The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]
Chapter 412 – Torchbearer

There are only few who actually know of the Concordats. There are even less who actually know their contents. And those who were actually there? I have more fingers than there are currently Divines alive who can say they witnessed the signings.

The Council of Cea between the Akamids, the Sythians, the minor tribes of Notolia and the Priests of Nika resulted in the Cean Concordat. Dragon plagues were brought to an end and the sacrificial tithes were established. Mankind was still made to bow before the grandiosity of the Dragons, but no longer were they reserved to the role of terrorized plaything which existed only to sate the need for boredom.

The Rhomaion Concordat was foisted upon Dragonkind by blessed men working in tandem with Divines. It was the first organised struggle of the human race, and it is cast away the tyranny of Dragonkind. For the first time, the nations of man appeared, nomadic tribes started to settle down and the construction of great cities began. Granted, mankind threw away their hard-won freedom immediately when they handed the reins off to Divinity.

The Handium Concordat ended the Years of Flame and set about formalizing relations between mankind and dragons. Mountain ranges were signed over to the beasts. Lairs were established as sovereign territory. Caves were given as nest-chambers. Regulations were set up regarding border infractions and trading. The slate was wiped clean of the stipulations made by the Cean and Rhomaion Concordats. Dragons stopped being independent hordes and instead were conglomerated into clans which served as de-facto governments which could be parleyed with. The era of endless warfare between the two races was ended with the Handium Concordat.

The very final Concordat to be signed was the Arascan Concordat. Signed between the God of Pride and the Erdely Nest. The Knights of Erdely were created as an Order and all history was changed. For the first time in history, something in Arda chose to stand against the illusion borne of its most magnificent race: Man and Dragon created a united front against Divine Tyrants. Arascus managed to create something most couldn’t even dream of. Dragonriders.

It is written that man tamed dragonkind. Such a thing never happened. Man tamed steeds and dogs and various types of cattle. Dragons were never tamed. The word is simply wrong, it implies far too much. Instead, I have a better word to sum the relationship between dragons and mankind: ‘Alliance’.

- Excerpt from the unfinished “History of the World”, written by Goddess Neneria, of Death.

Arascus stood and looked over the red desert sands of central Kirinyaa with his band of mortals and Divines. Two trucks were stood in the distance along with the conglomeration of Divines. Kavaa and Kassandora were stood off in the distance, they quietly talked between themselves. Both in black coats, they would have faded into the darkness were the night here not so bright. The moon was full overhead and obscured only by a few scarce clouds. Elassa was stood close by to them, although she just stood with her hands on her head and watched Arascus and Neneria. She had brought forty mages with her. Standard entourage, everyone in a dark coat.

And Arascus turned back to Neneria. The Goddess of Death, his adopted daughter, was stood with a small smile. Her eyes were blank and unfocused as she stared off into the distance. “Neneria.” That pulled the girl out of her thoughts, she jumped slightly and then turned to Arascus. “Summon her.”

Arascus had not wanted to do it yet. It was far too early. Maisara was a good negotiating card for Fortia, but the crisis in Epa had stolen all of Arascus’ attention from swaying the Goddess of Peace. The Guardians and the Paladins would have made for excellent experienced armies for the start of the Second Great War and given the Empire time to train the Epans and Arikans. But alas, there would be no Second Great War if the Anarchia issue was not resolved by the time Allasaria returned. The Goddess of Anarchy had to die, and if they needed a person who was strong yet stunted emotionally, there was only one Arascus could think of.

There was no great conflagration of magic. No amazing show of power. No invocation or spell chanting. Neneria didn’t even so much as wave her hand. The ghost of Maisara was called upon and immediately appeared in front of Arascus.

Maisara stood there, opaque and grey-green. Her long hair falling to her waist, she was still dressed in the silver battle armour she died in, although now it the metal shine had been replaced by the faint glow of being a spirit. Maisara looked around, up at Arascus and then at Neneria. The Goddess was not short by any means, but she was shorter than either Death or Pride.

The moment went on for a few seconds. If Maisara was not going to say anything, then Arascus would. He knew what the Goddess of Order was like. Morality was not involved, reasoning could be shallow, she just had to agree with it. As long as it appealed to her inner belief system, she probably would as well. “We have a problem Maisara.” Arascus took a second’s pause. The Goddess of Order stared at him and he realised that she wouldn’t say a word. Neneria was actually correct, the woman managed to take dying as if it was waking up in the morning. “There is a Goddess called Anarchia.” Arascus paused and Maisara took it this time.

