As beings of will, we are bound by the ideas of mortals. I am most aware of this myself: I am strict, disciplined, unfling, unbending. Even though the word is cursed, I am proud too. The issue of the White Pantheon is that we are ily tradictory. The ception of Essa was brought about not from mages but from the millions of mundane folk’s stereotypes about them. Mages are ily lonely, closed off, stubborn, pretentious, know-it-all’s. Thus, Essa embodies those traits to the utter extreme. Likewise, mages sustain themselves through magic rather than food, so why would the Goddess of Food & Bounty ever get along with the Goddess of those who don’t o eat?

  As much as it pains everyoo accept it, this ruling has no exceptions. Why do Of Love and Of Food & Bounty get along fwlessly? Well what better way to a person’s heart than through a meal? Why did Alsaria pursue Irinika for a tury even after the rest of the Pantheon had closed her case? Because Light and Darkness are ily ected with each other.

  I am hoo the extreme. Even when dealing with Arascus, I will praise him where he deserves praise. His pride fually is a tradi. It was through that tradictory Pride that he died ughing at us, feeling superior even as we locked him away. It is through that tradictory Pride that somehow the Goddess of Order ended up alongside the Goddess of Luck.

  - Excerpt from the secrets texts in the White Pantheon’s closed library. Written by Goddess Maisara, Of Order: ‘The Rules Binding Us’.

  Zerus sat in his throne. He utterly, absolutely, eternally hated everyone in the White Pantheon. He liked them all individually, but thehey had to e together, he wao call down a lightning strike onto Olympiada and eradicate the whole mountain.

  “Are you getting nostalgic Zerus? You’re calling us for what?” Iniri, of Food & Bounty, asked as she strolled into the a sanctum of the White Pantheon. Her hair was brown like ground, her eyes green like leaves and her dress was flowing with the bright colours of spring: all yellows and whites and pinks and es. At seven foot, she was taller than every human but when amongst the Gods, she was caught a good foot g.

  “You’re te.” Zerus’ voice rumbled through the room. The magical mps floating in the air quivered. He sat in the middle of the half-circle of grand marble thrones. Iniri merely shrugged and chuckled as she leisurely took her spot at the end. She was always like that, Zerus didly know why the woman didn’t get along with him.

  “Since Sceo isn’t here, I’m suspeg this isn’t an assembly to celebrate atempt at a child.” Iniri smirked. “And Leo isn’t here anyway so I guess that makes me lucky.” Kavaa, of Health, aiful Helenna, of Love, didn’t bother to hide their smiles. They had about as much adoration for Zerus as Iniri had, which was hat only annoyed him more, as he didn’t uand why exactly.

  “If I knew you were ing, I’d have called a milkmaid Iniri.” Essa, of Magic, spoke up. A wispy woman, ed in a light blue shawl with white hair and blue eyes. She was beautiful, exotid terrifying. Her eyes were sharp and her features were all angur. Her hair would move by itself every now and then as if a wind came upon it. Unfortunately for Essa, Iniri was just as childish as her.

  Zerus sat ba his seat a out a soundless sigh as he saw Iniri smirk and her mouth begin to move. There was no poiing involved with these children. He was the eldest among them, he should be respectable.

  “I see the witch is still as good as ever.” Iniri made her green eyes rge as she leaned forwards and used her arms to squeeze her impressive chest, the plete opposite of Essa’s. She even made her voice sound i. “I actually have some wine you have. It’s a good substitute for a partner you know.” Essa barked bastantly.

  “It’s not hard to find love when you’ll even suckle with cows. But I’ll be sure to visit when I want to finally give up on all my dignity and roll around in the mud.” There were few Gods who would dare to talk about love with Helenna, every God was jealous of their own domain, but Helenna was most jealous of them all. The Goddess of Love’s red eyes grew dark, her hair went from a pale gold thteous red and she let out a sigh that would make any man’s heart melt before she spoke.

  “Don’t be petty sweet Essa. I’m still w on the fact everyone who loves you is a bit…” She lifted a delicate fio the side of her head and spun it around. “You know, coo-coo.” Iniri let out a chuckle. Essa replied just as quickly to Helenna as she did to Iniri.

  “I appreciate the gesture sweet Helenna, but I really don’t o rely on others to make me a meal when I do it myself.” Zerus thought about stopping this. This was how the sario always went, some quip from one of the smaller members, someone would actly set off Helenna, and then Helenna would set off everyone else.

