Divine life is plagued almost constantly by warfare. If it is not open and on the field, then it is cold and hidden and scheming. Once that perspective is wholly understand, one can begin to realise exactly why Kassandora receives so much respect. Her methods of escalation are always very obvious and easily implementable, yet it is something we are simply unwilling to do. In ways, we are even blank to it. Kassandora has always been pushing the edge since she helped me protect Sythia. The Great War was just another, albeit more perfect application of this eternal escalation and breaching of normality. Whereas Arascus may claim that we brought in other worlds to counter him, did he not bring in the world of the dwarves to aid himself? What actually happened during the Great War was that we outdid Kassandora’s escalation.

  Had Paraideisius and Tartarus not both joined on our side and we only brought one in, how long would it take for Arascus to convince the other to join him? Would we have ruined Arda eternally then? Fortia has immense disdain for this tactic, most of the White Pantheon, but Fortia most of all. I do not blame her. There was nothing glorious in what we did back then.

  Yet we only escalated because we took Kassandora’s logic to its extreme. Integrating Divinity into the military was escalation enough. Bringing in other worlds. If Arascus had not been defeated, where else would have the next step taken this world?

  - Excerpt from Goddess Allasaria’s, of Light’s, private Diary.

  Arascus sat down alone, finally. From Doschhaven, a train had taken him to Aris, then another to Rilia. Kavaa had finally been dropped off and sent to join a military unit which would be heading to support the Second Expedition. How that meeting would go, he had no clue. Definitely not terribly, Kassie would not break down in a time like this when Tartarus was apparently regrouping from their loss. Ultimately, it was his own fault for taking on this duty so many years ago. Divinity needed to be healed, if it was easy, it would have been done already.

  Arascus took a deep breath, collapsed into a huge throne of an office chair and closed his eyes as his mind tried to push the Goddess of Health away from his mind. He had not even bothered inspecting the wooden cabinets lined with glasses, nor the gazed at the marvellous paintings of Agrita herself on the wall, nor even so much as closed the blinds to the massive window through the busy city tried to gaze in. This was one of Agrita’s palaces although the only reason it had been chosen due to the fact it lay in the very centre of Ilano. With the airspace shut down, they could not be using private planes to fly. A major train junction would be needed, Ilano made sense. It had direct connections to everywhere in Epa.

  Whereas there were maids and butlers about, and even some Rilian Royal guard in the employment of Aimone. The palace had been cleared by Arascus’ request and the God of Pride opened his eyes to look at the clock mounted on the wall. He had come here fifteen minutes early. And he closed his eyes again. Fifteen minutes was a good break to cool off.

  Kavaa once again entered his mind. Poor girl. A pure soul that had convinced itself it was not meant for this world, that now was terrible and bitter and argumentative. The damn Goddess of Health. And he took a deep breath. But as understandable as that was, as clean and logical as the line could be made, then it mattered little. Arascus should have learned to be more zealous in denying access to Kassandora. The Goddess of War had a pull to her, every mortal talked of it. Men exposed to the Orchestra a few times began to long for it. Men who tried to stand against grew to hate the silent crowd that would effortlessly swarm through and devour them. He sighed to himself and tried to push out of his mind.

  Was it worry?

  It must be worry. What a funny emotion. And here he thought it could only be acquired when a loved one was in danger. Maybe that was true? Maybe Kavaa was in danger? He pushed the thought away. No reason to even entertain such notions. If she wasn’t safe with Kassandora, then she would not be safe anywhere. No need to worry.

  Arascus worried so much that the thought of fetching a bottle of whiskey did not even cross his mind. Not until he heard a knock on his door. Three heavy beats, not one less, not one more. In perfect rhythm and sounding as if a man was slamming his entire fist into the carved wood.

  Iliyal had gotten here. “Come in.” Arascus was glad that the elf’s drumming knock had chased thoughts of Kavaa away.

