"Where are you". Alia's bones were white within here and her head was heavy with worry. Candy had been taken captive by Lord Roland, Somehow, he had passed secretly through some underground cavern and was holding Delorel under siege. Cutting them off from their strongest ally. Rwen too was in Fander, a small town on the outskirts of Delorel, hunted by the beast, Gauberii. The waking willows were taking advantage of the confusion and had crept down into the farming fields, setting the battle ground. She could stall no more and still the hero Queen was nowhere in sight.
The sound of swords being sharpened and bits being checked, rose from the court yard below. She could not even run anymore, there was only one option but she feared to even think much of it. Lord Oldin would be in charge of the troops. Her only job was to lead with the scepter. The scepter that would lead them to victory. The scepter that would expose the truth.
But she had to try. Wielding around, she dashed to the treasury that held the scepter.
And with a deep breath plucked it from the stand.
Nothing happened. What had she expected to happen? A burst of light, a radiant beam, the voices of a holy herald? Yet it only seemed like the faint glow dulled.
Sighing she lowered it.
Then darkness.
Then light.
A myriad of blues and yellows and reds and oranges. She was standing, ankle deep in a crystal clear water that reflected the colors. And in the center of it all was a tree, its bark black and its leaves, It were the leaves that wore the colors. And seated on the bark was a girl, it seemed, she was much like the weeping willow Alia had seen before in the waking nightmare. Only she was a jet black with glowing golden eyes and her hair which burned fiercely, the colors of the leaves above. She was staring at Alia with a frown. Alia had not yet recovered and was trying to make sense of it all when she suddenly sprang up.
"You are not the Queen!" Alia took a step back as she approached, following her with her eyes.
"But you look like her, only a bit more... small" she poked her with a finger thinking to herself as Alia flinched away. "What makes you think you are worthy?" Her voice was prickly and she tilted her head to scoff.
"I..." Alia began and found she did not sound like a Queen at all! Taking a deep breath she straightened her back. "I need your help. The Queen is gone and the waking willows are about to overrun the people of Gauberhodgy and my sisters are in danger. I won't let anything happen to them! I..."
"Well what are we waiting for".
Alia was cut off and could only stare at the humanoid in disbelief. It was that easy?
"What?! There's no nobler a cause than standing up for people you don't even know. You are Queen Jensari, well for now."
Alia blinked and found she was still in the treasury, the water was no longer there and the scepter was glowing, promisingly. It was time.