The huge hall that they entered reminded Gaius of the United Nations. He’d seen the UN chambers on television a few times, and clearly, the leaders of the North had drawn inspiration from it for this room. Comfortable chairs, top quality tables for taking notes, lighting that wasn’t too harsh on the eyes…

“What a nice room,” Gaius said.

“The design plans were created by me,” said the Oracle, brushing her hair back. “I was a low-level staff at the UN secretariat in 1953, worked there for a few years, and then was summoned here after that. It was somewhat exciting work since the Cold War was in full swing at that time, but I sometimes wonder if my sudden disappearance alarmed the spooks on both sides.”

Gaius listened intently. Few spoke about their life back on Earth, so hearing about an otherworlder speak about their origins was something the boy wasn’t going to miss.

“From what I heard, though,” Gaius said, “the Pinnacle was summoned earlier than you, so why does he seem a lot more, uhh, modern?”

“Did you forget?” Galina asked. “People summoned at the same time can come from vastly different eras. The Cardinal Champions were like this too — I believe two of them were summoned during the twenty-first century, in my future.”

“How does that work?” The boy rubbed his nose, intrigued.

“Something something non-linear time,” she replied with a shrug. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m as clueless as you are. The great gods don’t operate through Earth’s logic and wisdom; you of all people should know that by now. In fact, since you’re a newcomer, let me give you a tip.”

“A tip?” Gaius asked.

“Yeap.” She looked around and lowered her voice even further. “If you don’t understand anything, just mentally label it as ‘Oh, it’s Orb’ and toss it to the back of your mind. If you’re lucky, you’ll understand it after a decade or so.”

There were a lot of things Gaius wanted to say about those words, up and including the fact that a decade was required to understand those ‘mysteries’, but he was wise enough to not say anything about it.

“I do that all the time,” he replied, after a moment’s worth of deliberation. “This place is so weird.”

“And fun,” Galina added.

“I wonder why I’m agreeing with you on this,” Gaius replied.

Chuckling, both of them arrived at the seats assigned to the Northern delegates. The four continents were assigned their own block of seats, with the speakers for the current topic sitting at the middle, horseshoe-shaped table. Every nation would have two or so speakers at the central tables, with the great gods taking their place there if they were interested in the current subject.

The Conference of the Four would take place for five days on end. Each day was dedicated to one topic, and by the end of it, a resolution would be decided on through votes. Historically, however, the great gods had never cared about any such conference, but now that they were here, Gaius was wondering how they would handle this oddly democratic measure.

“Xanadu looks nervous,” Gaius observed quietly. The Phantom Blade was sitting at the central table with the Pinnacle, and even though her face looked like it was made out of carved stone, her body betrayed a tremble every so often. To the eyes of the experienced, guessing her current feelings weren’t all too hard.

“But it has to be done, right?” Galina replied. “The first agenda is entirely dependent on her, and her evidence. It’ll send a shock through the Five Lands, let alone the great gods, and the great gods would probably attempt to scrutinise her with those impossible claims. Rather, if she isn’t nervous, I’ll be suspicious.”

“True, that.” Gaius leaned back on his chair and adjusted his mask. He too was rather nervous; he was the only one from the North that looked like a child. It was entirely possible that the Human God was looking for a pesky little nuisance here, and then turn anyone who fitted the bill into pulp.

Fortunately, the other delegations also had a child or two tagging along. He wasn’t too sure who they were, but he was hoping that everyone would think of him as someone in the same boat as the other kids — heirs and children of important people here to learn statecraft.

Of course, since he was wearing a mask, and since the Mortal Light Dynasty had publicly shown support for the Lost Star…people were still going to look at him curiously. In fact, he could see a bunch of fellows from the Southern Continent staring at him, including…

Son of a…Gaius narrowed his eyes. Two familiar faces were staring at him, their eyes ablaze with a light that conveyed their desire to look past the mask. One of them was Instructor Aziz, who was wearing a nice tuxedo, and the other his instructor for a single day, Marie.

I should have seen this coming, eh? He rolled his eyes, making sure to keep his expression — or whatever that could be seen — disciplined. The last thing he wanted were for these two fellows to come and talk to him while the great gods were here. If the Human God had inhuman hearing, a fight breaking out here was going to become a definite possibility then.

He didn’t like the prospects of that happening and a little ‘meep’ escaped from his lips.

“Is there a kitten or something around?” Galina asked, looking around. “I thought I heard an extraordinarily-cute animal make a noise.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“What kitten?” Gaius asked. “You must be dreaming.”

“Really?” The Oracle narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t smuggle any tiny living being here, did you? I know some kids who love to do that.”

“Why would I do that?” Gaius asked.

“I don’t know, but whenever the guys in the State Council bring their kids along, there’s always a pet.”

Gaius thought back to Nexus. He’d brought both sculptures of him along with this trip, but they were going to be with Isabelle and Nakama for the duration of this conference.

“Nope, no pets here.”

“Hmm. If you say so, then,” said Galina. “Still, the Conference of the Four is about to start. If you really have pets, you have but one minute to bring them outside.”

Her last sentence was somewhat louder, presumably for the others to hear, but no one moved.

“Very well.” She narrowed her eyes. “Be on your best behaviour, then. They’re coming.”

A sonorous voice followed her words. “Please rise, in honour of the great gods, the sculptors of Orb. We, the Five Lands, pay our respects to the Worldshaper, the Breath-Maker, the Life-Carver, the Eternal Cadence and the Preserver.”

