Lyca’s body started to burn up as Fer held him close; A mother bear holding her cub tight in an embrace.

  Maisara and Fortia walked in their armours. Kavaa had e to speed up the healing. The weeks of suffering ended in a few moments with nothing but a touch from the Goddess of Health. Maybe some other time, she would care about what this meant. Was it some show of mercy from Alsaria? Kavaa going against the Goddess? She didn’t care that much, her mind was simply overtaken by Kassandora’s words about Arascus. Maisara hated plots back then, and she hated plots now.

  Maisara took the lead as they ehe White Pantheon’s observan. A pce with a door tall enough to clear even Alsaria’s terrible height with two feet to spare. It was cssic Old-Olympiada. Marble with gold inys, the table too tall for a human to use. No chairs, you stood or you didn’t attend. Magical mps floated in the air, they cast a warm light today. Long ago, this was the war-room; Alsaria’s failed attempt at eradig war reached even names.

  The Goddess of Light stood at the table already, a pristine white dress. She looked up, those golden eyes aowledged Maisara and she went back to tapping the folder. “I wish everyone unctual as you.” Alsaria said and Maisara almost missed a step. A pliment? From Alsaria?

  “It is what it is.” Maisara replied, she took her spot close to Alsaria, Fortia got iween them.

  “You deserve an apology.” Alsaria said.

  “You won’t mean it anyway.” Maisara said coldly and Alsaria shook her head.

  “I lost trol st time.” Alsaria began in a quiet void Maisara interrupted her.

  “What happened, happehe only reason you didn’t end up as I did is because you’re strohan us.” Maisara stopped the Goddess of Light with those words, and Alsaria shut up. She sighed and shook her head again. They waited for the rest of the Pantheon. Late as always. Fortia broke the silence.

  “Thank you for allowing Kavaa to heal us.” She said and Maisara bit her cheek. Why did that deserve a thank you? That was Kavaa’s damn job! What role did the Goddess of Health serve if not healing?

  “It should have been sooner.” Alsaria said and sighed again. “Before anyone es, I would like to propose something.”

  “What?” Maisara’s tone may as well as have been a strike of thunder.

  “Ao these games ying.” Alsaria turo the other two. “I’m not saying we will suddenly bee friends, but I want a stop to the arguments.” Maisara crossed her arms and snorted as she turo face the Goddess of Light. Alsaria was slightly taller than Kassandora, that meant there was a good several inches of height she had over the Goddess of Order. Maisara hated those several inches.

  “In other words, you want us to do what you say and that’s it?”

  “I am in charge of the Pantheon Maisara. That isn’t going to ge.”

  “Likewise, I’m not going to suddenly start pretending I think you’re deserving of that position.” Alsaria shook her head.

  “If not me, then who? Maisara, it OT be you!” Maisara’s eyebrows rose and she burst in ughter.

  “Did I ever say I want it to be me?”

  “Then WHO?” Alsaria roared. “WHO? Or do you want voting again?” No one wahat, voting was simply handing the reins to Helenna.

  “A you.” Maisara said. “You’re not good for us.”

  “I don’t try to be good, I do what is necessary.” Alsaria said and Maisara bared her teeth. The words were stolen right out of her textbook.

  “STOP!” Fortia shouted from iween them. “STOP FOR ONCE! Both of you!” Maisara sighed and turned back to the table, ign Alsaria pletely. Alsaria returhe gesture.

  “Do you know what I would do if I was yht now Alsaria?” Maisara said, her eyes focused on the middle of that circur marble.

  “What?”

  “I would fly out and drag them here by the neck.” Alsaria merely shook her head but she held her words. Zerus arrived , Sceo by his side. Lightning and Sky, one in silver robes, the other blue. The two eldest among them. He ined his head when he saw Alsaria and Maisara’s expressions.

  “I apologise for the dey.” He said. Maisara wao remind him how fast lightning should be, but she did held her tone as her mind strayed back to Kassandora. HOW? She had to be lying. She had to be. But then resear Divine families was never done; Alsaria had ba during the Great War. Who knew what sort of e they had to each other? Mortals could feel their blood-kin, why should it not apply to Gods? Then she had to tell everyone! Arascus was free! Arascus was out there!

  Maisara said nothing. A promise romise.

  Alkom strayed in. God of the Sun, dressed in reds and es and nodding to aowledge Al. Then Helenna’s brigade arrived. The Goddesses of Love, of Bounty and of Health; Helenna, Iniri and Kavaa. One in crimson s it should be banned, one in a disgusting ucopia of colours hurtful to the eyes, and Kavaa, in a simple green dress. Fitting for a coward. “I see we’ll have to wait.” Helenna said out loud as she strolled in fidently. “Good thing we have you here Zerus, there’s a lightning storm brewiweewo.” If looks could kill, Maisara’s gaze would have executed Helenna a thousand times over.

  “Now’s not the time Helenna.” Alsaria said. “Save your ents for aime.”

