Hierarchy 3

"That's it?" Donovan was in shock at how little was required to perform a proper greeting. Granted, this was only for greeting the Arboreal Maiden, but it was still quite short.

He thought it might even be less formal than a parade salute.

For him it was a slight bow with closed eyes and neutral expression. Diana was to do the same, except she curtsied. Even if they had to do that every time they met her it wouldn't be that much of an issue.

"She insists on keeping it short and to the point. Knowing her personality, I think she would prefer it if there was no such greeting in the first place." The Captain was with them in the room. For the Captain of a ship, he sure had a lot of free time on his hands.

"If that's the case then why do you still do it?" Diana didn't want to do something if it didn't need to be done. She was taught that diplomatic niceties become a hindrance past a certain point. "She's a god right? Surely it couldn't be a bad thing to respect her wishes?"

That made sense right? If someone is in a higher position than you and they want to do away with a process that isn't really needed, why wouldn't you oblige?

"Perhaps if she was independent such an arrangement would be acceptable." The Scholar continued to adjust the minute deviancies in their stances with his hands. "As she is tied to the Sanctum and is considered one of the most senior among the gods, her position in the universal hierarchy requires this much at minimum."

"Universal hierarchy?" A brand new term. More information that Diana needed to digest.

"The positions of various entities, collective or individual, in relation to each other in terms of influence. The Great Csillacra is unquestionably at the top of this list, and the Arboreal Maiden falls on the rung below alongside a few other gods and powerful countries."

"One person is as powerful as an interstellar empire?" Alarm bells were blaring in his head at that thought.

He had learned that quality ALWAYS beat quantity, all ancillary factors being equal, but it had a limit. So long as there existed a chance for the lower quality entity to damage the higher one, they would eventually.

An infinite number of 0.0000000000001% chances would eventually result in a success, it usually just meant the production cost/expense of the higher quality unit in comparison to the lower quality one was almost always cheaper.

The implication that a single person, presumably operating at a similar or greater tactical level as an organized military body, could beat one of the largest and likely most advanced armies without assistance would require a revision of battlefield tactics.

The Scholar caught on to his panicked expression and inferred what he was thinking about. "It isn't as much a ranking of military might as it is one of popular influence. The Arboreal Maiden could mobilize about as many people and as much money with a decree as could a large empire. The Great Csillacra could probably push the entire universe for a cause if it so pleased."

ANOTHER gut punch, this time for Diana. If her opponent in a negotiation could move an empire to action with the stroke of a pen, what could she hope to bring to the table? What could she hope to get out of it?

It could take a lifetime of building influence to even get a seat at the table, forget striking a deal that would be unilaterally beneficial for them.

Would it be possible to get close to one of these people? Borrow their power for her own use? The Arboreal Maiden was probably off the table owing to that vow of neutrality the Sanctum follows, but could an Emperor be persuaded to put his name on the line for them?

Already she was trying to think of potential schemes she could pull off if given a chance situation.

Could you call her conniving if she was trying to survive?

"I think we will practice these greetings for about half an hour or so every day until we arrive. I want your form to be immaculate." The Scholar took one last good look at their poses, deciding they were close enough for their specific anatomy to the baseline. "You can leave now Captain. From here on out it is going to mostly be teachings that you already know all about."

"Very well. Donovan, we will continue our training in the morning, but focus on your studies for now. If you'll excuse me, I have a bridge to attend to." He left the room at a brisk pace.

- - - - - - - - - - -

The lecture went along rather uneventfully, questions being asked where and when necessary, and ended when it was time for dinner, as scheduled.

"I didn't think learning about foreign customs could be so," Don struggled to find a word to describe it without seeming like he was insulting them, "bland?"

To him, it was borderline torturous to sit in that room. The Scholar tried to make it interesting, he really did, and it showed. Unfortunately, no matter how much you season and decorate a pile of shit, it is still shit in the end.

There was absolutely nothing of real substance in what they had been taught, most of it was stuff that was entirely irrelevant to his duty or that he already knew.

The only somewhat interesting topic that was touched on was how Split generally holds a major amount of influence in their society. He showed a bit of what could be accomplished with it, a crackling font of sparks emanating from his palm for about three seconds before stopping. He mentioned how someone's proficiency in split decided their rank in life.

Given his pale face, shaky breaths, and dimmed eyes after this show, Don and Diana alike could tell split was not his specialty. Apparently one's ability to wield it was hereditary to some degree, and he was actually an oddity amongst his family with his lower than expected ability. This resulted in his eventual admittance to the Sanctum as a scholar.

"I wouldn't call it that." Diana tried to defend it. Truth be told, she agreed, but there was very important information for them there, mostly in the form of context. At least she could make sure they didn't enter this brave new world blind to how they should be acting. "I for one find these lectures to be very informative."

She used her fork to tear a leaf from the bulb presented on their plate.

"All I ask is that you try to pay attention to what he says. Learn who not to piss off, how to act, why things happen, et cetera in order to get an idea of the bigger picture."