Statistics and figures matter little, it is all about momentum instead. How much did a tank of fuel cost last month? Last year? What about a bottle of drink? What about a pack of cigarettes? What of rent? Of groceries? Ideologues like to think that everyone has as much time as them to consider the abstract legitimacy of their system. Their grand little moralities, their tales talking about such abstractions. They have merely replaced the ancient prayers for Divinity existing with Gods they wish were real instead. Deities do the same. The fools think themselves high and mighty and unworthy of debasing themselves with such trite as the price of milk.

I am the Goddess of Hatred. I know my subject well. Even when I incarnated I fundamentally understood this principle. The hatred of injustice is a mere grain of sand compared to the mountain that is hatred of groceries going up in price.

Excerpt from ‘Rulership’, written by Malam, Goddess of Hatred.

Arascus stood in the upper levels of Saint Francis Metropolitan Hospital. Why they were naming cities after Old World saints in the New World, he had stopped questioning. Why the cities were just names of people, he did not care about. Places needed a name and if they happened to be named after some soul that had left this world long ago did not matter. This was the third city that one of Kavaa’s Clerical Orders had been established. Anver was sitting with a tidy five thousand blessed men who were now being siphoned off in small teams to assist in the neighbouring towns. The second, Angel’s Place, had three.

The grandest would be in the largest city standing in the UNN though: Saint Francis. It was only because of internal politics that this had not been declared the new capital. A sprawl of skyscrapers, that’s how Arascus would describe it. He had seen the centre of Anver, where the buildings shot up out of the ground as if they were furious spears of concrete and glass to smite whoever sat above, but that had only been the centre. Here, the buildings went from one end of the horizon to the next and more were still being built. The mountains to the east were being taken over by stone and piers had been hastily to the west, where the ocean lay. Those had hundreds, if not thousands of expensive boats and yachts being used for temporary accommodation.

When the eastern seaboard had been washed away, Saint Francis had taken all it could and then some. The city had more than doubled in population. Now, the estimate stood at over twenty two million and still rising. Its parks had become tenting grounds, its streets were not much different. Every bridge had at least two dozen souls hushed underneath it. Even the immediate suburbs had been overtaken.

Arascus looked out onto the Pantheon Gate. It was a massive bridge, Elassa and Maisara had both assisted in its construction some hundred years back and got the name to commemorate their effort. It spanned over the city’s huge bay. Pantheon Gate was the proper name for it. Huge towers on steel cables held a motorway so high above the surface of the ocean that even Imperial warships would be able to cross underneath, although the crossings now were a constant stream of food and supplies from the rest of independent Arda. This had already been a major commercial centre before Arika got split. Now? Now it was more likely than not that any which had come from abroad now passed under the Pantheon Gate.

“What are you looking at?” Ciria asked from his side. Behind them was silence in this meeting room. A table, chairs around it, a cupboard, a steaming kettle of coffee, a glass wall and silence. And through that glass wall, a line of police officers had been tasked with holding off the endless reporters and bureaucrats who thought they could gain something from a chat with the Emperor.

“Your city.” Arascus replied. He heard a crash from behind. Today, a group had snuck in through the side door. When they had been spotted, the rest of the fools had charged through and brought the hospital to halt. Kavaa had apparently lost her temper and given someone a smack across the head.

A smack that had almost killed the fool. If the Goddess of Health hadn’t knelt down to stabilize his internal bleeds, he would have died.

Arascus had patted her on the back for it. This would never happen in the Empire. It wasn’t even that the police were ineffective, they had come in full armour and riot gear. With shield and baton and stungun, but not no one was going to deploy tear gas in an overflowing hospital. It was simply that the journalists themselves behind like animals. As if a picture of Arascus would somehow make them him or as if he could turn their sorry little lives around with a single word. Arascus’ eyes fell down to the road. It had jammed up, at least a hundred different vans stood there, all bearing allegiance to some no-name radio station he had never heard of and had no intention of polluting his memory with.

What a farce. An ambulance had its lights on as workers in bright orange uniforms ran out. They were unsuccessfully trying to clear a way into the hospital. “It’s not mine.” Ciria said. “It’s theirs.”

“Say what you will but you’re their representative.” Arascus said and rolled his eyes. “What a mess.”

“That’s why I wanted you to come here.” Arascus still didn’t know if he believed that. He had humiliated Ciria in public and then the next time they met, she had flipped position entirely. It was too harsh a change of character for ancient Divines but this woman did not even half two centuries on her. Kassandora and Irinika and Neneria did not have such problems because they knew what they were. With Ciria, Arascus didn’t know if she herself even knew what she was supposed represent.

“You know what we would have done to this in Epa?” Arascus pointed down at the traffic jam.

