Elassa stepped onto the yellow desert sands. Fortia’s camp lay south. Arcadia’s airfleet was landing now onto the runways prepared by magicians who had been sent off earlier. Ten planes. Twenty. Forty. Their doors opened, men spilled out without the engines even being switched off, and then plane picked up speed immediately to free up the runway for the next.

They would return fly back to Arcadia, and then fly back with another hundred men.

Elassa raised into the air as Fortia appeared at the edge of her camp. Fortia had been suffering in the war, Kassandora’s modern weaponry had proven simply too effective, her manoeuvring and stalling too easily managed to stall the armies the White Pantheon had brought. They had been overeager with Kirinyaa’s peace-keeping mission. Kassandora, very simply, was too skilled at warfare to be defeated in strategy or tactics.

Elassa rose higher as she turned to look at how many of her magicians had arrived already. They spread out and formed teams. Kassandora was good, but that didn’t mean Kassandora was unstoppable. As had been done in the past, so shall be done now. Kassandora will be defeated, with the overwhelming force of Arcadia and the unending treasuries of the White Pantheon.

Elassa could only smile as two planes set off after releasing their cargo of a hundred men, and then they took off. Half a minute later, their runways already had new planes depositing men. It was over for Kassandora, she simply didn’t know it yet.

“Lyca here.” Edmonton turned the little knob on his radio to make Lyca’s voice louder in his ear. The amount of sorcerers had been whittled down over the past month and a half, since the battle with Waeh, but reinforcements were coming in. Untrained and barely awakened men Anassa had managed to find Kassandora’s armies, but the numbers made for good bodies. Simply to serve as shields if nothing else.

“I copy you.” Edmonton replied. They had been tasked on monitoring the advance of Elassa, if Elassa was even coming. As of now though, they had barely any communication with Sokolowski, the man was busy organising a retreat from the desert and into the mountains, even less with Kassandora, and Anassa had become an elusive mirage. She would appear in the camp every few days, another team of fresh meat behind her, dump them on the ground, and then tell Edmonton, Lyca, Fleur and Eliza to sort it out amongst themselves.

So they did, no one wanted the fresh meat, but when foisted upon you by Anassa, there was little one could do to argue back. “Same, same.” Eliza said, there was a tap on her end. “Does this thing work? Hello?” Eliza repeated the question a few more times, then swore and gave up. Lyca’s voice immediately filled the silence.

“Only one person can broadcast at a time.” He said. “You have to let go of the button and then we can answer.”

“Ah.” Eliza said. “I see, thanks!” She added cheerfully. Edmonton raised higher into the air and looked out over the desert. They hadn’t brought their teams with them today, it was merely Edmonton, Eliza, Fleur and Lyca in the empty cloudless desert. Some fifty miles north of Sokolowski’s camp, far enough to give warning, but close enough to make it back within the range of Sokolowski’s Lemur artillery in case someone approached. Nothing but the breeze did, it rolled in from the west like a silken shawl being lazily dragged through the air.

“I hate this thing.” Fleur’s voice came in.

“What’s wrong?” Edmonton asked.

“Couldn’t work it out.” Fleur replied. “I’m too old for this.” Edmonton smiled to himself.

“You’re twenty!” Lyca’s voice ripped through the gentle breeze.

“Yeah well I’m too old still!” Fleur shouted back. Edmonton tried to speak, but the line was still taken. He merely sighed and looked to the sides. His friends were visible in the air, they were also simply standing and watching. “What? No reply?” Fleur asked. “I hate this thi-“ Her voice cut off, she must have clicked the button. Most likely everyone seized the chance to hog the radio signal, Lyca managed it first.

“There we go!” It was an art how Lyca managed to sound smug even over the crackling radio. “See, you can work it out!”

“I hate you.” Fleur said dryly. This time, she remembered to switch her line off.

“You get used to it.” Edmonton said.

“You can just flick it with sorcery, it’s pretty good.” Lyca said.

