I am no sage and I am no philosopher. There are plenty of Divines whose voice I treat as lower than dirt, so even my Divinity gives me no special status. Nevertheless, I have been asked to write so I shall.
The sections before and the sections after in this book will no doubt try to attack me and besmirch my character. I would like to remind the reader that handling criticism reasonably is entirely different from rolling over and being a dog for others to project their own character flaws on. This exercise of sophistry in writing a shared book is supposed to help us identify our issues yet it obviously has another purpose. I will spoil the fun for everyone and I will be the only one honest enough to admit it. The true purpose of this book is the justification and making of a case to prove ourselves to you. Not ourselves as in the Pantheon as a whole but ourselves directly.
Let it be known that every word from every Divine, myself included, is working under this mindset. Maisara is not writing to prove the tenets of Orders, Maisara is writing in an attempt to besmirch Allasaria. Elassa is proving her own exceptionality, Fortia is justifying her string of defeats by shifting the blame on us. Allasaria, as always, is moralizing about grandiose ideals. I am simply doing what they are not, which is truthfully engaging with the audience and exposing this sham.
Throughout this entire book, it will no doubt be written that I did not engage in petty Pantheon politics and that my greatest sin is apathy. This “indictment” on me is a compliment. I care not for it. Unlike the rest of them, I am not pretending to fix the world’s problems. I am the Goddess of Health. The Goddess has a duty to Health and to Health alone. I am not here to fix tax rates. I am not here to eliminate crime. I am not here to prevent natural disasters. Shade is thrown at me for not choosing to engage in strategy meetings during the Great War.
So I throw the shade back, what would my involvement have added? Would Fortia follow my advice? Would my sagely wisdom satisfy Elassa? Would my expertise make Maisara think? Would my opinion be moral enough for Allasaria? No. I am obviously talking in farce. I started this text by stating I am no sage and no philosopher. I am merely the Goddess of Health, nothing more and nothing less. I do my job because it needs to be done. The duty is what makes the person, not the words.
And frankly, my words are nothing spectacular. There is a reason I have never even tried to strike up a theory of Divinity in the way many of compatriots have; I know that by engaging in this trite, childish, banal and asinine behaviour, I will simply be throwing more garbage on the steaming pile of shit that is White Pantheon politics.
- Excerpt from “Discussions of the Future.” A book written by all White Pantheon Divines. This segment is credited to Goddess Kavaa, of Health.
Arascus did not even turn back around from his map when he heard the door to his war-room open. He remembered when they used lines in the sand to draw maps, when the paper was as a thick as a nail, when maps were woven in cloth and when paper came into being. In the Great War, maps had been painted on wood and then annotated with pins and strings. And now? A digital monitor he could touch and zoom and have boxes appear. Lines could move by themselves and terrain could be shaded. All the other advancements simply paled in comparison to how much this invention changed the game.
Footsteps from behind. Arascus got it down from the quick pace and the high-pitched click a heel would make. Kassie would have introduced herself, Neneria walked slower, Fer had heavier footsteps, Anassa would just appear without opening the door. Kavaa would knock. Helenna had a different step and Iniri would knock too. Elassa would give notice. It could only be one then. “How are you Malam?” Arascus asked as he took a step back and zoomed the map out from Rancais and onto all Epa.
The whole continent was direct Empire territory or it was Empire aligned. The minor nations of Epa would fall in line once Rancais’ liberation was officially over and all the liberation was waiting on were messages from the armies in the very south and in the very west. Sheer distance and land to cover was the main opponent now, and not any holdouts still loyal to Anarchia. “How do you think?” Malam sighed heavily. She must have dropped a series of notes onto the table due to the sound of ruffling papers. “Do you have a drink?”
Arascus turned around to look at the Goddess of Hatred. She was dressed about as well as he expected, in a tight black dress that covered everything yet still managed to seem immodest by how the bodice clutch her upper body. The worst part was that the woman knew exactly what she was today, her perfectly white and colourless hair was brushed to be a wide fan which only made that body stand out. But then Arascus saw those black eyes and the careful smile and smiled back. “Do you need one?” He asked.
Malam released a deep sigh and shook her head. “I don’t.” She said. “I really don’t.”
