The Greatest Sin

“Send a mayday, that is not a storm”

• Last verbal notification received from the Allian cargo ship: Ocean Wanderer. Intercepted near South Western Arika.

In the Alchan mountain, south of Doschia, east of Rancais, north of Rilia, in the centre of Epa, was an ancient palace, Aldanstein. It had stood there for a few centuries, with all the traces of modern castle building techniques. Round towers, pointed roofs, walls covered in glass windows. It was a product of Pantheon Peace, a palace built for comfort rather than a fortress built for war. The gatehouse had no gate, the walls had no crenelations, there was no moat. It had a winding road, almost as if a giant had drawn a dark line on the white canvas of Alchan snows, and a heliport.

Today, that heliport was full. The carpark was brimming with dark vehicles, all with tinted glass and luxurious interiors. People meandered about; guards, police, servants and chauffeurs as they waited for the people who had disappeared into the upper levels of palace Aldanstein. The people who managed the lands of Epa.

“That is everyone.” King Wissel Ellenheim said, ruler of Doschia. A man in his early forties who had served as caretaker of the land for more than half of his life. “Sit, the meal will come later, I will pre-emptively apologize for the modesty of it.” Doschia’s mascot Goddess, Saksma, stood behind him. A tall woman, beautiful, although all Divines were. With long golden hair that fell to her waist and brought contrast to the green dress. She smiled at Rancais’ Paida, just as tall, but with a more refined face and eyes the colour of her nation’s prized purple wine.

“Cutting costs Wissel?” King Richard VI, ruler of Allia said. A handsome man, the youngest of them all here. Only thirty-one, he had sat on his for a mere three years after his father, Richard V, retired.

Wissel shook his head and spoke as he took his place in the table. “It would not be fit to spend extravagantly in a time like this. The Konigreichbund Ministers send their regards and wish you good luck in your marriage.”

“Likewise all of Rancais cheers that Allia’s succession is secured.” President Artois said. Head of legislature in Rancais. Tall, dark haired and blue-eyed, he was only dressed in a suit compared to the nobilities royal garbs. “King Louis apologizes for his absence and sent me in his stead. He has asked for understanding with regards to the Anarchia issue in Rancais.”

“It is understandable indeed, you had your hands full with Anarchia and now the Pantheon sent Maisara.” Richard replied. “Although you said this meeting was about that.”

“About Divine involvement in Epa.” Wissel confirmed. He watched Jozef, take his seat. President of Lubska, a man in his fifties. The man dressed modestly, he had even come in a civilian helicopter all the way. He met Wissel’s eyes and nodded before speaking.

“Olonia could not attend. She is busy with flooding in the south and we’ve found our own Anarchian cells in the country.” That was Lubska’s own mascot Goddess. Wissel thought little of it, but Saksma would probably not be happy. The mascots liked each other.

“My condolences.” Jozef’s chair made a terrible sound as he brought it close to the wooden table and pulled out a folder of papers from his briefcase.

“I understand did want to bring up another issue.”

“I think I know which one it is.” Wissel said. The last man, Aimone came sat down. Ruler of Rilia, he was dressed in all extravagant oranges and reds that brought to mind a perfect Rilian sunset. Agrita, mascot of Rilia, stood close by. Shorter than Paida and Saksma, far less noble, but far more homely, with a chest and rear that always called for attention. The tight dress did not help. Wissel pulled his eyes off her, he had never liked Agrita.

“Very well gentlemen.” Wissel brought out his own stack of papers now that everyone had sat down. Having served for two decades and since such a young age, people always respected his words, he cared little for theatrics. He disliked them even, but sometimes, situations did call for a speech and some drama. “Today marks fourteen months since the start of Doschia’s recession. Twelve months since the fighting started in Rancais. We’ve seen Anarchians spread out even to Lubska now, we’ve seen the recession take seven percent of our continent’s total economy. At the rate we are going now, neither will get better. We’ve begged the White Pantheon for assistance with both.” He took a sigh.

“And after so long, they sent Maisara for one issue and Fortia for the other.” He pulled out an image. It had been on every news channel for the past week. The image that Everything in Epa had broadcast to the world, of the battle on top of Olympiada. “And this is what the White Pantheon has been up to while Epa has been suffering. You all know me gentlemen, you know I am not one for speaking in grandiosities.” He took a breath. “But this is, without a doubt, the greatest threat to stability in Epa since the Great War.”

