The various codes of Chivalry and other unspoken rules that dominated the Golden Age of Warfare (GAW) have long been studied. They have been codified and we know what they are, but I do not think anyone in the White Pantheon is actually optimistic enough as to restore the GAW. Ultimately, these various codes all formed out of the necessities of Worldbreaking rather than being some actively imposed guide to live by. They became nails which were hammered into the plank of tradition, and then Kassandora ripped each one out to smelt them together and forge a sword. The thinking she unleashed was always known of course, it is not particularly “out-there” so to say, unlike someone such as Anassa.
Kassandora’s achievements were being the trailblazer who took the first step. She broke each rule from the GAW. For example, during the GAW, sieges were avoided and spat upon. The reasoning for the development of this is simple, Worldbreaking dropped human population levels to times of crisis, and thus acts which ultimately resulted in mass casualties, such as a siege which ensures starvation, were frowned upon. Another would be the volunteer army. Again, the conscript army did not exist in the GAW. The reasoning is simple, human population post-Worldbreaking could not support mass conscription. Magical Mobilization was one of the main steps to ending the GAW, and even then we managed several centuries of keeping mages limited to duels and nothing else.
Kassandora stood there as she thought of what to say. She knew Fer was smart enough to see why Kassandora would not speak like this in front of the men. And she knew that Fer was smart enough to play ignorant on it when it didn’t suit her. “And if you collapse during Ratsweeper?”
“Will I?” Fer asked, she looked down at herself and extended her arms out. “I’ve been recovering and nothing has happened yet.”
“We don’t know whether you won’t.” Kassandora said.
“Do you not have beds and medics?” Fer asked in a terribly flat voice. The fact that Kassandora saw her own soldiers smile out of the corner of her eye at Fer’s retort meant she was losing this battle. Whether Fer saw it herself, or whether she just read the consternation on Kassandora’s face, she used the opportunity to seize the attack. “I can’t have a little lie down? Surely you won’t kick your big sister to the curb?” Kassandora did not even care that Fer called herself the big sister. Even when the woman had been the size of a child, she called herself that.
Kassandora stared at Fer in silence. What, the entire army had come to a stop because this child needed to be scolded and the worst part was that this child thought it was in the right. What was there even to say? Kassandora could not give the reasoning because she was making an exception. Extra bodies were always needed at the front, she was only sending Fer away because of the news she got from Anassa, from Neneria and from Iniri. It was for Fer’s own damn good frankly, because Fer may have been smaller, but she was still Fer. She still had the tail popping out from underneath her shirt and the pair of ears on top of her head. The woman’s entire silhouette was unique, the only chance that had happened was that Fer had been scaled down.
Ashmodai was a Demon Prince, Legion was a Demon Prince, whatever had gotten Anassa was obviously a Demon Prince too, and the fact it knew how to fight her meant it was a veteran of the Great War. If time had spared them, then why should it spare all of them? Having Fer on the front was the equivalent of holding a loaded revolver to her head. Every battle they faced was a spin of the half-full chamber and a pull of the trigger. They had just been lucky that nothing overwhelming had come across their path yet.
But Kassandora could not say that, and whilst avoiding panic was one reason, the other was that it was simply unfair to the men. Fer may have been Divine, but all were made equal in the field of battle. The whole point of a military hierarchy and soldier’s camaraderie was that it was new bonds to share and treasure. Family was left at home because man should not be forced to choose between brothers of spilled blood or brothers of womb’s water.
Kassandora had broken that rule, and now she needed to pay the price. Here she was thinking that just because she was Divine, she could break her own code of honour. Look at what sort of trouble that got her in. No. She was a commander here, and she had to act like a commander. The links of family and the chain of command were exclusionary, it was one or the other.
Kassandora chose the same option she always did. “Fer.” Kassandora said slowly, her voice. “I am the commander here and you obey my orders, do you not?”
Fer opened her mouth and then closed it. The ears on top of her head settled down onto her fluffy hair. She obviously wasn’t happy with what Kassandora had just said. “Is this really the line you’re going down?” She asked.
“It is.” Kassandora replied. “Now answer my question. Who is the commander here?”
Fer took a deep breath. Her eyes became downcast, she let out a huge cloud of mist in this cold underground air. The men around had taken to listening in and not even hiding it at this point. Kassandora did not care, she had seized the advantage with this line of attack. When Fer answered, her tone sounded as if it caused her physical pain to speak. “You are.”
“Then I order you to return to the rear.” Kassandora said and held Fer’s gaze. The Goddess of Beasthood let her arms fall loose by her side, she finally broke eye contact. Her eyes settled down on the ground. Another cloud of mist rose from another heavy sigh.
