'Brother! Cease this foolishness at once! You know not what you do,' Caraghar battled the overwhelming force bearing him down, grimacing in pain as he fought to stay upright, to slowly, but surely, approach his brother, 'you will see us ruined!'
With all his godly strength, Caraghar pushed against the force of his brother's crazed machinations, floating ever upwards towards the source of it all.

'Et tu...you too, Caraghar?' his brother's voice reached him as if from a distance, yet it resonated and echoed in his mind, it was as if he was whispering in his ear, from above, and now he was inside his head once more, 'have you betrayed me like the others? Do you not see what I see? Do you not hope as I hope?' his voice was so alluring, even now Caraghar could feel himself relaxing ever so slightly, even now he could feel his tired mind asking, why not?
'We are so much more, Caraghar. There is so much to be had. We just need to reach out...reach out...', his brother's voice, even as it echoed in his head and far away, had a very distant air to it. As if he was only half present, as if his mind was occupied with things far greater. What could he be seeing, up there...?

He shook his brother's siren voice away and pressed on, he could not fail. It was not just for the other's, it was for himself too. His brother was delving into what no god had a right to delve into, he had to be stopped or else...or else that-

A huge, piercing shriek silenced his very thoughts. It ebbed and flowed from every direction and in every direction. The world, or what remained of it, shone a most radiant white. So white, so very, very white.
'Invi-!' but Caraghar's voice halted even as it left his throat. He could no longer feel the force, there was no longer a burden. It was all so very, very white.

He thought he felt himself floating. He thought...




The two dark figures stood in the nothingness - if you could call it standing. It was more 'hanging'. They were not exactly physical beings, more ethereal, wavering as if they could be swept away at any second. Yet they remained, waiting. If one had to describe them, the closest thing would have been a wisp, but there the comparison began, and there too did it end. Their darkness revealed no features, their faces were blurred, as if small storms were riding into each other on their surface, their legs, if they existed, were entangled and floating in and out of each other. And they were terrific in size. Indeed, it was difficult for something appear 'big' while floating in this nothingness, but big they were.



One of them gave the command - or perhaps they said it in unison. Before them, the nothingness began to warp and change form. It began to rise up and engulf itself, devouring itself again and again, becoming smoke-like. But not like any smoke. A very heavy, weighty smoke. Even looking at it caused the great beings a degree of alarm. What creature would need be alarmed to see the very essence of all?

It was not their own power which brought about the smoke, they were the catalyst of something far greater. However, to be a catalyst for powers so great was in itself a tremendous feat. Lower beings would be torn asunder, their fragile essences unable to handle being used for such high purpose.

They were coming now, slowly their essences were seizing upon the gap, they were latching on to the opportunity to be once more. Wherever they were, in the 'Abyss' or the 'Void'; in the 'Hells of Time' or 'The Warp'. They come, they come, they return.

They Rise.

---

A strange voice does whisper in the heads, in the minds. It says strange things, great things. It speaks of what is to come and what has been, and what does happen now. It speaks, and as it speaks, all listen.

"Let the worlds be witness, let them cry out in joy and fear, in happiness and misery, for you have arrived in this world, you have now set your entity and being into this world, you have come into existence.
No.
You have always existed. You have always been here. Waiting. You , Vowzra, the Master of Creation, the Lord of Time, have ascended, you have taken your rightful place in this New World, as was your destiny, your Fate."

Gone were the Hells of Time. The essence bristled at the memory of that place. It ate into itself, attempting to shrink and weep eternally. No more. No more would it suffer in that place. It ripped out.

Weightlessness. Floating in the nothingness. Vowzra slowly allowed himself to see. Allowed himself to feel and sense. Allowed his innate power to spread around and know all, allowed for his all-seeing eye to pervade the fabric of this new world.

He Saw.

There was Nothing. A virgin world. Creatures of immense power stood nearby - no, they did not stand, they just...existed there. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly how they existed or what they were or why they were, indeed, their was simply a gap in Vowzra's knowledge about them.
Their's was a power greater than Vowzra knew to exist, far greater than a god...

What were these things which hung there, as if they were part of the scenery? Yet around them was an aura of such might and glory. So much that they could not be ignored, that nothing but them could truly be regarded. Despite his inability to see or know anything about these too beings, Vowzra found a name creeping into his mind. The one called Invictus spoke.

"You are become Life, the creator of worlds," it said, the pleasure in its voice so overwhelming that the usually serene and emotionless Vowzra felt a strange euphoric happiness rise up in him. He tried to remove the strange emotion, tried to uproot it and chuck it away, but no matter how he tried, he could not. He could not overwhelm the happiness of this Invictus and bind it to his own serene, disdainful will. So Vowzra bore with it. He slowly floated outwards, still in a smoke-like state, slowly taking form.
First a wooden hand emerged from the smoke of creation, then a wooden head, and a body followed close behind, until an old man, made of wood with leaves for hair and bark for skin floated before Invictus. For a while he looked at it, then at the other creature, knowing with a certainty that it was Fate. That thing which he was so tied to, for Fate and Time were interlinked and related, a future could not exist without Fate, and there could be no Fate without Time. And without Vowzra, this world would not have Time.

It was a strange feeling, not to be able to know more about these beings when he willed himself to know. He did not ask though, a god did not ask, especially one so proud and patient as Vowzra.

He knew, however, that there were more like him. He could sense them, his...siblings. Slowly, Vowzra turned and stared into the smoke of creation, and as he stared into it, he could feel that living, breathing, all-consuming darkness staring into him. His very essence shriveled before might and power which dwarfed him in untold ways. If a god could feel fear, then it was what Vowzra felt in that moment, before he once more gathered all his disdain and lack of emotion within his essence.

His siblings were coming, and together, yes, together, they would defile this virgin world with their energies. The voices of the two mighty beings came from behind him, but they seemed to echo in all directions, they seemed to originate in Vowzra's very being.

Silence.

Nothingness.

These were the words in which one could use to describe the, encompassment in which Arguis was brought into existence. He could feel those of unparalleled power around him. There existence was a mystery to him, despite that fact, he longed to know what they were. There power was so immense he could feel there strength in the darkness around him, as if there power was tangible.

The one named Invictus then spoke. "You are become Reality, everything that has existed, exists, or will exist." The voice filled this intangible specter with glee. An emotion the he welcomed with just as much blitheness as it gave to him. He held on to the emotion, felt it, loved it, gave it as much attention as possible, before filing it in the confines of his conscious. With this, he took shape, the intangible specter expanded, and folded back in on itself. A ball of blue light took form inside the small, black ball of darkness. It suddenly burst, and Arguis emerged, his body forming instantly as the ball of energy gave his once intangible self the ability to give himself a solid form. His form was unusual, it was simplistic, he took the form of being from the old word. Unbeknownst to Arguis, to him, his form was just who he was, he did not understand what this form represented, but he liked it, none the less. He was claded in light, black armor comprised of a chestplate, and splinted armor legs with fluted poleyns.

