The Ardans should be left alone for our own good. Allasaria of Light espouses how Arascus will come for us in an attempt to drag us into a repeat of the Arascan War. We are not her mercenaries, nor her soldiers. Once was enough. An entire generation was decimated due to that bloody conflict, entire lineages were sent into the heavens because of our foolishness, now she talks of grandiosities and mobilization of our arks once again.

  Tartarus is currently winning the war against the Empire, the demons have only hit a roadblock in the form of the Eparika sea. Where it not for that, Ashen Skies would already be reaching the northern coasts of Epa. The only location where we have witnessed an actual retreat of that noxious blanket is in the south, where it is obvious that the Empire is using some form of magic that can be witnessed from space.

  I come out of retirement to make my statement. If you wish to send a force to Arda, then I shall volunteer as the first to step foot on that cursed rock. Nevertheless, I wish everyone to consider the immediate crisis we suffered following the end of the Arascan War. I will not talk of the immediate economic downturns, nor of the fact that Ardan gold is a triviality, their other concessions to us have given us what exactly? What value does their moon hold save for the fact that we can witness what is happening from above?

  Yet I will not talk of concessions, for that is an Ardan mindset. I will instead ask how far the Arascan war has set us back? How many lives were lost? It took centuries to recover to pre-war population levels. The Ardans took decades, Tartarus did not even feel it. Understand that to put your signature with agreement next to hers is an agreement to once again forfeit the next centuries in repopulation efforts, and to kill not a number, but an entire percentage of our population.

  Nevertheless, if you wish to continue, then I ask for only one concession of my own:

  Give me full command over the Second Arascan War.

  - Archangel Ilahim’s open letter to Paradeisius.

  Kavaa took a deep breath as her tongue was finally filled with fresh air. She drank quickly, she drank greedily, she drank as if the atmosphere itself would run out. The months of the underground were finally over, the Second Expedition had officially been concluded, Kassandora had needed to organize the remains of the vehicles that safeguarded the holds back into some form of organization. And finally men were returning back to their homelands.

  Three Goddesses walked towards the sunlit sky through that great opening that seemed to shine brightly, Kavaa may as well have been walking towards a star. It was done in total silence, tanks rolled by their sides although the footsteps of the three sped up to match their pace. Soldiers were being carried out on the backs of trucks, a whole convoy was going back down for another division, more men were constantly being brought back up.

  Nothing needed to be said. There was nothing to say. Irinika’s taunting little comments and questions about what sort of relationship Kavaa and Kassandora actually possessed had finally been dulled. Even the Goddess of Darkness could not beat the anticipation of seeing the sky again, all three retreated into their own thoughts. Kassandora would no doubt be thinking of the war and more plans, Kavaa did not even want to posture or imagine what sorts of ideas raced through Irinika’s mind. Personally, she wondered how it should be proposed that they actually go on holiday. She couldn’t do it with Irinika about, there was no chance about. It would be like making a marriage proposal in front of a partner’s parents. Things, quiet simply, did not work that.

  They walked, eagerness driving their footsteps. Kavaa and Kassandora in a fresh pair of Imperial coats, Irinika in a dress fashioned out of her own darkness. Her hair spilled down her back, then slowly coalesced into a cloud that somehow managed to wrap all around her edges even as it was a formless void. It hurt to gaze at, not that Kavaa was looking at anything anymore.

  One more step.

  The world revealed itself as a fresh gust of midday’s warm wind was finally felt again. Kavaa held her arms out and let them dance in the air as all her fingers were wrapped in a soft scarf of air. Outside, it was all the sounds of engines and cars and men talking and banging in the distance. Troops were dismounting on a huge piece of concrete down the hill that led to Hole Yvoln, named after the city it was the closest to.

  In the distance, Rancais’ third largest city shone with reflections of the sun from its clean roofs and sparse skyscrapers. Kassandora led them to the side immediately, past a military checkpoint into the underground and down. It wasn’t the optimal exit out of the Underkingdoms, but the Holes in Rilia had been blown and the main to Klavdiv led to a railway that was pointed straight to Doschia. This would be the fastest way to reach Iliyal, Arascus and everyone else who were busy running operations of the Epa Theatre.

  “Oh my my.” Irinika said. She pointed to the city in the distance. “What sight am I looking at?” Kavaa hated that style of talking. It had been curious at first, now the sheer pretention of making sure every word was perfectly accented was starting to grate on her nerves.

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  “Yvoln.” Kassandora replied dryly. Irinika turned back to the pair of Goddesses, her dark eyes narrowing inquisitively.

  “Our Yvoln?” She asked. Like the rest of western Epa, the city had been Imperial in the Great War. It apparently had been the stronghold, Kavaa had not been there when Maisara, Elassa and Fortia and occupied it during the final decade.

  “Our Yvoln.” Kassandora replied. Irinika turned back to look at the few skyscrapers that were dotted throughout the large buildings. A cathedral, now Imperial but once of the White Pantheon, stood on the church. The ruins of an ancient amphitheatre did too, although they had been renovated and rebuilt in some cultural project.

  “Our Yvoln.” Irinika said, her mouth sounding as if she was physically tasting the word. “What a sight.” Kavaa remained silent. Irinika had not been impressed by the Suns under the Surface, but she had been gobsmacked by the tanks of the Second Expedition. Vehicles almost as large as her, powered by the mystery of gasoline and completely without any sort of magic running through them whatsoever. “You ladies have been busy.”

