Arcadia tried tet about the modern world, but the modern world remembered Arcadia.

  - Excerpt from the dotary ‘Arcadia Burning’, to be released a few months from today. It would cover the events that happened when Fer nded in Arcadia.

  Kassandora stood up and looked at Essa. Essa looked down on Kassandora from the air. The wind blew. People cleared out of the road leading to Kirinyaa’s Parliament. The building stood behind Kassandora, a mo of Kirinyaa’s will. Red sandstone pilrs around Kassandora and a roof that cast shadow over the midday. Not anymore, the Sun was beginning to set, the sky was being tinged by stunning purples and vivid es. Its light raced through the pilrs and lit up the Goddess of War as she stared up at Essa’s cohort in the air.

  Kassandora watched Essa. Essa watched Kassandora. The wind ruffled Of Magic’s dress. Kassandora quickly sed the cohort behind her. A hundred and twenty mages, a full pany from the Great War. She didn’t even have a question in her mind that they would split into twenty teams of five each with a tral and squad of twenty. Zerus was there too, the God of Lightning, muscled and old, lea perpetually looking as if he was going to fall asleep. That was only the fa?ade he always wore though, those brilliant blue eyes sed Nanbasa from uhick white eyebrows with all the precision of a hawk.

  Sceo, Goddess of the Sky, was there o Zerus. Winds sprawling her hair in a line as she hovered in the air with her magic. She stared down at Kassandora with all the love a bitter wind in winter held. Alkom, God of the Sun, fnked Essa from the other side. Tall and thin, a man who faded into the background but ruly disappeared into the crowd.

  Kassandora reached her arm up. Joyeuse materialized in her hands. A Greatsword twice the height of man, thicker than a grown man’s arm. Kassandora made no fancy pirouettes, she stabbed the bde into the sandstone, her hands rested on the hilt. Her bck armour materialized around her. Spiked, it shred her coat as metal took clothes pce. A wind blew the scraps away. Kassandora’s helmet appeared over her head. A simple helm, as War was a simple thing. Full pte, with slits for eyes, it covered her mouth entirely. That was the most important.

  Kassandora finally spoke. “All units, respond” She whispered. A response came bato her earpiece.

  “Iliyal rep.” The elf answered first. Then Arascus, for himself and Olephia. Iniri, Kavaa. Neneria. The snipers. The team anders of the Clerics. Kassandora heard the drums in her head fade away to quiet beat, the strings to a gentle cry. She smiled to herself as Essa took tre-stage iheatre. Wele to the show.

  “Satus.” Kassandora asked as Essa turo Zerus and whispered something. Kassandora wished Fer was here. The God of Lightning asded further into the sky with his wife. Alkom made a rge a gap between him and Essa. The woman waved her finger and Kassandora smirked. To think they were still using the same hand-signals from the Great War. It was simply nostalgic.

  The elven snipers phrough Nanbasa all gave affirmations of being ready to fire. Kassandora and Iliyal had picked out their spots individually, from attics to residential buildings to abandoned buildings that were going to be repced with ructures. Amateurs put snipers in obvious spots, tall towers and the like, pces like that would be the first that would be checked. But you couldn’t i behind every curtain in a city this rge.

  “Take down the mages, switch els and aween yourselves on who’s taking what. Down one man from each group in the first volley. Send them into panic. Fire when I draw my sword from the ground.” Kassandora’s fingers curled around Joyeuse’ hilt. She was a single pull away from downing Essa. “Neneria?”

  “I hear you.” Neneria’s cold voice responded.

  “Status on you?”

  “Atis is ready to fire. Essa, then Zerus, Alkom and then Sceo. He says one sed to down them all.”

  “Good.” Kassandora stood there and looked up at Essa. Essa hovered in the air as she looked down upon Kassandora.

  A minute went by iandoff. A mage went to report something to Essa. The Goddess of Magiodded and raised herself in the air. She spread her arms out and a bubble of blue magic appeared around her. Kassandora felt the drums in her head beat along to her heart. It was rising now, her legs wao quiver, her cheeks were flushed. It was finally happening. Essa had e. And Essa would die.

  KTV came to the se. They set up a camera on the roof of a nearby restaurant, the people there stood and started to record and take pictures with their phones. Kassandora had given them notice, today, not only would Essa die, the White Pantheon’s untouchable image and legacy of good would be ground into the dirt. Essa finally spoke, her voied throughout all of Nanbasa. “The White Pantheon has e to enforce Pantheon Peace. Stand aside Kassandora.”

  Essa’s bubble faded for a moment as the woman moved her hands. The wiled down, her white shawl stopped fluttering in the breeze as Essa tinued. “For once, my flict is not with you.” Her mages took up positions around the Parliament as Kassandora smiled. Her helmet disappeared and her red sprawled down her back.

  “I have e to Kirinyaa, I have bee their guardian. I will not stand aside for you to do as fit.”

  “Kirinyaa has breached Pantheon Peace months ago with the advent of the Binturong Artillery. We did not act then because the Jungle is a threat.” Essa said slowly. “But the creation of an army is not required for the tinuation of the Recmation War.” Kassandoaded the oddess some more.