The room descended in silence. Wissel had thought it would. He wasn’t a schemer, nor did he care much for what people thought of him. He was the King of Doschia, that title was enough for him. He continued. “I’ve sent this image to historians. I am sure you have too.”

Richard answered. “I did not want to believe it.”

Jozef leaned forwards. “That was one of the situations I was hoping you’d bring up.” He pulled out a piece of paper with a photograph of an ancient portrait of a Goddess. Tall, red haired, in dark armour and with terrible crimson eyes. Below it, something was written in pen. Kassandora, Goddess of War, Daughter-Goddess of Arascus.

“I think everyone knew immediately.” Artois crossed his arms and leaned back. “Our historians had it down and we tried to contain the leak.”

“There was nothing to contain after EIE aired it.” Wissel said.

“EIE did air it, but the image was out on the internet before this.” Richard spoke up. EIE was an Allian company after all.

“I’m not blaming you for the leak. It has happened, we can only work around it now. Better that EIE broke the news than one of us.” Wissel said. Aimone chuckled grimly before speaking.

“Imagine the speech.” He raised his hands in a grand theatrical gesture. “Dear people of Epa, I am sorry, but Kassandora is out. Yes, the Kassandora you’re all thinking of. Don’t be afraid, we definitely have it under control.” He dropped his arms and folded them again. “I was joking, but it’s not funny.” Wissel nodded along and Richard spoke up.

“There is actually information that has not been leaked, courtesy of AMNI.” That was the Allian Ministry of National Information. He too sounded grim. “It’s only hearsay, but it lines up with what we do know. And it’s bad.”

“What?” Wissel asked.

“Kavaa, Helenna & Iniri are to be kicked out of the White Pantheon.” Richard replied. “But with the fact we know that Kassandora has retreated to Kirinyaa…”

“And that Kavaa has recalled all her orders from Epa.” Jozef said, he stalled for a moment, then quietly continued. “To Kirinyaa.”

“I’d like to add, my government received a notice from Olympiada to stop and arrest all Clerics still swearing allegiance to Kavaa.” Aimone said and Agrita shook her head behind him.

“I did too.” Wissel replied.

“As did I.” Artois added.

“Not here.” Jozef said. “Although all our domestic Orders were in Arika already.”

“Likewise.” Richard added. “Are you going to go through with it?”

“Do I want an open civil war?” Artois replied. “The Clerics are loved.”

“I’m pretending the letter has not arrived.” Wissel said. Anytime the Pantheon made of their ridiculous demands was a lose-lose situation, but this felt more like a death-death situation; death by mob & pitchfork, or death by Allasaria.

“I’ve not replied to it either.” Aimone said and Agrita nodded with a hmph from behind him. “Letters get misplaced all the time and Rilia is not known for its efficiency anyway, is it?” The table had some laughter at the self-depreciation joke at that. “But as I was leaving, something else came through, this one I can’t pretend to ignore, an Invention brought it.”

“What?” Wissel asked.

“A demand to embargo Kirinyaa.” The king replied. “I assume you’ll get it too.”

“I received word of it on the phone on the way here. An invention came to Zawitz and personally presented it to our Sejm and then the Senat.” Local words for their government. Wissel had studied some Lubskan for his visits. Jozef shook his head. “A god of cutlery apparently.”

“We got the god of radios at least.” Aimone replied with a chuckle before looking over the other three. “But if Rilia and Lubska got it, you will too.”

“So embargo it is.” Wissel replied. “We can’t stand against the Pantheon, and Kirinyaa is poor.”

“Embargoes in recessions.” Artois said. “Truly genius.”

“It is what it is. We can’t stand against them.” Wissel replied. “But since they’re openly treating us like this, I would like to get the point of the meeting. A new vision for Epa.”

“And that is?”

“The Anarchians and the recession will result in revolutions, every academician in Doschia already agrees that someone’s head will roll.”

“In Rancais, we’ve already given decentralization compromises and they did little. Now two provinces are aiming for independence referendums precisely because of the concessions in those compromises.” Artois said.

