Petty existential crises exist for all of us. Our purpose here? Are we even alive? Are we just figments of imagination? If humanity was to disappear, would we go with it? I assume every single one of us has e across these thoughts every now and thetle these qualms or we go mad.

  There is one crisis of fidence I ot ignore whatsoever though. That is the question of today’s Divines. Gods rarely ge through the ages, this is most evident with Fortia and Maisara. Their ideas of Pead Order are called barbarid dystopian nowadays. Maisara’s Order is work for unity, Fortia’s Peace is even simpler: it simply means ‘a ck of war’. Yet they still hold to these beliefs, I presume they will hold to them until they die.

  And now, we have Divines inate in the Age of Pantheon Peace. They are pletely different, almost alien, to us. If flict were to ever return to Arda, if the fragile alliaweehree worlds was to be broken, who will rise to defend us? The Great War killed off most of the powerful Divines fed in ages of flict. I ot envision Ciria or Waeh or Halkus ever leading a flict. Kassandora’s impriso is a tingency for this, she will be dragged out of that cell and made to and because there is no one like her, I doubt there will ever be anyone like her again.

  There are not a lot of the old guard left.

  - Excerpt from the secrets texts in the White Pantheon’s closed library. Written by Goddess Alsaria, of Light: ‘Untitled.’

  Ciria snapped her fingers and a table rose out of the sand. A grand, long table, with more than enough space betweewo sides. She stood there, smiling aed, that finally iations had been figured out.

  It had been a long month trying to reason with the two sides. First Essa had vetoed any possibility of Olephia being present, then Arascus came in and said he wanted Alsaria. Essa was wholly against that idea, but she did want Anassa present. Then Arascus had suggest Fer, then they had to go bad forth about why Fer should be there.

  Kassandora was no surprise of course, both sides wanted her there, as was Arascus. Fortia came in on Ciria’s request, ohey both had little qualms to. Ciria was happy about that, Fortia was the Goddess of Peace, of course she would be helpful in peaegotiations. Then Arascus simply suggested bringing everyone, Essa shut that down immediately and the number was limited to three per side. And on and on it went until three representatives of each side were chosen: Essa, Fortia and Zerus on one side, and then Arascus, Kassandora and Fer oher.

  Ciria had no qualms with any of them. She merely smiled to herself as she smoothed out her dress. A pure-white shawl with a scarf of red. “How do I look?” She turo Halkus. Her husband stood in a pristine suit, he was as tall as her. With dark hair and e eyes and a hard face that looked as if he was carved as stone. Some of the Divines she knew sidered him hard-headed and unpromising but he was actually lovely and sweet.

  “Beautiful.” He replied and sat down as chairs made of sandstone rose out of the desert sand. They had chosen a location close to a nearby town. Essa not once budged ing mages, but they would be staying nearby. Iurn, Arascus made sure the pce would not be far off from Kirinyaa, the border was within sight. Ciria turo Waeh and looked him up and doaragon of poverty, the God rejected every gift people brought him but their faith. He wore a grey shawl, one shoulder exposed.

  It was odd that he so tall, but Divines nowadays appeared shorter than they did in the past. Waeh was more than thrice Ciria’s age and her head reached up only to his shoulders. He was thin but lean, like a young man who ploughed the farm. He looked over at Of Civilization and Of Industry and smiled. “It’s the first time I meet him.” He spoke softly, his voice with all the gentleness and sweetness of a breeze drifting through flowers. “Holy, I’m nervous aed.”

  “I am too.” Ciria said as she took her seat in the middle. Her scales appeared oable. Scales to solve all problems and quandaries, they had never failed her before. No matter what two people wahat set of golden scales could bring promise and satisfa to both sides.

  “As am I.” Halkus took his seat. “I don’t know what to think.” He leaned bad took a sigh. “We shouldn’t have e so early.”

  “It’s never bad to be early.” Ciria said gently as she started to fiddle with her golden hair, it was straight a. She had made sure to look as good as possible for today. She giggled to herself. “Holy, I don’t think it will be too bad.”

