Arascus smiled as he reed to turn on the news. There was some unnatural storm on the oday. 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 i. Kavaa clicked her tongue, she hated bei out like that, but then she left Kassandora out of most of her own pnning too. The elf was dropped onto the ground, he took a few wobbly steps and stretched. “That is ohing I’ll never get used to.” He said, Kassandora was already away from him and walking towards Kavaa.

  The bck 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 whe tired of course, but the st 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 ested 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 sideration. “Wake Helenna, bring teens. Where are the dots?”

  “My meill 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 fetg the Arikans. Have a table out here with the papers when I e back.” Kassandora unched herself towards the neighb 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 dots about the Jungle! Bring Helenna! And teens!” What did she need teens for anyway? The Clerics ran off and ahemselves on the move. Order-Captains and Chapins took and, but the differences of which group a Cleric belong to quickly faded. Kavaa allowed herself a smile as she watched the well-oiled mae 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 aced to Kassandora’s iigations, she couldn’t stop that after all, but this elf? Who did he think he was. His grandson had been healed, and two Cleri full pte 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 turo shreds. Her ans are fihough.”

  “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 differen 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 ressive, it was simply a statement of fact. Kavaa felt anger fre up inside her.

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

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

  “Is this how yoddess 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 moahis elf, with those mad emeralds for eyes, was obviously a blessed fanatic. There was no fear ing from him, no at the fact he was fag off a Goddess, nor at the Clerics whiving 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 ooo had Kassandora’s energy, but it wasn’t as thick.

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

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

  Ilwin’s questioroyed her. “Are you sure?”

  No. She was not sure. She was terrified of entering that cursed nd. 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 ge in his posture, Ilwin looked at his grandfather and then adopted a simir posture. “Are you not going to tell me?”

  “I ot, 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 pnes. Or Anassa was free. But then Anassa was not free, nor was there some secret army in Kirinyaa. How did Kassandora have pnes? What was she? Both elves remained silent as the two Cleri the ground wiped their brows and tiheir 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 firmed. Maybe Helenna could get information out of him, but she doubted it. She was about to ask another question when Kassandora nded ba the camp.

  “The Arikans are ing. They’re bringing their elders.” She shouted then turo 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 poio the summit of the small mound that blocked vision of the Juhat mound artly the reason Kavaa had chosen this location for her camp. She didn’t like the feeling of that Jug her. “And Helenna?” Kassandora shouted.

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

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

  “I don’t know…” Helenna said at first. “We were approag the Jungle.” She sniffled and wiped her nose. “I was actually pining 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 turhe Jungle was not her demeshen 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 colpsed 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 ihan a sed.” Kassandora remained silent for a moment. Did she really care? Kavaa didn’t know the ao 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?” Kassandently 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 returo her hair. A faint red.

  “Did you hear the Jungle?”

  “N-No.” Kassandora nodded and turo Kavaa.

  “Have you ever heard it?”

  “I’ve never heard it.” Kavaa replied.

  “I haveher, 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 turo the table where Kavaa’s Clerics were stag papers, paused for a sed and then turo Helenna.

  “ you hold yourself together?” She asked.

  “I think so.” Helenna said.

  “If you start g, I’ll send you away. We’re doing for this for Iniri. Now e.” She turned and tio 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 EHE JUNGLE! I ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE! LINE UP BY THE HILL! WHERE ARE MY TEENS?!” She didn’t even look to see if the men where following her ands, but Kavaa saw they were. She approached the table, Kassandora was already sing a piece of paper. “ILIYAL, ILWIN! E HERE!” The two elves ran to meet their Goddess without a moment’s hesitation.

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

  “Have Ilwin help you. You’re looking for the same of shit you did ba 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 ohe 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 w on her own stack of papers. A man up to them. Damian Sokolowski. Once Captain of the Twis, now the Order did . Kassandora had stolen every single member.

  “Soldiers rep! Full assembly will be pleted 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 a, 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 oio the edge of the hill where no oood without taking her eyes away. She flipped the paper, then threw it ba the chest.

  “Uood.”

  “Apologies Kavaa, but you’ll have tahese papers.” Kassandora said as her eyes sed 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 Gssing?” Kassandora asked. “And the Gss Desert?” She read further. Helenna answered before Kavaa could.

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

  “It says 628.” Helenna nodded.

  “Then, Alsaria and Essa went to scour the Devil’s Gap. They burhe Juhat had grow of it and turhe desert to gss.”

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

  “It does.” Kavaa said. “The tries 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 pnt.” 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 Gssing.” Kavaa said. “We don’t know who, but apparently they were begged to stall the Jungle by the tries iern Arika. They created the Poison Li then disappeared. They started at the coast and moved north, then disappeared. The Gssing was just how we fihe Poison Line.”

  “When did they disappear?” Iliyal asked.

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

  “It says the first Clerical Order to arrive to specifically ter 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 assimition is oable.” She looked up at the great green wall. “If Iniri is assimited…”

  “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 Alsaria when you need her, huh?”

  “We could ring.”

  “By the time the Pantheanises a respo will be too te. 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 a 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 introdug 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 hear it outside.” Kassandora replied.

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

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

  “Twi 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 teens.” 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 turo 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 bde out of its scabbard and ha to his Goddess. It was a longsword, in the elf’s hand, it was an imposing on. 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 bde, wiped o tear, her hair turned crimson and she spoke coldly.

  “Anything.”

  Kassandora put the bde oable along with one of the teens from the crate. “Then fill as many of these as you .”

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

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

  “And where are you going?”

  “To get dressed.”

  The hours passed by slowly. Kassandora had returned, ged 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 plimehe men. She spent the rest of the time alternatiweeioning the Clerics who had visited the Juhe Arikans, and reading the dots 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 whehe Goddess started to look pale. Of Love would slit her hand again ao filling the teens. She mahirty-six before the situation ged.

  Jet engines from the north. High in the air, two pnes rushed towards them. They flew low to the ground, Kavaa could barely make them out, both were painted bck 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 wh a full basket.”

  “Why not me?”

  “You’ll ihe smell.” Kavaa sighed. She waue, 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 ihe smell, like I said.” Ever so sensible, Kavaa wao sit down and give up. The preparations had driven her mind off the fact Kassandora ulling her into the Jungle. Now… Now those pnes served as a taunting remihay 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 Cleriext to it saw Kavaa and raised the volume.

  “Ground trol, Ground trol. This is Raptor-One. Make space, cargo is jumping.” Kavaa looked to the Clerics who raised his hands iion. Theuro Kassandora. Of War replied with a fused shrug and turo Iliyal.

  “Ah…” The elf finally stood up. “She’s always like that, she’ll jump down on the pass.” The purwisted, 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 fet. One in a bck 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?