“I want to avert that, salvage what we have.” Wissel said. “It is radical however.”

“How radical?” Jozef asked.

“It’s why I asked only you here. Combined, Allia, Rancais, Rilia, Lubska and Doschia account for sixty percent of the entire Epan population. Economically, we are seventy percent. In manufacturing, practically everything made in Epa has the stamp of one of our five countries. What we decide here, the other nations of the Epan Community will follow.”

“Are you sure?”

“We cut the fat. Gracya will obviously never join.” Wissel said, that was the nation Olympiada and Arcadia sat in. “But when the ship is sinking, we don’t have the luxury of having time to beg to step on the lifeboats. We ring the alarm and cast off when we’re ready.”

“I agree.” Jozef said. “If we don’t avert civil war in Rancais, it will spread to Doschia and then how many millions will die? Same with the recession. Foodbanks in Zawitz are running low, imagine that? Starvation in the largest grain producer in the Epan Community?” He shook his head. “So what do you suggest Wissel?”

Wissel took a breath. “It is radical indeed, but I have talked it over with the Konigreichbund. The ministers agree.” He sighed again. “At this point, the economic crisis cannot be stalled. The Doschian financial sector has entered a death-spiral. We can’t stop it, we can’t reverse it. But we can find a scapegoat to take the blame.” The man sighed heavily. When he became King at the age of the nineteen, he had never thought he would be talking about a plot against the Divine Mountain.

“You mean…” Richard did not say the name.

“I mean Fortia, Goddess of Peace. The White Pantheon said it would help, it sent her. She has no knowledge of this, I do not blame her of course, she is the Goddess of Peace, not the Goddess of Economics.” He sighed. “But…” Artois broke it the minute-long silence.

“But indeed.”

“Likewise, the same can be done in Rancais.”

“Excuse me?” Artois said.

“You have been having anti-Maisara protests, have you not?”

“Her methods…” Artois shrugged. “Well, she goes in and kills everyone.”

“Has she stalled the violence though?”

“Order has been restored to Aris and the neighbouring towns, she’ll be sent south.”

“You let her go South, you let her go under notion that you have no right to interfere with Divine Matters as per the Olympiadan Directives, and then you abandon her once she cleans up the mess.”

“That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.” Artois said.

“A bad taste in your mouth is better than a rope around your neck, Maisara is effective, she can go to northern Rillia after that, then south-eastern Epa, then circle to Lubska before finishing at Doschia. Give her all the logistical assistance she needs but don’t crack down on the protests, then say you’ve won and beaten Olympiada.”

“That would actually go against the Directive.”

“That is the final step of this plan. Once Maisara is finished with her slaughter, we expel both her and Fortia and rebuild Epa from the ashes.”

“You mean, cut ties with the Pantheon.” Artois replied.

“If what AMNI says is true, there is no White Pantheon anymore. How can they kick out the three most loved Goddesses they have?”

“If they released Kassandora, they can.” Artois said.

“If they released Kassandora, then it raises even more questions about what is happening on Olympiada. People would rather follow Iniri, Helenna and Kavaa rather than Allasaria.” Wissel said. “However we if step away from Olympiada, we have need insurance.”

“And that is?”

“To break Pantheon Peace.” The silence this time crushed and deafened.

“The people would never agree to the creation of an official standing army.” Richard finally said. Wissel finally took out a breath, the fact they weren’t immediately against it but against the logistics meant they agreed, they only needed to be shown how.

“An official army is off the table of course.” Wissel brought out more papers. Some for all of them. Doschia had already began its silent buildup. “But an increase in police recruitment. A modernization of their armour. Anti-magic bows under the guise of countering Anarchia’s magic. Support for rural hunting clubs, any outdoor activities really. This year, we are holding the first Epan Archery competition in Doschia. I invite everyone at the table to send their best sharpshooters.”

“I see.” Jozef flicked through the papers as his eyes greedily scanned them.

“This is…” Aimone said. “This is something indeed.”

“And if the Pantheon comes, which I suspect it will.” Wissel tapped his own stack of papers. “Then it will not be difficult to repurpose these into an unofficial army.”

“I do not have the authority to agree for Rancais.” Artois said.

