There was a ti when Divinity had a culture of bathing in their abilities. Of Weapons spent almost his entire life surrounded by his creations and any eting with Of Slaughter was the roll of a dice on whether one would leave unhard. Of Chaos claid a set of mountains in Norje and made that her residence, whereas Of Disease could always be tracked through were plagues spontaneously appeared. This culture ended during the Age of Heroism after Of Slaughter’s death. Divinity that ca later, like Kassandora and Elassa, who had a frantic need ingrained into themselves to morize, track and record every single detail about others, made sure that style of wielding strength would never again be seen on Arda.
The smartest of us realised fairly quickly to keep our aces close to our chests. I do not talk of secret powers, although I am certain at least a few exist, but of potential strength. Arascus is a good example, for the God of Pride has revealed almost everything about himself. We know his skin is tougher than standard Divinity’s and we know he can open an entrance to a Divine Armoury which contains all the weapons of humanity. That is confird, in his own words. Anyone who fights with Arascus will know this imdiately, it is the pulling back of a cloak to reveal another. How many weapons can Arascus actually call upon? He relies on hurling blades, does that an that crossbows and muskets are impossible? Could he summon a musket but be unable to fire it? And how tough is ‘tougher than standard’ exactly?
Any Divine that relied on their ability to bring about prestige eventually was tested. And then, they were destroyed. Of Slaughter was revealed to have a range, Of Weapons did not even know that his power could run out of energy before the day he died.
Although as I talk about this, I reveal my age. It is sothing that I am aware of, that Fortia is aware of, Arascus, Irinika, Neneria, Iniri. It is sothing that Kassandora has worked out through her own genius. It is sothing that Elassa, Kavaa and Allasaria practice only in theory. The Goddess of Light did not exist during the majority of the Age of Heroism, nor the Ages before it, she does not have that ingrained lifestyle in her to treat every ally as a potential future enemy. Elassa openly records her own feats and shares them around. Kavaa simply heals and never pushes her art, but is not secretive about it either.
It has to be so sickness of the mind, nevertheless, I would never reveal how fast I am when I push, or the exact amount I could lift without struggling. It is simply a poor tactical decision and I do not have to be particularly skilled to see it. All the Divines of my age or older possess this survival instinct.
- Excerpt from “Divine Record-Keeping”, written by Goddess Maisara, of Order.
“How exactly does your power work?” Arascus looked down at Ciria and Halkus now that they were more than half way across the Alanktyda. The INS Tremali was making good progress and no winter storms have intervened to harass their journey back to Epa. The two Divines have largely avoided Arascus, he stood and waited at the bow of the ship, they at the back like a series of prisoners. Maybe they felt like it, Arascus did not particularly care with these two.
Ciria of Civilization smoothed her white dress down, her eyes fixed on a dash of apparently very interesting yellow paint that marked were jets should position themselves before setting off. Halkus, in his dark suit that was more plain and formal business style rather than the imposing Imperial, t Arascus’ gaze. “How is that relevant?” The God of Industry asked.
Sotis, it was almost banal how they still tried to put up a fight, Arascus very simply did not see a point in it. Would he have to talk them into giving an answer every single ti he wanted sothing? “You are going to be Inter Continental Drop Towers.” He said slowly, not trying to leave the condescension from his voice. Above, a series of gulls cawed as they flew about the INS Tremali and its supporting fleet. “I think it’s very relevant to know how your power works so that we’re not making mistakes when we’re trying to cleanse the atmosphere.”
“We’re not children Arascus.” Halkus replied dryly. “You don’t have to use that tone.”
“You too Halkus, how does your power work in the fine chanics of industry?” Ciria sighed as shook her head, interrupting her husband before he could dig the whole they were in any deeper.
“I take material and I reconstruct it.” She said. Arascus stared down at her. Did he not know that? The woman could pull buildings out of the ground, that amount of information was worthless because it was known already. A wave crashed into the bow of the Tremali, the sailors on smoke break went back inside. At this point, the crew had grown comfortable they had Divines on board. They would still obviously look with awe, but they had enough ease to chat and smoke.
“If you are given tin and copper, can you make bronze?” Arascus asked. “Or do you need bronze ready to work the bronze? Better yet, if you are given raw ore, can you make refined alloy out of it?” That was the real question. tals could be provided, but if she could work rock by itself, then quarries would be excavated and they could skip the refining process.
“Raw ore is enough, I’m able to break it down myself.” Ciria said and Arascus nodded.
“What of radar then? Or complicated machinery.”
“I have to understand how it works.” Ciria said. “So that I know what I’m building.”
There was the catch that Arascus had expected. Ciria’s ability was too powerful to not have a constraint on it. She would have built an infinity generator at this point, or so replication device to summon food out of matter. That fit what the woman was like. “Ah.” Arascus said. “Then I have to ask, how knowledgeable are you in rocketry?”
“I’m not.” Ciria said quietly. “Who is? You’re the man with the space program. Not .” That was a problem easily solved, she would be given lessons, teachers and engineers would be waiting at the dock so that Ciria could learn all the fine intricacies of engineering the mont they touched down in Epa. And quarries would be diverted. Quarries and refineries, to the production site in Lubska.