  “We’ll see.” Waeh said from her left. He moved the sandstone chair closer as a sliver of the Sun appeared in the distahey had arranged for thirty minutes after dawn. “I don’t like that the three who left the Pantheon won’t be here.”

  “They didn’t want to. I’m not going to force them to attend.” Ciria said and the two Gods oher side nodded. Such was the way of the world after the Great War. promise and willingness. Ciria took a deep breath as they waited. They didn’t have to wait long. “Look!” Ciria said as she pointed north. Three Divines were moving to them. Essa and Zerus in the air and Fortia on the ground.

  “That’s not a good look.” Halkus said. Essa wore her dark blue. Ciria had read about it in history books, a magi’s battledress. She hovered slowly, a white staff in her hands topped off with a rge white diamond. Zerus was o her in a white-gold shawl. And Fortia walked below them, in her golden armour and spear in hand. She knew of the White Pantheon, although she didn’t know them personally. Alsaria had told her to stay away, so she did.

  “They look like they’ve e to fight.” Waeh said.

  “There’ll be no fighting here.” Ciria clicked her tongue as her heart started to beat faster. She looked south. “They’re here too.” And from the south. Three figures walking across the desert sands. In dark coats as they kept up a fast pace. Arascus, it had to be him, in the tre. Tall, taller than any Divine Ciria had ever met. With dark hair brushed bad a sword on his hip. His coat fell behind him to his khen crimson-haired haired Kassandora. The books always wrote about Kassandora and her hair coloured like spilled blood. She wore a simir uniform, but with a greatsword strapped to her back. Ciria sighed again.

  Old Divines and their ways. She supposed it was fine if both sides brought ons. Her eyes went to what had to be Fer. Smiling, arms behind her back as she strolled easily. It was too far to hear, but the woman looked to be whistling idly as took steps. It was odd, Of Beasthood was supposed to be civilization’s antithesis ahey had the same shade of hair. The only difference was that while Ciria’s was straight, Fer’s was unbrushed and fell down her back as if it was a cloak.

  Essa’s party got to the table first. Ciria had always assumed herself tall, but she was the shortest between them. Even Essa had a good inch or two over her. They sat down silently and watch the three approach. “It is good to see you.” Ciria introduced herself. “I am Ciria, of Civilization.”

  “We know.” Essa said, not taking her eyes away from Arascus once. She sat there, dark-haired iweeher two. Her staff started to hover by itself and she crossed her arms.

  “Zerus of Lightning.” Zerus said. He was remi of Halkus, but taller, muscled more, with a weathered fad close cut stubble of grey. And he had perfect blue eyes that looked over at Ciria, Halkus and Waeh without so much as a single emotion.

  “I am Fortia.” Fortia said as she stabbed her spear into the ground. Ciria merely smiled pleasantly. She had expected the White Pantheon members to be less… rude. Old Divines, old ways, she supposed. But then, this was why she was going to show them a better way to move forwards together.

  Ciria had inally wa journalists here to record this moment for all history, but both parties had been against that. And so it would be a private meeting. She was ner to promise, so there was nothing to do with it. “They’re taking their time.” Fortia said. Zerus looked up at the sky, his eyes gng at the sun and the shadows on the ground.

  “We’re actually early, they’ll be here o.” Fortia rolled her eyes but said nothing. Fortia pulled out her phoo check. Zerus was right. The White Pantheon had e three minutes early. And Arascus arrived exactly as the clock turo the half-hour.

  He stood and looked over them. He went to Ciria, to Waeh, and Halkus first. Cold calg eyes that sent a shiver down Ciria’s spine passed her by as he stood there. In that biform, with the greatcoat, the sword, the way he carried himself, the sheer size. That is what a God should look like. Ciria pushed the thought away, that is what old Gods looked like. That was a different time for mankind.

  Fer she air. These were the new Divihis is what the world had e to? She looked over at Ciria again. She had expected Civilization to be moal and t. To e armed with sword and shield and heavy armour and... That was the Ciria? She bent her head to look at her from a different ao make sure the woman wasn’t hiding behind illusions. She smelled like small-fry, like the Divihat were city-mascots in the past.

  Was she just hidirength? She had to be, right? It was impossible for the Goddess of Civilization to be… to be just that.