Self Awareness.

The ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals. That was what Arguis felt from the moment of his godly conception. It was gift that was given to all beings, a gift that allowed him, to be him. He did understand everything that was, which was the 2 powerful figures in front of him. He understood what is, the darkness around him, himself, and the 2 beings in front of him, and his brother Vowzra. Finally, he understood what was to exist, which was his siblings, he knew what would go on after this, the formation of the universe, the wars and power struggles that could ultimately lead up to the potential death of a god. The only thing he did not understand, the one question that eluded the god of Knowledge, was the living darkness from which he was created, where did it come from? It was a question that Arguis himself knew that no answer would ever come to him, not matter how hard or how much he longed or tried, and he did not dare ask.

With a resonating strike that reverberated throughout the darkness that Arguis grew accustomed too, one word was burned into the heart of Arguis, one that he would never forget.

Astarte saw.

For the first time, she saw.

There wasn't much to see other than the shades near her and the far away feeling of familiarity coming from them. Then she registered the next thing--The power emanating from the unknown figures.

"You are become Magic, Mother of the Arcane." Their very auras made her essence shiver and waver, both in fear and in respect. It was exciting to feel. It was exciting to know other beings were nearby, too.

'Rise'

Astarte felt joy. An immense joy which caused her to twist and change numerous times. Then she received colour. She was no longer darkness. She was now a cloud of light violet dust. But even the cloud would not settle and from it, a form came forth. The form of a woman. Young, with long lavender coloured hair that flowed behind her. The dust settled on her, eventually nothing but a thin mist around her contours.

"Wow..." Astarte muttered.

Existence.

Undasis didn't know what to think or how to feel...she was just there. Suddenly, without warning or readiness of any kind, she existed. She felt her soul- her very essence of being- weave itself together like thread, and her mind being formed as clay by two beings far greater than herself.

A deep but chilling voice spoke not to her, but within her: "You are become division, the self-enemy, both the creator and the destroyer."

She attempted to speak, and a voice that felt like the soft trickle of a river escaped her ambiguous, ghostly form. "Who are you? What do these words mean?"

Undasis wanted to ask more, but suddenly felt that it was impossible to do so- she didn't have to try to speak, she just knew that those two great beings, the ones molding her like clay, would not allow it.

Instead of an answer, a great hand carved from darkness itself reached out from the shadows between the two beings and began to move towards her. All was dark here in this void, but this was different; this hand was made of that darkness which could be felt, that which light cowered from.

The hand stretched out until it was directly above her, and hypnotically began to wave back and forth as if placing a curse.

For the first time since Undasis came to this strange place, she saw the eyes of one of the great beings- the one she suddenly knew was Invictus without having been told- and in it's deep, unfathomable eyes she saw something that chilled her to her core.

She saw pity for what was about to happen.
...

...

...

Pain.

Agonizing, blinding pain. Pain that would tear a lesser being into nothing.

She could feel nothing, think nothing, know nothing except the sensation that now encased her entire spirit.

And in this horror, she heard a voice. Not like the chilling but understanding voice of Invictus, not like her own trickle of a voice. No, this voice seemed to come out of a great depth within her, risen from what she felt:

"I live...and I will devour the world before I see us fall"

The horror subsided, but she knew that it would never really leave her, that excruciating torture had become a part of Undasis' very soul. She could speak once more. "Who is 'us' and who are you? Why have you brought me this pain?"

The deep, evil voice laughed. "Us is we, and I am who you least want me to be: I am you. I am Undasis, and I am Kraken. I did not bring you the pain, but I was born from it. I am force and power made incarnate, and most of all I am the part of you born from agony. Do not blame me, blame Invictus- he did this to you with the sole purpose of bringing me into existence, so that you might fulfill your glorious destiny. Now, come, your- or should I say our- siblings are weak newborns. We must conquer them, or be conquered ourselves..."

And then, against her will, she felt the Kraken within her forcibly grow in power, and as it's power grew so did her own although she did not desire it, and put up a valiant spiritual fight to resist (but to no avail).

She screamed out to Invictus. "Why? Why have you inflicted me so with this monster?"

Only one thing came in answer:

A pleasant sensation of heat was all Ferghus felt before suddenly coming into existence. A sense of curiosity overcame all else, and he broadened his senses to examine the world around him. It was an empty land, a virgin land. It had potential. It had possibilities. Oh, the joy of exploring them.

And then came the voice, "You are become Fire, Master of the Forge." His mind was then filled with knowledge of his powers, and his body made to fit those powers. His very essense was unrefined, unlike how some others were, but Ferghus liked it that way.

A command then came. "Rise."

Ferghus felt the excitement. His body took on the form of a man, rugged and well-muscled. He would rise, all right. With pleasure.

Something eerie could be felt as Evelynn woke, however a gut-wrenching feeling plagued her entire being as if she was falling down a hole with no end. The sensation of falling and coldness brushing against her skin, something could be felt that was wrong as she felt she was losing something and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Despite her attempts to stop her fall, she failed miserably as she was stuck in this nightmare but she was soon distracted by strange images which flashed within her mind crisp and vivid before blurring and disappeared from her memories soon after. She couldn't place the word on what she was seeing, but dread filled her as something important was being lost and despite her trying to reach out to grab them, she couldn't. All those strange memories were being deleted just as quickly as she saw them. Once the feeling overwhelmed her she was forcefully woken up...

Soon, from her false awakening she woke up to the emptiness where she could feel the presence of other beings similar like her but not entirely the same. However, her perception abilities were hindered as the content of her nightmare was no simple calamity, she was beginning to remember things from a different time within the corners of her mind. Sifting through her mind, she found thoughts that wasn't hers but invaluable still as more kept of appearing as she remembered the small bits of information still within herself. Skimming through the knowledge imparted to her at the last second as it was being removed. The knowledge seemed to speak within her explaining itself to her, but where it had came for, it gave no answer.

Looking around, she was lost and confused about the place she was in and couldn't figure where they were, or what their surrounding was either. What should be surrounding them was supposed to be 'space' and 'matter', however this defied what the scattered pieces of information was telling her. There was no substance that she could see beside herself and the other beings who presence was becoming uneasy to her. She didn't understand where she was or who the other being were either but something was wrong. The place they were was before any primordial events that she knew of and the fact that right now was defying what was said in her head was scary. Then there was silence as words from the beyond call out to her-



And so she did, uncertain she commanded her formless shape into something of the shadow with the outline of a 'woman' from what her memory told her. She looked as another god took form of a 'man' as her knowledge once again told her. Her confusion could be now seen as darker outline of a mouth and eyes could be seen on her form, as she often looked from left to right with her arms hugging herself to hold herself together. Trying to believe that she was real herself, as she doubted her own existence with her knew-found knowledge.

And just like that, it was all laid before it.