  “I didn’t build it.” Kassandora said dryly. “We’re heading there, you can see the city up close. Don’t scare anyone.”

  “Have I ever scared anyone little sister?” Irinika asked, her tone slow and sly and thoroughly aware of just how terrifying Irinika was. Dark eyes passed over to Kavaa, at this point, she had grown accustomed enough that the woman wasn’t going to hurt her. Her back didn’t instinctively straighten itself at attention, but her breath still caught. “Am I scary, Kavaa?”

  “No.” Kavaa lied on instinct. She didn’t even know why she did, Irinika just chuckled to herself.

  “So, how long have you two been together?” Her finger wagged from Kassandora to Kavaa. Another tank drove out of the tunnel’s entrance, the commander was sitting in the hatch on top of the turret. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, everyone did when they left.

  “I hate you.” Kassandora replied dryly. “Do you know that?”

  “Well you’ve not given me an answer.” Irinika said, still chuckling to herself. “It is lovely though, Kassie, I have thought you would never find a lover.”

  “I’m…” Kavaa trailed off. She was about to defend the honour of Kassandora and herself with an outright lie. But then, after that first word came out, she realised she didn’t want to whatsoever.

  “Shut up.” Kassandora said. “I’ll buy you cigarettes if you shut up.”

  Irinika chuckled, she turned and pointed at the men on the parking area by the entrance who were clustered around, chatting, sharing their own stories, and smoking. “Those little sticks?” The Goddess of Darkness chuckled. “Please, how cheap do you think I am? My pinkie is bigger than that.” Kavaa rolled her eyes at the repeat of this conversation. It was baffling how easy the Goddess of Darkness, that the White Pantheon feared and had so many meetings and conversations dedicated to, was easy to manage. She was a rabbit and tobacco was her carrot through and through.

  “Not my fault you chose the worst addiction.” Kassandora said.

  “I require a pipe.” Irinika said. Kassandora had done it indeed, Kavaa knew the taunting, inquisitive conversation that they would always go down where Irinika would press them for yet more information on a love life that only existed in fantasy yet could not be denied. And Irinika seemed to forget about it immediately. “With tobacco, a proper plantation stock as well, none of that wilderness bush they burn when rations run low.”

  Kassandora gave Kavaa a silent, impossible look and a shake of her head. “I’ll be impressed if you find wild tobacco nowadays.”

  “Rancais is a land of plenty, do you not remember the good times shared here with I and you?” For a moment, Kavaa had a pang of jealousy. She saw Kassandora’s face and the jealousy faded away, good times certainly meant a different thing for the two sisters.

  “I’m pretty certain it’s extinct here.” Kassandora said. “You’re going to have to you roll your own.”

  That lit the spark of curiosity within Irinika. “Roll?” She turned so fast that her black hair spun in the air like a lightless cloak that absorbed whatever it touched. “My my, what does that entail?”

  Kassandora just sighed. “If you shut up for the day, I’ll show you how.” Kassandora said. Irinika made a devilish smile.

  “That deal, I cannot accept.” Kavaa pursed her lips in annoyance. It was baffling how the woman spoke. It wasn’t that she couldn’t use an acceptable form of prose. It was obvious she could, somehow she managed to be direct and to the point whenever she was in a mood to tease and annoy. And yet when given actual conversation matter, she spoke in this thoroughly aggravating manner and in an even worse tone.

  “Then don’t, your loss.” Kassandora said dryly.

  “My my, what mistakes have I made when I raised you?” Irinika said. If she did not manage the word ‘I’ at least once every time she opened her mouth, she would explode, wouldn’t she? Kavaa was glad it was Irinika, any other Divine, she would have snapped at already.

  “You didn’t raise me.” Kassandora replied.

  “I will not try to bargain with your ingrateful ignorance.” Irinika replied smugly, she turned to look at Yvoln. “What are those towers?”

  Kassandora answered in the flattest imaginable. “Skyscrapers.”

  “What a grand name, fashioned in my honour, I assume.” Irinika said. Kavaa rolled her eyes. If only this woman wasn’t the Goddess of Darkness who could effortlessly stop any attempt at physical punishment. If only…

  “Of course.” Kassandora replied sarcastically.

  Irinika either did not care or maybe she had missed it. Or maybe she simply played into this annoying stereotype. Kavaa was sure that it was obvious she hated it. She didn’t even try to hide her scowl when Of Darkness was looking somewhere else. “As all things should be.” Irinika said. She took a deep breath and looked up at the sun. A real one this time, not a burning sphere filled with countless, overlapping runes. “What is the plan then Kassie?”

  “You’re asking me?” Kassandora asked.

  “I do indeed.” Kavaa silently brewed in her anger, of course a simple ‘yes’ would be too hard for her to say.

  “That’s new.” And something in Kavaa snapped. One was as bad as the other. Kassandora was purposefully baiting for annoying responses at this point.

  “Can’t you two get along?” She asked no one in particular, but there were only two around to hear it. Two sets of eyes, one dark, one crimson, turned to Of Health.

  “Do we not?” Irinika asked.

  Kassandora spoke at the exact same time. “We do.”

  “That is getting along?”

  “My my.” Irinika practically purred like a very content jaguar. “Look little sister, trouble has come to paradise.” Kavaa didn’t even want to know what was being insinuated there. She didn’t care. It wasn’t her job to care. She cared greatly.

  It was going to be a long, long, long trip back to Rilia.