Governance Pursuits

by Fan Of Games

After securing victory over what remained of the Sun heaven, Ivlis speaks with Justim regarding the fate of the Sun Heaven. Aware of new duties Igls Unth has taken up as the Goddess, he also attempts to initiate a discussion with her on how to govern a civilization.

"Interesting…" he remarked upon hearing the proposals the Flame Devil had in mind when he acquired territories for numerous factions in the Flame Underworld. He had put a bent finger to his chin, contemplating the plans set before him which were laid out in stone. They were excellent ideas, and the God of All Gods had to actually commend Ivlis on thinking out the details with this much precision and intellect in mind. His earlier reports of the Flame Devil's rise in power claimed this guy was foolish for not believing in religious values that stood at this world's focal point, but Justim couldn't help feeling surprised at how irrelevant the reports Siralos sent were. "Those are some unique concepts you've got in store for the Land of the Sun. Of course, the factions are likely to use these ideas for their own benefit however they choose to utilize them. Yet I must say you've definitely put a lot of thought into implementing them. You certainly are a capable Devil, Ivlis."

"Appreciate it," Ivlis commented, seated at a table in the Sun Tower's library where he and the God of All Gods were conversing. They had already gone over a variety of topics so far, all of which could be split into three separate categories: what would've become of the Sun God and his daughter when they were turned over and what Ivlis would receive in exchange for them; the spoils of war he had secured for his participation in the War of Three Suns; and plans for education. This third category interested Justim most because of how detailed and beneficial it was. Regarding the plans, Ivlis was going to have academies and universities established for the humans, demons, and even the angels of this world. Academies for those who would receive the primary and secondary education, and universities for the higher education. In addition to the establishments, trade schools would also work in tangent with them to teach a wide curricula of skills and abilities in many fields students could choose to learn from. Religion would still be included amongst the subjects, though other academic studies: such as sciences like mathematics, biology, chemistry, and medicine; and liberal arts like literature, languages, and history, would be taught too. "It is clearly a challenge to get everything set up, though I'm confident all will turn out alright once this is implemented. Still, you are correct the factions can also make use of these institutions for their own goals and propose others through charters. At best I can only consider their ideas and approve them if they're sound."

"I can certainly imagine they would be capable of causing trouble for you," Justim said so he could further elaborate on that point. "I'm well aware the Flame Underworld is by far the most chaotic of the underworlds. It hasn't been united ever since the flame demon warlord, Babel, made a failed attempt to slay the Sun God in power at the time of his reign. Even then, there was plenty of disunity and strife amongst them due to the competition for power over the Flame Underworld."

Ivlis smiled, liking how the God of All Gods was well versed in the history of this world's hell. "Indeed, thus leading to the construction of the Tower of Lebab and the creation of one of the most feared weapons throughout all of the worlds: the Lebabylonian Blade. Developed to slaughter said Sun God in combat as initially intended, the blacksmiths throughout the Flame Underworld's regions came together and established the Smiths of Hell, a guild that lasted only until the factions dissolved the alliance. They hired mercenary units and looked to the troops of each region, paying well for the materials needed to construct it while stone masons built the Tower of Lebab." Taking a sip of soda before continuing, the Flame Devil took a deep breath to savor it. "Though the search yielded results, it was unfortunate that only enough were uncovered to produce a single shortsword due to how exotically rare minerals and ores were. Smelting and hammering them also contributed to the loss as the ores and minerals were very fragile and broke easily. It's been a serious problem, a significant one at that as it was then meant for assassinations with the blade serving as the tool. Babel hated subterfuge, as I'm sure you're aware, so he fought in the heat of battle with it and lost when his opponents discovered what he had been planning on doing. Thus it aided his undoing."

"Yes, I've heard the stories," Justim agreed with a nod, drinking a soda of his own that the Flame Devil provided him as a refreshment for the discussion between them both. "Not to mention the fact this blade has been destroyed by Kcalb, the Black Devil of the Gray Garden. Tell me, Ivlis, did you ever plan to use this weapon yourself against Siralos? If not, then what of the factions?"

