I want to find out how tense this scene is. Context: Eric is cornered; he can't run anymore. He has to face Mianite in his Castle and tell Him that Eric's nation (Aerials) wants independence. This is the first half of the conversation between Eric and Mianite; at the end, the chapter cuts off as a cliffhanger.
I was in His kingdom. On His grounds. There was no more running.
I didn’t have a swamp to go back to. I had this one last shot for Aerials independence.
The door opened.
“Who’s there?” Spoke the God.
I walked forward. “Mianite.”
“Well, if it isn’t one of my kings, Eric!” Mianite fixed Himself on His daunting throne. It was only going to be us two in this meeting.
“Good to see you, Lord Mianite.”
“So my advisor was correct.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I was told you were on your way over—I couldn’t put my finger on why. Mind explaining yourself?”
“I would love to, actually… Lord Mianite, in one way or another, I’ve served under You for as long as I can remember. I thank you for the union you granted Alisia and me to have.”
“Thank you, Eric.”
“But like the last time I was here, I was banished. Wasn’t I? Your guards chased me through that hallway.” I looked around and saw the glass windows. In this room of a thousand rays of light, all I could remember was the sun turning its back on me. “And I fled out of this room with nothing. And I made a new kingdom. A kingdom modeled after yours, in ways opposite of what you stand for.”
“Excuse me?” He squinted.
“All of Jaihara knows what’s going to happen this year. 1914—I read it straight from Fernando’s War Plans that were casually left in his house. What I found in there, Lord Mianite, were treasonous plans of Fernando wanting to dethrone me. The illegality of it is appalling. By popular election, the people of Aerials chose me. His attempt to dethrone me violates my nation’s independence, and therefore, I demand that You relinquish Aerials and Draudor from Your Empire.”
Mianite nodded. There was a pause, and quite a long one in fact. Out of all my time being under Mianite, I had never seen Him so concentrated. He had a large frown on, He knew what was right. He knew there wasn’t an Earthlord in a ten-mile radius of Azamar. It was just Him and me. “I see,” He said. “So you found our plans…”
“Everything: from Your war with Trianite to trying to kill me.”
“I see.”
“And in exchange for my independence, Lord Mianite, I will fully cooperate with the impending war with Trianite.
“So you say…”
“That is my final offer.”
“Your final—” Mianite tilted his head, smiling grandly.
“My final off—”
“I heard what you said,” Mianite boomed, before coughing a laugh, “Your—” then, he couldn’t help himself; he cackled with a thundering roar that echoed across the room, “your fucking final—” the God was hysterical, “fi—fi—final offer! Fi—final, really, wow! Fucking wow, Eric!”
“Yes. Yes it, Mianite—”
“Fi—fuckin—fi!”
“Mi—”
Mianite’s face turned red; at the time, I thought that He wasn’t breathing as He wheezed and wheezed until wiping a tear from His eye. “Hoh! Oh, oh, that’s rich.”
I uncomfortably gulped.
The God stood up, still smiling from cheek to cheek. “Do you honestly think you have a chance at this?”
“Yes. You know—”
“I know what?”
“You know what’s right.”
“I know what’s right? I wouldn’t be considered of My morality, Eric. I know a lot. I know of Taranato, Sallya, your little cat Jasper; I know where they live, who they go to when they need help, what they’re trying to do. I know that you went to Ra’Sasha, you tried to get Ryan's support and failed. Eric, I know so much. So much that you have no bargaining power over me.”
It was impossible. I choked in disbelief. “How did you—”
“You could’ve bargained for time and said that you weren’t ready for war, and I would’ve given in. You could’ve bargained for an army and I would’ve given in. You are in no position to make these types of demands.” Mianite’s shadow went over my face; He approached me. “You are in no position to leave my Empire.”
“Mianite.” I backstepped.
“Lord Mianite,” He affirmed. “Who do you think you are? You’re only a king because of me.” His palms summoned vines around his arms. “I can rescind that position if I so wanted.”
I tripped over the carpet, trying to enlarge the distance between us. “You don’t want to do this, Lord Mianite.”
“Do what? Kill you? You pathetic mortal. It’s been years since I’ve been given proper reason to do this,” Mianite crushed his palms—and in an instant—His grace left my soul. “Don’t declare what you can’t enforce.”
“What I can’t enforce?” I stopped and stood parallel to Him.
“Oh, this will be fun.”
“I declare independence from you, Mianite.” I unsheathed my blade. “You are my God no longer.”
“Then make it so.”