‘No human can kill a God. Never happened. Never will.’ The term was made up quickly, in the span of one busy evening as Divinity clamoured to fight the threat of Heroism brought on by Arascus and Paramethus. Ultimately, Maisara’s idea did work. We did manage to separate the concept of Heroism from humanity as a whole. At that point, it was our own lack of creativity that failed to see how else Arascus would push the envelope.

  In the past, Divinity had always been in the role of champion or general or both. There was no such as an army composed of multiple Divines, unless those Divines were of different classes entirely: Allasaria, of Light, commanding fortress spirits for example. We failed because we could not conceive of taking an order from Kassandora, even though that had happened more than a few times already. Most Divines would be willing to give their forces into the capable hands of Kassandora, it was not a tactic or a strategy, it was simple common sense. Kassandora would win with far less casualties than even I could.

  In this fashion, Arascus brought the notion of Divines being ingratiated into Imperial armies. Even Kassandora had only considered in theory rather than in practice. Before Arascus embarked upon the Empire Project, there was no system of Divine Hierarchy. The Pantheon Doctrines, authored by myself and him thousands of years past, forever forbade the risk of such a move.

  Certainly now, but even back then, I would not call Arascus a liar or a cheat regarding these doctrines. He stuck to them honestly through the Age of Heroism, throughout Worldbreaking and throughout the majority of Reconstruction. The simple fact of the matter is that a Divine of Divines is too great to predict. It is not a demesne we have no choice but to deal with due to the advancement of technology, it is a cultural advancement of Divinity and Divinity alone. A Divine like that would need a place picked out for them immediately at birth, one in which they could be acclimated into and subdued.

  Many mortal theorists have questioned Pantheon methods of organisation. It grates on myself and Maisara endlessly that Allasaria allows such things under the guise of “freedom.” The simple fact of the matter is that we have never found an answer to the Divine of Divines question. Arascus however, has. The Divines of Divines, from his perspective, is obvious at this point. A family is composed of three pieces. The children, the father and the mother.

  As I write this, I feel my own intelligence insult and call me stupid for thinking up of something so ridiculous. And yet, I cannot stand here and pretend I do not see the conclusion.

  The man has actually gone out and created a wife for himself.

  - Excerpt from “Spectator of the Great War.” Written by Goddess Fortia, of Peace.

  Fortia and Maisara both sat on the same bench as they stared into the huge electronical tablet the Goddess of Order had brought. Both in their armours, Of Peace in gold-bronze, Of Order in silver. Both with a cuirass and skirts of heavy scales, each one as large as a man’s arm. Maisara had taken the risk to test her armour on life gunfire, it was scratched in places but that was the most damage. Even a blow directly against the steel refused to leave a dent.

  So now the Goddesses sat, heavily armoured, in their command tent. The strategy of posting White Pantheon flags along the border of Khmet had indeed worked. Ashen Skies had come to the edge of the border and then arced harshly south and north to not step onto land of their ancient allies. Tartarus still held to the old rules then, at the very least.

  The video ended and Maisara dragged her finger across the screen to replay it. Fortia wanted to say it was Malam’s or Helenna’s touch that the battle had been recorded from start-to-finish, but she wasn’t even sure. Arascus’ Empire simply operated this way, everything was archived and shared. Their failures were somehow turned into calls for unity and their successes were celebrations for all. The White Pantheon had never operated that way. Fortia did not even know how it was possible to have a failure with an internal analysis of who to blame. “What do you think?” Maisara asked.

  Fortia took a deep breath. Frankly, she didn’t like that Maisara had given her the opportunity of making the first call. “It’s Imperial legitimacy assured.” Fortia said. That was the only way it could be described. The Empire had taken on the mantle as Defender of Arda, self-proclaimed. Maybe if Olephia was deployed, or Anassa and Irinika and Baalka, then the glory of killing an Archdemon could be shifted onto an individual. With the battle they witnessed, there was no way to give glory to a single actor. Empire as a whole had come together to kill that creature. “We should have jumped on publication sooner.”

  “Of what?” Maisara asked.

  “Of the fact that Tartarus is not crossing into Khmet.” Fortia answered.

  “Oh.” Maisara said as they watched the video of the Archdemon having a hole excavated in its chest by massed artillery once again. “Oh.” She repeated.

  “Mmh.” Fortia said. “Now…” She shifted and slid closer to Maisara. “I mean, the counter is obvious.”

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  “What do you mean?”

  “Tartarus can’t start a two-front war if they are having this much trouble in Epa.”

  “No.” Maisara said. “No they can’t.”

  “I didn’t even get that myself.” Fortia said. It was in the war-analysis section of EIE.

  “They have a war analysis section?”

  “I didn’t know either.” Fortia said. “It’s only because I was watching their reaction I came across, but they’re framing themselves as the shield of Arda. That now, the Empire is such a great threat to Tartarus that all its forces will have to devoted to invading Epa or Imperial Arika.”

  “And if they do fight Khmet.” Maisara said. “Then the dominoes start falling. Here, they’re already holding talks with the Empire about whether joining would be acceptable and what it would take. I’m pretty sure we’ll see weapons shipments here soon.”

  “From the Empire?” Fortia asked.

