The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]

I have studied Ardan history in the past, and now I study it again. And I realise that the issue lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to truly find a text worth reading. Even from the Era of Pantheon Peace, once the cult of scientific theory had taken stranglehold over the scholars, although this happened long before I incarnated, I realise that it is a simple justification of the White Pantheon. The texts from before the Great War are ridiculed often for being so obviously biased, but they are considerably easier to analyse. Helenna’s recordings are easily the worst, for the woman is most skilled with words. She will talk of massacre, she will decry her own actions, and now that I see her speeches for the Empire, I realise that her books are justifications.

I had to see Arascus in action to truly understand the power of persuasiveness and charisma and how it can be wielded. It is one to think of it applied to debate and argument, it is another to see it used as a tool of expanding the Empire. And once I saw him, I realised that why should it just be used as a tool of the state? The Empire is all-encompassing after all, and all-encompassing includes history, does it not?

The ancient texts were terribly biased to the point of farce. They were political polemics masquerading as recordings of facts. Every Divine did this. Maisara was the worst in it, the White Pantheon scrubbed her older works from the public sphere because not even a defence, but a justification, of the Tyrannies that were rightfully overthrown was too bad a look. Has Maisara truly changed? I am certain that she is not the same Goddess she is as back then, but does the Goddess of Order no longer to her utilitarian vision? No.

Now we have such texts as the Archive of Arda, written by Elassa almost singlehandedly. It is will-sourced, that is definite, but the simple fact is that it is written by Elassa. Her tone is dry and monotone throughout it, it is a slog to sit through, and it is only now that I have re-read that I notice where her touch lies. Her critiques against other Divines are scathing, her critiques of Arcadia are half-hearted at best. The tone about her War-College only changes when it becomes it stops being a War-College and became Grand-Arcadia. Many question on how she could have joined the Empire, after reading the Archive of Arda, the question becomes how did it take so long for her to join? Look at what the woman actually appreciates, and where the critique stops, and her soul reveals itself to be Imperial.

Arascus’ texts are just as bad, it is that he simply one of the best at writing them. There is nothing disagreeable in them, he talks of Divinity as a caring father, he talks of Arda as a garden to be nurtured, he even crosses the boundary and joins the realm of the few Divines who actually talk fondly of humanity. Even after reviewing, I cannot actually find a fault in them. I do actually agree with what the God of Pride writes, yet likewise, I see what the God of Pride is building. Somewhere, in those texts, there is a logical jump made. From identifying the problem to fixing it, in which Arascus designates himself and himself alone as the fixer. It is impossible to precisely pin down the point, and Arascus is far too adept as argument to reveal it.

After re-reading Ardan history, I can only come to one conclusion. Divinity is static, seemingly, our foundational values do not seem to change. Arascus was formed before the Age of Tyranny, it is his generation that became the tyrants which were overthrown. His and Fortia’s, no wonder the two get along.

However we do change, as evident from the development of historical documents and how they change in tone and writing. We get far better at being effective avatars of what created us.

- Excerpt from Ciria’s Diary.

“That girl is cute!” Fer said loudly. “Cute! You cannot bully her like that.” Fortia sat down on the rock that Fer had brought them to. Fortia had stopped counting the distance. There was no point, with the snaking treks that Fer led. They were far away the launch site, they had stocked up in Kaczaw on alcohol, and now, they were sat at the foot of the cliffs. Winter snows had come here, the three had actually gone to stock up on clothes. Fortia had bought a long, cream coat. Fer bought fur, unsurprisingly, and she nestled within it like a mother bird nestling in a nest. Maisara had gone for an unassuming design of grey.

“I do no such thing.” Maisara retrieved her bottle from the back in the middle of the group as Fortia opened her whiskey bottle. Fer was on her sweet alcohols once again, this is what their life had descended to. Ainai was preparing for the next offensive, Kassandora had transferred for a Iliyal Tremali over there and told the three Divines to practice. Fer had taken it upon herself interpret that what her sister meant by ‘practice’ was practice getting drunk, so another day was going to roll by.

And frankly, Fortia did not even mind. Ciria had sworn and cursed them to all the hells, if Fortia was afraid of curses, then she was sure that Of Civilization had damned her to an eternity of eternities, nevertheless, Fortia was not afraid of curses. “She’s cute!” Fer said. “She’s so small and so shouty! Look at her!”