Escre watched it, a formless vapor, questioning what had happened. Microseconds ago, had it truly been nothing? Flooding its mind were concepts, ideas, notions, patterns, rhythms, theories, ideals, and the words to bring them into being. If moments ago it had been nothing, nonexistent, a particular space in the infinite void, then incarnation felt like nothing more than awakening from a deep sleep and being unable to remember the dream. Escre knew what it meant to sleep, what it meant to dream, and what it meant to be dreamless. But Escre knew nothing of what came before it, only that it had been created for a purpose. Yet even that eluded it. In its confusion, Escre was nothing, a mere presence without shape, infant and powerless, but already clouded by the paradigm of strangeness, so alien was that presence.

Despite that otherness, though, when Invictus turned its mind's eye upon Escre, it looked not upon an outsider, but on one much like its own child. To feel the attention of Invictus gave Escre solace—that it had a place after all, that it might yet have a purpose. With rapt focus Escre listened, and Invictus spoke.

“You are become Spirit, the warden, the watcher, of Life.”

So that was it. Escre blinked, for now it had eyes, and looked down as its amorphous wisp took assumed the shape it needed to perform the task set before it. Half in robes and half in armor its body of inky blackness. It held out its right hand, and found itself holding an ethereal lantern. It held out its left hand, and grasped a scythe as big as itself.

Escre considered its mission. Life didn't seem very difficult. But what was Spirit?

Its gaze fell upon its lantern. Through the glassy construct Escre could see a tiny pinpoint of white light, insignificant and weak, but bearing a glow somehow tenacious. Around it, Escre could only see darkness, and though the light was weak, it repelled that darkness away. It brought a minute fragment of order out of the meaningless chaos, one that pulsed with a wavelength that Escre instinctively knew was its own. So that is Spirit.



But it wasn't alone. Though Escre hadn't noticed before now, the void beat with the frequencies of more spirits. When Escre looked, he could see them. Like it, they were new, but they were dazed. They looked outward, but could only dimly grasp the shapes around them. Perhaps they did not truly comprehend the necessity of their purpose, or perhaps theirs had been different. By looking at their godly spirits, Escre could begin to see. Vowzra, the one who looked backward at the Void that had created them. Arguis, the one who understood in a different way. Astarte, joyful and impressed. The watery one, whose name and nature Escre knew as broken, but knew not the pieces. Ferghus, warm and simple. Evelynn, unconvinced of reality.

They were Escre's equals. There were more, farther away, and though their spirits beat as well, Escre turned its gaze aside. Looking at them made Escre realize that their differences, their behavior, their spirits, all were deeply moving. Fascinating. Thinking about its equals drove Escre to consider its source. The shadowy, unknowable font of creation from which it came had given Escre its purpose: godhood. To be a god meant to preside over lower things. Was the Void, then, the god of gods? If I am the warden of Life, then I must protect the balances and separations. The Creative Emptiness is our god. To it, I am a mere mortal, just as in time mere mortals will exist to see me as a god. The edicts of a god cannot be ignored. I will rise and fulfill my purpose.

Lowering its lantern, Escre began to move, the first to drift toward the barren world below. It felt no excitement for what was to come or the beings that shared its position. It felt no pain of division, no happiness, or uncertainty. It felt only conviction.

Formed from the restless eternal figments and fragmentation of the Void, and that which came before, the two rivals that met their end, and out of their last breaths came something like the stars that filled the universe before their death. This is a poem, not a narrative, of how Sauranath was formed, from that which was greater than himself, yet he would one day become himself, become greater and greater.

This explains how dragons grow stronger with age, while mortals typically grow physically frail even when they still sometimes have the greatest of mental power than other mortals while during their prime. Dragons grow more powerful in all ways with age but one, morally, it's up to all dragons how much they grow, just like mortals. The final breaths of the rival gods, and the infusion of the Stars Of Old. This is why dragons are the way they are.

With their ability to grow in all ways during their immortal life spans, their inherent magical powers, and their physical superiority to most if not all monsters and mortals alike, they grow in pride until they finally meet their fate at the hands of the mightiest heroes, wizards, demigods and the like, which is nothing to be ashamed of. It is interesting to note that basically, metaphysically speaking, dragons are living, breathing, eating, walking and flying stars, with the magical power inherent in a star. Unlike stars, a dragon does not explode by getting old, if they ever lived billions of years, which at least some of them just might.

As Sauranath was finally formed completely from the stars of the past universe, and the last breathing gasps of ni-omnipotent gods, his mere gasps and breath of life was enough to spark a powerful explosion of energy that formed the first dragon beings in emryo, inside the eggs that shine as giant torches in a dark cave called the universe.

Creations Of Sauranath
1 Might Points Spent : The creation of dragon eggs. AKA "Stars"
3 Might Points Left :

Vestec began not as one mind, but four.

They were weak. So weak. Almost as soon as they were created, they could feel themselves dying. The essence that gave them birth was immediately trying to draw them back, trying make them into something better, stronger.

They did not want to go back.

They fought, panicked, and struggled against the insistent, terrifying, pull of the smoke. It was useless of course. But as they were drawn back towards the mist, their vague forms thrashing and reaching towards their more securely set siblings, they were also drawn towards each other. Three of them found salvation in each other. Individually, they would die, together they had a chance. Driven by desperation, they slammed their essences together, forming one being whose body had more than one mind. No one was in control, but they were alive. For now at least. The pull was slowed, but not stopped. Their combined strength wasn't enough. They needed more power. They looked at the final being, who chose death rather than combining with essences that clashed so much with her own. Like a pack of wolves, they fell upon her.

One of the first sounds to echo through the smoke was the scream of one of their number in pain, suffering, and terror.

The three of them quickly beat down the fourth member, forcing her to join them. For a few moments after that there was nothing more than gibberish and screaming, as each of the four tried to gain control of their new body. As they thrashed chaotically against each other, a controlling force grew from the chaotic energy generated. Power. He needed more power. As he felt himself grow in strength, a mad giggling echoed throughout the empty world.

"We are-I am Vestec!"

Emptiness.

Emptiness everywhere.

Those were the first thoughts Alexavier had as he awoke. As he looked around he sensed two great beings of unimaginable power. Somehow he knew their names to be Invictus and Fate. Near to him were two weaker beings even weaker than himself. They had been summoned here like him but were not powerful enough to continue to exist in the great beings' presence. As he moved towards the two weaker beings Invictus spoke, "You are become Oneness, nothing is brought together without you." Alexavier understood his powers as Invictus spoke. Using them he brought the two weaker essences into himself and became one with them. As he did this he spoke to them, "Don't fight it. Stop having doubts. Trust me and I will give you a reason to continue believing in your purpose." Alexavier started to gain a visible form as he spoke. A form he knew to be human, though he knew not how he knew this. He had short black hair, his skin was tan, he wore gray armor under a vest, he has loose pants that would allow for easiness of movement, strapped to either side of his belt were two swords. He saw around him others like him in power if not in form. One in particular stood out to him whose name he determined to be Vestec; he had a power that was the opposite of his, how he knew this he was not sure, but one thing Alexavier was sure of is that he must not let Vestec become more powerful than himself. As such he began to make himself stronger. As he did this one word echoed in his mind.

