The room lit up in a blaze of luminescent light as multiple figures descended, their figures clothed in different lustrous colors that glowed blindingly.

"Show off," Aisene murmured beside Menoe.

Watching them, it wasn't difficult to tell their identities. One group had beautiful glowing emerald hair draping down their backs onto their green clergy robes, with their emerald glowing eyes smoothly sweeping through the room. Like her, it seemed like the Nature cult had also summoned their Spirit lord high priestess: Desane. As powerful individuals go, Desane didn't look like one, with her mesmerizing green eyes and glossy black hair, she looked like one of those pampered nobles. No one knew how deadly she could be until they experienced it for themselves. As both were highly powerful in their different cults, Menoe had often times come across the woman in some meetings between their different organizations and other functions.

The second was a group that blazed with a rugged crimson-red color, their flaming hairs falling over red and gold robes that gave an intimidatingly powerful glow. Like the Nature cult, the Spirit lord high priest of the Inferno cult was also in attendance, with his dark-red hair and crimson robe. If the Spirit lord section of the Inferno cult were all considered brutes, Renar was the worst of them, spending most of his time either battling the red Dragons on the Redlands, or disturbing some Sea horrors on the Abyssal ocean. They'd come across each other enough to be civil during important functions. But that only lasted as long as the function.

The third group was a mismatch of different colors, some shining gold, some a dull emerald, and other different colors. Menoe identified these ones as the representatives of the Great families–mostly, since she could still spy some unknown figures here and there.

What did get the whole room talking though, was the attendance of two more factions: The Air and the Earth factions.

Unlike the others, these factions were extremely reclusive, hardly partaking in any events going on in the wider civilizations. Their temples were so hidden that it'd take an invitation before one could be able to find it.

Their Spirit Kings, dressed in elemental raiment, and accompanied by their various Lord representatives, strolled on to take their seats on their thrones, ignoring the looks thrown their way by the other occupants of the room.

Two figures, glowing a sky blue luminescent colors drifted up to Aisene, ice thrones appearing on both sides.

"Well met, Aisene," one greeted. A man with the usual traditional look of the winter cult. He glanced at Menoe, nodding in acknowledgment, to which she nodded in return.

The second person, another man, walked up to his throne, giving a small wave and a nod as he took his seat.

Once everyone had taken their seat, a Spirit King from the Inferno cult spoke up.

"Good, we're all here. Let's do away with the formalities, we're placing our full support on Solaris."

"You do realize you will be breaking the accord? An agreement that has kept us from devolving into pointless constant wars against each other, and for what? For some stupid backdoor deal?" A woman from the Nature cult replied.

"We do not care. Our decision stands."

"And what's to stop the others from also descending? This child isn't the only one who's descendants are threatened. In fact, from everyone's perspective, he's the villain in their story."

"We would oppose that. Solaris is still in his nascent phase, barely into a century since earning his throne, that is one of the reason we are allowing this. The others are far beyond that, either already passed the nascent phase or close to passing it. Simplified, he's barely stabilized, while the others are already far into their realms."

"The same can be said for the Spirit lords down there who are about to have their internal affairs interfered with by a Spirit King."

"The fact stands, we won't allow it. Besides, like I said, Solaris is still in his nascent phase, that shouldn't be too much of a power gap between them.

"He isn't even older than the Lord high clergy here, so it wouldn't be to far of an advantage."

"We—"

"Why are we sitting here arguing like childrens? A Spirit King decides to debase himself by interfering in matters of the lower realms, that's one problem, but I will state it blunt and clear, if the inferno cult physically interferes in this oncoming war, that is a clear pass that the rest of us will take." One of the Winter Cultist interrupted.

"No inferno Cult Spirit King will be allowed to descend. This is a matter of Spirit lords, with Solaris being the exception." The inferno cult representative accepted.

"Good. Now that we've gotten that part covered, let's get to main part. Solaris has descended, against our wishes. That is one thing. But to partake in a war between Spirit lords, that is something we obviously won't allow. And since the Inferno cult won't allow their dog to he hindered, we've come to an impasse here. We're going to have to come to an agreement or it isn't only the Spirit lords who would be having a war. And we all know how King wars goes."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Thank you, Heryla," An inferno cult Spirit lord said. "It's good that we all want to avoid a war. So the inferno cult are willing to come to an agreement. State your stipulations."

All the while that the Cult representatives had been speaking, the representatives from the Great families had been quietly fuming. It wasn't a wonder, the families might have been powerful in their own rights, but they were nothing in the face of the cults. The Spirit King numbers in a single cult alone was more than the combined might of three families, and that wasn't even putting the quality of the fighting force. A single cult combatant was worth twice that in the families. Put simply, a single cult was capable of taking on three of the Great families and coming out on top. It was a very grim reality that all great families endured.

"What about us? Are we just going to sit here and watch while Solaris descends on the planet to wipe out our whole families in his hunger for more power?"

"That's a good question, Vernaz" Aisene spoke up, turning to the Inferno representatives. "How do you plan to address it?"

"Obviously one person is going to come to a compromise. The inferno cult won't allow another Spirit King to descend on the planet, especially ones as powerful as you."