Eliza’s voice barked through the radio. “You can?” She sounded honestly astounded. Edmonton shook his head and continued staring north. The sea of yellow sand ended and the cloudless ocean of light blue began. The Sun was behind them, it most likely would have been deadly hot if they didn’t spend a month getting acclimated to the desert. Everyone had found their method, Fleur always had a little parasol above her, casting her into the shade. Eliza would conjure up a solid square barrier of crimson, as did Edmonton. Lyca merely toughed it out. Eliza cut off, then she cut on again. “Oh! You can!”

Edmonton tried doing it the moment Eliza cut off. He pressed the button with sorcery, it was done as easily as moving his fingers. He didn’t even bother to try and comprehend the logistics behind it anymore, all he knew was that he could do it, and so he would do it. “Well that’s helpful.” Edmonton said as he kept watching. Honestly, this wasn’t a bad job. They didn’t like it at first, they moaned and complained, but eventually the conversation and chatter had started to flow.

“I have a question.” Lyca said. From the tone of his voice, it was obvious it was going to be a stupid question. “Hello? Anyone? Oh right, I’m online still.” Lyca switched off.

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“Whoever made it push-to-talk should just honestly end themselves.” Eliza groaned. “But yeah, what’s your question?” Fleur managed to get on the line before Lyca did this time.

“If it’s something stupid, I’m not answering it.” She said dryly.

“It’s not, which one is your favourite Divine?” Lyca said. Fleur came back on the moment he switched off.

“I’m not answering that.”

Lyca clicked on, not annoyed, simply smug with himself. “You don’t have to answer that, we know yours is Anassa anyway.”

“I’m not even going to bother.” Fleur said dryly. It was a horrid tone, but there was that curl of enjoyment in it.

“Mine is Kavaa or Kassandora probably. I like Fer too.” Eliza said, she then groaned. “I don’t know, I like all of them.”

“Mm.” Lyca said when he took over the line. “I like Fer. She’s my favourite.”

“What’s this question even about?” Edmonton asked.

“I’m just passing the time.” Lyca replied innocently. “So Ed, who?” Edmonton thought for a moment. He supposed he liked all of them, some more than others, but there wasn’t one he could point to and say they were his favourite. Fer was the most enjoyable to be around, although she was like that to everyone. Kassandora was competent, but the only time Edmonton had actually talked to her was when she was either receiving a report or giving orders. Anassa?

Edmonton thought about Anassa. She was… well, she was Anassa. He didn’t know if he was afraid of her, or if he idolized her, or what. Anassa was simply Anassa, his teacher, but she had never given an explanation that was satisfying. Her explanations of sorcery’s inner workings answered what he wanted to know, and then followed up by asking two more questions. And Anassa was loud. And annoying. And frankly, whenever Anassa appeared Edmonton would silently pray she attending to Kassandora’s orders and not her own whims. So it wasn’t Anassa.

“Neneria.” Edmonton finally gave a reply.

“What!?” Fleur shouted over the line. She cut off, and Lyca cut on mid-laughter.

Lyca had to finish his cackling before he managed to get a word out. “You know, I bet that you’d pick her!”

Fleur cut on again. “Why Neneria?” Edmonton rolled his eyes. Why did the others not need an explanation?

“She’s nice?” Edmonton asked. Lyca cut in only to laugh, and then cut off. Fleur came in.

“Nice? We’ve met her! On Operation Misfortune, remember?”

“I do!” Edmonton shouted into his earpiece once Fleur left the line. “She was very nice and polite to us!”

“WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?” Fleur shouted. “She said all of five words to us!” Edmonton was about to reply, but Lyca managed to hog the line again. He was a chortling pig with all his laughter.

“Listen here Fleur, let me explain it to you.” He said after managing to calm himself down. “You’re thinking too deeply on it, Ed’s not that deep.” There was a moment of silence as Lyca built up the tension. “Ed likes pale girls with dark hair, simple as.” He burst out in laughter in as Edmonton saw Fleur, a mile in the air to his right burst out in anger. Why was she even getting mad?

Nevertheless, Fleur did get mad. A red blast of sorcerous energies soared over Edmonton’s head and towards Lyca. The man a mile to Edmonton’s left put up a barrier and dispelled Fleur’s sorceries, then summoned glowing letters above himself: ‘Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.’ It was amazing how the man managed to make his own text seem smug, with the light flicks on the end of every letter.

