Disclaimer: Don't own them. I checked. Trust me, I checked.

Duo lay on the soft grass listening to the gentle sounds of water lapping against rocks on the lake's shore. This was his refuge, a small patch of earth in which a little bit of peace could be found and a little bit of anger could be relived. He had just come out of the water, having swum a few laps. Yet, his anger was still on the surface and still tasted bitter in his mouth. It was days like these that Duo wanted to fire-blast Maxwell right in the face. He'd heal… eventually.

A puff of discontentment escaped his lips as he curled up on his side and looked to the lakes waters. Gods. It had to be about the damned gods. Normally Duo attended to his history lessons like any other lesson. With the eagerness to learn all that he could and the contentment of knowing that he had accomplished something that was making Maxwell proud. This time was different. Gods.

It was the main source of almost all their arguments. Maxwell would nonchalantly try to drop a reference or two about the cursed beings and Duo would plug his ears and run in the other direction. After all, what the hell had the gods ever done for him?

He was half surprised that his teacher hadn't dragged him back to his lessons yet. Maxwell usually left enough time for Duo to cool his nerves but he never let him simmer for too long before interrupting and continuing as though nothing had happened. Sitting up Duo cautiously looked around for any sign of his teacher but he was no where to be found. In fact, Duo could sense that Maxwell was still at their little cottage miles upon miles away. Secure in the knowledge that he had at least a little more time to be pissed Duo flopped back down on the grass and looked to the sky's fluffy clouds for the calm he needed.

This lake held a special place in his heart and had quickly become a sanctuary of sorts. A place even Maxwell respected. He would fetch Duo from the lake for his lessons and he would come for a swim when invited, but Maxwell treated Duo's lake with the same respect he would treat a persons chambers.

Every time Duo recalled how the lake was discovered it brought a smile to his face. The early days of his training had been awkward and invigorating all at once. Only a few months after Maxwell led him from the burnt village he had decided that Duo needed to learn how to get around. Duo had insisted that he knew how to walk and run. If necessary he even knew how to stow away in the back of a wagon so that the people driving never knew you were there. Maxwell had let out a cheerful laugh and patted Duo on the shoulder. No, he explained, you must learn the mages way. So Maxwell had taken Duo to an empty field and taught him a strange way to sense his surroundings. He had made Duo sense where trees were, where animals were, and where the ground was. He had shown Duo how to shove aside space so that he could step into and away. He had shown Duo how to waystep.

Duo had proven to be capable. The first time, beginner's luck Maxwell claimed, was a flawless attempt. The second attempt he had waystepped directly into a tall patch of grass that became permanently embedded in his clothing. After a few more attempts, each better than the last, Maxwell challenged Duo to go as far as he could sense. Eagerly, Duo attempted and surprised them both. Not only did he manage to waystep miles away from their practice field, but he had also managed to step directly in the middle of small, yet deep lake. Maxwell had sensed the water and waited on shore, but he had watched Duo make a large splash as he fell. Once ashore they both fell into fits of laughter and glee. Not to mention that Duo had learned a valuable lesson in sensing the difference not only in the environment of trees, plants, and animals, but also in the texture and consistency of the ground. The lake had been Duo's favorite place ever since and he would still waystep into the middle, but this time it was just for fun.

He looked at the clouds with a sense of contentment. They had their arguments like anyone else, but the simple fact remained; Duo loved his teacher like a father and Maxwell loved him back. There was a familiar push of space and Duo sensed that his teacher was no longer at the little cottage.

"Duo…" Maxwell sounded cautious and annoyed all at once. Realizing that he was the cause Duo had the presence of mind to at least feel a bit ashamed. While he didn't feel that he should hold any reverence for absentee gods, he did hold respect for Maxwell.

"Hey." Duo sat up and faced the lake; he made a small gesture that indicated to his teacher he was welcome to sit down. Instead Maxwell walked to the spot Duo had indicated, but he remained standing.

"It is important you know about them Duo."

"I don't care about the gods."

Letting out an annoyed huff Maxwell looked down at his student, "Not caring and being educated about them are two different things. You know that."

"What have they ever done for me?"

"Are you not alive? You have powers don't you? What of these things?"

"Powers!" he laughed bitterly at that, "Powers at what cost? How many others will die Maxwell? Why is it the only god that seems to be involved in my life is the god of death?"

His questions were honest enough. Duo deserved an answer, yet Maxwell wasn't the one to give it to him. Instead he just shrugged, "Do you really expect an answer Duo?"

"No, but it would be nice. Besides, powers aren't a gift. You've said it yourself. Powers are a result of mistakes the gods made. I'm a mistake."

Maxwell sat down with Duo on his little patch of soft grass and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Hardly. No more of a mistake than I am. Or any other mage, healer, warlock, shaman, or prophet. The gods may have had affairs that created demi-gods. Those demi-gods may have had affairs that created us, but I believe we are all here for a purpose, otherwise the gods would have rid the world of magic altogether."