“Then don’t worry, I have nothing.” Arascus said. He did in actuality, there was a whole cabinet of alcohols but he knew that the moment Malam found one bottle, she would start actively sniffing out the rest. It was better not to give her the temptation in the first place. “I have ice cream for Olephia instead.” Malam would not want it if it was just idle ice cream, but if she could take someone else’s…
“What flavour?” Malam asked immediately.
“Any and everything.”
“Do you have cherry?”
“She likes that one.” Arascus went to the small freezer in the corner of his room. Apart from the massive screen that dominated one wall, a small desk, a table and a host of chairs for watching the presentation, the God of Pride liked to keep his place minimal in décor. Even the paintings on the walls were of landscapes and of his daughters. He had no reason to hang himself up, he knew what he looked like after all.
Inside the freezer were a hundred different ice creams and then chocolates. He kept them cold because Neneria liked them crunchy rather than soft, Olephia did not care what her chocolate was like as long as it was sweet. Kassie, rather predictably, would only need the stuff that at least three quarters pure bitter cocoa, hers was frozen here too. “What are you doing?” Malam asked as Arascus with a whole box and a spoon.
“I was looking at the UNN.”
“Why?” Malam replied, those eyes, entirely pitch black, went to the box of ice cream. Her eyebrows darted downwards.
“Because even if making them an ally is off the table for now, we don’t want them joining with Allasaria when she brings in Paraideisius.” Arascus handed the box over. Malam took it tentatively and moved her hands up and down to weigh it.
“I’d suggest a coup.”
“Do you have men there?” Arascus asked. A coup was not the way to go with the UNN. It was an entire ocean away and the ocean could fall at a moment’s notice. Alanktyda had not joined the Empire, it had merely signed a temporary ceasefire. Even if a massive garrison was sent over to hold an occupied UNN, Alanktyda could choose to cut them all off any moment they could.
“I can.”
“Can we hold it?” Arascus asked. Malam smiled back at him, she was smart enough to work out the answer.
“We can’t.” Malam said as she tested the ice cream’s weight again. Arascus motioned towards with his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Are you trying to make me fat?” Malam asked. “This is soooooo much.” She pretended a single tub of ice cream was heavy.
“There’s a saying.” Arascus said. “You can bring a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.”
“Are you saying I’m a horse?” Malam asked. Of all people, of course she would spin it that way. Arascus wasn’t going to back out now though.
“Are you not the Imperial workhorse?” Arascus spun the question. “You plough so we can eat.” Malam smiled and rolled her eyes.
“Do you think you’re smooth?”
“Do you think I’m not?” Arascus answered back instantly and the Goddess of Hatred chuckled to herself.
“I know you’re not.” She replied teasingly after a moment.
“I’m so smooth you could polish me and call me a mirror.” Arascus replied. It didn’t make sense but things didn’t need to make sense. If you had enough confidence, people got the message.
“That one I’ve never heard.” Malam replied.
“I made it up.” Arascus said and finally Malam burst out in laughter.
“That’s so stupid!” She cried out as she finally popped open the ice cream box. Inside it was a combination of sweet vanilla and sour cherry. For all of her complaints, Malam wasted no time in devouring the tub. The first spoonful was enough to be a whole dessert. “So… anything I can help you with then?” She asked after licking the spoon clean.
“Aren’t you busy by yourself?” Arascus asked and Malam shrugged. He should have worked out she had nothing to do if she came asking for work.
“I’m done.” Malam dug her spoon into the tub of ice cream again.
“You’re done?” Arascus reaffirmed. Malam was like Kassie, direct praise made her melt, but this sort of self-congratulatory praise made her stand tall.
“I am done!” Malam exclaimed, she pulled out another spoonful of violet-red and cream ice-cream from the tub and quickly gobbled it up. “As done as can be.” Arascus raised an eyebrow. It was one thing to say everything was going to schedule, it was another to say one was done. “I’ve gotten the SIS on finding locations.” Malam explained. The SIS was the Special Imperial Service, the Empire’s secret police. It was effectively another army, if far, far smaller compared to the proper military. “And Kavaa is getting her immortals from Arika.”
“The Ashlands have been treating them well I hear.” Arascus said. Honestly, he had not enough time to keep track of what was happening with the remains of the Underground Expeditionary Legion. He had read Kassie’s report, he had read Kavaa’s report, and he knew that the Goddess of Health had effectively broken the mind of every man she had blessed. Now, the only thing left to do was to give them a task to do which would give them an escape from processing the horrors they had experienced.
