Although as covered before, Divines have great influen the shape of our world, there are many who choose to self-segregate and stay within their domains. The various nations in the os are one such example of Divines who have decided to leave the Overworld areat from the iional stage.

  Excerpt from “A Guide To Divines.” Written by modern historian Joseph Samminth

  Alsaria stood before a cell door. A cell door she had ered in a long time, not because she particurly disliked the person within, or because they could harm her, but because she knew what the prisoner could do; words of honey sweeter than Helenna’s Love, a need greater than Fortia’s Peace, a shine fiercer than even Alsaria’s own Light. A genius so unmatched Alsaria had never wao kill them in case a world-ending threat appeared, a genius so unmatched they could not be let out.

  Alsaria took a breath aered Kassandora’s cell.

  Kassandora was ying on the bed, eyes closed and thinking. Somehow even the grey prison garbs of the Lower Prison did little to take away from the woman’s overwhelming presence. Her red hair was a shade deeper than dark blood, her height equalled Alsaria’s. Maybe the Goddess of Light had a finger’s width over the Goddess of War, but her of them cared about such trite cepts as height.

  Kassandora opened her red eyes, they widened for a moment in surprise and the woman sat up. The shock sted for as long as a fsh of Alsaria’s beams of light, Of War zily sat up and didn’t even bother to smooth the creases in that grey dress. “It’s been a while.” She said.

  Alsaria shut the door behind her and sat down at the little wooden table oher side of the room. It was huge iy, but for Divines of their size, an elf would sit on it like a young teen, a human would be a child. The st piece of furniture was the tai crystal in the room. Alsaria wondered what it felt like to be straio an object that you could not touch. “It has.” Alsaria said and indicated to the other chair. “e, sit.”

  “So there’s a discussion about.” Kassandora said idly as she took zy steps. “I wonder what about?” The question was obviously rhetorical, her tone said as much.

  “What do you think?” Alsaria barked instantly and then took a deep breath. “Fet it, you already know.”

  “Do I?”

  “Maisara, Fortia…” Alsaria said as Kassandora sat down.

  “I assume Helenna, Kavaa and Iniri too.” The Goddess of War finished.

  “Those three too.”

  “So?” Kassandora said. “I know my worth, what do you want?”

  “I want advice.” Kassandhed, leaned bad stretched her arms out to either side.

  “That’s all I give!” Alsaria killed the smile growing on her lips. She knew Kassandora from before the War, the two of them had once served as Twin Goddesses of Victory, Light & War, it was an unstoppable bination. Alsaria khat Kassandora khat too, if there was any hidden buttons she had not found within herself, Kassandora had. “So? What you offer me? Freedom? Total victory?”

  “You’re not going to give up anything for free?”

  “Should I? Would you?” Alsaria sighed. No. Of course she wouldn’t.

  “I want advi what to do with Maisara and Fortia.” Kassandora leaned forwards again, that terribly hungry smile on her lips, that fierce glow of seeing something Alsaria had missed already in her eyes.

  “And not Helenna, Kavaa or Iniri?”

  “Those three are too weak to stand against me.”

  “That is true.” Kassandora said. “But you should your closet urly else is i it.”

  “You do hold your co-spirators in high regard, don’t you?” Alsaria said and Kassandora burst out in ughter again.

  “I’m easy to get along with, they came to me. And I’d say it to their faces just as much as I’d say it to you.” Alsaria was sure she would, but before that, she’d make sure to go on a speech about the ermite and how it turn down the greatest of homes and how those three should want to be this fabled idea of a termite.

  “Nothing for free?” Alsaria said.

  “I didn’t even give you anything for free when I told you how to defeat the Godkiller. Do you think I care about the sorry state of the Pantheht now?” That was the st time they had talked, more than a tury ago. Kassandora was a sweet poison, too much of her killed rational thought.

  “I’m sure you don’t.” Alsaria said and sighed. “What do you want?” Kassandora replied instantly. Obviously this nned out already. Of War had pns upon pns in that head of hers.

  “Three things.” Other Divines, Alsaria was sure Kassandora would have provided a whole show for. Now she simply crossed her arms and adopted Alsaria’s cold posture. “One, a meeting with Ilwin, the new prisoner you have.”

  “I know who he is.”

