”What happened to you?” The white-sashed Lord asked Dee as soon as she flew back to the protection of the flying fortress. The same pillar of light that had taken Dee away had brought her back just outside the bastion only seconds before. The question was a natural one, as Dee had disappeared for several hours and the Assembly forces had eventually been forced into retreating in her absence. You could say they had achieved a victory of sorts, but they were still the weaker party on this world until Dee returned.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.” Dee replied in a tired voice. As soon as Umbra had instigated her little rebellion, Lumen had sent Dee away without even a word. They all knew it was better if she was gone as otherwise she might become the focus of the events as the only ‘mortal’ present. It wasn’t really even about Dee specifically, just that the gods were about to have a serious conflict on their hands and they didn’t want anyone besides other gods present to see their disgraceful actions and forms. Dee agreed with Lumen’s choice, and also considered the whole mess none of her business. She might fight for Lumen or Umbra on occasion, but matters between gods were generally better left to the divines. The less she had to deal with the matter, the better. Besides, with the gods otherwise busy, she might actually be left alone for a fairly long time.

As a fellow psion, Moirai could sense the tiredness and fluctuating level of power that practically oozed off Dee. She could recognize the signs of a difficult battle when she saw them. “Do you need anything? You look exhausted.” This made the other Lords present pay more attention to Dee’s appearance and they realized a few other things that Moirai had not paid as much attention to. The first thing they noted was that aside from wearing the robes customary to Lords of the Assembly, Dee was wearing very little else. Although the robes theoretically covered everything, they also failed to adequately hide many details. In particular, they emphasized certain areas in very interesting ways.

“Clothes and food, please.” Dee replied, and noticed the other Lords looking the other way rather studiously. “Oh please, I’m perfectly covered. I’m pretty sure you have all seen more indecent forms of dress before.”

The fact was that Dee had realized her clothing would be damaged during the battles against the Champions, so she had not used the Lord’s robes even after changing shapes away from her dragon form. That said, she didn’t lug around a lot of clothing, so the robes were pretty much the only intact piece of clothing she had. She could always use the shadows to cover herself if necessary, and she had during the previous battles, but she had assumed that to be unnecessary here. Apparently that was not the case.

Araqiel also confirmed this after a demure cough. “Eh, while that’s true, you do realize that sometimes barely covering something can be more enticing than leaving it bare, right? Especially if that something keeps moving around so freely.”

“Well find me those clothes then.” Dee snapped back a little annoyed. She had never been the type to feel stressed about her clothing, but apparently the Lords were a lot more prudish than what she was used to. Unknown to Dee, that little trait was one of the results of everyone wearing similar robes. Another result was that the Lords had become much more aware of what was under the robes, and to them, Dee was flagrantly flaunting at the moment.

After Dee had been properly clothed and fed, the white-sashed Lord, Sareash, tried to broach the original subject again. “I really need to insist on asking where you disappeared to. The plan was not exactly a failure, but your disappearance did throw a wrench into our plans.” If Dee had returned immediately, they could have pushed the wounded dragons back, but with her gone, the Assembly had to pull back instead. Now any damage to the dragons would have been healed already.

Dee gave a deep sigh. She didn’t want to reveal everything when the woman was present, but it seemed she had to give something. “I’m guessing there aren’t high ranking holy casters present at the bastion?”

“We have some healers but aside from that no.” Sareash replied with a small shake of her head.

“Well, I think you’ll get more information when you come in contact with high ranking priests, or better yet a Champion. To make a long story short, I was summoned by a deity and forced to engage in battle. There are some big developments brewing among the gods at the moment.” Dee gave a very curt summary of the situation.

“Can you be any more specific?” The woman asked with her eyes narrowing. She now realized that the holy presence that Dee gave off was the result of being a Champion of some high ranking deity. Seeing as they had seen the symbol of Lumen twice now, it was not exactly difficult to guess which deity Dee was the Champion of. She had not pegged Dee as a servant of the primary Goddess of Light. Dee didn’t keep her wings out when wearing the robes, so there was little reason to believe she had anything to do with angels either. Araqiel, sure, Dee not so much.