  “SILENCE!” Maisara, of Order, shouted as she stood up from her throne. Her voice didn’t have any anger in it, it was simply a pure and, but her grey eyes carried a terrible judgement in them. “ALL OF YOU! You are better than this. atiently for on your miserable lives!” Unlike most of the other divines, she wore no shawl or dress, instead she had e in her silver armour: A solid, unadorned breastpte, a battle skirt and boots that reached covered her calves. Her long hair of a dull silver colour stayed still as her executioner’s axe materialized before her. It stood perfectly straight, her hands csped over the end.

  “I cur with Maisara.” Fortia, of Peace, added when Maisara had finished. Her words were smooth, not a and but a suggestion. She was much like the foddess but whereas one was silver, the other was gold. Her hair brilliantly blinding, her armour with tassels of red cloth with decoration. Where oood behind aaller than two men, the other csped a spear by her side.

  Essa and Iniri both shut up, giving dirty looks to each other but not tinuing the petty squabble. Not Helenna though. Never Helenna, Goddess of Love. Maisara and Fortia both stared daggers at Helenna as the woman graciously stood up. Her hair being a gold more vivid than Fortia’s. She ran her hands alohe side of her dress, making sure to wordlessly tell both of the cold statues oher side of the room that even together, they could never pare to her womanhood. “My my my.” Helenna’s voice was a cat’s purr, all smug and desding. “Looks like you two have some passion in you after all.”

  What was love without war? What was love without chaos? It was only natural that the Goddess of Love would never get along those of Pead Order. Zerus let out a sigh. This time they could hear him. No oook any notice of course. It was always like this. He closed his eyes and ted the clouds in his head, Sceo had taught him this, to think of her and t clouds in his head when he wao calm down. Owo… Three…

  “Don’t…” Fortia’s whisper reached only Zerus and Maisara. Of course, the proud Goddess of hat whisper.

  Six… Seven…

  “I have nothing against you sister.” Maisara’s voied through the sanctum. “But act a like a damn Divine and don’t humiliate all of us with this pointless bickering.”

  Eleven… Twelve…

  “I’m honoured you call me sister. I didn’t think a heart like yours was capable of knowing what family means.”

  “Mai, she’s only teasing you because you give her a rea.” Zerus blessed Fortia, bless that little heart of hers for thinking she calm these two down. Maisara, predictably, ignored Fortia’s wise words.

  “Helenna, you’re not worth my time.”

  Seventeeeen….

  “Is that why you’re still standing before me?” Zerus didn’t o open his eyes to kly what sort of smug expression Helenna was making. He could tell from the voice, he had it be directed at him a thousand times before.

  Twenty-One…

  “You’re a Goddess, you should behave like one.”

  “Since you know the rules so well, shouldn’t you show me how they’re done?”

  “I’m not going to back away from you Helenna.”

  Twenty-Six…

  “Back away? You only have to kneel before me and I’ll be happy.”

  “That’s going too far Helenna!” Fortia shouted out.

  “Oh what a surprise! Pead Order once again! My favourite pairing!” Helenna spoke as she chuckled. Zerus forced his eyes shut with all of his might and tightened his fists.

  “Don’t speak out of turn.” Fortia’s voice was boiling in a cool anger.

  “Are y to scare me junior?” And there it was. The Gods didn’t have many taboos, certainly less than the mortals, but one of the few things that was to never be called out was eared before who.

  Twenty-Nine…

  “The only reason an old hag like you talk is because we came about to make sure you didn’t cause extin!” Maisara shouted across the room. The only response was Helenna’s g. How did that woman even make her cps seem smug?

  “Oh I know I know, you two are reat saviours who work together to protect everyone from the rest of us. I, Helenna, merely the measly Goddess of such a ridiculous cept as Love, thank graaisara and even-mracious Fortia and wish the two of you a long and fruitful retionship. I hope one day the bed you share won’t be as dry as the Sassara.”

  Thirty… Zerus opened his eyes, they were now shining a blinding white. For an instant, he saw a scowling Maisara, her axe had buried itself into the marble floor. He saw Fortia, her beautiful face had twisted in rage, her spear was aimed at Helenna and he saw Helenna. She simply stood there, hands on her hips, she was bent slightly forwards as if she was a lecturing teacher and she had a smile so annoying he could never dream to replicate even a fra of it.

  In the instant, lightning struck the three of them.

  “STOP! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!” Baku Nada turo face the police officers. They sent out a good respohree cars, eight troopers. He moved his shoulders, cracked his ned felt Anarchia’s blessed strength travel through his body. He spoke calmly, there wasn’t any reason to cause harm needlessly.

  “Put down your clubs.” He wasn’t a man of viole was simply that violeeo e to him. The officers surrounded him. Their batons crackled with stunniricity.

