The Magocracies, the most tyrannical forms of state to exist in all Ardan history, were not original in thinking. What then, where they based off?

The Trial-and-Error evolution of Magic, so cruel and unusual, was not the first thing to use live mortals as test subjects. What then, was?

The Era of Worldbreaking, the shattering of Arda, brought a Chaos to the world that should have never existed. Yet why did Worldbreaking begin?

I am despised by Divines, that is simply plain to see. I see it on their faces, I see it in their eyes. The reason is rather simple: Before the advent of Magicians, what kept Divinity in check?

- Excerpt from “The Great Equalizer”, written by Elassa, Goddess of Magic.

“Stop.” Elassa heard Kassandora’s word and felt the woman’s hand on her shoulder. “We’re through.” Kassandora said flatly. There was no emotion in the woman’s tone, she had been like this ever since they got to the hole where Kavaa and Iniri had apparently been lost. The entrance had very obviously been excavated by Anassa, the walls had been smoothed to shut an inhuman degree that even the red dust from above, blown in by every blow of wind, struggled to catch any friction on the edges of the dark earth.

Then they had gotten to the tunnels. Kassandora had, of course, naturally, remembered the direction she had gone before. Elassa had nothing not been with her then, but she had silently wished that the woman could be wrong at least once. The amount of competence on display from her was beyond annoying, it was only good fortune that the woman stuck to her own demesne and had never decided to venture into magic because with a mind like hers, Elassa could only theorize the heights Kass could reach.

Elassa used a battering ram of hardened air to push the overgrown remains of the Jungle, what could not be battered down was broken into pieces by invisible blades of wind. Even though the plants had only been killed yesterday, today they were already wilting and drying out. Their leaves and spines had turned into a dead brown and they were falling down with nothing more than simple pushes. There was no reason to use fire, Elassa didn’t need to be told not to smoke them out by trying to burn the roots away. So they had started tunnelling through the wood, there wasn’t anywhere to get lost, no junctions and only a few bends. It was a simple dwarven highway on the outskirts of their kingdom.

Still though, it was interesting that the dwarves had managed to dig so far. Elassa was sure that the Underempire did not stretch all the wall to Arika in the past. Or maybe it did. The Great War had been fought on the surface, a few of the tunnels had been flooded with the oceans. A few more had been collapsed from above, but no one was going to send armies down here. Elassa especially, she wasn’t going to let magicians that took years to train fall to traps in the darkness.

“We are.” Elassa said. She hummed a spell and a ball of bright blue light appeared over her head. That was much more effective than the torch Kassandora was using. The Goddess of War stopped and looked around. She turned to look at the roots, then turned back around. “What is it?”

“I feel eyes on me.” Kassandora answered quickly. She didn’t sound scared, or even nervous, nor curious. There was nothing in her voice, she was merely stating a fact. Elassa made the ball above them brighter to chase more of the darkness away. This was a dwarven highway through and through, the ground dashed with lines for organising traffic, the walls smooth with only slight geometric patterns on them. There were no rails though, nor any sign of life.

“Well I don’t see anything.”

“No.” Kassandora agreed with a sigh. “Will you carry me?”

Elassa blinked and stopped. She had to turn to the Goddess of War to double check whether the woman was joking or not. Kassandora stood there, arms flat by her side, red hair tinted into a purple by the blue orb’s light and wore one of the most serious expressions Elassa had ever seen. Of Magic had to chuckle. “Excuse me?”

“I’m serious.” Kassandora said.

“Really?”

“We do this all the time.” Kassandora said. “I ride on Fer’s back or Anassa flies me around.”

“Are you joking?” Elassa burst out in laughter.

“I’m dead serious, it will be faster if you carry me and fly yourself.” Every word made Elassa laugh harder, she grabbed her sides as they started to hurt before finally calming down.

“Really?” Elassa asked, still chuckling. Kassandora was staring at Elassa without annoyance or anger at the laughter, just simple flat exasperation.

“If you say no, then we can walk, but you’re supposed to be one of the fastest Divines in existence, aren’t you?” Elassa caught the slight smug condescension in Kassandora’s tone, and she knew it was purposefully there to get her mad, to get her to prove that she was fast. And Elassa still fell for it, frankly, she wanted to get this over with. People did not appreciate the open sky until they grew to miss it. A blue sphere appeared around Kassandora, it lifted her into the air as Elassa herself set off, quietly chanting a spell.