The Flame Devil shook his head. "Nope, certainly not. I've got my pike and Twin Wings," Ivlis answered to confirm he wouldn't have dared used it. "The pike's now a ceremonial weapon; Twin Wings are now my main weapons for combat. I suppose you could say I'm like Babel in the respect that we both prefer combat over stealth, though I'm not so foolish as to use the blade since he made the mistake of using it in battle. Its reach was just too short. Now the factions…" he said, taking another sip of soda prior to elaborating on how his underworld's factions would've used it. "To them, the Lebabylonian Blade could have been quite useful. Whichever one acquired it would have had a shot at assassinating the Sun God, thus putting them on equal ground with me. The one wielding it would be able to challenge my authority and acquire support from others who may join up with whoever has it. However, there is one advantage I have over them in that regard: they may also fight amongst themselves for the blade, sending assassins and armies after it to fight and slay the owner to claim it for themselves. Even so, this is counterbalanced by the fact I'd probably have to seize the Lebabylonian Blade from them because of this potential danger even though I wouldn't use it. Perhaps choosing a champion from among them through a tournament may help reduce the friction by turning it over to the winner, though losers could still rebel to steal the damn thing."

"So, you're glad it's been demolished," Justim remarked rhetorically.

"Yep, and that conflict can be avoided much better than having it around. Some factions in the Flame Underworld did not approve of this, but they begrudgingly came to accept it." Finishing his drink as the God of All Gods finished his too, Ivlis picked up the glasses to set them down by neatly stacked piles of books to avoid knocking the things over. "It is what it is, Justim. But change of subject, onto how the Land of the Sun will be governed. If you don't mind me asking, what are your thoughts on the option of me governing it without a deity? Is it possible, or is one needed?"

Justim shut his eyes, pondering on how to answer that inquiry. In spite of the fact Ivlis was a Devil, the Flame Devil was certainly a good leader albeit some difficulties he had to face because of his position. Although Ivlis did wield much power and was recognized by Queen GriRea as one of her Devils following his failed invasion of the Gray Garden, this was the Flame Underworld he was governing. Rife with intense strife among numerous factions, each of which held control over various regions, there was hardly any hope of true unity. They simply weren't compatible, unable to settle any disagreements—and if they did, the truce lasted for a short term. A very short term. It was inconceivable to work together in their opinion, even if it was begrudgingly accepted at times. Even Babel had difficulty if his knowledge of the Flame Underworld's history aided in recollecting this fact. "I think…" the God of All Gods began, "you are quite capable of handling the factions."

"Possibly," Ivlis concurred, this single word also an admittance of him possibly failing this endeavor. Yet that was why he also goaded Justim to continue voicing his thoughts. "Go on…"

"But we still need a deity," the God of All Gods added, confirming the suspicion the Flame Devil thought of. "A contingency plan, if you will, to fulfill the exigency of suppressing the unruly factions should they ever become too much of an issue for even you to bear with your own, Ivlis."

"Who do you have in mind?"

Justim looked him in the eye, already knowing a possible candidate who could perform the duty adequately even if not fully capable herself. He had already given instructions to place her in the position to see how she'd become acclimated to the role. All that had to be done was determine if she was indeed a candidate well-suited for the position to act as the Land of the Sun's governing deity. "I was thinking Igls Unth might be a likely candidate," he explained to voice this process of thinking. "As a resident of this world, she knows the Sun Heaven and mortal realm here quite well, even with her eyes closed. She has the capacity to maintain order, unlike her father now that he's mentally incapacitated, thereby becoming unsuited to fulfilling the role any longer. It's possible."

Ivlis narrowed his eyes. "You're not forgetting her crimes, are you, Justim?"

