The Greatest Sin

There are many purposes to a Holy Order. Of course, one of the most common ones is to serve as an extension of a Divine's will. A single being, such as Maisara, cannot stand and watch over every corner in a city, much less in a whole country. Yet this is obvious, no one needs to be taught that a Holy Order serves the same purpose for a Divine as what an army serves for a state.

No. There are other things. Maybe not so much in these times of Pantheon Peace and of course, we always avoid the word 'mercenary', for we are Divines and our will is great, we would never tolerate such a besmirchment on our honour. Yet if mercenary is not the word to use, then what word can be used for how we wielded our Holy Orders?

A Holy Order is leverage. Kings and Queens who faced problems of unrest, who needed an immediate short-term solution could enlist classic mercenaries of course. More men with swords never went amiss, yet why enlist mercenaries when one could enlist Maisara's blessed Paladins? Where one man is strong enough for five? Usually, Holy Orders were even cheaper than mercenaries too, as a company needed to cover its own expenses whereas an order pulled from the coffers of its Divine. All that one truly had to do was be in Maisara's good graces.

The same went for Fortia, once, the Guardians enforced peace because they were an undefeatable army. Maisara kept down rebellions, Fortia kept down opponents. Kavaa is not to be forgotten too. Her Clerics may have been the most sought after, part of the reason we don't even know how much wealth the woman possesses is because of the donations her Clerics take. There is no price on good health after all.

Ultimately, any Divine with any shred of ambition created a Holy Order. The men who swore their lives to these Orders effectively became the most sought-after currency in the world.

- Excerpt from Goddess Allasaria's, of Light's, Private Diary.

Arthur stood up as he watched Etala gently touch the ground. She dropped some distance away, although the Goddess was so tall that it looked as if she had landed closer than she actually did. Her parachute was the same that would be used to drop small vehicles from planes. Three individual white, blue and red clothes of fabric trailed down and fallen around the Goddess. The other men that had dropped behind her were still high in the air. They weren't even coming close to landing as Etala unhooked the backpack from her arms. And then she began to trail towards the party.

She had come in a blue uniform, adorned with strips of fluorescent red. The same colour that Arthur's high-visibility Rescuer fatigues were sewn in. Her hair was brown-gold, tied back, looking as if she was ready for action. She came unarmed, with absolutely nothing on her. The backpack she had left for the men behind her to clean up as Aircraft-One began to circle around Rockport. "That does not look good at all." Commander Noel said and stood up.

"Not at all." Arthur followed the Commander as the men trailed back to the main group of Rescuers. A few had gone off to inspect a nearby building and get some work done to distract themselves from what had happened to Sarah. A few had gone off to cry. Most had stayed behind to watch the pair of Clerics work. And now, both of Kavaa's blessed stood up, faced the incarnation of Democracy and the representative-Divine of the UNN, and stood straight backed, as if they were soldiers ready for a military inspection.

Etala came close. Her ponytail swept from side to side with each step and it actually fell forward before hooking back around the Goddess as she stopped on a pile of concrete rubble. Some of the stones cracked under her weight. She readjusted her posture, stepped on a similar piece of rebar that had paralyzed Sarah, and bent it with her weight.

Etala looked over at the two Clerics. At Sarah breathing slowly. Arthur hoped that the Goddess which was supposed to represent his country was smart enough to put two and two together. She should be able to. It was obvious, wasn't it? It had to be. The Clerics looked as if they were expecting the worst. They both stood up straight as if they were soldiers being made to stand at attention. And they both stared at the Goddess with the sort of look that Arthur would not give to his father, much less to the representative of the UNN.

Etala though, was smart enough. Arthur did not even know why he worried. Was it not obvious what was happening here after a single glance? Who would cause a scene here. Etala introduced herself first, her voice calm and magnanimous, like a teacher talking to a class she liked. "Imperial Clerics, I thank you for your help."

