The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]

I do not believe in limits. That there is a limit on the heat Allasaria’s beams can rise to. That there is a “longest word” for Olephia to say, that the amount of blades I summon is limited, that a magical communion has some farcical maximum number appointed by the universe, that humanity is destined to devour itself, that the sky will never be pierced, that the stars will never be reached, that light is the single fastest thing in the universe, I deny it all.

It was much as the ancients thought that the ocean was eternal, until they found lands and islands. Or that magic was bound to the elements, until sorcery shattered that notion. The world was flat, until we sailed around the circumference. The dragons were monsters until they knelt. And the Titans? Dead! Nothing but corpses that have long since been buried. And it is not just in the realms of history but everyday, we break another limit.

One man cannot plough a field without magic, until the tractor allowed him to plough an entire farm. Everyday, we see another achievement. Letters and messages? Longing for loved ones and unsure of their status? Solved by a phone. Land growing dry? Slowed by manure, aided by fertilizer. Winter’s deadliness has been pushed, where now anyone can heat up their house with the flick of a switch and we relegated the common cold has been relegated to a joke!

No.

The only limits that exist are the ones we’ve not broken yet. What was impossible yesterday is certainty today. Tomorrow’s limit shall be broken today. And the unknown boundaries of the future shall be dragged to tomorrow.

There are many who talk that we have filled up Arda, and that expansion has hit it limits. Fools, who have the gall to stick their heads into sand and deny that above, an infinite universe awaits.

- Private writing from God Arascus, of Pride.

Arascus looked around as the Divines that had sequestered Allasaria idled their way around the Goddess of Magic. They were purely waiting on Kassandora now, Kavaa had gotten down early, whereas Of War had jumped late and was no trekking to them. It was the sort of situation he had never once imagined. A capture of Allasaria should be done at a fortress, or maybe in a palace, or a courtroom, or somewhere that wasn’t here.

But it would happen here, because they would not be taking Allasaria back to the Empire when a Code Black had just been declared and no one knew what was going on. The Goddess of Light was on her knees, cycling between postures of sitting down, kneeling, or lying on her side. And crying all the time. Somehow, that fit Allasaria. There were some Divines out there that wouldn’t be able to cry, but that would be Malam, or Anassa. Fer and Kassandora were the sort to bawl like this if they broke down. Allasaria too, maybe.

Arascus sat down on the rock as he waited for Kassandora to arrive. Fortia had taken position next to him, and then immediately Olephia had started her glaring. He noticed the drama, even if it was unexpected. Fortia and Olephia were both the sort to avoid it. But whatever, he supposed. If they had business, it was theirs to deal with. And Fortia wore a skirt, and it rode up high, and whereas he wasn’t going to mention it, it was better to look at her legs than at Allasaria.

Fer and Maisara were close by, the latter squatting and staring at Allasaria with disbelief, the other standing and on guard. Anassa and Elassa had descended and stood together, too with disbelief, although Anassa’s was filled with satisfaction too. Elassa herself looked in shock at the scene of the Goddess of Light crying. Irinika sat down on the other side of Arascus and was fiddling with her pipe, during the battle, her tobacco had gotten jammed inside and she wasn’t too happy about that.

Kavaa was behind Fer and Maisara, next to Neneria. Of Death looked as she always did during public spectacles, which is that she wanted to be anywhere but here. Kavaa likewise was in a state of disbelief. “Right.” Kassandora’ shout broke their wait. Arascus her head trot from behind him, she wasn’t huge like him or Fortia or even Allasaria, but she was still large enough that each footstep left a thud as she walked. “Cordon set up. What is going on? Have you started without me?”

“No.” Arascus said as Kassandora came to stand next to Irinika. “Everyone important is here now Allasaria. Before we start, I will ask what everyone here is thinking. Will that portal open again?” The moment that the Paradeisian choir had been destroyed, the portal had been shut off from the other side. Allasaria shook her head, still crying.

“That’s a no it won’t or no you won’t talk?” Anassa said from the side. Arascus let her have it this one time.

“No, they…” Allasaria said. “I don’t know. I didn’t… they were chasing me out.” Arascus turned his gaze from the Goddess of Light before them to the ring of Divines circling her. Well, they had worked that out at the very beginning.

