Chapter 176: Upper Hand
"Lucien! What?!"
Alaric exclaimed in utter surprise, the words pierced through his ears like an arrow.
"Why would Lucien every want to connive with the Demon King? I-I mean it goes against his own biology. He’s an Angel in cahoots with a Demon..." the old man spat on the floor disdainfully and gritted his teeth. The saliva could no longer be seen the second it escaped his lips. "How fucking despicable."
Alaric was so infuriated, he had abandoned his morals and cursed in front of his grandson. These words had brought him nothing but shame and bewilderment.
"Yes grandfather... I do believe we have the upper hand here." Jacob brushed a nonexistent speck of dust off his pristine robe, watching as Alaric’s ears perked up at the sound of an upper hand.
Had the boy already figured a way around this situation? The old man questioned.
"They do not know that we know this, if we can overwhelm them, and stop them from pouring that corrupted sap into the root of the tree. Then we can stop the carnage."
Alaric remained silent even after Jacob spoke, confining Lucien just before the attack was a surefire way to secure victory—or a semblance of it.
They would surely have leverage, and that was all they needed. If Morbius was outnumbered, then they could definitely stop him from committing this atrocity.
"You have a good head on your shoulders my boy." Alaric patted Jacob’s shoulder and heaved a weary sigh. The fatigue was clear in his face, as well as his eyes. Signs of countless sleepless night spent worrying.
At times, the old man felt as though he was the only one who worried about this situation. The rest of the elders were very hard to read through their expressions alone and required close monitoring of their actions to understand their motives sometimes.
Alaric was not one to stalk, or spy on people as he had enough resources to pay for that. But in the past few days, the need for his attention to detail had grown increasingly, as certain members of the covenant had begun to act in strange ways.
It came as a surprise to learn that Banqui was not the traitor, as the Dragonborn was his initial suspect. There was no one that was off the table. The man was well familiar with the term "Everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise."
Lucien however, was the last person he would expect to be the culprit, why? Because he was an Angel, and the Angels, and the gods, all abhorred the filthy demons. They were the reason the demons were banished to Helmand in the first place.
To turn around and go against his principles now, of all times. It was concerning.
"Do you understand grandpa?" Jacob asked, inching closer to the man who seemed very lost in thought.
"Y-Yes! I understand my boy." Alaric said hurriedly, abruptly breaking his thought process.
"You need to inform the other members of the covenant about Lucien’s plan, and plot to subdue him. But do not make it too obvious that he can wriggle away. My suggestion would be to do it at the last minute. So he has no chance." Jacob repeated himself for a second time to be clear.
"You’ve grown so much, my boy. I’m proud of ya."
These words created a warm and fuzzy feeling in Jacob’s chest, one he hadn’t felt for a while, he was happy for a moment, but happiness did not last forever. They had to return to the matter at hand.
"I am currently on my way to the World Tree, I will be there in a few days. The Elder covenant will need all the help it can get." Jacob said reassuringly.
"Your grandmother can’t wait to see you boy..." Alaric stood up from his chair, at the same time, the chair dematerialized, turning into a puff of smoke. "I guess I have my work cut out for me, it was great seeing you. And thank you for the information you have given me. I will not let you down son." Alaric held the young man—who was now standing on his feet—by the shoulder and reassured him.
Jacob nodded in response as he hugged his grandfather and bade him goodbye.
He watched as the man walked away, fading away into the darkness. Jacob was left alone again in the endless void.
The reason Jacob was able to astral project into Alaric’s subconsciousness was simple. The two of them shared a special connection that transcended mere looks.
Jacob had almost been a reincarnation of Alaric, if not for the Regulator’s intervention. Every trait Alaric possessed, Jacob possessed, looks, height, personality. Their souls were alike.
It would be harder to project into the consciousness of someone else.
As soon as he was sure that his grandfather’s spirit had drifted back into his body. Jacob took his own leave.
***
He awoke in the middle of the night. The twin moons staring down at him with luminescence that made egos surroundings a bright grey color. The trees rustled in the wind.
The fire he had made was already dim. The logs had almost completely burned out, all that remained was the coal residue. Jacob sat up to meet the sight of Xenia and Leon, peacefully lying in slumber. The sound of their breathing, coupled with the sound of the wind that blew effortlessly between the trees filled his ears.
If they maintained the same speed as they had yesterday., they would arrive at the World Tree in approximately four to five days.
It was cold, and they were sleeping on the bare ground. Nothing but a couple of Royal cloths to cover themselves with. Jacob had planned to go to sleep normally now, so he lay back and placed his palms behind his head.
He watched the stars for a while, his kind drifting to the fact that at one point, he used to be one of them. A single consciousness drifting in empty space. The beauty of the night sky was soothing.
Jacob suddenly looked to his left, he saw a bright light in the distance.
It was not bright enough that it was overwhelming, just enough for him to notice.
Just then, a system notification flashed across his face.