  “Have you got something to annouo us?” Helenna said. “A suitor finally e to-“ Alsaria lifted her hand, a tiny beam of light shot past Helenna’s cheek and cut off a few strands of red hair.

  “Shut up Helenna. I will not ask again.” Helenna recovered from the shock quickly and she flicked her hair back. Her mouth smug as she no doubt thought of some gra which was a yet another masterpiece of wit.

  “I didn’t know yo-“ A bst of light knocked Helenna down to the floor. Maisara smiled in satisfa. True, it was Alsaria doing it, but frankly, anything that shut Helenna up was satisfying.

  “Heal her Kavaa.” Alsaria said coldly. The Goddess of Health ran off to Helenna. A simple toud Of Love as ba her feet. “And be quiet, I will not let you be healed ime.” Helenna finally shut up as she patted her stomach through the hole in her dress.

  Theosius came . God of the Fe, dressed in fine silks that would be the plete opposite of what a bcksmith wore, he merely took his pce at the table without an introdu as they waited for Essa. Someone had to be te, always had to be te. It wasn’t the White Pantheon if they were all on time. The Goddess of Magially flew in after a half hour. “Apologies for the dey.” She said and took her pext to Alsaria, opposite of Fortia.

  “Let us begin.” Alsaria spoke and Maisara re-ted the members again. “There are twelve of us here. Leona is still in hiding, I’ve talked with her maid, she is rolling dice to hide.” That didn’t bother Maisara, Leona being gone was the whole reason for this crisis. “However, we also ck Atis.”

  “Oh no.” Fortia mumbled.

  “About two weeks ago.” Alsaria pulled out a rge photo from her folder and passed it Fortia. She looked it at then passed it on as Alsaria kept on speaking. When Maisara saw it, it was just a picture of just of eastern Karaina’s geography, a red dot was marked on it. “We lost a drone. A Sky-Eye autonomous reaissance drohe serial number is at the bottom of the picture. The red dot is the location.” Alsaria took a breath and tinued.

  “Now drones do go down every now and then. It wouldn’t be a worry in any normal situation. There’s six cirg Fer at all times.” She brought out a rger map and unfurled onto the table. Six red dots, dates and times o them. “All six drones went down.”

  “Even if there was a storm, that shouldn’t happen.” Theosius said, his brow furrowed.

  “There was none.” Sceo spoke up. “The Guguoans break clouds with magic to eimal hunting ditions.” Alsaria tinued before the discussion devolved into theories.

  “The local security forces thought the same.” She pulled out twelve pieces of paper and passed them to Fortia. “Take one, pass it on, that’s a copy of the ander’s report. They decided that the Guguoans were downing the droo hide some sort of magic or artefact of theirs.”

  “Preposterous!” Essa shouted, Alsaria didn’t even pause for the interruption.

  “They sent out an atmospheric surveilnce drohe images are of lower quality but…” She handed out more pictures as the frew thinner. “Well…” Maisara’s eyes immediately went to the bck spot of charred nd in a valley. It was from so high that there was little detail to be seen, but it was the obvious aftermath of a battle. Fortia’s hands started shaking as she looked at the piece of paper. “Now Fortia.” Alsaria tinued. “I have a question for you.”

  “Don’t tell me…”

  “Atis was st seen in Olympiada having a versation with you. He left immediately. I hope you knew where to…” Alsaria’s tone said she khe answer already, but she simply didn’t want to believe it.

  “He…” Fortia put the piece of paper down and steeled herself. She leaned oable, grabbed the edge and shook her head. “He said he was going to join the Great Hunt.” Alsaria’s golden hair grew a tiny bit duller, her eyes lost some of their sharpness and she sighed.

  “I see.”

  “Don’t tell me…” Fortia said. “I didn’t push him into it…”

  “No one is bming you Goddess of Peace. It is ohing when we have an argument and Kavaa has to heal us.” The Goddess of Health gave Alsaria a dirty look for that ent. “This is another entirely.”

  “What happened?” Maisara asked. Alsaria pulled out a photo, another low-quality one from the atmospheric drone. A red pen outlined a patch of brown. Then ahe patch of brown was moving north east. And another. And aoo fast to be humans, too slow to be flying Guguoan cultivators.

  “These images were takeerday. This whole situation reached my desk only a few ho.” Alsaria clicked her tongue. “I only e to one clusion from this.” She said. Maisara already figured it out. From everyone’s expression, the rest of the table did too. “The Sixty Third Great Hunt has ended and Fer won.” Alsaria pulled out a portrait of Atis’ face. Rugged and stern. “From today, I will assign Atis, God of the Hunt, as missing in a. If he does not make an appearahin two months. He will be reassigo dead.”

  Maisara almost fainted as she heard Kassandora’s voi her head again. “Arascus is free.” She opened her mouth to tell them and the words caught ihroat. She made a promise. Her Divinity was built on that promise.

  The table desded into shouting, then accusations and argument.

  Maisara remained silent throughout it all.