The Order of the Legacy of the Twis, the Order of the Saints of Flowing Blood, the Order of the Lifeshield, of Healing Saints, of the Woundbearers, of Hartmann’s Chosen and of I-Em-Hetep’s Apostles stoed two miles from Olympiada. Alsaria looked down at them as the clouds cleared around the mountain.

  Six thousand men, six thousand men and ting. The apostles of Hippokrat were inbound from Atny’s port. Three more ships were waiting to be provided entry to dock, projes from her advisors suggested twelve thousand men will glomerate on that field by the end of the week.

  oing on parade did not bother her. Especially not Kavaa’s Orders. They weren’t weak men by any means, but when pared to the Seekers? Or to Maisara’s and Fortia’s Orders? The hierarchy had bee in the Great War and the tradition had tinued; Kavaa’s Orders were auxiliary support and healers, they weren’t front line fighters. But they had brought their armouries and vehicles. Over a hundred helicopters were parked in a square, and twenty of Kavaa’s personal air-fleet. Pnes which were used to transport the wounded and ill away from disasters and her Clerito them.

  Kavaa stepped the baly. Alsaria did not o look to check, a millennia of dealing with these fools had taught her them by footstep. Kavaa’s were a light march, rigid and even but filled with a careful trepidation. “You called for me.” She said.

  “What is this?” Alsaria asked.

  “I do not believe that Maisara and Fortia won’t make a move.” Alsaria rolled her eyes. Was it a lie? It could be, but then she herself expected those two to be up to something during Leona’s Olephia trip.

  “So yht an army?”

  “Maisara has an army on the mountain.” Kavaa said coldly. “I at least keep mine off it.” Alsaria sighed.

  Sometimes, she wished she had not bound herself with moralistic legalisms.

  Arascus watched two maids the rest of his office. They ed every day, he hated ing across even a speck of dust, it simply was nht for a maio be Emperor of all Arda to have dust in his abode. It was two pretty girls in outfits modest, they had served under Iliyal for a decade before Arascus had joihe General had reehem himself. her of them asked questions and both were smart enough to know when to they did not see something and did not hear anything. “If we’re going to be dealing with sorcerers, then I’d reend wine.” Raika said.

  And they weren’t scared of him. That was as rare a skill as the previous two. “Daganhoff said they’re children.” Raika looked up from her brush and looked at the God. A shirl, dirty bloh quick eyes and a fasation with Mikhail’s creation. Her own room ractically an armoury.

  “I had wine here and there when I was young.” She said and got back to sweeping. “A cup won’t hurt.”

  “Bring wine and water, something to eat too.” Arascus said.

  “Biscuits? Cakes?” Arascus leaned back as he waited fanhoff t these new sorcerers. It was a total breach of protocol, Leona was still alive and these two weren’t traio deal with the omnipresence of Lady Luck. But… but… but he was sure her end was ing soon and, more importantly, these two were apparently his daughter’s owions. Chosen to serve as the first sorcerers of the modern world. She had trusted them enough to go and help Fer, he was sure she roud of them, and he wao partake in that pride.

  “Your choice Raika.” Arascus replied. “What do you think they’ll be like?”

  “Sorcerers?” The girl gave one final sweep of her brush and stood straight, her bck dress immacute. “I’ve seen mages on TV and they’re not so impressive.” She said. The other maid, Alee, nodded along as she finished rearranging the bottles in a et. She was older than Raika by nine years and worked as the Mistress of the Maids in the headquarters.

  “During the Tuyyah Earthquake, they sent mages to tain the flooding and it overwhelmed them. I’d like to see them myself.” Maids were curious a millennia ago, maids were curious now, some things never ged. “One’s a young boy apparently.”

  “Of course you’d know that.” Raika said.

  “A boy and a girl, nearing the age of twenty.” Arascus firmed.

  “Whiskey then.” Alee said.

  “Whiskey?” Arascus asked.

  “Children like being treated as adults. Whiskey and a meeting with me.” She said, saw Raika’s blushing fad ughed. “And we send the girl off to Iliyal, he’s quite the charmer, isn’t he?”

  “I’m sure she’ll fall in love.” Arascus said dryly and the maids cackled. There was some who looked down from maids, but these twave him the greatest of all: a respite from managing the war effort. A kno the door interrupted their giggles, they fell silent immediately. It was ohing to engage in small-talk with their Lord, it was ao thhly embarrass him.

  “Duchess Daganhoff.” The voice from outside said. The maids looked at each other, then at Arascus.

  “Seems like we’re too te with the drinks.” Alee said.

  “Seems like it.” Arascus replied before straightening his bad crag his neck. “Let them in, prepare their rooms.”

