Of all people that I do not wish in the White Pantheon, it has to be Maisara. This is not new information, the Goddess herself knows this. Elassa’s research effectively places her incarnation during the start of the Age of Tyranny, for we have records of her “enforcements” from that Era and not from before. There is a part of me that questions Maisara herself. She would fit much better in with the leagues of Arascus. Someone like Kassandora would make much better use of her than we do in the Pantheon.

  Nevertheless, it is borderline impossible to separate Fortia and Maisara from each other. They have petty squabbles but they are effectively united in all way but an official declaration. Even when they disagree on internal Pantheon Policy, it rarely comes to blow and when it does, the two typically make up within the week. It is obvious that Allasaria cannot manage them for Allasaria only wishes to use force to try and corral two beasts as wild as Fer into a pen all too small for them.

  The worst part is that they are not as simple as Fer. Whereas that Goddess is relatively pleasant to be around and thoroughly disinterested with any sort of politics that do not directly affect her “pack”, both Fortia and Maisara have grandiose ideas that they should lead the world. It cannot be done and Allasaria is not the Goddess to manage them.

  Ultimately though, now that I am doing nothing but gossiping about my compatriots, I should give them one benefit. I envy the connection they have. Maybe it is a matter of titles yet Of Love attracts nothing but fools and idealists. Fortia naturally attracts Maisara and Maisara naturally attracts Fortia it seems. The Fortia-Arascus split before the Age of Heroes could have been caused by Maisara’s appearance although I am not beholden to their internal drama and these are entities that are naturally difficult to probe into.

  Nevertheless, it sometimes does make me wonder. Is there someone for me that is like Fortia is to Maisara and vice-versa? Not a partner or a business partnership as Allasaria sees these things but a necessary opposite to complete the whole?

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

  “I hate this useless lot.” Fortia said as she left Theosius’ temple. Maisara put her arm around Fortia and squeezed, for a moment, the two Goddesses stopped walking. Fortia leaned her head on Maisara’s, her gold-bronze hair intertwined with Maisara’s silver. They took a deep breath. Time seemed to slow down. “You’re too soft.” Maisara said.

  “I don’t know why he gets to me so much.” Fortia muttered. “Of all people it could be.”

  Maisara took a deep breath. The air from her nose that brushed past Fortia’s cheek was pleasant and warm. It even smelled good, like a field of grass and common flowers. Nothing luxurious, nothing that tried too hard. Maisara just gripped tighter. “I don’t know. Neneria got to me.”

  “Neneria’s the Goddess of Death.” Fortia muttered. “Not some…” What was Theosius even? Some armourer of all people?

  “It is what it is.” Maisara said. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Mmh.” Maisara commented dryly. “I can see that.” She was obviously being sarcastic. Fortia released a dry and mirthless chuckle as they stood on the grey Olympiada. Save for the gold-bronze armour and weaponry of her own Guardians that had come up here, everything else had descended down into various shades of grey. Either bright grey, from Maisara’s silver, to the pale darks that were of the thin layers of ash. It had started to fall again, a gentle parody of warm snow that would never melt. It buried the flowing rooftiles of the various temples. Fortia’s and Maisara’s own fortress-quarters had been buried up to the knees of a man in it. “Come on Forti.” Maisara said. “Put yourself back together.”

  Fortia laughed at that nickname and pushed off Maisara. The Goddess of Order’s arm off her shoulder. “Honestly though, I hate him.”

  “We both do.” Maisara said. “Come on, you should be the stable one of us.” Fortia chuckled at that.

  “Too much stability and life gets boring.”

  “The great paradox of Peace and Order.” Maisara replied. “Some men die of thirst, some men drown.” She shrugged. “But who am I to talk at this point. A Goddess of Order who came back to life? If fate were just, it would have struck me down for such a breach of natural law.” Maisara said. “But it did not and it most likely will not at this point so what can I say?” She looked down at her hands.

  “Arascus brought you back to life.” Fortia said. “You shouldn’t…” Fortia trailed off. What was she about to say now? That she shouldn’t be unhappy about it? Fortia herself had fallen into a catatonic state when Maisara was gone.

  “Maybe he did.” Maisara said. “Maybe it was Neneria, maybe it was Kassandora or Kavaa or Elassa or any of them.” She shrugged. “But ultimately, I did not resist it. I trusted them to do it, I wanted to be back. It would be akin to Kavaa wanting to poison someone.”