Irinika managed to dig the stuck ash and tobacco out and tap it onto the mud. “Drinks on Kassie dearest then.” Kassandora crossed her arms with a smug smile. It had been her call not to fire on Allasaria, and she herself had said it did not look like an invasion of Arda but something else.

“I told you.” Kassandora said smugly. Arascus let her be too. He didn’t even know what to make of this disaster scenario. On one hand, the troops were celebrating, fireworks were going off already at the sheer slaughter they had inflicted on the Paradeisians. Vehicles were already going to collect the bodies so that could just be taken apart in a lab. Their blades too would be analysed. Helicopter crews were rolling, detailing the heroic defence of Arda and the sheer power of the Empire.

And then they had Allasaria here. Crying, look like a Goddess defeated and humiliated. Well, she was by some accounts. “So the question is one of prison.” Maisara said. “Do we have a holding cell or no?”

And there was that too. Holding Allasaria was like holding Olephia. Or Irinika. Or Anassa. One had been locked away in her own dream, the other in a magical contraption that had been specifically designed for her, and another had been lost in the dwarven highways underground. What precisely was there to do about this woman? Arascus had never really planned for it, he had always assumed the situation would be resolved as it came. And now it did come. “On that.” Arascus said. “Irinika and Anassa are assigned to quarantine her.”

“I was working with Anassa!” Elassa said quickly. All eyes turned to her, Of Magic shook her arms and stepped from side to side nervously. All the chains of diamonds, and the rings, and her earrings, and the diamond necklace complete with its own catalyst that sat on her neckline resulted in a clattering.

“What on?” Kassandora asked.

“Ahh…” Elassa said. “The…” She trailed off.

“It’s the Sword Affair.” Anassa said. “Apologies sister, but we have our own games we play too.” Kassandora nodded. Arascus knew the logic immediately, if it was important, she would come to learn about it, if it wasn’t, she didn’t even want to know in the first place.

“Sword Affair?” Fer, on the other hand.

Anassa smiled at her sister. “It will be beautiful sister, but it’s a surprise.” Elassa breathed a sigh of exhale as Fer sniffed the air. She knew, she would know. Fortia knew, and so Fer would be able to smell on it her, and if she couldn’t smell it on Peace, she would definitely smell the comprehension on him. Her golden eyes met his and she smiled, tapping her nose.

“It is what it is.” Arascus said. Olephia pulled out her notebook and started taking notes. “Nevertheless, your Sword Affair can wait. I am certain that Anassa would help, unfortunately, this is the current situation.” He looked at Allasaria again. Now that people around her had started talking, she must have realised the situation. “Allasaria, we meet again.”

“Ah…” Allasaria said, she looked around. “Arascus.” And finally she settled on her knees, her back straight. It was the sort of posture that took everyone in the circle back. Olephia was the first to move, scribbling furiously in her notebook. “Please don’t kill me.” If there was ever something a Divine should never say, it was that. Arascus almost wanted to silence just for saying those words.

“Whether you die or not is still in the air.” Arascus. “Nevertheless, you did not kill Kassandora, Anassa or Olephia during Pantheon Peace, know there is a debt we’re repaying.” There, that made it sound good. “First though, what is this, what is happening, why was Paradeisius chasing you? The whole story, give us what you can.”

“I…” Allasaria trailed off immediately. “I went there because…” And she trailed off again. Kassandora clicked her tongue.

“You went there to pull them in the war and they didn’t want to re-enter after the first time.” Kassandora summed it up. “Spare us, yes, we know that.”

But the next thing, none of them predicted. “Arda is under threat.” Allasaria said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I… Arda is under threat.” Arascus looked around the group. A few faces were surprised. Fer was smiling was in exhilaration. Irinika lit her pipe and let out a large puff of smoke. Kassandora waved it away with a grimace then took a few steps away.

“You stink.”

“Tobacco is the smell of the afterlife sister.” Irinika said.

“How is Arda under threat exactly?” It was Maisara this time. Not Arascus, nor Fortia, not any of them. “And is it a serious threat, or just a turn of phrase you’re using? Could I say the same words.”

“When you destroyed the Second Arc, you… they disconnected it and launched it at Arda.” Arascus looked around to see if anyone gave any sign of recognition. Fer sniffed then air, then met Arascus’ gaze and nodded. So she was telling the truth. And they had no clue what it meant.

