The Greatest Sin

Arascus smiled as he reclined to turn on the news. There was some unnatural storm on the news today. He didn’t care so much. Kassandora had called. She apologized for the quick message and asked for Fer and Neneria! Of course he would help her.

Kavaa watched as Kassandora returned with Iliyal over her shoulder. It was a longer wait this time, almost an hour. They must have discussed something in secret. Kavaa clicked her tongue, she hated being left out like that, but then she left Kassandora out of most of her own planning too. The elf was dropped onto the ground, he took a few wobbly steps and stretched. “That is one thing I’ll never get used to.” He said, Kassandora was already away from him and walking towards Kavaa.

The black armour disappeared from around her as she shouted another demand. “What’s the endurance of your powers? And where is Helenna?”

“Helenna’s asleep.” Kavaa said. “I set her to sleep. And…” Kavaa’s voice fell silent. What was the endurance of her powers? She was a healer, there were times when she got tired of course, but the last time that had happened was during the Great War, when she had to heal entire armies simultaneously. “And I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Kassandora crossed her arms and clicked her tongue, her tone disbelieving, then annoyed. “How do you not know?”

“I’ve never tested it. It’s high.”

“When you healed me with the Sun, did you reach your limit?”

“No.” Kassandora looked Kavaa up and down and clicked her tongue again.

“How close did you get?”

“Not close, it wasn’t tiring.”

“Good enough.” Kassandora replied after a moment of consideration. “Wake Helenna, bring canteens. Where are the documents?”

“My men are still getting them.” Kassandora rolled her eyes.

“They’re not very fast.” She said and shook her head. “Whatever, don’t worry about it. I’m fetching the Arikans. Have a table out here with the papers when I come back.” Kassandora launched herself towards the neighbouring camp.

“You heard her!” Kavaa shouted to the crowd of Clerics that was growing. Everyone in the camp was awake right now, some had thought it was an attack at first. “Bring a table! Bring documents about the Jungle! Bring Helenna! And canteens!” What did she need canteens for anyway? The Clerics ran off and organised themselves on the move. Order-Captains and Chaplains took command, but the differences of which group a Cleric belong to quickly faded. Kavaa allowed herself a smile as she watched the well-oiled machine that was her army, she had always liked that about her men. When put to use, they moved as one very healthy body.

She approached Iliyal. The man stood there and watched her army with hawkish eyes. She had been accustomed to Kassandora’s investigations, she couldn’t stop that after all, but this elf? Who did he think he was. His grandson had been healed, and two Clerics in full plate were kneeling over the woman. “What’s the situation on her?”

“Not dangerous but tiring.” One of the Clerics, a grim-faced man, answered. “She’s been torn by g-forces, her muscles basically...” Kavaa looked at the woman, so this is how Kassandora treated her own. “Well, they’ve turned to shreds. Her organs are fine though.”

“Move, I’ll heal her.” Iliyal stepped between the Goddess and the woman. He was tall, elves were always tall. A full head taller than a human, but then that meant he only reached Kavaa’s shoulders. Still, even with that difference in height, he stood before her.

“Goddess Kassandora told me to make you save your energy.” He didn’t use a hard tone. Nor was it cold or aggressive, it was simply a statement of fact. Kavaa felt anger flare up inside her.

“And who are you to command me?” Kavaa asked.

“Iliyal Tremali. General of the Eighth Army, Herald of Arascus.” He made no movements.

“Is this how your Goddess treats her own?” Kavaa waved a hand to the woman on the ground.

“The pain of today is the victory of tomorrow.” Iliyal replied.

“How grandiose.” Kavaa looked at the woman again as she moaned. This elf, with those mad emeralds for eyes, was obviously a blessed fanatic. There was no fear coming from him, no concern at the fact he was facing off a Goddess, nor at the Clerics who were giving him dirty looks from around. He simply sounded sure of himself, he may as well have said that his blood was flowing and his heart was flowing. Kavaa sighed.

“Move.” She said.

“I refuse.” Looks like Kassandora had an eye for men. The man’s grandson, Ilwin, caught up to them. This one too had Kassandora’s energy, but it wasn’t as thick.

“It’s not that she knows you can’t heal her. It’s that she wants you to be at the peak of your power for the entrance into the Jungle.” He spoke quickly, gestured with his hands, tried to explain. A much more reasonable man.

“One woman’s muscles won’t make a difference.” Kavaa said.

