To try and figure out the precise chanics of Divine power is, on so regards, a needless exercise. The blade I summon, Joyeuse, is an unknown to . I do not know what tal it is made from, nor whether it is even is a tal. I simply know the material is hard enough to not chip on any man-made material although it can take damage from deflecting assaults from other Divine weaponry. Nevertheless, it cleans and repairs itself off imdiately when I materialize it, so effectively, there has never been any reason for to find out exactly how my power works.
We can go to other Divines, Anassa imposes her will over reality. Elassa does the sa, since that is the basis of magic. Yet the minute details and differences of how exactly they do these things are unknown. Does Elassa force certain chemical reactions to occur? Anassa certainly does not, since sorcery is immaterial. So Divines, we can reason through modern science: Olephia obviously causes atoms to split apart through nuclear fission and/or fusion. Kavaa has studied her own power to so extent, and she can accelerate bodily function without causing the passage of ti to affect it. If we go deeper though, do we know what sort of “health” she aims for. Obviously, it is perfect health, but does she impose her own healthiness onto another or can she connect to so abstracted, out of this world, objective asure of “perfect” health?
These questions simply do not need to be settled for us to function. Nevertheless, in the context of Pax, where a loophole has to be found. We need to know the details of his power, to be able to slip through those details. Thus, I will go through with the ntal universal guardian angel (MUGA) hypothesis.
We know that Pax is not immortal, as he has been hurt in the past. In the Great War, we managed to tar the demon’s mind with paranoia through leading him to an avalanche spot. Unfortunately, that attempt failed and the demon learned to avoid mountainous areas. After that trap, he now marches with an army too, so that he is not encircled. The fact he got hit by artillery’s shrapnel, likewise, is evidence that whatever protection he has is not a physical shield, yet a soldier cannot shoot or stab him. The ntal aspect of the MUGA Hypothesis is explained, Pax does not target harm physically, he targets stuns the mind of whoever is going to harm him.
The second part of the MUGA model is the Universal. Pax’s power, as confird by artillery and by the 1st Strategic Missile Corps, is omnipresent throughout the world. Direct line-of-sight, knowledge of Pax, knowledge of Pax’s presence, none of this seems to matter. This plays into possibly the most difficult part of MUGA, which is the Guardian Angel. Pax does not even seem aware that he is stopping others from hurting him. Obviously, he knows that he cannot be consciously hard, and it is part of his fighting style, but he does not seem to command it consciously. It simply happens. This is confird through the fact that things Pax himself cannot possibly know about, such as over-the-horizon artillery, cannot fire on him.
To sum it up, it is as if the universe itself is acting as a guardian angel for the demon, and ntally stun-locking any who wish to harm him.
Yet MUGA still allowed a rock to hit him.
Thus, this guardian angel must have so calculation limit. That is the weak point I shall plan to target.
- “The Pax Hypothesis”, written by Goddess Kassandora, of War.
Maisara stood next to Fortia, Fer a few steps away from them as the three Divines prepared to be effective army-clearers and atshields. Kassandora’s plan, from what Maisara could understand of it, be a continuous mass strike. Maisara simply decided not to think about it, she was here to follow orders and not much else. Besides, it was Kassandora.
There was Fortia and there were Kassandora, both had to be respected when it ca to these gas. And Maisara would never admit, even if Fortia would herself, but Kassandora was the better strategist, commander and tactician. To try and argue with Kassandora about her military planning would be akin to trying to argue with Elassa about so magical theory. Maisara, very simply, had nothing to add. The wind picked up and wrapped around her bare legs. Maisara readjusted the tower-shield on her back and tightened one of the straps which hooked over her shoulder. Both her and Fortia had been given the heavy tower shields, Kavaa was supposed to co with them to the front lines.
Fer had spoken up first. Vials of the woman’s blood would be better for her than dragging Kavaa here. Then Fortia had spoken, that it would be more dangerous for everyone involved if she had to concentrate on protecting Kavaa as she fought. Maisara had co in as back-up, it was true though, there was little to argue about. All three of them were fast enough to get back to Kavaa if they got hit with a force that natural regeneration could not overco anyway.
