Five kingdoms down. Two more to go. Then the nds South of the UNN. They were brimming with Gods. Alsaria flew across the o as she rallied her new coalition. Break Pantheon Peace? What was Arascus thinking? Pantheon Peace existed to safeguard the world from Divine War.

  If humans could not be relied on to keep Pead Order on Arda, then Alsaria would not rely on humans. And if Arascus wanted another repeat of the Great War, he would have it.

  “No Kassie.” Fer said. “What you’re saying is perfectly reasonable, but I still want to wait.” Kassandora maintained her straight-backed posture as in one of the trees of CR. Freshly grown, the wood still cracked when a heavy gust of wind came about. Iniri had grown it after she finished filling in the ravines. No time had been wasted, already supplies were bei out to the three fronts even though st night the world had been about to break. But then Kassandora was here, and War’s Orchestra was not oo wait for permission oo py.

  But that was yesterday, and today, they had to deal with Essa. Killing her would have been easier but Fer had agreed because Anassa had simply asked her. Now that the heat of the moment had gone, Kassandora silently cursed her own curiosity. If there was ohing she hated about moralists, it was that they never sidered the logistics of keeping prisoners tained and alive.

  So Essa was in the room too. As was Anassa. As were Kavaa and Iniri. Those st two had dooo much st night for Kassandora to only cim this was a family meeting and that they shouldn’t be included, so she didn’t even bother keeping them away. Kavaa sat in her silver armour and green underclothes, both charred by yesterday’s hurrie of fme. Anassa sat straight, looking at nowhere in particur. She had been avoiding Kavaa’s gaze for a while now. Fer would have noticed it too, as did Kassandora. “I’m against it.” Kavaa said. Kassandave ion as she sat at the head of the table.

  Essa was between Fer and Anassa. It was the only thing that made sense on short notice. A Divine had to be tained by fellow Divines, a arm’s length was more than enough for most Divines, maybe it wouldn’t work on Arascus, but Essa had never been physically strong. The Goddess of Magic merely stared at the table like a little girl who had just been told off, her eyes dull. Was she evehing?

  “It’s the best course of a.” Kassandora said coldly.

  “I agree with you.” Fer said. “It is the best course of a.” She was lying across the table, arms stretched out and ears twitg as she fiddled with her fingers. “But we don’t he best course right now, Dad said it, good enough is good enough.” Kassandora sighed. That was true too. Zalewski now had the Kirinyaan Armoured Corps, he wouldn’t need extra support when he fielded moving shields and heavy armour.

  But Kassandora did not want to send Fer off because she was worried for Zalewski, she wanted Fer to be away so that no one would overhear the versation she wao hold with Essa. Iniri would have to be removed too. As did Anassa, but Kavaa could stay. Frankly, when Essa’s staff was a mere pile of wooden kindling, Kassandora was sure she could take her on alone. “I don’t even think it’s the best course of a.” Kavaa said from the other side of the table.

  “What they save now will return to us iure.” Kassandora said. “Every ma rid of whilst Fortia is still reeling from Essa’s defeat will be one less man to e back at us.”

  “And how many will e back?” Kavaa asked. “How do you even know they’ll e back at us?” Kavaa spread her arms out over the table, Fer’s ears twitched and she looked at Essa. The Goddess of Magi her blue robe, sniffled. “She’ll call a general retreat. Without Essa, what hope does she have? Now we have Olephia and Anassa and Neneria, all practically untouchable.”

  That was the worst sario possible. The moment the invasion ended was the moment Kassandora would be dragged bato the domestic politics of Kirinyaa. As things went right now, her and Arascus could go and demand practically anything from President Ruku and he’d hand it over with a smile. Now though? If the war ended? What reason would Kirinyaa need for a standing army? Maybe the Jungle could still be used as a cause, but the threat of the Jungle paled when put into parison of the threat against the White Pantheon.

  But that was not something she could say to Kavaa. That was family business.

  “Why do you want to wait?” Kassandora asked finally.

  “I want to see dad.” Fer said ily and Kassandora sighed.

  “Is it urgent?” Kassandora asked aurned her head, she smiled so sweetly that Kassandora couldn’t get a read on her.