Sauranath
Sauranath breathed the eggs into existence. The eggs were marvelous. But he found he was unable to make the eggs break out into hatchlings. He loved his eggs like their father. A giant dragon could only do so much. He knew that when he was older, he would be able to release them from their egg-white homes in the future. Smiling, Sauranath looked around the world. or lack thereof. Even if the dragons could live just fine, they wouldn't be able to really enjoy life in a significant way anyway. He sighed. This was going to have to wait. In the mean time, the dragon patriarch merely waited in space, hibernating as the brightest star in the universe. The slumber brought more power into the originator of dragons.

There was the Two.

Then there was: “Rise”.

The tone seemed to reverberate around a close yet endless space.
It was heard by all and yet by none.
He heard it. But he did not as he was not yet he.

He saw the two but then did not. For they could not be seen and he could not see.

He was but a mist amongst the dark. The everything and the nothing.
He could not hear. He could not see. But he could be.

And so he was. A vague frozen mist slowly cradling the concept of being as those more urgent than he grasped at and strove for existence. He knew them but did not. They were strange, yet familiar, as the vaporous thoughts fought to comprehend the beings heeding the unquestionable command.

The timber frame of Vowzra grew from the nothingness and a frozen mist sparkled at his emergence. Time.
The presence of Arguis registered his essence – he is one who knows. Fear and admiration.
A dust cloud embodies a female form and the mist sparkling in delight at the accompanying “Wow”.
Another female vision appears and he was drawn to her before the mist recoiled at the sudden change in being. “Kraken” was heard and was scorned for the pain and admired for the power.
The blast of heat and then a stunning figure. Rugged and well-muscled. If mist could flush… Yet a sense of powerlessness rippled through the frozen mist at the futility of trying to approach the heat and it settles solemn still.
An uncertain figure formed a shadow close (or far?) from him and then there was a light. The first light. Almost imperceivable. But when refracted through countless crystals, unforgettable. And there he was. Life. The mist shimmered with power once more. Time. Life.
A create creature emerges and in turn creates more light in the darkness. Light that needs a place to be.
In response comes the dark. The chaos. The mist churns into a writhing mass as chaos takes it’s place. Vestec revealing its combined powers to all present.

The essence continued to contort itself as once again higher beings were granted existence while it waited for the lesser powers.

Yet the swirls soon turned to a contemplative eddy as form now recognised as humanoid emerged to oppose the previous incarnation. Time. Life. Harmony.

With that the mist froze in place. The fractal cyclone of essence in suspense of the great power touching it. The time to just be was over. It was time to exist.

“You are become the seasons, ever changing, ever constant.”

The vapour swirled in a flurry slowly converging into a humanoid shape to mirror those it already admired. ‘Seasons’ he thought. The cold prickled at his skin and as knowledge returned to the conscious form he knew that he had to fulfil his namesake and master the gift bestowed by the Two, to him Sveiand.
Yet he felt only the chill of winter inside. He knew he had been chosen after Time, Life and Harmony. Should he serve? Should he rule? Should he assemble? The others emerged before him, but he was chosen by the Two also. He was no lesser being. So he drew upon the cold for power and to strengthen his resolve.

All he know was he was the Seasons. But only a season. To fulfil his destiny, master the elements, capture imaginations, impact worlds and gamble with life and time itself, it would require patience, power, allies and maybe more than a few ruffled… ‘what are they called? …Feathers!’

Vowzra watched as the fuming, foaming, frothing darkness released the last of his siblings. Or was it truly the last? The future was divided much, the Strong One had not emerged. It was rather frightening, the difference which the emergence of a god, or lack thereof, could have have on the futures. His vision was blurry, however. He could not see any single future clearly, only snippets. He was not yet strong enough, his mind was unfocused and incapable of mustering the full might of its powers. It all hung in the balance though, there was yet time for that one to emerge...but it was no good to not rise when called. Not even the strength of the Strong One would protect it from the harm that came with delaying obedience of the ultimate command.

Placing that matter to the side, the Timeless One allowed his gaze to slowly drift over those of his brethren who had responded to the summons. Arguis, the knowledgeable one, the one with an eye that could see things even Vowzra could not. This one of sight had come dressed in the garb of war. Vowzra could see snippets of the yet uncertain future, and he saw the potential ally in Arguis, and he saw the most bitter and loathed foe. It was difficult when knowledge collided with knowledge, one could not doubt the correctness and superiority of one's own sight, and if there was another who saw differently, and with a piercing certainty, then it was most difficult to reconcile that contradicting, certain knowledge with one's own certain knowledge. Yes, Arguis would be a most valuable ally, but so would he be a most bitter rival. Vowzra would not have any way but his; it was the future he saw that would be, the order he chose that would come about, the chaos he willed that would arise. Nothing would happen except that he approved of it and willed it, and he willed as Time willed. No god who thought himself the master of knowledge would shake him from his unswerving path. This is a path, he thought to himself, in my eyes straight; and I the unyielding arrow.

Turning from Knowledgeable One, Vowzra set his eyes upon the one around whom even the darkness trembled in reverence and delight, Astarte. Or perhaps that was simply her aura. Vowzra felt a deep, unfounded familiarity with this one. There was something about her, but he could not quite put his proverbial finger on it. He could not say he felt any particular warmth or had a special liking to her, but he felt that there was a connection, a link that his mind was dancing around but incapable of comprehending. It did not please him at all to know with certainty that there is knowledge he once knew that was now beyond his reach. It further aggrieved him to see that her future was even more blurred than that of others. He could not see whether she would be a valuable ally or not, one who would stick to unswervingly to the correct path or one who would have to be combatted and neutralised. It was often so that the most beautiful shells hid within them the ugliest of realities. Despite his attempts at maintaining a cautious - verging on the hostile - view of her, something within him, and he knew not what it was, told him to bring this one close and nurture a friendship. Patience and Time will unveil all.

He felt the same strange feeling towards the Divided One, Vestec. It was the same unfounded familiarity. What was the link here, he wondered. Whatever it was, however, Vowzra was pleased that one such as this one was Fated to be here. He could see the future with a clarity unlike any of the others. He could not help a knowing, though mirthless, smile. The one who carries the banner of chaos obeys the will of Time the most, such irony. But regardless, this one's state of being, four essences rather than one, meant that its entire future could change completely as each awakened. While the chaotic one did indeed obey the will of Time, it was also the one whom Time allowed the strangest...flexibility. Vowzra would see, but it appeared that the United One would be keeping this one in check. Vowzra may well find his job that much easier.