The God of All Gods shook his head. "No, of course not. She has faced the charges we've levied against her in trial. However, that does not change the fact we still require a deity here. We have already allowed Rosaliya Phantomrose to govern her world alone without a deity due to Liliya committing the war crimes, and Warwick has already seized control of his own as well by slaying the deity there. The Heavenly Council cannot afford to lose control over events in another as well, hence why we require a deity to help govern and prevent chaos from overflowing in this world. A necessity, one that must be fulfilled to ensure we still have a stable grip on divine affairs. This is a reason why we have chosen to consider even her in that regard for holy governance. It was not a decision made lightly, for the crimes she took part in and how she handled governance in Siralos' mental absence have affected how she'll serve the role. The Sun Heaven will not cast any votes in the assemblies she's called in to attend, and she cannot pass legislation in the mortal realm and the Sun Heaven without approval from the council. Bills shall be passed through the embassy Deities' Circle has reestablished, and they shall be copied and sent via mail, email, and fax. Other heavens shall receive this legislation and deities shall decide on what stance they take regarding her laws."

"Through a majority rule, or with a unanimous acceptance instead?"

"A majority rule," Justim answered that question. "It's a fair value we must still adhere to."

"Fair enough," Ivlis nodded, accepting the plan of action since he was open to it. "I will be looking forward to her performance just as you are too." His attention diverted to the doors opening on the other side of the chamber to admit Igls Unth and Shiroame entrance into the library. "Speak of the Devil herself," he commented with a smirk, turning to face his sister, her eyes still shut tight with the standard uniform she wore as her attire. She looked the same as always, though with both wings absent since she was promoted to the position of being the Land of the Sun's Sun Goddess. Her usual appearance and décor was apparently meant to show she was still loyal to Siralos in light of the fact he was no longer the deity of this world. "If it isn't the new Goddess. Come to visit us?"

"Silence, Ivlis!" Igls Unth retorted, lowering her eyebrows into an angry glare at him even though her eyes themselves were still shut tight. "You've helped cause no end of grief for the Sun Heaven! Everything was under control as it was! You had no right to interfere with the other worlds that should've fallen before Lord Siralos' majesty!" The new Sun Goddess still retained her belief in her father in spite of his current disabilities, and she was acting like it too. That high and mighty attitude hadn't fallen even with her as a defeated party of the War of Three Suns that had also been called the War of Misguided Beliefs. "You've no right to talk to me in an informal tone, Ivlis!"

Shiroame glared back at her on behalf of her superior. "You should hold your own tongue instead, Igls Unth," she ordered in an authoritative tone of voice to demonstrate that even she had authority over this new deity. "You have contributed to the fall of your heaven and father from the grace you had previously known. By supporting his actions against a neutral world and an ally on the Heavenly Council, you are liable for charges of treason which you are indeed responsible for."

"She is most certainly correct, dear sister," applying sarcastic venom when addressing Igls Unth. Ivlis was certainly in a good position to side with the God of All Gods and his staff regarding this debate considering what Siralos had done to him with his betrayal. "After all, it is only natural that you humbly know your place. Bear in mind I've only done that which was necessary because it followed the natural law of conflict between angels and demons. Ergo, although I did use conflict in the Sun Heaven to my advantage by capitalizing on its dissolution into three separate parties, it was no real fault of mine for complying with this law. Besides, it's justified by Siralos' betrayal."

"Ivlis has argued his point well, Igls Unth," Justim concurred, acknowledging the logic the Flame Devil used to make his case. "His is a reasonable argument compared to your father's, which may I remind you, was supported by you and the rest of the Sun Heaven prior to the War of Three Suns. You have nobody else to blame but yourself for the fall of your heaven, Igls Unth; of course, everyone else who favored the wars Siralos sought to cause are also responsible, but their charges have been filed and they've been duly punished accordingly. We had to make you an exception."

"The only reason why you've received a lighter punishment was because you are necessary to ensure the Land of the Sun doesn't fall to demonic forces like the Black Market World governed by Warwick," the White Witch added, further throwing salt onto wounds Igls Unth suffered from. "That being said, we do have the authority to revoke your privilege and establish someone else as the deity of this world. If you refuse to comply with our decisions and your punishment, we'll not hesitate to sack you of the position to install a much more suitable candidate, one with much better qualifications than you. Your brother, though hotheaded a while back due to his desire for getting vengeance, has shown he is in better control of his actions and can effectively govern his hell."

