Power Overwhelming

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”I’m not sure this is the greatest idea politically speaking.” Valor noted as he fixed his tie. He was dressed quite sharply in a red suit with golden buttons and epaulets. The sword at his hip, the one Karna had made for him, enhanced the image of a career soldier. That said, he was well aware of the fact that he was going to be woefully underdressed. While his attire looked fine, the materials were rather mundane, and in social gatherings of the Divine Plane, the materials were often the most important part. Despite this, his ever-present smile never left his face, giving him a charming appearance.

“There are certain risks. But we can't avoid risks much longer." Karna retorted while putting finishing touches on her wavy hair, which had been partly tied up into an ornate ensemble mixed with various jewels and artifacts she'd personally created, yet still remained long enough to run down the small of her back.

Unlike Valor’s suit, her attire was much higher quality. As a skilled artisan, she had no problem making her own dress in a rush from materials she got from Khaine, but she didn’t have time to help Valor as well. The dress was relatively revealing while still remaining classy, and it seemed to shift between colors as she moved. The dress was quite literally made of dreams, something only the best artisans and Dreamweavers could work with.

"This is the first social event we're attending. Making our debut in an event hosted by the Titans, we're rather obviously declaring our allegiance with House Titannica. We could at least leave people wondering if we attended some other event before this one." Valor suggested. Much of politics and the game of social intrigue was about unsaid signals like the one he'd mentioned, and navigating the byzantine social cues and rules was an art form. A simple choice of which party to attend first could have heavy consequences.

“Two problems with that. We need the help of the Titans to get in touch with Arjuna and our allies. Who knows where they’re stationed? It could take centuries for us to find them without help. And since the Titans have a hold on the Host, they're in the best position to help. Besides, thanks to the machinations of my mother and my heritage, the Titans are natural allies. They'll be more than happy to help us. We'll have to play along with this situation at least until we have found Arjuna. The second problem is that we wouldn't necessarily be safe going to an event hosted by someone who we didn't have a connection with. Since we have no official allies or recognized power yet, there would be those that would try to strike at us just because of who I am. Once we do have allies or power though…" She left the rest unsaid.

They were far from powerless. They weren’t the average fresh immortals thanks to being reincarnators and exceptional ones at that. Karna herself could now feasibly defeat someone at the 12th rank, and even Valor could put up a good fight. The moment they had stepped into immortality, they had all become much more powerful, even when compared to other immortals. However, their power was still unknown, and they could easily run into other reincarnators or even gods.

“I know. It’s just not an optimal situation.” He commented, finally having finished with the tie. “Shall we then?” He quite naturally presented his arm for Karna to take, the gentleman that he was. The gesture of walking into the gathering like this was also a statement of sorts. It would signal they were allies and rather close ones at that, but their contact was quite purposeful in that it didn’t imply a romantic association. Small things like where Karna placed her fingers and how close to her own body she allowed his hand made this clear.

The venue was gorgeous, though you couldn’t really expect anything less from one of the most prominent houses. They were not at the heart of House Titannica, but they were at one of the larger cloud castles. The enormous almost temple-like structure was located on an even larger floating island that had landed on the peak of a mountain. All around them they could see a pure-white cloud cover as they were high enough that only the peaks of other mountains and other flying apparatuses could reach.

The event had a rather open invitation list, though largely only allies and associates of House Titannica were in attendance. There were certain neutral parties that had come out of curiosity, but since this event wasn’t something of special note, there was no reason for unfriendly parties to risk themselves by coming so deep inside potential enemy territory. The choice of venue was another one of those silent messages. If the Titans really wanted to have a wider attendance, the cloud castle would be located in more neutral territory.

As soon as Karna and Valor entered the venue, their appearance drew attention. More specifically, Karna drew attention. As many of the attendees were much more resistant to the lure of her divine heritage and aura, that wasn’t what drew said attention. Even without the aura though, she had the looks of her mother, a Goddess that had a claim on the position as the Goddess of Beauty, and her hair color alone would’ve been enough to draw everyone’s attention. Even if her hair had a bit more of a blue-ish tinge from her other parent, no one would be bold enough to imitate the hair color of the Royal Family. Her hair alone was enough to proclaim her heritage.

“Well, it certainly didn’t take long for you to become the center of attention.” Valor said half-jokingly, even if his words were accurate.

