The Greatest Sin

The dwarves were allowed one of two choices. They could leave their holds and integrate themselves into the new, Post-Arascus, world, or they could bury themselves underground.

Most dwarves chose the former but we still suspect that certain holdouts exist behind the collapsed underground highways.

- Excerpt from the secret texts in the White Pantheon’s closed library. Written by Goddess Helenna, Of Love, and Goddess Fortia, of Peace: ‘How to Manage the Post-War World.’

 

Maisara sat in her meeting room. Now that she was healed, she could return to strolling around her section with ease. The meeting room was as bare as the hallways, as decoration-less as the doors. There was no grandiosity in it, it was simply cold stone, a table, and cabinets. Maisara herself sat at the head of the table, her Chaplains, each a leader of his own order, then flanked the sides. They sat in their heavy plates, with swords on their backs.

Maisara caught herself playing idly with her silver hair once again. She shook her head and straightened the strands out again and flicked them behind herself. Why did she go to Kassandora? Why did she even think about the Fading Light Contingency? Who was she to compete in battle with the Goddess of War? It was only her pride that made her forget how terrible Kassandora was. “Goddess? Is something wrong?” One of the Chaplains, Heinrich, asked. Captain of the Order of Daylight’s Pillar. An old fellow, although all the Chaplains were, with wrinkles and grey hairs and a moustache.

“Nothing.” Maisara said sternly. She had made a promise. It was what it was. She couldn’t go back on her word now. “How are plans going in accordance to the Contingency Plan?”

“We’ve started active recruitment of squires. In the past week, my order has grown by twelve men.” Heinrich didn’t even have to check his notes. Maisara wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Twelve men? They wore foolish smiles as if that was a good result. In the past, a Paladin strolling through any random village would have twice that offering themselves as squires without even searching them out. Now it took a week to find twelve new recruits?

“And all the orders combined?” Maisara asked. She felt like a piece of glass facing down a hammer strike.

“Across every order, in the past week, we’ve recruited one hundred and sixty-three.” Heinrich said, a tinge of pride in his voice. The rest of the Chaplains in Maisara’s meeting room nodded approvingly. The Goddess herself felt as if that hammer had come and smashed that sheet of glass into a million pieces.

“Do we have reports on Fortia’s Guardians?”

“Two hundred and five.” Fortia was always more popular than her, Maisara had long grown to accept that fact. That popularity usually meant that where Maisara would have a hundred, Fortia would have three. Two hundred new recruits in the Guardian ranks was a number so measly it would have been better if she did not even ask.

“And Allasaria’s Seekers?” Maisara asked.

“Combined, now the Guardians and Paladins outnumber her.” Heinrich said. “But that situation won’t hold. If we cannot secure a quick victory, then the war will drag on. Then Allasaria will have the advantage in recruitment simply from prestige of being the official leader of the White Pantheon.”

Maisara nodded. “Very well. Good job, you are dismissed. Next meeting is here, next week, same time.”

The Chaplains stood up, pulled clean salutes, and marched out of the meeting room. Each step a heavy sending a heavy thud as steel plate crashed into cold stone.

“Which of us should go talk to her then?” Kavaa asked the other two Goddesses.

“It can’t be me.” Helenna said.

“Why not? You’re the best at talking between us.” Iniri said.

“And it was your idea.” Kavaa reminded her.

“Because I’m scared of her.” Helenna replied.

Maisara sat down in Kassandora’s cell. Bed in one corner, table with the two tables in the other, containment crystal in the centre. The Goddess of War stood over her, her smile wide. There was a little bit of Helenna in that woman, she had the same arrogant pride, the same smiles and mannerisms. It was easier to deal with though, Helenna was like that simply because she found enjoyment out of being annoying. Kassandora at least had done something to deserve it.

Kassandora laughed, sat down and threw her crimson hair back with one magnificent movement. Silver hair was brilliant, Maisara loved it, but she wished there would be some colour. Kassandora simply… she simply stood out when compared to others. “So, you want help again?”

“Please, don’t beg for anything. I’ll free you when it’s time but…”

“Shh Maisara.” Kassandora shut her up. “I’m not an impatient little girl. Freeing me now would be bad for both of us.” Maisara didn’t know what to say to that, the woman was simply correct. She couldn’t imagine any other Goddess but herself saying something like that. “I can assume we’re officially in the preparations for war now.” Kassandora cracked her fingers and smiled. “I said I’ll assist so ask away. What do you wish to know from War’s Mistress?”

