Kavaa watched the test delivery arrive to tral Requisitions. It had transformed from a camp to a sprawling woodnd fortress. Iniri had raised buildings for the men to sleep in and they all came with her touches. Branches and thick leaves gave plenty of shade. Stairs curled around trees to lead to higher levels. Great oaks served as a watchtowers and thick hedges marked out zones for everything. Arascus and Kassandora had both told her she could do whatever she wao as long as it followed Kassandora’s basic design, and the Goddess of Nature had ran crazy with the idea.

  And now, something primitive yet iive came along. Something that had not seen the light of day sihe days of the Great War. Four trucks had arrived and were being unloaded by men driving forklifts, tomorrow there’d be twenty.

  Bombs.

  Iliyal shifted in his seat as Neneria and Anassa stood behind him. Across the small room, on chairs and long couch were sat the leaders of the five most important Epan tries. King Wissel Ellenheim of Doschia, King Aimone of Rilia, King Richard VII of Allia, and Presidents Artois and Jozef of Rancais and Lubska respectively. They came in suit and coat and cloak, the royalty having medals to mark their office. Richard had a band around his head to represent the .

  Behind the leather couch stood the five Divines. Olonia and Agrita were the shortest, Olonia with the white braid and that thick coat topped off with fur. She there, stood arms crossed as her eyes ied Iliyal. Agrita was most the most alluring of the foddess who had e to attend. In a tight silkehat hugged her frame tightly. And Paida and Saksma o them. Taller, with golden hair. Rancais’ Goddess with her purple eyes, Doschia’s with her blue.

  Other men may have trembled uhe gazes of five rulers and four Divines. Maybe they would ran, or hesitated, or bee flustered. But Iliyal had anded Olephia before, he was chosen by Kassandora. During the Recmation War, he had talked with Fer almost everyday. He was only a mortal elf, but he didn’t like that title. He had not survived for aire millennia to be reduced simply to a mortal elf.

  Anassa and Neneria stood behind him. Neneria a step away, Anassa breathing heavily and tapping her foot as she waited impatiently. Iliyal did not even know why the woman was impatient, didn’t she have a copy of herself outside she was eaining herself with? “Kassandora could not e.” Iliyal began. “So I’ve bee.” He cpped his chest. “I’m sure you know who I am already.”

  “Iliyal Tremali.” Artois said. “General of Arascus Eighth Legion in the Great War.” Iliyal smiled proudly at them. Of course they’d knew. He was more famous than any of them.

  “I am Anassa.” Anassa said and the men blinked and gawked. The national mascot Goddesses shifted in their positions as Anassa circled around and sat on the arm of Iliyal’s couch. She was tall enough that her feet still reached the floddess of Sorcery.”

  “I am Wissel Ellenheim, I extend my greetings.” Wissel said. The other men introduced themselves and Neneria finished off.

  “I am Neneria, Goddess of Death.” She said quietly. Iliyal waited for the oddesses to introduce themselves, as was . They didn’t, merely standing and waiting for him. He clicked his tongue, hoping they would catch the hint. Wissel leaned forwards.

  “Are we here to discuss the pn Artois has shown you?” He asked. They were still at the Ga, Neneria had found a way to sneak off, Anassa had no issue, she merely summoned a copy of herself to watch. Iliyal had been in enough battles to learn how to not attract attention. Hopefully the royalty could be secretive, Iliyal assumed they could. Men who revealed their secrets easily were not the type to run this sort of scheme.

  “My apologies.” Iliyal said as he extended his arm to the four Divines behind the Epans. “Are they not going to introduce themselves?” Wissel gave a wave of his hand.

  “Saksma, of Doschia.” And Paida followed along, Olonia in that rough at, Agrita in her sweet one.

  “Do you girls not make decisions?” Anassa asked. Iliyal stopped his eyes from rolling. Neneria was good support in diplomacy since she stood there a quiet unless she saw something, and people were more proo promise when the Goddess of Death was in the room. Anassa was the opposite, Kassandora had once fided in Iliyal that she and Anassa were grown on the same tree, the ohat liked to listen to itself talk.

  “We represent the nation, not the politics.” Paida answered calmly and Anassa shrugged.

  “So be it.” She said. “I’ve seen worse.” Paida only made an amused smile, but Saksma obviously had her ego hurt.

  “That means what exactly?” Saksma said angrily.

  “What do you think it means?” Anassa answered back smoothly. The humans looked up at the brewing storm.

  Iliyal stepped in to settle it down, just as Kassandora would do. “Different age, different s Saksma.” He made sure to direct the ent at her and not at Anassa, some mistakes did not have to be repeated. “But yes.” He turo Wissel. That man was obviously the leader among these five, the first to speak and sitting in the middle. With the most experience among them, Iliyal had done his research before meeting them. “This is about your pn.” Iliyal pulled out a photocopy of Artois’ paper and unfolded it. “To be frank, it is terrible.”

