To have unity is to create division. There is no “us” without a “them”. There is no “ours” without a “theirs”. This is another thing in which humanity simply triumphs over Divinity. Humans can struggle with drawing a line in the sand around the group at large, for everyone has a different opinion on how that line should be drawn, but at least they rise to the occasion and decide to work together. This sort of mentality is simply natural for humans, they truly are social creatures.
Yet amongst Divines, the issue is not one of how were to draw the line of a group but rather how to form an “us” with an “ours” from a “I” and a “my” in the first place. Most Pantheons throughout history have collapsed not due to civil war but internal strife. It would make sense if this internal strife was due to grand differences in thinking or ideology, but even that is not true. Humanity, in this field, is simply superior. Divinity is simply inferior. There are no two ways to phrase this differently. They are better at this than us. They possess something we do not. Something they have by instinct or something they refuse to teach us.
For Divines are creatures that are unable to understand misunderstanding and totally unwilling to agree after a disagreement. Most Pantheons fell due to minor annoyances in character as Divines which were ruling nations tore each other apart out of sheer annoyance. I watched it happen countless times. I saw Pantheons collapse after a day, a month or a year. The most successful ones lasted a decade. The single exception was the Reconstruction Authority. It was a Pantheon in all but name and it was the first entity which stabilized Arda following Worldbreaking.
The R.A. lasted a mere sixty years. It was revolutionary. Revolutionary in its success but not repeatable whatsoever. It was necessity which had pulled all those Divines together.
Now compare it to humanity. A nation that lasts barely a century is a mere blip in the grand scheme of things. Countries are supposed to last centuries at the minimum, there are many that are pushing onto a millennia. They go through revolutions, they change governments, they may even change locations on a map, but the simple fact of the matter is that they last. The things humans hate most about themselves are the things they refuse to teach us, and it is those things which are their greatest strengths.
Urgency, which they are ashamed of as thoughtless action, is hidden. Desperation, which claws tremendous reserves of strength from place unknown, they avoid. Submission, which allows one to become part of a greater whole, everyone pretends does not exist. Every creature in this world knows the natural instincts of urgency and desperation and submission. Every creature save for Divines.
Urgency not as recklessness but as action. Desperation not as breaking but as resilience. Submission not as taking the knee but as admittance of there being something to learn, an admittance of one’s own inferiority. These are the lessons Divines need to be taught.
- Excerpt from the private writings of God Arascus, of Pride.
“I have never even heard of this.” Helenna said over the phone as Arascus turned and leaned on the wall in this grand corridor. He had travelled to Arcadia with a suitcase of papers and sent Helenna a message with everything that had been seen through Olephia’s telescope. The Goddess of Chaos had stayed in Lubska to monitor the situation on the moon every night, Arascus doubted she would see anything new though. “Honestly Arascus, I really mean-“ Arascus cut the Goddess of Love off.
“No worries.” Arascus said lightly. “I didn’t know if you would.”
“You should ask Elassa.” Helenna said. Arascus looked around at the corridor. The mages here stood less than half his height. They walked around in colourful cloaks and with shawls that bore their rank. There were no guards here but then was that expected? Why would Elassa need guards in a land of magicians? Especially in this building, where every mage was powerful enough to equal a whole company in terms of strength.
“I’m here already.”
“Oh?” Helenna was obviously pleasantly surprised. “You are?”
“In Arcadia.” Arascus answered.
“Are you lying to me?” Helenna asked. Maybe it would annoy someone else, in fact, there were plenty of Divines out there Arascus knew personally that would take great offense at such a question.
“Of course I am.” Arascus said lightly.
“You were in Lubska today.” Helenna said. Arascus had no clue how she knew that, on one hand, he didn’t like getting spied on. On the other, Helenna did it to everyone.
“I move fast.” Arascus said and pushed off the wall. He realised that Helenna could keep talking and talking and talking for the whole week. Unfortunately, it would be up to him to call it quits. He opened the huge door to Elassa’s office. It was wide enough for several humans to march in side-by-side and tall enough for three of them to stand on each other’s shoulders.