“I know who she is.” Maisara said. “I killed off her followers once already.”

“We want to kill her.” Arascus said and Maisara smiled.

The ghost before Arascus crossed her arms and gave a smug smile for reply. “So you want me to do it.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

Maisara was not stupid in the least. Arascus couldn’t help but appreciate the woman’s skill at deduction. And he knew it would be a mistake to not inform her of Anarchia’s power. She would ask anyway, she was much too competent at combat to dive into such a scenario, so Arascus may as well tell her straight up what the situation looked like. “Anarchia steals power through emotions. She has stolen sorcery and she has crippled Fer.” Neneria looked surprised at the fact Arascus revealed so much but the God of Pride didn’t worry about her reaction. Maisara would repay the favour. Even if it was as Neneria said that Maisara now was freed from all her principals, she would repay the favour. A person could only change so much even after death.

“I see.” Maisara replied, no longer smiling. “And if I refuse?”

“Then you refuse.” Arascus replied. If she replied then she would be kept around to serve as a bargaining chip for Fortia’s loyalty but that, Maisara did not need to know. “What do you want me to say? You’ll be kept around but that will be it. You’ll be kept around.” Arascus repeated it to make sure the Goddess of Order understood.

“You said Anarchia steals power through emotion.” Maisara asked. “That means what?”

Arascus replied with a stupid grin. “We’re guessing ourselves Maisara.”

“So you came to me?” Maisara asked.

“I just thought of the person who was the most dull that there is.” Arascus replied. “Fer said Anarchia targeted her loyalty, Anarchia herself said she targets emotions, loyalty isn’t an emotion, what are we supposed to do with that?” Arascus led the question in such a way that Maisara could only answer in one way.

“That’s it?” Maisara asked. Her ghost sighed although those hard did not leave Arascus’ for even a moment.

“That’s it. We have nothing more.”

“And she drained Fer?”

“She drained Fer.” Arascus answered.

“Wholly or how?”

“She shares the power out amongst her followers.” Arascus explained. “We are sure it’s not a standard blessing but a transferal of power.” Maisara smiled smugly and raised an eyebrow.

“Surety and certainty are two different things.”

“Surety will have to do.” Arascus replied. “We don’t have the pleasure of asking her, unfortunately.”

“And you want me to kill her without being sure of her powers?” Maisara asked and Arascus knew the response immediately.

“I want you to kill her whilst she has Anassa’s sorcery and Fer’s strength. Or maybe, if we’re lucky, she’ll only a bit of sorcery and a bit of strength.” Arascus said it in a dry monotone. Maisara would not take it as a challenge to prove her own strength or anything like that. She would be offended in the whole details weren’t given. “Granted she’s not stolen from Anassa actually but we don’t think it makes much of a difference.”

“Oh?” Maisara asked.

“She’s withstood carpet bombing already in the same Anassa would. Sorcery will be a factor, it’s not just an apprentice is what I’m saying.” Arascus explained. Maisara stood there and thought for a moment. She turned to Neneria.

“Why aren’t you doing it?”

“Because we have you.” Neneria replied and Maisara smiled wryly. Arascus let the Goddess of Death continue, apparently they had talked before so she wouldn’t say anything too bad.

“So I’m not the last resort?”

“You’re not even top three.”

“How polite.” Maisara replied. “I’m honoured.” She turned back to Arascus. “Fighting Fer and Anassa together is impossible. I cannot fly.”

“Anarchia cannot either.” Arascus said.

“You just said she had sorcery.”

“She’s not flown yet. I don’t think she realises she can.”

Maisara actually laughed at that. “You know if you weren’t you, I would call that reasoning stupid.”

“What do you want us to do?” Arascus asked, keeping his tone light and jovial. “Wait for her to be pirouetting through the air so we can say that yes, she can fly? Can she? Most likely, she has sorcery. Has she? No. We don’t think she can’t, we just think she doesn’t know how to.”

Maisara shrugged and smiled. “I’ve dealt with worse reasoning in the past, at least with that I can follow the chain of logic you used.”

“You’ll have support.” Maisara would be told about it either way. It would be better if she heard it now and agreed rather than needing to have a debate about it later. “Elassa will be coming in from above, she’ll be dropping rocks and we have a railgun.”

Maisara raised an eyebrow at the mention of that latter cannon. “And that is what? You’re going to shoot trains?”

“It’s a magnetic cannon.” Arascus said. Maisara did not looked impressed, nor did she look shocked, nor did she look surprised, nor interested. She just stood there for a few moments again as if she was processing what she just heard.