  “It’s just a feeling. If Khmet joins, then they have an effective land connection into Kirinyaa. They’ll want it too.”

  “What a change of plans.” Fortia said. Although as she thought of the situation, it did make sense. If they had just defeated an Archdemon, then they’ll want to seize the initiative and order a counter-attack. Maybe even try to secure a foothold in Ibya. Apparently, sparse groups had survived the ashfront and were running an insurgency campaign against them in the desert.

  But then Fortia thought more and realised the position she had placed the Empire in when she demanded the allegiance of Khmet to her herself. The White Pantheon flags were only a cover for the fact that Fortia was defending this nation. Would Iliyal go back on his word? Fortia thought more. She honestly had no clue. Iliyal was the most disciplined loose cannon of an elf she had ever come across. He obviously observed traditions of honour and temperance from her research into him, but how much of those traditions were ingrained solely because of Kassandora?

  And Kassandora, Fortia could fight indeed. The woman was not cruel, she was just effective. She had no morals, but she would not kill needlessly. She didn’t seem to have a break on committing atrocity, but her atrocities for the sake of indulgence. In that regard, Fortia could understand her. Or at least, that was enough of a framework to work with. Kassandora would throw away generals and armies if she thought that gave her an advantage.

  Fortia stopped trying to comprehend the monster’s mind. At the end of the day, she could only chase Kassandora, the Goddess of War would always lead the way when it came things like this. Likewise, the issue was the same with Arascus. She could understand the God’s strategies, she could even see the logic in them, but it was all in hindsight. Throughout the entire Great War, she had forever been a step behind them. It had been a reactive conflict all the way through. By the time that Tartarus and Paraideisius joined the war on the side of the White Pantheon, Fortia had been burned out. There was nothing to strategize anyway by that point, overwhelming force had been enough. “But Khmet joining leaves us in an unfortunate position.” Fortia said.

  “That it does.” Maisara replied. She sighed deeply and put her arm around Fortia. The Goddess of Peace leaned in close to the hug. They watched the demon tumble back in silence and then Fortia once again restarted the video. Through the whole thing, they watched in silence. That awesome display of Imperial superiority and power. And neither Goddess said a word. There was nothing to say in fact. Fortia knew what she was thinking, and she was sure that the thought must have crossed Mai’s mind as well.

  “He won’t kill us.” Fortia said.

  “No.” Maisara affirmed.

  That much was obvious. At this point, when Iliyal had felt safe enough to waltz into Eriniskastro by himself. That alone said how little respect the Empire had for them. They had been humiliated in the Epan War, the loss of that continent had effectively set a cap on the strength and power of both Goddesses. There were only a minor amount of forges and castles out of Epa. Whereas the army could be supplied, engaging in a technological arms race with Epa was out of the question. What magicians Allasaria had managed to drag out from Elassa’s kingdom were loyal to the Goddess of Light as well. “It’s over.” Fortia said as the video once again ended.

  “Is it?”

  “Our war is over.” Fortia said. “We’re finished.” She had told Maisara of what Theosius had said, but not all of it. The fact that the God of the Forge had managed to figure out Of Empire was about long before any of them did had not needed to be uttered, nor the relentless assault on Fortia’s own character. Things like that simply did not need to be repeated.

  “Then we have one shot and one shot alone.” Maisara said.

  “Find Of Empire.” Fortia replied. “I have men in Olympiada right now, Alice has not been seen for months.”

  “If she’s called Alice at this point.” Maisara and Fortia’s heart fell. For something like this, Helenna’s spy networks were needed. Maybe Malam’s own investigative abilities. Maybe even Fer’s nose and superscent. And yet all of those were in the Imperial basket.

  “I didn’t even think of that.” Fortia admitted.

  “I just thought of it now.”

  “We are slow.” Fortia said, smiling as she leaned on her friend. Peace and Order, once enemies, now friends forever. Fortia imagined this is what Arascus’ daughters felt between themselves.

  “That we are.”

  “It was simple back then.” Fortia began. “Remember? When we… when it wasn’t this.”

  “Simple beings from a simple age of good and evil.” Maisara leaned in close. The two Goddesses rested their heads against each other. “Another simple time is coming, when Allasaria returns.”

  “I don’t think it will be so simple anymore.” Fortia tapped the black tablet. No point in replaying a video they had seen close to a hundred times already. “Back then, it was over the moment they came in.”

  “And now it’s not?” Maisara asked. She moved her finger over the tablet her hands. “It was just one demon.”

  “One Archdemon.”

  “One demon nonetheless.” Maisara said. “Tartarus got overconfident.”

  “Did they?”

  “What happens when Be’elzebub runs rampant on them? Or when Pax steps foot on the field? Or if they manage to get Legion into Epa?” Maisara asked. “It’s not like last time true, I’d say it’s worse.”

  “Why?” Fortia asked.

  “How many mouths to feed is there in the Empire?” Maisara asked. “When it comes crumbling down, it will be far worse than anything we’ve ever seen before.”

  “That’s if it does.” Fortia said. “They’ve dug in now.”

  “And all it takes is one summoning circle in Epa.” Maisara replied. “And then, it’s over.”

  Fortia took a deep breath. They would not agree on this. The debate could be held another time. “We have to find Of Empire.”