If it is ordered, then it is ordered. I promise that I will not push sorcery onto elfmen.

  Nevertheless, let me make my final argument clear. With humans, we need to be discriminating to find even a one in five success rate. With elves, we can venture into any of their abodes, their city-quarters, we can take any of their kind that has reached maturity and expect one in three to success rate. It is, quite simply, incomparable at the rate to which we find humans. Elves likewise possess enough intelligence and experience to know intuitively on how to handle their powers. Training them is a matter of explaining learned limits, as well as introducing the concepts required to surpassing them. The rest, they are able to handle themselves. In this way, elves make almost perfect sorcerers. They are far better than humans in this regard. That analysis excludes their greatest strength, which is that they don’t have a lifespan. As long as they are not thrown away, we can expect sorcerers to become as powerful as Archmages rather than rotting into bones.

  In this regard, I concur with Kassandora’s solution. They are too great a strength to waste and they wish to waste themselves. It cannot be allowed for three reasons. One is the Imperial good: for such a swelling of the ranks of sorcerers will undoubtedly prove impossibly useful in the future. The second is the shared Ardan good: for this is the war that defines the next epoch and we cannot let the planet suffer under the boot of the Pantheon and their otherworldly hordes. The third is for their own good: for they are obviously a yearning people. Any who come across their texts, especially the stories of fiction they create, will immediately be able to tell how they reek of lost love and romance. Kassandora’s assessment that they are a people to whom the concept of romance is foreign is biased due to her fascination with common soldiery.

  Now whereas her solution will definitely be unpleasant and difficult to mandate, we cannot pretend that it will not be effective. My own advice, until we fix this crisis at least, is to institute cultural rewards for their breeding. It is obvious they have no need for more wealth and power, but a reward that blesses the spirit and preys on inner whims is a reward little will give up. They do not wish for estates or indulging of vice yet it is common knowledge that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

  My counter-proposal is such: a family of elves with three children will be able to submit one of them to me for awakening. A family of six will be able to submit two. A family of nine, three. A family of ten should allow the parents to offer themselves up. The numbers are merely suggestions, I am open to adjustment. The pride of having a sorcerer in the family can be extrapolated from humanity. Even with their abysmal chance at success, we still have the luxury of turning them away for so many so up at my recruiting fields.

  Nevertheless, I accept the ban and understand it. I will not cull the elven population even if they themselves wish to be culled. There will be no more elven sorcerers on Arda.

  - Notes regarding Goddess Anassa’s, Of Sorcery’s, opinion during the strategic meetings on the elven population crisis. Dated to mid-way through the Great War.

  Fortia and Maisara both looked around the little cottage that Alice had brought them to. Well, it wasn’t little by any standard, nor was it a cottage even if the inside decorum pretend to be an upscaled parody of one. It would have been impossible to find had they not had Alice to lead them. In Northern Rilia, built into the mountains and a few miles away from the closest village. Fortia had taken Alice up on the arm and jumped to the entrance, Maisara had gone in first once the human girl it out to check for traps.

  There was nothing here, that was somewhat predictable for Leona. Predictable and simultaneously disappointing. Even Helenna, powerless though she was, would have secret entrances and poisons scattered about her rooms to catch out thieves. Leona just had… Well, she just had the luck to make sure no one would stumble upon one of her hovels. “There’s a bathroom there.” Alice pointed to the doorway. “But that’s it.”

  “No secret rooms?” Fortia asked. It was more to Maisara then to Alice.

  “I don’t think so.” Alice said. “But we came here a few times on our travels.” Fortia looked to Maisara, the woman shook her head.

  “I tapped on the walls on the inspection.” She said. “There’s nothing here. It’s just this hole cut out into the stone.”

  “Do you know who built it?” Fortia asked as she looked around. It was cozy, that could not be denied. Cozy and rustic and quaint. There was a wooden fireplace, untouched. There were even logs there. A pair of armchairs were by it. One of them had a neatly folded blanket on the plush green seat, the other had it draped over the arm. Alice took a step towards it. Both Goddesses glanced at her and then continued to look. A kitchen that was more just a sink and a gas stove. A fridge, Maisara went to inspect it: empty and clean and still running. Alice walked onto the thick rug that was all over the ground, a warm brown.

  Alice put her hand on the armchair and the blue blanket draped over it as Fortia looked over the rest of the room. One polished writing desk of carved wood, a simple chair underneath it, sized for Divines. By its side was a large bed, also Divine sized. Wooden, the covers were made. Maisara pointed to the desk, her grey eyes met Fortia’s bronze ones. The Goddess of Peace shook her head and pointed to Alice. The girl was stroking the blanket and sniffling to herself. Maisara looked for a moment, turned to Fortia and rolled her eyes. Fortia shrugged in return.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  The Goddess of Peace took off the heavy backpack and put it down on the ground. The Rilian border had been crossed without incident. Its very north wasn’t so heavily fortified as the south but… Well, she wasn’t stupid. They had very obviously been spotted. Maisara and Fortia were huge, they dwarfed even cars. Alice barely managed to reach up to their belts. The trio as travelling companions?

  It would be one thing to march through the sparsely populated wildness of Karaina or the national parks of the UNN which housed only animals. In mainland Epa, were the average village would consider itself isolated because it was the grand distance of a twenty minute walk from its neighbour? Impossible. She was working under the assumption they had been spotted already. It was just seeing how fast the Imperial response would be and what it would consist of. Maisara took off her backpack and Fortia turned to Alice. The girl was openly crying at this point as she stared at that blanket.

