Chapter 120 - Intermission: In Faraway Lands

On the same day, a few hours earlier.

Although it was afternoon in the Lower World, here in Heaven, the concept of day and night only had any relevance whenever the deities responsible for them wished for it. Usually, most gods would just regulate the lighting within their respective territories.

In a certain corner of Heaven, amidst a vast city of breathtaking splendor, which harmonically blended countless architectural styles together, there was a majestic Norse temple situated quite close to the very center of the entire territory. It was tens of stories in height and made primarily out of resilient bones and blackened wood. Luxurious golden engravings ran all over the building, forming the spectacular outlines of wolves, dragons, birds, darkened clouds and countless other motifs.

Within that temple's main hall, there was a raised platform housing a domineering throne fashioned out of dragon bones. Not far from it, on ground level, there stood a lithic round table that was surrounded by twelve smaller thrones, each one having a different design matching the person seated atop of them. Currently, there were no empty seats in this hall, aside from the towering throne overlooking all others. One thing was notable about the figures gathered here: Nine of them were merely lifelike holograms - they weren't actually physically present.

"So you're saying that Isaac Blackshaw has somehow 'stolen' one of your Arcanums?"

Looking at the fuming Petbe across the table, someone raised an eyebrow. At first glance, the middle-aged man looked quite ordinary here amongst this circle of gods. He wore a plain white Greek tunic fastened with a reddish brown belt and simple sandals made out of the same leather. While he looked like he regularly worked out, he was definitely past his prime, because the vestiges of age had crept on his face. Barely trimmed black beard stubbles as well as ear-length messy same-coloured hair made him appear even more average. None of the deities assembled here dared to look down on him, however. Anyone with a perceptive eye would notice the countless scars marring the majority of his body, as well as the sparks of fire flickering in his wise eyes. Even though he wasn't the only primordial god in the room, he was highly respected.

Rolling her eyes at the man, but not daring to snap at him despite her barely contained wrath, Petbe nodded. Still, she couldn't help but hurl a little insult his way as she replied to his question.

"I literally just said that. Is your memory failing you in your old age, Prometheus?"

With an unperturbed smile on his face, the man in question didn't take it to heart and simply shrugged.

"It sounded so outlandish that I had to make sure."

Right after his words had finished, a derisive snicker could be heard from the side, causing both of them to turn their heads and look at the origin of the sound. It was the hologram of a young man in his early twenties… who looked probably the most extraordinary out of the whole bunch.

He sported a similar skin tone as Petbe did, but most of his exposed upper body was covered in black and violet tattoos. When looking too closely, it was hard to make out any kind of pattern, as there simply were so many of them. And from afar, at different angles, one would suddenly see different images on his body - a laughing devil, a crying old man, an ocean of blood and bones… That baffling matter aside, the man only wore beige linen pants, and even his bare feet and smiling face were covered in tattoos. His eyes were a poisonous green, and so was his hair that was just long enough to cover his left eye when he tilted his head. His entire appearance screamed 'unnatural'.

"Can't blame you for that, old Prom! She lost so pathetically to a mere mortal, and now she's even telling us such a high tale? Sounds like absolute bogus to me. I just don't know why 'Lady' Petbe would wish to embarrass herself to such a degree."

These venomous words made the goddess clench her fists tightly. Under her breath, she hatefully muttered the weird god's name to herself, trying to come up with a witty response in the meantime.

"Aeshma…!"

Luckily for her, someone else intervened in the derailed discussion and brought it back on track.

"Stop it. There is no reason for her to lie to us about such a thing, as you rightfully pointed out. Let's not waste any more time. Whatever the cause of this may be, it most likely is the result of a Skill. Learn from Petbe's example and take precautions. Don't have your Arcanums lying around carelessly when you encounter Isaac Blackshaw."

The one who had spoken up was the hologram of a bespectacled young woman with a stern look in her eyes. Her wavy blonde hair reached down to her shoulders, while her body was clad in a long white dress that went all the way to the ankles of her bare feet. It looked a bit similar to an airy nightgown, actually. Well, maybe like a very expensive nightgown, considering it sported highlights made out of threads of pure gold. Compared to Prometheus, her face's fascinating beauty made her look a lot more at home in this assembly.

'Of course, it had to be her. Curse you, Nemesis!'

