If humans live to die and die to be able to say they have lived, then do we live in the first place?

- Excerpt from "Roses, Blades & Blood". An autobiography written by Goddess Helenna, of Love.

Arascus stood at the runway Anver's airport as he waited for the Raptor to finish refuelling. The meeting had been short. Frankly, it had not even been a meeting, he had declared that Kavaa would be sent over to the UNN and left almost immediately before a counter-attack could be mounted. If they wanted Clerics, then they would have their own Clerics. Behind him was the airport, it looked like a huge, bumpy caterpillar all fashioned out of glass and white panelling that seemed to almost glow and shine in the moon which had just come out.

Arascus looked up at the people crowding the windows that were all trying to catch a picture of the God in the flesh. It was the usual reaction and it was why Arascus had not gone inside to the premier lounge. He simply did not have the time to open new negotiations with the UNN businessmen and others he would run into. And he doubted that anyone of value would be met anyway. Arascus turned away from the people that waved to get his attention and looked towards the snowcapped mountains in the distance. The moon ensured it was bright enough to see their white peaks shining like massive, natural lighthouses, but the city's own lamps kept the stars hidden behind a veil of darkness. Arascus heard footsteps, heavy ones, from behind him.

"You didn't turn to see who it was approaching you." Etala said.

"I have reason to be looking over my shoulder."

"Mmh." Etala said. "I thought I should see you off."

"I thank you for the thought." Arascus replied diplomatically. Somehow, he doubted the Goddess' reasoning but he didn't press her. If she wanted to talk, then she would talk. If she was going to remain silent, then Arascus would let her stew in her own nervousness. A plane landed on one of the runways. Another one civilian carrier operated by Union Air set off. Two Divines watched the traffic and the civilians crews scramble around them. They too had gawked for a few moments, but there was only a certain amount of looking one person could do before they realised they had a job to do.

Eventually, as the wheels of a Gamma Airlines touched off the ground, the silence between the two massive figures also faded away. "I actually have something I wanted to say." Arascus smiled and kept himself from rolling his eyes in case it was caught on video or camera. Why did people in these times always start conversations as if they were writing some letter?

"Then just begin." Arascus said and Etala fell silent again. "I can't say it for you, I assume you wanted to discuss the situation with the Clerics or with Kavaa."

"I wanted to apologize personally." Etala said and Arascus felt his lips twist up in a smile. That was cute.

"Then you should be apologizing to them rather than to me. Between us is diplomacy and business." When the Goddess did not respond, Arascus supposed he should be friendlier. Some people did just need personability in the same way that a starving man needed food. Arascus tried to make it seem like he was warming up to her, or maybe giving her a chance. "Although thank you for seeing me off."

"I also wanted to ask about Kavaa."

"What about her?" Arascus asked. He had been too busy to keep track of what every Divine in his demesne had been doing recently, although he knew that Kavaa had retreated back to the home Olonia had built for her. Apparently there had been sightings of Fer in the area, so the Fer had most likely needed to be healed after Furcas' death. Should he have had a meeting with Kassandora to talk it over? Actually, it was a stupid, worthless question. Of course he should have, but time had simply not allowed it. They would have all the time in the world to spend together once victory was achieved.

"I know I should not doubt, but will she really come to found new Holy Orders here?"

"She will." Arascus said. She would because she was an Imperial Goddess, and because Arascus was just as in charge of her as he was of the rest of the Empire.

"I would like to…" Etala began and trailed off. "Well, during the meeting, we… I wanted to draw a line in the sand."

Arascus smiled to himself and kept his posture straight. There was no winning for her with this path of argument. Even if she managed to get last-minute concessions, then what would it matter? "Indeed." Arascus said. "Are the Clerics here? In Anver?"

"They're in Anver General Hospital." Etala replied.

"Then release them, bring them to me, I will take them home and I will recall the cleaning fleet. The ocean will be the line in the sand. You will not cross it east, I will not cross it west, you have my word on that." Arascus even meant it. "I can have this be stamped and on writing."

Etala took a few moments to reply. She spoke slower than usual, her tone careful as if she was rehearsing every word before she said it. "I do not think that a line in the sand necessitates entails a cessation of cooperation."

"You're correct on that, yet that is what it would look like." Arascus said.

"Mmh." Etala said. "You put us in a difficult situation."

"You wish to stand tall and powerful and alone. I am do not even mean that in poor taste Etala, there is nothing wrong with being a mountain standing against the tide. We simply operate with different goals and issues in mind."

