It is crucial to use the lens of foresight, our knowledge of the Great War can be used to explain the events of Reconstruction with such clarity that other theories simply find themselves inadequate.

Arascus has always been famed for being one of the most foremost researchers of Divinity. The God of Pride has forever waged a war on ignorance since his inception. He was the one who managed to narrow down our understanding of incarnation from the century-long idea to the ten-to-fifty range. Likewise, although discussed later, his ambition of Divine mass manufacture also provides the necessary context required to explain his actions in the Era of Reconstruction.

Whereas the foundations of modern nations were set by the Reconstruction Authority, they existed as merely loose concepts with malleable borders, beholden more to the whims of the aristocracy that owned the land itself. Modern nationhood, as we know it, began near the end of Reconstruction when borders were clarified and set under the abstract ideals of united countries. The advent of these Divines was revolutionary for Divinity overlapping finally came about. A castle may possess its own Divine, and it may fall under an umbrella which wielded a greater Divine.

Arascus of Pride saw the potential everyone else had missed. The original Empire was an amalgamation of several minor nations throughout the lands now known as Rilia. They were reclassified as Imperial Provinces even though they had enough identity to create their own National Divines. There were many who had expected the God had finally snapped when the Great Projects of the Empire were announced. Fortresses, cathedrals, arenas, aqueducts and tunnels of enormous size were built for the first time without magical support. The attrition amongst workers was comparable to battlefield conditions. There were many who turned their backs on Arascus during that span of time, assuming he had gone mad.

Yet here, we see two more bricks in the foundation that made up the Imperial Great War effort. Their armies were famed for their ability to dig in and fortify, even without sorcerers to assist them. The engineering techniques were learned from where? From their endless constructions. And we see the first toward mass Divinity. Every castle, every great structure where one had died, started to incarnate its own mascot Divine. Whereas it was known that specific, named castles could create their own Divines. Arascus took this to the upper limit. Structures were built specifically to incarnate Divines.

By the time of the Great War, Arascus had created so many Gods that his Empire held three-quarters of all Divinity world-wide.

- Excerpt from “The Archive of Arda”, written by Goddess Elassa, of Magic.

“What are you looking at?” Arascus heard Kavaa’s question, she sat on the other side of the cargo plane that was taking them. The UNN had delayed, delayed, delayed and then it suddenly could get everything working. Arascus had not liked how that went. Maybe they were truly honest. Maybe it was just a cascading failure in their logistics. But he had seen Malam in action for far too many times to not recognize when a scheme resembling one of hers ultimately fell upon him.

“Iliyal sent images.” Arascus answered. He pulled his eyes away from the satellite imagery on the phone and across the bare hull of the cargo plane. It had brought equipment for Kavaa’s Clerics here, now it was carrying two Divines back to Epan. “Of the front.” He added after Kavaa raised a grey eyebrow.

“Is it bad?” She asked. Her black knee-length coat was buttoned up, her hands where in her front pockets as she sat straight backed. There was no way to answer that without confirming that it was terrible. Arascus said nothing, he just flipped his phone back to Kavaa and showed off the satellite imagery. “So they’ve reached the coast.” She said. Ashen Skies had accelerated once again, they were now beginning to spill over into the sea that separated Epa and Arika.

“Not just that.” Kavaa better be told. If she panicked now, then Arascus at least had time to rally her morale. He turned the phone back to him, flicked through the images and came to the collage of satellite photos someone had organised. Each one had a red circle outlining what the panic was about. “This is the problem.” Arascus said.

“What’s that?” Kavaa asked.

“Archdemon.” Arascus said as the plane turned in the air. The pilot’s voice came through the comms to apologize for turbulation. “It’s carrying something on its back. Whatever it is, we can see it from space.”

“Huge then.” Kavaa said. “Olephia.”

“Olephia is in Klavdiv. Iniri apparently requested her presence to assist with the dig. She’ll be out in two, three days.”

“And?”

“It will have hit Rilia by then.” Arascus said. “In a day, it crossed three-quarters of the Sassara. Iliyal is working on containment strategies to slow it down.”

“Ahh.” Kavaa said.

“I will be there.” Arascus said and looked at Kavaa. “And you too.” Kavaa took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Arascus had brushed her hair again before they set off, it took on a sleeker shade of grey, almost silver-like in the lights of the cargo-hold.

“Okay.” Kavaa said.

“We’ll bring it down.”

“You brought down six in the Great War.” Kavaa said. “I assume your men have a plan. Iliyal must.”

