Mikhail Ash lifted the rifle up. Much bigger calibre, with a trigger made for the rge fingers of beastmen. Rapid fire, no scope, that was redundant. It was a good on, the barrel could be extended and it would make an excellent sniper.

  He turned and looked over at the heavy gun lying oable, it had ay belt of bullets stig out the side. He could not wait for the beastmen to arrive for this baby to be tested out.

  Arascus walked down the red sandstoeps of Kirinyaa’s parliament building. Kassandora close behind him. “I didn’t think that would go so smoothly.” Kassandora said quietly as they turo walk on the pavement.

  “You’re a hero here.” Arascus said and Kassandora put her hands in her pockets. The uniform sat well ohe coat fell past her knees and her bck boots made a satisfying click with every step. Her crimson hair fell to her hips. Cars slowed down to look at the two Divines as they walked on.

  “That I am.” Kassandora said, her tone grim and deep. “Once we have this sorted, you’ll be able to pull Ausa into the War.”

  “I will.” Arascus said. “They’ve seen the success here and want a taste of their own. I’ve recalled the Binturong meical desigo Kirinyaa, then they’ll move to Igos.”

  “Not stay here?”

  “Igos is better for them. More workshops and a port to work from.” Kassandora nodded and she gave her ow.

  “Iliyal firmed to me in the m he’s ses of a new artillery vehicle, code-named lemur. The chassis is slightly different though.”

  “Factories be refitted.” Arascus replied.

  “I said the same.” Kassandora replied. “We need an armour designer.”

  “Ash didn’t take the job?”

  “Iliyal said there’s no point giving it to someone like that. We’ll have another Binturong situation. I was thinking about calling HAUPT here.”

  “They make suits.” Arascus said.

  “And rifles pee steel.” Kassandora said. “We’re not in the age of knights anymore. Armour…” She shrugged. “On vehicles, yes, but we’re not stig inches of steel onto mortals, are we?” Arasodded, this was Kassandora’s domain. There was little to say about it.

  “What about new materials?” Arascus asked.

  “I’m sure we’ll think of somethiually, but I’m putting armour on hold. If something es along, then we go with it, but it won’t be ready for Anassa’s rescue.”

  “Have you heard anything from Iliyal about that?”

  “He sent the two sorcerers off.”

  “I know that.”

  “Theh know the same.” Kassandora said as she pulled out her phone and unlocked it. “Helenna rang, five times.” Arascus checked his own. It ecialist model, more like a tablet for mortals, but then, he did stand twice the height of a man. Another car went past them and two people waved to them from the back. Arascus idly waved back.

  “She raoo.” Arascus said.

  “I’ll ring.” Kassandora replied as she clicked the phone and put it to her head. “Yes, you called?” Arascus didn’t hear what Helenna said, he didn’t ask either. If it was important, Kass would tell him. Her tone ged to a fast one as her eyes started to shine. So it was important. “Uood, have y Fer?” A sed of reply. “Then don’t bother. Call Neneria and tell her to watch over Kavaa and Iniri. We ha here, anyone else?” Arascus turo a road that led to the nature reserve in the tre of Nanbasa. “Alright, are you ing here?” Kassandora shook her head. “Alright, that’s everything.” She clicked the phone off.

  Arascus did not say a word, he knew Kassandora would tell him from her expression. She sighed, put her phone away and looked up at the sky. “Zerus is ing.”

  “Is he now?” Arascus looked up too. It erfectly clear day, Nanbasa had seasonal weather. A month of monsoons, a month of nice sun, and the.

  “He’s bringing Sceo and Alkom.” Kassandora said and poio a set of stairs. Arascus wasn’t fond of the ring-city, but ohing he did like was the hill. Climbing up on any of the restaurants gave you a full view of the entire area. A mahem, all too happy to have his café be blessed by the presence of Divines.

  “Is there anything I serve? Free of charge of course!”

  “Coffee, bck.” Kassandora said then g Arascus. “Make it two.”

  “At once. I apologize for the ck of seating-“

  “We’ll stand, make the coffee.” Arascus said and waved him away. The ma off as the two went to the café on the roof. Red-sandstone, a quiet pce, hidden out of the way. A few people were sat here whispering in hushed tones. Business people from the looks of it. “ you take them?” Arascus asked.

  “I’ve taken them on once.” Kassandora said. “How much of yic have you recovered?”

  “Enough.” Arascus said. He took out his phone and scrolled to Olephia. “I’m going to call Olephia here.”

  “She’ll make a mess.” Kassandora said.

  “We’re not here for a fight.” Arascus replied.

  “Just scare them?” Kassandora asked sourly. “The two of us could take one down at least food.”

  “Without Kavaa to heal, I don’t want to risk it. And aru of the city will be viewed badly for passing the army implementation. Chasing them away will be better in the long-run.” Kassandora nodded as the man reappeared with two white cups of coffee. “How much time did Helenna give us?”

  “An hour, maybe two, they set off in the m and Sceo is fast.”

  “She’s got a good work if she found out on the same day.”

  “I’m trying to be o her a her to join us.”

  “You’re o everyone.” Arascus said as he sipped the coffee. They must have skipped the line ot someone else’s. Kassandora drank hers and turned around to look at the ers. She smiled to herself.

  “I know everyone here.”