Inside, the office was huge. A fireplace sat built into the wall on Arascus’ right, it was fashioned out of beautiful granite. In the middle of the room was a table for Elassa to hold conferences in. There were bookshelves and cupboards trying to fill up every spot of empty wall. And then straight ahead, in front of windows which revealed rolling Arcadian hills, dormitories and a blue sky, was the Goddess of Magic. She sat behind a desk of redwood, in a blue dress and writing something in pen. She had a glass of red wine by her side. “Who-“ Elassa began loudly and then immediately shut up when she saw it was Arascus.
“Oh wow.” Helenna sounded impressed. “You actually are. I’ll leave you be then.” She dropped the call. Arascus put his phone back into his pocket and closed the door. He quickly closed the distance between the door and the desk and pulled up to a chair for himself. The few sections of wall that weren’t taken up by bookcase or book were taken up by either the Red-White-Black tricolour of Empire or the Red-Purple Warbanner of Arcadia. The three red lightning bolts cracking open the world on a purple background.
“Have you been busy?” Arascus asked.
“Depends on what job you’re going to give me.” Elassa responded bluntly. Her blue eyes, the same blue as her dress softened after a second. “Busy enough with the Expedition organisation.”
Arascus put his suitcase by his side as the Goddess of Magic sipped from her wine glass. He supposed that wasn’t even a lie. The Dwarves were too important to leave half-finished. The rational decision of priorities had been made. If the choice was between sending the military underground, to Arika or to Karaina, then it would be underground, then Arika, then Karaina. The Empire simply did not have enough blood and boots to throw at every problem. “How is that doing?” Arascus asked.
“I would have preferred notification earlier.” Elassa replied pointedly. “Finding mages for the military isn’t hard, but the numbers you wanted are impossible for just Arcadia.”
“The Bureau of Magic is pulling men away. You just have to worry about replacements.” Arcadia was sending a small batch of magicians underground, but Arcadia was filling up the gaps of faculty in other Imperial Schools. Children could not be sent underground. Not yet at least. They wouldn’t be effective and it would be a downright atrocious look for the Empire if children were made to participate in a conflict that the Empire, by all means, started. “What? Are you here to tell me I don’t have to?”
“I actually came because of something else, I just wanted to ask that first to see how you were fairing.” Kassie had launched the Second Expedition into the underground. This time though, it wasn’t just a small force wandering through the tunnels. This time, it was the full might of the Empire bearing down on Tartarus. Hold after hold were going to be cracked open, already six served as entrances into the Underground. More than a hundred thousand men were already in the land with a stone sky, and that number was expected to still triple.
It was going to be a proper war, backed by the full industrial might of Epa.
“I’m fairing fine.” Elassa said. “What is the problem?”
Arascus brought out the printed images from his suitcase. “I came because it’s serious.” He said and put them before Elassa. There was no need to explain, one image was of the moon, another was of a location zoomed in that him and Olephia had found. It was some massive collection of straight lines that passed for a city grind. There was more, with the huge structures or boxes or whatever it was up there in clear view. And there was a picture of the moon in Olephia’s art show. The differences had been circled in red pen.
“Oh.” Elassa said. Her eyes jumped about from place to place. “I do not know.” She said slowly. “I know nothing at all about this…” She trailed off. “This is the moon, right? And you’re not playing a joke on me?”
“Yes and Yes.” Arascus said. “I said it was serious.”
“I…” Elassa couldn’t even get the second word out. She idly reached not for the wine glass but for an open bottle below the desk and took a huge swig. “This… Why are there things on the moon?” Arascus stared blankly at the woman. He wouldn’t be here if he knew that, would he?
“I don’t know, that’s why I’m here.” Arascus said.
Elassa took another large drink straight from the bottle. She leaned back and shook her head. “This is crazy.”
“We agree on that.” Arascus said.
“And the spyglass found them?”
“It did.” Arascus had enough of these questions. “I’m trying to get to the bottom of it. We don’t have a single lead yet though”
“I hate to disappoint.” Elassa sounded as if saying those words physically brought her pain.
“I assumed you would have known.” Arascus sighed heavily. It was simply frustrating. “Because you were high up on the Pantheon.”
That was a sore spot still apparently. “Don’t remind me Arascus.” Elassa snapped. “What? Do you think I’m proud of that? Or that I got anything in recognition?”
“You were and yet you don’t know Elassa.” Arascus said harshly. He wasn’t going to back down here, not when he was this correct. “What is that supposed to be?”
