Prologue

The sun rose over what, from above, appeared to be paradise. "Shar'Lathel," the mortals whispered. "Land of the Gods." Yet, what is paradise if you share it with only seven others? Salren scoffed at this. Some god I am. All the power in the universe and I can't use it to help a soul. Now I've done it… I've gotten a world all to myself, and I'm already bored of it. Salren flew through the air, looking down with disdain upon his empty world. The only sounds were those of the animals, and of explosions off far in the distance.

As Eltram walked along the abandoned streets of the greatest city in the seven realms, he longed to leave, to enter the worlds of mortals once more, and to be a god in full. But now, with the Gates sealed, there was nothing for him to do but wait. As he walked, a small shadow passed near him and was gone. Looking up, he saw Salren flying above. Jumping from the ground, Eltram flew to join him.

"Salren!"

Salren looked down, and saw, to his great surprise, Eltram. "Eltram? It's been a long time since I've last seen you." Eltram frowned for a moment before responding. "Long may pass in the Land of Gods without a soul to be seen."

Salren chuckled. "I've yet to see one."

A look of confusion passed over Eltram.

"A soul?"

"A god."

Eltram's sorrow increased at his words. "You wish to leave too?"

Salren chuckled. "I wish to have never here come in the first place. Eltram, we are gods! All powerful, and worshipped by millions! Yet, day by day, I feel more and more like a dream. As if my whole life is an illusion of the grandest scale, and I am the pun at the end of this joke." Eltram sighed, and by the look on his face, it was obvious he felt very much the same.

"Perhaps we can contact Kalecthos, get him to re-open the Gate. He couldn't say no to both of us, Salren."

"Couldn't he? Think about it, Eltram. Kalecthos isn't the one keeping the Gate closed. It's the mortals, stuck as they are in their stubborn ways, that do this. You know the prophecies better than I. The Gates will not open till Magic is free in Algaria, and even then, not unless the Ninth God's creation is prevented."

"I fear the mortals will have a much worse time of things than we ever have, Salren. A king and a god as their enemy, all of magic on the line… I fear for them, for all of us."

"What would you be if you didn't?"

"A god."

Salren sighed at Eltram's words, yet found himself agreeing. Not exactly happy words to greet eternity with…