A fool would say there are plenty of lessons to take from facing the Seraphim at Sandorf. On a purely tactical level, that may be true. The fact they are effectively moving mountains makes traditional stationary siege weapons utterly ineffective. Trebuchets, which were originally suggested to try and fell the monster, were very obviously useless during the battle. Nevertheless, the question is more a case of who did not predict a trebuchet would be simply incapable of keeping up with a moving target? The only reason we even bothered was so that we could be utterly certain. Ballista and small catapults, which could be rotated on the spot by teams of men, were obviously more effective. Yet again, the question become one of who predicted otherwise?

We could not swarm it with masses of melee troops. No surprise there. Air troops proved slightly more useful, yet they simply lacked in power. The creature's natural healing was not fast in terms of relativity. Compare it to Fer's regeneration and we very obviously have a winner in the form of my sister. Rather, it was just one terms of scale, even though the wounds were closing slowly, a slash with a sword left little more than a pin-prick on the Seraphim. And again, this is not something we have learned, rather, it was just a confirmation of knowledge we could intuit from the fact we possess imagination.

But fools who make grandiose statements rarely, if ever, mean them in a realistic, directly applicable sense. Obviously what they mean is some grander notion. "The Seraphim at Sandorf taught us that we can defeat foes unimaginably strong." This notion I reject.

It is the same logic one uses to defend the immortality of Divinity. There is nothing mystical or grand or difficult that involves the death of a Divine. It is achieved through a grand many ways although the one I always like to reference is that all the death of Divine requires is simply the separation of the head of the Divine from its body. The trouble involved is the actual process of separating the head from the body.

Likewise, the Seraphin that descended upon Sandorf was considered unkillable until we saw Irinika cut it. We saw it bleed. And once we knew it bled, the question became the same as that of killing a Divine. It was only a matter of power.

Really, all that the Seraphim at Sandorf proved was whether the Empire had enough power within it.

It did.

- Excerpt from "Officer Considerations, fifth edition." Written by Goddess Kassandora, Of War. Handed out to Imperial Officers fifty years into the Great War.

Arascus descended upon the car park where Kavaa stood. He had just been with the administrators that were being brought over from the Empire to give them new orders and, to use a turn of phrase, strengthen the ship wherever it could be strengthened. Nothing could be done in the open of course, he didn't trust anyone here not to be spy and frankly, the UNN would be stupid not to set up secret recorders in every wall of the buildings that were being rented out by the Clerics. Even once a permanent building would be set up, Arascus would not trust it. It was simply too easy to spy in this era.

But he pushed the plans regarding the administration and how to turn the pen-pushers into warriors against the UNN government away as he looked down at what was happening between Kavaa, the people she was blessing, Etala, Ciria, the UNN government and the most important actor of them all: the crowd. Most of those people who kept a distance had raised their phones and were busy saving this scene for all eternity. There had been a time when Arascus had only needed to worry about historians to set the narrative. Now, anyone with a phone could take an image so clear and so judging that it would make the most powerful of ancient propagandists blush.

Arascus focused his eyes on Ciria. The Goddess of Civilization looked up at him with furious eyes, she wore that white dress of hers, outlined with the same that the UNN used on its flag. It was only a minor concession to national sovereignty and one Arascus had seen through the moment he saw the small Goddess. Etala had come ahead of time to warn Kavaa, and Etala had come alone. Whereas this Goddess of Civilization, a newcomer to the UNN, had come strolling in with all the most important members of the state behind her. Maybe Etala would say it was different, Ciria would definitely argue against what was happening here, but words were wind. Arascus much preferred to see how people actually acted instead of judging them on their words. "I thank you for the welcome party." Arascus said loudly. His loud voice echoed as it bounced off the tall city blocks around them.

"Greetings God of Pride." Ciria said just as coldly. "If you told us you were coming, we would have prepared a better greeting for you."

Arascus was sure they would and it made no difference to him. These people simply did not impress. Ciria, for how grand her title was, also did not impress. He redirected the conversation before it could be match of insults. It was very obviously heading into a spat right now. "I have come because we have a unique situation here." Arascus said. "So I wanted to inspect it myself."

"And that is what?" Ciria asked, her lips curled up into a smile. Arascus should have taken the chance to speak, the fact he tried to hold the pause to let the silence sit gave Of Civilization the opening she needed. "Because we are obviously thankful for your assistance with the Clerical Order of Anver but it is the Clerical Order of Anver." If she had just left it at that, then maybe Arascus could have found a way to slither in. But Ciria made sure to draw the line in the sand for all the audience to see. "And last I heard, Anver was the Capital of the UNN and nowhere near the Empire."

