In the sa way that winds carry through the atmosphere, or that oceans have general streams heading east to west or vice-versa in the form of currents, a similar phenonon occurs in the world of magics. Our word for these conglorations of energies are called leylines. It is easier to cast magic and channel energies the closer one is to a leyline. When stood directly within one or, even better, when stood in a place where they et, a confluence, then magic can co so freely even an apprentice would be able to call upon magics that should not be possible. Additionally, they carry magical residue. Whereas not directly harmful in themselves, a spell or the remains of one can cause certain freak weather events in regions completely isolated. During the Reconstruction era, monsoons in the Sassara were entirely unexplainable until we realised that they lined up precisely with Kht’s Aker College of Magics weather manipulation examinations.
The Great War and the subsequent era of Pantheon Peace brought about huge advances in the study of leylines. Whereas thoroughly investigated, we saw little rhy or reason for their advent. They can be differentiated. Stationary leylines have seemingly always existed for as long as I have been alive. Temporal leylines form for periods of decades to centuries when magical currents flow. This distinction was discovered thanks to the Grand Arcadia project. The shutting down of all magical institutions and coalescing them into Grand Arcadia removed the sources of power that were generally keeping temporal leylines alive. Huge sieges and battles, where thousands of mages used their magic created minor lines which disappeared quickly.
Stationary lines have no reason as to exist. Geography, population, industry, nature seemingly has no effect on them. Everything we can observe in a non-magical manner is typically redundant and worthless to study for the ti being. Even excavation attempts do not reveal anything notable about the makeup of the ground they sit on save that they are slightly richer in nutrients for agriculture. Even this is questionable, do the leylines exist because of the lands or are the lands rich because of the leylines? The presence of vast black-soils in Eastern Epa, which are only partly covered by leylines, suggest that soil richness and magical density have little to do with each other.
Nevertheless, there is precisely one factor that is so common it cannot be a coincidence. The capture of Imperial docunts from the Great War has given us access to their own maps of the Dwarven Underkingdoms. Every highway they have explored and colonized lays underneath a stationary leylines, there is no exception, not even one. There are stationary leylines without Dwarven presence underneath. Likewise, there are certain sectors of the Underkingdom that even during the Great War are labelled as “Blocked Off”.
According to Kassandora’s own writings, she does not believe that the dwarves built their own highway network. I concur with this theory.
Leylines and those tunnels running through Arda have a link.
The question is what that link is.
- Excerpt from “Magical Mysteries of Arda”, written by Goddess Elassa, of Magic.
Helenna strode behind Malam as the Goddess of Hatred sohow managed to sway her way through Iliyal’s centre. Even though they were both wearing the Imperial uniforms that Helenna had designed first for style and imposing image, Malam still managed to convey sensuality through it. How, the Goddess of Love did not even know…
Well she did actually. Malam sohow managed to send her fat butt rolling from side to side even when she was wearing a trench coat. They were walking through Palace L’Azoire, one of Agrita’s. Apparently, King Aimone and the Goddess of Rilia had both taken it fit to bequeath the place upon Iliyal Tremali for rescuing Rilia. Helenna had not even played a hand, Arascus most likely had not either. From what Helenna could work out, the Emperor liked to give out estates as gifts but Iliyal rarely took him up on the offer.
She supposed that Agrita had made the correct decision then. The elf had gotten an ancient palace that was in the very south of Rilia. It was only a half-hour from the coast. Moving the headquarters to here had taken a matter of hours. That sole reason was possibly the only thing that had made Iliyal actually accept the structure. And now that he had, the whole building had been rebuilt.
It was almost relieving to see that Iliyal had a sense of style which wasn’t dictated by military ethos. Granted it was terribly outdated, this style of brown and red was so… Helenna looked around at the fluffy red carpets and the plain walls that were freshly wallpapered. Well, they were from the ti of the Great War, more than a thousand years out of date. She had helped kill this look when Allasaria wanted to start a new cultural revolution in the world. “Walk normally.” Helenna hissed from behind Malam.