“What is the Second Arc?” Arascus asked. Fortia leaned forward. Kassandora took a step closer too. They were all listening now.

“The Second Arc is Tartarus.” Allasaria said. “It’s… it’s part of their world. I don’t know how large it is. But it’s big.” Fer sniffed the air again.

“She does not lie.” The atmosphere immediately changed.

“They launched it at us?” Kassandora said. “From space?” She looked up at the sky as if trying to see it. Nothing but an ocean of blue with clouds coming back in now that the weather control mages which had kept the skies clear for the battle. A few of the larger planes were still circling overhead, but the fighters had gone off to refuel and rearm for another engagement.

“It’s Kronos.” Allasaria said. “That’s where they live! Please! I do not lie! Fer! Tell them!” Fer sniffed the air. Her ears bounced on her head. That fluffy mane of gold with dashes of silver shifted slightly underneath them. Her tail settled on the ground.

It was the worst thing she could have said, because Arascus immediately knew what she was referring to. “She does not lie.” Fortia, Kassandora and Elassa immediately pulled out their phones as Irinika’s pipe stopped close to her lips.

“So the extermination bomb was not so exterminating then.” She commented. “My oh my, what a disaster.” She finished. “Nevertheless, Arda will hold. We have held against worse.” Arascus looked over at Fortia’s phone as the woman opened her browser and began to type: Kronos mystery receding ring. Immediately, he saw the images appear. It had been on the news for the past few days, although only a minor story. He had actually received reports on it too. The giant, sixth planet in the Solar System, had a ring that was disappearing. Kassandora turned her phone around.

“This?” She asked. Elassa did too, she was looking at the same set of images.

“This Kronos? Our Kronos?” Her finger went to the black ring, or the section of it that was missing rather. “That is Tartarus? That black ring?” Allasaria nodded and the whole group went silent. Even Olephia had put her notebook down and was looking up at the sky. Fer fell onto her rear and used her arms to support her. Fortia stared down at the images, Irinika leaned over to look at them too. Anassa and Elassa stared into Of Magic’s phone.

Kassandora was mumbling something. “That’s about eighty thousand kilometres of distance.” She said.

“You worked that out just now?” Anassa asked.

“Whatever.” Kassandora said. “It’s an estimate.” She looked down and dug her foot into the ground. “That’s about six, seven Ardas.” She stopped, then blinked, then seemed to realise what she said. Elassa dropped her phone. Irinika eyes went wide. Fortia released a deep sigh. Olephia shook her head. And Maisara summed it up.

“That is a threat to Arda.” It didn’t have to be said.

Arascus sighed as he saw the group apart to fall apart. No. It would not happen on his watch. This world had been swallowed by an apocalypse of ash, and it found it an apocalypse unworthy. If Arda was going to die, then it would not die to some bullshit like that. He stood up and shook his head. “Will they follow you through the portal again?” Arascus asked.

“I have no idea.” Allasaria said as the God of Pride immediately started to pull out his own phone. This was a world of struggling. They had struggled when the trees of Gaia saw humanity and decided it unfit it. And those trees had been reduced to ash and confined to the history books. They had struggled during the Age of Monsters, and those monsters had been exterminated and then forgotten about. After that, it had been the dragons, and those, he had personally been there to witness as they knelt before humanity.

Through the tyrannies and through Worldbreaking, through the Great War and through Ashen Skies. They would not be destroyed by the growing pains of reaching for the stars. He immediately contacted Helenna: Revert Code-Black.

And then, it was time to get to work. “Allasaria, kneel.” He said even as she was already on the ground before him. “I care not what you have done in the past, whatever grievance you have against us is irrelevant in this scenario. Are you certain the Second Arc will hit our world?”

“I do not know.” Allasaria said. Fer sniffed the air.

“She’s lying.”

“I can’t confirm it!” Allasaria said. “Please. I wouldn’t warn you! I saw the it as it crossed the asteroid belt! I thought it was just going into the Sun at the start.”

Fer sniffed again, the fell down onto her back. “She’s telling the truth. She believes it.” And of Beasthood sighed. “I want a drink.”

Arascus ignored her as he sent a message to Wilhelm Trosk of Internal Affairs: Call a meeting for today. I will be there. Send word to all space observatories to cancel leave and be on active duty. Under my order, they are military personnel immediately for the next month, to be extended. “Kassandora.” Arascus said. “Space observatories are under your command. Assign them a general. It should be Iliyal.”

