It all happened quickly. He felt the fall, the shifts and the magic swell that told him something big was coming. He was on high alert and on the move even before he heard Angela's scream echo through the realm and his head. Almost immediately the swell broke and the realm began collapsing around him. Immediately, Iris was at his side, and their joint magics began to stabilize the immediate area.
"What going on?" Iris asked breathlessly.
"No time to talk. Immediately evacuate every one in the vicinity. Take them to Tar Eisalae. Gate or door, whatever is fastest. I'll do my best to hold off the collapse until everyone is out. Get Nathaniel and the others to help. The temple and everyone in it, that is the epicenter, that is your focus. I'll take the outer fields. Once you get everyone out of the temple and gardens, separate Tar Eisalae from the Gardens, otherwise the collapse may have profound effects on the realm. Now go!"
Iris hurried off to do what she was told, while Drae took pause and touched his throat.
"ATTENTION ALL," he said, his voice magnifying across the realm, though he remained calm. "THE SUNDERING GARDENS ARE NO LONGER SAFE! IF YOU ARE WITHIN THE TEMPLE OR GARDENS PLEASE WITH ALL HASTE GO TO TAR EISALAE THROUGH THE VARIOUS MEETING POINTS ON THE GROUNDS. IF YOU ARE IN THE FIELDS, GATES ARE BEING PROVIDED TO ESCAPE BACK TO ADELUNA. THERE IS NO TIME TO LOSE. DROP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND LEAVE NOW."
Bright blue gates opened up across the realm to provide exit for all those in the outer fields, and they feeling the disruption flocked as he had directed towards them. Iris was busy directing the clergy and the individuals in the temple to the nearest point where the Sundering Gardens and Tar Eisalae met. Meanwhile she ran into Nathaniel as she was rushing to the throne room where the clergy had been entertaining the twins.
"You heard then?" she said as she scooped up one of the twins and handed the other to Nathaniel. "Right. I'm going to need your help. We have to sever the realms. We'll do it from Tar Eisalae." It was hard to hurry, with the ground trembling and heaving like the waters of the sea themselves. It took them a while to actually reach the nursery, the closest place with a link to Tar Eisalae. Crossing the threshold was a relief, and Iris quickly cut the connection from that doorway. "Quick, to the other meeting points!"
Drae held the gates open as long as he could until he could feel no longer the touches of mortals in the realm. Satisfied that no one was left, he let his grip slip and the collapse immediately fell full force around him. All who was left was Angela, and he had a feeling she had to stay. He blinked back to Tar Eisalae where he collapse upon a sofa. Angela's realm, he felt collapse completely and he heaved a heavy sigh. Iris ran up to him with Poppy on her hip. "Lord Drae. We separated the realms," she said. Poppy immediately shrieked and reached for her father, who took her tiredly. "Very good, Iris," he said as he cuddled Poppy. "Now we wait…" he sighed.
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Unlike the other deities who had taken up new mantles, Angela's did not come quickly. Xunatar had slipped on the mantle of Darkness in a morning, and as far as he could tell, Dalanesca's uptaking of desire sure did not seem to have been a major change. But Angela had been the Earth for more than a millennia. It was definitely not something that she was going to be able to let go easily.
He was playing with Poppy and Lark when he noticed something odd. Attached to his ring finger, on top of his wedding band, was a gold and red intricately tied knot, and it seemed to be throbbing. He motioned for one of Angela's clergy members to come over and take care of the infants, he had been putting them up in Tar Eisalae, and stood up and followed the pulsing sensation to the mirror he had hung in his chamber to connect him to Angela's. It was the one door that had remained intact through everything. The pulse became a tugging and Drae stepped through the mirror. Instead of appearing in the familiar temple, he had the privilege of seeing something he had not seen in some time. The familial feeling that was there as the Soul Stream rushed around him in a swirl of soul lights reassured him that despite the long week of uncertainty, everything was going to be well. He could feel Angela here as the souls rushed past him as he was guided by the string tied about his finger.
There was a rush of fresh air, and mixed with a crash of waves and foam, it was clear the air lacked something that might have come with a traditional ocean. His boots crunched on the sea glass beach and he paused to take in the very new surroundings. He scooped up a handful of the glass and rolled the waved buffered pebbles through his fingers. He watched as the starry night ocean tossed a twilight foam up on the beach and watched with amusement as several different small animals ran out of the surf. He even plucked a palm sized egg from the water.
"Positively amazing," he whispered as he stood and slipped the egg into his pocket before he dropped the handful of sea glass and continued to follow the tugging on his finger. Up the beach a ways he noticed a figure lying upon the sea glass beach. The long cascade of flaming hair left no question in his mind. It was Angela.
He didn't run. He fought the urge to. There was no cause for alarm, really. But still, the desire was there. Upon reaching her, he fell beside her on the beach and gently picked her up, and cradled her into his arms. She looked pale, but appeared to be sleeping if anything. She would wake up once the energy returned to her.
"Really, Love. Why must you be so dramatic?" he asked her softly, almost chiding her, but with a smile on his face.