“Are you going to be safe?” Fer pleaded.
“I’ve called in Aslana and Labrys for myself.” Kassandora replied. That wasn’t even a lie, although what Kassandora could not handle herself, she doubted that the Goddesses of the Sword and of the Axe would be able to manage. “Pridwen and Bess are coming to guard you.” That pair were getting transferred from guarding a hold. Fer’s life was more important, but that’s exactly why Fer could not stay here.
“They are nothing.” Fer said quietly.
“You are in no position to fight.” Kassandora said. She saw Fer nod sadly and heard her sigh again. The Goddess of Beasthood looked up, her eyes twinkling with wetness.
“Kassie.” Fer said, sniffled, and then wrapped her arms around Kassandora in a hug. She could just about to wrap the whole way around Kassandora’s stomach, and the top of her head did not even reach Kassandora’s chest. The Goddess of War slowly returned the hug. One hand went to ruffle Fer’s hair, the other gently touched her back. “Promise me you won’t go mad.” Kassandora blinked in surprise and froze.
There had been a time when Kassandora would pretend she wouldn’t know what Fer was talking about. When Kassandora would ask and pester and try to force argument out of what just had been said, but that time and that Kassandora had long come and gone. Now, Kassandora knew exactly what Fer was asking to be promised. It was battle madness in the rawest degree, the need to escalate and escalate and escalate to the highest and fastest degree imaginable. It was the madness that opened the Ocean Drains, that militarized magic, that unleashed the warherds in the Great War. It was the madness that had been behind Operation Sandfire and Sovereign, it was the madness that had convinced Elassa to crack a continent.
It was madness perfectly sane and justified, but it was madness nonetheless.
And Kassandora stared silently back at Fer. The two sisters maintained their gazes aimed at each other. Kassandora wished Fer broke the awful silence as the entire world faded away. She wished that Fer would say something, or that she would simply cast judgement already. But Kassandora knew Fer was far too smart to gloat. As Fer always said, animals had learned to speak long before humans did, and Fer considered herself a master of that craft. The worst part was that Kassandora knew that Fer knew the answer already… Kassandora had to say it. “I can’t promise that.”
Fer closed her eyes and once more took a deep breath. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.” She said flatly.
“I…” Kassandora stood there, utterly stunned. And somehow, Fer had managed to drag this conversation back into the realm of family relations where Kassandora was woefully inept. Kassandora said the only thing she could say, and it disgusted her to say it. It was a lie. “I’m sorry.”
“Why do you say never to apologize?” Fer caught her out on it immediately.
“Because words are wind.” Kassandora admitted.
“Mmh.” Fer said. “Words are wind.” She took a deep breath. “When is Kavaa coming here?” She asked.
“Kavaa is busy with Ratsweeper.” Kassandora said.
“So you’ll see me again before you see her.” Fer declared. It wasn’t wrong.
“You’ll start recovering once its done. I don’t know how long it will take as I said.” Kassandora said.
“I’ll start returning the moment I feel it coming back.” Fer said. “Promise me one thing then, and promise me it in actuality.”
“What?” Kassandora asked.
“When I return, you’ll be here.” Fer said.
Kassandora stared at Fer. Fer stared at Kassandora. Both Goddesses knew the same thing. It was warfare. And down here, the warfare was even more brutal than up above. At least there, one could navigate and avoid places battles and hide. Here? Were everything was a straight or a bend? Where to retreat, one had to hope they were fast or that reinforcement was already on its way? There was no such thing as pulling reinforcement from a nearby unit or retreating into heavy terrain or… or, well anything. Down here, warfare was a slow and attritional tug of war and nothing else. And besides, everyone knew how warfare went. It was one part skill, two parts preparation and three parts luck. There was a reason all of Kassandora’s strategies avoided the coin-flip that was luck. And Kassandora herself, powerful though she was, was at the bottom of the totem pole when it came to combat prowess. At the end of the day, warfare was a collective effort, not an individual achievement. The universe had stuck to that mantra when it created her. Against Legion, maybe, against Ashmodai though? Or against whatever it was that could hurt Anassa?
It wouldn’t even be a fight.
Kassandora stared at Fer. Fer stared at Kassandora. Yellow eyes met crimson ones. Kassandora silently pleaded that Fer would not make her say it. The silence went on for what felt like eternity, it could not have been more than a few seconds. “I’ll return Kassie. You better be here.” Fer turned around and started to walk away. Even from behind, there was no mistaking the action that Fer was doing.
Kassandora silently watched her sister wipe tears.