"He is no longer my brother!" the Sun Goddess spat back at her. "It was he who fell; we've not! The blame is entirely the fault of our enemies, including him, the Gray Garden, the Corporate Heaven, and Hastur! They are the reason why Lord Siralos and the Sun Heaven fell from grace!"

"ENOUGH!" Justim shouted, already losing his patience with Igls Unth. He stormed over to her from his chair, reaching an arm up to seize the collar of her uniform in one hand. "I suggest you retract your previous comments, otherwise we shall revoke your position at once here and now to make way for another candidate. Do you understand me?" he asked, expecting her response.

Knowing she'd be sacked for disobeying, the Sun Goddess growled in anger in spite of the fact she averted her attention from him. Still, she said nothing as a gesture of her compliance.

"I'll take that as affirmation of your understanding," the God of All Gods commented while releasing her from his grip. "Shiroame has made a valid point regarding Ivlis, so I suggest you take some time to listen to his advice. He is definitely more knowledgeable concerning governance; he would be a good advisor before you officially assume all the responsibilities of your new office."

Igls Unth turned her head back to face him. "You expect me to heed a Devil's advice?"

"Whether you do or not is your decision," Justim acknowledged the point she made. "Even so, bear in mind you are no longer eligible for signing legislation into law; that is the responsibility of the Heavenly Council via a majority ruling. We shall allow you to determine what official duties you decide to assume, though we are to have the final say in it before you decide to act in any and all situations, barring abrupt invasions from the Flame Underworld, of course." He looked at Ivlis.

"True, I would need to lead full-scale invasions should the factions ever decide to have one more war or two—or more," the Flame Devil replied, knowing that was a duty to his demons he'd have to fulfill for them. "However, you have my word the raids they conduct will not involve me; that is, unless they demand my aid in the form of reinforcements and supplies. Though I vow their conflicts will not be ones I will personally participate in." Standing up from his chair to walk over, Ivlis stood before Justim and offered a small smile as a token of saying farewell. "I suppose you'll be heading back to the Deities' Circle now. It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Justim. You've got my word, I shall endeavor to do my very best controlling the factions to rein them in as needed."

The God of All Gods smiled back and nodded. "Yes, thank you for your support. Although you are the Flame Devil, I am glad nonetheless for your understanding and support of our need for divine governance. I trust you'll be able to handle the factions, though I hope you'll accept the aid Igls Unth provides in that regard in spite of its range of control remaining in the Sun Heaven along with your past falling out with her being another opposing factor to your cooperation together."

"Yeah, I've get it covered on my end to the best of my abilities," the Flame Devil concurred with him. "Hopefully my dear sister will be as compliant with the need to maintain her end too."

"She shall," Shiroame assured him. "And if not, we'll place another candidate in position."

"Excellent, glad to hear it," Ivlis commented as he turned to address her next. "You know, Shiroame, I must admit you are certainly unique for a witch. Most witches I know of are associated with Devils and demons, like Kaen. Speaking of Kaen, would you like me to deliver your regards to her if you happen to be acquainted with her from the Witch's Citadel over in the Witch World?"

"Of course, I do know her and I would appreciate it if you'd tell her I said hello," Shiroame replied with a smile, shutting her yellow eyes which were the only different color of her appearance as everything else from her hair to her outfit was pure white. "It's true the heavens do not use any powers, abilities, or spells associated with witchcraft. However, the Heavenly Council had decreed they should have at least one on board in Deities' Circle to help explain supernatural phenomena."

"Yes, Shiroame is the first of her kind to become a Chancellor and Steward," Justim added.

"Seems like she's really special then," Ivlis remarked, holding his hand out to shake hands with the God of All Gods while the White Witch merely curtsied before him. "Safe travels on your return trip home," he added, saying his goodbyes to them before Justim and Shiroame left. Walking back to the chair he sat in, the Flame Devil took his seat and diverted his attention to Igls Unth due to the two of them being the only individuals in the library now. "So, shall we get started, sister?"