  Ciria saw Fer looking oddly at her and smiled. Fer was the one she was most worried of meeting. When Arascus had said he would be bringing her, Ciria didn’t know how to respond. This was supposedly the Goddess of Beasthood, the antithesis to her. Irinika was to Alsaria, a… Ciria’s smile grew as she bowed her head. Fer looked rather lovely, with those cute ears and the tail whisking behind her. “I am gd all you came.” Ciria said as Arascus’ party took their seats.

  “We’ve e.” Arascus said. “Although I do not see the point in this.” He looked at the scales in the middle oable. Kassandora was o him, the woman had almost disappeared. Shorter than Fer and Arascus, by a noticeable margin, but that only made her as tall as Zerus. Ciria wished she wasn’t so short. That Halkus could tower like Of Lightning or Of Pride. That Waeh had more bulk to him. They had dressed up, ahey were obviously the three weakest at the table. And she pushed those thoughts away. So what if they were weaker? The world wasn’t built on war. The time when strength decided hierarchies ended eight hundred years before she was born.

  Ciria answered Arascus as she spoke softly to all of them. “I do not want to see pointless bloodshed over millennia old feuds. We’ve built a stable world, and I wish to serve that stable world.”

  Kassandora leaned forwards as she listeo Ciria. This was Ciria and Halkus and Waeh? The three great peacekeepers of this age? The greatest Gods of the Pantheon Peace age? This was them? She looked at Fortia on the over side of the table and saw her owions spiral across that woman’s face. The same fusion and borderline disgust. And only one question rose up in Kassandora’s mind, one she could not answer in a satisfactory way.

  If this was Ciria, why did they pn so much?

  Ciria did not know what she said wrong, but something there apparently was wrong. Arascus raised an eyebrow as if humoured. Essa rolled her eyes. Fer yawned ao lean down oable. Zerus sighed and Fortia spoke.

  “We built your world Ciria.” The Goddess of Peace said.

  Ciria smiled gently. This agreement would be her greatest achieveme. She could make any mortal see reason, now was the time to move up into the leagues of Divines. “I am not saying you did not. But what I see is that our peace will be shattered. And I don’t want that.”

  “Ciria.” Arascus said gently. “It is good to meet you. You too Halkus.” The God of Pride said nothing to Waeh. “But I would ask for you to stay out of our flict.” Ciria smiled, that she could work with. All she had to do was show him reason, and then he’d see they could work together on building something greater.

  “I uand you have history together, but I merely ask that you do not let your hostilities burn down the home we all share.” Kassandora rolled her eyes at that.

  Fer smiled up at Ciria. What a cute little goddess. Dht adorable. Like a little mouse that tried to stop a bear from fighting a tiger. So sweet. What a heart of gold.

  Ciria smiled back at Fer as she finished. Kind words always helped. People simply o uand. Kassandora spoke up. “Ciria, are you serious?” She asked coldly.

  “We are all serious.” Waeh said gently, but his voice travelled far. The six Diviurheir heads and looked thuruck at the three.

  “It is simple iations.” Halkus added.

  “What does each side want?” Ciria spread out her arms with a smile to include all of them.

  “Arascus wants world domination.” Essa said quickly. “And I will not serve under him, it is as simple as that.” Arascus leaned bad ughed.

  “Is that not the dream of every Divio be known throughout the world?” He said loudly.

  Zerus came in. “Very smooth, but you didn’t deny her, did you?” Arascus answered before Ciria could get a word in.

  “If people call me small, I do not bother to deny them either, do I?”

  “Smooth once again, but that is the crux of the matter. You tried to quer us once, we are still here.” Zerus said.

  Arascus responded once again in that jovial tone. “It is grand to talk about dreams when you’re living in your own Zerus. Do you not have world domination already? Tell me, what try is safe from your shadow’s mountain?”

  “The White Pantheon eability and peace throughout the world.” Essa said.

  “So do I. Just look at Kirinyaa, finally standing up for itself.” Arascus finished as Essa was about to say something again.