And Fer had found her new favourite Goddess. Arascus had tried to hand her off, Maisara had been almost excited to d it, Fortia had put a stop to it. And Ciria herself had too, she had actually threatened to leave the project if Fer was not removed from the premises. The arguments with Maisara had spiralled on and on, neither of the Goddesses growing tired. Fortia had expected Ciria to give up eventually, although Maisara good at what she did. She would make performative retreats every single time Of Civilization was growing slower, and Ciria would take the bait every single time. “Can we not?”

“Why do you not like her?” Fer said.

“Why do you like her?” Maisara asked.

“You like her too Mai!” Fer practically squealed as she drank of her blackberry-flavoured vodka. “Don’t say you don’t.”

“She’s young.” Maisara replied. “That’s the most credit I can give her. She argues.”

“Doesn’t Allasaria?”

“No one argues like the young do.” Maisara said took another drink. Moved some snow out from beneath her coat. “They’re more earnest than us.”

“Am I not earnest?”

“You don’t argue.”

“There’s nothing worth arguing about.” Fer said, chuckling.

Maisara returned the chuckling with her own. “Cheap bait.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Fer said. Fortia blinked, where these two going to go at it right now?

“You’re just going to bait me.”

“That’s what I’m doing right now.” Fortia took a drink of her whiskey and fell backwards to lie down in the snow. It was cold, as snow was. The sky above was a beautiful blue, bright and cloudless.

“And I’m not going to be baited.” Maisara said.

Fer sat there for a moment, her ears bounced on top of her head and Maisara yawned. “Well so you’re not.”

“You should argue with Malam Mai.” Fortia said. “Helenna complains about her apparently, that’s what I’ve heard from Kass.”

“The best way to win is to not engage.” Maisara said. “That’s something we’ve all learned at this point. It’s a fool’s sport.” She swigged her bottle. “It’s entertaining when you meet someone who hasn’t.”

Fer thought for a few moments, then laughed. “Well you got me. I don’t care.”

“I knew you didn’t.” Maisara said. Fortia drank her whiskey. She should mix it with something. With honey, that was for tomorrow then. The conversation died down for a few minutes as the Goddesses got lost in their own thoughts, Fer took her phone out and put some music on, it was atrocious and fast paced, some constant beat that sounded more like noise with a girl screaming. Fortia remained silent.

“Turn that shit off.” Maisara said from her rock. “That hurts my ears.”

“It’s good!” Fer cooed. She did turn her tunes off though. “I want a pet.”

Fortia sat up. When it was about Ciria or about arguing, she had nothing to add. When it was something good though, like this, she was all ears. “What pet?”

“Ooohhh Forti, do you want a pet too?”

“Eventually.” Fortia said. “What are you thinking of?”

“A cat would be the best.” Fer said. “I could teach it to hunt, have a little flap in the house like humans do, and leave it alone.”

“I did not take you for a cat person.” Maisara said.

“What did you take me for?”

“Something like a bear.”

“Oh that would good too.” Fer cooed. “A bear, you can just leave alone. Give it some food, then have it sleep. That’s a good idea.”

“What about a dog?” Fortia asked. Her favourite animal was a whale, but obviously she could not keep a whale as a pet. A dog would have to do.

“They’re too close.” Fer said, moving her arms about as she spoke. “You can’t just leave a dog alone like that, they need friends.”

“That’s why I don’t have one.” Fortia said. And so the talk of animals continued, it was banal, it was completely unfit for Divinity, it was the sort of talk Fortia had thought she would never experience again, and it was exactly why she liked spending time with Fer. So that they could sit and drink and talk of animals. And then, they were rudely interrupted by the phone ringing. Fortia caught the mask slipping in the ever unorganised Goddess of Beasthood once again: Sister Kassandora, of War, with a stern image of the woman was calling: not Kassie, not Little Sister, not some other stupid nickname that Fer liked to throw around, but her full name and title.

“It’s Kassie.” Fer said, she rolled her eyes. “She’ll give us a job.”

“Shouldn’t you answer her?” Fortia said. That was the least Fer could do, and frankly, Fortia wanted a job at this point. Iliyal being sent to the Ainai front and the Big Three being taken back into reserve was starting to grind at her. Fer sighed, rolling her head all around as if the very act of answering one of Kassandora’s phone-calls was going to cause pain to her.