  “Kavaa wants to do that to us already.” Fortia replied dryly. The Goddesses set off walking. There was no need for planning, both of them knew where they were heading. Now that they were up on the Mountain, they would not be returning until they had Alice or they confirmed she was dead and her soul had moved on. Fortia merely angled herself on the first turn towards Zerus’ temple, Maisara took the first step towards it.

  “But Kavaa is Kavaa.” Maisara said. Fortia chuckled at that.

  “Kavaa isn’t that bad.”

  “No.” Maisara agreed. “Honestly I feel bad for her. She’s obviously not of our breed.” Fortia smiled at that. There weren’t many who had survived the culling of Heroism and then the chaos of Worldbreaking. Even less had actually survived the Tyrannies and Magocracies. “She’s a woman far too pleasant for this world.” Maisara shrugged. “But she has been made so and so that doesn’t make her any less of a bitch than she is.”

  What were they even doing right now? Gossip? Fortia chuckled to herself as she walked through Olympiada with Maisara by her side. Two Goddesses in gleaming armours, two moving monuments to perfection twice the size of men, with an army in their colours behind them. Their long hair flowing behind them like capes, with the palm-sized scales of their armoured skirts jingling as they walked. “It’s over, isn’t it?” Maisara asked after finishing her complaining about Elassa.

  “Is it?”

  “This is our last time on the Mountain.” Maisara said dryly. “Walking like this. It’s the end of an era.” Fortia kept on walking without even losing a step. Was it? She supposed it was. Allasaria would not allow them back on the mountain if she discovered what they were up to. If they found Alice, then there was only one route they could take from now on. Even if Of Empire proved to be impossible to find, then the very fact they would go ahead on a mission would be akin to planning an assassination on Allasaria’s life. It wasn’t something that could be forgiven.

  “I suppose it is.” Fortia said lightly. “I very well suppose it is.”

  “What are we even doing?” Maisara asked.

  “I don’t know.” Fortia said. They turned around street and saw Zerus’ grand temple at the very end. This entire district was his, designed by him, built by him. It was where the God had stayed for the past thousand years. And unlike Fortia or Maisara, who had descended off the Mountain every decade to inspect the world at large, Zerus had been the type to never step out of his abode unless the situation called for it.

  Immediately, there were signs of habitation. Sweepers still swept the streets, a shop was open, some storeroom. All were dressed in the white, gold and light blue of Zerus’ colours. The first two for the Pantheon, the last to mark it as his. The sky above was noticeably clearer, almost as if there was a direct delineation. That was Sceo’s doing no doubt. The buildings here were smooth and then suddenly became jagged. A roof would curl to a peak on one side and then dive straight down. A pillar would be carved with an animal adorning one side and then become a flat plane on the other. Some man dropped the clothes he was carrying. A woman by his side stopped and stared at the approaching embodiments of Peace and Order. “But you know what Mai?” Fortia asked.

  “What?”

  “I’m glad this is how it’s starting off.”

  Maisara chuckled. “Truly.” She said. “I would not be able to wake up if it was someone else who destroyed our greatest creation.”

  “Indeed.” Fortia said, her steps getting longer. “Imagine if Kassandora marched her army up here.”

  “Imagine how she’d wag her finger at us.” Maisara said. “No no, it has to be us.”

  “It does.” Fortia said. Arascus may have sent the Pantheon into the downwards spiral, the credit could lie with him. With Kassandora. Even with Kassandora and the three traitors who had freed her but the final blow would always be remembered as Fortia’s and Maisara’s. Fitting.

  That was the word. Fitting. It simply fit. Fortia walked through down the central street that led to Zerus’ tall temple. His acolytes were ignored. They slammed their doors shut. They crept away from their windows to not even witness what was about to happen. Their gardens lay lifeless and covered in ash. Their sky was a blinding clear blue that mocked them. Their God’s temple was a monument to the decadence a Force as ancient as Zerus could have. A huge tower that reached into the sky, the underside of its balconies fashioned into clouds from which yellow-blue banners waved down to imitate lightning. It’s shadow was cast perfectly onto that street.

  How fitting an atmosphere.

  Fortia climbed the first step. “Are we declaring then? Order and Peace are no longer of the Pantheon?” Fortia took a deep breath. It would put them in a difficult situation in Khmet. The Tartarus respected their ancient treaties. Would those treaties still hold if Fortia wasn’t part of them?

  The Goddess of Peace took a second step. “It’s the final nail in the coffin.” Fortia answered.

