Seven Champions had gathered in the audience chamber to bring about the greatest divine council Elphion had yet to see.

Wepwawet observed the gathering through Victoire's eyes as Sultana Alexandrite greeted each of them. One could learn much about a god from the Champions they kept in their confidence, and he could already glean a few interesting tidbits from a mere first glance.

First of all, since magmorian rooms weren't fit for giants, Ganesha had been forced to send his smallest ambassador available; a male blue-skinned cyclops pushing nine feet, which would be the equivalent of a child or dwarf in megalorian culture. The Champion dressed rather modestly, wearing a plain red robe akin to a kasaya and holding prayer beads. Wepwawet guessed that at least a few of Ganesha's followers had picked up on their patron's spirituality. Ganesha's representative still looked comically large when compared to Axomamma's representative, an andvari woman with a tuft of red hair dressed like a mechanic straight out of her workshop.

More interesting were the other gods' representatives.

Ishtar's ambassador was one of Elphion's so-called 'demons,' and Wepwawet wasn't too impressed. The fiend resembled a thirty-something year old human male with long red hair and pale green eyes dressed in aristocratic clothes; in fact, he would have looked absolutely unassuming without the curved ram horns growing out of his head and the reddish serpentine tail sprouting out of his clothes. He smiled at his fellow ambassadors, but eyes remained cold and calculating.

Horus' Champion—true to that bird's aesthetic—was a slim, youthful blonde human of near-ethereal beauty with pale dove wings growing out of his shoulders. He dressed in stainless white linen robes and carried a staff that marked him as a religious figure of some sort. He smiled at everyone with sincere joy, unlike the demon. A brightly colored serpent longer than most grown men and with a humanoid face adorning their cobra-like hood coiled at his left. This must have been one of these nagas from Kathay, Sun Wukong's civilization.

Only Epona's representative was one of Victoire's fellow humans, but he was so much older that Wepwawet half expected him to die from old age on the spot. The wizened elder's white beard reached all the way to his feet, and his black and red robes hardly covered the gaunt, skeletal frame beneath. However, the wealth of magical rings on his fingers and the magical aura radiating from his clothes betrayed his nature as a sorcerer. His sunken black eyes had been assessing Victoire with a calculating gaze since she entered the room.

"Could this be one of the Three Sages?" Victoire wondered in her mind. Her unease was palpable.

"The Three Sages?" Wepwawet asked.

"They are the highest magical authorities in Valentine, sworn to obey its leaders since the days of Archmage Ingsworth," his Champions explained. "However, their predecessors betrayed King Lefou and the Glarmes in favor of the Republic during the civil war. There's bad blood between our organizations."

"Am I bothering you, child?" the old man asked Victoire with a slight, respectful bow. "My apologies then, I have forgotten my manners. I am Melchior, a wise man."

Victoire scoffed and answered in Valentinian. "No wise man would call himself wise."

Her remark drew a few laughs from those who understood the two's language, and Melchior gave Victoire a crooked grin. "I see the Glarmes haven't lost their edge."

"I have left the organization long ago, and what remains do not seek quarrel with the Republic," Victoire replied calmly, her eyes narrowing at the elder. "I pray the feeling is mutual."

"I say we have bigger problems right now," the old man replied, dodging the question. "I assume we are all gathered?"

"We are," Sultana Alexandrite replied. "You may begin summoning your patrons."

That surprised Wepwawet. He had heard that Anansi, Watatsumi, and Hel had all sent representatives to witness Sultana Alexandrite's coronation. Even if they had decided not to participate in the Miracle contest for one reason or another, they could have at least sent a Champion to witness it like Sun Wukong did.

Something's amiss. Wepwawet didn't believe for a second that a trickster like Anansi would sit out such an important gathering, nor miss the chance to sow chaos. Could he, Hel, and Watatsumi be holding their own private meeting somewhere else?

His gut told him something was brewing far below the surface. Something big.

He decided to keep these thoughts to himself as the Champions gathered in a circle. Victoire grabbed the cyclops's large hand and prepared to do the same with Axomamma's andvari when Melchior discreetly stepped between them and gently seized Victoire's palm before she could react. This could have been mistaken as an old pervert's feeble gesture, but Wepwawet immediately sensed a whiff of magic in the air.

"He's casting a spell on you," Wepwawet warned Victoire. "A blood analysis one."

