"I have organized the scrolls, Techniques, and resources required to push you to the Enlightened Stage as rapidly as possible. I doubt understanding and mastery will be an obstacle in your path, Heaven."
It wasn’t blind faith on her part to say such a thing. Heaven regulated and maintained the Laws governing the world. In this day and age, with the gods absent, she might be the greatest authority in the field of Laws.
"I will start training as soon as we are done here," Althea nodded, appreciating her effort to gather everything on such short notice. There were things she gathered across the world.
"The only thing missing are those found only in Wrixia. I have sent word to the Serpents. A boat of theirs will depart Pontiffe in two days," the High Altar said.
"Wrixia," Althea whispered in silence. She glanced at the table and spoke loud and clear. "I wish to join them."
She saw the High Altar about to protest but she raised her hand to stop her.
"I know the risks. But the Oldest One helped me when I awoke. Without His guidance, Heaven might have collapsed. Plus, it would be nice to chat to an old friend after such a time."
The High Altar’s face revealed her displeasure but she didn’t protest. She was there to serve and to advise. She wouldn’t oppose decisions already made.
Althea rather stopped the meeting than gaze at Silvera but that would be admitting defeat in a sense. So, she clenched her fists below the table and looked at her. Silvera straightened her posture and reported the preparations of the Templars. In a sense, the five-hundred-old woman was the youngest at the table. After all, Althea’s human form was young but Heaven existed since a few Ages ago.
"The Templars all over the world are fortifying the defenses of the Temples and barricading the territories directly under us. Our allies have accepted our proposal of joining arms and started to build their fortresses. But...," she said, stopping to look at Althea. Only she dared to look straight into Althea’s gaze when talking. "Our opponents are also doing all these. And I have it from my spies that the Paladins and their vassals have already agreed to work with them. They–"
"For him," Althea corrected Silvera, interrupting her mid-report. "No one works with him. They work for him. He doesn’t consider anyone his equal. After all, he is eying to become the next Godking."
Althea didn’t know the Divine Lord’s goal. She knew he wished to wrestle away her control over the Strings of Fate and she suspected he was after the throne of the Godking. She could be mistaken. But all the information she had seemed to indicate that to be his end goal.
"What about the Warlords?" She heard the High Altar ask Silvera. They were the third strongest faction in the world and perhaps the most unpredictable ones. What they lacked in resources and strength, they compensated with their craziness.
"I contacted their leader through some merchants. I emphasized the urgency and importance of allegiance. And I offered them access to our scrolls."
Silvera hadn’t discussed these things with Althea and the High Altar but neither minded. Gaining an alley like the Warlords was worth the price.
"She refused." Silvera sounded exasperated.
"Why?" Althea asked, not bothering to mask the bewilderment in her voice.
"According to the merchants, she said they are weapons for hire. She won’t force her members to choose. Like always, they are free to decide their employers. Even if it means that a Warlord could be hired by us and our opponents in turn during the duration of the war."
Althea and the High Altar stared at each other before looking back at Silvera, who looked just as vexed by the reply as they were.
"And what if the person we hired double-crosses us? We risk an ambush or information leakage by hiring them." Althea didn’t see the proposal of the Warlord’s leader as a viable option.
"She said that could happen and it’s up to the employer’s judgment to decide. According to the merchant, she asked to emphasize that it’s our decision to hire or not." Silvera grumbled. She hated those Warlords. They did as their heart pleased while she couldn’t. But joining them wasn’t an option either. She hated their guts. Each and every Warlord was a maniac who loved chaos and couldn’t follow orders unless paid to do so. And even then, there was a risk they would beat their employers at the end of the job. According to them, he or she – the Warlords claimed equal treatment for all – had pissed them off during the job.
"Then it should be an easy choice, right? We don’t work with them," Calyse said with a snort. Althea and the others knew why she seemed offended. Calyse lived for the Temple. To her, this war signaling the end of the Age, was the biggest opportunity to prove her devotion. She believed the Temple and Heaven to be the embodiment of justice. Anyone not on their side was the enemy.
"Sadly, it’s not that simple," Althea replied. Silvera and the High Altar concurred. "We can choose not to hire them but our enemy will. And crazy as they might be, we can’t deny they are skilled and extremely dangerous."
"But we have you, Heaven herself," Calyse protested. She seemed convinced of their victory.
"I am touched by your confidence but I am limited in what I can do," Althea said with a wry smile. "This human form can only do so much. I can’t unleash my full might and I still need to progress according to the path laid out for humans."
"Plus, there are those Saint and Sages," the High Altar added. "We can’t display our full might until the last phase. We will need all our strength against those ancient relics. I hope they either stay out of this or they choose our side."
"I hope so too," Althea quipped. "Even if I retained all my strength, battling against a Sage could leave me vulnerable to other dangers. Don’t forget the scrolls. Sages have killed gods in the past."