The Chronicles of Delilah Faylinn: Volume 2

Expecting the Unexpected

    The fight between the Kinship, Finnessia and Commander Ren had ended terribly. The Kinship died in the fight and could no longer be held responsible for their crimes and Commander Ren had given his last breath as he had promised protecting Finnessia. The bodies of the Kinship were burned and their essences were cultivated for medicinal use. Commander Ren received the highest honors any official could receive and was buried in the vault of fallen heroes. 

     Finnessia was fatally wounded and right now it did not appear that she would recover. The poison was spreading through her body and the healers could not identify what it was or how to stop it. She was still however crowned queen and was able to give royal decrees in her chambers as she struggled to survive it all with Delilah right by her side. Her first edict was to activate the sentinels that would create a force field around the planet in preparation for Ariadne's arrival. Her flagship effort to warn the other planets now fell to Commander Ember and his regiment as they dispersed across the stars out of Queen Ariadne's way as Delilah continued to track her with Finnessia's help.

(Finnessia) I am glad I have you here to help me Delilah. I would not be able to do this on my own. Thank you for staying by my side. 

(Delilah) There is no where else I would rather be right now, you are my friend. Maybe my only "true" friend. 

(Finnessia) Do not sound so sullen. Everything will be alright. 

(Delilah) How do you know? The poison is spreading to your heart. Once it gets there...

(Finnessia) Do not finish that sentence. We are fighters, you and I. We must carry on.

    Finnessia's second decree was that all residents of the celestial planet were to evacuate to limit as much loss as possible. There was an agreement made with every planet that Finnessia and Delilah helped to give refuge to those fleeing from destroyed worlds from now to the foreseeable future. In return for their aid they would receive access to knowledge and technology far beyond their years. Soon the only ones on the planet were those trained to protect it. 

(Delilah) Commander Ember has reported mass devastation across the unprotected sectors, Finnessia.

(Finnessia) I wish we could have reached them sooner, this is a horrible loss.

(Delilah) They have reported that the planets are now barren, void of life and diseased. 

(Finnessia) She left nothing behind?

(Delilah) Apparently not. You were right about her, right about everything. 

(Finnessia) I am not happy about that believe me.

(Delilah) What are we going to do?

(Finnessia) There is nothing that we can do now, but let her bring the fight to us. I knew we would not be able to save every one of them but the point was to try and save as many as we could. 

(Delilah) If plans were made earlier apart from those stubborn imbeciles!

(Finnessia) No point in dwelling on what we cannot change. We must continue to move forward. 

(Delilah) You are right again, your majesty.

(Finnessia) Please do not call me that, when you say it it is hardly a compliment.

(Delilah) Not intentional, my sarcasm gets the better of me sometimes. 

    Just then the healers came in for her daily regiment of pain management treatments. It was all they could do for Finnessia. Delilah stood aside as the healers removed negative energies and replaced them with positive charges, propped her pillows, cleaned her up and changed her clothes as well as her linens. One could see the sorrow in their eyes and they drudged on day after day as her condition worsened. She was losing color and simply wasting away.  

(Delilah) There has to be something that I can do! What is the point of having all of this power if it cannot do something useful?!

(Finnessia) You are not a healer my friend, you are a fighter.

(Delilah) Is there anything I can do?

(Finnessia) You are already doing it. You are my eyes and ears on the relief effort as well as being a good friend. 

(Delilah) I have to try!

    Out of pure desperation Delilah placed both her palms on Finnessia and tried to force her to heal. She only ended up doing what she had done to Lovell those many months ago only in reverse. Delilah was unintentionally transferring her energy to Finnessia, and therefore draining herself. Finnessia was slowly regaining color but once she saw what was happening to Delilah she pushed her hands off.

(Finnessia) Now stop it! Look at what you are doing to yourself, you are dying!

(Delilah) I do not care, I can manage. Look you are even getting stronger!

(Finnessia) It's a temporary fix my child, take a look... the poison is spreading all over again. 

(Delilah) Let me try again!

(Finnessia) No! I will not have your death on my hands too! You have to live, who else is there to fight Ariadne?

(Delilah) This isn't right and it isn't fair!

(Finnessia) Please do not behave in this manner, it is not very becoming of you. You are stronger than this!

(Delilah) Not for this, I am not. 

(Finnessia) Excuse yourself and get some rest. You need your strength. Report to me in the morning if there are any updates from Commander Ember.

(Delilah) You're sending me away?

(Finnessia) I have some affairs to get in order and I do not need your oversight.

(Delilah) Nice to see your personality remains in tact. 

(Finnessia) Have a goodnight Delilah, see you in the morning. 