"I think that's true." Etala said carefully. "I know with what principals the UNN operates on, do you?"

That was a good move, Arascus spoke to his daughters in the same way. Whenever they argued between each other, he would slow them down and make them repeat the other's argument and point in their own words to try and make them see how stupid they were being. Unfortunately for Etala, this sort of line required someone who struggled to credit anything to others. Arascus had no such issues. "You are rebuilding from the damage of Continent Cracking. I think any problems you have in the country fade away when you consider it from that perspective. One could view the issue in poor taste and say it has united your country, although to inflict such damage for the sake of unity is self-defeating. Realistically, you have to do something about the east, the longer you let the waste rot the further the ground is poisoned by toxic materials."

Arascus continued on. "But whereas your population is united, you are by no means the most powerful nation standing as you were last year. Your biggest domestic priority should be reducing the amount of people you have that are dependent on another else your country will just grind away in irrelevance since you have three generations of which how many are permanently injured or maimed?" Arascus paused for a few seconds to let the point settle. "Internationally, your biggest issue is obviously the fear that a third party, such as my Empire, will swoop in and do what has happened in the Arikan Ashlands, which is that your entire eastern seaboard will be taken over into international hands for the good of the land. That too has its own point, even a disorganised international order would be able to impose rule of law more on that land than you are currently capable of…. I think that is everything."

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Arascus let the silence hang as he listened to Etala's breathing. She stood there and thought for a few moments. "I did not think you would be so close to the mark."

"It's not difficult to work out when you appraise the situation realistically." Arascus said, besides, the Empire had its own fair share of issues. He had seen what happens during crisis's of great population losses in the Great War. "What do you think about our situation?" It was just a test. Less of Etala's own intelligence and more to see how much information they had on the Empire or whether they relied entirely on the filtered information that went out through the news.

"I assume you're rebuilding Rancais after Anarchia." Etala said. "Most likely something similar is happening in the Ashlands, we've seen the news with your Great Greening campaign. We've heard that most of the Imperial Army is underground so the situation domestically cannot be too terrible if you have the strength to project power like that." Etala shrugged and shook her head, that tail of blonde hair swinging side to side. "Apologies for not being as indepth as you."

"Nothing to apologize for, I've been doing this for thousands of years." Arascus said. "There is no malice between us, we are simply leaders of two very powerful countries." He knew it was a lie, and he could feel Etala's discomfort at being called a leader when she shifted her step.

"I'm a patron, not a leader." Etala said.

"Children lead their parents to parks, jesters lead audiences to laughter, teachers and speakers lead minds. Call yourself what you wish but you're still a leader." Arascus said.

"It was more to say we have a president. I know what you mean though." Etala said. "But it's not like that, I've seen what happened in Epa when the Nationals couped their nations in service to you."

"Not in Norje and not in Rilia." Arascus said. "We operate on a case-by-case basis. There's no reason to try and impose a blanket of uniformity onto the whole Empire."

"Are you trying to sell me on the idea?" Etala asked.

"It depends whether you're reciprocal to buying." Arascus replied quickly as he saw one of the Raptors fly close overhead. Its black paint faded into the sky which was made starless by Anver's own glow, the only reason Arascus even caught was the fact that its own nose had a yellow beak painted onto it. "Why did you come to see me, truly?"

Etala took a few moments to reply. She was almost too careful with her words. "Because I wanted to see you were like in person." Arascus smiled in satisfaction at the answer. That, he could accept.

"I aim to please."

"Mmh." Etala said. "Ciria has a low opinion of you, did you know that?"

"I do." Arascus said.

"What do you think of her?"

Arascus knew he was about to give a slimy, snakish reply, but he gave it anyway. "I am a Divine formed when humanity had to claw its way through every step of life. Ciria is a Divine formed in the highpoint of Pantheon Peace. We are incompatible." He even felt terrible as he said it, it was no answer. And Etala deserved better, she had given a chance after all. "She has a beautiful naivety and ignorance to matters of death that I find sweet and stupid. If we were human, she would be a child."

There, that was a more honest answer for Etala. The Goddess by Arascus' side sighed. "She says something similar about you, but in reverse."