“They’ve stopped offing themselves.” Malam said through a mouthful of ice cream. “I assume all the ones that could not handle it have gone.” She made a motion of slicing her neck. “Sokolowski found work for them in digging irrigation canals but Kavaa is coming back with them now. I’m pulling them into the SIS.”
Arascus raised an eyebrow. More men meant expansion. Expansion meant costs. Costs meant budget. So this is why she had come then. And naturally, Malam would be roundabout about it. “I assume you’ll need a bigger budget.” Even in the Great War, this had been a problem. Malam would simply make do and never ask for assistance. To any of the other daughters, he would other. To Malam, he could not enable this behaviour though, she had to learn how to ask from others.
“Well…” Malam trailed off. “I can make do.”
“Can you?”
“I mean, it really depends on how-“ Arascus interrupted her.
“Do you need a budget increase or not?”
“I do.”
“Then it’s done.” Arascus declared. Frankly, the Empire had enough money to spend, the liberation of Rancais had sent Imperial bonds into an all time high.
“Really?” Malam asked. Of course she could not believe that someone did something for her.
“Really.” Arascus replied. “That’s it, done and dusted.” On one hand, it was blatant nepotism, on the other hand, it was his daughter. Frankly, the latter took priority. What sort of father out there would deny his daughter anything? “How’s the ice cream?” He changed topic before Malam could try and argue for why she didn’t actually deserve the money.
“Mmh-hmm, it’s good.” Malam replied. In this short span of time, she had managed to devour half the box.
“Better when you know its Olephia’s?” Arascus asked.
“Damn right.” Malam replied mischievously. Arascus smiled at Malam picking out another tub of ice cream. From the way the woman was handling herself now, it was obvious she had gone through everything she wanted to go through. She had relaxed massively, her shoulders falling looser and her movements easier since Arascus said he would increase the budget. “Olephia mentioned she wanted a telescope.” Malam said. Arascus raised an eyebrow and the Goddess of Hatred explained by motioning with her hands. “A big one. Huge. As large as a house. She wants to paint the moon and planets.”
“We’ll need to know more specifics over just big telescope Malam.” Arascus replied. What else was there to say?
“She said she’s asked Helenna for it too.” Malam said and Arascus smiled at her.
“Do you think I’ll compete with her on who can provide the better telescope?” Malam raised an eyebrow as she scraped the side of the box for more vanilla-cherry ice-cream.
“Will you not?” She asked.
“I have no intention to.”
“And here I thought you two had something going on.” Malam answered. Arascus stared at this Goddess before him for a few moments as he thought of what to say. It wasn’t a case of crushing her, Malam, as much as she pretended not to be, was very fragile. It was rather a case of turning it around so that she wouldn’t make more of these comments.
“We gel like tea and sugar.” Arascus replied directly. Malam raised an eyebrow. Those black eyes challenged Arascus, her smile said she thought she had won.
“That implies a lot.” She said.
“That it does.” Arascus agreed. “There’s lots of mixing going on.” Malam blinked and chuckled to herself.
“Well if you say so.” She said and then made her voice pompous. “You have my blessing.”
“I’m glad I do.” Arascus answered. Frankly, what was he even supposed to make of this statement? The Goddess of Love was a private matter. Helenna wasn’t being pulled into the family at any rate. Arascus stared at Malam challengingly, Malam stared back.
“I like her, you don’t have to worry dad.” Malam said.
Arascus chuckled to himself. “Like I said, I am glad you do.” Arascus was about to continue when his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out. “Speak of the devil.”
“Is it her?” Malam asked.
“It’s Helenna.” Arascus confirmed. Malam made some whimper of wanting to listen in to the conversation and Arascus acquiesced. “I’ll put it on loudspeaker.” He would warn Helenna the moment he answered anyway.
Arascus did not get a chance to warn Helenna. The Goddess of Love spoke immediately into the phone, her tone one of joyous excitement that sounded as if she could barely hold herself back. “We have one!”
Arascus didn’t know what to make of that exactly. Malam let out a little chuckle at his confused expression. “We have a what?”
“A machine spirit! We have one!”