“At least we don’t have to struggle with obscurity.” Karna allowed a smile of her own as they moved deeper inside the venue, all eyes following them as whispers spread like waves after their passing.

Since the host had not yet arrived, the two of them did the usual socializing and introducing themselves, moving from one small group to another. Both of them had spent lifetimes as nobility and even gods, so they knew how to play the game. They knew the words that needed to be said, the gestures that played to their advantage, the little tidbits of information that should be revealed, and those that should only be hinted at. In short, they expertly made their way through the social minefield and made a great first impression on everyone involved. Even those that didn't like them for one reason or another had to take them seriously.

Since this was the first time they met everyone present, there was no way they could really make any large gains besides a simple connection. No one in the Divine Planes was foolish enough to form alliances or give away sensitive information just based on a single good impression. However, they managed to lay the groundwork for future development. Karna’s skill at creating her attire was something that also played to their advantage, as skilled artisans were always in demand, and hers was on obvious display just from the dress she wore.

When the host, a goddess named Ranas, finally arrived, it was time for their formal debut. It was customary for new arrivals to the political and social scene of the plane to make such introductions at one of the social gatherings, and as Valor had mentioned, there was significance to choosing the event where said introductions were made. They would be expected to make similar introductions at other events in the more neutral venues and most important social events, but this was the place where they announced their presence to the social and political circles at large.

“And who stands before me?” The hosting goddess asked with a gentle voice, knowing that it was something of an honor. She knew the daughter of Khaine would make a splash, which would bring honor to her by association. “Who would join the assembly of immortals?”

Karna was aware of the old formulae of how such introductions should be made, so that’s what she went with, even if they were a little outdated in the current Divine Planes. “One who has forged her own path and found her own Ascension. One who has challenged the heavens and chosen to walk the road leading to the peak of Aura and Magic. One who has left behind her old and childish self. One who is ready to take her new place under her True Name.” Her voice gained the tone of solemnity you could hear when someone was going through a ritual of sorts. Valor went through the same litany, only changing the small details to fit his powers.

The goddess was caught slightly by surprise at the old-fashioned formula, but it wasn’t that different from what was usual today. “And what Name will you bear and will forevermore be known by?”

The two of them had discussed this. Their identities were already known to some. It would not take too long for that information to leak out, so it was better to get ahead of any rumors and just own their True Names. An additional benefit was that the more people knew them under a certain Name, the less likely it was that anyone curious enough to try would find out their other Names. They also now had enough power that they no longer needed to hide their identity.

“This one goes by the Name Wrath/Valor.” The two said together, their Names causing a ripple of excited chatter to spread out.

Even the non-reincarnators were to a certain extent aware of the importance of True Names, and Names of power like theirs held a large significance. Valor's Name spoke well of him, and no one would be able to impugn his character with a Name like that. On the other hand, having a young woman like Karna with a Name like Wrath was a shock to everyone. It was also a warning. Now everyone was on notice that rousing her ire was not something to be done lightly.

“Those are powerful Names.” The goddess, being even more aware of the significance than most, stated solemnly. “It is my honor to welcome you, and I hope you will enjoy your time.” She nodded imperiously.

At this point came another test of sorts. It was customary for the ones introducing themselves to bow or curtsy to the host, and even something simple as the depth of the bow or curtsy would be judged, as it determined how the debutante judged her own standing and relationship with the host. Karna’s curtsy was just deep enough to fulfill the requirement of being respectful, but no further. It was exact to the millimeter and even the position of her hand on her skirt. Just enough to not be disrespectful and impolite, but not enough to imply she was in any way subservient or putting herself in a lesser position. Valor followed her example, though making his bow just a smidgen deeper, to show more courtesy, and to show which of the two of them was in the leading position. This too caused some murmurs to spread among the other guests.

For the next two hours, the two of them continued their socializing. Their Names lending extra weight to every word they uttered. Before now, they had been treated as two youngsters with great potential, but with little power of their own just yet. Now everyone was forced to re-evaluate their position. After the formal portion of the gathering started to give way to more relaxed and informal merriment where the various attendees simply enjoyed their time, the two of them were shown to a side room where they could finally get to the reason they were here. “Well, you certainly made things more interesting.” The goddess pointed out with a playful tone. “For that, I’ll have to thank you. Now, I think it’s time to ask the obvious question: why are you here? Khaine wouldn’t have sent you here just to make your court debut.” She went straight to the point.