So Kavaa had been kept behind, now her and Agrita were standing as the final defence line before Apoli. The city had been put under martial law, police had co out to assist the soldiers, conscripts had been called up too. But that lot were just to catch anything that filtered through Fortia, Fer and Maisara. And with all three of them, Maisara could not imagine that a lot would get past. A few tanks and artillery were arranged in the back too, just behind the trenchline that Agrita had been told to dig and prepare, although those had not been given clearance to fire. Nor had the troops themselves.
It would be an army against three Goddesses. Maisara glanced over at Fer. Of Beasthood stood with her arms swinging, her ears pointed forwards, humming so upbeat tune to herself. Then Of Order glanced at Fortia. Of Peace was a gold-bronze mirror to Of Order. Another tower-shield was on her back, and the woman stood in the ancient cuirass that mirrored Maisara’s. A skirt of scale-mail that fell to just above the knees, gauntlets, her shoulders bare. The gold-bronze hair falling loose. All three of them relied on speed and skill. They had co from eras where getting hit once t getting ripped apart by so great beast. Maisara had never appreciated heavy armour for herself, even the tower-shield felt as if she was trying to roleplay a human.
So the three stood and waited. Behind them, the citizens of Apoli ford another defensive line with the guns that Kassandora had given out. Windows facing this side of the city were boarded up as snipers took refuge in city blocks and on rooftops. Cars were cleared off the road so that Agrita’s took could easily filter back in should they need to retreat. The rest of the civilian population, children and elderly and those who could not fight, were sent to the northern quarter of the city. And so the three stood and waited in a silence that Maisara appreciated very much.
Fer, apparently, did not. Her ears jumped, she sniffed the air, and then she sighed. “They’re not close.”
“Can you sll them already?” Fortia asked.
“No.”
“Oh.” Maisara didn’t quite understand how her friend was so talkative. Maybe it was the difference between being exposed to Irinika and to Anassa back in Esberia, but it was incredible that Fortia found anything to say in these tis.
“Is it true by the way?” Fer asked. “Since we’re going to kill him, I thought I should ask.” She turned around as she spoke, arms crossed, smile wide and bright.
“What are you talking about?” Fortia asked, shifting under Fer’s gaze.
“That he’s taken a fancy to you?” Fer said and Maisara straightened her spine. That was one of the things they simply left unsaid. There were was no need to discuss these things, undoubtedly there were humans that fancied Divines all throughout the world. Fortia just happened to find one who was a demon prince.
The Goddess of Peace sighed and interlocked her fingers on top of her head. “Are you seriously asking about this?”
“Shouldn’t I?” Fer said. “I’m curious. Is it true?”
“It’s true.” Fortia said dryly. “Should it not be obvious in fact?”
“Should it?” Fer asked.
“What am I an the incarnation of?”
“Peace.” Fer replied.
“And what he is the prince of?”
“Peace.” Fer answered. Her ears bounced, she stared at Fortia with those great gold eyes of hers. “And?” Fortia blinked, she looked to Maisara, then back at Fer. Maisara didn’t even what to say. Fortia was completely correct, what did it have to do with anything? The creature was hellspawn. It should be begging for its life and hope that Divinity was rciful for simply plaguing this world with its existence. If it tried to touch Fortia, then a thousand O-Bombs wouldn’t be enough for what Maisara would do to them.
“Can’t you put two and two together?” Fortia asked.
“No.” Fer said. “I am baffled as to how a demon prince could have a fancy to you.” It was a comnt so dry that Maisara had to take a mont to process it. She stared at Fortia as the woman’s face twisted in confusion.
“And that ans what exactly?”
Fer chuckled and struck a pose. “It ans he has poor taste in mates.” One hand landed on her hip, the other on the back of her head. She burst out in laughter after a second, then turned back around to watch the horizon once again. The sky here was more grey than blue, even the grass had a layer of the grim colour to it.