“Is it tiring?” Arascus asked.
Ciria sniffed the air humourlessly and Halkus narrowed his eyes. “How is that relevant to anything, oh grand God of Pride?” Ciria asked, her tone thick with sarcasm.
“Anassa gets tired and starts to throw up when she’s pushed. That’s why ask. Are you able to work forever, or do you need breaks?”
“Of all the things I thought you would ask .” Ciria said. She shook her head. “I slow down after a while but I don’t get sick. At least I don’t think so.” Arascus nodded. If she slowed down, then she did have finite energy. It could be that she simply never really exerted herself. Most Divines with nothing to prove didn’t know how far their ability could be pushed.
“We’ll make a schedule then.” Arascus said. “There’ll be breaks but we’re working on Arda’s salvation right now, it’ll be hard going.”
“I know.” Ciria hissed. Arascus ignored her entirely, he turned to Halkus.
“And you? Sa set of questions, how does your power work?” Halkus stood there in what was obviously pure fury. He clenched his jaw and shook his head.
“I have read the books, Divines should not explain their powers.” Arascus gave the man a flat look for a mont. Ciria shuddered, grabbed her husband’s hand in hers and closed her sparkling eyes to stop the tears from flowing. Arascus raised an arm. A swirling golden circle appeared behind him. Then another. Ten. A hundred. Then ten tis the amount until there was a solid wall of pulsating gold behind the Emperor.
“You are correct Halkus.” Arascus said as a sword out of by his side, its tip aid straight at Halkus’ heart. “Divinity should not reveal their powers for Divinity is violent and we never know what sort of tricks we’ll have to use to defeat one another.” One by one, ancient arms began sliding out of the portals, spears and axes and hamrs, halberds and daggers and scythes, swords of all types. “But we are not here to fight. If you wish to battle , then na a ti and location and I shall wager the crown.” Who was this deity? This modern little God that barely managed to match Halkus’ size? Any of his daughters could his life, Kavaa could defeat him in a fight frankly. It would not surprise Arascus if a national Divine managed to overpower all Industry. “But that rule applies to the likes of , you are not the Divinity of old Halkus, do not bother pretending you are, it is one of the few things that truly gets on my nerves.”
Halkus’ eyes bounced in a panic, landing on each weapon pointed at him for a brief instant before locating another edge he should be worried about. Ciria shuddered by his side and Arascus lowered his arm. One by one, the blades slid back into their golden sheathes and the golden entrances to his armoury swirled themselves out of existence. “Now do not be a child and speak, we are not in a state of war right now, no matter how much the pair of you wish to think you are.” A state of war had to be between proper adversaries, even if it was a proper army versus an irregular militia in the mountains. This though? This was the sa peacekeeping that Fortia talked about when she put down riots.
Halkus shuddered and swallowed deeply. “I…” He began and trailed off. It took three attempts before he managed to speak again. “I make industry and technology work to their full potential.”
Arascus stared at Halkus as Ciria gripped her husband’s arm. What an open-ended answer. Elassa saying she could channel magic better than any human revealed just as much about the Goddess of Magic. “That ans what Halkus? Specifics.”
Halkus’ answer was a half-mumble. “What specifics are there?” Arascus once again replied with that flat glare to Halkus’ question. It… and what if he was just stupid? Arascus looked down to Ciria. She had caught onto the situation quite quickly, maybe her husband was just a midwit? Smart enough to read and learn lessons, but too dumb to apply them correctly?
“Can you make an engine work independent of fuel?” Arascus asked.
“Yes.” Halkus replied.
Ah.
Arascus almost struggled to believe it. He had been correct. He looked at Halkus again. It fit though, in the sa codically tragedic sense that the Goddess of Love think unrequited love was the highest form of her desne. The cosmos had a sense of humour, it had made the God of Industry as input-output orientated as the machines he commanded. “Completely independent? What about a rocket ship or a missile? Not a chanical engine?”
“I’ve never tested that.”
“We will test it then.” Arascus replied. “And to ‘full potential’, what is that in specifics? If you were given an unbalanced scale.” Halkus’ eyes grew wide. Ciria looked up at Arascus with surprise. Arascus knew that reaction, the hushing of breath, the blush in Ciria’s cheeks and the nervous swallow of spit from Halkus. It was always given when you t soone who knew you better than yourself. “You’ve done it, haven’t you?”
“I can make a broken scale balance.” Halkus confird. Now they were getting sowhere.
“And I assu the factory stories are true. You can make factories run independently of power.”
“But they still need an input.” Halkus said. “They run, but it’s not a generation of matter.” Arascus understood it the first ti round. He looked the God of Industry up and down again, then back to Ciria. She was clutching her husband’s hand and shivering with a brimming rage that was failing at burning away through the humiliation.
“Could you make a plane fly without a pilot?”
“No.” Halkus said.
“What about a drone?” Arascus asked. Halkus just stared at him.
“I’ve never tested that.” A Goddess of Civilization who had never pushed her powers to the brink and a God of Industry who knew as much about himself anyone else who had ever seen him use power did.
What a duo.
This would be long trip.
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