  “I know.” Maisara said. “That’s why I’m asking.” They walked up to the top of that staircase in silence as Fortia’s mind mulled things over. She would not fight under Allasaria ever again. Maisara was out of the Pantheon already in all ways but a public declaration. Fortia had not considered the Mountain her home in how long now? And if they did end up winning? Then what were they fighting for? Another thousand years of Allasaria’s rule? Frankly… was Fortia part of the Pantheon at this point?

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “We do declare if it comes to it.” Fortia said. She took a deep breath. “Everyone will know at this point anyway.”

  “Everyone will know so we may as well be honest to ourselves if no one else.” Maisara said. “It feels good.”

  “Does it?” Fortia asked.

  “To not pretend to be a creature of this era.” Fortia finally touched the final step. There were more cultists here. More whimpering souls that had sworn in their shawls of white and gold and blue. Why, Fortia did not even know. Zerus could grant his power upon others, he just seldom did so. During the Great War, he had to be pressed into sharing his blessing by Fortia herself. Behind them were the wooden doors to Zerus’ temple. The two Goddesses did not even bother looking to the mortals, they knew to move out of the way.

  “You should do the talking.” Maisara said as she put the tip of her finger on the door to Zerus’ temple. Some of his apostates turned their gazes away, some of them were transfixed by what they witnessed. Fortia raised an eyebrow at her friend. “You’re smarter than I am.” Maisara said and Fortia smiled, rolling her eyes.

  “Like the olden days.” Fortia said. She copied Maisara’s movement, her fingertip pressed into the door

  “Like the olden days.” Maisara repeated. And the two Goddesses moved. Their fingers moved and gave way to their palms. The grand wooden doors exploded into splinters under that force and then slowly toppled to the ground.

  Zerus had already been waiting for them. The God of Lightning and Thunder was stood on the end of the great entrance hall to his palace, hands behind his back. He looked down casually at the splinters of his doorway and at the two Goddesses stood at the entrance. Maisara raised her fist and made a hand gesture. The troops coming up the stairs would know to hold. “What a greeting.” Zerus muttered. “What have I done to offend you now?”

  Fortia stepped into Zerus’ temple. Inside, it was all the white marble that was classically used in the Pantheon. Pillars holding up banners, there were paintings that hung on the wall, all of great weather patterns and storms. Ships heading out into the unknown and hurricanes carving out long winding valleys in the ground. The God had very obviously expected them to come, the place had been cleared. The blue rugs that once covered this floor had been removed.

  And he himself wore his cloak and shawl, the man was ancient but definitely not old. His hair was grey but flowing, his body lean with muscle, his chin shaved perfectly, those piercing blue eyes stared at Fortia and Maisara with the weary gaze of a wolf that had come across bears. He didn’t expect this to descend to combat then. Or maybe he did and just hoped that he would defeat the two Goddesses? Fortia’s eyes immediately scanned for traps and anything else that could be dangerous. Save for the platinum chandeliers above them, there was nothing could be a danger and those chandeliers were very obviously not rigged to collapse.

  Maisara followed the Goddess of Peace until Zerus raised a finger. “That’s close enough.” Still a distance of twenty feet at least.

  “Zerus.” Fortia said. “We know you have some relationship with Alice.” She laid the trap without giving away the fact they completely lacked any information. “And we are going to find her for she has some information we need.” Zerus’ eyes narrowed.

  “I know nothing of Leona’s maid.” He replied. Fortia smiled at that. The man could be sharp when he wished to be. But sharp was simply not enough.

  “I very simply do not believe it Zerus.” Fortia replied. “We are not here to beg, to apologize or to bargain. We know you know and we have come to demand.”

  Zerus cracked a smile. “Well I do not.”

  “Very well.” Fortia said. “We shall do this as we did in the olden days. Maisara and I will turn your entire temple upside down. If it turns out she is not here, then we shall leave you alone and stay out of your hair.”

  “So you come to me?” Zerus asked. “In the search of Leona’s maid, you come to me? Not Allasaria’s quarter?”

  “You simply rolled poorly.” Maisara quickly answered and Fortia smiled. That was a good save. “It is not personal, it is purely business.”

  “I do not allow desecration of my quarters on a whim.” Zerus growled.

  “We are not asking for permission.” Fortia replied. “We inform you out of the sheer goodness of our own hearts.”

  “What goodness.” Zerus said.

  “Zerus!” Fortia shouted. “We know very well that you saved Leona’s girl when Whiright was going to send her off the mountain. We both know Allasaria did not call for you. We both know you came yourself. The girl will be found.” Each word was another furrowing of Zerus’ brows, another tightening of his lips, another confirmation that Theosius’ pointer had in fact been correct. Zerus did know, he just didn’t want to share.