Ilwin’s question destroyed her. “Are you sure?”

No. She was not sure. She was terrified of entering that cursed land. She did not want to. Her heart had dropped when Kassandora said she would taking Kavaa inside. Kavaa sighed and shook her head. “Very well. Who did you call?” Iliyal had no change in his posture, Ilwin looked at his grandfather and then adopted a similar posture. “Are you not going to tell me?”

“I cannot, the Goddess said not to, she will be here before dawn.”

“How?” Either Kassandora had an army ready in Kirinyaa, or she had access to planes. Or Anassa was free. But then Anassa was not free, nor was there some secret army in Kirinyaa. How did Kassandora have planes? What was she? Both elves remained silent as the two Clerics on the ground wiped their brows and continued their hands over the woman’s forehead. “Who is that at least?”

“Duchess Sara Daganhoff.” Iliyal replied. Well, at least she knew he didn’t like her from the tone.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Iliyal confirmed. Maybe Helenna could get information out of him, but she doubted it. She was about to ask another question when Kassandora landed back in the camp.

“The Arikans are coming. They’re bringing their elders.” She shouted then turned to the Clerics. “Make room, clear the path. WHERE ARE THE PAPERS?!”

“Here.” A voice said. Two men in steel armour were hauling a chest to them. Another holding a table on his head as he followed them.

“On the hill!” Kassandora pointed to the summit of the small mound that blocked vision of the Jungle. That mound was partly the reason Kavaa had chosen this location for her camp. She didn’t like the feeling of that Jungle watching her. “And Helenna?” Kassandora shouted.

“I am here.” Helenna’s said. The short sleep Kavaa had sent had calmed her down. Kassandora cleared the distance between with a simple jump.

“What happened? Tell me everything.” Helenna was a wreck. Her clothes were still dirty, her pure-white hair was all out of place. She was barely managing to hold herself together.

“I don’t know…” Helenna said at first. “We were approaching the Jungle.” She sniffled and wiped her nose. “I was actually complaining about you. And then… Iniri stopped. She said she heard it.”

“She heard it?” Kassandora said the words as if she couldn’t believe them. “She actually heard it?” Helenna nodded as Of War waved Kavaa closer. “And then, what happened?”

“She… she turned, she turned the Jungle was not her demesne. Then she pushed me away.” The Goddess of Love was close to tears at this point. “And… she… sh-she said ‘save me’.” Helenna started to bawl again. Kavaa had seen Helenna cry before, in joy and happiness and sadness, but never like this. Of Love collapsed into Kassandora’s arms as the taller held her.

“Hold yourself together Helenna. I am here.” Kassandora whispered as she stroked Helenna’s hair. “Keep yourself strong, Iniri is relying on you.” Kavaa had always hated that about Kassandora, she simply knew what to say and when. She even sounded like she meant it. “How did she get taken? Tell me everything, everything is important.”

“The Jungle just took her. Vines I mean… They just… I couldn’t do anything, it happened in less than a second.” Kassandora remained silent for a moment. Did she really care? Kavaa didn’t know the answer to that. Kassandora was just like that… in a few days, she had ingratiated herself with the Arikans to the point that they now waved to her when they saw her. Kavaa’s Orders had been here for four hundred years, and the Arikans still treated her coldly.

“That is everything?” Kassandora gently asked.

“Ye-yes. I… I’m sorry Kass…” Why was Helenna apologizing? What did she have to apologize for? Kavaa stood a few steps away, stone-faced as she watched Kassandora tightly squeeze Helenna.

“I’m letting go now, stand by yourself.” Kassandora whispered.

“O-okay.” Kassandora let go of Helenna and the woman wiped her tears. Colour returned to her hair. A faint red.

“Did you hear the Jungle?”

“N-No.” Kassandora nodded and turned to Kavaa.

“Have you ever heard it?”

“I’ve never heard it.” Kavaa replied.

“I haven’t either, and I got close.” Kassandora replied. “Have you ever entered?”

“Twenty-two times.” Kavaa replied.

“And you’ve never heard it inside?”

“Never.” Kavaa replied. Kassandora turned to the table where Kavaa’s Clerics were stacking papers, paused for a second and then turned to Helenna.

“Can you hold yourself together?” She asked.

“I think so.” Helenna said.