Feeling she hadn't much of a choice in the matter, the Sun Goddess merely huffed, claiming the seat Justim had before he departed with the White Witch. "State your piece, Ivlis, and I'll make the decision to see if your advice is worth following or not," she said bitterly without facing him.

"Certainly, as you wish," the Flame Devil carried on with the start of his brief lecture. "We shall begin with what Siralos currently had in place before he could no longer govern effectively."

"I shall preserve all of his national policies to the fullest," Igls Unth stated simply.

Ivlis nodded with a smirk. "Good, at least you've got a clear sight of where you're headed," he commented to give his opinion. "Now what of your own policies? What shall you do to control the way the Sun Heaven is governed? In what political philosophy do you believe in when desiring to ensure your reign is fair and legitimate? Will you stick to theocratic beliefs entirely, or shall you adopt ideas from other systems of governance when establishing your hold over the entire world?"

"I have already given you my answer, though my own policies shall entirely be inspired by those my father has integrated into civilization. Theocracy is the only governance this world needs, Ivlis. Surely you understand that much? Or are you suggesting we challenge that notion with those educationally academic values you spouted even before you fall? We don't need education, Ivlis."

"Then explain to me how your subjects will learn to handle the work they do," Ivlis asked to counter the notion his sister put forth. "Will you implant them with an intellect once you're done creating them with your omnipotent powers? Are you going to establish any sort of centers which shall teach your subjects the necessary skills needed to perform their duties capably with effective results? Granted, education can contribute to leading towards different sets of beliefs and ideals, a counterargument I am aware of and acknowledge, though different perspectives can be examined."

"They are entirely unnecessary to the way the Sun Heaven has governed this world for past centuries and even eons before," Igls Unth stubbornly stood by her argument without bothering to offer any counterpoints to the notions her brother was bringing up. "The sun is our focal point."

Closing his eyes for a bit while pondering on her answer, Ivlis opened them again to bring a book from one of the stacks down to the table. Opening it to the correct page, he laid it out before her. "A focal point, yes, though I'm not so sure the rite of passage you'll most likely want to keep as well would be of aid when selecting a new deity to take over for you once you retire the office. This is an account from the original settlers of the Sun Heaven who defeated a great evil so they'd be able to establish their home here. While they did replace it with the sun, they encouraged others to protect it instead of use its power to establish a new deity because it could've potentially caused those who were affected to become corrupted. Tell me, what are your thoughts on that, Igls Unth?"

"A mere lie, nothing more," she huffed, believing in the sun. "We're not corrupt, Ivlis."

"I beg to differ," her Devilish brother disagreed with that remark. "So does Justim." All he got in response was a simple huff of annoyance from her indicating she wanted to drop the matter without further argument to end this discussion. However, she was going to learn it wouldn't be a particularly easy subject to quell. "Well, judging from your attitude now, I can already say you've doomed the Sun Heaven right from the get-go." She was about to retort back against his judgment, though the Flame Devil wouldn't allow her to speak since he merely cast a spell to shut her up. He did not want to argue or debate this further if she was going to be a snobbish child, so he chose to say the rest of his piece before releasing the spell. "You want to follow the same principles Siralos advocated for and implemented by retaining a theocratic hold over the Land of the Sun. I get that, but you're discarding valuable ideas for the sake of keeping your authority intact. Newsflash, dear sister: that isn't how you run a government. You have to hear out the people's cases, understand a great deal about the subjects you're to be reigning over. You've got to improve their lifestyles and introduce them to other means of doing so via cultural and social advances they can use to preserve and improve civilization. If conflict arises, you must handle it accordingly based on who instigated the conflict by punishing the offenders and then returning what you've taken from them once they have paid reparations to the side victimized by their actions. These are fundamental principles."

Igls Unth grunted because her mouth was sealed tight, though she managed to figure out a solution to end the silence spell over her. "You are wrong, Ivlis, you always were. True leadership is maintaining firm authority over the populace with an iron grip to ensure nobody shall revolt."

"And where shall that get you? Will the people be happy knowing their lives are being used by a leader who cares little for them? Can you count on them being happy in their place in society?"