Eliza’s voice came in to scold them. “You lot are so immature.”

“You like it though.” Lyca came in the moment she freed up the airwaves.

“I do.” Eliza admitted coyly. She, Edmonton had to admit it was rather smart, changed the topic. “Do you have any plans for after?”

“After the war?” Edmonton asked.

“Mmh.” Eliza came in for a second. Fleur was the first to answer.

“I honestly do not know.” She said dryly, obviously unhappy with the answer. “Too much to think about realistically, too many things can happen so I can’t say.”

“I thought you would say you’d stay with Anassa.” Lyca came in.

Fleur cut into the airwaves with a laugh. “Never, Kassandora I wouldn’t mind, but not Anassa.” Edmonton laughed out loud at that. They really did get the short end of the stick when it came to Goddesses. Kassandora was practically a Saint in her army, Fer was fun and liked by everyone. Kavaa was loved by Clerics and others alike for her abilities, Olephia was supposedly quiet pleasant from what Edmonton had come to hear. Arascus was a natural leader who inspired. Even Neneria, who was terrifying in her silences, generally left everyone alone. And they got Anassa. Anassa, who was moody and brutal and feared and cruel.

“I want to settle down.” Eliza said earnestly. “After everything I mean, after the war is finished.”

“Already?!” Fleur said through the speaker, she honestly sounded shocked.

“Why not?” Eliza said. “I’ve gotten enough excitement to last me a lifetime already.”

Lyca cut in, snickering as he spoke. “Watch out Fleur, baby fever’s going to get you too.”

“I HATE YOU!” Fleur shouted back, not through the speaker, she simply used sorcery to amplify her voice. Another wave of crimson energy spiralled past Edmonton’s head, it was faster and hotter this time. And once again, Lyca hit it with a swing of his, and once again set up a taunting message in the sky: ‘Nice try! Better luck next time!’

“It’s not baby fever.” Eliza cut in through the speaker. “But I just don’t like putting my life on the line.” She fell silent for a moment, but stayed on the airwaves. After a few long seconds, Eliza spoke again. “I don’t know, I mean, I just want to settle down and not have to worry if I’m going to wake up to Anassa shouting at me or an alarm.”

“How many?” Lyca asked, his voice dead serious.

“How many what?” Eliza asked.

“Kids.” Lyca answered flatly.

Eliza was chuckling when she came back online. “I suppose the more the merrier. I have four siblings at home, it’s nice.”

“So we’re going for six?” Lyca replied. Edmonton sighed. Supposedly they were here to serve as early-warning systems, and here they were discussing future families.

“I understand young love is beautiful but can you have this conversation some other time?” Fleur interrupted them.

“We are?” Eliza asked.

“Young love? What are you, a hag?” Fleur was about to reply, Edmonton knew she was, but he cut her off, something moved on the horizon towards the north.

“North! I see something!” Edmonton shouted as he watched that dark dot glow against the cloudless desert sky. Lyca came in, his mood immediately changed. The jovial tone had been replaced by that hungry voice he always had when battle was on the horizon

“If it’s just one or two, we take them, right?” Lyca asked. “Slow them down at least.”

“I don’t think that’s one or two.” Eliza’s voice was shaky as she radioed back. Edmonton watched that single spot grow larger and larger as it came from the horizon. Men marching on the ground in Fortia’s classical golden-bronze armour, armed with heavy tower shield and spear. They were led by minor Divines that towered over them. Those, Edmonton did not worry about.

What worried him was the flock of people circling above them like a murder of hungry crows. Everyone in a coloured robe, from dark blues to light pale yellows, all hovering in a formation as they matched the pace of the army below them. “That is not one or two.” Eliza said again.

“Fall back and inform Sokolowski.” Edmonton was already turning, he gave one last glance at the amount of mages. It was as if all Arcadia had decided to descend on them. More than a thousand, easily. Probably more than two thousand.

Kassandora better have some plan ready.