The Goddess of Hatred and didn’t even look behind herself. “Intimidated?” She asked. A pair of clerks, military staff officers appeared from the end of the corridor and Malam actually put her hands underneath her white sheet of hair to throw it up as if she thought she was so movie-star. What did she think she was doing? Was this her in? She actually planned to seduce Iliyal’s staff? The clerks watched for a mont, one of them went bright red and almost dropped his papers.
“Ashad.”
“Nothing shaful in being beautiful and knowing it.” Malam said. The Goddess of Hatred said. They were on their way to the Iliyal’s office at this point and passed the sole piece of decor Helenna so far; a sword that was hung up on the wall. And then Malam stopped. Helenna turned her eyes away to not even look at the sheer humiliation of the Goddess of Hatred bending down to expose the fact the top set of buttons in her shirt were undone. “Your na, sweetie?” She asked the man who had blushed.
“Arnold.” The man replied. “Arnold Kulz.”
“Wonderful.” Malam replied. “Clerk, right?”
“Sergeant.”
“Wonderful. Good job.” And just like that, it was as if he did not even exist. She just stood up and kept on walking. Helenna shot him a dirty look as they approached the door. Malam scratched sothing into her notepad. She had been doing this ever since they ca here. Before Helenna could catch it, Malam stuffed the notepad into her coat pocket once again.
They t no one else on the way to Iliyal’s office. Malam wasted no ti, as a Goddess should not of course. That was befitting. What was not befitting were her actions inside. “Hello Hello!” Malam cooed to the entire room. It was a terribly plain office going through redecoration. There were chairs against one wall, both for humans and a few for Divines, no table, no cabinets, nothing. Only Iliyal’s fanciful desk of carved wood in front of the windows. “What a beauty of a palace you have Iliyal! Downright magnificent, I dare say it’s as beautiful as !” Iliyal stared from behind his desk. A major was leaning by his side, the man’s head shot up and he saluted imdiately. So did the captain and several lieutenants that led their own individual Divisions in the southern Rilian.
“Stand down.” Iliyal ordered to his n. His elbows landed on the desk, fingers interlocked themselves and he pushed the coffee away as Malam walked to the centre of the room. The woman did absolutely everything to take up as much as space as possible. Helenna walked off to the side and watched Malam. She loosened her shirt, one finger stretching the white fabric down as she stared down the other n in the room. A few of them pretended not to see. Two turned their gazes. One of the lieutenants went red. Malam smiled at him as Iliyal sighed. “What do you want Malam?”
“I want to talk in private.” Malam said. “Lieutenant Schwarzkopf, right?” She pointed to the man who had been blushing.
“Yes Goddess!” He replied imdiately, saluting on the way. Iliyal just sighed, Helenna could almost feel his sha.
“Excellent. You may all leave, a Daughter-Goddess of the Empire is dismissing you thank you very much.” Malam clapped her hands and took the closest seat that could fit Divines. Helenna opened the door for the rest of the n. “Off you go, go on. I have business with your boss.”
Iliyal stared incredulously at Malam for a single mont and then nodded to the door. That was the sign for the Imperial officers. Malam brought out her piece of paper once again and Helenna ca close. The last man, the said Schwarzkopf who was pushing his luck too much, shut the door behind him. “Now Malam?” Iliyal asked. “What is it?”
“One.” Helenna looked over her downright despicable friend’s shoulder to see what the woman was writing. It was a list of nas. Lt. Schwarzkopf, above it was Sgt. Arnold Kulz. A list of nas? Say it wasn’t so. Malam ripped the sheet off her notepad and handed it to Iliyal. “This lot, get rid of.” Iliyal looked at the nas and then Malam. He stared at the list for a few monts, obviously unsure of what the woman was insinuating.
“Why?”
“SIS has caught a succubus aboard a refugee boat.” Malam replied and Helenna’s eyes grew wide. Already? “Proper shapeshifter, her knowledge of Epa did not check out though.”
“Are you sure?” Iliyal asked.