  Unfortunately for them, they didn’t put down their clubs.

  Alsaria walked into the White Pantheon’s inner sanctum. She sighed immediately. Children, the lot of them. Kavaa, of Health, was kneeling over Helenna, of Love, who ushing herself up from the floor. Oher side of the room, Maisara was kneeling in her silver armour. Her hair was messed with loose strands pointed in odd dires. Her hands were gripping her oversized axe as they quivered. Fortia was on her back, taking heavy breathes as smoke rose from her body. She was gripping her spear and muttering something too quiet for ao hear.

  The atmosphere in the room instantly ged. These Gods were either Abstracts, like Maisara being of Order or Fortia of Peace, or they were Forces, like Zerus of Lightning or Essa of Magic, but no one pared to Alsaria, of Light. Light was an om force, there wasn’t a God who could pare to the power Alsaria held.

  Alsaria clicked her too let Helenna know she was there. Maisara and Fortia flicked their gaze to her but made no movement of aowledgement as they returo their marble throhey were always like that: Abstracts stru the past. Helenna though… Alsaria knew Helenna had heard her, how could she not? But she didn’t care. “Oh Zerus, I see why Sceo has fallen for you if you pull off tricks like this.” Zerus merely met Helenna’s gaze, he was too old to be caught quibbling with a girl like this. Or maybe it was just because Alsaria had appeared.

  Alsaria merely waved her hand. Light shot from one of the walls and bsted into Helenna. It wasn’t enough to hurt her in any major way, but it still unched her off her feet and threw her like a doll into her own throhe woman’s dressed was charred bd her cheeks were flushed red with anger. Her hands shot to her stomach as she tried to pretend it didn’t hurt. “Sit Kavaa.” Alsaria said as she walked to her own throne, between Fortia’s and Zerus’. She met Helenna’s gaze for a moment as the woman readjusted her dress.

  “You make my heart melt with a greeting like that.” Helenna said. Alsaria merely replied with a raised eyebrow, taunting the woman to say more. She did not. Silence fell over the sanctum as the Gods and Goddesses all looked at each other. They must have finally realised the situation was serious if Alsaria herself had e. Thirteen of the fourteen thrones were taken, only the oween Zerus and Alsaria was left open: Leona’s throne.

  “So everyone is here.” It was tradition for Zerus to always start the versation. He was the oldest of them, so he should begin. His voied across the sanctum like thunder and the magical mps swayed in the air but the moment he said that, every gaze turo the empty throo his right. “As you know already, a full assembly is only called when we face utmost crisis.” He took a sigh, as if unwilling to say the words himself. “Leona has colpsed.”

  Alsaria sed the reas of everyone in the Pantheon, she trusted all of them, but certainty was the highest form of trust aainty was something she could only achieve through iigation. No one would be stupid enough to harm Leona but… It was that tiny but in her head that wao call this meeting.

  There were a few divines out there who knew how to lie, Arascus had been a master of deceit but the members of the White Pantheon? Her eyes shifted to Zerus and Helenna. They were the only ones who could pull it off. Zerus, even though his title was God-King, had little i iy politics like this. He also fawned over Leona, lightning had long been sidered a source of good luck. Helenna? Helenna urposefully annoying and argumentative, but she loved Leona the most of them all. How could she not? Luck to love was like sparks to fmes. The rest were much the same, only Maisara and Fortia had little love for Leona, but the world would end before of Order broke a rule and of Peace harmed a member of the White Pantheon.

  No one gave any suspicious rea. Alsaria clicked her tongue again.

  She would have preferred a rea. That meant the issue could have been solved today. “Excuse me?” Helenna broke the silence, her voice was hollow as if was uo prehend the words she just heard. “Leona has colpsed?”

  “She has.” Zerus answered.

  The White Pantheon sat in silence for a miwo. Five. Ten. Finally Maisara took a deep breath, brushed off some dust from her skirt and spoke up in that strong tone she always had. “We know that Leona feels pain when something terrible is apart about to strike.” She took a deep breath. “But on this level…” When even aisara had trouble talking, it was bad. Alsaria spoke up.

  “Before the Godkiller i, she had a month long migraihe st time she colpsed…” Alsaria felt her voice go weak. She couldn’t say another word. Maisara gave her a dirty look, stood up and finished for her. Everyone here had been there before, everyone knew what happe time Leona colpsed, but the words simply had to be said.

  “I thank mighty Alsaria for the interruption so let me finish, but there is only oime that Leona has colpsed previously. It was the day before Arascus, God of Pride, decred war on the known world.”