The speed picked up. The walls started to move, then they became a blur as Elassa shot through the air, taking the turns without even breaking a sweat. Maybe mortal magicians would struggle with such manoeuvres, but she had been alive far too long to even need consciously think about the flight. Three turns, and then they stopped, it took all of ten minutes. Elassa looked down and saw Kassandora standing in that blue bubble in the exact same posture as when she had been picked up. Annoying. Terrible annoying. Elassa did not want the woman to be sick or something. But still, the fact Kassandora just stood there, arms by her sides, without even reacting was just downright disrespectful!

Elassa cut the feed of mana to the bubble and it blinked out of existence. Kassandora dropped twice her height again onto the ground. The woman didn’t even look shocked by the fall, she reacted immediately as her red hair cascaded behind her. She landed on her feet and… And that was it. As if she had just made a slight hop. Annoying again. Elassa set herself down by Kassandora as they both looked at the wall illuminated by the hovering blue orb.

It was a fortress wall. That was the only to describe it, but without crenelations or a top. Instead, it reached all the way from the floor of the tunnel to its ceiling, the only openings on it were slits for archers in pristinely organized columns and a huge bronze gate. That gate was open too, revealing the dwarven hold proper, Elassa had seen a few of the abandoned Epan holds, and this was about half as grand. It didn’t have the magnificent gears and aqueducts, it lacked the magma vats, and it lacked an artificial sun, which most Epan holds had. Although all the machinery was powered by Arda’s core, its sealing had brought night-time to the underground. It would make sense for them to not bother building all the specialist equipment if they couldn’t work it anyway.

And at the gates, there was a full horde of dwarves. Maybe eight-hundred of them. Elassa silently grit her teethe when she considered that Kassandora would probably count through them instantly. They stood there unmoving, each one in thick armour that was plate overlayed on plate, with a huge square tower shield as large as the dwarf and a spear. Maybe the dwarves considered it a pike, but to a human, it would be a steel spear. “Let me handle this.” Kassandora said as she walked forwards towards the dwarves. They did not move as the Goddess of War approached them.

Elassa came in close behind Kassandora, what was more annoying now was the fact that even though Of War had not even a hundredth of the power Elassa had, it was Elassa whose eyes were skittering around the darkness, trying to calculate every and nook and cranny from which a bolt could come out. Kassandora stopped a short distance away from the dwarves and shouted. “Men of stone! I ask for entry in your realms.” Elassa looked up at Kassandora again, the fact that she noticeably taller was annoying too.

And Elassa stopped as her cheeks went red at her own sheer stupidity. She realised what a silly little girl she was being when a question formed in her mind: was there anything about Kassandora that didn’t annoy her? The answer to that question was annoying too: no.

The dwarves did not reply to Kassandora, that was satisfying. The Goddess of War shouted again. “I am Kassandora, Goddess of War, I led your ancestors during the Great War!” Once again, the dwarves said nothing.

“Should I move them?” Elassa asked, she knew this wasn’t her place to take action frankly. And she knew that Kassandora would ask for permission if they were in Arcadia too.

“No.” Kassandora said. She took a breath, Joyeuse materialized in front of her and slammed into the ground. “My blade is proof! None other than me have it!”

“They won’t move-“ Elassa began but she was cut off. Cut off by a voice she had long thought she would never have the displeasure of listening to again. Smooth and cold, if a particularly strong wine could speak, it would speak like that.

“KASSIE?!”

“Oh fuck.” Elassa’s eyes dove to Kassandora. Did she just swear? Excuse me?

“KASSIE!” The voice shouted again as a woman walked out through behind the gates. A tall woman, too tall to be a mortal, too tall to be a minor Divine. Taller than Elassa, that had always annoyed Of Magic. A black dress, a silver belt, daggers fixed to it, with hair as blinding white as a ferocious blizzard and eyes that were bottomless pits of black oil.

“Malam?!” Kassandora shouted back.

“Well well well!” Malam walked past the dwarves, they parted for her without turning to look, ranks folded to make space for the grand Goddess of Hatred. “And Elassa! What a surprise!” Malam sounded overjoyed in that fact. Why, Elassa had no damn clue, they had fought against each other in the Great War.

“She’s working with us.” Kassandora said as Malam swiftly closed the gap.