Victoire clenched her jaw. "He knows."

Wepwawet feared as much. Victoire's true identity as a descendant of Valentine's royal family was supposed to be a closely kept secret, but it wouldn't surprise him if the Republic kept tabs on them or at least investigated her origins.

"Play along for now," Wepwawet replied as Horus' angel and Axomamma's ambassador put their hands on the naga's own to integrate them into the circle. "There'll be time to investigate later."

Wepwawet had decided to focus on gathering information for now. Accepting Ishtar's deal would carry a lot of risks, and he needed to gauge Epona's intentions before reaching a decision.

The gods' various Influences overlapped the moment their Champions completed their circle, allowing them to project their spirits above their followers. Time slowed down to a crawl as the deities gathered between two ticks of the clock, too fast for mortals to observe. Wepwawet, Horus, Ganesha, Axomamma, Ishtar, Sun Wukong, and Epona all materialized one after the other.

Wepwawet was already acquainted with most of them, with two exceptions. The first, Epona, manifested as a pretty, if fierce, human maiden with a long brown-auburn braid falling onto her back and freckled pale skin. She smelled of straw and appeared clothed in a mix of Roman cavalry armor and Gallic clothing. Tellingly, she had chosen to appear as far away from Ishtar as the circle allowed.

Meanwhile, Wepwawet knew Sun Wukong to have been one of the rare mortals who managed to ascend to the Nexus, but rarely interacted with the mischievous deity during class. The self-styled Monkey King lived up to his fearsome name, eschewing a humanoid form for that of the beast that gave him his title and sat on a floating cloud. His skin was made of stone; however, his muscles were harder than mountains, and he boasted impressive regalia that included a divine iron staff banded with gold rings on each end, a remnant of his distant mortal existence.

The Monkey King turned to meet Wepwawet's gaze, smiled, and then opened the conference with two words none of them expected.

"Fight me!"

Wepwawet blinked in surprise. Did he mishear? "What?!"

"You, spar with me in a B&C battle," Sun Wukong replied brazenly, completely uncaring about the shocked looks he received from the other deities present. "Pick the place and terms! I'll take you on anywhere, anyhow, anytime!"

"Is this a joke?" Wepwawet asked in shock, only to realize that Sun Wukong was entirely serious. "My gods, you really want to challenge me to a B&C battle?"

Ishtar burst out in laughter at this turn of events. "Not even five minutes in and we already have a war on our hands."

"You can practice with us too if you want," Sun Wukong replied. "The more the merrier!"

"Please, Sun, calm down," Ganesha said in a vain attempt to defuse the situation. "Now is not the time to pick fights."

"Of course it is!" Sun Wukong frowned upon seeing his audience's lackluster reaction before laughing it off. "Oh, wait, you think I want an actual battle?"

"You don't?" Wepwawet asked, growing more and more confused.

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"Of course not, I want a mock battle!" Sun Wukong told the gathering. "I'm looking for a sparring partner before the next Incursion, which I intend to volunteer for and win handily. I haven't gotten to practice my skills or test my Champions since I arrived on this world!"

"And you think a mock B&C battle would let you prepare better?" Wepwawet inquired.

"Of course it would!" Sun Wukong nodded to himself. "Titan Incursions are group fights. How else can we practice fighting against other deities or learning how to cooperate unless we all receive actual experience? Didn't you win against Whiro because you had practice?"

"That… that's a fair point, actually," Wepwawet conceded. Putting their armies to the test in mock battles and war games could improve coordination… if he could trust the other party not to use or reveal the information gathered during combat against him later on, criteria which Sun Wukong didn't meet in the slightest, yet. Such games also often degenerated into actual battles when lacking responsible leadership.

"I have an arena ready if you want to train your Champions," Ganesha wisely suggested. "My own followers are already running public fights for money, so…"

"That's a good idea, too." Sun Wukong snapped his fingers with enthusiasm. "My Champions are sick of fighting each other, so it'll help them blow off steam and sharpen their skills against unfamiliar foes."

"This is a waste of time," Horus cut in, in his annoyance. "Did you come here just to pick fights?"

"Why else?" Sun Wukong shrugged his shoulders. "This contest is a trap. Overextension is a slow, insidious killer, and whoever wins this land won't hold it for long."