“He’s confirmed he has one.” Arascus said. “As it looks, it will come alone. Land armies obviously won’t be keeping up.”

“Will a prince not be there?”

“Unconfirmed.” Arascus said. “It is what it is. Whatever is on its back is huge. There could be an entire army in there.”

“Looks like we’re not the only ones with new toys then.” Kavaa said and Arascus smiled. Arda had new toys for two years and it was going up against worlds that had a full millennia to openly develop their militaries. Pantheon Peace had been worse for this planet than Worldbreaking.

“Iliyal may die.” Arascus said. “He is staying in Southern Rilia.”

“Is he stupid?” Kavaa asked.

“Someone has to rally the men.” Arascus said. “He predicts that the front garrison will break without him there. I don’t disagree with him.” Iliyal knew what he was doing. Arascus could only pray for that.

“So he has a deathwish?”

“He’s been around for too long.” Arascus said. “Not a Divine but it gets to the point that he sees more in common with us than with mortals.” He shrugged. “It is what it is, elves reach that point in their lives were nothing remains. The man wants an out, what he says is true, if the men know Iliyal Tremali is there with them, they will stand. I won’t deny him.”

“Kassie is underground.” Kavaa said. “Who will manage the war effort then?”

“I will.” Arascus replied and Kavaa fell silent. She just closed her eyes and leaned back and kept her mouth shut. The plane turned again. What was the pilot doing? “In regards to that, how much life can you pour out of yourself?”

“What do you mean?”

“Can you heal me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m just asking.” Arascus said. “I know healing Fer drained you during the Jungle escape.”

“She had Baalka’s blood boiling away in her. I managed to hold for what? A whole day against that? Who else would manage? Who else would even attempt that?”

“There are limits we don’t know about.” Arascus said and chuckled. “I know my limit is forty Divines for example, but thirty-nine?” He shrugged. “Thirty maybe?”

“You’re talking about the final battle in Rhomaion.”

“I am.” Arascus said. “Pride is difficult to kill.”

“We’ll see then.” Kavaa said and Arascus closed his eyes as the plane suddenly swerved to the left so deeply that Kavaa had to hold onto the her bench to stop herself from sliding off. “It shouldn’t be doing that, should it?”

“Ash could be stalling the engines.”

“It wouldn’t have reached here yet.”

“Traces are in northern Epa already and this is an old plane.” Arascus said. He stood up from the bench as the plane level and turned to look out the window. Outside was a perfect, cloudless night sky. The stars shown above them so clearly even heaven’s silver band could be traced out. The plane turned slightly south. Below them, it was the endless ocean black in the night. No ships sailed it, not even rogue fishermen would venture this far over open waters. The captain finally decided to alert them.

“My Emperor.” He said, sounding hesitant in himself. “Something is following us.” Arascus and Kavaa both looked at each other for a moment. He couldn’t see what went on in her mind, but he knew what was going in his. A plane could be anything. From the UNN to any other nation, it could be the White Pantheon, it could even be something as far out as there as a Tartarian jet or a traitor within the Empire. Yet Arascus’ gut dismissed them all. There was a story that fit all too well. The UNN government had been delaying them with excuse after excuse until suddenly the excuses stopped. Ciria’s change of tune had been too sudden. “I’ve tried to shake it off, it’s maintaining collision course.”

“Missile?” Kavaa posed it like a question but there was nothing to say. Arascus would have answered had lights not suddenly started flashing red. A howling alarm began to sound.

“Deploying flares!” The captain’s voice came again and then a moment later it added yet another detail. “No effect!”

“Stand.” Arascus said as he crossed the distance to Kavaa. All Divines could be killed, in here they were sitting ducks waiting to be shot up. A lucky high-calibre round to the head would end them both and if something could go wrong, it would go wrong. Kavaa stood only for Arascus to embrace her like precious little mouse. He could feel the heat radiating off her, this close, her heartbeat was noticeable too. “We’re going to be okay.”

“Are we?” Kavaa asked. Arascus did not answer, he just grabbed her tight so that she would not slip from his arms and turned to make sure that it was his back aimed at the rear door of the plane.

“We’re leaving.” Arascus shouted as bullets suddenly filled the cabin through that rear door. Splints of metal the dust of paint filled the room along with the massive rounds designed to penetrate heavy armour. Arascus felt a dozens of the rounds themselves penetrate through his skin and get lodged into muscle. It had been a good call to cover the Goddess, she would not have withstood that.