“It appears that there’s a civil war of sorts brewing. There was a full-blown rebellion starting just as I was sent back. It seems many of the gods were not too pleased with the current situation and rose up in revolt.” Dee was trying to be sparse with details for now, even though beings like the Lords would find out soon anyway. Still, even Dee wasn’t entirely sure of what happened after she was sent off, so it was better not to speculate too much. She didn’t know how much the others would find out after all.

Sareash frowned in thought as she tried to work through the news that might make a large difference even to the Assembly. Perhaps especially to the Assembly. The dragons barely even worshipped gods, although the other subordinate species like the Dragonkin did, so it was unlikely that a war between gods would be a big problem for them. Angels were fairly united in their service to the gods of light and order, and it was unlikely those two factions would end up on separate sides of an internal struggle between the gods.

The same was not true for the Assembly. The Assembly had more races under their ‘protection’ than anyone cared to count, and they all served different deities. Even members of the same races born on different worlds had different faiths. If the gods were drawing battle lines, then it seemed likely that the believers would eventually do the same. And in a varied society like the Assembly, that meant trouble. “I have difficulty believing the top gods would allow something like this. Not that I don’t believe your words, but are you sure? I would think they would stamp out such rebellions pretty harshly.”

“The problem is that this time the rebellion was led by those very same gods. At least three among the ten most powerful deities were a part of it.” Dee replied with a small grimace.

“In that case, this is much more serious than I thought. I will have to try to reach the Assembly for further instructions. You said you were in a battle? Are you fit to act again soon? The dragons seem satisfied to lick their wounds for now, but you never know.” Sareash asked a little worried. Dee’s participation was important for resolving the current situation this world was facing.

“I will need some rest and time to deal with the aftermath of what happened. The more time the better. That said, if you can give me a day or two, I will be able to participate, even if I’m not at my best.” Dee replied, deliberately obfuscating the fact that her main concern was dealing with the gains from all those slain Champions. She could be ready to battle in a few hours if needed, but she didn’t want to use her full power until she was done with that process.

As they watched Sareash and the other two Lords go back to report and request for instructions, Moirai turned to Dee. “So what really happened?”

“Order tried to force Lumen into a battle of attrition by sending several opponents against me first. There are now a lot of free spots among the Champions of the gods that work with him, and several high-ranking angels are also dead.” Dee noticed the distressed look on Araqiel’s face and continued. “No Archangels were involved. Mostly Cherubim and Seraph.”

“Still, this sounds a bit iffy.” Araqiel stated, calming down a little. “I don’t think something like that is even allowed.”

Dee gave a mirthless chuckle. “I got the feeling that a lot of rules were bent and broken today. Don’t ask me for the details since I was never that ardent of a believer or stickler for rules. In any case, Umbra led a large number of gods into an open rebellion, citing the fact that the rules that had been set were really constricting the darker gods and that both sides were already mostly ignoring the spirit of those rules. A surprising number of other deities joined her, Lumen and Death among them. I think many of them just wanted to protest the challenge I was involved in, but they also got pulled in when Umbra started her little rebellion.”

“So the gods of light and order are officially on the opposing sides of a possible war between gods? That sounds like trouble for angels.” Moirai pointed out, not really feeling sorry about the whole thing. Even with Araqiel present to soften things, Dee’s opinion towards angels was rubbing off on Moirai. One of the problems with psions spending a lot of time together.

“Trouble doesn’t even scratch the surface.” Araqiel stated with a sigh. “If this really turns into a war, then it might take a bit of time before the war spills over to the angels, dividing them against each other, but it will happen eventually.” She also knew that Rahmiel was one of the most important figures on the side of Lumen, so she would almost certainly be involved.

“In that case, you need to contact Rahmiel and hurry our meeting. The timing with this might turn out to be very important.” Moirai suddenly realized. “Once she gets mixed up in that struggle, there’s no way she can leave to meet with us.”

Araqiel grimaced in frustration. She realized this was important to Dee and by extension Moirai, but to her it was a minor consideration. She had just heard that her race might become embroiled in a civil war after all. “I’ll try but I doubt it will be that easy.”