The Cleric that was closer of the two men replied quickly, even slightly bowing his head. "It is only our duty and our work." Arthur noticed the man did not call the Goddess Goddess. And if he noticed it, then Etala definitely would have noticed it. Of Democracy did not take offense. She only bowed.

"I notice you come armed." She said. Rudolf threw back his coat to reveal a sheathed sword on one side of his belt, a holstered pistol in the other.

"It is standard issue for Clerics." Rudolf said. His eyes fixed on the Goddess that was half-again his height. Otto, the Cleric next to him, was much the same. Standing at attention, in that blue-grey coat outlined with bright orange streaks. Arthur wondered if he should intervene, it was Etala though. At the end of the day, a Goddess shouldn't need help from a human. It was much akin to if Arthur's son… Well… nevermind that actually. Arthur pushed the thought of the child he would never see again out of his mind.

"Even on healing missions?" Etala asked.

"Standard issue is standard issue." Rudolf answered back. Etala sounded as if she was enjoying this argument somewhat. Her tone had softened, it was still hard, and her eyes were still looking as if they tried boring holes into the pair of men in front of her, but Arthur could definitely tell her posture had relaxed. Her shoulders had dropped somewhat.

"I have met Kavaa before." Etala said. "I suppose the saying that Orders take after their Divines are true. You are all rude."

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"My apologies." Rudolf said the word in the same way one would pronounce some specific chemical they had no idea about. His mouth made the sound, but there was no meaning in that word.

"Oh no. It is merely curious." Etala said and looked down at Sarah. "Have you finished healing?"

"She will live. We'll need ten minutes for a full recovery. Maybe more." It was only Etala and the pair of Clerics who gave no reaction to what the man had just said. The Rescuers, in their red uniforms, all made stunned faces. To think that the man actually sounded apologetic about ten more minutes!? Who else, what else, could heal such a wound in just ten minutes? The grey clouds in the sky started to darken. Rains were coming. It wasn't even anything to do with Continent Cracking, this area of the UNN always tried to make weather that was thoroughly uncomfortable. "After that, we'll get out of your way."

"I was thinking of something else." Etala said. The two Clerics said nothing, they just stood and stared at the Goddess of Democracy.

"We serve a Goddess already." Rudolf replied and Arthur felt a chill go down his spine. He had just heard words he would have never considered hearing. Who would deny a Goddess? Who in the UNN would deny the Goddess that was the very incarnation of this nation?

"So you do." Etala said. "I ask not for vows but you have turned up on UNN land."

"We were invited." Rudolf said quickly. The man was starting to lose his cool. His cheeks were becoming red, and his answers were getting more rapid. Arthur knew he needed to help. Arthur knew he should step in. These two men had saved Sarah. Whatever Etala wanted, he could not just…

"I invited them." Commander Noel shouted. Arthur almost felt his jaw drop when he turned to look at the green-eyed commander. The man stood there, tall, chest out, one arm waving as if to draw attention to himself. "It was my choice. We received a distress call from Team Three. We tried ring other teams. There were none. We rang the Imperial Ship offshore. They answered."

The Clerics ignored Commander Noel. Etala turned as if it was mere formality. "Your name?"

"Noel Darcia." The Goddess looked over the rest of the team. Arthur felt a shiver go down his spine again. He didn't know how he managed to rip that anger out of himself which had forced Noel into action, but… Well no, he did not regret it. He was glad that Noel was here to take the heat though.

"And are you the commander of the Rescuers assigned to this area?"

"I am."

"Then I commend you for your initiative and quick thinking Commander. You will have a medal prepared for breaking the rules and saving a life. Nevertheless, that does not change anything." Etala turned back to the pair of Clerics who had been sent off here. Arthur came close to the Commander.

"I feel like this is out of our pay-grade." He whispered. Noel only nodded as they went to watching whatever would become of this.