"What's then to stop us. If you would just ignore our pleas as inconsequential, what's then to stop from doing what we want? Solaris did it and it seemed to work well for him."

Vernaz smiled, ond that didn't reach his eyes, "Well... Aside from the fact that you would all be dead before you even think of reaching the planet stratosphere, I don't think Ra would be all pleased to have you all descending, no doubt to war on his body," He clapped. "So you all are going to have to pick, death by our hands or from the World spirit. And I assure you, Ra doesn't just kill, it has more uses for Spirit King astral forms than just to destroy them."

"Are you all just going to sit there and watch him use underhanded threats like that? What's the use of equality in the accord if you all will just treat us as lessers?"

"He's right though," Aisene said. "Forget about the threat of the cults for a second, if you decide to descend on the planet, Ra will kill you the moment you step into its domain."

"So we're just going to sit and accept this. My family is about to be killed because of the hunger of an egomaniac, and you expect us to just sit and watch?!"

Aisene frowned, "Careful, or else you'll have more than your descendants to worry about," she waited until the man had calmed. Nodding, she continued. "Solaris won't be allowed free passage like that. I propose that all forces of the families – except the Spirit Kings – be allowed to descend to offer assistance. This arrangement only applies to the great families."

"That's absurd. The descent of dozens of Spirit lords and– I don't know how many– Monarchs down on the planet would greatly imbalance us." Solaris finally spoke up, his flaming eyes flaring up.

Aisene glanced at him, "I think this balances things up very well."

"How do you expect us to make up for the great imbalance in man power if I also can't be allowed to send down my own forces?"

"Not my problem, make use of what you find down on the planet."

Solaris aura flared brighter, about to speak again, but was stopped by a hand on the shoulder from one of the inferno cultists, "That's okay, balance is restored," Vernaz said.

"Oh no... I'm not done yet," Aisene continued, a small smile on her face. "The first stipulation was for the uncountable number of innocent civilians that you would be putting in danger because of your ravenous hunger. Things aren't yet balanced between you and the families, so I'm proposing that during the course of the oncoming war, you won't be allowed to seige or step foot in any land belonging to the families. Their lands and properties are not to be touched. Any battles between both groups are to be held outside of family territories."

"That's preposterous. And what? They're allowed to assault my lands?"

"Yes"

"How does that balances things up?"

"Not my problem."

"He's right, Aisene," Vernaz said. "There isn't any balance in your stipulations."

"Then if he finds it unbalanced, he could just choose to abstain and leave the war to the lords. No? I though so."

With a smile on her face, a priestess from the Nature cult spoke up, "All in favor of the stipulations laid down by the Winter priestess? Raise your hands."

With Solaris and the Inferno cults outnumbered three to one, it wasn't surprising how the vote went.

Menoe looked at the families, seeing smiles of satisfaction on many faces. Their descendants were going to go toe to toe with a Spirit King, but they would be doing so with overwhelming numbers on their sides and the assurance that their lands and properties were safe.

"What of the cultists down on the planet? Am I forbidden from also touching them?"

"No Cult members are to be forced to partake in this war. Any member who steps on any battlefield with an intent to battle is fair game."

"What of the temples? Are they also off limits too? Like everything."

Aisene smiled, "That is a question that should have been obvious to you, young one. If I so much as catch a whiff of you or your forces on Temple grounds, I'll turn you into one of my ice collections."

"Are all in agreement?" Aisene called.

"Agreed," The nature cult raised their hands.

"Agreed," the great families answered.

And with reluctance, "Agreed," Solaris said.

Spirit King Vernaz looked like he had swallowed a rock, "Agreed."

Aisene nodded, standing up, "Now that it's all done, I'm out if here. Oh, and Solaris, if I so much as catch you taking one step against the stipulations set down, my reply will be swift and visible to all."

And like that, light flashed and both Menoe and Aisene disappeared.

***

When they appeared, they were standing on the shore of a beautiful lake, with little motes of light drifting slowly over it. The river was so mezmerizingly beautiful Menoe was sure one could spend hours just gazing in.

But that wasn't what was on Menoe's eyes.

"Spit it out," Aisene said, turning to face her.

Menoe was quiet for a while, before she asked, "Why didn't the others just brute force their disagreement? It was the might of two cults against one, coupled with the families who were obviously going to support us, we could have just forced the Inferno cult into preventing Solaris from descending, or better yet, stop him ourselves."

Aisene nodded, smiling, "Like Spirit lord sections, the Spirit Kings also have our own hierarchies. Do you know who stands at the head?"

"Obviously a Spirit King."

Aisene nodded, "You are both correct and wrong at the same time. Yes, a King heads the Spirit King branches of every cults, but at the same time they aren't just Spirit Kings. Do you know who the Divine Kings are?"

Menoe frowned, shaking her head.

"Good. I hope you don't have to find out in a negative way. Brute forcing the Infernos on the threat of violence would have forced their high priestess–yes they're headed by a high priestess–to step in, which would have then forced both ours and the Nature cults to step in. And that is a situation where diplomacy is the difference between life and utter annihilation."