The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]

If there is one thing I can be happy about, although I suppose it is nothing to celebrate from one perspective, then it is the fact that the White Pantheon and the Empire both left such an impression upon Tartarus and Paraideisius that they have sworn never to return to this world. They came in expecting a backwater, ones with a flood of limitless bodies, the others with magic so great it made even Elassa blush with jealousy, and they left utterly humbled.

There truly is none like us. Of that, I am sure.

I cannot precisely say what madnesses Arda has mastered in their eyes, but I am certain that they will do not well at night knowing we share the same universe.

They are merely other worlds.

We are one in a million.

And of that, I am proud.

- Excerpt from the autobiography: “Roses, Blades & Blood”, written by Goddess Helenna, of Love.

“And so, I plead to you once again, that you should come to aid my world.” Allasaria finished and took a deep breath. She stood in the most humble white shawl she had brought with her when travelling to Paraideisius, and now, as she had done every day since she arrived, she begged once gain. There was no force on Arda that could withstand a resurgent Empire, that was certain. So a force had to be marshalled, and Tartarus would fall in line once she managed to secure Paraodeisius’ aid simply to keep the status quo. As had been done a thousand years before, so would be done now.

Before her did not sit the entire council, not even half of it. Archangel Rapheum, his white wings tinged with gold stared down at her from the side. By his side sat Chisovianka, Myrynda, Zyw and Krynichan. All Archangels, all dressed in white, all as tall as Allasaria, if not taller, with wings of white feathers so large the Goddess of Light could be rolled into them like a cocoon. Whereas Arda had every flavour of government, and where Tartarus sat with Leonifer at its absolute head, Paraideisius was ruled by a council. There were apparently even elections here, on a rotating basis, for each seat.

War declaration required almost near unanimity, and the system was supposedly designed to be slow and ineffective as these people did not like change. The worst was that whilst the room was never empty, it was never full either, the whole council of fifteen, Allasaria had met, but never all at once. Some were new faces, others, she remembered from the Great War, the Arascan War as they called it. She felt a shift in the air as the golden eyes landed on her, then moved to the door.

They weren’t receiving her in Unity’s Great Halls, nor was it any of the grand palaces or whatever communal word they tried to substitute for the ideas of aristocracy here, not even in a private estate. Ever since she had arrived, she had been herded into this small temple, or whatever it was, and not allowed to pollute the land with her existence.

How times have changed.

A thousand years ago, they had cheered and paraded her through the streets that another world had been found. Now, she was shipped off and practically imprisoned from the rest of the land. The ears that had listened a millennium ago now seemed to be, the eyes that thought were dulled now, the faces worried now were carrying nothing but sheer exasperation. And Allasaria stood there, in a dress more grey than white, with pillars, surrounded by thrones and pillars so high, a mountain could be transplanted into this building with room to spare. The ceiling seemed to stretch on infinitely, the windows through which a picturesque blue sky revealed itself was empty. The sky here was always blue, never cloudy and never facing the sun. “Please! I do not ask for total war!”

“War is always total on Arda.” Rapheum replied, not even looking at her but at that door of white wood which swung open. Allasaria turned, her golden eyes grew wide, her mouth open. For a moment, she had expected another servant, slave or steward or whatever the term for maid was here. Not that though.

She got a whole parade instead, and it was not Paraideisian. It was demonic, Tartarian, and it was not the minor diplomats that always visited. A pair of huge, greater demons, as large as barns, equipped entirely in the pitch-black metal from Tartarus’ forges flanked a party of a dozen. Succubi in dresses that would make Helenna blush walked, each holding the edge of a black cape so that it would not touch the ground. And before them, taller than Allasaria, marched in a figure with a crown of marvellous white horns. They spiralled out behind his head, almost blinding to look at. He marched forward and Allasaria felt her spine chill.

Leonifer’s eyes passed her over, his smile was merely… amused. “Good to know you’re kept in the quarantine quarter too.” He said quietly as he walked past her. The demons at his side, said nothing, did not even react to her presence. They walked so smoothly that they seemed to glide along the white floor. Even the Greater Demons took light steps. Yet each time Leonifer placed his boot down onto the tiles, they cracked and shattered.

