The Greatest Sin

Divines to Mortals are Sorcerers to Mages. They are too powerful to remain in this world, a dozen sorcerers can pose a threat to a member of the White Pantheon. For the stability of Ardan Peace, sorcery has to be wiped from this world.

- The Sorcery Ban Declaration by Goddess Fortia. Signed in Year 2 of the Post-Great-War Era.

Fer hummed to herself as she walked near the frontlines of the Reclamation War. A few of the Binturongs from the Caretaker affair had been repaired, but most of them were scrapped. With the new deliveries from Ausa of the artillery, they now fielded thirty-three guns. Fer smiled to herself as she thought of how much that number annoyed Kassandora. They had been split five teams of six each, then one half-team of three, and worked around the clock. Hurling napalm rounds into the Jungle and burning it away. They had started to cut north now, the explosions cut through the hustle and bustle of the camp every few seconds as they worked.

A trail of smoke reached rose from the Jungle, as if a celestial artist had taken a paintbrush of tar and spread it across the sky. Other teams of men were driving south to take monitoring information regarding the hole that had been left behind by Olephia. There were plans to divert a river into it and create a brand new lake in the area, but those were still theoretical talks. Kassandora didn’t care whatsoever what happened to it, it was a civilian matter. Something to give the government something to do.

Fer walked past Kassandora’s camp, men were training here as always. Digging holes and trenches, they had all grown lean over the past few months. Kassandora valued endurance over raw strength, and shovelling the dirt was apparently a good way to train it. A team of sixty men were being led by a sergeant on a hike, all with heavy backpacks filled up with the dirt they had just shovelled.

Fer continued on her way through Kavaa’s camp. She could quite honestly she enjoyed her trip to Arika. It wasn’t home, but there was plenty of wild animals here. The zoo in Nanbasa had been a pleasant way to end her journey here, the lion cubs were cute. Fer was glad Kassandora was here to burn the creeping Jungle away, those cubs deserved a home in the wild. She sighed and kicked up the dirt as she looked down at her suit. Her HAUPT uniform had finally arrived, it was all tanned leather, hardy yet flexible enough for her to stretch without tearing it. The boots were of good quality, the tall cap on her head was shaped to allow the ears on the top of her head to stick out past it. The trousers even had a little flap to stick her tail through.

Fer marched to Raptor One. Arika had been a break, now it was time for work again. Kavaa and Iniri were stood by the black plane, it’s front painted yellow to make a beak. The Goddess of Health was holding a small box. The back cargo-hold was already empty and ready for Fer, two assistants were stood there, waiting for Fer to board. “I’m going.” Fer said cheerfully.

“We know.” Kavaa said. She stood there in light clothes, the cloak Fer had given her was wrapped around her shoulders. Fer was glad she wore it, Iniri wore a pretty green dress with her own symbols stitched into it with magical wood. “We just wanted to say out goodbyes.”

“We’ll see each other soon enough.” Fer said as she looked down on the two Goddesses. Kavaa reached her chest, Iniri even lower than that. Fer towered over them.

“I wanted to give you something.” Kavaa said and put the box towards Fer. “For your assistance in rescuing Iniri. I had to think of something you’d like… so… sorry it took so long.” Fer grinned at the two, she honestly had not expected anything.

She took the box and opened it. There was twenty vials of blood in there. Kavaa’s own blood, Fer could tell by sight alone. “If you need healing or anything, one should be enough.” Kavaa said and Iniri nodded.

“I’m sorry for not getting you anything.” Iniri said and Fer laughed.

“This is enough! Too much in fact!” She made her tone polite and soft. “But thank you.” With presents, it was the thought that counted. Fer would rather a farmer give her a bottle of his homebrew moonshine than a rich man buy her a palace.

“I hope you’ll be safe.” Kavaa forced the words out and Fer quirked a smile.

“I didn’t paint you as a sentimental type.” She cooed over the shorter Goddess. Who knew that Kavaa with, with those grey eyes as emotionless as concrete and that silver hair as cold as steel, was actually sweet? Well… Fer knew, she could smell that sweetness radiate off Kavaa the moment she met her.

“I’m not.” Kavaa said. “But you did help, I wouldn’t want you to die.” Fer laughed and ruffled her hair. That annoyed Kavaa. Iniri squeaked from the side.

“Is Neneria not here to see you off?”

“We said our goodbyes already.” Fer said. Neneria never liked to show off how warm she was in public.

“Oh.” Iniri replied as Fer boarded the plane.

“I’m not one for stretching goodbyes. See you!” She said and grabbed the little radio for communicating with the pilot. “I’m ready, who is it this time? Douglas or Erik?”

“Erik.” The pilot replied. “Pleasure to have you on board.”

“We’re ready to set off.”

“Understood.” The engines turned on and the ramp in the back of the plane started to shut. “I’ll be going in low, you’ll have to jump from the plane.”

“Do not worry about me, just fly however you want.” Fer felt plane start to start to move as she moved to a window. Iniri and Kavaa were waving for her. Neneria was stood on a hill of red Arikan soil on her pale ghostly horse and watching from a distance. Fer waved back as the plane tumbled on the runway. She always liked this part, it was like a rollercoaster.