  “So we hunt for little girls that belonged to dead Goddesses?” Zerus shouted bark. “That is what we do in the Pantheon?”

  Maisara and Fortia fell silent, they looked at each other. They looked to Zerus. Fortia said it first this time. She had to. “I am not of the White Pantheon anymore.” Fortia said. “Be my witness Zerus and understand, the Pantheon may no longer rely upon me for assistance in times of War and Peace.”

  Maisara was much less dramatic. “I died, my vows were fulfilled. I have not sworn them again.” Maisara replied. “You can thank yourself for that Zerus, for you left me there.”

  The God of Lightning took a deep breath as he stared at them. The air in the room seemed to grow colder. The lights almost dimmed. For a moment, Zerus’ eyes began to shine as if he was going to call down his lightning. Both Goddesses ahead of him readjusted their postures, ready to dodge at a moment’s notice. Yet Zerus did not call upon his lightning, he took a deep breath and shook his head. “Madness has overtaken the two of you.”

  “Call it whatever you wish.” Fortia said.

  “Then in the name of Peace and Order?” Zerus asked. “In the name of Peace and Order you hunt after little girls who served a Goddess dead? Let Leona’s spirit rest, you cannot have hated her that much.”

  “Peace and Order are the greatest mountains humanity has to climb.” Fortia replied. “What would man not give for Peace and Order, God of Lightning? Name me a single creature out there that does not wish Peace and Order in their hearts!”

  Zerus rolled his eyes. “So this is what we have regressed to.” He commented. “This state of affairs? Are you still not tired of it? Does it run really that deep in your bones? We have all gone through the same eras. There is a reason we formed the Pantheon, it was to not repeat those mistakes.” Fortia did not have a chance to reply in this fruitless argument. Maisara’s bark silenced the room.

  “Where is Sceo?”

  Zerus’ eyes darkened immediately. His posture lowered, he shifted his feet as if readying for combat. Each word that came out of his mouth was like another beat of thunder in the distance. “Is she relevant to this situation?”

  “She is relevant to you.” Maisara replied, her tone matching his. She turned on the spot and shouted into the air. “SCEO! WHERE ARE YOU! YOUR HUSBAND NEEDS YOU!”

  No reply came.

  “Leave her out of this.” Zerus growled and Maisara chuckled.

  “Fortia is too kind a soul Zerus.” Maisara said. “Far, far, far too kind a soul to deal with this shit. You have your chance now, since you obviously know what this we are looking for. You may talk to her and I will bring your wife here.”

  She took a step towards the closest door. Immediately, Zerus raised his hand at Maisara. Immediately, Fortia assumed throwing posture. Immediately, her spear materialized in her hand. She held the beam of gold-bronze with a tip large enough to put a hole the size of the God’s head in his chest. Nothing was said. Zerus’ eyes went to the spear as Fortia settled into her posture. One hand forward pointed straight at him, one leg back, her torso twisted to put all strength she could into the blow.

  All knew that the Goddess of Peace threw fast enough to break the sound barrier.

  And all knew that Zerus could not travel at that speed.

  “You would not.” Zerus said.

  “Harm a single hair on Maisara and I will send your wife to tell you in the afterlife about what colours your temple burned in.”

  Maisara took another step.

  Nothing happened. Zerus held his posture. Fortia held hers.

  Maisara took yet another step.

  And another.

  And Maisara walked to the doorway.

  Not a single hair on her head was harmed.

  They stood in silence, for a while. Zerus said nothing. Fortia had nothing to say. The Guardians and Paladins inside did not even turn to look inside as Maisara searched through Zerus’ grand temple. Every now and then, there would be the shouts of mortals, there would be the crash of a door. The shattering of a wall. Maisara knew how to check through a room, she had been the executioner of the Pantheon for a thousand years. Before that even, Fortia would end wars, Maisara would make sure they never started. Zerus eventually began to wince and flinch as Maisara travelled from the right side of the temple to the centre, just above them. “Maisara will not kill her.” Fortia said. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Your peace is the last thing I want in this moment.” Fortia did not answer. With her spear pointed straight through this God’s chest, with each breath she took, even though strain built in her arm and even though Zerus had lowered his arms, she stood there. And she finally felt like she was truly bring about the Peace. Not the peace of pantheon but the peace of her own. The world would be saved. Maisara would be saved. And that was all that mattered. She had abandoned her friend once. She would never do it again.