  Why did it have to be them two? For what reason exactly? Why couldn’t it be Helenna? Why couldn’t it be Helenna who was up to this. What could even be said in a situation like this? Fortia took a deep breath. The choice was between her and Maisara though, and that obviously was no choice at all. It was like asking whether one would prefer to be caught out in a storm or in the apocalypse. Neither was good, but there was obviously a correct answer. “Apologies Alice.” Fortia said. “My sincerest, I did not think it would affect you so much.”

  Maisara just stood there and remained silent as Alice shook her head. “No don’t…” She wiped her tears. “I knew…” There was a sneeze and the girl wiped her nose on the sleeve of her shirt. “Leo… she told me it would come and to expect. She…” And Alice collapsed. Maisara turned to Fortia, Fortia shook her head.

  “We are in no rush.” Fortia lied through her teeth. They were in the greatest rush there was. Every minute that passed now was another minute that someone in the Empire would put two and two together and they would lose all the leverage they had. She kept her voice gentle though, that was always the best way to help in these situations. “But we will most likely have to do this again.”

  Alice nodded and wiped her eyes. She picked up the blanket and put it to her face, taking a deep breath. Maisara stared at her, then turned her head to Fortia. The Goddess of Peace shrugged. What was she supposed to do? Beat the emotion out of the girl? Order her to stop melting down? Things simply did not work that way, no matter how aggravating and painful it was. “I’ll check the door.” Maisara eventually said. “To see if we’re being tracked.”

  “We are.” Fortia said.

  “Did you see anything?” Maisara asked.

  “Can they track us?”

  “Of course.”

  “Can they spot us?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then we work as if we are being tracked.” Fortia said. “This place is safe enough. Humans will struggle to reach up here without mages.”

  “Are you worried about humans though?” Maisara asked and Fortia felt the weight get heavier in her stomach.

  “No.” Of course she wasn’t. She didn’t care if they sent a full division to keep tabs on them. Even if a hundred mages from Arcadia were in the air, it wouldn’t be a threat with both Goddesses here. But both of them knew how Divine-dogma worked. If Arascus found their presence to be a nuisance then an appropriate measure would be taken. And everyone knew that cannon-fodder was nowhere near appropriate enough for Divines. “I wouldn’t advise it.” Fortia said.

  “Would you not?” Maisara stopped.

  “It would just be revealing the entrance if they missed us on the entry.”

  “And if they didn’t?”

  “Then they know anyway.” Fortia replied. She watch Alice wipe those tears again. “We will stay here tonight.” That brought a freezing from Maisara, the Goddess of Order turned to Fortia, then to Alice and understood immediately. They had spent more than a full day marching. Alice had needed to be carried part of the way. This whole expedition would be useless if they ended up pushing their new ward to death by exhaustion.

  “Are you sure?” Alice asked.

  “You are too tired.” Fortia said. “You also need rest.”

  “Okay.” Alice let go of the blanket. “Then…”

  “First, we inspect.” Fortia walked to the desk. “If there are any hidden compartments, I would ask for you to share them.”

  “Not in this one.” Alice said. “Here it was just a place to rest. The first stop on the way to the others.” Fortia nodded and still opened the desk. There were books inside. A few possessions of Leona’s, a piece of obsidian shaped like a cat’s head. A lot of pencils with a knife to sharpen them. Plenty of drawings. Maisara came close as Alice curled around the armrest to seat in the armchair. “We used to come here to hide from the Pantheon drama.” She said it to no one in particular.

  Fortia supposed the girl needed an answer. It would be rude not to. And Maisara beat her to it. “There was a time when I would have called her coward for that.” She said to Alice. “I don’t think I would do that anymore.”

  “Leona attended every meeting she needed to.” Fortia said. The Goddess of Luck had not been like the Elassa or Iniri.

  “Thank you.” Alice said. She pulled the blanket over herself. “Do you need help or…”

  “You may rest, we will look through ourselves.” Fortia said. Any notes, any regrets, anything that talked of what or where Leona had been during the final stages of the Great War. “It will be an early rise tomorrow.”

  “I would advise eating before sleep to recover strength.” Maisara interjected.

  “That is a good call.”

  “Mmh.” Alice said. “Can I nap before it?”

  “You may.” Maisara said. “But you will cook for yourself.”

  “Of course.” Alice said, her eyes closing already. They had driven the girl to exhaustion. Fortia just sighed as she kept on pulling documents out of the cupboard and placing them on the desk. Maisara did the same. They weren’t here to make a mess after all. One shelf through open. Another. Every sliver that could hold information was arranged.

  “That makes eve-“ Maisara trailed off as both Goddesses snapped their eyes to the doorway. They had both heard the step outside it. They both watched as it opened. And Fortia felt as if she was about to keel over and die as she stared at the huge God in the doorway. A black coat with the Imperial eagle emblazoned upon his breast pocket. Dark hair. A sword on his hip. A man large enough it could only be described as brutal: Arascus.

  Arascus entered the room.

  Behind him, Fer appeared as she jumped onto the platform. She leaned and twisted like a snake. Her golden eyes settled upon the two Goddess. And maybe two, they would have been able to fight. Anassa appeared in the air behind Fer. Maisara took a sigh. Fortia just stared. “So.” He asked as she took another step inside., his voice low. “What are we here for?”