of Ashdown. The majority of their family is located in the mountain passes of Vesper, near the village of Floren on Luvelles. They were easily influenced, and a deal was struck. But they did have one unusual condition.”
“And this condition was?”
“It was to name the baby, and have him carry their surname until we retrieved the child to bring him to Ancients Sovereign.”
“Did you agree?”
“I did. I agreed only because it shut them up. Besides, if I know you, they won’t be caring for the baby long.” Celestria ran her fingers through Lasidious’ hair. “Do you not approve, my pet?”
“Mortal labels are of little importance,” the Mischievous One responded. He took a moment to taste Celestria’s lips. “Your family of witches will do fine. I could not have done better myself. Luvelles is a wonderful world. It is the best of our creations. I love it.”
Fellow soul ... as your spirited storyteller, I feel I need to tell you a few things. After Lasidious and Celestria created their home beneath The Peaks of Angels, they combined their power to form a shield that keeps the other gods from entering. This barrier of privacy quickly became a source of contention amongst the Collective.
When the Book of Immortality was approached about the matter, it responded by saying, “They have a right to privacy, as long as the Laws of the Gods aren’t broken.” The Book determined the laws had been obeyed, and it felt no wrongdoing. There was no law that stated two gods could not separate themselves from the rest of the Collective.
In response, the others told the Book that they feared Lasidious and Celestria were up to no good, and allowing them to spend their moments alone without governance was a platform for destruction.
The Book, somewhat annoyed, responded by saying, “The consequences of breaking laws should be enough to restrict their actions.” The Book, however, did give a warning, advising Lasidious and Celestria that the privilege of having a barrier around their home would not be allowed to continue if it felt a law break. The Book further threatened, “I’ll send you to join the mortals, and you’ll suffer an expeditious death while your seasons consume you.”
Lasidious and Celestria felt they had covered their tracks well enough to avoid getting caught—or at least they hoped they had. They brushed the threat off and did not let the warning stop their plotting. They knew their plans would take many seasons to develop, and when the moment arrived, everything would be in place. It would be too late for the Book to do anything. The tome would be forced to serve them.
After the Book made its ruling, Lasidious and Celestria watched some of the others pair off and implement the same practice within their own homes, but these couples never lasted. The Book’s ruling took the Collective’s eyes off Lasidious and Celestria, and it turned their attention toward more important matters.
It was in this newly created home where Lasidious and Celestria began plotting more than 11,000 seasons ago. The barrier allowed for their child to be conceived without the Book feeling that a law had been broken. Part of the plan was to keep the fetus from developing inside Celestria’s womb until the moment was right. But this was not Lasidious and Celestria’s only child. They considered every being they created to be their children, and some of them were nearly 10,000 seasons old.
Fellow soul ... I feel I must make one last point—though it will not make sense at this moment. The Book of Immortality was bound by one rule that superseded all others. The tome had to maintain a godly hierarchy above all else, but it had to do it without stripping the free will of the members of the Collective.
Enough of my rambling. Back to the story.
“Luvelles is a wonderful hiding place for our baby,” Lasidious said, gazing longingly at Celestria. “After all, this is where the others agreed to place the Source. I have no doubt we can use this to our advantage.”
Lasidious turned toward a large, cube-shaped cut in the wall that served as a fireplace. Green flames burned inside it as he stared at their wild movement before he turned his attention back to his goddess. “The decision you made to put our son in Floren is perfect. That village is full of magic. The air smells of it. Your decision offers me comfort.”
The Mischievous One rubbed his hands together. “Wonderful devastations happen in Floren often,