  “At least we settle that it is a war.” Kassandora shouted back. “But Kirinyaa has decided, I will not let you do as you see fit.” Essa smiled as she looked on Kassandora. “The White Pantheon has left Kirinyaa to fend for itself, so it has. You do not make demands here.”

  “The White Pantheon is the courtroom of Arda. There is not a grain of sand on this world which we have left to fend for itself.” Kassandora’s fingers curled around Joyeuse’ cold hilt. Essa would have to take the first shot. She had called KTV here to record the moment of the Goddess of Magic breaking the Peace she so enforced. They were to show that self-defence against the Pantheon wasn’t just possible, it would be successful.

  “Snipers ready on your and. Everyone has a target picked out.” Iliyal said over the earpiece.

  “We are not here to engage in a shouting match Essa.” Kassandora’s voied just as loudly as Essa’s did. The cameras would catch her. “Kirinyaa has suffered uhe Jungle for turies, Kirinyaa has taken its matters into its own hands.” She thought of something that would force a frontatioing Essa to retreat peacefully was the st thing she wanted. “Kirinyaa has created an army for this very reason. There will be no more demands.” Essa took the bait.

  “That is exactly why we have e. The Pantheon Directives have been a success, there is no more war. We have had a millennia of such a peace that all of history has never seen it! Kassandoddess of War, you are no longer needed in this world.”

  “We are not the world Essa. We are in Kirinyaa. Your peace will usher ain of this nation. A redu to the city states of Ausa.” Essa smiled. Her mages spread out further. Very good, separate them as much as you want. In the past, Kassandora would have thought the situation iralling out of her trol. Now though, her guns possessed a range lohan any of them. Flee or stay, it did not matter what they did.

  “Pantheon Peace is for the good of the world. Justice is blind Kassandora, if we make an exception here, others will demand exceptions too.” Essa chastised with the slow expnation of a teacher. Kassandora knew of course, that art of the pn with Kirinyaa’s Army Implementation Bill. If the Jungle was threat enough for Kirinyaa to have an armed forces, it would free up all of Arika to have their own standing armies.

  “So you sentehese people to die?” Kassandora asked. It was a questioirely in bad-faith, but now that the statement was made, it would be undoubtedly true.

  “The Pantheon has not taken issue with the Binturongs. We had our casus belli to enforce Peace the you py with your toys. The Jungle must indeed be stopped, but this is not the way to do it.” Kassandora sighed. This was going nowhere. Essa must have worked out something was happening, Kassandora’s reputation among the Pantheon was much like Leona’s had been to her sisters. Maybe she overestimated Essa’s eagerness?

  It should have been Arascus who ut in the leading role. Kassandora cursed the war drums in her head as they started to beat once again. Her hands rexed over Joyeuse. Essa had always been a snake who jumped at openings, if she wao see weakness, then Kassandora would show it. She readjusted her posture to feign nervousness. Essa smiled to herself from above.

  “We do not want war Essa.” Kassandora shouted. If Essa wao chase a retreating force, then Kassandora would retreat. “But Kirinyaa’s Army stands. As I said before, Kirinyaa has decided for itself.”

  “I will not allow that. Move Kassandora.” Essa shouted with a newfound fidence.

  “You will er this building.”

  “You ot stop me.” Kassandora kept the orchestra quiet as it spiralled out of trol. It was over. Essa had followed Kassandora into the dragon’s maw, and now the dragon was about to snap shut. Kassandora took a deep breath. No doubt Essa would see it as nervousness, but it was eo keep her own hands under trol and stop them from ripping Joyeuse out of the ground already. So close.

  “You will er.”

  “Move.”

  “No.” Kassandora shouted. She gripped Joyeuse aed the bde. She only needed an instant. One instant then all chaos would break loose.

  “I will move you.” Essa warned.

  “You wouldn’t dare.” Kassandora shouted back. She didn’t bother to keep the eagerness out of her voiow. Her legs wao quiver, her breathing got faster as she heard her orchestra reach a climax.

  Essa let out a slow breath as Kassandora’s eyes focused. They burned with red with the fmes of war from within as the Goddess of magic slowly lifted her arms, her palms outstretched to Kassandora. “Final warning Kassandora.” Essa said.

  “Try me.” Kassandora sneered. She licked her lips as Essa started to build up power.

  Winds began to howl as they circled around Essa. Blue light densed in her hands, her shield faded away, Kassandora found her opening. The first shot could be deflected, even if she took a wound, Kavaa would be close by to heal, and Essa would not live long enough to fire a sed time. “I’m holding for ynal.” Neneria said through the earpiece. “The shield is down, Atis has an open shot now.” Kassandora stretched fingers as she re-ed them around her bde. Go on Essa, cease this teasing and pull the trigger.

  Pull the trigger and die.

  Power built up in Essa’s palms, they started to glow blue. Kassandora heard the brass restart in her orchestra. Loud trumpets signalling a new age. Brilliant sax joining along to usher the breaking of the Pantheon, a sad string in the background that cried in sorrow for the loss of the Arda’s greatest challenge.