“The land of guests.” Rapheum corrected him gently. “What brings you here, Emperor?”

“The same thing that I assume brings our mutual acquaintance.” Leonifer said. “I am certain you know of Arascus’ return.”

Rapheum shifted in his seat. He looked at Allasaria for a moment, then back to the Emperor. The other angels by his side sat up straight in their grand thrones. “We have been made aware by Divine Allasaria.” Chisovianka spoke in a caress of a voice, she always did. Her songs had always been honey poured into the ears. Fortia and Maisara despised her, Helenna too. All three had assumed she was a liar. “Why?”

Leonifer came to a stop, the black cape carried by succubi behind him shimmered in the light, the purple patterns on it swirled. “Legion is dead.” Allasaria’s eyes grew wider this time, her mouth fell open. Her cheeks went red. Legion was dead? How? Legion spread out over such a distance that it could race away from Olephia! How could they have possibly killed that immediately replicating hivemind of a swarm? In the Great War, valleys had been carved out to block Legion’s movements. The archangels were just as shocked, silence fell over the hall, or tower, or whatever it was. Leonifer just stared at them.

Allasaria saw her chance. “I have said-“

“Be quiet Allasaria.” Leonifer interrupted her. “This no longer concerns you.” He did not even look at her. Allasaria stared at him for a few moments, her light brows furrowing, her fingers and hands tensing. Who was he to speak to her like that? He wasn’t even from her world. Tones like that were reserved for the White Pantheon and the White Pantheon alone. “Legion is dead, Arascus is resurgent. Arda is slowly uniting, my own generals inform me that we have seen a paradigm shift, they are no longer to be trifled with.”

Trifled? Allasaria got up from her knees. Trifled? Since when was her world to be trifled with? “Legion is dead.” Zyw said the words as if tasting them. He had led choirs in the Great War, great flying formations of angels that served as artillery batteries to which the Empire had almost no counter save for its own dragons and sorcerers. “How?”

“From what Princess Belili has gathered, they have harnessed Olephia’s power and put it into mass manufacturing.” Leonifer replied directly. “There is nothing more to be said on the topic.”

“Legion is dead and you have nothing to say?” Chisovianka again.

“Legion is dead and they have split the atom. You are not involved in our war at the time. I have come to bring you in.” Allasaria’s eyes grew even wider this time. War? War on Arda? Since when? Tartarus had invaded? Without her asking or permission?

“There is war on Arda?” She asked.

“There is indeed war on Arda.” Leonifer confirmed, he still did not even turn to look at her as he spoke. “Where is Ilahim, he will understand?”

“Archangel Ilahim has self-exiled.” Rapheum said, his eyes turning to Allasaria once again. “After seeing the first Arascan War, he realised he had stayed on your world for too long Allasaria.” Stayed on her world? Allasaria took a deep breath. She had been prepared to beg, she had even been prepared to grovel. She was just Allasaria after all, the Goddess of Light, the shepherd of Arda. But this? Her world? And what exactly was wrong with her world?

“Is he alive?” Leonifer asked.

“He still lives, yes.” Rapheum answered.

“Then cut his crisis short and tell him to muster your arks once again, because if you do not, then Arascus will come.” Allasaria found her ally. She may have not liked it, she may have sidestepped him, but she knew of basic strategy and she knew of seizing opportunities when they presented themselves.

“The White Pantheon shall once again muster the majority of the troops and keep your forces as safe as possible.” Both, the demons and the angels, ignored her entirely. It was as if she was speaking to a set of walls.

“If you do not, then we will break the Treaty of Orillas and begin to militarize once again. It will not be for you, it will be for them. I have come to inform you the decision is already made and to not see our moves as a provocation.”

Chisovianka sighed a heavenly sigh, like a mother with golden hair and feathered wings letting out the stress of the day. Rapheum held Leonifer’s gaze though. The succubi behind the demonic Emperor all turned away, to look into the purple patterns in that black cape. “You understand Orillas is void if you break it.”