“Well, try to emphasize that my involvement might end up swinging the results of that civil war. A short visit will be a small price to pay.” Dee pointed out. Besides, division among the angels would make it less likely that Rahmiel might betray her. It also meant that anyone trying to feed Dee false information through Rahmiel would be too busy to really prepare a proper trap. “I don’t like making threats to people I’m friendly with, but I will in this case. Remember, I have no fondness for your kind in general and there are many ways I can approach my mission. Some of those ways result in many more dead angels. Some priorities might be in order here.”

------

It took two days before Dee finally found herself back in the familiar ‘landscape’ of being surrounded by grey fog and the feeling of being surrounded by something so ancient that even the air itself felt old. She had made a prayer to the four gods every evening, but it seemed the deities had been busy. Still were judging by the fact that she found herself almost right next to the familiar campsite, as she could clearly see the campfire through the fog. It only took her a few seconds and less than five steps to reach the area clear of the fog, where the four familiar deities were sitting.

“This is an odd feeling.” Umbra stated without preamble. “It’s rather uncommon for you to try and reach us so fervently.”

‘Fervently’ was a definite exaggeration, but Dee had been slightly less rude in her prayers than usual. “Well, as much as I’d like to say that the mess you created is none of my business, that’s not exactly true. I was still present and whatever happened after I was so rudely sent off will have far-reaching effects that I most likely have to deal with. And it’s not likely the other gods will forget what happened just before your rebellion. Besides...” Dee pointed at Lumen “she kind of owes me.”

Lumen looked a bit embarrassed, and Umbra didn’t miss the opportunity to rub it in with a dirty laugh. “You did gain a fair bit of power from those you defeated. And you fulfilled most of the conditions towards becoming the focus.” While the Goddess of Darkness didn’t mind mocking her sister, she still came to her defense.

”Well, much of that power was wasted because of the constant fights, but you are right. That’s why I said that Lumen owes me with a smile on my face. I did lose a large part of my equipment due to the fights. Especially the black pearls were a pretty bad loss.” Those were Dee’s favorite weapon after all. She didn’t lose them all of course, but still more than she was willing to give up.

“Can you materialize what’s left of them?” Lumen asked with a frown. “Preferably the ones that are still intact as well. I may be able to do something with them, even if repairs are impossible.”

Dee tried and succeeded in bringing the weapons out. She also realized that it was only possible due to Eternity allowing her to do that. Lumen received them gently and studied them. “I may actually have an idea. It would mean that you’d lose the ones that are still intact as well, but I think the result will be worth it.” She finally said.

“Go for it.” Dee encouraged the goddess. The utility of those dark pearls and diamonds went down when some of them were missing. Not that they became useless, but that they lost some of their use. If Lumen managed to create something new to replace them, then it was worth the loss. The Goddess of Light vanished, returning to her own realm to work. “She forgot to mention how long it would take.” Dee grumbled.

“I’d say several weeks if she’s planning on doing what I think she has in mind. Creating holy artifacts can be a long process. I think I’ll go help her once we’re done here. Hah! Imagine that! The Goddess of Darkness setting foot in the realm of the Goddess of Light.” Umbra laughed. She had a lot to be happy about.

“So about what happened…” Dee less than subtly prodded the goddess back towards the reason why she was here in the first place.

“Right, so I’d love to tell you all the intricate details of what happened, but the truth is that the situation is still volatile, to say the least. Most of the old rules have been shattered and pushed aside, and at least a third of the gods are in open rebellion. Another third are staying relatively neutral, though they have indicated that they could be persuaded. Unsurprisingly, some gods decided to stay with the stuck-up bastard, but they can’t maintain the old system if the others refuse to cooperate. Most gods retreated to their realms for now. At least those that actually have one. Some of the weaker deities are hiding, though that is understandable. They might have mattered when voting was important, but they don’t have enough power to make a difference at the moment.” Umbra explained.

“So how likely will this little quarrel turn into an actual war that will include us as well?” Dee asked. By us, she was of course referring to beings other than gods.

“Now that’s an interesting question. I made the most important move, but what happens now depends on Order. His reaction to the whole situation will determine what happens next. Odds are that at least he will go after Lumen, as he is rather dogged when it comes to that matter. If he managed to force Lumen out, then he might theoretically have a chance to stand against me, and that chance might draw many to his side. Of course, if he thinks I’ll just stand by and allow that to happen, then he is sorely mistaken. He must have some plan to deal with me in the meantime, but I can’t say what that might be. Ironically, the destruction of the hells has left me with very little to occupy my time with.” Umbra explained with a disdainful shrug. She wasn’t taking Order lightly, she was too smart for that, but she didn’t know how Order could deal with the current situation.