  “Wait!” Ciria shouted. This was going out of trol. Aional argumeween them was the worst that could happen. “There has to be some promise to this.” Fortia and Kassandora both chuckled. Essa turned, eyes squinted as she looked at Ciria, her mouth open. Fer’s ears bounced up and down as those cat eyes narrowed at the Goddess of Civilization. She only smiled and purred.

  “Excuse me?” Essa asked.

  “There has to be a promise.”

  “This is like asking two mountains to ko each other Ciria.” Arascus said. Essa smiled at that.

  “That at least you have correct.” She said. “There simply will be no promise, I will not serve under a tyrant.” She looked at Zerus and Fortia by her side. “None of us will.” Zerus nodded and Fortia rolled her eyes. Ciria smiled at them, she had seen the opening.

  “This is the way, see, you just agreed with each other.” She hoped they would not see.

  Zerus had known of Ciria throughout the years. It had been Alsaria’s decree she would not be io the Pantheon. Back then, it had caused a sdal. How could the Goddess of Civilization not be part of the Pantheon? He uood it now though.

  A Goddess this dim, for her own good, should not be allowed he levers of rulership. If she had to actually lead rather than help, the world would simply devour her. He shook his head and sighed.

  “Ciria.” Arascus spoke slowly. “Are you? Do you uand what is going here?” Fer chuckled from near him and Fortia slouched ba her chair. Halkus stepped in and grumbled.

  “Don’t insult her like that. It is obvious what is going on here.” The God of Pride merely looked Halkus up and down turned back to Ciria.

  “I do!” Ciria said.

  “And that is?” Arascus asked.

  “You two hate each other, and you pretend you will never work together.” And the six Divines looked at her as if she stupid. Arascus and Zerus were the worst, they only gazed at her in pure fusion. Kassandora chuckled. Fer let out another humoured purr and Essa looked up to the sky. Fortia shook her head and spoke up.

  “We do not hate each other.” Fortia said ftly. “That is just wrong. There are people I hate, but the three in front of me are not part that small club.”

  “Why thank you Fortia.” Fer said sarcastically. Fortia gave the Goddess of Beasthood a ft gre and then tinued.

  “We’ve worked together in the past.” Fortia said slowly. “I think everyo this table has fought each other at some point. Those two.” Fortia poio Kassandora and Essa. “Worked to stop her some sixteen hundred years ago.” Fortia’s finger went to Fer. “But times have ged. This isn’t hatred Ciria. We’ve all sat down and had our own private debates on this. This is simply the most rational choice of a.”

  Ciria blinked. How could it be? How could they holy sit down and decide that bloodshed and violend broken families and lives lost were the way forward? That burned homes and ruined nations somehow could be acceptable? They stared at her as if she was idiotic but what was this? This ure idio its truest form! “So what do you both want?” Ciria asked slowly. Kassandora brought out a piece of paper and slid it across the table.

  Peace Demands.

  Dissolution of the White Pantheon.

  Fortia sniffed in humour at that. Essa merely looked up ftly at three ahead of them. Zerus rolled his eyes. Ciria took the paper and put it on the scales, one side fell with a sm. “And what does the White Pantheon propose?”

  “Dissolution of Arascus’ family.” Essa said ftly in respohe scales moved and tipped to the other side. Ciria looked at her, and then at them. Her scales weighed everything, but it was iing that the family was worth more than the Pantheon. Ciria had assumed them to be equal. When the scales bahey could agree and promise. Now, it was just finding out how to bahem. Arascus leaned back.

  “That’s simply not going to happen.” He said. And Ciria sighed. She had just been making progress.

  “Likewise, the Pantheon will not dissolve.” Essa said.

  “You’ve already lost half your members.” Arascus said.

  “You mean we’ve had three turncoats and two losses.” Fortia said. “The losses are bad true, but the turncoats you take.”

  “Is there nothing else you have?” Kassandora sighed from the other side of Arascus.

  “Ciria, you are wed to Halkus.” The Goddess of War said.

  “I am.” Ciria replied proudly. She and Halkus were made for each other. They were the light and purpose of each other’s life.

  Kassandora sat there and shook her head. Ciria, frankly, should just die. A title like Of Civilization should belong to someone worthy of it and not this tle girl who thought everyone in the world could just fet their worries, hold hands and daogether.