Human-sized silhouettes of light took a place on the central table each, as the emcee called out their titles with a solemn demeanour. None of their features could be made out; all of them were essentially radiant shadows, save for the Human God. The Last Star, Nox, was sitting in the middle, but from the sheer power and presence he now had, even a fool would know that the Preserver had taken over his body.

“I suppose there’s no real etiquette for meeting us great gods, is there?” said a lovely voice, one that reminded Gaius of wind chimes.

“That is indeed so, sister,” the earthen-brown shadow replied. “We have reprised our roles as guiding lights a hundred millennia ago. Never have we spoken as equals with the mortals of Orb. This is a novel experience.”

The Worldshaper was silent, but from what Gaius understood of the God of Fire, he wasn’t exactly a speaker. In fact, judging from the entourage of his familiar spirits, which had taken up residence in the block of seats reserved for the Southern Continent, the whole lot didn’t seem particularly interested in anything.

The silvery-grey shadow let loose a quiet roar. The boy didn’t understand, naturally, but he could somewhat get a feeling that the Eternal Cadence was here just to be polite. The other great gods, however, chuckled a bit at what Aldnath said, and then turned to Pinnacle Kolya, who was sitting at the head of the table.

“Great gods of Orb, nations of the Five Lands,” Kolya said, having taken his cue, “I have convened everyone present, not just for the invasion of the demons, but for a particularly startling piece of information the Mortal Light Dynasty has obtained. This piece of information is precisely why we’ve taken the liberty to invite the great gods, for it concerns them.”

“I suppose it’s relevant to the picking of my chosen,” Anren replied, his voice as melodic as ever. “And also the reason why a murderer of my divine kin is sitting beside you.”

Murmurs ran through the chamber, but the Pinnacle remained unruffled. “As expected of the Preserver. Indeed, the Phantom Blade comes bearing information so important I have to convene this legendary meeting.”

“Hmph.” The Human God laid back on his chair. “Very well. I shall listen.”

“Thank you for your understanding, O Preserver.” Kolya inclined his head slightly, and then turned to Xanadu. “Are you ready?”

Gaius felt a small tingle run down his spine. The Phantom Blade’s demeanour had changed. She wasn’t that nervous teenager anymore; she possessed now possessed a manner that could be seen in the greatest of mortals. Gaius gazed at her, the girl who reminded him of a true Paragon, and felt confidence course through him.

The radiant shadows of the great gods looked at each other for a moment, and then focused on Xanadu, who stood up.

“Great gods of the false Orb, mortals of the Five Lands,” she began, “I am Xanadu. Most of you know me as the murderer of the Lifespring, but those who have paid attention at the very beginning will know me as the part of the group who was hunting down the Constellations. And now, with the last of the Constellations killed, I can finally reveal why.”

The audience rippled with shock again, including those from the North who didn’t hear the full story previously. The great gods, in particular, were now leaning forward, the radiance they were emanating flickering rapidly.

“So,” said the Preserver, the extra-bright pinpricks of light that resembled eyes flickering. “You do this all for a greater good? Not for petty revenge?”

Xanadu took a deep breath. “Yes. All this to avert a tragedy to come. To prevent the end of all life on Orb, including that of the great gods.”

At those words, an incredible might pulsed out from the radiant shadows, turning into a visible wave that battered at Xanadu. A black light surged up around her in response, and the surge of energy from the great gods vanished like ripples on a lake.

“Great gods of Orb,” said Kolya, “do show Xanadu her due courtesy.”

“She doesn’t need it,” Anren replied, his melodic voice cracking slightly. “She is protected by a great will. Girl, you speak of things in the future. What do you want to tell us?”

The black bubbles around her vanished. “I was about to get to that. The Constellations — one of them — will have become the scourge of all life in the future I speak of. The great gods will fall, and this false world with it. I speak of the Demon Sovereign Asteria, a being who possesses the powers of the Preserver and the World’s Blight.”

“The Demon Sovereign Asteria, who has both gifts from me and him?” the Human God repeated. “What madness is this? Granted, such a being does indeed have the potential to stand as equals, but you must know that our powers stand in complete opposition with each other.”

“Is that really the case?” Xanadu asked, her words a simple challenge. “Nonetheless, I come bearing the memories of the fallen of the future.”

She glanced at the Pinnacle, who said, “This is why our first agenda is as follows: until as such time the Demon God falls, we ask the great gods to not grant their blessings and power to any mortal.”

“That is not impossible for me,” said Thasvia. “I speak for my fellows in this regard, save for Anren.”

“I would see this evidence first, before anything else,” said Anren. “Child — no, representative of the true Orb, go ahead. Let us witness what could be our future.”

The Preserver’s words sent another ripple through the audience — his words had acknowledged Xanadu’s origin…and by extension, the presence of this ‘true Orb’. Gaius found himself gulping twice as an outburst of chatter filled the room, and for a moment, he wondered about a future where the threat of the demons had been neutralised.

“Silence!” Pinnacle Kolya rapped a wooden hammer, slamming it onto the gavel. “Xanadu is about to unveil a memory. Great gods, I ask for your assistance in turning memory into images.”

A roar replied him, and Thasvia nodded at Kolya. “Aldnath will assist.”

“Thank you.” Kolya turned to the Phantom Blade. “Ready when you are.”

Xanadu produced a small crystal, but simply revealing it had whipped up gale-force winds in the chamber. People shrieked as air buffeted their faces, but before they could do anything else, the Phantom Blade had crushed the crystal.

Darkness followed.