“Understood.” Kassandora said.

And then Arascus started typing, to the Imperial Bureau of Sciences: Imminent Order, start on asteroid interception methods. “Allasaria, how long do we have?”

“I don’t know, next year. It will circle the sun first.”

“That’s next year as in four months from now or in twelve?”

“I don’t know!” Allasaria shouted.

“Don’t shout at me.” Arascus said. “You said you saw it, how long on your plan?”

“Nine months? Eight? I don’t know. It could be four!” Allasaria said and Maisara looked nervously to Fortia. The Goddess of Peace shook her head. Arascus ignored them too as he turned around, ready to start a call. “Elassa, cancel curse research, it’s not important for now. Focus entirely on planetary defence measures.”

“WHAT?!” Elassa shouted.

“Anassa is assigned to you. You two work together. You’re both magicians.” Anassa blinked, a smile settling onto her face. She stretched her hands out and cracked her fingers.

“Now I like this.” She said. “Very professional business.” Of course it was. Arascus was here, the worst thing they could do was wait and let their fears get to them. Someone had to kickstart the engine of saving the world, and he tear it in half and drag the car himself if it refused to run.

“Irinika, you’re on Allasaria duty alone for now.”

“Aye aye boss.” Irinika said.

Arascus was already calling Malam. She picked up almost immediately. “Daaaddd! How did the battle go?!” She asked. Not drunk for once, although of course she wasn’t. She would be waiting to pop open a bottle to celebrate.

“I’m assigning bullshit to you.” Arascus began. “But I know you can do it. Find me every text on Worldbreaking you can. Whatever magic you need. Then send it to Arcadia for Elassa.” From the other side of the phone, a glass bottle dropped onto the ground and heels hit the floor.

“What’s happening?”

“I’ll tell you later. For now, find me that, I know you can do it. The most powerful magic to exist.” He stopped. “It doesn’t have to be Worldbreaking, go through the archives. Get Helenna to lend you the IBI if you need more. From Heroism or from the Tyrannies, I do not care. Go into the Sashai texts.” One of the Great Heroes of this world who had to be put down at the end of the age of Heroism, he had been writing about apocalypses before it was decided that whatever thoughts he had were too dangerous to be written down. The man had been put down for the good the world. Some knowledge did not have to be known.

“Sashai’s works are kept on Olympiada.” Maisara said.

“Then you will recover them.”

“Me?”

“Take Fer with you. Fortia as well.” He turned to Allasaria and Irinika. There were more Divines on that Mountain, it would be bad news if Zerus made Allasaria feel nostalgic for Pantheon Peace. “Allasaria, Irinika will watch you. Stay at her plantation and don’t leave for now.” He was repeating himself. This was the worst part, the initial orders had gone out.

“What world are we destroying?” Malam asked through the phone.

“We’re saving one here, Malam. That’s all. Find me those texts, I will be in Arcadia most likely, if not then ring.” He dropped the call. “Olephia, go home to your observatory and see if you can find anything faster. Otherwise, I’ll ring you later.” The Goddess of Chaos saluted. “Nene, you’re with me.” He would need someone to drink with next week.

“I’ll maintain this garrison here.” Kassandora said. “Should I stop the demobilization of the Surface War conscripts?”

“Slow it for now. We may need them still. Prepare the staff officers for industry mobilization though.”

“Understood.” Kassandora saluted. “Kavaa will be with me.”

“I will?” Kavaa said.

“You will.” Arascus confirmed. There was little for the Goddess of Health to be doing nowadays anyway, and Kassandora worked better when she had a partner anyway. Now, there was only one more person to attend to. Arascus turned. “Allasaria, now I have one order for you. And you will do it, and if you do it well, you will get more.”

“What is it?” She looked up at him as if he was the avatar of absolution and not the man who had waged a century long war against her.

“Stay out of our way. If we need you, we’ll find you.” He thought of threatening her, telling her that if she so much as moved against him, that he would launch so much nuclear hellfire at Olympiada that it would carve a channel through the Divine Mountain until they would reach Guguo on the other side of the world. But it did not have to be said.

They had a proper apocalypse to face now.