Even though the despicable Aeshma had been reined in successfully, this help left a sour taste in Petbe's mouth. Due to Nemesis' hardworking nature, the blonde goddess had been classified as a very strong 'rival' in her mind. She may even be one of the foremost threats to her position of Váli's favourite!

Just for the record, she never actually held that title.

"Noted. How do we plan to deal with Petbe's failure? I highly doubt that my own men and Aite's branch in Orario will be enough to hinder our target for long once he gets released in 29 days."

The hologram of a scarily buff man with very short red crew cut hair was the first to respond to Nemesis recommendation. He was at least a head taller than everyone else and his chiseled muscles couldn't be hidden under his white linothorax that sported the emblem of a crossed shield and spear hovering above a raging flame. Black gambeson-style protective pants, covered with dark brown greaves and resilient boots rounded out his outfit. Although he looked like a musclebrain, he was a genius military strategist. His name? It was Mars. Vidar was one of the gods under his charge.

Glancing at him for a moment before deciding to stay silent was the hologram of the goddess he had mentioned - the leader of the Red Blade, Aite. She looked like a fun-loving, beautiful girl in between her teenage years and a.d.u.l.thood. A calculative glint could almost constantly be made out in her grey, stormy eyes. Although her features couldn't compare to those of the most beautiful goddesses out there, the long and straight black hair framing her face gave her quite a bit of possibly unintentional charm. Her skin tone was a little bit lighter than Petbe's and she wore a frilly red dress that was more suited to a picnic than a ballroom.

"I volunteer to send my little Mai to bolster our forces. She should be able to make it in about two weeks."

Agreeing with the god of war's judgement, another hologram raised her hand. It belonged to a flamboyant dark-skinned woman who seemed to be in her early thirties. She had a merciful smile on her full lips, and her earthen yellow eyes shimmered with kindness. Her curly black hair partially hid two golden hoop earrings. As for her clothing, it was both considerably skimpy and extremely colourful - all colours of the rainbow could be found on her dress that barely hid the essentials.

"Just like Dantor, I'd like to volunteer. I can leave my main branch to Lugh and head to Orario myself."

Not hesitating any longer, the arm of another hologram shot into the air. The one who had spoken was a lady with a ghastly white skin tone, but the looks of a nation-toppling beauty that was commonplace amongst deities. She wore a conventional long green dress and was pretty much the opposite of a temptress. What made her stick out from most crowds up in Heaven were the two goat horns that poked out from underneath her shoulder-length light brown hair. Although there were quite a few deities who chose to sport demihuman features, they were still just a minority.

"I guess I'll join the ladies. Bitol is quite free nowadays, so I can send him."

The last to speak up was the hologram of a bare-chested brown-skinned man. He wasn't as ridiculously muscular as Mars, but he was most definitely not out of shape. He wore a long blue skirt over which he had fastened a white hip cloth. Even though his head was clean-shaven, most women would probably sneakily steal glances at him due to his undeniable aesthetic beauty. Still, there was a ferocity underneath the calm that he usually portrayed. Even a hint of madness occasionally flashed past his black eyes. If one managed to look past his attractive appearance and at the amulet fashioned from human bones resting on his pectoral muscles, then one would know to stay careful around him.

"Thanks for coming forward, Dantor, Uaine and Nohochacyum. Consider all three of your offers approved. In addition, the two of us will send Tilphousia. She will reside over all matters regarding Orario."

Even though the voice that was so rudely assuming command of them sounded childlike, none of the addressed deities uttered a word of discontent, because it belonged to a rather special existence. Seated on one of the thrones around the table was a pair of small twins that seemed barely ten years of age. The one who had spoken and was subconsciously shielding his shivering sister from the gazes of the rest was a boy with short, dark grey hair. His brown eyes were narrowed slightly and the expression on his face constantly made onlookers feel as if he was mocking them. Just like his sister, he wore a simple black tunic of Roman design. As for his aforementioned twin, her eyes were always red as if she had just cried her heart out, while her facial expression was dull and empty.

