"While our would-be enemies in the lower heavens may pose no threat to our reign from a strength standpoint, there are other ways they could challenge us besides a direct confrontation." Head Priestess Meera decided to enlighten her young ones further.
"Even if we wipe out whatever army they send us, they could gain sympathy from other households in the Nine Heavens by claiming that we have become too tyrannical and powerful and must be stopped. And if they gain enough support, they could make a compelling case to the Council of Nine."
The Council of Nine is a body of heavenly officials that represent the Nine Realms. It is their responsibility to help administer justice and keep the peace alongside the ruling family. However, in case a family should rise to the Sacred position of Archon and abuse their power, the Council of Nine could deem them unfit to real and replace them. Romulus and Remus of the first heaven know this all too well as they were the ruling Archons before Thoth was given the position and the current dynasty was put in place. Of course, Thoth could have always ruled since is the oldest and most revered god in the Nine Heavens, but he had no interest in the Sun Throne and only chose to accept it to restore order and help clean after Romulus and Remus' incompetence.
And these gods have not forgotten. They have been waiting for a chance to reclaim the Sun Throne since it was taken from them. But Thoth's rule gave them no openings. And just as they were trying to learn and exploit Zariah and Meera's weaknesses, Zemyna was born. Another presence in the Nine Heavens who, like her grandfather Thoth, could not be challenged. So, with her gone and Thoth no longer on the Sun Throne, Romulus, Remus, and their allies were sure to not lot this opportunity pass them by.
"Cowards!" Michael was the first to lose his composure. As a warrior, the thought of their enemies using such lowly tactics insulted every fiber of his being. What kind of god would attempt to seize power this way? Not one that he could respect.
Lilianna spoke next. "I agree with my brother. How could they take such a shameless course of action, Mother?"
Meera answered her daughter and said, "It is time you all understood that there are those within our world who seek the throne upon which your Father and I sit, and upon which some of you may sit, and nothing else. It is their sole purpose in life to see themselves on it and wield it's terrible power. You have all been fortunate to have been born and brought up in an era of peace, but in many ways that peace is an illusion. It simply masks the negative forces who yearn to move against us."
"I should also let you know that the conflict between Romulus and I runs particularly deep." Zariah chose to chime in.
"He and I were rivals for thousands of years. We were always competing over who was the better god. But when it came time for him to take his Rite of Godhood and descend to the mortal realm, he tried to outdo my achievements and create an empire bigger than mine, but he failed and it ultimately collapsed on itself in a short time. But given the short, yet significant success of his Roman Empire, he still passed and managed to gain the support he needed to succeed the Sun Throne after his father."
At this, Mordecai spoke up. "So neither you nor grandfather were particularly keen on ruling?"
"No. I was satisfied with being Heaven's Champion and my father was happy conducting his experiments. Neither of us were very ambitious. It is only the hand of Fate that has led our family to be the Archons now. But with that being said, we cannot let this unprecedented era of peace, prosperity, and happiness end on our watch. We are the Archons for a reason. We're the most suited for it. We see that now. And we must continue to watch over the Nine Heavens and protect her from those who would rule malevolently." Zariah answered.
"I see. And I agree, father. Zemyna had left the Nine Heavens in our care. ALL of us. And I, for one, will let my soul be shattered into oblivion before I face her and tell her I failed." Zen finally decided to speak her mind.
Everyone winced a little at her choice of words, but they nodded in agreement nonetheless. Her zeal and obsession with Zemyna was as apparent as ever, but she was right.
"I will not be letting this conflict claim any of the fruit of my womb." Meera was a little beside herself at the thought of Zen being lost. She quickly brushed the unwelcome thought aside and resumed speaking.
"To ensure that. You will all need to grow much stronger. Stand up and let me examine you."
As Head Priestess, Meera had the power to see everything about her begotten princes and princesses. Most mortals are under the impression that a goddess' or god's body is made of light. But this is only partially true. All beings in the Nine Heavens have several bodies. They possess a mind-body, a spirit-body, a light-body, and a physical body. And Head Priestess Meera could examine them all with precision. This is a power only the Head Priestess had. She could divine their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. She could see their latent talents and combat prowess, their emotional and mental stability, and how much darkness was in them. She could even see their divine tethers and how the spiritual energy of Creation moved through their spirit bodies. Meera has been using this power to guide her children along the paths of cultivation that best suited them.
For Mordecai, he was on the path of a Sage like his grandfather. Learning magic, ancient mysteries, and how to create his own substances and structures were the focus of this path.
For Zen, the path of the Priestess. Her cultivation path included meditation and mastering the powers of the Divine Feminine. Luckily, she had the perfect mother for that.
For Lilianna, the path of the Life-Giver. She excelled at breathing new life into whatever she was engaged in. Cultivating this path required a life of service.
For Michael, the path of the Warrior. Conflict and violence were the pressure and furnace he needed to refine himself and emerge a pure gem.
For Lyra, the path of the Assassin. She was more familiar than most with the darkness that could corrupt a soul and could wield it as a deadly weapon.
And of course, for Zemyna, the path of the Protector. She had always thought this meant protecting the Nine Heavens from internal conflict and external forces. But she was about to learn this meant so much more...