Malam brought out her phone. The woman’s password was ridiculously long. At least two words. She opened her gallery and scrolled to a recent image. Helenna decided not to comnt that their were images of her there even though she could see the lock of hair always in the corner of her eye turning bright red. Most of them were Malam’s own selfies. And then an image of a voluptuous demoness who had been shot in the back of the head. She tapped that and showed it to Iliyal. “This is your proof.” Malam said.
“That is a succubus indeed.” Iliyal said. “When Fer’s beastn co back, I’ll spread them out across the leadership.”
“The SIS is catching who they can.” Malam said. “I’ve designed modern knowledge exams they won’t know.”
“Such as?” Iliyal asked and then stopped himself. “Do I even want to know?”
“They’re to translate modern internet slang.” Malam replied proudly and Iliyal just stared at her, dead-eyed. Helenna pulled up her own chair to sit next to the Goddess of Hatred in front of Iliyal’s desk.
“Will that even work?” Helenna asked.
“It’s worked so far.” Malam proudly showed off the image of the dead succubus once again.
“It’s just crude.” Helenna said, her hair turning black. “How many will you…” She saw Malam’s cold face and stopped talking.
“Results speak for themselves.” Malam replied coldly. “I’m in charge of the SIS and we do things my way. You’re welco to suggest another thod, equally fast because that’s our core issue here.” Helenna was going to suggest mass surveillance. That was impossible though, an army would have to be ford and as many Bureaus as the Empire had, Arascus did not like each person having too many employees underneath them.
“Could Clerics not find biological differences?”
Malam imdiately turned to the elf in charge of the defence of Epa. “Iliyal, will you spare two hundred Clerics so that I can have a team at each refugee dock?”
Iliyal just stared blankly at the woman for a mont. Helenna always was impressed at how well this elf kept composure. Even when he was sitting across from two Goddesses who were so much taller they looked down on him, eyes still t eyes. “Most of them are in the Second Expedition.” He said. “Pull so from hospitals.”
“Helenna, you can do that if you wish.” Malam said. “We’re doing things the old fashioned way. Iliyal, these are the people who will get got by a succubus.” She leaned forward to tap the paper. Iliyal looked down at the piece of paper again.
“I’ll move them out then.” He said.
“That’s how you do things?” Helenna asked. “Just see if anyone falls for you?” What… In the White Pantheon, they had counterasures against spying from Tartarus too but this? Just that? Really?
“That’s how I did in the past and it worked largely. Fools like this crack first.” Malam explained. “Either way, I’m only doing this because it’s your headquarters. Lovely place by the way.”
“Don’t comnt on it. Agrita all but stuffed it into my hands.”
“Well it’s good you have a place to pop out so more kids.” Malam said and Iliyal just stared at her. Helenna monitored both their reactions, everyone knew that the elf had designed on not siring anymore offspring at this point.
“So what have you co for?” Iliyal asked. “Or is it just a friendly inspection?”
“Friendly inspections can wait, how is the Ashfront, we’ve caught reports it’s finally moving again.” Iliyal said. “They’re spilling out west over Arika. We expect them to make an attempt at landfall once again in Southern Rilia and in Esberia. Ekkerson will be hit in two days. The Arikan Ashlands they’ve crossed into as well. Sokolowski gave the report, he’s luring them in deeper so far.”
“Grand.” Malam clapped her hands. “I assu you’re not going to give a report on the rest of the situation?” Iliyal looked desperately from Malam to Helenna. The Goddess of Love could practically see the exhaustion in the elf already. To think that Malam had actually managed to drain him of energy in the span of what? Minutes?
“Do you want one?” Iliyal asked. “How indepth?”
“Sweetheart, I don’t care either way to be honest.” Malam said. “It’s handled, right?”
“It’s handled.” Iliyal ignored the na at the beginning. “What do you want to suggest? The army is mine Malam. I’ll take suggestions but go through God Arascus if you want to give sothing to do.”
“I am very simply going to state one thing.” Malam said. “Because I have prepared everything already for you.”
“Go on then.” Iliyal leaned back. He picked up his coffee and then set the white cup back down without drinking.
“Does that have alcohol in it?” Malam asked.
Iliyal rolled his eyes. “No.”
“That’s a lie, I can sll it and I know you.”