“Our recruitment efforts aren’t doing too well.” Maisara said.

“Not too well?” Kassandora asked. “There’s no such thing as too-well.”

“They’re doing terribly.” Maisara gave the figures to Kassandora and the woman nodded. The Goddess of War didn’t even think, she gave an answer immediately.

“You’re thinking with the wrong mindset. The goal is not to be a popular figurehead, it’s simply to be more popular than Allasaria.” Maisara blinked as Kassandora went on. “This can be done in two ways: firstly, and this is much harder simply because you and Fortia are…” Kassandora shrugged, made a weighing motion with her hands and finished the gesture off with a terribly condescending smile. “I’ll leave it this, you two are not the best with common folk, but it would be to make yourself loved and so on.”

“And the other?”

“Much easier, especially considering who you’re dealing with. It would be to destroy Allasaria’s reputation. Remember, the goal isn’t to take over the world, the goal is simply to defeat Allasaria. You don’t need an army of millions, you just need twice what she has. If she has ten thousand, then you need to recruit twenty. If you manage to half her numbers, you only need to recruit half.”

Maisara blinked as Kassandora crossed her arms, pushed her chest up and smiled condescendingly. It did not annoy the Goddess of Order in the slightest. It was so obvious… how did both her and Fortia miss it? Kassandora raised one of those delicate eyebrows, her red eyes almost flaring. “Did I help?” She asked.

Maisara stood up and slammed the table. “Immensely.”

Ilwin stared at the several locations he had found. Airports in Karaina B, locations that would have little protection, little public traffic, but still large enough not to have simple one engine farm planes. Arascus wanted airliners and jets. The biggest and the best.

Maisara finished explaining to Fortia, her Guardians and Maisara’s own Paladins the change in plans. Recruitment was obviously a failing strategy, but destroying Allasaria’s image? “I concur.” Fortia said. “We have to plan for a long haul, we can’t let the common people even have any inkling of wanting to join Allasaria.”

The Guardians started to clap and the Paladins slammed the table with closed fists. That was clapping for them. “It is Kassandora’s idea.” Maisara after the clapping finally calmed down. The mood did not change an inch. Kassandora had already given them ideas before, the Goddess of War did live up to her name. One of her Paladins, Konrad, raised a hand. A thin man, old and greying, but with obvious signs of strength, his neck was thin, but it was all muscle. “What is it?”

“In regard to mages, we still don’t have a proper way of dealing with them.” He spoke slowly. “Every single war plan we’ve conceived works on the fact Elassa stays out of the fight.” Maisara nodded, she herself did not know what to do with that either.

Time for another humiliation session with Kassandora, another debt she would be paying back for a hundred years.

Ilwin assembled the final team and took a sigh. He lit up another cigarette, finished his coffee and closed the notebook: Operation Sky Stealer

Maisara avoided Kassandora’s crimson eyes once again as she entered the prison cell: nothing had changed in here, the bed in the corner, the table, the two chairs, the containment crystal. It was impressive that Kassandora had not lost her mind out of boredom already... Maisara bit her cheek, the woman already lived rent free in her mind, she didn’t need any extra compliments. The Goddess of Order sat down by the table and shook her head. “You had a meeting today, right?” Kassandora asked.

“How did you work that out?” Maisara asked. Kassandora smiled and sat down opposite Maisara, there was a good few inches of difference between them, not a lot, but enough that Maisara had to look up at those crimson eyes looking down on her.

“You come at the same time every week.” Kassandora answered. “So? What’s the issue this time?”

“It’s a big one.” Kassandora’s smile grew wider and she motioned for Maisara to continue. “Mages, we can’t deal with Elassa’s schools, you yourself know how many soldiers one mage is worth.” Kassandora nodded, smiled and answered immediately. That always impressed Maisara, the woman really had an answer for everything.

“You do realise any attempt on Allasaria will turn Elassa on you?”

“Yes. Me and Fortia already know we’ll have to deal with Elassa.”

“So you’re ready to have the blood of two Divines on your hands?” Kassandora asked. Maisara nodded slowly.