“Don’t ask me!” Elassa said. “Ask Allasaria!”
“Mmh.” Arascus said. “Helenna and Kavaa say the same thing. To just hope Allasaria knows.”
“As if your family is any different.”
“Family is family.” Arascus said. “I’m a father, Allasaria is an employer. That’s the difference between us.”
Elassa chuckled at that comparison. “Well it is what it is.” Arascus smiled. Those words were never said in a good position. No one ever looked at a beautiful sunset, at their child happily marrying, a deliciously cold ice cream on a summer day or a bottle to drink after work and said: It is what it is.
“It’s farcical.”
“You don’t have to rub it in.” Elassa said. “Do you even know what it was like? You go to ask Allasaria for something, she says that Helenna will, Helenna says she knows nothing when she knows everything. Somehow Fortia and Maisara are aware of what’s happening but it’s by pure gut feeling. Then it doesn’t even matter what they’re actually disagreeing with!” Elassa started to speak faster and faster, her words becoming a shout. “Oh no! Of course not! They’ll never actually know what’s on the table and the agenda but they know that if Allasaria or I proposed it, then it’s going to be vetoed immediately! Of course! Zerus and his lot don’t care whatsoever, naturally, of course they don’t.”
“That sounds terrible.” Arascus said. It was entertaining to listen to.
“This time, Elassa skipped the talking and got straight to the shouting. “Terrible?! Terrible?! That’s it?! Is that it Arascus?! Do you even know what it was like? Can you imagine the atmosphere there? If you brought this over to that lot.” Elassa tapped the picture. “Then no one would say anything and just stare at everyone else to see what position they could just so they can answer with the opposite! That’s it! No Arascus. It doesn’t sound terrible. It was terrible! It fucking was!”
Arascus could not hold it in. He didn’t say anything but his lips trembled upwards and he breathed deeply through his nose to stop himself from burst out in laughter here and now. “Why are you laughing?” Elassa asked, her blue eyes flaring with rage. He didn’t bother controlling himself at this point. It was a farce! These were the people who had won against!? This sorry lot!?
“I am baffled by the fact you managed to win the Great War.” Arascus said. “That’s all.” There was nothing more that needed to be said. He was truly baffled. He had heard the horror stories from Helenna, Kavaa and Iniri and he had heard Kassandora’s report on the White Pantheon. But to hear it from Elassa? This was supposedly Allasaria’s Right Hand. And this is how she talked about her own organisation.
“It is what it is.” Elassa said. Those words were never said by someone in a good situation. It simply did not happen. “Do you need anything else?” She asked.
“I have an inkling I know what you’ll say but the question has to be asked anyway.” Arascus pre-emptively stalled any sarcastic comments. “Do you think Iniri will know?” Of Magic’s only reaction was a flat expression and a raised eyebrow.
“Should I even bother answering?” Elassa asked.
“Then it’s a no.” Arascus said.
“Iniri dropped out of politics almost immediately after the Great War ended.” Elassa said, looking into her glass of red wine, and shrugging. “She didn’t even fight back against us when we changed her title from Of Nature to Of Food & Bounty. That’s how little she cared.” Somehow, Arascus doubted Elassa’s retelling of events although he didn’t bother arguing with Elassa. There was no need to even insult the woman, at the end of the day this wasn’t her story to tell. Not yet.
“Then that’s all.” Arascus said.
“Can I keep these?” Elassa asked.
“Don’t let it get public.” Arascus said as he stood up from the front of Elassa’s desk.
“Why not?” Elassa followed up. Arascus could not believe what he had just heard. Was she stupid? But it was Elassa. But then Elassa had never been particularly talented when it came to the way of words.
“Because we’re working under the assumption that whatever this is.” Arascus leaned down to tap the photo with a thick finger. “Doesn’t know that we know about it.”
“That’s quite an assumption.” Elassa said.
“It’s my call. We’re satisfied with the status quo as it this.” Arascus replied coldly.
“It’ll be slower for me to run an investigation on this if I don’t get help.”
“If I wanted an investigation I would have told you already.” Arascus said. Elassa wasting her time looking through old books was exactly the sort of thing he did not want to happen. But then telling her she wasn’t allowed would only cause problems. It was better to simply make her not want to do it in the first place. “But knock yourself out. I’m sure it’ll be a good use of your time.” He said sarcastically.