  A scream from above finally killed the quiet moment. “THAT’S MAISARA YOU’VE SENT UP THERE!” Zerus screamed. Fortia did not move. Her gold-bronze eyes stared just stared at the man, she regained the tension in her posture and she raised an eyebrow challenging his move.

  The God of Lightning did not call her on it, even as that scream ended. Even as the temple rumbled and then as something crashed once, twice, through at least four walls up above. There was another scream. Another shaking of the temple. Fortia’s eyes never left Zerus even as cracks painted the ceiling and dust fell onto them. And Zerus, for all his whimsical turning and shaking did not leave his spot.

  And then, silence.

  “If she is dead, you may kill me now.” Zerus said.

  Fortia did not reply.

  Eventually, Maisara returned through her doorway, Sceo writhing on the ground behind her. There was blood on Maisara’s silver cuirass and on her neck, although it very obviously wasn’t hers. Maisara returned with the same confident stride she had marched up the temple in. A soldier’s march, save that the soldier stood twice the height of a man. One arm swinging by her side, the other curled around Sceo’s light hair. The Goddess of the Sky tried to hold onto Maisara’s arm to stop her own locks from being pulled her although Maisara’s relentless pace would not stop her. That light-blue dress, adorned with gold, was ripped in place. The woman’s nose was bleeding. “I have found her Zerus.” Maisara replied. “Where is Alice?”

  The God of Lightning replied immediately, although it was obvious that his composure had been broken. His knees shook, his eyes tried to dance between keeping watch on everything in the room. From Fortia to her spear to Maisara to the love of his life. He said the very worst thing he could have. “I cannot say.” Fortia caught it immediately, Maisara must have too. She dragged Sceo to the side of Zerus, so that Fortia could keep them all in view. It was simple battle tactics.

  “Cannot?” Maisara’s voice had no humour nor sadism in it. She simply posed a question. For a moment, it looked as if she was going to release Sceo. For but a moment, in the very next, she moved her arm. The Goddess of the Sky was flung up, over and down before Maisara. She coughed up blood as more of the crimson painted her face from her nose. Her cries stopped for just a moment as she hit the ground, cracking the tiles around her impact. “You are not me, you have broken vows before. Break them again.”

  She stepped to the side of Sceo as the Goddess of the Sky tried to scramble onto her side. Maisara’s armoured boot landed on the Goddess’s stomach until Sceo coughed and wheezed for breath. “Maisara…” Zerus said.

  “Not so happy now that you’ve been caught?” Maisara asked. “Fate gave you flight to keep you away from me.”

  Fortia refocused the conversation as Maisara raised her arm. “Where is Alice? That is all we need to know and then we shall take her and leave.”

  “Fortia…” Zerus said.

  “Speak fool.” Maisara said. Her fingers twisted and her greataxe materialized above the woman. Sceo burst out into tears again at the sight of the weapon’s curved blade.

  “This is not right.” Fortia took a deep breath at Zerus’ words, her posture unchanging. What was this fool even talking about. What was a promise even?

  Sceo cried and struggled under Maisara’s heavy boot of silver, she flung her arms out to the sides, her head turning to Zerus, then she saw Fortia. For a moment, there was a dance of that gaze as she realised the situation they were in. “Please…” She whispered.

  “Do not think I will not kill you woman.” Maisara ceased her moving. “Is your word to Allasaria worth all that?”

  “Maisara!” Zerus shouted.

  “We want answers.” Maisara said.

  “It was a vow to Leona.”

  “It could be a vow to me for all I care right now.” Maisara replied and dropped her axe to Sceo’s neck. It effortlessly drew a drop of blood. “The next swing will not be so gentle.”

  “Who do you think I am?” Maisara replied. “How many Divines have perished at my hands Zerus? Do not say you have forgotten what Order I was incarnated to uphold. You partook in it back then too.”

  “It was a different time. We’ve changed.”

  “The first I did after resurrection was accept Arascus’ deal to help kill Anarchia.” Maisara replied. She raised her blade. “Lightning may have become mere phenomena to be studied but Order is still Order.” Zerus took a deep breath. He looked utterly lost.

  Fortia spoke this time. Maisara would execute Sceo right now if push came to shove. And then it would be over and they would lose their source. “If the next words in this room are not her location, Sceo will lose her arm and we do not have Kavaa for her healing here.”

  Of all people, it was Sceo who broke the silence in a panicked scream that tried to form words. “SHE’S HERE! SHE’S HERE MAISARA! PLEASE! DON’T!”