  Iliyal did step in. He wore a fresh uniform that was obviously being broken in. A short cape on his back, a high cap with Kassandora’s emblem upon it: the skull pierced by a blade. Green eyes found and Arascus and the God of Pride stopped him before he went on his standard formality. “Grab a chair.” Arascus said. “Apologies, no drinks today.”

  “Understood.” Iliyal said as he grabbed a chair and brought it to the desk.

  The first thing had to be done. “Iliyal, well done.” The elf actually stopped moving and smiled to himself.

  “Thank you.”

  “I mean it Iliyal.” Arascus laid it on thick. Frankly, if there was anyone who deserved it at this point, it was Iliyal. “No one else would have managed it, we only managed to secure so much time in the UNN because you were here. Well done. The Empire is in your debt and so am I.”

  At that, Iliyal shook his head. “I am only doing my job.”

  “And what a job it is.” Arascus said. “Think on it and ask for what you wish.” It was a small thing, but Arascus always appreciated when a mortal knew what was actually possible. Iliyal would not wish for immortality but there had been men who thought Arascus could offer it. Likewise, there were four cases in the past where a human actually had asked for a Goddess’ hand.

  “I will spend some time on it.”

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  “Whenever you are ready.” Arascus replied. “And likewise, I will task Helenna with placing a statue of you somewhere.”

  Iliyal laughed and shook his head. “I do not need a statue.”

  “But we do.” Arascus said. “She’ll do the management but I’ll ask her to take your advice.”

  Iliyal leaned forward, placing his arms on the desk. “If I’m going to be honest, I can’t think of anything worse than spending time with Helenna making a statue of myself.”

  “Do you want her to put you in the classical style? With just a leaf?”

  Iliyal looked at Arascus for a few moments, his eyes going wide for a moment as he realised how Helenna usually made her figurines. “Good point.” Arascus chuckled to himself. The man was half the size of him and he was a better friend than most Divines out there. “It will be attend to.”

  “We’ll find time.” Arascus said. “For when we’re all less busy. You’re relieved of the duty of Emperor’s Hand for now.”

  “That could not come soon enough.”

  “Sounds like you enjoyed yourself.”

  “I hated it.” Iliyal said and Arascus burst out in laughter. “Not funny, that job I do not enjoy.”

  “You’re the best at it.”

  Iliyal sat there and side. “Fer once gave me a piece of advice about this.” He began slowly. Arascus already knew where this was going. Fer had only a few pieces of advice she gave out and all of them were downright genius in their simplicity. “She said I could not be helped because I proved myself already, so it was over and now I would always stay as the little handy-elf.” He said quietly. No anger in his voice, nor any rage. “Handy-elf. Not even handyman. Handy-fucking-elf.” Sometimes, Fer really did come out with something genius. Arascus would not be able to describe Iliyal better if tried himself.

  “She has you down.” Arascus said. It was obvious the man was not enjoying the conversation, he changed topic. “What of Malam and Helenna? I’ve read the Raptor report after the battle but that’s it.” One of Arascus’ greatest ambitions was another step closer to fruition. They had the mechanism, they just needed to see how it would function at this point. Once the Raptors were subdued, they could be publicized. And that would open the floodgates. Every vehicle in the military, maybe even every rifle and every knife, had the potential to manifest a spirit.

  And then? It wouldn’t matter how many demons poured out of Tartarus. Nor how many angels descended down from Paraideisius. Even if the Empire was pushed back, the dam would not be rebuilt once it was broken. Anassa, in her delusions and her own ascension, had proven one single source of will was enough. Apotheosis would not be broadcast and turned into a theatre. No. Apotheosis would take place in a warehouse and the Raptors would be revealed to be Divine because they were Imperial machines. Because they were a part of Empire and everything in Arascus’ land was Divine. People would not need to believe that Gods inhabited their weaponry, people would know.

  Faith was optional when one knew.

  “Malam and Helenna are returning from dealing with the Raptors.” Iliyal answered promptly.

  “Did they give you a report?” Arascus asked.

  “From just the tone and the lack of one, I assume they’ve not made any progress worth reporting.” Iliyal replied and shrugged. “Both are the sort to gloat when they succeed.” Arascus nodded to that. There were few who got the pass to talk about the family this way but Iliyal was definitely one of them. The man had been through too much to demand respect in private.