Anassa’s Sorcery can only be awakened by herself. If we remove the progenitors of her bloodlines, then the minor sorcerers can be left alone or killed if they cause trouble. Their powers will fade overtime as they intermix with the mundane population. There will be no sorcerers left two centuries from now. The world will be free of this class of self-made aristocrat overman.

- Sorcery Ban Declaration

Fer walked through the underground tunnels that were back at Headquarters. Sara had come out to meet her after she jumped from the plane, a swarm of maids had attended them at first. Fer had handed off Kavaa’s gift to them to take to her room, and she walked with her head held high as Sara guided her to the War Room. Iliyal no doubt had a plan ready, although Fer wanted to make her adjustments. Iliyal always made plans to Kassandora’s precision… Fer… well, she had a different way of carrying out operations.

Sara lead Fer to the War Room, opened the door and followed the Goddess in after she entered. Iliyal and Ilwin were already sitting there. In their suits, pouring over papers that had been sprawled out over the table. There were two maps of Arcadia, then another hung off the wall with a general area of the nearby landscape. A half-drunk bottle of whiskey stood on the table, a pair of empty bottle were next to the ground and both elves had cups of coffee next to them. Fer clapped her hands and took charge immediately. “Right lads, pleasure to see you again, what have you cooked up for me?”

Iliyal stood and saluted, Fer laughed and waved him down. She wasn’t Kassandora for all this pretention. Sara quietly made her way to the table, obviously interested in what she was about to hear. She wore a modest black dress, the sort that could be used for funerals. Fer didn’t know why there was such a tense atmosphere among them. “Go on, get to it.” Fer waved the man forwards. “From what I know, I’m leaving today to check on my herd.”

“That is true.” Iliyal said as he stood up and pointed to the map. “Arcadia has countless mages within it. The goal is to free Anassa and leave, a perfect entry would be in and out without anyone knowing you are there.”

“Continue.” Fer already saw the issue with their plan. When the blood started to flow, the beastmen would grow enraged, there would be no chance at sneakiness then.

“Naturally, that won’t happen.” Iliyal said and Fer nodded as his fingers traced a line over the map. “I’ve sent Edmonton and Fleur to scout the location out, they know it, and they’ve reported that the vast majority of the population is just children being taught in the ways of magic. There’s maybe…” Iliyal shook his head from side to side. “Well, I estimate for the population, we’ll have about two-hundred thousand adult mages there.”

“Quite a lot.” Fer said. An army in the past would have fifty, maybe a hundred serving as auxiliaries and support troops. Anymore was overkill, and they were only there because Arascus’ legions would have two dozen support sorcerers at the maximum. The final battle at Rhomaion only had two thousand sorcerers pulled in and they held out for months before the powers of Divines overwhelmed then.

“Indeed.” Iliyal said. “There is no way to say to this will not be easy. We know Anassa is able to use sorcery, but she cannot leave the Divine Library, I’ve received word from Edmonton and Fleur that today they’ll investigate what is keeping her trapped.”

“Most likely some sort of antimagic.” Fer said and Iliyal nodded as his grandson, Ilwin, seemed to shrink. Neither he nor Sara had any experience in battlefield magic, so neither of them said anything. “Likewise, we only have Raptor One, Two and the Pelican to drop troops in. You’ll have maybe a hundred of your pack with you.”

“A hundred or a million wouldn’t matter against mages.” Fer said and Iliyal nodded grimly.

“The smartest way is to have you ride on the Pelican, then two more supporting teams on Raptor One and Raptor Two.” Iliyal pointed to two crosses on the map. “Our advantage is the lack of real combat experience among the mages. Simple tactics like diversionary attacks should work against them. My suggestion is to drop Raptor One’s team here.” Iliyal pointed to a series of storehouses. “And Two’s here.” Near the dorm rooms of floromancers.

“You want to drop in the heart of it?” Fer asked.

“These will be children. Fleur reported that they’re entirely unsuited to combat. From the description, they wouldn’t even make the ranks of novices in the past. They’re barely past the apprentice stage.”

“Then that clears things up. And guards?”

“Arcadia apparently doesn’t have them.” Iliyal said in disbelief as he looked to Fer with those cold green eyes of his. “I’m not joking, I couldn’t believe it either.” Fer quirked a smile. What sort of operation was Elassa running? What was the point of magicians if they couldn’t fight? What? Was she training them to be farmers instead? Builders maybe?

“And me?” Fer asked.

“The Pelican will drop you and your team right by the Divine Library. We were thinking up North here.” Iliyal pointed to a location in the woods. “But if you’re going to enter loudly anyway, we might as well save you the trek. We have parachutes developed for the beastmen already. One for you too.”

“I see.” Fer said.

“I’ll send the report about Anassa as soon as it gets delivered to me, how you want from there is your jurisdiction.”

“I’ll make some changes.” Fer said. “But to my pack.”

“You should check them out first.” Iliyal said, his grin becoming animalistic. “Mikhail has made some new toys for them to play with.”