“Then propose me a solution to the Arascan issue.” Leonifer demanded, he crossed his arms and even smiled at the demon. “Go on Rapheum, I am all ears. How would you deal with him?”

“It is the destiny of every world to unite eventually. Arda has chosen that path, Arascus is the obvious candidate.” He looked to Allasaria. “We have given them a thousand years, they could not do it.”

“Say it directly or save your breath.” Leonifer said. “Or bring me Ilahim to speak with.”

“Pull out of Arda.”

They were talking about her world! Her world! The planet that she had formed on, with her people! “Then you will leave us to deal with him?” Allasaria shouted. Leonifer sighed, looked down at the clear white panels, now cracked under his walk. His eyes pinned Allasaria to the ground when he looked at her.

“There is no White Pantheon anymore Allasaria.”

The archangels shifted in their thrones once again. Allasaria’s eyes grew wide. Excuse me? “How can there not be a White Pantheon anymore?”

“Kavaa, Helenna, Iniri turned first.”

“I know that.” Allasaria snapped back.

“Then Elassa, now Fortia and Maisara have left. The White Pantheon is merely a collection of your remnant Divines and nothing more than that. The only reason your mountain still exists is because it is not worth tearing down in the first place.” Allasaria stared at him. She had know of the three turncloaks. She had even known that Elassa had been captured. But Fortia and Maisara? They had their Orders. Without them? Then…

He had to be lying. Maisara would not break her word. She would let the world end before willingly doing that. “Maisara swore to the White Pantheon.”

“Then she has unsworn from it.” Leonifer replied immediately. “That is the situation, there is nothing left to say.”

“How? Why?” Allasaria snapped back. “That’s impossible! Maisara is the Goddess of Order, her word is Divine law!”

Leonifer just stared at her, then turned back to the archangels. “That is what is happening on Arda. The resistance against Arascus is meagre. Ourselves, we are overstretched already. Our own rift is expensive to keep open. If you do not assist, then we demand passage.”

“You shall not be given access to Perhapolio.” Rapheum replied. “It has been forbidden from your kind.” Perhapolio was the island of islands, the home of the Paraideisian portal network. It was used in the Great War to power the great gates which funnelled otherworldly troops onto Arda. Allasaria had even seen it a few times in the past.

Leonifer just stared at Rapheum, his eyes passed over the other archangels. Silence came over the hall. Even Allasaria did not speak, she simply stood there, obviously sidelined. There was nothing to discuss at this point. “If do not give us access to Perhapolio and if you do not assist us in our war against Arascus, then understand you are signing over Arda to him. We cannot shift the amount of troops needed just through our own rift.

“And if we assist, then who rules over their world instead Emperor?” Zyw asked this time.

“Their world is fractured, it shall always be fractured, and we are better off for it.”

“You understand the balance between us would be upset.” Chisovianka spoke up again. “We have no willingness to partake in your crimes against them.”

“Then you are merely waiting until they commit crimes against you.” Leonifer said. “I have no need for Arda.”

“Then why have you existed on their world for a thousand years?” Leonifer’s eyes grew wide for a moment, then he turned to Allasaria. She had told them about the deal, of course she had. She had to. It was part of her own negotiations for assistance. Leonifer said nothing, he just turned back to the demons.

“The dwarves are a dead race, they were a humane method of population control. We took precautions as to not wipe them out.” Allasaria just took a deep breath. Paraideisius had almost bankrupted Arda when it asked for payment for assistance in the Great War, Tartarus had come and asked the same. It couldn’t be done, an out needed to be found. She had given them permission to stay as long as they weren’t seen on the surface and kept to themselves. They needed a meatgrinder, the dwarves swore to never live under the White Pantheon, it was simple analysis. It had worked out. The deal had been honoured for so long. The rest of the White Pantheon had not wanted to attack their underground holds, steering discussing away from the half-men had always been easy.

“That is what you say.” Chisovianka said. “And that, we disagree with. Your problems are your own to solve.”

“My problem right now is the fact that Arascus has made an Arda resurgent, and Arda knows of our existence. They will not hesitate to strike back.”