  Essa charged up her magid her magiever came. Kassandora blinked as she heard footsteps behind her.

  Mwai stepped out between her and Essa. He spread his legs, spread his arms as if to serve as a shield. “Essa! You will not harm Kassandora!” Kassandora blinked. When? How? The man? She looked up at Essa as the woman narrowed her eyes at the man. The orchestra in her mind spluttered out as the theatre colpsed into shambles.

  “So you stop hiding behind your pet Goddess?” Essa shouted down.

  “Get behind me.” Kassandora said. “I will protect you.” She blinked again, it was the obvious thing to say to get him to step out of the way but her voice was cold and fused. Mwai had never been an imposing figure. She had to rally the parliament on his behalf to pass the implementation w. Arascus chuckled through the earpiece.

  “That’s ohi wrong.” He said.

  “We still tinue if Essa fires.” Iliyal said.

  “Don’t shoot Essa out of the blue, it will look bad.” Arascus replied.

  “On Goddess Kassandora’s order, stick to the pn.” Iliyal firmed.

  “When you draw the sword Kass, and draw when she fires. If he’s cut down, then so be it.” Arascus quickly added.

  Kassandora stared down at Mwai. He stood there, in his bck suit, his dark skin almost fading into the fabric, with his close cut hair as he spread his arms out. “This is not yht Goddess Kassandora.” Mwai shouted. “This is Kirinyaa’s battle!”

  “You will take down the Army Implementation Bill.” Essa shouted from above. Kassandora felt her heart about to jump out of her mouth. She had been sidestepped! Did they ahis coup against her privately? She blinked down at the man.

  “Kirinyaa will do nothing of the sort!” Kassandora blinked again as she closed her mouth. What? Did the man actually step out of pure ce? What was… Kassandora blinked again. Impossible. How did he muster that? Essa started charging her magic again. Mwai stood his ground. Kassandripped her sword. A dey then. She could hahat, and it would look eveer for them if the president of Kirinyaa sacrificed himself in this battle.

  And then the beams stopped again.

  Another man stepped o Mwai. A third. A fourth. Ten. Twenty. The entire parliament came out and lihe stairs. “Essa!” Mwai shouted. “The Pantheon is evicted from Kirinyaa! Leave and do not return!” Kassandora fingers cracked as she gripped her bde. She took a deep breath to keep the anger from exploding i it had boiled in. She looked up at Essa’s face twist, and she was sure they both carried the same amount of a the exact same man.

  “Who are you to make demands of the Pantheon?”

  “The representatives and leaders of Kirinyaa!” Mwai shouted. “You are not leaders here!” Kassandrit her teeth in rage. Essa had been going to die today! The White Pantheon had e into the mousetrap and now? What was Mwai wanting to do? Scare them away!

  “Kass, keep calm.” Arascus said over the earpiece. “ge of pns. Kavaa, send your Cleri to support them.”

  “Are you sure?” Kavaa asked.

  “Send them in.”

  “Uood.” Kavaa switched els with a beep as she started issuing orders to her men.

  “The Pantheon has led the world for a thousand years!” Essa began her speech ain as Kassandora fumed from behind the politis. Each man stood, straight backed and staring the Divine in the air down. Zerus and Sceo returned from high above to hover o Essa.

  “The Pantheon has not led Kirinyaa!” Mwai shouted back. A team of Clerics appeared. The KTV cameras pao show them, then bawai. Kassandora stood there, her face hard as she felt the stress harden her body to stone

  “Kass. Stay calm.” Arascus said again and Kassandora took a heavy breath.

  “Step down and I will appoint a new gover, or I will send all of you to your afterlives.” Mwai did not move. He stood straight, the rest of the Parliament along with him. Every single one of them wreen armbands to show their support for the Recmation War. Kassandora took another breath. Every pn had its unforeseen circumstances, but this one had been close to perfect.

  “Cut us down!” Mwai shouted, his voice full of vigour. “Cut us down, the Bill stands. We stand! Kirinyaa stands! We will not bow iin before the White Pantheon, this is the nation that stood! That nation that will keep standing!” Kassandora blinked as a chill ran down her spihat was takely from the speech she had given when she shepherded these people into giving her an army in the first pce. Almost word-for-word.

  Sceo put her arm on Essa’s shoulder. Zerus leaned over and whispered something. Mwai raised his fist into the air, the parliament followed. Five hundred fists aimed to the sky. Essa shen shook her head. Kassandora looked at her, thehe fmes of lutter out. The orchestra went silent as Essa spoke. “Very well. I will not dirty the White Pantheon with a massacre.” She turned.

  Essa left. Zerus left. Sceo left. Alkom left. The cohort of a hundred and twenty mages they brought left. It was over. Mwai cheered. The Cleri the square cheered. Nanbasa cheered.

  And Kassandora stood there, in disbelief. Her mouth twisted in rage.

  On that day, the sword in the ground was never drawn and not a single bullet was fired. Not in Kirinyaa, not in Nanbasa, but as Nanbasa stood, Arcadia fell.