  “At once.” Alee said, she snapped her fingers and Raika followed along to the wooden door. “Arascus wishes to meet you.” He saw her wiively at someone and walk off into the corridor. A dozen steps her and Raika before they started giggling with each other. Most importantly, they were likable. He had to be likable too, it was the single greatest differeween his rule and the rule of lessers. Daganhoff stepped in first, in a business she had buttoned up to the top and walking like a queen.

  On one hand, some pride for the woman was good, oher, Arascus wondered if giving the woman a le had goo her head. She had called the two youths who followed her children, but one gnce said they were anything but. The boy was a tall man, young, his skin soft, but his blue eyes were hard. He met Arascus’ gaze and did not look away. The girl was simir, dark haired and carrying herself as if trying to emute Daganhoff’s stride. “Edmonton Weaver and Fleur Ambelee.” Sara said and bowed. The two sorcerers simply stood there like statues, Arascus wondered if they were nervous or simply trying to make a show of their characters, most likely a bit of both.

  “Thank you Duchess, you leave us now.” Daganhoff did not let the disappoi onto her face, but she retreated siderably slower than before. “Tell Alee to have someone ready their rooms and bring drinks.” Arascus tinued. “Would you like anything?”

  The two sorcerers shared a ghe girl made the ti shake of her head as the boy smiled. “A whiskey.” He replied. Arascus decided Alee deserved a reward, the woman could be a spymaster a she refused every opportunity at promotion. The girl sighed heavily and looked to Arascus.

  “Apologies for his behaviour, it oor joke.” She spoke firmly, as if there was going to be no more discussion of the topic. “We’re fih just water.”

  “Tell them t a bottle of whiskey, something to eat, water and juice. And gsses.” The girl elbowed her friend as he smiled. “That is all Daganhoff.” Sara saluted and shut the door. “So, sorcerers?” He leaned bad stretched his arms out. “Sit, sit, please, rest ys.” The two exged looks once again, but they did sit on the fortable cushioned seats Raika and Alee had prepared. “How long have you been sorcerers?”

  “Six months about.” Edmonton replied. Arasodded, talehen. Past the age of twelve, it was usually deemed too te. Fifteen had been a hard cut-off once. He supposed beggars ’t be choosers though, Anassa had found people she felt had the spark and lit it within them.

  “And? How do you about it?”

  “It’s like magic.” Edmonton spoke again. “But not. Magic is easier.”

  “Magic is a light drizzle, sorcery is a hailstone.” Fleur said. Arascus had it be described as that before.

  “Just that?” Arascus asked.

  “Well…” Fleur looked down at her knees. Edmonton stepped in.

  “When…” He looked around the room. “Sara?”

  “Sara.” Arascus firmed.

  “When Sara told us more what we were going to do, we did try to tell her we’re not experts.”

  “Are you not? Iliyal praised your performance during the Great Hunt.” They seemed like they needed a little both of fideo him. Anassa had always beeo tear people down and treat them like fools. Sorcerers o be built back up before they could outshine mages. Both of the youths went red. “And Sara told me you worked out who Iliyal was Fleur.”

  “It was the only expnation that answered everything.” Fleur replied quietly, still looking aying with her hair.

  “So you must know who I am then.” Arascus said and both of them nodded. A kno the door interrupted them. “Will you let them in?” Arasodded to Edmonton. “The room is soundproofed.” It wasn’t, but asking someoo do something always eased the tension. The boy opehe door, it was Alee. She gave him a look filled with a thousand promises that Arascus pretended not to notid carried a tray of snacks and drinks to the table. An old whiskey, three gsses, e juice, some fruit, a pitcher of water, biscuits and slices of pre-cut cake. The maid left without saying a word as Edmonton sat down, his cheeks going red. “Her name is Alee.” Arascus said. “She’s like that to everyone.”

  Edmonton shook his head as the girl scowled again. Arascus gave them another look. Where they together? They very well could be, sorcery called to sorcery just as divinity called to divinity. That could be a problem then. Lovers on a battlefield always went off pn. “Are you two together?” Arascus asked it ftly. Fleur blinked, went crimson and Edmonton chuckled.

  “Nyes.” The girl replied.

  “Depends on the day.” Edmonton added a another elbow in the side.

  So it was like that then? How cute. Arascus poured some whiskey for all three of them ahe gss. Edmonton took it eagerly, Fleur followed along after moment. “Cheers.” Arascus said. Edmonton drank half in one go and put it oable.

  “I apologize for this.” He said. “Or I don’t if I should apologize or not. But you are nothing how I expected you to be.” Arascus chuckled.

  “Am I not?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Why is that?” Edmonton ght into it.

  “We’ve both seen Essa at Arcadia. She’s something else entirely. When she speaks, it’s just like, you know you’re speaking to a Divine. You just know. She holds it above your head. And…” He trailed off.

  “Anassa I assume?” Arascus said.