Arascus knew he shouldn't have given them that much of an opening. The fact that Kassandora had delayed the ride here no doubt gave Ciria the chance to think up of this ridiculous plan to try and claim the Clerics for herself. "Last I heard, the Clerics are blessed by an Imperial Goddess." Arascus said. "Apologies for us checking up on our own."

Ciria smiled up at him and Arascus knew he couldn't go down this line of attack. She was too confident, they had probably already organised with most of Kavaa's blessed where allegiances lay. And if they didn't, then it simply wasn't worth the risk to call her bluff and have Kavaa's men march out of Anver Health and swear their loyalties openly. Not until Arascus knew where those loyalties lay. "Your own?" Ciria asked and answered her own question. "The only men here that are Imperial are the administrators you have sent to assist the National Clerics."

Arascus could not help but smile as he stood in the air. He remembered seeing the little Goddess of Civilization when they had first met in those pre-Invasion of Kirinyaa Peace talks when she tried to settle the qualms between him and the White Pantheon. Her kind of optimism was simply not meant to last, it was nothing like the admirable one that Etala possessed. Ciria was a glass vase with a secret within, it was only a matter of time until someone came along and smashed her open. And here to think she was pushing him back. Arascus saw the crowd slowly shift as people angled their cameras at her.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

What did Ciria truly know of power and responsibility? What did she know of hearts and minds? A Goddess of Civilization? A Goddess that did not even have two centuries yet. A Goddess that may as well have been a mere spirit. Did she think she could play this game of rulers against Divines that had commanded entire Empires?

Apologies Etala, but your innocence has been lost already. She had dragged them here with the imprisoning of those two Clerics. Arascus extended an arm out to the UNN's national mascot, the Goddess of Democracy who stood up straighter, her hands smoothing down her blue suit when she saw herself singled out. "What I have come to inspect Ciria is how you are treating the blessing of Health we have bestowed upon you. When Kavaa was sent alone." Arascus pulled his subordinate into the battle too. "Then she returned after how you questioned her motives. I have returned to make sure you do not do that again. That is all." Kavaa played the part perfectly, she stood up taller, tilted her head back, looked down her nose at Ciria and kept her hands behind her back.

"What motives need I question?" Ciria answered back aggressively. "That you are using Clerics as a vehicle to exert Imperial influence here?" Arascus brought himself lower to the ground. Still above the crowd, but closer to them.

"I will not talk of traditions of welcoming guests." Arascus used his power to amplify his voice so that all could here him. "If we were mere visitors, then it would only reflect poorly on you. But we are not. Etala has started this situation. Her people are in need."

"And who caused that need?" Ciria asked.

"Need is need." Arascus completely ignored the question. "You could not satiate, so we were asked for help."

"No Arascus. Whose Goddesses cracked Arika? Why does the UNN need you in the first place?"

"Kassandora and Elassa did." Arascus replied flatly. There was no point trying to sidestep the issue, anyone who found it irredeemable would not be swayed by mere words anyway. "We did it so now we have come to assist because as much as you wish it wasn't, it is our responsibility as well."

"Oh is it now?" Ciria asked. "Your responsibility? Create a problem with your Empire being the solution? What an excellent way to go about it."

"An excellent way would be to ignore you Ciria." Arascus said. "But as I stated before, it is not your decision in the first place." Arascus laid the bait. "And it is not mine either."

Ciria waved her arms into the air. Arascus was hoping for a raw exhibition of power. Let her construct herself a pillar to go above him. Let herself separate from the crowd. The Goddess of Civilization in her swishing white dress kept herself under control though, but she took the bait nonetheless. "Then is it Kassandora's? Elassa's maybe? Is it not yours for rejecting MY peace talks in the first place? Could you and the White Pantheon together not have handled the Jungle in some other manner?"

Lots of inane questions that Arascus would not get into. They weren't important anyway. He had seen enough Gods be killed because they tried to bring Divine politics down into the mortal realm. "It is Etala's." Arascus said and the Goddess of Democracy froze. "Because these are her people. Not yours and not mine but hers." He stressed that final word.

Ciria turned her fiery gaze upon Etala and Arascus silently prayed to himself that he had her down correctly. She had arrested Clerics to bring the Empire here, surely there must have been a good hint of pragmatism within herself. Ciria, rather smartly, remained silent as Etala looked from her, to Arascus, then back again, then to the crowd and finally to Kavaa. "I do not wish to engage in your argument." She said firmly and politely.