“Are you actually asking for a drink?” Iliyal said. Helenna leaned over.
“Don’t give her any.” Helenna said and Malam chuckled.
“See Iliyal, I need a drink. I have a nanny with .”
“My condolences.” The elf just sounded extrely satisfied with the situation. “I know you Malam. I don’t have whiskey.”
“Are you saying that so I don’t crave it or because you don’t?”
“I don’t.” Iliyal replied flatly and Malam smiled at him. She leaned down, purposefully pushing her bosom onto the table.
“You are the only mortal who I let get away with such brazen lying, you know that?”
“Now I do.” Iliyal said. Helenna just sat there. She had seen these interact before, it was always incredible. Honestly, she did not even feel bad for being the third-wheel to the conversation. And she couldn’t get the fact that Malam had so many pictures out of her mind. How did she even take them? What the actual fuck? Her hair turned bright red again. “Anyway go on, a bottle may or may not be sowhere in the palace but ask a clerk on the way out.”
“You have an issue with won Iliyal.” Malam declared and Iliyal just sat there in silence. “You need more maids. I only saw four on the way here.”
“I have twenty-one employed currently and there’s another nineteen open positions.” Iliyal said.
“Assembling a harem are we?” Malam guffawed and Iliyal gave no reaction. He looked to his coffee again and Malam chuckled.
Helenna just sat there, utterly baffled. “Why does he need maids?”
Of all people, it was Iliyal who answered and not Malam. “Long-term, Succubi maintain disguise for around twenty hours and then they need a similar ti to cool down. They can push themselves for longer of course but they crack after a week or two. You assign them to a shared dorm room and they can’t handle it.”
“Really?” Why had the White Pantheon never thought of that?
“Goddess Kassandora’s own counterasures.” Iliyal said. “That’s how we keep them out of fortresses.”
“Unless it’s a guest.” Malam said.
“I’m not a particularly favoured host.” Iliyal said. “Fer’s beastn can sniff them out too. Fer of course can too.”
“They can’t do anything non-human either.” Malam said. “Elves even as girlishly pretty as Iliyal are safe. Height difference.” She actually patted the man’s head. Helenna watched Iliyal seethe in silence as he stared daggers at the Goddess before him. Girlishly pretty was precisely the opposite of what rugged Iliyal was.
“So? Get on with it.”
Malam dropped a bomb on their conversation. “At any mont, I can pull Maisara and Fortia into the war with Tartarus. Just give the signal and it should work.” Helenna’s hair turned the pale white of shock. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at the creature next to her. Sotis, she forgot that this woman was actually the one who
“Do I want to know how?”
“Believe it or not, no one needs to die for it.” Malam actually sounded proud of herself.
“Very well. How long?”
“If it works?” Malam moved her head from side to side. “How long does Tartarus take to react militarily?”
“I can’t tell you that.” Iliyal said.
“And here I thought you knew everything.” Once again, Iliyal did not respond. Malam did not let the silence go on for long. She leaned on the table again. “When do you want to fire it?” Iliyal sat there and finally dropped the posture. His head collapsed and he looked down at the map. “Perfect timing would be to coincide with a counter-attack into Arika.”
“And that would be when?”
“We’ve not gotten that far into the planning stage yet Malam.” Iliyal said.
The Goddess of Hatred took a deep breath and once again made her voice as soft as velvet. “My my, and here I thought I was the slow one. Very well.” She stood up imdiately. “I’m a busy busy girl. Off we go Helenna. Ti to get to work.”
“What?”
“That’s it.” Malam said. “Iliyal, ring when you want it to fire. Give a week in advance. I’ll have everything ready. Tartarus will attack Kht when I pull the trigger.”
“You sure?” Iliyal asked.
“I am.”
“Alright.” Iliyal said. “I’ll consider…” He trailed off as Malam reached for his coffee cup and poured the whole thing into her mouth. “…it.” Now that the Divines were stood up, Iliyal in his chair barely reached to their belts. Even then, he still managed to hold their gazes.
“Oh well lookie here.” Malam cooed. “Looks like you were drinking after all.”
Malam found the bottle in a minute.
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