“She’ll give us a job.”

“You don’t know that.” Fortia said.

“It’s a higher likelihood than not.” Maisara said. “But you should still answer it.”

“Well since I’m outvoted.” Fer pressed the green button, set the phone on loudspeaker and set it down.

Kassandora was already speaking before Fer had finished. “Where are you right now?” She asked. Fer’s ears looked bounced, she looked around, then down at the grass she was sitting on. Fortia knew it was going to be a stupid answer just from that stupid, self-satisfied smile on Fer’s face.

“I’m sitting on grass. Mai is on a rock. Fortia is also on grass. We are in the mountains.”

Kassandora took a pause. “Can Maisara hear me?” She asked dryly.

“I think she can, you’re on loud speaker.” Fer replied mischievously. Maisara leaned towards the phone although she didn’t say anything.

“Maisara, where are you right now?”

Maisara replied immediately. “About forty-nine point and a half, close to nineteen on the dot.” Fortia stared at Maisara and the verbal garbage that she had just spewed before she realised that the woman gave their position in actual coordinates. How could anyon-

“Understood.” Kassandora said. “Stay where you are then. Today is flight-test day. Look up, it should pass right over you.”

“What?” Fortia asked. “And how did you even understand what Maisara said?”

“I expect Fer not to know coordinates but you should know them.” Kassandora said. “It’s west of Kaczaw, before the mountains get heavy.” Fortia looked south at the cliffs around them. Kassandora was correct, they were west of Kaczaw and they had stopped just before the rolling hills transformed into steep cliffs and slopes.

“Oh my sister is a little genius, isn’t she?” Fer cooed. “Forti’s impressed with you Kassie, she won’t say, but she’s impressed.”

Well now Fortia had to admit it. It was worse if she didn’t say anything. “I’m impressed.” Fortia said.

Kassandora completely ignored the admission. “Watch the skies, it will pass over you in about an hour.” She dropped the call.

“Well she’s in a talkative mood today.” Fer moped and left the phone on the ground in front of them. “So anyway, as I was saying, a cat is a good idea I think.”

Maisara and Fortia once again shared a stunned glance with each other. Was Fer not going to mention what they had just heard?

“We’ll see it when we see it.” Fer said. “As I was saying, I want a pet.”

Just over an hour later, Maisara stood up and pointed to the north east. Fortia turned around and almost dropped her bottle of whiskey. Fer’s ears drooped down, then stood back up as the three Divines watched an object as large as a cargo ship sail along the blue ocean that was the sky. Silver and grey, with a pointed top to dive into the ground with and a tail of trailing orange flames. It left a spear of white clouds in its wake and a shadow on the ground. And it flew marvellously high, definitely above the clouds, still angled upwards as if trying to escape the atmosphere along a huge arc.

There was nothing to say. Fortia remembered when she had first witnessed the floating castle that magicians in ancient eras were famous for. But that was magic, and magic’s purpose was in doing the impossible. A floating castle was almost expected. An entire tower being lobbed across Arda through sheering engineering?

Fortia swallowed as the behemoth passed overhead. It hadn’t even reached its zenith yet but in the perfect, clear winter sky, Fortia could track it until it completed its arc above them, and then descended down. Not towards Arda yet, but behind the horizon on the other side. A minute it had taken, maybe two. When the ground opened up and when mountains rose during Worldbreaking, that had been a sight. And that sight always had a superpower somewhere within its centre. A mage to kill, a Divine to put down, a hero or a villain to remove from this world.

And this? This could be built anywhere, by countless hands, without any involvement of Divinity or magic. Without anything but… Fortia swallowed again as the three Divines looked at the mountain in the distance behind which the ICDT tower had disappeared.

In the moment, Fortia realised she was just a Goddess, drinking on a mountain with her friends, pretending to understand what exactly was going on. She doubted anyone could. Seeing it in reality had put her position back into perspective. She was just a Goddess, on a mountain, with her friends, and the Empire was all around her. She was a nit on the back of a tiger. A scorpion that had forgotten it was marching behind an elephant. A raven that followed the bear.

Maisara broke the awed silence first. “That is the most amazing thing I have seen in my life.”

“That is dad for you.” Fer added softly.

That was true. Fortia had no more arguments, Arascus was the only Divine in all history to make her feel small.