The Greatest Sin

Edmonton got phone call from an unknown number. That was standard procedure when Iliyal messaged him, the man changed numbers as often as the Sun rose. “Edmonton speaking.” He answered as Fleur looked up.

It was Ilwin this time. “Magic has left. Operation Sovereign has the green light.”

Edmonton flicked the phone off. It was time to begin.

Kassandora sat in her hotel room in Nanbasa. She had taken over the entire top-floor and the hotel had been more than happy to acquiesce hosting the Goddess leading the Reclamation War. It was spacious, it was large, and it was one of the few places that had been rich enough to order furniture specially made for the size of Divines. Outside was a wonderful day, with the Sun reaching its zenith in the brilliant blue sky above Nanbasa.

She poured over her papers. Diagrams upon diagrams. Flowcharts, lines, boxes and circles, some crossed out, some in black pen, then marked over in red. A new system for military organization, made up of teams, then platoons. Those composed individual companies that would be assigned to regiments, which themselves would fall under brigades, then to divisions. Auxiliaries could be attached and moved around as the situation required. Quick communication destroyed the utter reliance on self-governing armies and generals with far too gracious amounts of autonomy.

There would be no need to placate the leadership with expensive gifts and dreams of palaces. Disloyal generals could simply have the divisions and brigades under their command be transferred to other chains of command. It was a centralized system, with her at the top. Kassandora leaned back and made another note. Arascus talked about something called a machine gun, too heavy to be wielded standing, it had to be set to be used, but it could apparently put out firepower that dwarfed even the AAM1. The question was whether individual squads of infantry would support that, or whether that would support squads.

Her buzzing phone broke the planning. It was Iliyal. Kassandora answered. “What is it?” She asked.

“The Atny branch has confirmed Elassa has left the Pantheon with mage and Divine support. She’s bringing a full cohort.”

“So it’s started?”

“I’ve already given orders for the snipers to set up.” Iliyal said. “But yes, it’s started. Neneria will arrive in Nanbasa in thirty, Kavaa will take two hours more to arrive with her Clerics.”

“Do we have time?”

“It’s a tight fit but they’ll make it as long as there’s no jams on the motorways. Arascus is going too. And Olephia.”

“Understood.” Kassandora said. “I’ll get to the Parliament in thirty minutes then.”

“I’ve told Ilwin that today’s the day for Operation Sovereign. He’s been given the green light.”

“Good.” Kassandora replied. “Is that all?”

“That is.” Iliyal replied promptly. Kassandora shut the phone off and leaned back. She extended her arm and Joyeuse materialized into her grip. If only she better aim back in Olympiada, this trouble would have all been avoided. The Goddess of War smiled to herself as the blade disappeared. Honestly, she did think that the attack would have killed Elassa back then, Elassa had never been especially tough body-wise. Stronger than a mortal of course, but among the Divines? Well, she was downright delicate.

Kassandora re-organized her papers and shut them in a safe. She stood up put her earpiece in. There was chatter on it from snipers who were setting up. Kassandora let them talk among themselves. A quiet tune started to play in her head. It always did when she enjoyed herself.

Neneria made her way to a random attic. She herself would have chosen the parliament building, or maybe one of Nanbasa’s clocktower but Iliyal said that the best location was one which blended in. Kassandora had then backed him up and Neneria wasn’t in any mood to argue with her sister about battlefield tactics. Her own revolved largely around deploying as many ghosts and overwhelming forces in a flood of ethereal bodies.

It was a simple building, not abandoned, but not well maintained either. Supposedly it was an old building marked for demolishing, to be replaced with a new school of Engineering. A kilometre away from Nanbasa’s Parliament. Far away on one hand, but then Atis was the God of the Hunt, he would be able to down a fly at thrice that distance, and they were aiming for a full-on Divine.

She tugged at her HAUPT uniform. The greatcoat hung to her calves, the boots were tight, the white shirt she didn’t like, she would have much preferred a dress. Especially when going into combat, dresses provided mobility. Two of Iliyal’s elves had been assigned with her. They lay down on the ground, found openings in the walls and pulled out their large rifles.

Neneria put her earpiece in and listened to the random chatter. “I have arrived.” Neneria said and the chatter went away. Someone laughed and Neneria narrowed her eyebrows.

“Neneria, they don’t know you by voice.” Kassandora said. “Also, I, Kassandora, am also here. Have a pleasant day gentlemen.” Neneria shook her head.

“I am here.” She said again. “Should I set Atis up now?”

Kassandora gave a reply quickly. “How long can you hold him for?”

“Him alone is not tiring.”

“Then have it at it.” Neneria did not reply, she raised her hands and the ghost of a Divine stepped into air behind her. Atis took a step. Ghastly, his back pockmarked with the holes that had once slain him. His shoulder with tooth marked, Neneria had questioned him about. Apparently from a boy-sorcerer cursed with lycanthropy. He stood lightly opaque in clothes unaffected by the gentle draft in the old building. His bow in his hands, a quiver ever full of ethereal arrows on his hip. His longbow, once golden and now a pale green, in his hand.

“Your orders?” His voice was flat, his eyes clear as he spoke.

“When I give the signal. Kill Elassa.”