“They have no portal technology, nor capability of flying between worlds.”

“It is a matter of time.”

“They will not outwit the Arbiters.” Allasaria took a deep breath. She didn’t know about that either. Those universal arbiters, who always sat in the same wooden room and demanded everyone set their name into stone, were not omnipotent. She had managed to secure passage to other worlds, even after signing that she would never leave Arda.

“I care not for your judges.” Leonifer said. “Pray they are not found either.”

“What is not there can never be found.”

“What is not there can never act either.” Leonifer said. “If you refuse everything, then understand I shall bring it upon myself to end this issue where it should have ended.”

“Are you not doing that already?” Chisovianka asked.

Rapheum followed up, not letting Leonifer speak. “You lay claim to their world, do you not? Are there Ashen Skies not over Arda right now?” Allasaria’s eyes grew wide. Ashen Skies over Arda? She had not been told? They were choking out her planet? Her world. She turned to Leonifer. She felt a stone sink in her gut.

“Ashen Skies are over in Arda?”

“Without Perhapolio, we cannot stop them.” Leonifer answered. “That is how we wage warfare.”

“It is a sick method indeed.” Krynichan finally spoke up. This was one of the newer angels, he had not seen the Great War. Or maybe he had, but not visited it.

“Then why not help stop it?” Allasaria cried out.

“It is ongoing already.” The archangel replied. “When two men fight, running in between them is the worst thing one can do.”

Cowards. Cowards and fools, the lot of them. Allasaria could only stare. Cowards and fools and everything in between. There was nothing else to say about it. They were pathetic. She had to beg them back then, she had to offer every she could, and it barely was enough. And now that they realised that she wasn’t giving something away for free, they would not accept it. It was a mistake to come here. She turned to Emperor Leonifer and bowed her head, her eyes fell to the ground. “Emperor Leonifer.” She made her tone as polite and as humble as possible. “I would ask that-“ Another interruption from him again.

“Allasaria, you are a snake.” He said. “You come to them.” He threw his hand up towards the thrones. Wings slowly flapped when he moved, as if the archangels were preparing to flee or dodge. “When you could have come to me.” He brought his hand close to his chest. “Now they say no so you pivot. No Allasaria. I have dealt with your kind before.” She felt his dark eyes on her head. “At least have the decency to look me in the eyes as you lie.”

Allasaria straightened, her posture shifting. It was worse than talking to any creature in existence, she would rather sit down and share a drink with Arascus and Maisara rather than with him. That crown of pure white horns was a twisted abomination above his head, a parody of shine when compared to her own light. “I would ask for your assistance in helping me restore order back on Arda.” She finished.

“No.” He replied. “No, not because we will not but because we will not work with you again.” He said.

“Why?” Allasaria asked. If it was money, if it was another Divine, she could offer it.

“Do you know when I realised you were a snake and a liar Allasaria?” Leonifer asked.

“I would not call myself that.” Allasaria tentatively formed the words. Had she done it too fast? How did Helenna help pull this lot in the first time?

“It was after I heard the cheers that the Arascan War had ended.” Leonifer said. “When I stood there on Olympiada, listening to those cheers, thinking they were for the end to conflict and when I realised what those cheers were for.” Allasaria had nothing to say. She knew. She had not cheered back then, but…Well, that was a lie, she had wanted to cheer, she just had not allowed herself to. There were too many eyes watching. Leonifer turned to the thrones. “You were there Rapheum, you remember, did they cheer for victory over Arascus?”

Allasaria felt that weight get heavier. She did not look down, she just stared at the sheer gall of the demon to bring it up now. Who did he think he was? Rapheum sighed and shook his head, golden hair swaying from side to side. “No they did not.”

“Then what did they cheer for?” Leonifer asked.

“Because we were leaving.” Rapheum said and Leonifer gave the archangel a single, respectful, nod. He turned to Allasaria.

“Those are your people Allasaria, the ones we fought for and next to against your nemesis. They cheered because we were done.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “And now you stare at me as if I am dirt.” He shook his head. “Take your madness and go home, we learned our lesson the first time. I will never stand at your side again.”