He's not wrong, Wepwawet conceded in his mind. Assimilating Lavaland would prove to be both a cultural and logistical nightmare for any god winning the competition. Still, it's too tempting of a prize to pass on.

Horus scoffed. "So you will sit it out?"

"Yup. Besides, it would be too easy for me to win." The Monkey King had learned humility in the past, but he often forgot it. "I'll let you keep the glory."

"I don't want to rule Lavaland either," Ganesha said. "My performance will support Wepy's bid."

"Watatsumi has thrown his support behind my bid, too," Epona added, taking everyone aback. "I will represent both of our nations during this competition."

"I have no interest in this land so long as trade continues," Axomamma said. "I'm just here to see if we can settle it without issues."

"Which leaves only Wepwawet, Horus, dear Pona, and me as true participants," Ishtar summarized as she glanced at the group. "I suppose I can't convince any of you to sit this one out?"

"We both know neither of us can back down, Ish," Epona replied, her suspicion palpable. "Whoever controls Lavaland will be able to march into the other's undefended border. I can't let you hold it."

"In that case, we could both sit this one out and let the Egyptians take over," Ishtar 'innocently' suggested. "A neutral party in power would ensure peace between our nations."

"I see no issues with this," Horus said. "I will protect Lavaland from all invaders, but I shall serve as a peacemaker if I must."

Is Ishtar trying to keep plausible deniability and Horus fell for it, or did she approach my cousin, too? Wepwawet wondered. It would make sense for Ishtar to cover her bases, though he wondered what price would have secured his rival's cooperation. What game is she playing here?

Whatever it was, Epona clearly didn't believe Ishtar. "Wepwawet's weakened military cannot prevent an army from crossing into Lavaland, and Horus' civilization is on the other side of Elphion; a decisive attack on the country's Altars would prevent the teleportation of reinforcements in a pinch."

Horus scoffed. "I don't need teleportation to strike at you if I want. You only need to look at the sky to see my wings."

"I have two dragons," Wepwawet said, which earned him gasps of shock from the goddesses present, "And I'm not afraid to use them!"

"Two dragons?" Sun Wukong whistled with what sounded like genuine respect. "You are more lion than wolf, Wepwawet!"

"Wepy, are you alright?" Ganesha whispered to Wepwawet with sincere concern for his mental health. "Recruiting one of those lizards was borderline insane, but two…"

"I know what I'm doing," Wepwawet lied through his teeth. "If I had the mental strength to hire two dragons, do you think I would flinch at keeping the peace?"

"It sounds to me like you're looking for excuses to deny others Lavaland, Pona," Ishtar said, her smile having all the sweetness of rancid butter.

"I would be happy to entrust Lavaland to Axomamma, who is both close, reliable, and well-equipped to maintain peace between us," Epona replied with a sigh as she turned to her friend. "Please, I beg you to change your mind."

"It would certainly help us both," Ishtar said. Unlike Pele, who couldn't act her way out of a low-budget TV drama, the war goddess managed to fake sincerity. "Can you not simply agree to take care of Lavaland in our stead?"

"I… I can't," Axomamma apologized, clearly uncomfortable with the demand. "I have… I have too much to do in Stalheim… I can't promise anything."

A System notification popped up in the back of Wepwawet's mind as Epona and Ishtar tried—or at least pretended—to make Axomamma reconsider her decision. It resembled a System logs message similar to the one Miss Athena often sent through the Nexus connection, but the sender was completely unidentifiable. Wepwawet carefully opened it.

The most embarrassing image possible flashed on the screen.

If Wepwawet were a mortal, he would have suffered a stroke on the spot. The picture showed Horus manhandling him against the gym showers' wall, the water dripping on their skin, but the angle made it look as if his attempts at pushing back his cousin by holding him by the throat was instead an attempt at kissing him. A single warning came attached to the picture.

Throw the contest, or I'll forward this to everyone in the Nexus, with Daddy on top of the list.

It took all of Wepwawet's willpower to keep a straight face, and even then he couldn't resist glancing at Horus in shock. Having expected a trick from his part or that of his mother Isis, he instead saw that his cousin was reading his own System notification; and from the way his bird-face morphed into an expression of utter horror, he could guess what had happened.

Horus and Wepwawet exchanged a glance, and then they both knew.