“Anassa’s favourite should be on our side, shouldn’t she?” The fact that the woman made it sound like an innuendo made Elassa’s stomach turn. Malam stopped in front of Kassandora as Of War stared daggers at the woman. Did they not like each other? “Oh do not worry Kassie, we know you’re actually Anassa’s favourite.”

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“Great.” Kassandora said flatly. “I assume you’ve seen Iniri and Kavaa.”

“And I’ve had pleasant chats with them too.” Malam licked her lips. “The nurse is like a mini-Kassie. I’ve had fun with her.”

“I don’t think she is.” Kassandora quickly answered back.

“Well she’s easier to crack than you are.” Malam replied. “So? Can I have a hug?” Elassa gawked at the two. Kassandora sighed, Joyeuse disappeared from the ground and she put her arms around Malam. The two were almost the exact same height. Malam just about beat out Kassandora by maybe an inch, if that.

“You were missed.” Kassandora said sounded as if she did not know what the word ‘joy’ meant.

“You were too.” Malam replied as if her life was nothing but pure joy the whole time. “So? How is Fer? Kavaa said dad was free too. How is he?”

Kassandora sighed as if everything was an effort to explain. “Everything is fine Malam.”

“And Olephia?” Malam asked.

“She is free too.” More annoyed this time, Kassandora had to force the words out.

“And Anassa?”

“I assume she’s fine, we just had a battle but I can’t imagine her dying.” Kassandora sounded as if she was pushing herself to explain.

“Leona?”

“Dead.” Of War answered.

“Irinika?”

“How would I know?”

“Iliyal Tremali?” Kassandora looked at the woman and finally snapped.

“Are you going to ask list off literally everyone I know?”

“What about Sara Daganhoff?” Malam asked. “And I’ve missed Iliyal too!” Somehow, Elassa struggled to believe Malam.

“Have you ever even met him outside of a war council meeting?” Kassandora snapped. Was the woman actually getting mad? Elassa tilted her head as she looked the red-haired Goddess. And since when did Kassandora get mad? The woman was an eternal stoic.

“No.” Malam said. “But does that mean I can’t miss him? And this Miss Daganhoff?”

“What? Did Kavaa tell you about her too? They’ve met each other maybe five times.” Kassandora said and Malam made a terribly haughty ohohoho of a laugh.

“I can read a person from meeting them once and Kavaa seems like a good judge of character.” Malam said. “But most importantly, how have you been?”

“I’ve been good.” Kassandora said. “You?”

“Much better now.” She turned and extended her arm towards the dwarven hold. “Me and Irinika have been down here.”

“Is Iri here?” Kassandora asked and Malam shook her head.

“Epan Southern-East-West route.” Elassa pretended not to be interested. These Goddesses were maybe the only surface dwellers who actually knew the layout of the Underempire. But what Southern-East-West meant, she had no clue. “Against Tartarus.” Elassa blinked, what did she just hear? Tartarus? On Arda? Since when? They all went back home at the culmination of the Great War.

“What?” Elassa interjected into the conversation.

“Ah!” Malam exclaimed as if this was the first time seeing Elassa. “It’s Anassa’s Mini-Me.” Elassa had to take a few moments to comprehend what she just heard. Anassa’s Mini-Me? If there was a name she had never been called before, it was that. “So? How have you been? Are the War Colleges still the envy of the world?”

Elassa felt her cheeks start to blush. Was Malam doing it on purpose? Of Magic’s lips cracked open as she tried to find an answer to that. What answer was there even? No Malam, the War Colleges have long since been shut down? “Malam.” Kassandora issued the name like calling a dog to heel. “You’ve talked with Kavaa, you know about the situation. I assume you didn’t believe her.”

“Some parts were too farcical to not believe.” Malam said. “Iniri getting captured by the Jungle was one.”

“She did. Me and Fer rescued her.” Kassandora said. “Whatever Kavaa told you is most likely true. Do you know about the situation up above now?”

Malam sighed, her arms lost their strength. “Work as always Kassie, you never change.”

“I have nothing to change.” Kassandora said. “So? Do you know or not?”

“I do.”

“Then you know I want Kavaa and Iniri back.” Kassandora said.

“Well of course.” Malam replied. “Of course of course.” She quickly added. “I just thought you’d help me out here too.”

Kassandora stared flatly at the woman. “If you weren’t so annoying, I would be happier to help.”

Malam sounded shocked, her tone aghast, but Elassa couldn’t narrow it down to whether that reaction was mocking or real. “Me? Annoying? Never!”