  “What do you think?” She said, a back to iing her fingers.

  “We are still in a war.” Kassandora said coldly. “Until the White Pantheon formally sues for peace, we are still operating under my jurisdi.” She k was a failing gamble. Everyone oable ftly ignored her. Kavaa only smiled, and Anassa came in to add her own stupid little ent.

  “You yourself say war is never finished. What does it matter if they sue for peace or not? We’ve just crushed Essa’s main force, Zalewski is holding, Ekkerson has Olephia with him. Where are we needed?”

  And Fer came in. “Sokolowski’s campaign is going excellently too.” How did the woman even know that? Kassandora fixed her with a gaze, Fer’s ears jumped and she answered without even looking away from her fingers. “I ask around, why is Sokolowski getting less supplies than Ekkerson even when Ekkerson has Olephia?” She smiled, very satisfied with herself. “Not hard to put two and two together Kass.”

  “All of you do uand that if we let them go now, it will be twice as bad for us iure? We’re lettierans escape who have seen real bat, the more that get away, the more trainers Fortia has.” Kassandora said. Fer kept pying with her fingers, Anassa said nothing. Kavaa and Iniri only awkwardly smiled. “So unless we have a good reason to let them go, then why should they stay?” It wasn’t a decisive victory, but the other side also had nothing good to say.

  “It’ll take me a week to get there even if I run.” Fer said.

  “nes.” Kassandora answered sharply and Fer smiled.

  “I’m not fond of flying.” Kassandora stared at her sister, merely stared. There was nothing to say. Fer was usually always the first oo listen to orders, and now she was the one most against it. Worst of all, she didn’t even argue, she simply did the equivalent of sitting down and shaking her head. There was a snappy retort to her ent about flying, but Kassandora merely let it fade away, there was no reason to try.

  “Anassa, Sokolowski could use you in the mountains.” Anassa leaned bad took a deep breath.

  “Does he?” She merely said.

  “Is there a reason? Or are you also not fond of flying?” Fer’s ears caught Kassandora’s eyes, they jumped and the Goddess of Beasthood smiled.

  “I’ve got a higher score than you do this war.” She said as she stretched her fingers. Anassa’s eyes fred red, her cheeks blushed and she turo Fer.

  “Excuse me?” Fer didn’t eve up, her tail merely whisked from side to side.

  “It is what it is, we ’t all be the best.” She practically cooed.

  “How many?”

  “I’ve got you at six thousand, right?” Fer asked. Anassa’s ck of reply was firmation enough. Kassandora never uood why they tracked each other’s kills, although maybe she simply wasn’t strong enough to even participate in that game. If she felled a hundred in a battle, that was good for her. It was breakfast for Fer, and a snap of the fingers for Anassa. “Then you’re some few thousand below me.”

  “Are you lying?” Anassa said.

  “Have I ever lied, sweet sister?” She said. Anassa turo Kassandora.

  “Sokolowski, what for?”

  “Assist in the mountain -up.” Anassa stared angrily for a moment. Opened her mouth, looked to Essa, then sighed.

  “You will not kill Essa?” She asked. Fer answered for Kassandora.

  “If anyohinks of toug Essa, they’ll have to get through me.” She said and yawned.

  “I’ll hold you do that.” Anassa said. And Anassa disappeared. Fer smiled, her eyes went to Kassandora’s, her face smug. Kassandora saw the woman’s hands make casual thumbs-up, if it was anyone else, she would assume it was just an innocuous gesture. But it was Fer, and she knew Fer.

  “What about repairs on the base?” Fer asked.

  “I’ve filled in all the damage that Worldbreaking caused.” Iniri said and Essa shivered to herself. Her arms ed along her own body as she looked around. What did those blue eyes search for? Probably Anassa. That’s what Kassandora would do in her situation, Anassa had been the one who saved her life.

  “I see.” Fer said and clicked her tongue. Golden eyes caught Kassandora’s scarlet one. And Kassandora realised what Fer was doing. Essa would be interrogated, but Fer would be there too. Kassandora merely sighed. Kavaa and Iniri were much easier to rid of.

  “What about the wounded Kavaa?” Kassandora asked.