  It wasn’t terrible actually, Iliyal would have cocted somethier, but for men who had no experien the battlefield, they could have done a lot worse. Iliyal only wao see how they would reaething which was obviously an insult. Olonia’s lips quirked up in humour, Saksma narrowed her brows in annoyance. Paida and Agrita gave ion. The men all sighed, Wissel leaned down and looked at the notes. “I have made my own ges, you’re wele to take it and incorporate them.” Iliyal smiled as he leaned back. “Goddess Kassandora looked over it.”

  They may have issues with him, but if the Goddess of War had looked over the ges, they would accept. But there was ohing not on the paper, for secrecy rather than anything else. “And there is one more ge to be done.”

  “What is that?” Wissel asked, he hahe paper off to Jozef. Olonia leaned down to read it along with him.

  “I should be the ander of the operation.” Iliyal said. This was the hardest part of the discussion, these men could potentially storm the Divine Armoury themselves, but it would be better if the on-iion Divines were used by their rightful owners and not by these preteo power.

  “You?” Wissel said. Saksma behind was obviously not happy. Agrita smiled though, but Iliyal had seen that hungry smile on women before. She was trouble.

  “Me.” Iliyal said with a nod. He leaned back as Anassa stood up. Iliyal had told her and Neneria what the point of the meeting was in the first pce, and that they should back him up however they thought. Total independence was a rare order, but it was the only Anassa would receive, and Neneria would shut down thinking about the teicalities if she was given a list of instrus.

  “Iliyal is the best choice.” Anassa said. “My sister has chosen him as a General, he is more skilled than anyone you could muster up.” Iliyal sighed, that sort of deliberate tone did not help in diplomacy. And Saksma’s rea was the exact reason why. She scowled, but didn’t say anything.

  “We…” Wissel said slowly. “We have our own anders.”

  “To sell myself.” Iliyal quickly scrambled, his tone apologetic but firm. “I am better.” He let the statement hang for a few seds, it was obvious no one would argue with someone who led one of Arascus’ Legions. It was simply an appeal to his own fame and prestige, but if there was ohing Iliyal knew, it was that his prestige was deserved. Out of everyone, he was one of the few who had been personally chosen after all. “It’s not a case that I doubt your officers, but Maisara’s head quarters won’t be dealing with criminals. They will fight bad stand to the st man.”

  Anassa began, this time ing in with a gloating tone. “Frankly, I-“

  “trol yourself Anassa.” Neneria interrupted her from the back.

  “Well if dear sister says so.” Anassa cooed. Fer would have had a retort, Olephia would too, but Neneria simply let the statement drop. Iliyal was gd she did.

  “This…” Wissel leaned bad looked to the men by his side.

  “It is a suggestion.” Artois admitted.

  “We would have to discuss it.” Jozef added and King Aimone nodded.

  “Discuss all you want, our offer won’t ge.” Anassa said, Iliyal wished Arascus had nht her along, there was a reason she was usually kept away from diplomatic meetings. Neneria came in.

  “To add to that.” She said slowly and took a pause. Saksma jumped on the ce to speak.

  “General Tremali, do you have your Divines do that talking for you all the time?” She said. Anassa chuckled from the side as Neneria froze up. And the Goddess of Sorcery came in to defend her pride.

  “I uood that the opinions of mascots are not worth much yhness.” She directed it to Wissel, the man grew pale as if he wao die simply from the terrible position he had been put into. “But you should keep order in the court.”

  “It is simply unpreted.” Saksma said, Paida came in. Simply from the watg the show with Neneria outside, Iliyal khis woman would say something that would try to alleviate the situation. He’d agree with her as long as it wasn’t stupid.

  “Saksma, have some decy.” Paida said, Iliyal lifted his hand to cateneria’s attention and made one of Kassandora’s signals. The Goddess of Death remembered it from a thousand years past.

  “Keep your cool Anassa.” Neneria said, colder this time. She stepped forwards to put herself oher side of Iliyal. Arms crossed across her bck dress. “I will do the talking.” Iliyal wished Arascus or Kassandora or Fer were here, they could steer the rest of them easily. Whenever he captaihe ship, the rudder would bee like jelly.

  “Of course, I aim for de and nothing else.” Anassa said sarcastically. “But yhness, you-“

  “Anassa.” Neneria interrupted her once again. “This is the final warning.”

  Anassa finally shut up.

  Iliyal switched tactid feigned a sigh. From the expressions of the mortals, it was obvious they didn’t feel safe with Anassa and Neneria this close to them, but there was also a questioning doubt in their eyes. Kassandora had taught him this, when an oppohought you weak and disanised, let him believe what he wants. Overestimation of yourself could only lead to biting off more than you could chew, but uimation was the opposite. Iliyal looked up at Anassa, she wasn’t stupid, nor would she sink a meeting for satisfa of her own ego… usually. Two crimson eyes looked down at Iliyal, framed by a perfect face of bck hair.

  No point, Anassa had always been impossible to get a read on. Whether she was doing on purpose or whether she was truly so petty was a question Iliyal had decided wasn’t worth the effort of figuring out a long time ago. “In regards to Iliyal.” Neneria said. “You know his qualifications, he is Kassandora’s man, so he won’t boast of his as but as of this moment, he is iop five in the world when it es to leadership.”