  “I’m sure you do.” Alsaria said.

  “Two, his freedom.” A cession like that? It was… it was almost pointless. Alsaria racked her brain as she tried to figure out some sort of reasoning of why or who the man could be.

  “Why?”

  “Leona brought him here, I’m sure he’s important in some way.” Now Alsaria ughed.

  “Don’t belittle me Kass. If it was Arascus, I’d uand.”

  “If it was Arascus, I wouldn’t even bother asking.”

  “Because you know I would not give you that.”

  “But you will give me this.” Kassandora said sternly.

  “So why?” Kassandora sat for a moment as she thought. Alsaria wondered how much of that thinking was for show and how much was simply t the moment out.

  “Do you know who he is?”

  “I have bigger things to iigate than some elf. Even if Leo him here.”

  “I will tell you, but don’t kill him.”

  “That’s an assurance I will kill him.” Alsaria said ftly and Kassandora smiled like a little devil.

  “Are you not curious?” And in one simple question, the Goddess of Light felt those terrible hooks of Kassandora worm their way into her brain. Why should she be curious? Well she was curious now! It was a stupid thing, she knew by all good reasoning she should simply leave the room aurn with Ilwin’s head. But she khat then, Kassandora would ell her simply as a punishment. The curiosity would never be sated.

  “I am.”

  “So you promise?”

  “I’m not Maisara, I do break promises.” Alsaria said coldly.

  “Oh please, you know what I meant. Free him a him go.”

  “Who is he?” Alsaria almost shouted, the smile on Kassandora almost crushed her. There it was, the Goddess of War had wo another battle.

  “Ilwin Tremali.”

  “Iliyal’s son?” Alsaria asked instantly. She had not even bothered thinking about that elf since she wasted ten minutes on an interrogation. Maisara had found nothing and Helenna said the man was just an elf. A somehow Kassandora knew… What hoy there was in the White Pantheon.

  “I don’t know.” Kassandora said. “That’s why I want to talk to him.”

  “So you want his freedom just because of that?”

  “Iliyal was a great man, I see no reason for his desdants to suffer here.” Alsaria thought for a while, a Tremali out there would no doubt be an annoying issue, a filthy pte she’d have to eventually… But the house was on fire, who cared about whether the cutlery was dirty?

  “What’s the third dition?” Alsaria asked.

  “unication with Anassa. She’s in the Divine Library.” Alsaria sighed. The demand did not surprise her, it was merely disappointing that somehow, someone had told Kassandora about Anassa. The Seekers she had set to guard the Lower Prison weren’t there because she hated the other Divines, it was to bar them access to Kassandora for their own damn good.

  “Who told you?” Alsaria asked reflexively. She knew she wouldn’t get an answer. It was most likely Helenna or Essa anyway, maybe Fortia although she didn’t value that woman’s intelligence so highly as to think she could find Anassa.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Kassandora cooed. No. Alsaria would not like to know. Not at all.

  “Whatever Kass. Those three ditions.” Ilwin, she would give up immediately. She did not care about that man in the slightest. Anassa though? Anassa was a monster, sorcery was a mehere was a reason sorcerers had been killed off in the years after the Great War. Anassa was a monster, but she was whimsical aistical, prideful and with vain tastes, she was a mohat could be captured. Anassa with Kassandora’s mind?

  That was a differe entirely.

  “That’s a no.” Alsaria said ftly.

  “A no on what?”

  “A no on all three.” Alsaria lied, Kassandora liked tain, although knowing her, she had already sensed which point Alsaria had taken issue with.

  “Letters then.” Kassandora said. Of course she had worked it out immediately. “Aers back. You check them, read through them, I do not mind.” Kassandora raised an eyebrow. “Who knows, maybe Anassa will spill something iing?”

  And there it was. Of course Anassa would spill something iing. That Goddess in particur loved to show off her achievements. And to Kassandora? Who wouldn’t love to show off to the fabled Mistress of War? Alsaria could already see the schemes f in her mind. She even caught herself smiling. That smile alerted her she was walking blindly into a trap.

  “Still no. I will bring Ilwin here right now a you talk to him, but I’m not giving you Anassa.”

  “You take something, I set another dition.” Kassandora said. “The meeting with Ilwin will be private, have someone I’ve been talking to take him away from Olympiada, to wherever he wishes to go.”