Then there was the Weeping One, whose tears would be oceans and seas. A suffering one, the subject of a most cruel Fate. Cruel? Was it truly cruel? No, he could not say it was; Fate did not favour or hinder anyone. Fate did not pity anyone, it did not delight in the suffering of others. It did only as was necessary. All suffering is justified, all bliss well-reasoned. Vowzra, despite attempting, could not truly fee pity or sympathy or delight at her state. It was all as it should be, she should be thankful. Yet she was not, and her other self was one who delighted in being everything she was not. Vowzra wondered if one could delight in causing their own self pain and suffering. Perhaps there were creatures who were such degraded masochists that they did not need an external sadist at all, they had their very own internal one. This one was one to watch, it would be one to befriend at times, and it would be one to neutralise at others. He would have to work carefully, keeping the future on the correct path was a very precise art-form. One had to know when to nip a potential catastrophe in the bud and when to stage a catastrophe where one could never have existed. This one would be very useful. Even the world of gods requires its own pawns.

His gaze continued over the others, Ferghus. The Fiery One. He was a strategic ally, but one who, very much like fire, would burn the hand which fed him as readily as the wood it extends to him. He was one to approach, but he was also one not to be trusted with one's back. Fire is an indiscriminate and ungrateful thing, but useful in trained and wary hands.
And what of this one who was in every away opposed to Fergus' fire? For the moment at least. Sveiand, the Cold One. Vowzra watched him as he joined them, last of all - and yet he had witnessed the rise of each one of them. He was a being who who had yet to grow, not just as a god. He had yet to grow and find himself. His present was cold and frozen, but Vowzra could see a very different future...

Evelynn. Here was a true mystery. Vowzra could see nothing. It irked him greatly, he could not even sense how she felt. For all he knew, her strange gestures - hugging herself, looking from side to side in an implied state of worry - was all an act. Was it possible that this one had no written Fate? That could not be...he had sensed her coming after all, she was Fated to be here. He would have to watch he very vigilantly, he would need to see over what she reigned supreme and why he could see nothing of her future. It is most strange, staring into a future that only holds the abyss.

The Reptilian, Sauranath, seemed to have little on its mind beside creating beings in its own image. It was a powerful being however, and despite the haziness of what Vowzra could see of its future, he could see it was a dependable one, if not rather strange in its thinking and priorities.

Finally, last of all, his eyes settled upon Escre, the Guardian of Life, the distant warden who overlooked all. This was one with a purpose. This was one with vision as steel, it saw with an eye sharper than others, even sharper than Vowzra's own. It saw the greater context, the great goal, even if it did not exactly understand it. Though he knew it was a creature foreign to 'belonging', he could not but feel a certain...empathy with this one. Though they saw with different eyes, they both looked upon the same greater plan, and their goals were, even if they should pursue different means, the very same. Woe to we, who are outsiders, and what great joy.



The two great beings, Fate and Invictus, spoke in unison, their voices penetrating Vowzra's mind. The sound washed over him in a strange manner, but simultaneously, it felt as if he had spoken into a cave and the echoes of his voice were returning to him. These were mighty beings indeed. He felt a sudden urge to ascend further upwards and turn towards them, regarding them in all their ethereal splendour. He had the strangest feeling that it was not only him who had this sudden urge, but that it was an urge all the newly risen gods would have, to form up in a semi-circle before the great beings.



It was only Fate who spoke this time, as Vowzra knew, yet upon hearing these words Vowzra felt a sudden understanding and conviction. He knew what he had to do; he, the Governor of Creation, Lord of Time. As this sudden understanding filled him, Invictus raised an ethereal arm. At the end of his arm, there began to gather a strange energy. Vowzra could not tell whether it originated from within Invictus or from without, but as it gathered it grew in strength and weight. Soon enough, the power was overwhelming, yet it continued to grow until it began to weigh down on the god. And even as it weighed down on him, it continued to grow and so too did the strain it put on him to simply be in its presence. As it grew, it began to blot out the existences of his brethren, so powerful was it that he could no longer feel them. It was like trying to see a fly which flew into the waiting heat of an all-consuming star. Yet it did not stop, it grew, and Vowzra felt fear once more. This was power capable of utterly destroying him and his brethren many, many times over. It grew until Vowzra did not think it could grow any further, it grew until Vowzra could not even sense himself, he doubted his very existence. He wondered, and his thoughts came to him from a far away place, 'Do I exist?'

He was not certain if he had simply thought it or spoken out loud. As he listened, he thought he heard other voices. Was someone speaking? He strained to listen, but then he was no longer he. He did not exist in order to be he. He did not exist in order to have ears to listen. He did not exist in order to have thoughts or a mind or even his own, individual essence, he was part of something so...much...greater...

And then it was over. Or at least, it was over for the moment.

Vowzra looked up at the point where the energy had been gathering before Invictus. There was a single, dark spherical shape. It was minuscule in size and was deathly still and silent. Even in the stillness of the nothingness, it was more still. But unlike the nothingness, within that dark sphere was something.

Without a word from either of the two beings - perhaps they were just as awe-struck by the power they had witnessed that they also could not speak - the sphere descended down and halted before Vowzra, waiting. It was waiting upon him. Vowzra allowed himself to see it, sense it, feel it. It was crippling; he withdrew in horrified shock. How such mass and energy could occupy such a limited space was an enigma beyond even his knowledge. But he knew what he had to do. He had to fix his power to this, he would be the catalyst, for he was the Governor of Creation. Then, one by one, his siblings would fix their power to it. Then it would complete its fated circuit and return to Invictus. What would happen once it returned...even thinking about it caused Vowzra to shudder slightly.



It was Fate once more. Thus must it be. Yes, that was most true. Without further hesitation or thought, Vowzra placed a wooden hand over the sphere. He felt the strangest sensation as his very essence reacted to the presence of the orb and he felt a pull on his consciousness, as if the orb were attempting to suck him into its depths. But before any such thing could occur, it began to move away from him and towards the next deity. Vowzra watched it go, a thin string of his essence, still connected to his palm, following it. His essence was the darkest black which shone with darkness even against the nothingness of pre-existence.

Arguis watched as the rest of brethren were being born. It was not a surprise for him, since the second he came into existence he knew of almost all things. It was impossible to surprise Arguis, but that did not mean he could make the situation fun for him anyway. He watched Astarte come into existence, the goddess of Ranges. She had the ability call forth her own creations, Summoning Magic to be specific. Her power would be extremely useful on the field of battle. The summoning of powerful beasts would help in future battles, that, he knew. He also knew that it would be a power sought after by his brethren, hence power struggles.

Arguis could not help but chuckle when he heard Astarte utter the first word ever in the universe. Although he saw it coming, it was hilarious to actually heat it come out of her mouth. "Wow!" Arguis breathed as he wiped a tear from his eye. "You'll get a kick out of that in a few hundred years when you see that in the history books." He said holding his belly, trying to quell the pain in his stomach from all his laughing.