    Delilah was escorted out by Finnessia's hand maids as she turned around to see her having to sign official documents and place her seal on royal edicts. Delilah returned to the communication tower where she spent most nights waiting for intel and updates. It was the only time she was by herself to gaze out at the stars and drift to sleep in wonder as to just how much her life has changed over the course of a couple of years. Before all of this, she was this know-it-all, overly protected, bastard child that her father and his family abandoned. She was forced to grow up before she was even eighteen and possessed by a she-demon who's ambition were surpassed only by her own shortcomings which inevitably led to her downfall. She had lost her family, dealt with death more times than she could count and had to give up the love of her life only to become an overnight hero. Who would have thought that all of that would lead her into her destiny? If someone would have told her at seventeen that she was destined to become an all-powerful being she would have laughed in their face. Then again, her mother did "foretell" it to her to some extent?

    In the morning, the first thing Delilah always did was check on Finnessia. Only this time she did not know that the day before would have been her last. As Delilah neared Finnessia's chambers she saw everyone running in and out of the room in a panic and took off at full tilt to find out what was going on. When she entered the room the hand maids were wiping Finnessia down with tears in their eyes and changing her into formal attire. The healers stood on the other side of her bed shaking their heads and crying as well. When everyone realized Delilah was in the room they announce that the queen had died. Of all the death Delilah had seen this one made her break down entirely. She fell on her hands and knees crying out for Finnessia. The healers and hand-maids ran to her aid trying to console her but they were just as distraught. A black flag hung about the halls of the castle that day, just as it did in remembrance of King Kempt's death and every anniversary their after. A formal celebration was held in her honor that lasted the entire day and finally she was laid to rest right by her father on that very night. 

    The castle felt empty now without Finnessia. Delilah sat in her chambers unsure of what to do. Should she leave even though she promised Finnessia she would stay and fight? Where would she go, back to Lovell? It felt like that ship had sailed. Surely he had moved on by now. Delilah had just about fallen asleep missing her friend when there was a loud knocking at her door. Upon opening the door there stood Commander Ember and team of Finnessia' former advisors entered her room.

(Delilah) What is going on, what is the meaning of this?

(Commander Ember) We have been looking all over for you since the ceremony.

(Delilah) I wanted to be alone with my thoughts.

(Commander Ember) That is understandable but there are matters that require your attention right now.

(Delilah) Such as what? What are you even doing here? You are supposed to be heading the relief effort. 

(Commander Ember) I was called back immediately upon Queen Finnessia's passing. All missions have been cancelled until new orders are given. 

(Delilah) By who? I have not heard any royal decrees or plans for seating someone on the throne. 

(Advisors) That is where we come in.

(Delilah) Ok so there is a plan then, I gather?! Is it so important that you needed to barge into my quarters at this time of night to tell me? All right out with it then, who is it?

(Advisors) It's you, Delilah.

(Delilah) What?! That is absurd, this is some kind of sick joke right?

(Advisors) We are afraid not. It was Queen Finnessia's last decree. Poor thing knew the end was coming near.

(Delilah) Commander Ember, please tell me this isn't real.

(Commander Ember) It would appear so, her royal seal is on the declaration. 

(Advisor) For all intents and purposes you are an orphan correct? By the former queen's account you have no familial attachments, no parents, etc...

(Delilah) I'm an adult!

(Advisor) Not by our laws. Adulthood for an immortal is not the same as a mortal. The late queen Finnessia has adopted you as her legal daughter so by decree and by right you have inherited the throne.

(Commander Ember) It is true. This was her plan as soon as she knew she would not recover. It was why she had me lead the relief effort instead of you. She needed you to remain protected in the walls of the palace.

(Delilah) You knew all of this time?!

(Commander Ember) I was commanded not to say a word until her passing. She feared you would overreact and leave, if you knew too soon. 

(Delilah) I could never leave her and I bet she knew that too.

(Advisor) By adopting you, no one can contest your right to the throne. 

(Commander Ember) She was rather attached to you as well. 

(Delilah) I cannot believe this, I am no ruler let alone a queen! I left my own home for the same reason!

(Commander Ember) Things are different now and you have grown a lot since then. Queen Finnessia would not have done this if she did not think you could handle it. We must trust that she knew what she was doing. 

(Delilah) I do not know the first thing about royalty, decrees or declarations.

(Advisors) That is why we have been installed. We are here to guide you.

(Delilah) I cannot accept this, this is too much!

(Commander Ember) You have no choice, we need a leader now and you are it!

(Delilah) Surely we can find someone else!

(Commander Ember) There is no time... the "Ancient One" has been sighted and she is headed this way...