  “And does that ever cause you problems with the other Divines?” Kassandora asked it calmly, but the words sounded as if she khe answer already.

  “It does not.” Ciria answered and looked to her husband. They shared a look together and both shook their heads.

  “Not here either.” Halkus reaffirmed.

  “And if you had a rger family then?”

  “I sider everyone my family.” Ciria meant it early, but Kassandora still sighed.

  “And here we have the crux of the issue. You simply do not uand what our bond means.” She extended her arm to Arascus and Fer. “A White Pantheon dissolution is farcical because that is the only they feel safe against us.” She said it slowly. “The only way this ends is through the eradication of one side. They will not join us because we do not want them, so they have to band together because they would not be able to fight us alone.” She finished with a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. Essa found issue with that.

  “While you’re factually correct, the way you’ve phrased that is wrong. It makes it sound like we’re the pro-active force here. You are the ones who started the Great War. We will not let you seek dominiohe world.”

  “Why do you not want them?” Ciria asked. That could be a way of attack for her. If everyone joined under Arascus, then they wouldn’t have trouble. The man had been correct at the start, the White Pantheon did have world domination.

  “Whie do I start with?” Fer said zily. “Zerus is alright, but he’s zy and doesn’t do anything. You have to work him up him out of bed to move. Sceo is temperamental and has mood-swings. Alkom is too prideful for what he does. Fortia and Maisara have the same problem, which is that things o go their way or no way, Essa thinks she is much smarter thaually is.” Fer raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s the main problems.” She dropped her onto the table, arms outstretched and smiled up at the three Divines oher side. Her fangs showed themselves.

  Fortia rolled her eyes and spoke. “You mean me and Maisara like having things done correctly?”

  “That’s exactly the sort of attitude I was talking about.” Fer said from the table.

  “Don’t e to me with attitude.” Fortia snapped back.

  “Oh? What will you do about it?” Fer was just as fast.

  “Don’t argue!” Ciria shouted to calm them down. “What if you joihe White Pahen?” Arascus, Kassandora and Essa all ughed as Fer yawned.

  “You uand the issue is that we don’t like them, and they don’t like us?” Fortia said.

  “So you do hate each other!” Ciria had been correct.

  “We simply do not like spending time together. It would be a disaster.” Arascus said. “Before you were around. Even you.” Arascus motioo Waeh with a flick of his head. “There were greater Pantheons about. With hundreds of Divines, all of those desded into civil war. The only reason Alsaria’s has survived this long is because none of them match the Goddess of Light herself.” Was the man lying? He didn’t seem to be, but Ciria had never sidered the White Pao be anything but a force food. A he described it as a tyrannical regime.

  Arascus looked at the three young Divines. Now that they had grown fortable. It was time to scout and iigate what they were about. He simply refused to believe that Ciria was this weak and pathetic. The Goddess of Civilization had to have a hidden a her sleeve. He tapped Kassandora kh his uhe table.

  “I have ohing to ask.” Kassandora said. “What would those scales equalling out even do? There are certain things we simply will not promise on, no matter how many iives are given.” Ciria happily extended her hand to the scales. If it made them trust her, she would tell. “They simply weigh and measure. I am a peacekeeper, they help people uand how much their problems are actually worth.”

  Kassandora, quite holy, was thuruck. It was actually that pathetic?

  Arascus leaned forwards and took the piece of paper off the scales. “So what if I offer myself?” He said and the scales smmed down towards him. “How do we measure that?”

  “I don’t want you.” Essa said and the scales tipped back to be banced.

  “That wasn’t the question, who measures the value? Is it my opinion of myself? Or is it Essa’s?” Ciria answered early as the six Diviared inquisitively at her scales.

  “It’s just a visual aid, there’s no magic or anything to bind people to it. We’ve moved on from f our wills onto others.” Ciria said proudly.

  “So what’s the point of it?” Fer asked then giggled and scratched her head. “Sorry for being stupid, but… ’t I just go bay word?”

  “You’d love doing that.” Fortia said from the other side.