"I assume she does." Arascus began to lay bait as plans rearranged themselves. He had not considered that Etala would be so independent in her inquisitiveness. He had thought all Nationals would be like the Epan ones, were they were entirely beholden to the thoughts of people around them. Not here apparently. Etala had to be separated from Ciria. "But it is what it is, the reason we did not bother opening diplomatic relations with you is because the assumption was that Ciria would have soured relations pre-emptively." Because that was how ancient Divines operated, if he were in Ciria's positions, the first thing he would do is make sure that the Empire would not be to even get a foothold in this country.

"Well… She is influential." So Arascus was right, the tone was wrong though. The Goddess by her side kept on slowly picking out word after word. "I would say that if you did not send a fleet to help assist in the cleaning operations, that is how it would be."

So there were camps in this country then. The question on where the government stood had to be asked. "Between just you and me Etala, if Ciria runs your government then there is no need for me to try and get a foot in the door." He had to make himself not seem unreasonable with it though. "Is it possible? Yes. But it's an uphill battle made steeper by Ciria's presence." And now something for Etala to chew on even though it was a pure red-herring. "I'm not asking for her removal and I know it won't happen. But who in charge actually appreciates the Empire here? You are the only one who actually came to see me off." There, an emotional red-herring to make Arascus seem pettier than he was.

And Etala replied by taking out the treasure map and showing Arascus the exact steps to his goal. "There are others like me. Kochinski's government is what it is, but my goal is to avoid a war between us." What gold! Others like her? Amazing! Arascus did not think that the woman realised what she just said.

"I have a question to ask you." From above, the Raptor began to descend. Flames bursting out from its four rear jets as it landed smoothly on the ground. From behind, flashes of light meant people had started to take pictures. "What do you think of what happened in Arika? Of Continent Cracking and of what happened to you?" It had to be asked. It was the elephant in the room and it had be gotten over with before Arascus could get anything else out of her. There was no point in building rapport if she found it a crime intolerable.

Etala answered in a weary manner. "There is nothing to say about it Arascus. Nothing at all. It's the sort of damage that was inflicted that we can't recover from, maybe ever. What do you want me to say? That I hate you for it? That Elassa should have not cracked Arika? I know about their problem with the Jungle. Should I blame them, the Arikans? Or should I blame Allasaria? If she just handled the Jungle before it became a problem, none of this would have happened. Or maybe I should just blame human superstition for creating it in the first place. Maybe I can blame Divinity? If whatever power creates us also created the Jungle, then the logical course of action would be to remove it all." With each word, the woman spoke faster and faster until it became a river of fast-flowing words.

"So I blame no one because I would have to blame the whole world for what happened. Everything that happened regarding the Jungle was the fault of everyone who could have something and did not. And besides, it's sent us into here into such a position that I don't really know whether I'm even in any position to hate you. Will you even care if I do? If I just become bitter like Ciria, then for what? I've not seen her smile since she arrived. Do I want to be that? No. It may be cynical, in fact I know it is cynical, but for the good of the people still alive, we need cooperation. I've lived through White Pantheon times, I've seen how the Divine Mountain operates. I see how the Empire operates. Is it picking a favourite out of my enemies? Maybe. I don't really care because this country I will drag kicking and screaming to salvation and I don't care whether that salvation is resting in Allasaria's or Ciria's or your hands because all I know is that it certainly isn't in my hands." Etala finished and took a breath. "That's why I kidnapped those Clerics, because we do need a dialogue and because there is no way for me to initiate one but through force."

"Etala." Arascus said.

"Hmm?"

"How old are you?"

"Two hundred and forty-nine." Etala said.

"You are the first Pantheon Peace Divine to speak like one of us."

"I don't know whether to thank you for the compliment or be terrified of what you just said." Etala answered.

"Take care Etala." Arascus said. He took a step towards the Raptor as the plane's rear doors opened. "And I apologize." Arascus added another tally to the endless list of people he had failed in his life. It should have never come to this. Another soul had been lost.

"What for?"

"Because it should have never come to this. For that, I am truly sorry." Arascus didn't say anything else. He just walked to the Raptor and waited for the doors to close as he felt Etala's eyes on his back. The Divines of this age had given him hope when he met them, no matter how much he disagreed with them, that there was a different way forward. That whatever spiritual malaise had befallen the likes of him and the rest of the ancients could be reversed, that it wasn't a one-way street. That the world would once again look to Arascus as it did when he had just formed, where everything was colourful and he was excited to see what the next day would bring.

And yet instead of being guided by the Divines of this era into their earnest worlds, he was just dragging them to his.

He never wanted to look at Etala again.

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