Galeorhin suggested that I sit down.
"Why?" I asked.
"Just in case," he replied with a slight smile.
"In case what?" I persisted.
"Do you want to know or not?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Then let me talk."
"Apologies," I muttered.
"Thank you, I should also warn you that you and I will be the only Elves and for all I know the only two beings in the world who know these things, though one of them may eventually be discovered."
"Go on," I encouraged him.
"First you must swear not to tell another soul, especially the other 4, what I am about to tell you."
"I swear it, on my personal honor."
(The most serious/strong pledge an elf can make. - AL)
"Accepted."
Galeorhin settled into what we refer to as 'story telling mode', something elves do when they are accessing their older memories.
(It should be noted that the listeners do not interupt until the teller says 'and that is the tale'. - AL)
"As he did with you, the Death Lord stayed behind the others and spoke to me.
'Galeorhin Galues Shalarhi,' he said to me, 'there are things i wish to tell you, that you must swear on your personal honor, not to tell to another living soul.'
'I swear it,' I replied straight away, 'on my personal honor.'
'Accepted,' he said 'first, there are worlds beyond this world that you live on.'
'The spirit realms?' I asked, rather presumptously.
'No. Other worlds, in the sky, every star you see is a sun like your own, and many of them have worlds such as this that they give light to.'
I struggled to clarify this image in my mind, finally he clarified it for me.
'You know of the ocean and other lands across it?'
'Yes.'
'The sky is like an ocean and each world is a new land.'
'I think I see it,' I replied excitedly. 'And are there other races living on these other worlds?'
'Yes,' he agreed, I think he was pleased by my quick comprehension, 'and that brings me to the second thing I wish to tell you'
I nodded.
'Among these races, many of your years ago, there was a group who called themselves the Helisthye ('People of Red Dawn').'
'Helisthye?' I repeated in confusion. 'But that's what the false elven Gods are called.'
'Indeed, if you will allow me to continue?'
'Of course, my Lord, apologies,'
'Accepted,' he replied graciously. 'There were also another group, the Ulithaya ('starborn travellers').'
'The True Gods?' I replied, even more confused.
'I am getting to that, kindly stop interupting!'
I opened my mouth to apologise.
'Accepted.' He sighed irritably. 'To continue; as these races developed, each on their own world, they discovered a way to "sail" across the ocean of the sky. The Halisthye, a race of scientists, discovered this world which they named Listha ('Purple Dawn').
They studied the races here and decided to conduct an experiment, they used their superior "technology", a kind of magic, to appear before one of the worlds races, whom they named Elethen ('Forest Dwellers').
The primitive people declared them Gods and worshipped them, in return they taught the Elethen to use Magic. This was done in a series of events, which have no direct bearing on this situation, suffice it to say that the result was this; when one of the Elethen chanted one of any number of complex incantations it would have a specified effect.'
'So that's why we have to learn so many!' I exclamed, combating my shock by concentrating on the minutiae.
'Indeed. The Halisthye found this most fascinating, and stayed to observe the effects it had on that race, those effects being your current way of life. The most interesting thing is that in doing this they also tapped in to some native magic that reacts unpredictably.
Both the Halisthye and the Ulithaya have technology, or magic if you prefer, that allows selected members of their race to live indefinitely.
Now, another group of space sailors came to this world, and they decided to "share" the world with the Halisthye, and convince another of the worlds races, humans, to revere them as Gods.
One of their number was less than pleased with the idea, but went along with it. He discovered an energy "web" covering the planet which they were able to tap into, so that when humans invoked their names for the use of magic - it worked.
Eventually, the Ulithayans died because their bodies had absorbed so much of the webs energy, and because they had powerful mind magic their spirits remained bound to the spirit realms of this planet.
It was there that they, we, made a very important discovery; there are no true Gods, except the universe which is Divine in itself, and She who created the Universe and all that is contained therein. Anything else that claims to be a God is merely a being more advanced than those who think it Divine.'
I was shocked to say the least.
'So you are as far above us as we are above the Ogres?'
'Yes, and She is as far above me as I am above the tiniest part of a being.'
'Why are you telling me this?'
'Because She told me to, I am a Priest of Fate now, and it is Her will I serve, for some reason She has taken an interest in your life and the life of one who is not yet born. She said you have a long life ahead of you, and many challenges.'
'I really don't know how to react!'
'Of course not, the third thing I have to show you is how to use another kind of magic, that does not rely on the gods, but that is for another day, return to your body and rest, we will speak again.'
'Are the Halisthye in this realm as well?' I asked, as the thought occured to me.
'Yes, but you will not see them unless you wish to. You see they found and exploited the magic web that surrounds this world as well and they were caught by it in death, but they and the other 4 have not accepted the nature of the Universe.
Fate created, but She does not directly manipulate the lives of mortal beings, except in rare cases such as this.'
With that last explanation he pushed me effortlessly back to my body, where I passed the first initiation.
The next month he told me how to use magic without invoking Gods, False or otherwise, and i have spent the last 500 years perfecting and practicing the Art, and that is the Tale."
Released from the bonds of the Storyteller, I struggled to comprehend, everything Galeorhin had told me. Childhood Gods who were False and True Gods who were no more than a superior race of beings, and the existance of other worlds in the sky. It was all rather too much for me, even as I cursed myself for not taking his advice and to sit down, I fell to the ground in a faint.