  Wissel turo Neneria. “And may I ask the others?”

  “Arascus, Kassandora, Alsaria, Fortia, in that order. Iliyal fifth.” Neneria listed the names off slowly and Iliyal kept the grin off his face. It was high praise, and it felt good when it came from someone who knew everyone on that list.

  “Is he?” Agrita, Rilia’s mascot, cooed. Iliyal realised who she reminded him of. Alee the maid. That was a terrible woman who did terrible things to him, and this Agrita carried the exact same expression. Light brown hair, shorter, but making up for it with everything else. The e dress did not help either.

  ‘”Agrita.” Paida said sternly.

  “I’m only enting.” Agrita said as she rubbed her . “And they’re allowed to talk.”

  “That we are.” Anassa said smugly.

  “I like you.” Agrita said. “You’re full of yourself, but you don’t look too bad.” Anassa ughed.

  “You are cute.” The Goddess of Sorcery replied. “I will give you that.” Saksma rolled her eyes as the mortals once again became ingratiated in the versatioween Divines.

  Iliyal returhe topic back to what it should be. “With the ges I’ve made.” Iliyal said. “You should be successful no matter who leads, but I will lead the operation.” He made his toern.

  “That is one way to talk to a King.” Saksma said.

  “When the man is older than your nation, he talk however he wants.” Anassa bit back.

  “Anassa is crass, but Iliyal’s point stands.” Neneria said. Wissel leaned bad sighed, he crossed his arms.

  “I assume you uand why we aren’t…” He stopped and thought for a sed. “So eager to let you lead?”

  Iliyal had his reply ready, a fnking offeo the man’s shieldwall. “In regards to this, we initially wao send Goddess Kassandora.” That was a plete lie, Kassandora would not step foot in Epa before they had a rge presehere. “But that would look even worse, I will not be seen, I will not make a diplomatit.”

  Wissel nodded slowly, then unched his parry. “But likewise, I think you uand we don’t trust you entirely.”

  Arascus had already rehearsed this with Iliyal. “There is a reason.” Iliyal said proudly.

  “Then I’d like to hear to it.”

  “We’re not this for ourselves.” Iliyal said. Now that the Divines had shut up, he could said what was o be said. Frankly, brining Anassa was good. One versation with her made her look like an impossible-to-work-with maniad those people rarely made good plots. “We’re doing it for you.” Wissel raised an eyebrow. Artois stepped in.

  “How?”

  “You’ve seen Neneria power already, Anassa is strong too.”

  “The stro.” Anassa said. There it was! They wouldn’t catch it, but Iliyal knew when the woman was making a joke. Her voice always curled upwards whearted enjoying herself, and she was obviously enjoying pig on these weaker Divines.

  “Fer, I’m sure you’ve heard of the atta Arcadia.” Iliyal said and the humans he Divines behind them made grim faces. “Kassandora and Arascus, and Olephia. If we wao, could the White Pantheon stop us from destroying the Padin Headquarters?”

  “You raise a good point.” Wissel said.

  Iliyal made himself seem more reasonable. Ah a bone matism in their body would immediately distrust those who didn’t reveal what they wanted. “Our is lie in the weakening of Maisara’s forces. You e to us with a pn, it’s rather good, it costs us little.” He tapped the paper oable between them. “Frankly, it leasant surprise, so I have to thank you for that.” He had them beiing out of the palm of his hand now, he k. “Thank you.”

  The elf tinued. “But we have two stiputions, the operation unches when Kassandives the green light, and I lead it. You agree, and we smuggle rifles to you immediately.” Wissel looked to Richard and gave the man a nod. They weren’t bad diplomats, especially sihey didn’t lose their cool when the Divines were pig a fight, but there was a reason Kassandora had created a list of hand signals for everyone.

  Richard spoke in his high Allian at, every word pronounced as it should be properly. “I will a, an Allian ship to Rilia, Rancais and Doschia are already in the Pantheon’s bad books.”

  “That is your domain, we won’t interlude. We have a hundred rifles ready with ammunition by dawn.” A call to Kavaa in CR would make it happen.

  “What sort of time-scale are we w with?” Jozef asked. “A year? A matter of months?”

  “We are waiting for Essa to leave Epa, upon firmation she is in Arika, we will bog her down and stall her here.” That should be enough time. “So about a month, fifty days at the most.”

  “And it’s just you?” Wissel asked. “Not anyone…”

  “I will bring a team of my own bodyguards of course.” They were already sold on him being there, he could see it in their expressions. Now, the frog was cooked, he could make more demands.

  “Not Divines.” Wissel said quickly.

  “Of course, only humans.” Iliyal already knew who’d be going, it was the sorcerers. But these people didn’t have to know that. Wissel sighed and looked to the men around. They he King of Doschia leaned forwards, his arm extended.

  “Very well General Tremali, we graciously thank you for your help, and hope this will be the start of a long and fruitful retionship.” Iliyal shook the man’s hand.

  Fruitful, the retionship would be.

  For his team at the very least.

  Maybe not for them.