Episode Three, Part 3:
You're Still a Traitor

Sol was cautious as she made her way through the forest, double checking her surroundings at every noise she heard in case it was a stray Terra Firma on the loose, despite knowing most, if not all of them, had now been killed. 

As she headed in the direction of Exile Allegiance's camp, she ran over in her head what her plan was; what she was going to say to Tobias, and how the hell she was supposed to get all of Basilisk off of the island when all of their vessel ships had been damaged in the war.

What if Tobias couldn't offer any help? If his answer would bring Sol no closer to a solution? How would she face everyone, her family, if she couldn't bring them home?

"Who is there?"

Sol stopped in her tracks at the sudden noise, breaking herself out of her thoughts and waiting to hear the person speak again, trying to determine if she recognised their voice.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Tobias. Sol wasn't sure if she was relieved or not, but she stepped forward nonetheless, making herself known.

"It's me, Riverly," she said, questioning why her instincts told her to arm herself. She didn't have time to figure out an answer, but she followed her gut regardless, keeping her blade held discreetly in her hand.

"Nobel Sovereign Riverly..." Tobias breathed out, sounding slightly nervous. Sol looked around and tried to understand what he had been doing before she arrived, but there was nothing and no one else around to offer her any clues.

"...What are you doing out here, Tobias?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Sovereign."

Sol frowned, feeling uneasy at his lack of an explanation. "What are you doing?" She asked again, unable to move on until she knew she was safe, or had some kind of idea as to what he was doing alone in the forest.

"Truth be told, I am looking for Ivy."

Immediately, she felt her stomach turn in nausea and, in not wanting to say the wrong thing, carefully debated what her response should be.

"...What do you mean you're looking for her?"

Tobias laughed and dropped his head, knowing what Sol was tiptoeing around.

"I know she is dead," he assured her. "Believe me, I know that; the minute I close my eyes, all I can see is Ivy bleeding out on the ground and when I reach her, she is cold and pale and already gone. She is dead, and I know that, Sovereign. Do not worry."

Sol didn't feel any better at his reply. If anything, it only made her more weary around him. "So why are you looking for her?"

"I need to bury her."

"Oh," she was uncomfortable now, not knowing how the hell she was going to find the right moment to ask him for a favour when he was preoccupied with locating Ivy's body.

"Somewhere nice," Tobias continued. "What about here? Do you think she would like it here?"

"Uh, I guess," she shrugged. "But I think it would be a little nauseating for you to carry her...body all the way here. Why don't you bury her where she is-"

"Because she is too near to Terra Firma Tribe!" Tobias exploded a little, quickly reigning in his emotions and breathing out an apology to Sol. "I did not mean to yell," he said, "but it is important that she rests near to me, and certainly as far away from Calvin as possible. Do you know where he was killed?"

"Somewhere near the shelter," Sol shook her head, trying to recall what little she knew about his death.

"Do you think Sovereign Kodiak could lead me to him? I know he was there when Calvin was killed. I have half the idea to burn-"

"I'm not asking Kodiak to do anything for you," Sol cut him off, growing defensive over her friend, now. "And I think we've made it pretty clear that you have to stay away from his family."

"You are his family, aren't you?" Tobias asked. "And yet, you are still here - talking to me, willingly."

"Yeah, well, I don't exactly have much of a choice. I am the Noble, after all."

"Much of a choice..." Tobias mutter her words back to himself, seeming to realise that she had stumbled upon him with intent. "Is there something you needed me for, Sovereign?"

"Yeah, actually, there is," Sol sighed, holding onto her frustration for a little while longer, sensing that it might serve her well. "I heard you were looking for redemption."

Tobias hummed out an amused sound. "I know you are not telling me that you believe I deserve redemption; Sovereign Wynn made that quite clear. I do not blame him. It is why I have decided to-" He cut himself short suddenly, his eyes widening ever-so-slightly in panic as if he was worried that he had given too much away.

"You've decided to what?"

"Never mind. Nothing for you to worry about-"

"Tobias," Sol pushed, making them both aware of her lack of trust for him.

He exhaled deeply, trying to figure out a way to alleviate her fears without telling her what he was planning. "I have decided to step down from my position as leader. Sovereign, if you will," he attempted a joke.

"I don't understand... Why? Why now?"

"It is hard to explain," he said, "but my people will need a strong leader in the long-run. I have a Second who will be a tremendous replacement for me: Reegan Tyler. However, I have not broken the news to her yet, so do not beat me to it," he laughed.

"Can you at least hold off the transition until my people have figured out a way home? It was hard enough trying to negotiate all the sides of this alliance in the first place; the last thing I need is for someone new to take your place and abandon the alliance altogether."

"I doubt that will happen. Reegan is rational and level-headed - much like you in that respect, Sovereign. Unless your people turned on us, she will not break an alliance that is protecting our people. Only if you did something unforgivable-"

"Like kidnapping an eight-year-old girl? Trying to take her away from her family?"

"...Is this your way of telling me the alliance is off?" 

"No. This is my way of telling you that I need a favour; something you can do to make it up to my people; to Kodiak and Elara; to Izzy." 

"Anything," Tobias nodded, hurrying the words out.

"Good," Sol took in a deep breath, relieved at his cooperation. "Then I need you to help me get Basilisk home. I need you to tell me how you got your people on this damned island." 

Three // Part Three
I heard you were looking for redemption.

I know I've been terrible with updates, but in good news, I have most of this book planned out! There's just episodes Six and Seven which I still haven't gotten around to figuring out, but at least I have the epilogue planned out (I've had that planned out since like, S1, lol)!!!

I've been doing so many interviews and job trials and getting jobs offers, and it's been a bit hectic trying to figure out which job is the right one for me (especially after just coming out of such a terrible work experience as an au pair). I have a trial tonight which will hopefully go well, and then it's one less thing for me to be trying to figure out.

In good news, I've been vegan for about a month! I'll admit, that I broke the diet for a couple of days when I first arrived home and was travelling internationally, but other than that, ya girl has done good! I'm really enjoying it and surprisingly, I'm not finding it that difficult to find vegan foods or options for me! I was watching a couple of documentaries on Netflix and did you know that it takes 2,500 gallons of water to get ONE POUND of beef? Or that one hamburger is the equivalent of having a 2 month shower? And that the gases produced by cattle farming + slaughter are more than all of the vehicles in the world combined? 

Please cut out beef/dairy from your diets and seafood to make an efficient impact on the world. Even if you just work on cutting it out slowly, it's still a good step.

Anyway, enough rambling for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Click here to see a little video edit I made for this season!

16/07/21.