“This is exactly what I mean Malam.” Kassandora said. “I don’t need the mockery. I will help you out, of course I fucking will. Arascus brought me in because he realised that seven of you were too much to wrangle.”

Malam nodded at Kassandora’s comment, as if there was nothing to argue with there. In the Pantheon, a comment like that would have ruined the current meeting and the next one. “Mmh, you do make a good nanny.” Kassandora stared daggers at the woman. “If I had children, I would let them stay with Auntie Kass, as grumpy as she is.” Malam laughed at her joke, then continued as Kassandora kept on watching her, extremely unamused. Elassa could not imagine ever talking to Kassandora like that, didn’t the woman have a reputation for killing people? For mass executions? And this is how Malam was talking to her? “And it’d be educational too!” Malam said.

Kassandora took the bait. Elassa did not know how or why, was Kass enjoying this? Was it fun for them? Elassa could not imagine anything worse than being talked to in that way. “How?”

“Are you curious?” Malam asked.

“The Malam brand of fucking idiocy is unique, so I am.” Kassandora said.

“Well, phrased like that, I don’t want to say!” Malam said.

“Then don’t.” Kassandora quickly answered. This time, Malam took the bait.

“My kids would see what sort of character rampant alcoholism creates and they would never want to drink.” Malam burst out in laughter at that. Was she actually making herself laugh? Elassa had no way to interject, they had brushed her over and were now fully ingratiated in that… it wasn’t argument. Or was it? In whatever sort of discussion they were having.

“If I drink then what do you do?” Kassandora asked.

“I savour.” Malam stretched the word out. Of War was not impressed whatsoever.

“Just shut up Malam.” Kassandora said.

“Apologies but I’m excited to meet a sister that isn’t Iri after a thousand years.”

“Iri does not let you get away with this.” Kassandora said it like a fact.

“She did.” Malam said.

“When?”

“Nine hundred years ago.” Malam said and both of them burst out in laughter for a few moments.

Kassandora controlled herself once, she sighed and shook her head. “It’s good to see you Malam.”

“It’s good to see you too Kassie.” Malam said. “It really is.”

“Mmh.” Kassandora said. “I’d want to-“ Malam interrupted her. Oh no. Even Elassa knew that was something no one ever did.

“You still have no sense in aesthetics though.” Malam tugged on Kassandora’s uniforms. It had been shredded from the time when the woman materialized her armour over it, then charred by the heat of Starfall. Frankly, these clothes were for the bin and nowhere else.

“Do I care?” Kassandora asked.

“Well…” Malam said, Kassandora jumped on the moment before the woman could say anything.

“Is it impossible for you to be serious for one moment? We have work to do.”

“Fer’s not serious either.” Malam replied innocently, as if she had done nothing wrong. Elassa took a step back, she was still shocked by that revelation of Tartarus but now as she was watching these two bicker, she didn’t know how to intervene into the conversation.

“It’s not tit-for-tat! Fer is here to kill things! You’re smarter than her!” Kassandora shouted. Elassa had absolutely no idea what to do. Why did she suddenly get tasked with dealing with a family argument? It was just… just awkward that she had to stand here and listen.

“I think Fer is very smart.” Malam said.

“That’s not what I meant!” Kassandora said. “I know Fer is smart, but you’re not Fer, are you?”

“I’m just a little Goddess with very weak powers.” Malam was sickly sweet.

“SHUT UP!” Kassandora roared. “I DON’T CARE!” The Goddess of War suddenly blinked, she sighed as if defeated and calmed herself down. “Malam, shut up. Just be quiet, don’t say anything. Well done, you got me mad. Are you happy now?”

“Oh I am Kassie. I waited a millennia to finally have someone who can fight back. But you’re still so easy to get angry.” Of Hatred cooed.

“You’re the only person who can do this.”

“Make you squeal you mean?” Malam finished and Joyeuse appeared just behind her. It slammed and stabbed into the ground, as if it was a metal pillar that had been dropped from above. Elassa saw Kassandora start tapping her thumbs against her fingers, running up and down her fingertips. Malam looked at the sword, then turned back to Kassandora, grinning. She made that ridiculous laugh of hers again: Ohohoho.

“Malam. Shut the fuck up.” Elassa had never heard Kassandora sound so serious. The woman usually had that flat tome, as if there was nothing in the world that impressed her, but right now, she sounded as if she was prepared to burn down an entire nation alone. “This is what we will do.”