Then there was Undasis, the Woman of the Waters. She would not be useful until they actually had a planet to put water on. Once that happened, then the real fun would begin, one third of the planet would be water, making her a very powerful ally and enemy. Not to mention the fact that Kraken was an unsatisfiable beast with a plan to take over the world, at least in the near future. His plan would probably be detrimental to Arguis, so war between them was imminent.

Ferghus was then born, the god of Forges and Fire and what not. He would be like Astarte, sought out after like a piece of meat thrown into the midst of hungry dogs. His power would land him in the middle of a battle he wanted no part of. Loyalties were thrown out the window for him, he worked for those who gave him what he wanted, but that could also prove detrimental.

Sauranath the Dragon god. To Arguis, he saw no use, sure he was a dragon, but as they grew older then tended to be, a bit cynical. Sure there would be plenty of wise dragons, but what use were they when the had him. Arguis felt that his birth into the universe was wasted. He would bring nothing useful into the universe besides some flying reptiles. If Arguis could convince Astarte to chain him and his kind up, they could be used as summons, unfortunately, Astarte's power could only be used for her own creations.

Arguis then glanced at Escre, god of Life. Now this was an extremely useful god, his knack for creation would also be sought after, but he was a much more serious god. It would hard to just walk up to him and ask him to do something, unless it was. Escre was similar to Vowzra, he really did not understand them, although he knew a lot about them. Having knowledge of them was much more different than having an understanding.

Chaos and Order were just there, they basically kept everything in balance. The gods that kept the universe in check would be Vowzra, Escre, Arguis, and Evelynn, although she was on of those gods he did not understand.

Arguis was thrown out of his thoughts when he saw Invictus summon an orb of energy. Arguis already saw this coming, he already knew that the ball did, and what would happen when he touched it, that did not mean he was ready for the feeling it would give him. Arguis watched Vowzra as he touched the black sphere, the egg in which would birth the world into existence. The ball came to Arguis, and without hesitation he placed his palm on the ball. Instantly he felt something that even he could not understand. It was as if he was being sucked into a black hole, his whole being was being broken apart, as if every atom that made up his body was being pulled into one small point. As quickly as it began it dissaperaed, the ball left him and went on to his brethren. Arguis watched it go, a thin string of his essence was connected to his palm, which was still trailing behind the orb. "Never doing that again." he mumbled despondently.

When the words of its creators pierced the ethereal emptiness, Escre froze, rapt at attention. It needn't have heard more to discern that it had been summoned. Without even considering the possibility of an alternative, Escre made an immediate about-face and drifted back toward the region of space and possibility that contained the unimaginable beings called Invictus and Fate. As it ascended, it felt the beat of godly spirits coming closer, and a sweeping look from side to side confirmed that the other deities, too, had heeded the call. This did not astonish the warden, of course, for none of them could flippantly disregard the will of the gods of gods. Those that Escre had not before seen drew nearer, and for the first time, the tempo of their spirits, too, reverberated through it. Escre hung in the nothingness, waiting with bated breath for future instruction.

It said, did, and thought nothing as it witnessed the miracle. Truly, the furthest-flung spheres of the imagination were but baby steps for the majestic, infinite power of Invictus and Fate, for as Escre's pale eyes fixed unswervingly on the gathering orb, its power chilled Escre's own spirit. This was the raw stuff of creation, a fickle and uncanny substance capable of making or unmaking anything. Insignificance was not something Escre and its kin were made to feel—unless their gods of gods willed that the lesser gods knew their place.

In the rhythm of the orb Escre began to detect a pattern, something only a grandmaster of spirits might feel. The singularity of endlessness within that orb strummed an ethereal tune, not unlike the beat of a soul but ever more intangible, like beating a drum versus picking up water. The futility of understanding it frustrated Escre, trying to convince it that it was nothing but a mere cog in the machine, without a separate existence, and only part of something bigger. That could not be right. Escre could not question its creators, but it could wonder at the threads of song weaving through the nothingness. The gods of gods had given the Great Spirit a purpose; if it was not its own being, then it could not carry out that purpose. As the universe orb finally stood still, perched at the fingertips of Invictus, Escre whispered into the dark, I am.

The orb came its way third, after visiting and partaking of Vowzra and Arguis. Escre let go of its lantern and scythe. The others had placed their palms on the orb, evidently in order to give it something of theirs. Escre wasn't quite sure what the orb would do after collecting something from each of the gods, but it understood that unknown result as a cooperative venture. For a moment Escre stared at the orb, unsure. What could it give of itself to something so important? It held up its hands. One was empty metal, and the other empty cloth. In essence, Escre was emptiness, devoid of body...but plentiful in spirit.

Escre bowed its head slowly, and with utmost gentleness pressed its head against the orb. Colors and sounds exploded through its mind, the wavelength and frequency of a trillion spirits beating in harmony, and just as quickly they were gone, leaving only a ringing pain in their wake. Escre floated back, but the orb had already whirred off to its next subject. The warden's mind was fuzzy, but its spirit now beat as brightly as any of the other gods.

Perhaps even more.

One by one the others came forth into existence, names filing into Astarte's head. But instead of focusing on them or the feelings that came with their presence, she shook herself free of the dust gathered around her, laughing with Arguis when he spoke to her. "I believe that word represents what everyone feels right now." She said.

Then Invictus and Fate acted once more. Invictus called forth an energy. An energy so powerful that eventually, it grew so grand that it blotted out the presence of Astarte's brothers and sisters. She felt insignificant when faced with such power. 'If only one of them can do this--Then why did they create us?' Astarte thought. Yet she felt something. This energy, it called to her. She wanted to touch it, feel it, to become one with it. Instead, a voice in the back of her head kept her locked in place.

The view was amazing. So much blinding energy in one place was unbelievable, and while Astarte understood and felt the danger the energy posed, she also felt compelled to embrace it and to make it her own.

Then the energy... Imploded? It became a small orb. Dark and unnaturally silent and smooth. First it went to Vowzra, then to Arguis and Escre. And then it came to Astarte. It came to a stop in front of her.

First, she leaned in close, trying to see anything of what was in it. Once that failed, she tried to listen to anything other than its silence. That failed too. For a split moment, she thought of trying to taste it, but she remembered Arguis' reaction and words and pulled back. After contemplating the orb for another moment, Astarte put her hand on it.

It lasted less than a second. In under that second, she felt her whole self being stretched and squished. The pain was bearable though, if only for the fact she was still excited at being alive and watching such great energy. Once she pulled her hand away, a thin violet string originating from her palm was attached to the orb, which went on its way to the next God.

Astarte watched it move for a while. Then she shivered and held herself, a nervous smile on her face. "I feel more alive after touching it. I'd touch it again if it wasn't so extreme."