  “Yes. Goddess Anassa.” Arascus smiled at the boy’s attempt at iation. Titling his daughter but not a member of the White Pantheon? It was obvious, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t like it. Edmonton must have caught the smile. “She is, if I’m going to be frank, when I speak to her I feel like a child.”

  “You meareats everyone as if they’re stupid.” Arascus corrected him.

  “That puts it less diplomatically, but yes.” Edmonton replied. “She treats us as if we’re idiots. She doesn’t say a word more thao be said.” Arasodded, he supposed it was good they had e here early then.

  “I will require your assistance for a month or two.” Arascus said. “I ot give a hard date because we ourselves don’t have a date yet. Whe one, we’ll have maybe half a day’s notice to have everything be ready.” He tapped the whiskey gss. “This is the only drink you’ll get until we’re done.”

  “And what exactly are we doing?” Fleur asked. “Because the woman would not share. The most she said was that we were going to kill a God.” Another breach of protocol but Arascus would not deduct points from Sara for that. If she succeeded, then she succeeded, that was that.

  “ly.” Arascus said. “You will not do any killing yourself. You will bring done.” Edmonton blinked and Fleur drank her gss of whiskey. She coughed and poured herself the juice to was it down with.

  “Just that?” Edmonton asked. Arascus loved sorcerers. He especially loved first-geion sorcerers, the stro of the bunch, specifically picked out by his daughter. No sane man would reply like that to what he had said, but all sorcerers needed a little bit of insanity to them to pass Anassa’s examination. The boy saw Arascus smiling and apologized, waving his hands. “No no, I meant, it’s not… I mean, we were told it was to kill a God, bringing done…” He looked weakly at Arascus. “It’s less…”

  “It’s the pne of the Goddess of Luck. Mortals would not even be able to touch her.”

  “Would we not?” Fleur asked grimly.

  “It’s not a case of whether you or not. It simply won’t happen.” Arascus said, he leaned and supposed he should tell them about Leona. “Over the course of the Great War as you call it now, back then we called it the War for Arda, we sent an assassin a month, maybe two.”

  “And?”

  “A man with io harm will simply colpse dead. Heart failures, blood clots, strokes. Everything and anything that incapacitate someone. Over a tury, we had only men who mao even loose an arrow. The wind turned, someoepped in the way, Leona happeo bend down or lean out of the way. Without her permission, a mortal simply ot touch her. It will not happen.” Edmonton and Fleur looked at each other. The boy finished his gss, the girl poured herself another.

  “You’ll have a headache tomorrow.” Arascus said.

  “I’m Rancais, we have wine for breakfast.” She replied. The colour in her cheeks obviously said she did not have wine for breakfast but Arascus let it slide. People learned from mistakes. “You want us to down her?”

  “Her powers don’t touch things around her. You are not to even think you want to harm her, she will survive the pne crash, but she’ll be on the ground. Your work is dohen.”

  “So you have a grouo finish her?”

  “We’re w on it.” Arascus replied holy. There was no reason to lie. Lies caught up to you sooner or ter.

  “So one of us ’t be a ground team?” Edmonton asked and Arascus took a drink of the whiskey.

  “Do you actually want to kill a Goddess?” He asked. Edmonton did not reply, but his face obviously said he for the challenge.

  “I would not be against it.”

  “We wo pnes in the air.” Arascus replied. “I expee of the two to fail. The more the better, but I only have two sorcerers so we’re using two pnes.”

  “How will you kill her?” Fleur asked.

  “We have ways.” Arascus replied. There was no way he would tell them about the rifles Mikhail had created. Leona was still alive, they could send a message to someone ahe secret. “But I won’t share out of secrecy.” He thought of a reason that would satisfy them. “We have a team trained specifically to ter her.”

  “She hat?” Arascus kept his face calm, it looked like the reasoning worked.

  “Your job is to down the phat is all you should worry about.” Arascus said and ged the topic, if they got annoyed with him, they might start thinking of leaving. “While you’re here, you will have skydiving lessons.”

  “Excuse me?!” Fleur half-shouted. Two full gsses of whiskey in a versation? She was obviously drunk by now. “Skydiving?”

  “Parachuting.” Arascus said. “Two days from now, you’ll be sent off to hahem. I’ll go with you.”

  “Skydiving with a God!” Fleur giggled. “Well would you look at that Ed! We’ve hit the big leagues now!” Edmonton looked at her and at Arascus.

  “She’s not usually like this.” He said quietly.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Arascus replied. “And I know how my daughter haudents. I will try to make it up to you.” That sobered Fleur up, Edmonton leaned forwards, his eyes hungry. Arascus had no issue with how Anassa had treated them, frankly, she had dohing wrong. Leona was still at rge and any poor move could spill what had happened.

  “We really don’t have anything to ask for.” Edmonton said.

  “I will train you is of sorcery myself.”