“You’re hurt.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Arascus said his body pushed out the bullets. “Prep yourself for if you get hurt.” He still felt the burn of Kavaa’s healing on his back. Whatever. No point scolding her. They had to get into the open so that a defence could be mounted. Arascus took a deep breath, tensed his core, pulled over every muscle in his body, he squeezed Kavaa tight.

And Arascus lifted off into the air.

Separated from the plane by his own power, he felt his velocity change. It lasted merely a moment. Windows slid past him. The benches finished. The tread plate on the floor became a blur as Arascus’ own magical speed began to maintain his momentum.

The plane was tremendously fast. And he was tremendously slow.

Arascus smashed through the rear door of the cargo plane just as the enemy jet made a sideways passed at it. Kavaa fell silent as she felt her legs kick into open air. The chill of the cold ocean night cradled them, at least the winds were relatively calm. Arascus could still hear sirens from the cargo plane even as its wings were penetrated length ways, from one wing to next. One engine blew up. The other caught fire. The plane lost control as its fuel tanks ruptured. Dark smoke of chemical flames began to spew from its rear as it began to plunge downwards. Arascus grasped the back of Kavaa’s head with his arm and slid her to the side even as she began to shout question. “Can you down it?” Kavaa asked. “On my belt, I have a g-““

“I’ll down it.” Arascus said. “Get on my back.”

“What?” He slid her along him.

“Hold onto me.” Arascus said. He felt the Goddess of Health wrap her hands around his neck and then pushed her so that spun around. Divine. Great War Veteran. Damn Goddess of Health. She should be able to lift hold herself. And hold herself she did. Arascus felt her chest slam down onto his back as her legs wrapped around him. “I am the shield. Heal me if I’m hurt.”

Kavaa’s voice came as a warm whisper into his ear. “You have blood on your back.”

“Don’t tell me you’re queasy.” Arascus said as he turned. His eyes followed the arc. Without clouds, the sky was merely a canvas. Maybe if this was the ancient air-cavalry of flying horses, maybe if it was Be’elzebub who existed as a swarm of locusts, it would fade into collage of black-blue spotted with white stars. A modern jet, with two engines that burned like two orange signal flares, did not. Arascus felt his breath cut short. “Relax Kavaa. You’re going to strangle me.”

He felt her legs squeeze tighter around his chest and the grip around his neck loosened. His eyes kept track of that pair of circular orbs as a golden disk appeared high above them. The ornate tip of a winged spear slowly slid out of it. The orbs slowly became downwards face half-moons. Then jets of fire. It was making an upwards loop to at them from above. Arascus lost track of it.

His eyes jumped around, unable to find them. He curled his fist.

They were not going to be playing some damn game of hide and seek.

Arascus cast one hand to the side. A golden sphere, swirling as if it was molten, appeared by his side. Then another. Ten. A hundred. A thousand. Ten thousand. He felt Kavaa’s breathe catch in awe as the spheres went on for a mile. More appeared below and above. They grew in size. They spread out again. They made walls and a ceiling. More and more and more, until Arascus had pulled the curtain of gold over the night sky.

If they wanted to play games, they had come to wrong Divine.

His eyes found the plane immediately. It was a black silhouette now as it continued its arc. If the pilot was smart, he would have already begun to evade and escape and maybe live another day. Arascus gave it one more moment. Only one fin on the back. Large, odd shape in the wings. Not Imperial then. Definitely something new.

He just needed to confirm.

In the next moment, just as the dark sky was smattered with white stars, the golden wall became smattered with black marks. Spear and sword and pike and axe slid out of it as Arascus stood in the air, Kavaa on his back.

A thousand blades launched forwards.

By the time the fireball had finished, only shreds were left of whatever plane it was that had attacked them. Arascus took a deep and watched it fall. He felt Kavaa shift as she did too. There was no grand splash into that dark ocean. Instead, the scrap peppered the surface as if it was rain. A thousand tiny splashes. Arascus turned to where the cargo plane was. It had already submerged.

“What are you looking for?”

“Do you see a parachute?” Arascus asked. “It will be white.” Both Divines searched for another minute. Arascus called it. There was no point standing here waiting forever. “He didn’t make it.”

“No.” Kavaa said. “What now?”

Arascus took a deep breath as he looked at the stars. He found the constellations quickly enough. Pegasus was visible in autumn. From that… The greater bear. Its nose led to the tail of the lesser bear. “That way is north.” Arascus said. He turned to have that star on this left. “This way is Epa. It’s going to be a long journey.”