“It’s just precautions, if Allasaria does come for us, when Leona finally dies, we’re the weaker pair, we have to make the first move.” Kassandora nodded.

“Then it’s rather simple.” She said, smiling wide, her arms spread wide.

“Is it?”

“Elassa, then Allasaria. Mages are terrible to command, without their Goddess, how many will risk their life for Allasaria? Will they even care?” Maisara blinked.

“Do you think so?” She asked. The Goddess of War shrugged.

“I do, but there is another case which assures victory.” Kassandora said, leaning forwards and smiling.

“What is that?”

“You free Anassa. She can gift sorcery like this.” Kassandora snapped her fingers. “Mages to sorcerers are what men are to mages.” Maisara felt the blood drain from her face. Kassandora was controllable, Kassandora had some sense of honour, Kassandora… Maisara felt her own thoughts laugh at her. Kassandora was likable and easy to get along with. The few times she had met Anassa, she had thoroughly hated the woman. It wasn’t just the fact the domains of Order and Sorcery did not match, there wasn’t a single person out there who actually liked Anassa. Even the woman’s own domain-twin, Elassa, only had a cold relationship with her.

“I…” Maisara shook her head. Freeing Anassa? That was a step too far… but then… The magical arms race would swing into their favour immediately. No… she had to ask Fortia about this… Maisara blinked, but then how could she explain her reasoning? She had promised not to say that Arascus was free, allying with Anassa and Kassandora would guarantee them a place in Arascus’ Empire…

The blood drained from Maisara’s face as she realised the line of thought she was walking down. This wasn’t self-preservation anymore, this was actual heretical thought. Allying with Arascus. Kassandora yawned in front of her and started swinging on her seat.

“Before…” Maisara said. “You said… about…”

“About Arascus?” Kassandora said, smiling like a like little girl. The woman was so talented in expressions, even that cute smile rested perfectly on her face. “He is free, but we did make a promise.” Maisara nodded immediately.

“I know, I know.” She said and wanted to slap herself. She was acting like a damn dog for this woman, for this prisoner. “But you said, you wouldn’t mind taking on a new sister.” Kassandora’s eyebrows rose up in surprise so genuine, Maisara did not see how it could be faked.

“You’re thinking if you both me and Anassa vouch for you, you’ll be accepted?” Kassandora asked. Maisara made a single nod.

“Honestly Mai, I would like to say yes. Do I think I could convince him? Of course, but then every battle you enter not hoping to win, you lose. Anassa and Me? I think it would be enough.”

“You think?” Maisara asked and Kassandora shrugged.

“With three or four, I would say yes definitely. Not any single one of us could vouch individually for a new person. I can say this, the fact you fought against us would be wiped away, the fact you helped us would make sure we would not go after you.”

“That’s if you win.” Maisara said sharply and Kassandora laughed.

“Like I said, every battle you enter not hoping to win, you lose. The fact your asking about this means you’ve not found any sort of lead on him.”

“Allasaria doesn’t even consider the fact he’s out.” Kassandora laughed again.

“I have immense respect for the fact you somehow managed to put up with her for a thousand years.” Maisara laughed at that. When was the last time she laughed? A few months ago at least, before the meeting where her and Fortia decided on how to move forwards. She stayed and talked with Kassandora for a few more minutes, simply small talk.

When the cell door shut behind Maisara, Kassandora in her chair and watched the door. She had never been fishing before, but she knew a few men who did. This is what they must feel when the line tugs.

Maisara was caught: hook, line and sinker.

Maisara finished her speech to the audience in the war room. She took a deep breath and sat back down. “That concludes the choices we have: Either we kill Elassa first and eliminate the main method of mages organisation, or we turn to Anassa to grow our own section of sorcerers.” She looked at the faces before her. Her Paladins were deathly statues, they would march into Hell if she told them to. Fortia had her brows burrowed in thought, her Guardians were looking at their Goddess for affirmation on what to do.

“Anassa you say?” Fortia said and took a deep breath. “It will be considered. Personally, I prefer the Elassa assassination plan first.” Maisara didn’t know how to argue for the Anassa plan without revealing what Kassandora had told her. She merely nodded. “I have my own proposition though.”

“What is it?” Maisara asked.

“There is another Divine with holy orders. Kavaa, of Healing.”