  “So nothing.” Arascus declared. No reason to live in denial. From the reports, the issue was obvious. The Divines did not have real bodies. Maybe those could be formed eventually, maybe they were still in the process of apotheosis. There were a thousand different variables and reasons for why they were actual spirits. Maybe it was the fact they were vehicles in the first place and not a grand structure? A ship could definitely be made into a Divine, that had happened before. Could the fact it was just one person inside be the issue? Maybe it was an issue with their portrayal? Helenna’s campaign had largely portrayed the vehicles themselves as supernatural and not as Divine. Or it could be as stupid as the fact that they had not rotated pilots about. The reports from Captain Douglas and Captain Erik read as if they were operating under delusions. It could be that the Divines had attached themselves to their individual pilots themselves?

  That had utterly no backing in history but likewise, a plane being made into a Divine also had no backing in history. “Nothing.” Iliyal agreed.

  “Do you think it will succeed? Divine Manufacturing I mean, not the Raptors themselves.” Arascus asked. He wasn’t here to seek support from the elf, he just wanted to see where the man stood.

  “Of course.” Iliyal replied immediately. “We’re already a step into the dark with the planes. Now we just have to confirm what is actually hidden here.”

  “You saw them personally.” Arascus said and Iliyal nodded. “What was that like?”

  “I have nothing to say but the report. It was as if I was watching two images overlaid upon each other. They genuinely became birds for a split-second although they became machines again as quickly as it takes to blink. Their wings moved to avoid crash too. When I reviewed the video and after taking measurements, at the angle they came in, they could not have made the gap. It’s physically impossible.”

  “So we’ve gotten somewhere Iliyal.”

  “We have.” Iliyal said. “But I would suggest for you to deal with the birds.”

  “I would have if we weren’t intercepted.”

  “I assume you know who it is.”

  “I’m not certain.” Arascus said. “But I would hazard a guess.”

  “Is it the UNN?” Iliyal asked.

  “It’s the UNN.” Arascus confirmed.

  “I assume it will be an internal faction, not the state itself.”

  “I assume it will be Ciria.” Arascus said, Iliyal sighed and tilted his head forwards, shaking it.

  “Child.” He said.

  “Na?ve and haughty.” Arascus agreed. “Waste of a demesne with how she is now.” Still though, it wasn’t an issue. They could judge Ciria all they wanted but it wasn’t going to change to what was happening here.

  Iliyal seemed to have the same logic. “On the backburner though?”

  “On the backburner.” Arascus confirmed. There was no point escalating this diplomatic incident right now. The Empire was in no state to do it anyway. With the fleet busy guarding Epa they had no way of projecting power out that far. The Clerics were there anyway, the best public relations campaign was doing its work. Ciria could talk all she wanted but it did not change the fact that brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who were counting their final hours were suddenly leaving hospitals walking. The speech of a Goddess could only do so much against the touch of a Cleric. “What about Elassa?”

  “She’ll be back today in Arcadia.” Iliyal said. “I’ve got notice she’s coming out. Anassa was told by Goddess Kassandora to stay below but she’s underneath Rilia. A few hours away with her speed.”

  “Do you know when exactly?”

  “It came from Elassa herself that she’ll be in Arcadia today.” Iliyal said. “But nothing more.”

  “Alright.” Arascus stood up. If he was going by train, then it would be a full day’s ride anyway. He looked at the elf.

  “Are you not going to ask what you’re going to be doing?”

  “I assumed you would tell me.”

  They would not be having a repeat of the Great War. They would not be slowly bled out and they would not let Tartarus dig in on Arda. The demons wanted to burst out of the desert? Let them. Their bodies would be the fertilizer for turning the Sassara into a field. “Start drafting invasion plans over the Sassara. From Epa or from Kirinyaa, the choice is yours.”

  Iliyal just stared at him for a few moments. “And ashen skies?”

  “They will be handled.”