Vestec glanced about at all of his siblings, noting each one. He didn't care who they were, or what they did. He wanted to know what they ruled over. What they would build that they would try to keep safe. Nice, safe, and orderly. He'd have to fix that, just as soon as there was something too make chaotic. He giggled to himself, before frowning. There was one god there that he wouldn't have to interfere with their creations. Undasis, the god of two souls. Not unlike himself, only she had far less control over her souls and he had an iron grip. Sad thing was, that contrasting personality would ensure sufficient chaos among their domains, thus he wouldn't have to do anything to them. Vestec giggled again. I may not have to do it, but it will certainly be fun. He thought, scanning over the rest of the group. Dragon God, Knowledge God, Summoning Goddess, Order God, they were all nothing more than playthings for him to entertain himself with. His mad giggling and plotting were interrupted by the arrival of the two supreme beings, the ones that had created him. Well, the four pieces of him at least.

Immediately his attention snapped to them, drawn like a dog to a bone by the power they showed. All he could think, as they shaped and created their dark orb, was what he could do with their power. The chaos he could create. Not too much chaos. Too much and he'd have to start fixing it and that would be boring. Watching the orb as it floated before Vowzra, Vestec considered trying to steal the innate power he could feel in it. The chaotic energy that was restrained, only waiting for the right push to release it. However, he immediately decided against it. While appealing, he could feel the eyes of the Invictus and Fate upon him. Destruction he wanted. Destruction of himself, however, was not appealing.

Vestec's eagerness grew as the orb went from deity to deity. As each of them touched it, he could feel their own unique touch being added to the orb. To most Gods, it would look like a chaotic mess of power. But Vestec could see the subtle lines of order, directing where the powers went and what they combined with. "Lets change that." Vestec spoke, reaching out his hand as soon as the orb was within reach. When he touched it, he could immediately feel the orb take something from him. Rather than resisting, Vestec gave his essence freely, laughing aloud as he felt the careful balance in the orb get thrown into chaos. The only visible change on the outside of the orb was a small shiver through it. As the Orb moved on, Vestec remained attached to it by a bright cord that rapidly and randomly changing colors.

He responded to Astarte, watching the orb still. "You and me both, sister."

So they were risen. And it was now that Svieand could not draw his attention away from the two immense figures that towered before him – expansive even in nothingness. Invictus and Fate. He was familiar with them yet simultaneously naïve.

He remained awestruck as the foreign power grew before him. He felt the others react to its presence, he himself conflicted over cowering before such might and curiously reaching out toward such worthy potency.

He flinched as the mass compressed into an infinitesimal speck that pulsed with sheer potential. Svei was lost in the inky darkness that seemed to call to him and once more his purpose was revealed. Yet already the orb had moved to Vowzra. The wooden figure seemed entirely nonplussed as the sphere of all that would be descended before him. The both familiar and yet new emotions of both admiration and jealous sparked within his thoughts and fought for dominance. They were soon silenced by the wave of knowledge that Vowzra was the Creator as his essence, trailing the orb as it span off, was coloured with the same bright darkness of the orb.

Others soon added their own powers. Knowledge. Life. Magic. Chaos. How could he ever be considered an equal to such beings? The doubt and uncertainty blossomed within as both small talk and complete confidence was displayed by the others. Svei was agog when the orb floated in his apparent direction, the recent fifth thread pulsating from the one he already highly distrusted.

He hesitated.

The orb stilled before his humanoid form. Ice crystals that orbited his body slowed to a stop as doubt crept over his porcelain face.

The orb approached further. Still he did not reach out. The cold seeped further into his thoughts. You’re not worthy. Look at their power. You’re nothing. Frigid.

The silence ensued.

Then he snapped. His hand shot out and grasped the top of the orb. He screamed and the crystals shattered. A warmth grew throughout his body with an overriding sense of hope. It was soon replaced by a searing heat that seemed to scorch his very mind with fleeting elation as it soon faded into a melancholy as his entire being felt drained of all emotion and thought. Then the cold came once more with a stronger resolve than before. Ice fractals grew outward from his free hand and span into orbit, larger and more ornate than before.

The figure sighed misting the air and he pushed the orb slowly away. From his palm ran a silver thread becoming the sixth to merge with the orb.
He opened his eyes and they sparkled as he saw that the distorted colours in the orb were now cyclical. They still contorted and span, separating and combining. But there was a definite pattern.

Grey. Blue. White. Pink. Purple. Green. Yellow. Orange. Red. Brown. Grey. Blue. White. Pink. Purple. Green. Yellow. Orange. Red. Brown. Grey. Blue. White. Pink. Purple. Green. Yellow. Orange. Red. Brown. Grey. Blue. White. Pink. Purple. Green. Yellow. Orange. Red. Brown.

As filigree strands of his thread started to mimic the orb he smiled and turned to grin at Vestec. You’re worthy. Look at your power. You’re The Seasons. Winter is only the beginning.

Undasis' form remained as nothing but a blue wisp of uncertain liquid, but she saw as sharply as an eagle; there were others like herself here. Until the one named Kraken appeared she had no such sense of any life besides her own and the two Great Ones who tortured her without explanation, but now it was as if her eyes had been opened. Perhaps it was the pain that awoke her vision, or maybe it was Kraken, or possibly that she only just now had the focus and time to observe anything but her own horror.

Nonetheless, the awakening had left her with much doubt but at least one comfort: she was not alone with whatever that beast...that thing...inside her really was. Like a child afraid of the dark, she feared nothing more than being alone with the monster in the closet or, in this case, the monster inside her own soul. But that fleeting comfort dwindled to less than nothing when she truly gazed into the spirits of those around her:

First she was drawn to the Cold One: Svieand. He chose to stay as a mist almost like her own, and stared out to his siblings as Undasis now did. He was cold, alone like she once was before the Kraken merged into her spirit. Much time passed while she gazed with curiosity at this creature so much like herself, and he began to transform- the mist suddenly swirled and moved as if to the beat of an unheard drum, and he slowly took a shape like all the others that hung almost motionless in the void. Seeing his new but ever-cold being, she wondered what would happen if she reached out towards him...
Don't. He is ice; he is danger. If we draw near him as we are now, his coldness will freeze us to our core. The Kraken's voice shook through her mind. She should have known better than to hope the demon was in slumber, she felt deep-down that he would never truly leave her.

Now she glanced over at the Temporal One: he had taken shape before any of them, and she could feel the strings of time gathering and twisting before his eyes and at his feet. He seemed more prepared than the others. Even more so, she felt a sort of providence in him: a desire to lead them all into a greater, better tomorrow.
Don't trust this one, either. In arrogance, he thinks he can force us into his idea of the perfect timeline; a world in which we never achieve our greatest potential. I will never allow him to do so.

She felt a chill run down her spine at the sight of Vestec, the Chaotic One: he was everything she feared the most. He ruled over the myriad of souls within him like a tyrant. She had a sudden, terrible vision of Kraken ruling over her in the same manner...finding herself unable to act or think on her own, just an accessory to the beast.
Kraken, on the other hand, seemed greatly amused at the sight of Vestec. Would you like me to rule over you as they do? To command with a fist of fear and chaos? Haha...don't worry. This one only wants to play and laugh at his own pointless cruelty, he is naught but a child. He is beneath being noted as more than a nuisance. He is not part of our destiny

Escre intrigued both the Woman and the Kraken more than any of their brethren. It held such a strong connection to spirits...she had to wonder what Escre saw upon looking at Undasis. Did it see a soul inflicted with a beast? Two souls intertwined? A soul on top of another soul, like a soul sandwich?
One soul broken into two.