  “Not my fault if you get tricked.” Fer snapped back. Ciria looked at Fer and smiled. She was cute, and she wao learhood would be possible to civilize after all.

  “There is nothing, it is for a new age, a better age, were we trust each other.” Ciria said and Essa rolled her eyes.

  “Oh please woman. Spare me with the grandiosities.” The Goddess of magic sounded exhausted. “Just shut up. The only reason you appeared as you did is because we brought peace to the world. Frankly, there’s more to debate about with them.” She ined her head to the three oher side. “Than with you. Arascus should be down on his knees and apologizing to you for starting the Great War and making the events that lead up to your ination.” Arascus smiled in humour as he looked at Essa. She merely raised her hands, her voice loud and acg as she stared at the three across. “Well, I’m right, aren’t I? Look at her!” She extended an arm out to Ciria.

  Ciria sat there, thuruck. She never even dreamed about people liking her, much less demahat. But to hear something like said from a Divine, and not just any Divi a member of the White Pantheon. It did hurt. “Now now, you shouldn’t bully little girls Essa.” Fer said.

  “Shut up.” Essa said as Arascus rolled his eyes.

  “Make me.” Fer said from the table.

  “You think I ’t?” Essa said.

  “Oh I know you ’t.” Fer straightened herself auro a sitting posture. The only person taller than her was Arascus. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have needed Kassie’s help back then, would you?”

  “Do you really o fight that much?” Halkus asked.

  “This war won’t end until one side cims total victory.” Arascus said. Fortia that.

  “Peace is enforced. War is let loose.” The Goddess of Peace said. “It is as simple as that.”

  Ciria thought quickly on what to say. She had assumed Fortia would be on her side, but she had some entirely different idea of eace was pared to Ciria’s. Some inprehensible sort, peace was enforced? Peace was bestowed. Peace was freedom from war. It wasn’t… They were old Gods though, maybe they did need a petitioween each other? “What if you fought between yourselves?”

  Ciria gave her promise. If blood had to be spilled, then blood would be spilled. If they wao fight so badly, then why shouldn’t they? If she had a thousand years, maybe she could recile, but Arcadia and Kirinyaa were in arms raoas rising on the horizon and Ciria wao push it back down before it scorched the world. Kassandora sighed. “Ciria, what would that do?”

  “Well, one of you would win?” Ciria asked.

  “And?” Kassandora said. “What does that ge?”

  “Well, we’d have peace then.” Kassandora opened her mouth to answer and Fortia raised her hand to stall the Goddess of War.

  “This is my demesne, let me speak Kassandora.” She said and turo Ciria. “What would that do? If let’s say Essa die, would her mages disappear? If Kavaa was assassinated, where would the Clerics go? It’s the same situation with my Guardians or Maisara’s Padins. If Arascus was to die, would that extinguish war within Kassandora? Would Fer not seek revehat would not be Peace Ciria, that would be a ten-year ceasefire, twenty-year if we’re lucky. And then we would go again. And again. Until only one of is left. And then the world would bow.”

  Fortia took a breath as Ciria felt walls close around her. All she had done in versation was simply vihem that war should be done. If she had dohing, maybe there was something to be rallied, but this? This was a band of mad Gods prog how much they wao kill each other! And Fortia, Goddess of Peace, tinued. “Peace is enforced. eaow because the White Pantheon enforces it. Because there is no to match us. The greatest threat to this world isn’t a neon, it is a shield that will vineohat they stand against us. Arascus has bee that shield for Kirinyaa, and he is on track to being that shield for all of Arika.”

  “The Anarchia issue for example, in the past, it would have led to civil wars. Now, Maisara has gone and executed everyoh even a trace of that Goddess’ stink on them. Peace has been enforced. Or what do you think happehat we went for a nice chat with them? That we somehow vihem of our lofty ideals and they decided to hold hands with us suddenly? No Ciria. No, Maisara went to enforce Pead Order, and she did.”

  “I…” Ciria. “It’s just wrong though.”

