A Gamer's Guide 373

HUMAN 3: You’re leaving already?

Pathetic Coward: I must.

HUMAN 3: Sure, but… Okay, listen, I don’t know how much sense this is going to make since it’s coming from me and all, but, like… I was there, right? I saw what happened. You weren’t, so you don’t know how it was actually like. This was… Shit, I suck at this. Fuck, wait, I’m not supposed to swear in front of a king, am I? Shit.

Pathetic Coward: I don’t mind. Continue.

HUMAN 3: Right. Thanks. Okay, um… Please don’t think I’m like those guys out there who seriously genuflected in front of that fucking guy, but it wasn’t, how to say it… Bad? Sure, we all shat our collective pants when he made the dragon come out of itself, but even that was better than a bloody grisly battle between all of us. If he hadn’t been there, this whole thing would’ve been even more of a bloodbath. I hate the guy as much as anyone, but he did kind of save our asses. No idea what all that glowing shit was about though.

Shiver. Cold. HUMAN, watching. Curled in on herself. Long arms holding other long arms. 

Interesting.

Pathetic Coward: Would you mind accompanying me in my mission?

HUMAN 3: Would I—huh? What? What’s that supposed to mean, man?

Mode of communication, yes. But more than that. Interesting perspectives. HUMAN mind only understands HUMAN mind. Recognizer of the unrecognizable. 

Pathetic Coward: You would, of course, be brought along in the greatest luxury. I will not demand any participation should we happen into battle, even against it.

HUMAN 3: No, no, that isn’t—shit. Listen, I’m literally the one that wrote down your message, so I know what you’re going to do. If you’d grabbed me yesterday and said the exact same thing, I would’ve been down in a heartbeat. But now? Damn it. I don’t know. I am so fucking confused and [HUMAN 2] being all serene and shit is not helping.

Pathetic Coward: She can come along, if you’d like.

Silence. HUMAN, head in hand. Dark carriage. Alone with thoughts. 

Pray, pray, pray, pray.

HUMAN 3: Let me go talk to her.

Pathetic Coward: Permitted.

HUMAN 3: Thanks.

Exit HUMAN 3. Enter darkness. 

Time passes because it has to. Unable to move. Silence, praying for the people who had died. Praying for the people who would die. Many. Many will die. 

Eventually, return of HUMAN 3. Eye-whites reddened. Breathing labored and bad. Pained. 

HUMAN 3: I’ll come. (strained noise not quite hiccup or whimper can humans cry?) I’ll come.

Pathetic Coward: That is good to hear. I presume your friend won’t be coming along?

HUMAN 3: No, she won’t. She still has to finish the ledge, and she doesn’t… It…

Pathetic Coward: A shame. Very well, are you ready to leave? 

HUMAN 3: I am. 

Pathetic Coward: Good.

Leaving. Sythe, follower of the anathema of hope, remained. No time for justice. That would come once it was ended, fully.

Hours later came the Emperor’s reply.

Dear [Pathetic Coward],

Had I held you in any less regard, I would have dismissed your message as jest. Unfortunately, I know you too well for this to be the case. I must therefore trust not only the contents of your message, but likewise your intentions so clearly stated. 

When this message arrives to your proxy, all members of the central continent will already have been made aware of the situation. I cannot help but praise the Gods for the presence of these most helpful humans, who make such efforts to allow this fast, versatile net of communication to function as it does. But I digress. In respect of their persons, I chose only to parlay the objective retelling of the events and not your biased opinion on what ought to be done. 

An opinion I must solemnly denounce. Though we are as a civilization under attack by the monstrous God of Kings, the God of Hope has shown Himself to be in amicable alliance with our Gods, acting in accordance with their rules. He is then to be likened only with the God of the human realm, whose help has been instrumental in battling the threat of the God of Kings. To denounce the God of Hope as not only an enemy, but indeed an anathema, is a heresy I cannot allow to go unopposed. 

As we are good friends, it grieves me to present the following ultimatum. If you wish to avoid war between us and reconcile as friends do when one has been led astray by hatred, I beg of you to heed the following demands:

1—You must return the men you have graciously borrowed from the Empire, their salaries paid in full.

2—You must publicly denounce your former ways and accept the God of Hope as a just and divine being above mortal scrutiny.

3—You must disarm your soldiers and return to Acheron within the month. 

4—You must cease all pursuit of the God of Hope.

If you fail to comply with any of these, the Empire has no choice but to declare war, as you have clearly proven yourself to be an ungodly king incapable of leading your people in a sensible way. 

As your long-standing friend and fellow victim of Lo Fennrick’s actions, I plead this. You were a considerable asset following my father’s untimely demise, and I hope that we need not tarnish these memories with blasphemy and spite.

Your worried friend and neighbor,

Ieta unum zat,

Hark

Thus it began. Due to Acheron’s unsatisfactory response to the Empire’s ultimatum, the Split-Horizon declared war on Acheron and began to mobilize. However, within the Empire, dissent instantly split the nations as those who supported the Emperor’s decision clashed with those who denounced it, be it for haste or for the overly religious points made, arguing that the Empire was formed through an alliance of secularism. On the second day, the declaration of war was denounced by the Hyrru-Ettric family, the Limum family, and the Yoriette family. In opposition, the Kur family, the Nudemkurg family, the Pieut e’Oma family, the Rurum family and the Hefsum family declared full support of the emperor’s decision and began mobilization. Threatened by allegations of heresy, the prior families began to mobilize as well, though it was by most only intended as a show of power.

On the third day, the Ret-Inn kingdom declared support for Acheron and began to mobilize against the Empire. On the same day, the kingdom of Vindom declared neutrality, though only due to a lack of credible information regarding the God of Hope. 

On the fourth day, the first armed battle broke out in the region of Hej on the border of Acheron. The Emperor of the Split-Horizon Empire sent an ultimatum to the queen of Ret-Inn demanding ceasefire, but was rejected.

On the fifth day, the kingdom of Tumery declared war on the Empire and began mobilizing. 

On the sixth day, the republic of Painum declared war on Acheron and began to mobilize as Ret-Innian troops entered the Empire, being met with support from some regions and great opposition by others. Only a few hours later, the kingdom of Karita joined the republic of Painum in their war on Acheron, beginning mobilization as well.

On the seventh day, the theocracy of Multum called for an emergency ecumenical synod, demanding the presence of all apostles and popes in order to discuss the matter of the God of Hope. By the time this synod had taken place, the continent had already been thrust into a war bloodier than any that came before, the speed of its escalation and the brutality of its waging both attributed to the humans whose presence likewise started it. 

Though none knew it at the time, the war would come to be called the Hopeless War, named for the absence of the one whose continued existence was in perpetual question. 

Far away from all of this, completely ignorant of the events that had come to pass, Lo Fennrick continued his journey together with his friends, happy to finally have done the right thing by saving Lett and Garath.

The God of Hope was decried Anathema of Hope.

Himself, none the wiser.