It's not possible! There's no way somebody saw us! Wepwawet rechecked the picture while trying to hide his unease. The shot was simply perfect, so perfect it had to be taken in the shower itself. Herc would never do that, so it had to be someone else…

Nonetheless, Wepwawet knew better than to yield to a blackmailer and immediately forwarded a response.

Try it, if you dare. I'll say it's fake news! No way my friends will believe it!

The answer came almost immediately, the sender once again completely anonymous.

But your Daddy will know. He will know the second he sees your embarrassment. I wonder how he will react when he sees you making out with your hated cousin, especially since he looks like he was the one on top there…

This bastard… Wepwawet's fist clenched in rage. No way Dad would believe it… he's too experienced with Nexus politics to buy it!

But then again… then again, his dad never acted rationally when Horus' side of the family was concerned. His beef with Aunt Isis contributed to the mess on Elphion, and the mere mention of his nephew infuriated him.

The blackmailer was right, his father would fly into a terrible rage the moment he saw this picture, and if he did… he would never look at his son the same way again.

Who could it be? Wepwawet's Providence let him find anything he wanted as long as it was within his realm of Influence. Since every god present fell under his own, he should have been able to locate the sender. Instead, his Opener of the Way came up empty. Not here.

Whoever had sent this message had to be another deity entirely.

Could it be Anansi? It would fit the trickster's M.O. and explain why he hadn't participated in the gathering, but what would he gain from causing Wepwawet to throw a contest he himself didn't participate in? It didn't make sense!

"Wepy?" Ganesha asked, causing Wepwawet to close the message in an instant. "Is something wrong?"

Wepwawet quickly glanced at his fellow gods.

While Ishtar, Epona, and Axomamma were too busy arguing to pay attention, Ganesha had noticed his friend's unease, and Sun Wukong…

Sun Wukong's eyes darted from Horus to Wepwawet, a big grin stretching on his face while his fingers stroked his small beard. He had noticed the two Egyptian deities' unease, and the mischievous shine in his eyes spelled trouble ahead.

Damn it! Wepwawet quickly avoided Sun Wukong's glance, which only made him more curious. The last thing I want is for that nosy troublemaker to interfere!

"No, nothing," Wepwawet replied hastily, though Ganesha didn't buy it. "I'll… I'll tell you later."

"If you say so," his friend replied with clear reluctance, being too smart to press the issue in front of others but too kind not to show concern.

Wepwawet knew Ganesha and Artemis would trust him, so he wasn't afraid of confiding in them or Miss Athena, but no one else had to know. He and Horus exchanged another glance. They didn't need words to tell one another that this would stay between them.

Meanwhile, Epona had given up on trying to convince Axomamma and went on the offensive. "A shame. If Axo won't take over, I must secure my northern border through any means necessary."

Horus glared at her. "What, you'll pick a fight if I win?"

"It doesn't need to come to that," Epona replied. The way she phrased her answer meant that she wouldn't rule out force if needed. "Wepwawet, Horus, I am willing to compensate you both for your loss should you step down."

"Here comes the bribery attempt," Ishtar said. "Let me guess, you'll offer juicy trade deals to soften the blow?"

"You think you can buy us?" Horus snapped, the blackmail attempt having rattled him.

"I am willing to share Lavaland's resources and allow you to proselytize in Valentine. I'm open to counteroffers if you wish for more." She then turned to face Wepwawet. "As for you, Wepwawet, the Republic confiscated many magical items from the Glarmes and the Valentinian royal family during the revolution. I can return them to you."

Wepwawet kept his mouth shut. It suddenly occurred to him that unless Ishtar and Sun Wukong hadn't lied about their intentions to wash their hands of Lavaland, then Epona was the only one who would benefit from Horus and Wepwawet throwing the competition. Yet the fact that his Providence hadn't identified her as the sender and her straightforward demeanor made him doubt she was behind the blackmail attempt.

Either Epona was the best actor he had ever seen, or she had a secret backer in the race.

"I'll think about it," he replied evasively, when in truth he sought to investigate. He was starting to gain a larger view of the situation, and it didn't please him in the slightest.

Someone wanted to put Epona in control of Lavaland, or at least check Ishtar's ambitions. This implied that rivalries and power blocks had begun to form among his class, the same way his alliance with Artemis and Ganesha had only grown stronger over time.

Unfortunately, experience taught him that large military alliances had a nasty habit of going to war among each other.

There would be blood in the water soon.

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