“So me and Elassa are distractions whilst you shoot her with this railgun.” She declared.

Arascus couldn’t help but smile. Anyone else would ask for details or want to know more or anything else of the regard. Frankly, Arascus wouldn’t even blame them, it was only natural curiosity to indulge in this acquisition of information. Not Maisara though. “That’s the plan.”

“Plans don’t work out usually.”

“Anarchia is to be killed. We have overwhelming firepower. We just need to lure her into position but Kass will explain the plan to those details. No one will say anything against you if it turns out you’re just able to behead her on the spot.” And Maisara froze once again. Arascus and Neneria exchanged looks as the Goddess of Order thought. She practically became an opaque, slightly glowing green statue on these red desert sands. This time though, she thought for longer.

“What about you?” Maisara asked.

“What about me?” Arascus asked and Neneria grumbled.

“I mean what sort of leverage will you have over me?” Naturally she’d ask that. There had been a reason Arascus had given up on befriending her a thousand years ago and it was this attitude. If he was smart enough to get leverage over her, he would be smart enough to make up some reason which made vague sense. But it was Maisara. Trying to get leverage over Maisara would be like trying to find leverage against the sun. The giant ball of fire in the sky would still rise in the morning no matter what sort of blackmail you had on it. Maisara was the same. Was there anything she was even attached to? From what Neneria said, the woman didn’t even seem to care much about Fortia after she died.

“There will be none. I’m making a deal with you. Your life given for Anarchia’s life taken.” Maisara stood there again and considered things. It was like dealing with some ill dog who just stopped in the middle of a road or a particularly slow computer.

“And if I decide to lie?” Maisara asked. Arascus was getting tired of these questions.

“You never lie.” Arascus declared it as a statement, and Maisara smiled smugly.

“My vows have expired.” Maisara said.

“But your code of honour hasn’t.” Maisara’s smile became majestically smug. Even though both the Goddess of Death and the God of Pride were taller than, she still managed to seem as if she was looking down at her at either of them. Not hard to work whatsoever. Vows may be broken and she may consider herself less restricted, but this was still the woman who had lived through thousands of years without once breaking her dogmatic vows out of sheer arrogance or pride or whatever it was. People did not suddenly switch their characters overnight.

“You’ve got that right.” She said. Arascus merely stared at the Goddess of Order’s ghost. She wasn’t a difficult woman to work in the slightest. Frankly, Maisara was an open book, a damn child would be able to work her. “But what if I did?”

“If you want me to threaten you, then just ask.” Arascus used a slow and cold tone that was intimidating enough by itself. Maisara was only people difficult for the sake of being difficult, he knew she didn’t actually want to be threatened.

“I’m just curious.” Maisara replied with a smile then shook her head as she continued. “I can imagine anyway. Don’t bother.” She pointed to Elassa, Kassandora and Kavaa in the distance. The situation had not changed whatsoever from when Arascus had seen them last. Elassa was still stood in a blue battle-dress with her head on her hands. Her entourage of mages was still behind her. Kavaa and Kassandora, both in black uniform, were talking about something quietly in front of the trucks which had brought the rest of the company here. The mortal soldiers were walking around, keeping their distance and pretending not to be interested in what they were guarding. “What are they here for?”

“They may be useful in the ritual.” Arascus replied honestly. “Elassa for soul manipulation. Kassandora for organising everything. Kavaa for life-force and healing if it ends up being needed.”

“There’s a ritual?” Maisara asked. Arascus turned to Neneria and nodded to get her to speak. The Goddess of Death answered in a terribly flat tone.

“I have never done this before. Yesterday, I did not even think it possible, today, I still doubt it.” That sort of dry answer Neneria’s speciality. Arascus wondered if it would make Maisara feel better or worse.

“And yet you’re still doing it?” The Goddess of Order asked.

“I am.” Neneria turned back to her father. Those large dark eyes were pleading for assistance. Neneria could handle herself in front of opponents or people she didn’t know perfectly fine. The moment she got close to family though, that confidence would collapse.

“It’s now or never.” Arascus asked. “At the end of the day, we can only try and see what happens.”

“It’s my soul that’s on the line.” Maisara’s ghost answered.

“Your soul is currently trapped in Neneria.” Arascus corrected her. “What’s the worst that can happen? You run away?” Maisara stared at Arascus for another few moments.

“I see what you’re doing.” She said. Arascus sighed. This is what he had been expecting. Maisara, even in death, would be accusatory and aggressive.

“What am I doing?” Arascus asked.