Kassandora felt the fire in her eyes as she stood. She heard the drums in her head. They were roaring now, each one impacted like a hammer crushing steel plate underneath her. Mwai walked past her to the Parliament. He nodded to the Goddess and smiled. “Pleasant day, are you here for anything?”

“We’ve received news someone is coming.” Kassandora replied. Mwai raised an eyebrow.

“Should I do anything about it?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kassandora said as another chorus started to blare in her mind. A war-horn of a trumpet, an army of a choir, a sword drawing was a violin. Kassandora kept that orchestra playing as she looked to the skies. She hated waiting usually. She had always considered herself a woman of action. Waiting was simply letting time pass by, as others acted, you stood still and stagnant, rotting in whatever situation you were currently in.

But sometimes, the wait was a tantalizing domino. Sometimes, the wait was the enjoyment all in itself. Never did a plan go fully to plan, there would always be hiccups to come across. A car always needed a driver because there was no such thing as a perfect road. But sometimes, the road was straight and damn smooth. Mwai looked up at her as blood wanted to flow into her cheeks, she kept the blush down. “How’s the situation with Army Implementation?”

“We’re looking for a location to build your command quarters.” Mwai said and Kassandora nodded.

“Good, go on then.” Kassandora replied. For once, she did not care how she looked. Elassa was coming, and Elassa was going to die today. A countless years, before even the invention of the calendar, Elassa had existed. A hundred years they fought against each other in the Great War. A thousand years after when Kassandora was imprisoned. The Goddess of Magic was one of the immortal pillars of this world. And today, a series of dominos had been crafted large enough to finally topple that pillar. Kassandora, Goddess of War, licked her lips as all the instruments of battle crescendoed into an orchestra in her mind.

Sometimes, the wait as tantalizing as a precious finger sliding up her thigh.

Kavaa put her earpiece in as she jumped off the back of a truck. Two thousand Clerics had been brought with her. A thousand for combat, a thousand for support. Fifty trucks had convoyed a long snake all day and all night to reach Nanbasa from the frontline.

She saw her men step disembark and start donning her armour as she clicked her earpiece. “Goddess Kavaa reporting, Kassandora are you here?”

Kassandora replied promptly, her voice was warm today. “I am.”

“The Clerics have arrived.”

“As planned then, set them up in the designated spots near the parliament. Block off streets when you need to, keep the public away.”

“Understood, Kavaa out.” Kavaa replied as she turned to her men and started to bark orders.

Kassandora looked up at that gorgeous blue sky. The Sun was starting to recline from its zenith. She licked her lips again as Arascus spoke into her earpiece. “I am here, with Iniri and Olephia.” Arascus said.

“Hello!” Iniri’s pleasant voice came over the headset.

“Olephia writes hello too.” Arascus said. “Eyes to the sky, from our reports, Elassa has crossed the northern border.”

“Understood.” Kassandora said. She heard walls topple in her mind, a castle fall, the population cry as they were cut down. She blinked the thoughts away. They were pleasant, but they were too pleasant if she wanted to command. “Iliyal, are you in position?”

“I am.” Iliyal replied.

Kassandora raised her voice. Arascus, Olephia and Neneria knew Iliyal from the War, but the other Divines? She doubted they had ever received orders from mortals. “Kavaa, Iniri and all other troops.” She made sure to pick the two Divines out by name. “Orders come from Iliyal, he is in charge of this operation until the end. Don’t argue with him. An order from him is as good as an order from me.”

“Understood.” Kavaa replied promptly in her cool voice.

“Got it.” Iniri said. Kassandora smiled to herself as she kept on waiting. She didn’t know what it was, but today, the wait was pure bliss.

Elassa slowed her soar through the air as she allowed her cohort to catch up. One hundred and twenty of Arcadia’s top mages. Ones she had picked out herself and explained to what it meant when a country broke a Pantheon Directive.

In two days, she had trained these men from casting the puppet-shows used in Arcadian combat to proper battlefield mages. It wasn’t difficult, once you had the magical power, all you needed was a change in perspective. They all wore white and gold robes. Symbols of the Pantheon adorned onto them.

She had brought Zerus, Sceo and Alkom. Just in case, whatever Arascus would throw at them, they would take. The only issue was Olephia, but even he would not be mad enough to allow Olephia to run rampage in a city. Frankly, it wouldn’t be a bad call. She would gladly goad Olephia to destroy Nanbasa and leave. That may not kill Arascus, but it would destroy any image of the so-called humanitarianism he presented. You simply could not wield the Goddess of Chaos allowed like a heavy club. Olephia should have been put down millennia ago before she was allowed to grow into the monster she was nowadays.

“Today, we end this charade of Kassandora and Arascus. Once and for all!” Elassa shouted to her cohort. There was no need for speeches, they had received one back in Olympiada. Now was the time for action.

Kassandora looked up at the specs of darkness in the sky. Tiny black specs that grew close. The percussion in her head tore down a fortress. The strings culled a country. The strings stormed across the world. The brass tore it apart. Elassa had arrived. Waltzed right in to take centre stage at Kassandora’s theatre.

Today, War was playing a tune with an orchestra behind her.

The music would not stop until heads rolled.