Professor Hargrave
James was quite surprised to see Lady Eigengrau arrive in his study, but was even more surprised when she wordlessly grabbed him and took him to the main gates of Port Nautitus, only to see it covered in a massive grey bubble.
"Professor Hargrave, how good to meet you in person." Vordea spoke first, as tradition demanded. "We'll skip the pleasantries for now, we have a major problem."
"Why don't you fill me in?" James asked.
As Eigengrau spoke, James listened intently. This problem was clearly far beyond him, but the Gods had quite literally brought him here for a reason, so he listened. He noticed Vordea was quite twitchy, to say nothing of Eigengrau who kept using contractions, to say nothing of her noticeable eye twitches. The solution was starting to dawn on him, though.
After Eigengrau finished speaking, James was quiet for nearly a minute before he spoke.
"Lady Eigengrau, I have a question that may seem unrelated, but it's one I never found the answer to in all my years." He said, speaking slowly and evenly.
"Yes James, what is it?" Eigengrau asked. It was hardly the time to be indulging him, but she could tell the path was building up to a divergence point quite rapidly.
"Where did Saint Liddell the Abandoned come from? There are no records of her before the first rot plagues she unleashed."
It was at that moment Eigengrau finally understood, and found the answer to a question that had eluded her despite her relationship with time for thousands of years.
"I am afraid your suspicion is correct, James. The divergence point has just been set by that question. Major Waters is Saint Liddell." Eigengrau stated, a pained look on her face.
"Hold on, Saint Liddell was well over a thousand years ago, and you have her soul in your possession as we speak." Vordea interjected.
"Yes and?" Eigengrau responded, looking expectantly at Vordea.
"Ugh nevermind."
"Thank you, James." Eigengrau said sadly. "I wish I did not have to do this to Amaranth, but we do not always get to choose our fates."
"You saved me once upon a time, why can't you save her?" James mused.
"Yes, why indeed?" Vordea asked.
"It's not that simple!" Eigengrau shouted, blood red tears welling up in her eyes. "How do I pick who gets to live? A million mortals died today in Nautitus, why should Amaranth get to live? I can't save all of you, no matter how much I wish I could!"
Eigengrau collapsed to the ground and breathed deeply for some time before looking up again. "There is a reason I cannot release my custody of Saint Liddell's soul to Hell. Observe."
Eigengrau slowly stood up and pulled from her robes a soul that was nearly pure black. Malice and rage seemed to be radiating from it. Eigengrau nodded, and put it away again.
"Souls aren't supposed to be that colour, Eigen." Agbus said, narrowing his eyes. "They should be blue."
"Liddell holds in her heart an unquenchable rage for the entire universe, Agbus." Eigengrau said. "If I give her to Hell, she'll escape. Again. I don't want to do this to Amaranth, but there's a lot of things I've done that I didn't want to do."
Vordea took note of Eigengrau's steadily increasing emotions and use of contractions, and cut in.
"You're not acting your usual self. What's going on?"
"Because I'm still dealing with the aftereffects of Amaranth's plague, you idiot." Eigengrau said icily. "While I was walking the timelines I was exposed to heavy doses of it. As I said, I'm immune to it, but it still effects me. Remember the path not walked? That's what it does to me."
Vordea gasped slightly. The description she got from Eigengrau of her personality in that failed future was one she never wanted to see in person.
"Vordea understands." Eigengrau said with a mocking laugh.
"Perhaps there is something we could yet do for her." James said with a sly grin. "Eigengrau, may I speak to Saint Liddell? Alone."
"Intriguing, a second divergence point so quickly. What'll you talk to the wicked witch about?" Eigengrau asked, her shark grin visible. "I've not dared talk to her yet, such is her hatred for me."
"Just trust me, Eigen." James said. "Lady Vordea, could you send me and Saint Liddell into a pocket dimension for awhile?"