  “You are allowed to say that because you’re made within this peace, so you ot see it. We are outside of the peace, so we do see it. It is good you’re this way and I don’t look down on your for it, but this is not your demesne. Our hands are soiled so that yours are forever . Kassandora will agree with me on this, if she died, her army would e seek reve is that simple. It does not end when we die, it ends with the total eradication of the other. Total war into total peace.” Kassandora smiled at that as Arasodded and turo the Goddess of Civilization.

  “Fortia is right, but there is another issue. Any sort of petition is worthless. We have a champion that is uable.”

  “Do you?”

  “Olephia.” Fortia sighed and shrugged.

  “I ue with that.” She said. And Ciria stared at them. Why did they want to fight? For simple power-pys? Could they not agree? Why could they not? They sat here, talking to each other as if they knew each other, a all they did was agree why they should sacrifice millions of lives for each other!

  “I just have one question though.” Arascus spoke to the three young Gods. “To you three. What would have happened if we did bring Olephia? Or Anassa? Or Neneria? Or if Essa had rolled in with an army of mages?”

  “We trusted that you didn’t.” Ciria said early. Arascus smiled and shook his head.

  “That’s it?” He asked. “So if this table desded into a fight? What would protect you from the crossfire?”

  “I am here.” Waeh spoke up, his voice cold. Arascus finally turo the od of Pride.

  “You are.” He said, his voice grim. “And?”

  “Do you know what I am?”

  “Alsaria’s copy of me.” Arascus said coldly.

  “You’re evolution.”

  “I’d have to be dead for that to be true.” Arascus responded. “I would have killed you already were this not peace talks.” Ciria colpsed into her chair. And now Waeh was in the crosshairs. It would have beeer to just stay out of it. To not have to listen to Fortia’s moralizing, to just leave them and up the mess.

  “You wouldn’t be able to.”

  Arascus withheld the smile on his face. And so, Waeh had been baited. Now what was this false God’s power?

  “Would I not?” Arascus said. “If Kassandora were to draw her swht now and go for your head, would you be able to stop her?”

  “I would.” Waeh replied coldly.

  Kassandora felt Arascus’ knee brush against hers. That was the signal.

  The chair flew out from underh her as she unched across the table, Joyeuse materializing in her hand, ready to take that man’s head off.

  And then her body hit a cliff. As if the air had hardeo some unbreakable stone. She had been moving, and theopped. She tried moving her head, but couldn’t. Only her eyes jumped about at her body, there was nothing holding her, she could feel the warm breeze on her fingers. But she couldn’t move. No matter how she strained, it was as if her own body was rejeg her will.

  Ciria squeaked as Kassandora stopped mid-way through her lunge and Waeh let out a deep breath. He did not even look at the Goddess of War as he tinued speaking to Arascus. “I am not you Arascus, I do not hate you, even though I should. I am the God of Humility, of Pride that Serves. There is no Divine nor blessing I ot touch. You ot harm me even if you wish to.”

  “This is the differeween us.” Arascus said. “People wish to serve me, they are forced to serve you.”

  “Phrase it how you wish, I am the check that stops divinity from overruling humanity at every turn, I am not so young as Ciria and Halkus here. I’m not of their age of Pantheon Peace.”

  “But you are Waeh.” Arascus said. “You are of this new race of observer God. If you weren’t, you would be sitting on a side now.”

  “I am merely a Divine, a servant of the mortals. If I was omnipotent, then we wouldn’t be having this versation, would we?” Arascus smiled as Kassandrowled from the middle of the table. Fortia, Essa and Zerus were staring up at her in shock. Fer had her eyes narrowed on Waeh, she she air every now and theually she growled.

  “ you release her now?” Arascus asked calmly.

  “She’s already released.” Waeh replied coldly. “Do not test me again.”

  Kassandora stood up oable and straightened as she ied her body. She moved her arms, Joyeuse disappeared from her grip as she turned and jumped off. “I apologize gravely.” She said. “I am the Goddess of War, you imagine I’m always up for a challenge, I will restrain myself better from now.”

  Kassandora finished lying through her teeth as she straightened and looked at that meagre figure. Ciria was nothing, she was little better than a taller elf. A set of scales that weighed decisions? What a worthless power wasted on such a grand title.

  But Waeh was the opposite. What a terrible power wasted on such a worthless soul.