“What?”

“The city garrison would have rolled tanks through it already and secured a perimeter.”

Ciria replied in a dry, unamused tone. “Do you know how many laws that breaks?”

“And how many lives does it save?”

Ciria smiled and rolled golden eyes. “It’s the principal of it. Give and take. People crash cars yet the solution isn’t that we get rid of cars, is it?”

“Entertainment and transport are not comparable.” Arascus replied. “But it’s not my problem to fix.”

“Information or entertainment?” Ciria asked.

“Entertainment.” Arascus said definitely. “Having the ability to string words into inane questions anyone can do. What sort of behaviour is that even?” Arascus waved at the crowd. Police were streaming in now, they themselves pushing past the general public who had began to throw curses and insults at the abandoned vehicles.

“I’m not going to excuse them Arascus.” Ciria said. “But that is how it is done here.”

“And it’s done wrong.”

“Great.” Ciria said. “Wonderful. Thank you for casting judgement on a whole people.” Arascus didn’t bother taking the bait. If she was going to pretend not to understand what he meant, then there was no point to continue this. They stood in silence for a few moments before Arascus spoke up again. This was getting on his nerves. It wasn’t even Ciria, it was the total lack of control down there. What was the local government even doing? A brawl had already started on one edge of the street and civilians were pushing the media vans out onto the sidewalks to clear a path.

“Explain to me how that is acceptable?” Arascus said.

“It’s the principle of free information. For everyone situation that happens like this, there are ten where corruption is exposed. How many has your Empire killed for speaking against you?”

“I’ve not had to kill anyone.” Arascus said. “You show the state of what is happening down there and you know immediately it is indefensible.”

“People need information. It is through the fact that we have cameras on you at all times that I am confident enough to allow you here.” Arascus rolled his eyes. What a child.

“Grand.” Arascus replied dryly. “Somehow we manage to not have such a farce.”

“You have your Bureau of Propaganda do it.” Ciria said dryly in that snarky tone of hers. And there it was again. Ciria was definitely onto something. Whatever it was, Arascus did not know but he heard the bite of utter hatred in her tone. Whatever change of heart she had, he did not know. But she had said that the one qualifier

“And they’re what exactly?”

“Free journalists.”

Arascus rolled his eyes and waved his hand down there again. Now fruit and eggs had started to be thrown. Drivers were coming out of their vehicles and hurling insults back. The flashing blue and red lights on that ambulance still blared. “How many do you think work for Malam down there?” He asked and Ciria shrugged.

“I don’t know. A great many I suppose, more for Helenna probably although I’m not share and I do not care.”

“What a defender you are Ciria.”

“Truth does not fear investigation. There will be my agents down there too. I am certain there will be yours. We’ll have Guguoans. I know we have EIE somewhere here. The strongest argument wins out.” Ciria said. “And if I am wrong, then let me wrong. I do not believe in Maisara’s Foundational Theory.”

“Neither do I.” Arascus said. He took a deep breath and pointed to the ambulance with the lights on. “That patient is probably going to die.”

“Couldn’t you have sent a Cleric out to it? Or Kavaa.” The worst part about Ciria was that she sounded as if she proud of herself for uttering something that banal, trite and just worthless.

“And that would condemn how many here?” Arascus asked. “I don’t know what world you are living in.” The God of Pride kept his cool. There was no reason to argue with her, especially not with cameras behind him. He was too old to let such a young girl get on his nerves.

“I’m on Arda Arascus.” She said. “I’m a Divine on Arda, I’m here to have the strength they don’t.” Arascus let the comment fall. No point taking the bait. If she was in the Empire, she would have long been dealt with by Malam or Helenna in one way or another.

“I’m just pointing it out.” Arascus said. “It is up to you to do what you must.”

“It simply baffles me Arascus.” Ciria said. “You baffle me. You know that.”

“Do I?” Arascus asked. It did not sound like she had anything positive to say whatsoever. “How?”

“You stand here and point out an ambulance to me as if I’m supposed to do what exactly? Throw up those cars and crush how many people with collateral? Tell the state governor to open fire on them? To save one life and one life alone? Tragic it is, but it’s there and I’m here and I can’t change it.” She took a deep breathe. “This hypocrisy I cannot stand, I know you’ve purged forty thousand in Rancais after Anarchia. I don’t even care whether they were threats to you or not. Your Divines cracked Arika and got us into this mess in the first place.”

Arascus let her go on. “And that is just now. In the past, how many atrocities did you commit? How many did the White Pantheon? That is your world. Grand it is, I’m past the point of trying to deny that you’re effective. No, you are and everyone knows it. Your Empire is grand. Epa has entered a golden age, there’s a baby-boom there I know, the economy is roaring, everyone has a job, it’s great! And all it cost was unleashing Tartarus onto the Sassara.”