“Do you have a team on it already?” Elassa asked. And again, Arascus could not answer this question in such a way that the woman would take it as a challenge to beat them.
“Do you want to join?” Arascus asked. “They’ll accept all the help they can get.” He saw Elassa’s mood immediately turn sour.
“They can help themselves.” She said. “I’ll look around if I have time.”
There was no reason to be rude. That stipulation confirmed Elassa did not want to do any work. “Thanks.” Arascus said. “Then I’ll leave the images with you. Thanks for your time.”
“Mmh.” Elassa said. Arascus turned and walked through the huge office back to the door. Half way through, Elassa called out. “Wait!” Arascus stopped and turned to the women. The Goddess of Magic had not moved whatsoever. She just sat there, staring at the pictures.
“Yes?” Arascus hurried her along.
“If…” Elassa trailed off then spoke with confidence that was obviously forced. Her tone normally wasn’t that definite or strong. “If this is an enemy…” She looked at Arascus nervously as if expecting an answer.
“If it’s an enemy then we’ll deal with it.” Arascus said.
“But it’s on the moon.”
“That’s not a problem.” Arascus said confidently. “We’ll deal with it when we deal with it. For now, it is what it is. If you don’t know anything about it then you don’t know anything about it. Don’t beat yourself over it.” Arascus turned and raised his hand. He gave Elassa one, single solitary wave. “See you later.”
“Bye.” Elassa said, still from the table. Arascus pulled the door open and stepped out into the corridor. Of Pride out his phone, although size-wise it was more akin to a tablet, and quickly started to tap. Into the contact book, he scrolled to the family folder. And to Neneria. The Goddess of Death knew he would ring, she must have been waiting patiently at the phone for his name to appear. Arascus smiled at the thought of it as he pulled the phone up to his ear. The mages in the corridor here all turned around as if they were trying to pretend that listening in on a God’s talking wasn’t interesting. Arascus ignored them. “Hello hello? Are you done with her?” Neneria asked.
“I am.” Arascus said. “Did you get anything out of Atis?”
The fact Neneria did not reply immediately was already confirmation of the negative. Neneria took a deep over the line, Arascus had seen this pattern so many times he knew she was shaking her head with a sad expression. “No.” Neneria said. “Apologies. No. I haven’t.”
“That’s fine.” Arascus said. “Elassa and Helenna were both duds too.” He let the silence hang for a few moments to see if she would speak up. The Goddess of Death did not. “I’m not going to check on Iniri.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“She won’t know anything.” Arascus said. In this matter, he actually did believe Elassa. Iniri was not the type to know. “Probably anyways. We can just call her up from the Expedition if we need her.” Iniri and Anassa were the main excavators clearing the entrances into the Underground. It could either be a brigade’s worth of civilians with hundreds of vehicles and tons of explosives, or it could be one of those two Goddesses. And those two Goddesses would do in a day what mortals would do in a month. “I don’t want to delay Kassie.”
“She won’t mind.” Neneria said. She was correct entirely. Kassie would not, she would just work around the issue. But Arascus would mind. They were on a schedule here. It would be a matter of time before Allasaria returned, whatever was happening on the moon had to be identified.
“She won’t.” Arascus said. “But do you think Iniri will know?”
Neneria made a low rumble through the phone as Arascus kept up his march through the corridor. This building in Arcadia was full at least. High-ranking mages in colourful shawls were busy with documents and papers, they quietly discussed sending curriculums to the Empire’s National Colleges of Magic or how much trouble this Second Expedition was. “No.” Neneria said. “I have no hope she will no. If I was a betting girl, I would put money on the fact she wouldn’t.”
“Same.” Arascus agreed. “If Helenna doesn’t know, then Kavaa won’t either. There’s only two realistic candidates we have.”
“Oh.” Neneria said, her tone lower now. She must have just worked it out. “Do you need a guard?”
“That would be a bad look.” Arascus held the call for a few more seconds. “Love you Nene. See you later.”
“I love you too Dad.” Neneria asked back. Arascus dropped the call and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. There was a part of him that had no hope, there was another that was excited for finally sitting down and having a nice long chat with the two most stubborn and argumentative characters in the White Pantheon.