  Just like that, Alsaria felt a prison appear around her. Kassandora talking Ilwin in private? Who knows… She made her mind stop chasing ghosts of the past. Arascus was imprisoned, Iliyal was most likely dead. No doubt Kassandora would give this dition up for access to Anassa. Even then, was the elf even a Tremali? Or was she just bluffing?

  Alsaria called the bluff. “I will give you Ilwin, I’ll bring him here right after this meeting, I’ll let you to talk to him as long as you want, and then I’ll send him off. I’ll take him myself away from Olympiada and drop him off wherever he wants.”

  “How gracious of you.” Kassandora’s smile revealed her teeth. If there was ohing Alsaria hated about the woman, it was that she never made a show of if she got what she wanted or if she had just lost. The woman could witery and go on to pretend it was merely a Monday.

  “So noayment is settled, I want your ho adviaisara and Fortia.”

  “They are scheming against you.” Kassandora said immediately. Alsaria did not give her a rea, that much was obvious, why else did she e here? “Do you know of the Fading Light tingency?”

  “I don’t.”

  “It was written before the Great War, with Fortia, Maisara, Irinika, Saranael and Arascus as the partits, they were discussing how to kill you.” If Alsaria’s surprise could be measured, it would not even be worth one grain of sand on a beach. Her position had always been envied. “This was when I was still w with you.” Kassandora tinued. “I would holy not worry about it, but Maisara has the inal, I’m sure stealing it won’t be difficult.”

  “Why should I not worry about it?” Alsaria asked, Kassandora smiled again.

  “Because I didn’t write it.” That answer was so terribly expected, but it made perfect sense. Arascus and Irinika she had already defeated. Fortia was tale war, but spiracy? And the rest? Theorists when it came to these matters at best.

  “Where does she have it?” Alsaria asked then remembered who she was talking to. “ you get it?”

  “I’d have to ask Helenna, or maybe Mai would be so kind she’d give me a copy.” Kassandora shrugged. “You’re asking a lot of a woman who ’t leave this room.”

  “I wouldn’t be asking if I k was impossible for you.”

  “It will be faster if you did it yourself but I could probably get it, ter rather than sooner.” Kassandora replied. Alsaria left that line of questioning, there was no reason to start entering another session of bargaining with Kassandora, and besides, the woman liked a challenge.

  “What would you do with Maisara and Fortia in this situation?” Alsaria and Kassandora leaned back.

  “What situation?”

  “The situation I’m in now.”

  “And that situation is?”

  “You know already.”

  “I know opinions.” Kassandora replied and Alsaria’s fists tightened for a moment. The woman was smart indeed, Alsaria khat Maisara and Fortia had been unig with Kassandora but she did not know what they said exactly. Giving her own story, she was sure she was handing Kass a bucket of sand that the woman would sift through to find gold.

  “They’re plotting against me as Rancais and Doschia are falling into chaos.” Alsaria spoke slowly, mainly to gauge Of War’s rea. Not even a crack appeared in Kassandora’s armour. “Rancais is in fmes from an Anar rebellion, Doschia’s stock market is crashing. Two months from now, Doschia will be another Rancais.”

  “And you’re ed with these tries why exactly?”

  “Because it’s my job!” Alsaria shouted.

  “What about Atis?” Of course Kassandora knew about Atis, of course she did.

  “I sent Seekers, they’ve not returned yet. Leona has informed me to send someone else to follow up on them.”

  “Have you?”

  “I’m marshalling four hundred men.”

  “Not from Olympiada I hope.” Kassandora said idly. It recisely these words that made her so dangerous. If she was a fool, she would argue to send them from Olympiada, less men here meant it was easier to pull off whatever pns she had brewing in her own head. The woman excelled in a great many subjects, but her ability to pretend to be on your side, to holy argue against her own self-is was the worst of them all.

  “I’m not a child, they’re from the branches in the UNN.” Alsaria said.

  “Are they sent off or not?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Then don’t send them.” Kassandora said, she raised a fio pause Alsaria and thought for a miwo. Three. Alsaria wondered once again if she was watg a pantomime, or if she was experieng the Goddess of War craft yet another pually of oke again. “And you don’t know what to do? Or did you only e to me for affirmation?”