“Oh, you’re very smart.” Malam said.

Kassandora stepped close to Malam, she had to just tilt her eyes up to meet Malam’s. “Malam, I am very smart yes. I’m a genius in fact. This is why I lead the war and why you play around in the home front. We are going to go get Iniri and Kavaa. Either Iniri or Elassa here will then dig out. We will have a connection to Kirinyaa after that. Then, I can freely travel and see what the situation in your dwarven tunnels is, okay? And after that, we’ll fetch Iri, understood?”

Elassa thought that Malam would make another smarmy comment. Or that she would say something terrible again… or… or that she would do anything but agree. But Malam thought about it for a moment and her tone shifted. “How is the situation above?”

“I assume not good, but I’ve not seen it for a week now. It was bad when we left.” Kassandora said and Malam nodded. How? Elassa just stood there in shock, her jaw open, her hands pulling on her blue dress in frustration. She had honestly thought they hated each other! They acted like they did! What?

“I’ll go with you then.” Malam said.

“You don’t need to stay here?” Kassandora asked.

“After managing the home front here for a thousand years, I’ve given it enough steam that it can keep rolling by itself.” Malam said. “Iri is the useful one here, it’s because of her that we’ve managed to hold for so long.” Irinika, Goddess of Darkness, Arascus’ Allasaria. Elassa couldn’t even count how many White Pantheon plans Irinika had foiled simply by being in the general vicinity.

“It’ll be good to have you.” Kassandora replied.

“HOW!?” Elassa had to say something. These two… how did they suddenly go from that sibling bickering to this? If the White Pantheon functioned this well, then would they have ever had any problem?

“How what?” Kassandora asked.

“How are you like…” Elassa tried to find a word. “So quick to change moods?”

Malam had an answer immediately. “Just as you’re Anassa’s Mini-me, Kassie is my Mini-me. We naturally get along.” Elassa could not believe what she just heard, this was naturally getting along?

Kassandora’s smile dropped immediately, the annoyed Goddess of War returned. “If I’m the mini-me, why are you shorter than me?”

And now Malam’s cheeks went red in embarrassment. She made a slow to Kassandora, being sure to look on her sister. “Excuse me?” Malam asked. “I think your eyes are lying to you.”

“My memory isn’t.” Kassandora said. “Amongst us, you’re a fucking dwarf Malam.” Elassa tried to recall how tall Arascus’ other Daughter-Goddesses actually were… She blinked. Actually, Baalka was the only one who was short amongst them. Baalka but then? It would be Kass, wouldn’t it? And Kass was naturally quite tall. And since when did Kassandora swear so much? The woman was such a prude when it came to cursing usually.

“If I’m so short, why do I have to look down on you?” Malam leaned forwards, her eyes just slightly her than Kassandora’s as their heads met.

“Do you heels have platforms too? Last time I saw you, you reached up to my knees.” Kassandora said flatly. Malam crossed her arms, huffed angrily, but she had no answer to Kassandora’s statement. “Exactly. Now take us to Iniri and Kavaa.”

“Right this way fair princess.” Malam said as turned around, her voice full of bile. Elassa once again struggled to tell whether the woman was actually angry, or whether she was playing at being angry. She certainly did not look angry. Neither did Kassandora. Both Goddesses looked at if they had started thoroughly enjoying each other’s annoying comments.

“I wish I was a princess.” Kassandora said flatly.

“Oh I’m sure you would.” Malam’s tone picked up. She had thought of something. “With pretty princes and nice horsies. How many kids would you have?”

“If I was a princess Malam, then you would be too.” Kassandora said. “And I would make sure I would conquer you, execute every member of your family, raze your capital and then salt the earth. What then?”

“Oh it’s very simple.” Malam turned to look at Kassandora. Elassa stared at them in awe, both were giggling along with each other. “Then I’d seduce your son, make him take my name, become Queen and say thank you for the Empire.” Of War and Of Hatred looked at each other. Kassandora’s lips quirked upwards. Malam’s smile exposed her teeth. Both of them burst out in laughter. Elassa giggled to herself as she listened, and then caught herself as she realised what she was doing.

The Goddess of Magic could only stare in awe at the sisterhood between Hatred and War. In that short walk, little more than a few minutes, Elassa must have laughed at those two more than she laughed for a decade in the Pantheon.