“He has no interest in . It is because I am Arda’s Peace and he Tartarus’. The title is what counts.” Fortia scoffed. “And I have no interest in inhumans, so the feeling is mutual.”
“Oh we are Ardan.” Fer chuckled and turned back around. “Of course Fortia, I would never besmirch you and say you had the hots for a demon.” She chuckled devilishly to herself. “I just was curious on whether it was and whether you knew.”
“Of course I knew.” Fortia said. Maisara nodded to back her friend up. Everyone knew that Pax’s eyes would always hold a fraction too long on Fortia.
“And you?” Fer asked Maisara.
“My opinion on it?” Maisara asked and Fer nodded. “I have nothing to say, it’s a disgusting creature. Our world is made worse every mont it spends here.” Fer chuckled.
“What a noble cause from the Goddess of Order.”
“Demons should not be here.” Maisara said. “If you wish for logic or rationality, I can explain it, they are a cursed people from the beginning, with no value of their owns. And thoroughly arrogant, for thinking that we should extend to them the sa opinions we have of each other, when they don’t even have a shred of the respect between themselves.” Reasoning enough. That world was cursed, demons spread and populated like insects, and then wanted to be treated like Divines. It was simply not right. “What is this though? Why the interrogation?”
“I’m just curious on your reasoning.” Fer said. “Can I not be?” She leaned down, put her hands on her knees, made big eyes at Maisara, her ears jumped, her tail swayed.
“That doesn’t work on .” Maisara said.
“What about you?” Fortia asked. “If you could, would you kill him?”
Fer straightened, her smile people downright wolfish. Her ears jumped and turned around, then back to Fortia and Maisara. “What sort of question is that Fortia, do you even know ?”
“I don’t think I do.” Fortia replied without a hint of sha. She still stood like a glorious statue, her fingers interlocked on top of her gold-bronze hair. The only part of her that moved was a slight shifting in the chest as she breathed.
Fer answered the question with a chuckle. “I think he is not one of us, and that is enough reason for . Tartarus is a tiger, Arda is a bear, tigers and bears do not live together. They are not dogs.”
“I would call them a hyena.” Fortia said.
“Locust is a better descriptor.” Maisara added. Of Beasthood laughed and slled the air.
“I like that.” She said. “And the swarm is coming.”
“How do you know?” Fortia asked.
“I can them over the hill.” Fer said. “You girls aren’t so bad, you know.”
“You’re not so bad yourself Fer.” Fortia said. Maisara just remained silent. What were they even doing here. They were Divines and they had a job to do.
“I’m honoured.” Fer said. “You know what we are?”
“What?”
“We’re three big bears.” She chuckled. “That’s my favourite animal, did you know?”
“You said.” Fortia said and Maisara nodded. Back at the eting when Irinika had arrived.
“Well be happy, for the three bears will be squashing locusts today.” She chuckled again. “Fitting.” And then, Fer put her fist up to Maisara as if she was about to try and punch her in the stomach. Maisara didn’t flinch or move, she just stared at it. What exactly was she going to do with that? Another fist went up to Fortia. Of Peace at least seed to catch on what the aning of the gesture was. Her bronze eyes went wide and she let out a half-gasp, half-laugh. “Really?” Maisara didn’t understand what all the excitent was about.
“Well, we’re a team now, aren’t we?” Fer asked.
“Thank you.” Fortia said, she repeated the gesture, bumping her fist against Fer’s. Of Beasthood burst out in a great big smile, her ears jumped, her tail swished from side to side. Even Fortia looked satisfied with herself.
Maisara took a deep breath. What in the actual fuck? They were Divines. They were not supposed to play these childish gas. A fist bump? Seriously? “Well?” Fer asked.
“Alright.” Maisara replied. But it was Fer, and she was a Divine that was respectable. And this was her turf, Maisara may be in the Empire, but she still felt like a guest. It wasn’t her place to cause a scene. She bumped fists with Fer.
“I’m honoured.”
Behind Fer, white banners scattered marching over the horizon.
Pax’s Legion had arrived.
User Comments
0 comments from readers