  “Are you pnting seeds in my mind or are you giving me advice?” Alsaria asked, again she received another of those small smiles before an answer.

  “Paranoia doesn’t suit you Alsaria.”

  “If anyone else told me that, I would kill them.”

  “I’m honoured you think so highly of me.” Kassandora said. “But the answer is obvious, Maisara and Fortia serve as the heads of their Orders. The Padins will never make an indepe move without their Goddess, and without them moving, the Guardians won’t move either. Send them away. Oo iigate Atis’ death, preferably Fortia. Maisara send to Rancais, then when Fortia es back send her off to fix the market in Doschia.”

  “Excuse me?” Alsaria asked. “What?”

  “What? I don’t see the issue.” Kassandora said.

  “Why should I seo Atis? Fortia? Are you serious?” Kassandora sighed, leaned baehow mao look down her nose on Alsaria even though the woman was shorter.

  “Is Atis alive or dead?”

  “Most likely dead.” Alsaria replied and Kassandora nodded along.

  “So what do you think will seriously be found? The Seekers you’ve sent are most likely dead, so whoever is there will be alerted.”

  “They’ll leave.” Alsaria said.

  “If they’re smart, they’ve left already, but what could kill a God?”

  “Anod.”

  “This is why I asked you oher you wanted advice or simply affirmation. You already know this Alsaria. Fortia will have the time of her life iigating whatever killed Atis. If you’re lucky, whatever got Atis will get Fortia, and then she’ll head straight to Doschia, there is no reason for her to even e here, is there?”

  “I promised the White Pantheon would stay out of national politics.” Kassandora shook her head and sighed.

  “Verbally or in writing?”

  “In writing.” Alsaria said glumly. It was as if she was beiured by a teacher who didn’t think of her as stupid, but simply that her performance was disappointing.

  “Do you know it off by heart or not?” Kassandora asked. Alsaria thought for a moment, there was no harm in telling Kassandora this, it was on knowledge anyway. She recalled the words she had written seven hundred years ago.

  “The White Pantheon pledges to let the nations of Erda have full independen their domestid fn deaking, and to only step in as a temporary measure agaiential threats.” Alsaria said. “That’s the line.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.” Kassandora sighed again, although she didn’t even think on it.

  “If Arascus returned, would you stay still? Or eveer, if it was Olephia?”

  “They’re existential threats.” Kassandora cpped her hands.

  “And what does it take to be aential threat?”

  “I decide it.”

  “That simple?” Kassandora actually looked surprise. Alsaria shrugged.

  “Well usually we have a vote, but I’m the final call.”

  “Very well, from the moment you leave this room, Anarchia is aential threat.” Alsaria blihat was so... dirty. So underhanded. Every part of her mind that thought touched, it practically soiled. A…

  A made perfect sehere was no breaking of tradition or pret. Kassandora tinued. “Maisara will obviously make a mess out of the situation in Rancais. Fortia will hahe Atis situation quickly and then try and stop chaos iock markets. Do either of them have hope of success?”

  “No.” Alsaria replied.

  “And you buy yourself time.”

  “For what?”

  “They won’t stop until either you or they are dead.” Kassandora said. “So…”

  “You mean to kill them.”

  “Obviously you ’t just kill them like this.” Kassandora snapped her fingers. “We don’t want you to be tyranniow, do we?” Alsaria didn’t ahat question. “But you let them make the first move, then you have a justification in deg them heretic Divines, you’ll have the support of the rals when that happens. After that…” Kassandora shrugged. “I’m sure this prison has more cells than just mine, doesn’t it?”

  “I’ll e back to you ter.” Alsaria said and stood up. That was such a perfe she would have hought of it herself. Why bother reigning them in? Stall them, let them run wild and then punish the misbehaving children. It was that easy!

  “I don’t work for free.”

  “We’ll iate when it es to that.” Alsaria said quickly. Kassandrabbed her hand before the woma her room.

  “I already know what I want.” Kassandora said.

  “What?”

  “A seat on the Pantheon.” Alsaria blinked, stunned, pulled her hand away ahe cell.

  Kassandora sat in her cell and smiled. That went perfectly, the final ent especially. Those words were exactly the sort of thing that would appeal to Alsaria’s joyful heart that ever longed for its precious dreams of unity and cooperation.