Bck-haired Anarchia sat in her room. A small p north-eastern Esberia, close to the southern Rancais border, with dirty walls and crag floors, this pce was about to colpse. But Esberia had a beautiful Sun, plentiful fruit and the best weather on Arda. Sleeping uhe stars was nothing but a blessing. One of her followers had brought a stolen ptop, apparently she would want to see this.

  A she did. She watched the Rancais vote to separate from the White Pantheon. An utter sham of democracy, the fate of a nation decided by the majority of a single room. She watched Aimone procim his love for Rilia. A farce, as if the man knew every person in his kingdom personally. She watched the Lubskan Sejm be stormed by an angry mob, the hangings that took pce after. That was a fire whipped up by Jozef, to burn down so he could rebuild. She saw King Richard VI and his wife Eleanor read off a millennia of the Pantheon’s failing, redug the victims of those tragedies to nothing but empty propaganda. And King Wissel, ever pragmatic, ever logical, ever so correct. Who could disagree with him? Doschia deserved its own freedom after all.

  Anarchia sat there, and she wao weep. The expulsion of the White Pantheon from Epa should have been a day of celebration. A loosening of the tight colrs around people’s necks. She wanted ao the White Pantheon just as much as all of them did.

  But not like this.

  ‘No one leaves this room until we figure out a pn on what to do.’ Maisara had said that. Maisara had indeed said that. Indeed Maisara had said that. So Fortia sat in her marble throne. One of fourteen. When they had returo Olympiada, it had been silent. Neneria’s assault had killed some twenty thousand, they were rgely Alsaria’s servants and Seekers, but Fortia had a few of her own Guardians too.

  So Kirinyaa had utterly devastated them. Fortia k would be difficult without Leona. Kassandora had singlehandedly guided Arascus’ Legions so well that a war which should have been an easy summer campaign turned into a flict between three worlds. Leona had been invaluable. Her omnisce touched everything and anything. But that had been a thousand years ago. Fortia… Fortia didn’t know what to think. Kassandora had only been free for a few months when the Pantheon had made its move. Fortia had helped build this world, she kly what eaation was capable, she knew how and where to strike to shut down industry, there were only four real armies on Arda. The White Pantheon possessed three of them, and the Clerics had always been weaker than the Seekers, Guardians or Padins.

  Well, it was five armies now, with Kirinyaa’s own military.

  What did that ge though? The White Pantheon still effortlessly outnumbered Kassandora’s forces. In terms of magi terms of manpower, in terms of industry. The only advantage Kassandora had were her oys and her mind. Fortia didn’t know what to think. That teological gap shouldn’t have been an issue when Arcadia had so many mages and Olympiada had so many minor Divines.

  Ahey had lost.

  And now five tries had just expelled the White Pantheon from their borders. And it wasn’t five Arikan nations. It was five Epan states, how Arascus had achieved that, Fortia had no damn clue. Maybe this was why Kassandora had been so passive in her campaign. Fortia had thought the woman was merely timid of Olympiada’s numbers and serving her own, but now she saw it. The war of attrition had removed a third of Maisara’s men. A quarter of Fortia’s. Arcadia was left without a Goddess. It had all but closed its doors to the White Pantheon, every response being one of ‘We shall await Goddess Essa to lead us.’ Fortia saw the pn now, and she did not know what to think.

  So Fortia sat in that gra empty, tremendous yet cold, inspiri dying room that made up the White Pantheon’s discussion room. A circle, with massive doors that could fit two Alsaria’s ea eaark. Pilrs were spread out in a circle, holding up the golden dome of a ceiling as Essa’s magical mps up the air. Fortia leaned bad retreated further into her cold stohrone as she looked at the others in the room.

  Fourteen thrones. With what should be fourteen Divines. But Atis was dead. Thirteen. Iniri, Kavaa and Helenna had turraitor. Ten. Essa had been captured. Nine. Leona was dead or missi. Alsaria was dead or missing. Seven. Saranael had long since gone insane. Six.

  Of the fourteen inal founding members, only six were left. True, they had gained Sceo, but Sceo wasn’t an inal member so did she even t? She sat ihroo Zerus. Her in a dark blue dress, tall and proud, with downcast eyes. Zerus in white outlined with gold. He mirrored Fortia’s posture, simply colpsing bato his marble throne, simply staring up at the ceiling through his bushy eyes.

  Alkom was oher side of the God of Lightning. Tall and thin, in a robe of gold. All the light from his eyes had burned out. Theosius was oher side of the room. With wide shoulders and thick arms bulging with veins, but with a tired look about his face. His bck hair down his body, and he had only came in his w outfit, still charred from the fes.

  And then Maisara and Fortia, both in their armours. Maisara in silver, Fortia in gold. The thrones swallowed them as they sat in their battle-skirts. Maisara’s was still damaged from an e on a front, where an artillery shell had almost hit her. Fortia had sent her own to be repaired by Theosius. ‘No one leaves this room until we figure out a pn on what to do.’ That was the issue. No one knew what to do.

  Fortia sat there, for she didn’t know how long. A day maybe? A week? It couldn’t have been lohan a day, but no one wao say anything. She hated Alsaria’s attitude, she utterly despised the haughty Goddess of Light. But she had to give credit where credit was due. Alsaria, for all her fws, did keep the White Pantheon funing for a millennia.