"Believe what you want old man, but they'll have nothing to do with me. And I'll return the favor." Duo gave a little shrug, as if to say that's the way it is and was and always will be.

"Can I tell you a story Duo?" a small shrug was his only answer, "If I tell you, will you promise not to plug your ears, or get angry, or run away?"

"Maybe, no guarantees."

"Because it's about the gods. But it's also about me you see." Maxwell's voice sounded wistful and when Duo looked at him he was staring off into the distance with a look upon his face Duo had never seen before. He looked sad, dreamy, and exhausted. For the first time since he's been in Maxwell's care, Duo got a glimpse at how old he really could be. Maxwell looked, in that moment, positively ancient.

"You see Duo, I know the gods. I know they exist. And I know they learned a terrible lesson hundreds of years ago. As much as they want to interfere, as much as they want to either help or harm humanity, they cannot. This goes far deeper than the most prominent rules of the universe."

Duo shifted his weight to get more comfortable, this sounded like an interesting story. Besides, Maxwell had never told him of his past, despite the pestering.

"I was young once. And a fool. You see, I fell in love. I met her in El Lísma-nan, the garden of the gods, and she was a goddess. Against the wishes and judgment of all other gods, she loved me back. There were a few that supported us. Those gods had secret affairs of their own. We were the first ones to let our love be known. The first to tell the other gods. We were the first to marry. For a time we remained happy enough, we even had children."

Duo's eyes widened. Maxwell, the old hermit, had children?

A laugh erupted from Maxwell at Duo's amusement, "Yes, Duo. Children. Three to be specific; two sons and a daughter. And I love them all, even though it was my one son who caused the trouble that sent the gods into their self imposed exile." Again his voice was saddened and ancient sounding. "His name is Dekim; he was my first born, and the biggest disappointment. He let the power get to him, he let the darker gods whisper in his ears, and he ravaged the earth creating warlocks and demons to help wreck the havoc he so enjoyed. Despite his mother and my careful love, he turned out to be exactly what the gods had always feared. Soon the other sons and daughters of the gods started joining Dekim's cause. We were at a loss. They were our sons and daughters, the gods didn't want to destroy them. They loved them. But they couldn't be left to destroy humanity. What were we to do?

"They were torturing humans, enslaving them, and then tossing them away like trash. The gods did the only thing they could. They started wiping the memories of their children, wiping away everything, and suppressing powers. The children became weak and exactly what they hated the most, human. But they never knew because they had no memory of their previous life. Dekim had caught wind of the plan and ran, sending the gods on an epic chase, one that eventually ended but not how any had hoped. Dekim had grown too powerful and he had allied himself with some powerful dark gods. His powers could no longer be stripped. Nor could his immortality. We had to seal Dekim and the dark gods away for all eternity lest they try to destroy humanity again. The gods could no longer risk any interference with humanity for they had almost destroyed it. Only two demi-gods were left with their powers intact. They and their families were left with a great responsibility. The fountains of Tristana, and the gardens of El Lísma-nan were left in their charge. They were to protect them at all costs. No one, human or god is to enter. Only those of direct blood relation to the demi-gods are even capable of it. For the gods fear, if anyone is to somehow enter those sacred places, that don't belong, they could set those dark gods and Dekim free. All the gods that had wives and husbands on Earth were forbidden from ever seeing each other again. It was all done for the greater good.

Duo had nothing to say. He had guessed that Maxwell was old… but to have walked with the gods? To have children with a goddess? It was too much. So they both sat there for a while staring at the lakes gentle waves one of them absorbing the information and the other accepting that his story had finally been told.

The information sat uneasily with Duo. Maxwell's account seemed unbelievable, yet Duo knew beyond a doubt that it was true. After all he was what Maxwell called a truthseer. Can never tell a lie and can not be told a lie; such was the nature of the truthseer. Omission however, was another story. Maxwell was too powerful, too knowledgeable. An idea sparked in Duo's mind that would not pass and he warily gave voice to it, for the answer scared him. "Are you a god?"

Maxwell let out a bellow of a laugh and clapped Duo on his shoulder. The laugh was genuine enough, "Ahhh! Only you Duo! Only you!" And he belted out another hearty laugh that immediately lightened the serious atmosphere. "I'm your teacher you misfit!" he said as he rose to his feet and pulled Duo up after him, "Ha! A god! A laugh like that I haven't had in years!"

With another clap on the shoulder and a parting of space Maxwell disappeared. Duo could sense that he was in their cottage and he smiled. Leave it to the old man to hop right back to lessons.

Well come on boy! You have yet to learn everything I have to teach today!>

Duo held back his inner snort and waystepped home.