“If you start crying, I’ll send you away. We’re doing for this for Iniri. Now come.” She turned and continued to shout orders as she made her way to the table. “SOKOLOWSKI! ASSEMBLE THE MEN!” Kavaa clicked her tongue, she didn’t think highly of those who had left her. “ALL CLERICS WHO HAVE ENTERED THE JUNGLE! I ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE! LINE UP BY THE HILL! WHERE ARE MY CANTEENS?!” She didn’t even look to see if the men where following her commands, but Kavaa saw they were. She approached the table, Kassandora was already scanning a piece of paper. “ILIYAL, ILWIN! COME HERE!” The two elves ran to meet their Goddess without a moment’s hesitation.

“Reporting!” Kassandora dumped a stack of papers in Iliyal’s arm.

“Have Ilwin help you. You’re looking for the same of shit you did back in the day.” Kavaa blinked. Did the woman just swear? She recalled her memory, all the way back to the Great War. That was a first.

“At once.” The elf saluted, and sat down on the ground with Ilwin. He passed a paper to Ilwin and they started to speak quietly to each other. Kassandora already was working on her own stack of papers. A man up to them. Damian Sokolowski. Once Captain of the Twin Hearts, now the Order did not exist. Kassandora had stolen every single member.

“Soldiers reporting! Full assembly will be completed in two minutes.” Kavaa crossed her arms. How did they move so fast? The Clerics would have taken at least ten.

“Good.” Kassandora replied without even looking at him. “Have them sit and rest, don’t strain yourselves. Those who want to sleep are allowed bags. Have something to eat. No alcohol. Tobacco is fine. Assemble over there.” Of War pointed to the edge of the hill where no one stood without taking her eyes away. She flipped the paper, then threw it back in the chest.

“Understood.”

“Apologies Kavaa, but you’ll have to reorganize these papers.” Kassandora said as her eyes scanned the paper. “Do you know the Jungle?”

“Of course I know it.” Another paper was thrown in. Was the woman actually reading them?

“What is this about the Glassing?” Kassandora asked. “And the Glass Desert?” She read further. Helenna answered before Kavaa could.

“The Jungle was spreading to Western Arika in the past. Around the year 600-“ Kassandora interrupted her.

“It says 628.” Helenna nodded.

“Then, Allasaria and Elassa went to scour the Devil’s Gap. They burned the Jungle that had grown west of it and turned the desert to glass.”

“So it can be stopped.” Kassandora smirked. “So fire works?”

“It does.” Kavaa said. “The countries of Ausa and Kinshasa where devoured by the Jungle and reduced to only cities on the coast. They hold daily burnings outside their walls to clear it away.”

“And it doesn’t adapt to fire?” Kassandora asked.

“There’s not much to adapt with when you’re a plant.” Kavaa replied. Kassandora threw two more pages into the chest. Iliyal shouted a question from the ground.

“What is the Poison Line?”

“Another deity came here before the Glassing.” Kavaa said. “We don’t know who, but apparently they were begged to stall the Jungle by the countries in Western Arika. They created the Poison Line but then disappeared. They started at the coast and moved north, then disappeared. The Glassing was just how we finished the Poison Line.”

“When did they disappear?” Iliyal asked.

“Around 600, we don’t have an exact date. The Poison Line started appearing in 589.” Kavaa replied. Kassandora followed up on the question.

“It says the first Clerical Order to arrive to specifically counter the Jungle’s disease was brought in 613.”

“It didn’t poison before then.” Kavaa said and then worked it out. “You don’t mean…”

“Mmh.” Kassandora replied. “So assimilation is on the table.” She looked up at the great green wall. “If Iniri is assimilated…”

“With her powers.” Kavaa replied.

“Then Arika will fall in a matter of months. It could even grow into the Sassara.”

“Then Epa.” Kavaa replied.

“The whole world.” Kassandora said and chuckled. “Where’s Allasaria when you need her, huh?”

“We could ring.”

“By the time the Pantheon organises a response, it will be too late. You know that as well as I do. They’ll spend a year squabbling over how to run an expedition and then a year squabbling about the fact they squabbled.” Kassandora replied. “Iniri has to be recovered, and we’re going to do it.” She got back to the papers as the Arikans got close. Arusei and Waf and Kimani and Jebet and the rest of them. They all carried grim expressions.

Kassandora noticed them without even looking. “What is the inside of the jungle like?” She shouted. The Arikans must have been told already, Arusei spoke without even introducing himself.