They were the twin gods, Momus and Miseria. What made them so special was a plethora of factors. Not only were they the only ones at the table who led one of Váli's Blades together, but even their Divinities and progression in power had been intricately linked ever since their birth countless eons ago. They might look like they were just children, but they were amongst the oldest of all gods in existence. While that alone didn't qualify one to rank amongst the primordial gods - as those were higher lifeforms than even regular gods - the two of them had long since advanced to that point hundreds of thousands of years ago. Lastly, what gave them the right to command the other Blades' leaders was the fact that the Blade they were in charge of was the first one ever to be created. They were the oldest companions of Váli, and their force was simply called 'Váli's Blade' - it didn't even follow the naming scheme of the other Blades.

With a mischievous smile, Momus glanced at Petbe, who involuntarily shivered a little upon noticing the invisible pressure hidden under his harmless, childlike visage.

"You won't be descending again anytime soon, Petbe. Take a few years to reflect and to control your forces remotely. If you wish, you can let one of your subordinates descend to take over what remains of your main branch. Just contact Prometheus when you decide on someone. Leave the matter of Isaac Blackshaw and your Arcanum to us. Brother asked us to take care of that young man before he went into seclusion, so he won't be able to escape no matter what he does."

Noticing the slight unwillingness and rebellious spirit in Petbe's gaze, Momus turned his head and dotingly looked at his sister. For a moment, the two seemed to communicate telepathically, then the lifeless, sad eyes of the young girl shakily focused on Petbe. A voice lacking any kind of motivation sluggishly resounded.

"Don't worry… if there is anything left of him… we'll leave him to you…"

Seeing Petbe nod, Momus showed one of his trademark mocking smiles and resumed addressing the entire gathering.

"I already calculated how long it should take your forces to make it to Orario. You have three weeks. The meeting spot will be the Beol Mountains. I shouldn't have to tell you how to contact each other once you're in that close of a vicinity. Don't be late! Dismissed."

After clapping his hands, Momus originally expected for all of the holograms to fade, and the meeting to end, but even after waiting for a few seconds, absolutely nothing happened. Slightly annoyed, with a louder voice, he shouted.

"Dismissed!!"

Yet again, he was fated to simply stand there in silence. The others began to smirk to themselves secretly, inwardly mocking the primordial god of mockery - quite ironic indeed. Of course, Momus noticed this, but he would never blame them for these thoughts, as they weren't the ones at fault here. As for the one who was…

"HERMOD! WAKE UP, YOU BASTARD!!"

With a resounding roar, even though he was currently just a mere hologram, he formed a fist out of pure Divine Energy and punched the bearded man who was sleeping with his head resting on the table merely a few meters away, knocking him back upright and into his sturdy throne.

"Ack! Cough!! What the hell, man!? Why did you punch me?"

After violently hacking for a bit and massaging his back, the eyes of the sleepy Hermod opened and blankly stared in the direction of the twin gods. He wore a blue gambeson that was more comfortable than it was protective, green pants with cloud motifs stitched on that made them look suspiciously like pyjama pants and simple grey socks. His unkempt beard and shoulder-length blonde hair were impeccably clean, but still tousled up quite heavily. A trail of saliva had escaped his mouth and onto the table during his slumber, making him feel a slightly cold breeze against his right cheek upon his awakening.

Hastily, Hermod wiped his face with a handkerchief, then he noticed that Momus was only silently and judgingly staring at him, seemingly intent to beat him up even further. With a look at everyone else, something finally dawned on him.

"Oh, are we already finished? Why didn't you just say so?"

"I di---"

Catching himself very quickly, Momus calmed his rapidly beating heart and closed his eyes. Eventually, he proceeded to speak very slowly, his voice trembling from barely suppressed frustration.

"End the meeting. We're done here."

With a yawn that escaped his lips as he was stretching, Hermod nodded and waved his hand.

"Alright, see you all again next time, then."

From one moment to the next, the lifelike holograms of nine deities disappeared as if they had never been there. The one who had been essential for all of them to come together in the first place while the majority was occupied in the Lower World was Hermod, the primordial god of messages and communication.

Just like others who followed Váli, he hadn't originally started out at such a high position of power, but rather had worked his way there. Seeing how lazily he behaved nowadays, it was hard for anyone to imagine him actually putting any effort into, well, anything. Still, what most weren't aware of was that him sleeping was only the result of keeping a Heaven- and Lower World-spanning observation network active at all times. Admittedly, he only monitored some key parts of the latter, but the former was almost entirely 'wired'. Because of his remarkable strength and the diligent work that he had contributed to their cause, Momus would usually accept his behaviour. What set him off, however, was that Hermod seemed to never pay any attention to their meetings at all… even though they contained the most important information to take note of.

