary gaze to his own softened in an attempt at comforting her.

In a seemingly last minute decision, Eerika stops as soon as she is by my side, sparing a knowing glance Eadric's way before turning to me. "Aurora," she states, drawing her brother's gaze to us, "your knowledge of the oasis could help us form our plan of attack. How about you and your little friend come with me to help us plot out our next move?"

I am no fool. I know exactly what Eerika is trying to do to her brother, and I resent being used as a tool in their little competition that continues to waste valuable time we need to spend preparing to fight a war the woman across from me has dragged us into. But at the end of the day, it would benefit us to have a man on the inside of Eerika's operations here, and while I am admittedly out of practice, I am willing to succumb to Eerika's request if that person must be me. So, with a curt nod, I agree.

Eerika smiles towards me, an unnervingly sly smirk before beckoning me to walk to her side.

I can feel Eadric's eyes on us the entire time we walk away.