  “There’s a fair few Clerics here.”

  “And my beastmen? I had survivors.” Fer finally got up and crossed her arms. “I apologize for being protective, but I think you and me are the only ones who uand what it’s like here.” She held a pause for a moment. Kassandora feigned an annoyed face, it was true. Her soldiers followed her, but it was mere followers. It wasn’t a Divine Order, nor was it the retionship Fer had to her beastmen. It wasn’t annoying, it was simply how things were. Fer said nothing but the truth. But Kavaa did not know that. “So I’d…” She even dropped her tone. “Well, I’d rather be certain.”

  “You don’t think my Clerics will do a good job.” Kavaa said ftly and Fer smiled as she held the Goddess’ eyes for a moment.

  “Will you be angry if I say I don’t? Why settle for mortals when I have the world’s best healer?” She said ftly. “I’m sure you uand.” Amazing work Fer. Amazing. Kavaa wasn’t even annoyed. She merely stood up with a sigh.

  “That holy, I at least appreciate.” She pointed a fi Fer. “You’ll owe me one.” Fer’s smile revealed her teeth.

  “sider it paying back your Jungle debt.” She said with a ugh. Kavaa’s smile dropped immediately, so did Iniri’s eyes as she merely looked down at her legs. “No no, we’re even. Don’t worry about it.” Fer said quickly. “It’s just a friendly favour, we’re friends, right?” She said and Kavaa’s eyes spark again, as did Iniri’s.

  “We’re friends?” Iniri said and Fer spread her arms out.

  “We’re not?” Masterful work, now it to them to decide.

  “I hoped we are.” Kavaa said. Iniri nodded in support.

  “It’s a selfish thing, but please?” Fer said in a sorry voice. “They aren’t an Order, but they are my Order.”

  “Alright Fer, I’ll do it.” Kavaa said. And Kavaa walked out of the room. Fer merely y back down oable.

  “We are friends Iniri.” Fer said. Palms ft out oable. “I have nothing else to say, but we are.” Kassandora stared in sile the two of them, then she realised what Fer meant. She really had nothing else to say. Kassandora herself would o get rid of Iniri.

  “Well ge of pns then.” Kassandora said. Getting rid of Iniri now by giving her a direct order would raise suspi after that. “We’ve just won, we’ll need morale raising tactics.” Fer chuckled.

  “Get Neneria drunk and have her sing.” She said and Iniri ughed.

  “She does have a nice voice though.” Iniri said with a smile. “I remember st time, when you rescued me. That was…” She seemed lost for words. “Nice.”

  Kassandora saw the opening. “Celebrations are nice because we have a reason to celebrate. She looked to either of them. Getting Nene drunk will be a challenge.”

  “Leave it to me.” Fer said, then looked to Iniri. “She did plement your wihough.” The Goddess of Nature blushed.

  “She did?” She asked in disbelief.

  “To me, you know her.”

  “Why to you and not me?” Kassandora said in feigned annoyahey were pying with Iniri at this point. Fer looked at Kassandora, sat up, her eyes said she was just as aware as Kassandora that they were both on the same page.

  “Who say sister?” She pulled her arms down her sides. “Maybe I’m just prettier than you?” Iniri burst out in ughter and then stood up.

  “She’ll be back today, right?” Kassandora nodded. “Then I’ll make some, if she said she liked it, I’ll make some.” And Iniri left quickly, most likely to catch up to Kavaa and share the good news. Fer’s fiapped the table in a slow rhythm. Fifty beats of pure silence, broken by the tapping of four nails.

  “So.” Fer said, her toirely ged. Cold, like a wolf’s. She looked to Kassandora. “We both want the same thing, don’t we?”

  “We do.” Kassandora said. Fer nodded. She grabbed the sides of her chair and jumped to turn it. In one smooth movement, she was fag the defeated Goddess of Magic

  “Essa.” Fer’s tone made Essa shiver, the Goddess pulled her legs up onto her chair and ed her arms around them. “I’ve never seen Anassa lift a fio save someone apart from us. You have some expining to do.” She extended her arm out to Kassandora. “We talk normally, like Divines.” And she brought it back to herself. “Or we do it the way animals do it.”