Arascus took a deep breath as he stood there. “I have not once said it would be bloodless.”

“No.” Ciria said. “You have not.”

“But through it, the whole world will reach a height it never has.”

“I have said this before and I say this now. I will not stand on your mountain.” Ciria said. “So don’t stand here and lecture me on one ambulance. We have a freak event with you here and even if it costs us a hundred lives, then that is what it is. You hold me to a standard to a stand you don’t yourself to.”

“You set the standard Ciria.” Arascus said. “It is you who told us back in the desert that we should never kill.”

“I still hold to that.” Ciria said quietly. She trailed off and shook her head. “But death is part of nature. We all die in the end. We prevent it where possible.”

“Then you what to say about this?” Arascus extend his hand out again.

“I have not killed whoever it is. I have no hand to play in that. It was a failure on our part, but it was a failure. Unlike you, we don’t have a kill list.”

“No. You just let your own die. That is the difference Ciria. You leave the fate of your own up to chance and we kill the people we intend to kill.”

Ciria did not respond.

Neither did Arascus continue.

The God of Pride and the Goddess of Civilization stood at the window as they looked over the grand concrete garden that was Saint Francis.

A phone call interrupted them. Arascus’ phone began to chip with a tune. He brought it out. Iliyal. “I’m taking it.” He said to Ciria out of politeness. She did not comment. “Arascus speaking, what is it?”

“There’s been a change in troop movements.” Iliyal said. “They’re not pushing evenly, the central force to Ibya has hastened.” Arascus stood there as he thought of troop movements. If things were accelerating then he would have to come back sooner rather than later with Kavaa. The Goddess would need a day for the fresh batch of Clerics which would be made in the Empire.

“How long until Ashfall?”

“Satellite imagery gives us two days.” Iliyal said. “Until they hit the Ibyan coast. Estimation is that they’ll take anywhere from a week to two to cross the sea into Rilia. Olonia is on the ground with Tanit. She’s given me a report Sir.”

That did not sound good whatsoever. “What is it?” Arascus asked.

Ciria pretended not to be leaning close in an attempt to overhear. Arascus did not even care frankly. They may disagree but there was no way she mad enough to stand with Tartarus against him. “We don’t know how but Ashen skies now are ahead of the main force. The scouts report no sightings of demons but…” A piece of paper being flapped once and then again came through the phone. “Well, they don’t know what they’re reporting but they’re reporting Ashen Skies. That much is obvious. Olonia has taken it upon herself to check personally.”

Arascus sighed deeply. “So we don’t know how far it extends ahead of the army?”

“If we go by Great War marching speeds, they should only be half-way across the Sassara. It’s hundreds of miles ahead easily.” Iliyal stood there. “And there is one other thing.”

“What?”

“Weather stations in Rilia are reporting miniscule ash contamination in the atmosphere. Today is the last day it is open. Planes can still fly but we don’t know how fast it will accelerate.”

“In Rilia?” Arascus asked.

“In Rilia.” Iliyal replied. “It’s not visible to the naked eye yet but the pollutants are obviously there. I’m here now, drones can still fly but…” Iliyal, for once, sounded as if he was worried. “Sir, I know it’s not my place to issue orders to you.” That put everything into place. The quick tone and how dire it sounded.

“I know.” Arascus said. “If they’re that far away from Epa and you already have pollutants, we don’t know if they’ll shut the entire airspace.”

“Yes sir.” Iliyal said. “Kirinyaa and Ausa are already ordering closures in the north but the main force is heading north. If they project enough. Sea routes will be available but not air.”

“But the routes to Doschia are still open?” Arascus asked.

“Yes sir.” Iliyal replied. “But it could change at anytime.”

“I’ll get Kavaa and call it off here. Thank you for calling.”

“Anytime Sir.” Iliyal replied. Arascus dropped the call on him and looked to Ciria. The Goddess of Civilization, in her white and blue dress, was looking at him as if she was studying some disgusting insect. Whatever.

“You’re smart enough to realise what I was talking about.” Arascus said. “We’re returning and are going to be out of your hair.”

“You won’t be missed.”

What a treat she was. Arascus had nothing to say. He simply waved his hand to her and turned.

Ciria watched Arascus turn and go. She had flipped her position on the Clerical Orders to keep him here, Arascus had pounced on the opening without a moment’s hesitation. He probably smelled a trap, Ciria didn’t know how well her story was working but she stook to it nonetheless. Arascus had not called her out so she was safe still.

She pulled out her own phone from her coat pocket and quickly found her husband’s contact. “Halkus? Is it done?”