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The Quadriate gathered together and Somos; they watched the life moving on the world they had created.

"What we made, it is good." The first, Teliron, observed with a smile.

"They have much life in them," Drometha agreed. "When they die, most flurry to return to live again. They don't seem to want to rest."

"Except for while they're alive, whenever they get frustrated from forgetting what they went there for. And then chaos breaks out..." Umeseqo sighed, and pushed two souls together. The four watched in silence, a few decades passing. The two beings met, married, and mated, guarding their children as the babes grew.

"But, it's chaos, and unexpected change, that shows them that 'structure' they forgot." Gasghtau smiled, and nodded at Umeseqo. "They lose themselves to chaos, and they find themselves there too."

"Else, the poor darlings would make their minds up to be some one way to be---and then they'd lose themselves forever," Teliron added, in clear agreement.

"Then, eventually they'll all remember even while living---and they'll never need to return to life again. And, rather, we'll all return to Somos." Drometha intoned, pushing clouds and observing the crackles of the lightnings' sparks.

"Ha! Why? I think there's always another path that could be taken---face it, old man, you've no likely purpose in the future of being. Just ending, and I doubt we'll ever see a end come." Gasghtau smirked.

Drometha drew up at the slight, and Umeseqo and Teliron shook their heads. Drometha rose his voice. "I am the Beginning---"

"---the Beginning, and the End. But we already began, we're done with that. What's left? Things change, and die, and change again. But nothing new is being made---all that's remaining for you is the final ending. What if it never comes?"

"I'll be sure that it does."

The words slipped out before he could recall them, and all four stared in horror. Drometha's hand hovered before his hood, as though to cover his mouth.

"Drometha, what have you put in motion?" Umeseqo's mind was already observing the wealth of possibilities that were multiplying and spreading; the possibilities of what his declaration----his oath, by a god, to a god, witnessed by the others---could result in.

"...I...know not." Ordinarily serenely certain that existence would pass from life to death regardless of the paths' minutiae, for once Drometha seemed worried at a possibility.

"It... It's something new. So new, that I don't know what it is...." Gasghtau admitted.

Drometha was the creator of new being, Gasghtau the re-creator. If neither of them knew what it was, then it was being sheltered; the three of them looked to Teliron. The First stood with her eyes closed, a serene expression on her face.

She noticed the silence and their questioning gazes, and she opened her eyes with a shake of the head. "I'm sorry, my dears... it's already been started, but it's not ready for you to try to change it yet. Hold on a bit, yet."

"If Teliron tells us what it is, that will change it..." Umeseqo mused aloud, nodding as the possibilities reinforced her musing.

"Then, another god? It's happened before, is that not how we came about? A force told a force, observed by another such force? And that force manifested as a mind and form, intent and power..." Gasghtau frowned, gazing across the world-table towards Drometha.

"That is so. However... we were the divisions of Somos. New creations born of what was." His hood lowered further, no sign of light within it. "...But I lack that power."

The four exchanged looks. It was true, that power belonged to Gasghtau.

"A new way, it is---new paths have been forged. For one of us to use another's powers... But with leave?" Umeseqo seemed to be weaving something in the air, waving her fingers through the tendrils of possibilities.

"I gave no such leave!" Gasghtau exclaimed, indignant.

"Oh, yes, you did---you goaded me, convincing me I had nothing more new to contribute to being." Drometha rested his hands on the rail, gazing across. "And I knew I did, and I slipped---contributing something new."

Gasghtau scoffed and said nothing, crossing his arms and letting his tail flick irritably.

"...Do you know now what was made?" Teliron whispered, her voice echoing with the promises potentiate of a new being's birth. "He is ready."

"'He'?"

"Me."

In the pathway from the room, behind Teliron, stood a young, feminine man. He was somewhat taller than Drometha or Gasghtau, but slighter in build than either seemed to be; dark wavy hair ringed his head, and golden, curling tendrils framed his back. Clad in simple white cloth, he observed them from large, blue eyes.

The four spread to observe the newcomer, this youngest of the gods.

"What will you be called?" Gasghtau finally asked.

"I am... the Mifreterecer."

The Mifreterecer stepped out, into the four-way divided tower, toward the center model. The other four gods remained in a semi-circle about it, studying him.

"And what will you be, Mifreterecer? Teliron was the first, she was the seed of a second, the womb that housed existence in the instant Somos shattered. Drometha was second, with the concept of being the one to guide the creations, to deliberately form new things, and will be the one to end existence when the time comes; he remains the source of all new creations, like yourself. I was third, and I observe the paths out-spreading, I sustain the existences and bring the dying tendrils to Gasghtau. And Gasghtau, who was last among us, is who takes that which has stagnated, that which has slowed, that which no longer pursues its purpose, and remakes of these faded remnants a new being. What role remains for you, for any other god?" Umeseqo studied him, studied his reaction, aware of the infinitudes of possibilities, observing even as the possibilities of what might-have-been died.

"I seek to aid Drometha. You said he will bring existence to an end? I want to help him."

Gasghtau shook his head. "That is a long ways off. All existence and all the possibilities of existence have to play out first---and Umeseqo can tell you, there are very many. And all of existence has to remember everything, and all things have to want to end. Only then will Drometha's final duty be played." He stared at the new youth. "What will you do until then...?"

Mifreterecer tilted his head. "...I shall speed it up."

The other four stilled in alarm, and Teliron shook her head, reaching to touch the shoulder of the youngest. "No, dear, I don't think you understand, yet. Existence wanting to end cannot be sped up---we want to experience everything. That was the whole point of beginning to exist."

Mifreterecer's eyes darkened, the stars in them fading behind clouds of doubt and confusion. "Then... I..." He scowled and shook his head. "You concepts. Weren't you each created with an idea, like me? What thoughts were uttered to bring each of you into being? Or are you simply... archetypes, no personality to you?" He stalked over to the model, staring at it. Before any said more, he pointed at it. "Look at these beings. They live their lives without seeing you interfere----but you do, don't you? You are the forces of their life---what of the forces of their worlds? Why don't all the ideas have minds of their own?"

Drometha touched Teliron softly, and motioned to the model. "I think our youngest has good ideas for deciding his purpose. Surely, there are other elements to existence that we have yet to consider: four points of view is still quite limited. Perhaps more minds will come to create more existences..."

"Oh, the old man's found a new job, huh? You're going to start making new gods." Gasghtau grinned, waving a hand and moving as though to leave. "Clever, to establish such a loophole."

"I think we all might. Our youngest certainly can help instruct us, in time, what ideas might be best for the creating of new gods." Umeseqo nodded.

Teliron's eyes closed and she smiled serenely again. "It is decided. Mifreterecer, at least for a time, will observe us and all the other elements of existence, and make suggestions as to what other forces may requires gods of their own."

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And so it was that Drometha created something that was not new, but a remaking; goaded by Gasghtau's insistence that he would no longer be needed, he temporarily controlled Gasghtau's domain. This echoed, this act, and its ripples forced the universe to created a force of intending its own destruction. This force would seek a return to Somos-nothingness rather than Somos-being, would want to cancel existence itself. To want, it had to exist, so the desire became a god lesser than the quadriate: the fifth god. The Mifreterecer.

...

Last updated: 2/22/07 at 12:38am