“Some of our family and allies came to the Divine Planes before us. Most likely got drafted to the Host. The kind of people that could be used against us.” Karna explained simply. There was little point in dancing around the issue.

“Hmm. Complicated.” The goddess muttered. She was an immortal that had reached godhood, but she wasn’t a True God. That meant she wasn’t the god of anything. There was no realm, no concept she could claim domain over. Thus, she had no, or at least very few, believers. “Before the draft, it would’ve been simple to recall someone of political significance, but the only reason the draft works is because it applies to everyone. In fact, you should be subject to it as well. If we start making exceptions, soon everyone will be asking to be among the exceptions, and we’ll lose a significant chunk of our military power.”

“First of all, you’re already making exceptions. You’re simply keeping it quiet. I might not have been in the Divine Planes for long, but Khaine mentioned some of those exceptions. People that are too politically divisive to be included. People who’d get stabbed in the back immediately. And people you don’t dare to touch, such as members of Mount Celestis.” Karna countered. “Secondly, and more importantly, House Titannica is the premier power in the Host. If you can’t even manage to keep my family safe within the Host, why exactly would I throw my lot with you?”

That was the gist of it. She wasn't a direct ally of the house yet. They wanted her, for various reasons, but she wasn't going to ally with them just because Khaine had formed some ties with the house. She needed to benefit from the arrangement as well. For many others, they would be happy to just be accepted, but Karna had almost complete freedom to choose her allies. The dragons would take her in just as easily. So would the ruling House Asuryan, even if her position as a princess was a potential risk. The other houses and factions would be even more eager.

The goddess knew all this as well. “I said complicated, not impossible.” She said in a placating voice. This was the downside of Karna, or Wrath as she’d now be known, making her debut in this event. She was the point of negotiation, and the situation was complicated. “We actually have an alternative suggestion for you. I’d like you to give me a chance to explain before you dismiss it outright.”

Karna gestured for her to continue, a simple signal that showed she was not buying things so far and her mood was quickly souring as it was a lot less respectful than speaking out loud. “First I'll have to ask, do you have any intentions of taking part in the fight for the throne?"

"I'm keeping the option open," Karna replied non-committaly. She was going for a throne, just not the one the goddess was thinking of.

“To gain the throne, or at least support your mother or your preferred candidate for the throne properly, you need to close the gap between yourself and the other claimants quickly. Your enemies are ahead of you in resources, support, connections, and power. Now, you can try to improve by slow cultivation and gathering connections and resources the old-fashioned way. Your skills as an artisan would make things easier, but your enemies aren’t going to just allow that to happen. Not to mention, choosing the other option we have in mind doesn’t preclude you from also utilizing this path. We don’t believe you have the time for the slow way. You need to do something drastic instead.” The goddess explained.

Karna considered her words for a handful of seconds. “You want me to join the Host.”

The goddess smiled. “It’s good that you catch on quick. There’s no better way to win resources and support than through glory through military victories. Besides, it would eliminate any voices claiming you should be part of the draft as well. Now, I know you have a case to avoid it since you Ascended on your own power, something that has already garnered you fame, but why not silence those voices altogether? Besides, while getting your allies an exception might be hard, getting them assigned to the same unit as you would be very easy. We could also arrange it so that you’d be watched over by forces loyal to us. That way you wouldn’t have to worry about being stabbed in the back. Of course, you’d have to fight, but I get the sense you don’t mind that.” She glanced at both of them. “In fact, judging by your Names, you’d prefer that route instead of the slow politicking and gathering of support.”

Her eyes narrowed, and Valor gave the faintest of nods when she took a glance his way. He thought the idea wasn’t too bad. “You of course realize that I’d be far less indebted to you in this scenario?”

The goddess allowed a small smirk to grace her face. “Just like you realize that if you do join one of our enemies, the forces loyal to us would no longer feel it necessary to protect you. Look, this isn’t an optimal solution and there are risks, as war is never safe, even for seasoned warriors. But we believe the potential rewards outweigh the risks. A warrior princess will always be more favored in politics than a flower protected in a garden. Especially if the warrior princess also happens to have all the strengths of the flower.” She tried to indirectly imply that the Host would allow Karna to prove her own personal power and those of her allies, which would allow her other paths than being the flower whose only worth was in their looks.

“We’ll take this under advisement.” Karna wanted to hear what Hope and Envy had to say, and whether the two had succeeded in their endeavors. This had been one of the paths they had considered.