"I do not need to because their welfare is of no importance. Only their faith will suffice."

"Hence the revolt somebody—anybody—will raise in order to improve their livelihood. It is a simple, acknowledged truth, Igls Unth," the Flame Devil went on. "You cannot expect faith in of itself alone to act as the sole pillar holding your reign in place. If so, civilization crumbles as its foundation only consists of a solitary support beam that can't even uphold the whole civilization."

"It can, it will, and it shall," Igls Unth persisted in her foolishly prideful stubbornness.

"Then explain to me how exactly you'll govern on faith alone?" Ivlis challenged her while raising an eyebrow. He knew she was still putting pride first as always which contributed to Siralos and the Sun Heaven falling from their prestige. Common sense dictated that he should've put this debate to rest for good and let her plod along without any guidance. He could care less about what happened to her, and he knew for a fact the God of All Gods wouldn't blame him for allowing her to flounder about in the dark. Even so, he opted to let this farce continue for a bit longer as she put forward an answer to his inquiry which was hardly going to work because it was a flawed idea.

"Simple: I show the people divine miracles and they are to believe and accept them as fact."

"You can't guarantee they will," he countered the idea with intuitive logic, disproving her.

"Then I shall force them to submit or else they'll be put to the sword," she threatened them.

"Like father, like daughter," Ivlis countered again, this time alluding to the secret files.

"That evidence was planted and the Heavenly Council damn well knows it!" she retorted.

"His handwriting was involved, and they've ruled out forgery," the Flame Devil countered yet again. "Siralos' personal journal confirmed the conspiracy was true; after all, it was enchanted so that only he could write in it. Anything forged by another hand would've simply not been shown on the pages since said pages wouldn't accept the different individual; only Siralos was accepted." The fact she'd been bickering back and forth with him was really getting on his nerves, and he was beginning to actually consider letting the debate drop so she'd flounder. He was now tempted to.

"If demonic forces could invent the Lebabylonian Blade, they can bypass a forgery," came yet another notion from his sister. This time he actually had to concede this point to her because it was quite logical. Maybe not in this world, but perhaps another underworld might've done that.

"Perhaps, depending on where the proper procedure originates from and if it will be all that effective. Still, those documents not even you knew of were certainly damning to Siralos' case."

"If my father sought to keep it a secret only he knew of, I am satisfied knowing he only did it for the sake of retaining faith in the Sun Heaven," Igls Unth stuck by her obstinately blind faith.

"Does that not mean he's untrustworthy to you?" Ivlis asked, deciding to end the debate.

"I will always believe in my father, Ivlis. He was always right, and everyone else was not. They were utterly wrong to doubt him, just as you've doubted him before falling from our heaven."

The Flame Devil merely shrugged. "Then I've nothing more to say. You've proven beyond a doubt that you're incapable of governing the Sun Heaven. Oh well, it's not my problem anyway." He sighed, using his hand to shoo her away from his presence. "Just leave me to the books, sister."

Igls Unth huffed, finally glad this conversation with her brother was over for good. "Fine," she commented, getting up to leave before turning back to him. "And don't call me your sister."

"Fair enough," Ivlis murmured, not caring anymore as he began to absorb himself into the books he used to enjoy reading and still did. At least he was glad to have this comfort all to himself.

He would've also inquired about international policies, but chose not to based on how their dialogue went. If Igls Unth sought to screw the Sun Heaven and the Land of the Sun over, that was her fault, not his even though he acknowledged it would likely affect him. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to entertain her obstinacy any longer by choosing to let her do what she wanted since Justim would see to it that she'd be punished anyway. If she was removed, hopefully the next deity would have been more open to cooperating for the sake of their world. Igls Unth certainly wasn't at all.

...

So this is what I'd imagine would happen after Atonement. As I explained in author's notes of that story, I think the Land of the Sun is like the Renaissance and Enlightenment as the Sun Heaven prefers religion while the Flame Underworld would be slightly academic.

This is my fiftieth story published, and it is a Christmas gift to readers of my stories.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Gray Garden; it's owned by Mogeko.