“If I prove it can be done, then Neneria will be able to repeat it. The one-way street only exists as long as no one returns.”

Arascus wouldn’t lie to her, that was the exact way to get Maisara to dig her heels in and start being argumentative. “And once one person returns, we break the life-death barrier. The street will be reversed. We will learn how to inject souls of the dead into bodies. Maybe even into machinery. Neneria has more than thirty million souls in her. Do you think we’re going to waste the largest army in all existence?” Arascus raised his tone. “No Maisara. Once it’s proven you can reverse down the one way street, we’re going to immediately start bringing everyone and anyone we deem useful back. What do you think is going to happen Maisara? You’re not stupid, you would do the same.”

Maisara smiled at Arascus’ hard tone. “I’ve always liked how honest you are.” She licked her lips and Neneria scowled. “And how you can make a test-subject seem grand.”

“Test subject or torchbearer?” Arascus asked.

“Torchbearer against natural order.” And there it was. Of course the woman would mention it. Arascus knew she would, he had already prepared for this line.

“Have you moved on?” Arascus asked. “Are you actually gone?”

“I am dead.”

“That wasn’t the question.”

“I am dead Arascus.”

“But you’re still on Arda Maisara.” Arascus replied harshly. “Natural Order is not broken. Ghostly possession happens in nature too.”

“Your daughter is keeping me here. I should have moved on.”

“And if Neneria were to release you. If I gave the order, would you have nothing to say?”

“I would have no opinion on it.” Maisara said. “It would happen and I would move on and the world would move on.” Arascus stared down at the ghost. The ghost stared up at him. Those once-silver, now grey-green eyes almost shone with absolute certainty at what Maisara just said. She did not back down or take a step or react in any way. The tone wasn’t resigned, it wasn’t depressed, it wasn’t sad or even fearful. Maisara may as well have just said that they were standing dirt or that Arascus had clothes on.

And in that moment, Arascus realised that if Maisara were not immune to Anarchia, then no one would be. If that wasn’t called being emotionally unavailable, then he didn’t know what would be. “That’s why I want you to fight Anarchia.” He said. “Precisely because you have no opinion on it.”

Maisara smiled. “You do know how to make a woman feel needed, you know that?” Neneria’s cough interrupted Arascus’ reply. The ghost of the Goddess of Order turned and smiled to her captor. “Are you jealous?”

“I don’t like you.” Neneria said and Maisara made a theatrically injured expression.

“Really? After all the talks we’ve had?” She asked sarcastically.

“Really.” Neneria replied. Maisara rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“What a child.” She dismissed Neneria and turned back to Arascus.

“Child or not, she’s still my daughter.” Arascus said in a low tone. “Contain yourself.”

Maisara’s smirk was terribly annoying. “Divines stand up for themselves.” Arascus realised he had lost control for a moment there and had given Maisara an opening to talk about her high philosophies. Those philosophies would never be beaten into the ground. They were as much part of Maisara as work was part of Kass, or quiet bitterness was part of Neneria.

He sidestepped the point entirely. Now was not the time to discuss what Divines did and did not. “Family stands up for each other.” Arascus replied.

Maisara stood there for a few moments but had no reply. “Touche.” She said. “I can’t argue with that.”

Arascus redirected the conversation back to what was important. “I have told you everything we know about Anarchia, the decision is yours. We can’t make you do it but likewise, it’s only with us you can come back to life.”

“That’s if I want to come back to life.” Maisara said. Both Arascus and Neneria returned with flat expressions. This was argument for the sake of argument. The woman wasn’t even saying anything intelligent.

Arascus ignored that rancid comment and asked the question. “Will you help us or not?”

And once again, Maisara did not answer. She just pointed past Arascus and Neneria. Towards Kassandora and Kavaa in their dark suits, still chatting with each other. Past Elassa, who still looked annoyed and grumpy that she had been brought out here. Past her entire cohort from Arcadia and the two trucks which were support soldiers just in case humans happened to be needed. Arascus didn’t know how they would but his lack of imagination wasn’t an excuse not to prepare.

He traced Maisara’s finger and saw it pointing to a set blinking red lights in the night sky. A shape was there, pitch black and obscuring the stars momentarily as it moved. “What is that?” Maisara asked.

The plane started to descend from the skies. Arascus had ordered it to be as fast as possible so instead of one of the usual Raptors, it was a local plane which didn’t have to be diverted from bombing Rancais. It flew across the night sky, painted in dark grey but still visible against the starry blue velvet that was the sky. Arascus pointed to it. “That’s your body.”