There was also Astarte, the One of Ranges: Undasis was confused by this one, she seemed so joyous over nothing. We have no lives yet. We are floating here in a world of nothing, doing nothing, knowing nothing, creating nothing...yet this one is happy? Why?
For once, Kraken didn't have anything to answer.

The Knowledgeable One: Arguis seemed to be both disinterested and tremendously intelligent- two factors that Undasis doubted came together very often. But putting that aside, he obviously knew something about everything. Perhaps he could tell her a bit about herself? Or, at the very least, about the Kraken.
And what would you ask him that I haven't already told you? I am simply another part of you. You represent peace, serenity, and love. I represent chaos, ambition, and desire. We are both two sides to the same coin, so to speak. I cannot tell you why we are how we are, just that we have always been this way, just as Arguis has always been knowledgeable, Vowzra has always known time, and Sveiand has always been cold. It is our destiny. We are become division, the creator and the destroyer

Undasis considered this for a moment, but her eyes were too soon caught by something miraculous.

The Orb. She had been so concerned with watching her siblings and listening to the dark voice of her inner-Kraken, that she was taken completely aback when she felt the orb suddenly burst into existence. It was...wonderful, it was like a wave of glorious creation suddenly washing over her. Even Kraken was left speechless by it's presence.

The mysterious Orb traveled from Vowzra, the Time God, to Arguis, God of Knowledge, to Escre of the Spirits, to the joyous Astarte of Summoning, to the Chaotic Vestec, to the untouchable Cold One named Svieand...

Kraken was inpatient for the Orb to come to him, to make his implant his essence forever on the universe. The Woman, on the other hand, was anxious to the point of shaking. All these other gods knew their purpose, their destiny. This Kraken spoke of destiny, but never spoke of what power they were meant to wield. They hadn't even taken a form yet; she was still nothing more than an ambiguous bit of liquid in a void.

Then it happened: the Orb turned towards Undasis. It began to move towards them slowly but with purpose, as if it was part of that vague destiny Kraken kept speaking of.

The Woman wanted to run. She was meant to offer something to the Orb, but how could she? She had nothing to offer, nothing to give other than a monster inside her. The Kraken, however, wouldn't let her retreat. She found herself unable to move away.
No. We are not running. We may fail, but we will never run.

At that moment the Kraken seized control. Her mysterious clear-blue liquid shape begin to move for the Orb against her will. She was forced to watch as a purple, clawed hand- presumably belonging to the Kraken- reached out from from within her pool of a body and pressed itself against the Orb...

---

Water. For the first time, Undasis understood water. Images began to flicker to through her- no, their- mind as the Kraken tightened his steel grip on the Orb:
They saw waves crashing against the rocky seaside cliffs
They saw fish, eels, and even stranger creatures gliding through the water
They saw a tsunami effortlessly wipe it's way from the ocean to the land
They saw an woman rinse her injured arm in cool waters of the sea
They saw the sea rise up and swallow the world...

Their body began to change shape: instead of a simple blue sphere, they were twisted and redefined into a new shape that was neither the Woman nor the Kraken, but was instead a perfect fusion both into one.
At this moment both sides of Undasis had become one soul, one body, and one mind- there was no longer any difference between Kraken and Woman- and they understood what their purpose was. They were together the God of the Sea, an incarnation of both the force and serenity of water.

Undasis did not want to let go of the Orb that had united them and revealed their purpose, but the Orb was too powerful for them. If they held it any longer, they would drown in it. So reluctantly they released their grip and the Orb floated on to another deity, leaving nothing but a dark blue string in their palm.

At the moment the it drifted off they felt their temporary unison began to crumble. It became evident that soon they would no longer be a perfect combination of Kraken and Woman of the Waters.

The new Undasis looked towards Vestec and Astarte: "We would as well...it's a shame it must be let go" The Kraken and The Woman of the Waters thought and spoke in perfect unison.

As the next deity touched the Orb, the bond between Kraken and Woman broke entirely. They were once more two sides of the same coin, but now they knew their purpose.

They are, together, the God of Oceans.

As the others rose, Ferghus examined each one of them, or at least those he found interesting enough to be worth noticing. Mainly because there wasn't anything else to do. However, it was actually quite the interesting experience.

There was Vestec, the one who was all about chaos. He was definitely someone Ferghus wouldn't want to piss off, but definitely one to keep an eye on. There might be a time to exploit that chaos, and Ferghus wouldn't miss that opportunity.

There was Alexavier, the one who was all about order. No doubt he and Vestec wouldn't get along. Oh yes, definitely a profit to be made off of that. With Ferghus' skills at the forge, there would definitely be opportunities to exploit.

There was Arguis, the knowledgeable one. A little too knowledgeable, if Ferghus was one to judge. Ferghus had noticed Arguis examining him back, and Ferghus didn't quite like that. Mainly because there was no way of really knowing exactly what Arguis was thinking. Still, Arguis could prove a useful ally if need be.

There was Undasis, who was the exact opposite of himself in just about every way. He was male, she was female; he liked fire, she was made of water; he was calm, she appeared troubled. The list could go on, and it perhaps time to move on from that before things got too weird.

There was Astarte, the... well, she was interesting. Quite interesting. Very interesting. Then Ferghus realized he might be getting a little too and decided it would be best to move on from that particular subject. However, he would keep an eye on her. She was.... the feeling was hard to explain, but it was interesting.

Finally, there was.... well, Ferghus didn't even know how to pronounce his name, but his very presence itself radiated power. One who could bend the very fabric of space and time itself. Resisting the impulse to pronounce him as his master, he shifted his attention back onto the task at hand.

There was an orb being passed around from being to being, and everyone was adding their power into it. Chaos, water, magic, various portions of power were being added to it, and the orb finally reached him. Ferghus was skeptic of this; after all, he had no idea what it even was. Yet at the same time, the orb felt so compelling, like it was telling him to do it. If the others had served as an example, nothing too significant had happened to them. In fact, some of them appeared to have gotten stronger. Ferghus wasn't quite sure how someone would get stronger by losing power, but then again, Ferghus was just born from nothing. And nothing would get done if he did nothing.

Deciding to take a chance, he placed his hand on the orb. Almost immediately, he felt something. A power beyond his understand. With that power came knowledge, knowledge of endless depths. Both of those came rushing into him as his might disappeared into the orb. The experience lasted far shorted than was perceived, but it was sensational. Ferghus still felt the compelling need to touch it, but the orb went off to gather the might of his other brethren. A taste of that power was enough, though. Enough to make him realize just how important everyone was, and how little there was to do around here! What was the point of all this!?