“Rancais does not have to know. Your term lasts another three years. The police has to be expanded in your nation to deal with any Anarchians.”

“Lubska will agree.” Jozef said loudly. Wissel allowed himself a smile.

“Rilia will too.”

“Allia…” Richard said. “We don’t have the Anarchian menace and my government is for austerity to deal with the recession.” Wissel nodded. “Of course I see the sense in this, but the feasibility?”

“This is not a pact.” Wissel said. “I have no authority in your countries, I am simply proposing how to deal with the issue. It is time Epa started dealing with its own issues rather than relying on Divines for all its problem solving.” He smiled again. “We did it in the past.”

“Indeed.” Artois said. “You have my support in this, but to trick a nation is not easy.”

“There is no trickery required. Support for the White Pantheon is at all time lows among the populations no matter who is surveyed. Even the Clerics are polling at only sixty percent. We simply saw the problems first, if we don’t prepare now, then it will be too late when people are clamouring for solutions.”

“I agree then.” Richard said. “There is one thing I wanted to bring up.” Wissel nodded.

“I have too.” Jozef added.

“It seems we all do.” Artois commented.

“Artica?” Aimone asked.

“Artica.”

“I was hoping it was one of you.” Wissel brought out a satellite photo. It was the white Artican ice sheets smudged with a pitch-black hole.

“It looks like we were all hoping for that.” Artois said. “This is from our own satellites.” He brought one out of his suit, it was similar to Wissel’s photo, but slightly clearer.

“We lost a satellite.” Richard said. “It’s been recovered now by a science ship. There’s no photo, but the bottom half was coated with radiation.” He crossed his arms. “And it’s not the sort of damage that uranium makes.”

“I hope not.” Wissel said.

“We did an investigation on it through RAE.” Aimone spoke up, Agrita behind nodding with every word said. The Rilian department of Accidents and Emergencies. In a country with volcanoes, such a thing was needed. “But the area is Pantheon land.”

“Excuse me?” Jozef asked.

“It’s Pantheon land.”

“Why does the Pantheon have land in Artica?”

“That’s what I want to know.” Aimone replied. Agrita once again shook her head and Wissel once again forced himself to peel his eyes off her. He felt Saksma’s finger flick his back in disdain.

“So no one knows?” Wissel asked.

“AMNI has proposed a theory. It’s top-secret though.” Richard said. The entire table turned to him, even the Divine mascot-Goddesses.

“Go on.” Wissel said. Richard brought out a series of papers.

“With the fact it was Pantheon territory, we think it was a prison.”

“Why?” The King of Allia spread the papers out and Wissel felt his stomach turn. It was such an obvious pattern that it could not denied.

“This is meteorological data. I think you all see it.” Wissel did. It was a contained storm, barely three miles wide, but it started at where that black mark in Artica was, and then it started moving north. Straight to Epa. “I’ve only brought these images with me, but we take a new recording everything fifteen minutes.” He pulled two more out. “When it got to the edge of the Artican ice sheets, it stopped moving for thirty minutes, then continued. Today, we lost a ship.”

“Excuse me?”

“It was a cargo ship, twenty-four men on board. It gave a final notice of coming across something that wasn’t a storm. Then communications were lost.”

“Do you have any recording of that?”

“We do.” Richard brought out a cassette player. “This data has been analysed by AMNI and they’ve sent it to historians. Listen.” He played the tape. It was short, only a minute long. Lightning crashed, waves roared, winds howled, the ship’s horn sounded twice. Suddenly steel snapped, and then there was the sound of an explosion, the sound finished less than half a second after that. “This was broadcast to Southern Arika, who then sent it to us.”

“What did they say?”

“They said they don’t know, but that it was our ship so it’s our data.” Richard sighed. “AMNI isolated the sounds, it’s faint, but listen to this. Like I said, nothing has been added to the sound, and I don’t think the Arikans are playing some joke on us.” He played the sound again. This time the sound of crashing waves was quieter, the ship’s horns were dulled, the lightning wasn’t as vivid. A sound that wasn’t there came through, barely audible, but once Wissel heard it, he could not unhear it.

Richard played the tape again. Now that Wissel knew what he was looking for, it was obviously there, right from the start.

A woman humming.