“The first five miles are its skin, that’s where its toughest.” Kavaa had never paid attention to their folk tales but now, she listened with her full attention. “Then inside, further in, it starts speaking.”

“I thought you said you can hear it outside.” Kassandora replied.

“Out here and in the skin, it whispers to you. Inside, it starts to speak.”

“Have you ever recovered a man from there?” Kassandora asked. Another paper fell into the chest. Iliyal was done with a quarter of his.

“Twice in my lifetime.”

“And?”

“They take a while to recover, but it is possible.”

“I meant what do they say about the inside?”

“They say that…” Arusei fell silent as Clerics carrying a crate ran up the hill.

“Your canteens.” Kassandora finally got up from the papers. She moved to Iliyal and demanded more from Arusei.

“Well, go on then.”

“They say you see everything you don’t want to.” Arusei said grimly. “But everyone says different things.”

“How does it know what you don’t want to see?” Kassandora asked.

“The Jungle knows everything.” Arusei replied and Kassandora shook her head. She turned to of Health.

“See Kavaa, this is what we’re dealing with.” And then back to the elf on the ground. “Your sword Iliyal.” The man did not even look up, he pulled his blade out of its scabbard and handed it to his Goddess. It was a longsword, in the elf’s hand, it was an imposing weapon. In Kassandora’s, it was a toothpick. She turned and approached Helenna. “How much do you want to save Iniri, Helenna?” The woman looked at the blade, wiped one last tear, her hair turned crimson and she spoke coldly.

“Anything.”

Kassandora put the blade on the table along with one of the canteens from the crate. “Then fill as many of these as you can.”

“What are you talking about!?” Kavaa shouted. Kassandora ignored her entirely, of War merely watched Helenna as the woman uncorked the canteen, looked into it. Helenna sighed, picked up the blade, and slit her hand with a wince.

“Kavaa, replenish her blood every now and then.” Kassandora turned towards her camp and crouched in that posture she used to launch herself.

“And where are you going?”

“To get dressed.”

The hours passed by slowly. Kassandora had returned, changed from the torn and bloody shirt she had used before and in the clothes the Arikans had fashioned for her. It was a hardy material, yet tough and flexible. Kassandora tested it out with her armour, it only had a few scratches after a few minutes of use and then complimented the men. She spent the rest of the time alternating between questioning the Clerics who had visited the Jungle, the Arikans, and reading the documents on the desk.

Sara woke up eventually and was tasked to helping Iliyal. The woman had little to say, and her main job was merely bringing them water. Kavaa would put her hands on Helenna every so often whenever the Goddess started to look pale. Of Love would slit her hand again and get to filling the canteens. She managed thirty-six before the situation changed.

Jet engines from the north. High in the air, two planes rushed towards them. They flew low to the ground, Kavaa could barely make them out, both were painted black apart from yellow tips at the front. They faded into the night above them. Kassandora stopped to watch them. “Bring Iniri’s clothes.” Kavaa moved to set off.

“Not you!” Kassandora shouted. “Mortals! I don’t her who, bring a full basket.”

“Why not me?”

“You’ll contaminate the smell.” Kavaa sighed. She wanted to argue, she didn’t want Kassandora to be right again. She hated the words that came out of her mouth.

“I’m not stinky.”

“I never said you were. You’re a Divine, we’re looking a Divine, you’ll contaminate the smell, like I said.” Ever so sensible, Kavaa wanted to sit down and give up. The preparations had driven her mind off the fact Kassandora was pulling her into the Jungle. Now… Now those planes served as a taunting reminder than reality had caught up to her. They circled back around, flew over the camp again. One more circle, then one of the nearby radios started to buzz. The Cleric next to it saw Kavaa and raised the volume.

“Ground Control, Ground Control. This is Raptor-One. Make space, cargo is jumping.” Kavaa looked to the Clerics who raised his hands in question. Then she turned to Kassandora. Of War replied with a confused shrug and turned to Iliyal.

“Ah…” The elf finally stood up. “She’s always like that, she’ll jump down on the next pass.” The planes turned, twisted, their speeds and they shot over the camp again. Kavaa saw two figures jump and instinctively tightened her grip around the sword sheathed on her belt.

Two figures she would never forget. One in a black dress, on a ghastly winged horse, lethargically floating down to them. The other a monster with a mane of gold. She screamed during the fall, her eyes locked on Kassandora. “LITTLE SISTER!!!”

Little?