That, coupled with him embarrassing Momus in front of the others time and time again, was the reason for his earlier outburst. By now, this had become somewhat of a routine.

Only four people were left behind in person now that the others had been disconnected: Prometheus, Hermod, Petbe… and a young man clad in a Roman tunic.

He seemingly hadn't listened to the meeting at all either, as he was constantly engrossed in the notebook that he was holding. From time to time, he would jot down something, before shaking his head and being deeply lost in thought again. He had curly white hair and green eyes that sparkled with both wisdom and lunacy. Around his shoulders and above his yellow tunic, he wore a scarf made of goat hide. Most of his exposed skin was nicely tanned, but in a few places, it seemed like he had suffered from severe burns that had yet to fully heal. Not that this was much of a problem for a deity. If he wanted to, he would easily be able to make these wounds disappear, but he was far too obsessed with his research to care about such non-essential matters.

With a last quick glance at the rest, he disappeared from the spot, no doubt directly returning to his laboratory. Shaking his head at this behaviour, Prometheus showed an understanding smile and muttered to himself.

"Vejovis, Vejovis… if you don't even greet me, how will the youngsters believe me when I tell them that we are old friends?"

Just like Hermod, Vejovis was also a primordial god. When Váli had first risen to power, the two of them, alongside Momus and Miseria, had been his only followers. Back then, when they hadn't fully devoted themselves towards their cause yet, they had oftentimes hung out with each other and traveled the lands. Still, ever since 'back then', his old friend had changed…

Noticing that Hermod had already gone back to sleep by the time he snapped out of his nostalgic recollections, Prometheus looked at Petbe, who seemed to be in deep thought. Patiently, he waited for her eyes to regain focus, before speaking up.

"Contact me if you make up your mind. I would personally recommend sending Apophis, but that's just me. I'll stay here in the capital until further notice."

The beautiful woman stayed quiet for a second, then she nodded. Leaving a resigned "Thanks" behind, she left the temple.

After getting a blanket and putting it over the sleeping Hermod's shoulders out of habit, Prometheus sat back down and closed his eyes, smiling to himself. For a moment, childlike wonder flickered across his features.

'How did this happen? According to my divinations, Petbe shouldn't have been sent back here, and her Arcanum shouldn't have been stolen either.'

-----

At the bow of a sailing ship that was cruising through the ocean at least twice as fast as would be considered rational, a god wearing a feathered hat was calmly looking into the distance, far further than the horizon.

Although he had a playful smile on his lips, he didn't seem to be in too good of a mood, because his eyebrows were a little furrowed. He completely ignored all of the sailors that were rushing around on board, as well as the devastating storm that they were caught in. The water from the assaulting waves, the heavy rain and the strong winds did no more than ruffle his hair a little. He didn't even get drenched. During his travels, the god of wanderers had quite a few perks to make use of.

'I can't believe she sent me to pick up a Killing Stone…'

After he had taken care of some matters back in Orario and the surrounding kingdoms, one of his entirely untrustworthy clients - Ishtar - had asked him a favour. So as to not blow his cover, he had pretended to fall for her charm and undertaken the mission after only a single night of riveting pleasure. Needless to say, all of it was an act, but in order to know more about her operations, he couldn't behave too pridefully. Well, it also wasn't like he didn't enjoy the Queen of the Entertainment District's skills in bed.

For a moment, the bespectacled face of his most dearly loved Asfi flashed past his mind, and he felt a slight pang of guilt, but then he shook his head slightly. His personal feelings shouldn't ever stand in the way of taking note of the bigger picture.

'I really don't want to see Ishtar's plan succeed. But who can thwart her? Isaac won't easily be convinced to help. Still, if I explain the details of what is going on, it might work. But he's already ridiculously busy, from what I heard. Hmm…'

Suddenly, Hermes slapped his forehead and chuckled to himself. How could he have forgotten?

'Wasn't there a particularly righteous fellow amongst his students? The full moon is still far away, and once they can safely walk the streets again, I can just get him to help me with this. He wouldn't decline saving a maiden in need, would he?'

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, the god continued on his return journey, a bit more optimistic than before.