Etala once again began speaking to the two men who had just saved Sarah. "Imperial Clerics, I can see you are men of action so I will cut to the chase and speak straight to you, I do not ask of you to lay down your arms, nor do I ask you to kneel or submit to me. I have everything to offer to men with your skills. In exchange, I want you to join the UNN. I can have your passport and proof of citizenship ready within the hour. You will see our land is as great a land as Epa. Younger, of course, but for every castle you have, we have an untouched mountain. For every marvel of architecture, we have a marvel of nature." Rudolf and Otto both stood there, both as still as statues as Arthur listened to what the Goddess had just said. Wasn't that… He blinked and realised it was the best case scenario for everyone. The Clerics would not be in trouble if they were citizens of the UNN.

Rudolf replied slower this time, choosing his words carefully. "We are not bound to a country but an Order."

"Nation within borders or nation within temples, it is nation nonetheless." Etala replied, she even smiled at them. "And besides, we allow dual-citizenship unlike Arascus' Empire."

Arthur looked over at the two men again. He wanted them to take it. UNN hospitals were overcrowded, the cities were filled with those injured from the great wave which had flooded the seaboard. It was not merely broken arms, it was people who had been miraculously saved by Rescuers, somehow still alive after being buried by rubble, yet people who had their wounds already close. Those who could never again fix a joint, or who needed limbs amputated. Or… Or any of the other that were stable yet sleeping. Who had almost been drowned, yet still clung to life. "Goddess Etala." Arthur immediately knew it would be bad when the man actually called Etala Goddess. Rudolf slowly continued. "We appreciate the other, nevertheless we have taken our vows. It is a matter of duty, not a matter of payment or benefits."

"Does your duty not say to heal the sick, Cleric?" Etala asked coldly.

Nothing snapped within Rudolf yet it was obvious that what Etala had just said had besmirched the man's honour. The other men who had jumped from Aircraft-One with Etala finally caught up to their Goddess. They were all dressed in the same red-fatigues of the Rescuers. A few had pistols, a pair had a large camera they were using to take pictures of the Clerics. "We have a Goddess already." Rudolf said, still maintaining his politeness. Yet he kept on this time. "The answer is no."

"Your powers are great Cleric. It is not a case of praise, although that you will receive no doubt, it is a case of doing what needs to be done. Just as Commander Noel did when he rang you here."

"We turned up, we healed who needed to be healed, we are going to leave. Preferably, we request you allow us to stay to finish healing this woman." Rudolf extended one arm toward Sarah, still lying on the ground. Although he did not even bother looking down to make sure he was pointing to the correct spot, his eyes remained fixed on Etala's.

The Goddess of Democracy took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Then I must arrest you for breaching the law." Etala said. "You will be treated well, you do not need to worry about your safety nor about your comfort. I will personally make that you live good lives. Nevertheless, I must arrest you. I ask that you do not hate me for this, and that you hopefully understand, yet your blessings of health are simply too powerful. We have too many who need you. I hope you stay, yet I promise that you will go home once your work is done."

Rudolf and Otto finally both moved. Etala's words had utterly frozen Arthur and Noel and the rest of the Rescuers, however what they had managed to keep still in them, they had awoken in the Clerics. The two actually looked at ease somewhat now that they knew they were going to be arrested. "Before you do Etala." He said the Goddess' name as if he was highschool friends with the woman. Arthur imagined that was the sort of confidence one only got once they were part of a Divine Order. "Just know that the Empire will come for us. We don't leave our own behind."

"Then the Empire will come through me. I do not want war, I hope Arascus does not either." The Goddess stared at the two Clerics, then nodded to Sarah. "Our discussion is over, you may continue healing her."

Before Rudolf move, his hand went to his belt. He rest it on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "Do you want our weapons?"

"I will not make you wear prison jumpsuits and I do not want to humiliate you. Keep your sword and your pistol. I simply want your powers. And as I said, I ask you do not hate me, if you need to lay blame on anyone, lay it on Kavaa for giving you this power in the first place."

Arthur watched the Clerics get back to work. They knelt down next to Sarah and returned to healing the woman, neither saying a word. He didn't know what he had just seen. He didn't even want to think about what he had just seen. And the worst part was that if he had just kept his mouth shut, none of this would have happened.