  Less than a year had passed since Alsaria and Leona had disappeared. In that time, what had happened? Olephia had been freed. Arascus had made himself a hero in Ausa. Kassandora had established an iron grip over Kirinyaa’s hearts and minds, this coup of hers was merely the final culmination of that. There wasn’t a sirace of rebellion they could instil. Maybe Helenna could, but Helenna, along with Iniri and Kavaa, had switched sides to Arascus. That meant aire quarter of the White Pantheon’s military forces had goh Kavaa. Essa had somehow beeed. Arcadia had been attacked. Anassa was freed. Fer was running rabid. Waeh was dead. The Peacekeeping operation into Kirinyaa had been lost. And now Epa was gone.

  Just like that.

  In a mere year, under Fortia’s and Maisara’s leadership, the White Pantheon had crumbled down to mere remains of what it oood. In a single mere year, Fortia and Maisara had basically driven it into the dirt. It would have been easier if Kassandora had just killed her, then at least Fortia could have had a hero’s death. Instead she had bee alive to manage ashes.

  Finally, of all people, Theosius broke the silence. “We give up Arika.” He said grimly, his voice a low rumble as if it was a giant bumblebee. Fortia looked to Maisara, Maisara looked to Fortia. Silver eyes met ones of gold.

  Scehtened her posture. “And what then? Do we mar Epa to keep it in the fold?”

  “It is obvious Arascus will send support to Epa.” Maisara said. “We ot ease the pressure off on Arika.” Fortia he Goddess of Order was correct. There was nothing to bicker about here, arguments were a luxury. Ohey had ran out of when Alsaria and Leona had gone missing. And so the sileurned, although it was only for a moment this time.

  “The Epa go and tihe embargoes.” Theosius spoke up again. “Something has to be cut, we ot afford a two front war.”

  “Epa is my main recruitment ground.” Maisara said coldly and Theosius sighed.

  “There is no situation out of this without giving something up.” He said. And he was correct, but what was there to give up? Every day spent with Kassandora and Arascus out there was a day lohey had to prepare. Yet how could they strike at Arascus with Epa missing?

  “We realign efforts to the UNN and Guguo.” Sceo said and Zerus sighed.

  “That could work.” Alkom quickly chipped in. “Both of them are bigger eies than Epa.”

  “Epa left because we were focused on it.” Maisara said. “We have no pret for interfering with either Guguo or the UNN, no ws or decrees to force them to bend us to. They like us only because we aren’t there.” Maisara said as she crossed her arms. The Goddess of Order looked around the room with angry eyes. “Well? I’m right, aren’t I? We’re not popur.”

  “Speak for yourself.” Sceo said.

  “I will nue with you Saisara started in an angry tone. Fortia did not let her finish say whatever she was about to, instead, she id her hand on Maisara’s, Zerus put his own Sceo’s. The two somehow mao calm down.

  “The time fuments has passed.” Fortia said.

  “I think we all agree on that.” Zerus said, he sighed. “Just so you know, I do not bme the two of you for this state. You did not kill Alsaria, nor were you here when Kassandora was freed.”

  “Thank you Zerus.” Fortia said. She with-held her own snarky reply, Kassandora was only free because the man had not struck down Iniri and Kavaa and Helenna when he had the ce.

  “Something has to go.” Maisara said. “Because the situation is untenable. We fight and win against Epa. Kirinyaa has already proven itself against us.” Fortia sighed. They needed a baseline of strategy, if for nothing, then to serve as a start to work off.

  “Kirinyaa will o be a war of attrition. Not the quick strike we were hoping for with the quick death of Kassandora. We will o throw enough blood at her to drown her in it.” Fortia sighed. “The simple reality of the situation is that the world is still on our side, and Kassandora only has a siion. Kirinyaa be purged.” She looked around the room at the empty thrones and the shocked expressions at what she just said.

  “We swore e again…” Zerus said slowly. He didn’t finish the sentence. A kno the door and shouting outside of the meeting room killed all discussion. The two huge marble doors, unopened sihe remnants of the White Pantheon had entered here, slowly began to swing.

  One by ohey revealed a small crowd, although Fortia reised all of them. A faces, ohat had aided them in the Great War, and then been allowed to keep their nds as a reward for their loyalty. The Divihat still ruled kingdoms. Of the great undersea kingdoms, of Anktyda’s tralized Anktia. The mad co of kingdoms, duchies and barohat made up Uriamel located in the o that Kirinyaa itself sat on. And more yet, h in the air, with bird wings that burned with fmes. Those were new, from Pichqasuyu. The nation of five, far south of the UNN. Fortia had rarely ied with them before, they were Alsaria’s fans, not hers.

  And in the middle of them, shining like a star in the night. Pale and golden-haired and in a dress of pure white, stood the Goddess of Light.

  Fortia did not know if she wao cower or flee or hide in shame or face execution. But she looked upon that tral figure and she felt what she felt when Arascus had started his mad quests. Sce of Darkness, Night’s Bane, Lightbrihe titles summed her up, but as Fortia looked upon stern but smiling Alsaria, she only saw the walking embodiment of hope stride in.

  - - - End of Arc 7: Dreams of Empire - - -