“Speaking of, you mentioned me fulfilling most of the conditions towards becoming the focus.” After absorbing most of the power she had gained, and a large number of souls from those that Selvaria had left her, Dee felt that she wasn’t all that far from reaching the thirteenth rank. She also felt that reaching that rank would need some sort of special push. Becoming the focus was the most obvious option.

“I did, didn’t I? Well, I think we can both agree that you’ve dealt with enough Champions and even gods to qualify. In fact, you did much more than was required, so I’ll let you off easier when it comes to the last part. That is, dealing with your competition. I’d say dealing with one of your three main rivals should be enough, while normally you’d have to deal with at least two. Though I said three, I suspect you’ll only have one viable choice.” Umbra had a rather mean grin on her face. Just because she preferred Dee as the focus, that didn’t mean she could not enjoy the less pleasant parts of the process in her own twisted way. Less pleasant for Dee that is.

“Well, I wouldn’t be the goddess representing chaos without throwing a small dilemma your way. You have three options like I said. Option one, and the one I personally ask you don’t take, is the current Morningstar of Paradisia. Besides being the absolutely most difficult option, I would actually prefer if you left the Morningstar alone. Still, I’m somewhat obliged to mention the possibility at least.” Umbra grimaced. There was a possibility that Dee would go after this option out of spite.

“Wait, the Morningstar is a Fallen?” Dee asked a little shocked. She had wanted news on what happened to the Fallen, so this one was a surprise, and not necessarily a pleasant one.

“Not exactly. The Morningstar is a person with a foot in both camps. He’s the type that wants to have their cake and eat it too. He hasn’t actually become a Fallen, but he is toying with the idea, trying to gain power in exchange from me, hoping I won’t notice that he hasn’t made any promises. Truth be told, if he did become truly Fallen, then he might become the focus very quickly, but as long as he doesn’t commit…” Umbra explained with a shake of her head.

“Alright, I can still see how someone in his position might be useful for you. Or at least fun to toy with. What are the other options?” Dee asked.

“Well, the second choice, and the one I expect you to actually go for, is one of the few surviving arch-devils. He is trying to gather enough power and influence to create a new hell. I actually wouldn’t mind it if he succeeded, but I know you’ll go for him in the end. By the way, one of the deals I’ve made with him is that I can’t reveal his position to anyone, including you. So you’re on your own there. You’re resourceful, I’m sure you can handle it.” Umbra gave a knowing grin. She was extremely confident Dee would pick this option.

“And the third choice?” Dee asked carefully.

“Well, here’s the thing; I did mention to you that while you’re my first choice, you’re not my only choice. I actually had…what I would call a spare to replace you in case you happened to die early on. That spare has done pretty well, but killing her would not be all that difficult. She’s even easy to find. I want you to keep this option in mind. You could always go with the easy option if the situation calls for it.” Umbra offered.

“Just tell me.” Dee said with a sigh.

“You know that new ‘sister’ you just gained, Aurelie? Yeah, she’s also an option.” Umbra knew enough about Dee to know that she would not take the easy way out in this case. Not that Dee had trouble with taking the easy way out, not at all. Just that Aurelie happened to be the right type to appeal to Dee. Even though the two barely even knew each other, Dee would still not kill her because of that. An unexpected blind spot for someone of Dee’s past and nature, but everybody had one. Still, offering the chance to gain quick power by killing someone close was something of a staple that Umbra often used to entice people. It was a cliché for a reason. If she had a way of making the third option Moirai, she would, but unfortunately, Moirai was not an option.

“Such a nasty goddess.” Dee stated with a sigh. She knew the goddess had her pegged. The worst part was that even if she did decide to go with the last option, Umbra would still be delighted. There was no winning this one. She even suspected that the goddess had thrown the Morningstar out as bait, just because the option of spiting the goddess would appeal to Dee. In truth, the goddess most likely would be glad if the Morningstar was killed by Dee, but she would pretend otherwise just to manipulate her. Such a nasty deity.