Ciria said nothing, Arascus had hoped she would. He could have stepped in to defend this country's Goddess then. But she did not and Arascus was not going to let Etala reduce them to just two bickering Divines. They were of course, he was more than honest in himself to admit that, but it could not be presented like that for the crowd. "You engaged with it when you arrested our two Clerics Etala." Arascus said, his tone gentler. "My apologies but this is not something you can stay out of."

Arascus saw those blue eyes of Etala turn to him and silently plead to let her go. "I did what I had to for my people." Etala said slowly. "That is all."

"And for that, I have only respect." Arascus replied. He came even closer to the ground. His black leather boots were now at the height of Kavaa's cap. "We cannot change the past but we can work together for a better future."

"Our future or your future?" Ciria demanded, Arascus had to keep his smile down. This little Goddess was a fast learner indeed. "Because that is the issue here. You give with one hand and wield a sword with the other."

Did she want to talk of swords now? "Apologies for being from an ancient age." Arascus said. "But that is how we do things in the old world. Even now, the Empire is at war."

Ciria smiled back. She finally cracked and raised her arms. The pillar came from the ground and Arascus immediately saw the crowd shift at the display of strength. People close to her stepped back to flee the grey-black dust of concrete and tarmac and others fell over as Ciria drained material around her to raise herself to Arascus' height.

And best of all, Ciria had her golden eyes focused entirely on him. "Then what good is your old world if all your ways are tainted with war? Even you cannot deny that every step you take comes with a splash of blood."

"Who are you blaming here Ciria?" Arascus said. "Because from what I remember, the Invasion of Kirinyaa was a White Pantheon peacekeeping operation. What blood was spilled when Epa joined the Empire? What blood was spilled in Ausa?"

"Do you think I am a White Pantheon Goddess?" Ciria asked. "Do not offend me with that bunch of hypocrites and fools." What an excellent parry. She had managed to sidestep the issue entirely.

It was time to cede some ground. This argument was not worth having. "Apologies Ciria. None of us here have too high of an opinion about them."

Ciria raised a hand to Kavaa. Her pillar shifted one again, a hand of stone sent another cloud of dust through the crowd as it pointed to Kavaa. "And yet you work with them?"

Kavaa didn't have to be told. She knew when it was her turn to speak. Arascus cooled his smile. Smiling in argument rarely worked if it was this serious. Besides, should he even be impressed? Kavaa had survived two entire ages, she knew how diplomacy worked. "Former White Pantheon Ciria. Former."

"What a reputation." Ciria said.

"We kept the peace for a thousand years." Kavaa replied. "Give us some credit where it is due."

"Is this all you are Kavaa then?" Ciria asked. "Just a turn-cloak to the side you think is stronger?"

Arascus looked down at the Goddess of Health. She did not even turn to look to him for what to do, instead taking a step forward. He took a deep breath. Intervening would seem too dominant for the image he was trying to portray and mortals rarely liked Gods that spoke for Goddesses and Goddesses that could not speak for themselves. But Ciria's pivot against her was a smart move, everyone knew of Kavaa's short temper. "I think Ciria?" Kavaa asked. "I think nothing. I know Arascus' Empire is stronger. I know that Ciria. You're the only one who doesn't seem to."

"And that is why I stand against you." Ciria said. "Because if it is not, then who will stand?" There was a small cheer from the crowd for that. A small one. It died out quickly.

"I am the Goddess of Health." Arascus could not keep this smile down. What a masterstroke. It was a move he and his daughters could never use. But then his daughters had demesnes of War and Disease and Darkness. "Stand against me all you wish."

Ciria blinked as she realised what Kavaa just said and Arascus came in to finish the blow. He brought himself even lower to the ground. "The Empire is at war and we have sent the Goddess of Health to you. Do you think Kavaa will not be useful there?"

"Is this what you do?" Ciria asked. "Do not come here and moralize to us Arascus. Do not look down on the proud people here."

Arascus touched the ground and looked up at Ciria. "Who is looking down on who?"

That cracked Ciria. She looked around and saw the dust, saw people picking themselves up from her power, saw the way they looked at her and saw Arascus in the crowd. The God of Pride smiled at her. Poor little Goddess. Diplomacy was an art he had helped invent.

He had won.

Ciria stood there as the got further away.

She lowered her pillar.

She shook her head. "I have nothing else to say Arascus." She hissed. "You will enslave these people just as you enslaved Epa. We all know it."

There was nothing else to say. Arascus stood there in silence as the Goddess of Civilization turned and left. Her white dress swished as half the government officials who had come with her followed and half stayed.

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