  “Do you now?” Arascus asked. He texted Olephia: e here, don’t fly, we have trouble ing. He saw the message got read within a few seds. Olephia was by the docks, she wao paint something to give to Nanbasa’s museums. That was a mark of Olephia, the Goddess of Chaos loved to immortalize the present in paintings. Kassandora nodded and waved to some of the ers, they too were wearing green armbands over their suits. Arascus paid them no attention.

  “Oligarchs who helped fund the Recmation War. Helenna knows them better.” She reed and threw her head back, her red spilled down past the balustrade and waved in the gentle wind. “I hate waiting.”

  “I do too.” Arascus said. “But what will you do?”

  “Nothing I do. Should we ring Fer?”

  “She’s busy.” Fer wao see the baby lions before she set of Karaina and from what Arascus had seen on the news, she was making a stir at the zoo with allowing children to walk up and stroke the animals.

  “She’s at the zoo.”

  “Let her enjoy herself, she’s been suffering at the front.” Arascus said in a hard tone. Now that he thought about it, it would be better to call, he pulled up his phone and rang Fer. It took her a good half-mio answer.

  “Hello hello?” She said. There was a child ughing through the speaker.

  “I’m just calling you to tell you we have trouble but we have under trol, stay at the zoo if you want to.” Fer ughed.

  “I’m going soon. The babies are getting tired.” She said.

  “Then e over here, you should smell us, we’re close to the parliament. Olephia will be here.”

  “Oh yeah, she smells good.” Fer said and the child ughed again. “Say bye-bye to Mrs Lion now.” Fer said. Arascus heard a tiny bye-bye from some child and then Fer ughed. “Thanks fing, I’ll be there soon. Love you dad.” She shut off the phone call and Arascus put his tablet away.

  “She’ll e.”

  “Well then we take them all out.” Kassandora said with a sigh.

  “I said we’re not.” Arascus made his tone hard.

  “And if they e at us?”

  “Then we , but we chase them away.” Arascus said.

  “And how do you know they’ll be chased away, you’ve lost most of yic.”

  “They don’t know that.” Arascus said. And so they waited. The shop keep brought them more coffees and wao take picture with Kassandora. She took oh him, but deed to have it be used in the marketiher way, their presence here had assured that the man would have a successful couple of months. People who walked past them oreet took photos and already the café owner had closed the doors to give the Divines privacy. A queue was f outside.

  “Are you thinking of leaving some money?” Kassandora asked.

  “It would set a bad pret.” Arascus replied.

  “I was thinking the same.” A minivan came to a stop in the middle of the street. Bck, a taxi servianbasa Premium Taxis. They had expanded retly to have rge vehicles fit for Divihe owner had fallen for Helenna, and he apparently did not mind the iment o. The door clicked and slid open. Olephia stepped out in a violet dress.

  She was smiling, as always, and waved up at them. Arascus waved down and at her shouted for her to e through. The crowd parted way for the Goddess who killed the Caretaker. Apparently, some studio in KTV was wanting to produce a dotary on that event. Helenna had beeered by them several times. Arascus thought little of it, it was a risk, sihey could always be painted in a bad light, he just had not figured out how Olephia annihiting the Caretaker could be yet.

  “How much longer?” Kassandora whined again. “I have pns for today.”

  “What?”

  “I was wanting to scout out opinions of army implementation in the parliament.”

  “Have Helenna do it.”

  “She’s already on it.” Kassandora said. “I just don’t like when I don’t do it myself.”

  “Not long now.” Arascus said.

  “How do you know?” Kassandora’s leaned over as she looked over to Arascus’ phone. A news station had just reported Kirinyaa had closed it’s northern airspace. Pnes were being deyed in airports and people wao know the reason. He showed it to Kassandora.

  “Sceo is fast.”

  “Sceo with Zerus is faster.”

  “Do you think they’ll go to the Jungle?”

  “Neneria will kill them then. Mere Forces ’t harm the Legion.” Neneria’s army of Ghosts. Alsaria could tear through them, Essa could snap them away with a finger, but lightning and wind a? What could they do against the immaterial?

  “So they’ll be ing here.”

  “Most likely they know about the army implementation.” Arascus said.

  “It’s fine.” Kassandhed and waved her hand away. “This is Essa’s doing. Alsaria may be dead.”

  “We’ve not seen her in public.” Arascus said. “But Neneria and Fer both said she got away from Artica.”

  “What do you think she’s doing then?”

  “We’ll see when we e to it, or do you want to pn for everything?”

  “Do you think I ’t?”

  “I know you , but is it a good use of your time?” Kassandora sighed a heavy breath in answer and shook her head as Olephia got up to them. She pulled out a notebook and started writing: What’s the trouble?

  “Zerus, Alkom and Sceo are ing here.” Olephia made a stupid face, her eyebrows raised, her violet eyes matg her dress quizzical. She wrote a reply.

  That’s it?

  “I don’t want you to fight them uhey e at us first, only scare them.” Olephia smiled a wicked grin and showed off her reply.

  Oh I’m very good at sg people.

  Kassandora suddenly cpped her hands, her tone dht ecstatic. “Right guys. Wait’s over, look over there!” She ointing to the north, past the ercial and residential districts of Nanbasa’s ring. There it was, in the blue clear blue sky with the sun shining overheard.

  They saw it, then they heard the booms. Thuorms and lightning clouds.