Xinghai turned the corner and started the long walk up the grand stairs in front of the council chamber. Xinghai was a sage that became a god thousands of years ago but he had lost his home and his people. As far as he knew, he was the last of the survivors.

It was an army of foreign gods that overwhelmed his planet and destroyed his peoples' future. They were caught unprepared and woefully underpowered. Even after all these years of looking back, Xinghai could think of nothing that he could have done to save everyone. They would have needed to evacuate the planet using portals through dimensions to have stood a chance at escape. Even then, there just wouldn't have been enough time to save more than five percent of the total population.

Xinghai was a luck god. His power didn't allow him to win lotteries or avoid mishaps altogether. Instead, his power was to be relatively lucky compared to others around him. If he walked down a modern street on Earth, a passing car might completely soak the person next to him while Xinghai would only get a little wet. Or in the case of his homeworld, he only got thrown into the chaos of oblivion for a few years whereas his planet and all its inhabitants, gods and mortals alike, were split apart and turned into energy.

Now his luck was giving him all the signals of impending doom once more. The signals were mostly little things here and there that he didn't recognize back before his home was lost. This time he understood them and paid attention. This time he would convince the other gods to listen to his warning. To save as many people as they can.

Xinghai looked out between the pillars at the starry sky of his new home.

"The problem is how to get them to act in time."

After he had lost his homeland, Xinghai had been traveling between godly kingdoms searching for news and survivors. After so many years he had given up. Now he is focused on keeping his new home safe. He refuses to lose any more loved ones or to see others lose their loved ones in front of him.

Xinghai didn't have much time to come up with ways to persuade the council of gods that oversaw his current adopted homeland. He jumped into action as soon as he recognized the signs again but who knew how much time he really had to make his arguments. He had to act now and only had the time that it took him to be seen to come up with compelling reasons for why they must evacuate everyone and abandon everything that they can't take with them. It seemed an impossible task but he had to try.

It was both too soon and not soon enough before he was standing in front of the grand council. All the gods had impatient expressions and clearly weren't happy being summoned there on short notice by a relative newcomer.

The head chancellor stood up and called the session to order.

"Xinghai, we are all here because you claim to have dire warnings about our impending doom. Don't waste our time and get right to the point. You have the floor."

Xinghai took just a moment longer to gather and collect himself as he looked at all the counselors present before he began.

"As you all know, I am the last of my people. We were powerful and sure of our own sovereignty and survival. We were nearly as potent as this grand country of Azore, but we stood no chance!"

The counselors around the room started stirring and talking among each other as they listened to Xinghai's words.

"I am getting the same warning signs today that I had gotten all those years ago before I lost my first home. Our Azore is powerful, yes, but I fear our enemies are beyond our abilities to handle. I implore you to save as many of our people as you can. The country is not the land but its people! I lost my world more than a thousand years ago but it hasn't been the loss of the land that hurt me the most, it was the loss of my people!"

The chamber was dead silent except for the echoes of Xinghai's words.

"We can rebuild the towers and the cities but we can't rebuild our people. Not the ones we will lose."

One of the senior counselors couldn't take Xinghai's defeatist attitude and stood up to challenge him.

"Xinghai! You assume we will be defeated like you were, but we are strong and we have seen the enemy coming. We will not lose! We should focus on strengthening our defense and preparing our counter attacks just like we always have to secure our victories. We can not simply give up and leave before we've even tested the enemy. That is a decision of cowardice and I will not make it!"

More than half of the counselors stood up, filling the hall with the sound of their approval for their fellow counselor's words. But it was too soon for Xinghai to give up.

"I have lived here as one of you for more than five hundred years. I love the waters and fields of Azore as much as anyone here. I would willingly give my life to keep our home safe if I could but all my instincts and my luck are telling me that we can not win this coming battle. That we can not win this war on our people. Please, let us begin preparations to..."

The head Chancellor cut Xinghai's words off with a sharp slash of his hand.

"Xinghai, we have heard your warnings but it is clear that this council has decided to stand and fight as we have always done and have always triumphed by. We thank you for your efforts to keep our lands safe. You are dismissed. The keepers shall clear the hall!"

Xinghai dashed forward and yelled with urgency, "Don't be fools! At least prepare to evacuate everyone just in case! If we win then-"

"Silence! We have already heard your vague concerns! You are dismissed!" The chancellor bellowed out. The keepers grabbed Xinghai with their iron grips, nearly crushing his arms as they began to drag him from the grand hall.

"What harm is there in being prepared!? Just because of pride you all-" Xinghai strained his neck to continue his persuasion attempt but the same senior counselor from before yelled over his words halfway through, "Any more of your pathetic cowardice and I'll personally make sure you're kept on the front lines so you may redeem your honor!"

Xinghai knew the counselor was serious and for the sake of his overall plans, he bit his tongue.

[I have to be free. If they imprison me, I can't do what I must in the coming days.] Xinghai told himself, attempting to keep his goals in sight and cut his losses.

Azore wasn't always ruled by such fools. It was only in the last one hundred and fifty years or so that the current military fanatics gained political dominance.

Xinghai ignored the triumphant gloating of the war faction as he was escorted from the hall. He had no room for other thoughts or emotions as the heavy grief of losing yet another home and people began to overwhelm his heart. A single tear each paved the way to his chin from his eyes. He had failed but there were further preparations of his own to make.