Chapter nine:The Prophecy Fulfilled

With Kador banished, and peace prevailing, the gods took up their crowns as rulers of the sphere. Tinel and Zheenkeef begot twins, Darmon and Aymara. Darmon was a cunning child who loved nothing more than to hear his mother laugh, and learned every trick the other gods would teach him. Aymara was the most beautiful of the gods, inspiring those around her to feel deep and abiding love. Morwyn took Terak as her second husband, sharing time between him and Mormekar. By Terak she bore twins, Korak and Anwyn. Korak was a happy child, strong and quick to laugh and play, but not very bright. Anwyn also had a pleasant demeanor, but she seemed to want to be taken seriously even in her youth, perhaps because she was the youngest of them all.
As the gods and their children watched from their castle, the fruits ripened, but not fast enough for Zheenkeef. Years went by as the fruit grew heavier, and all the while the div built their kingdoms and grew in power and knowledge. Though most had been wiped out in the war against Kador, after thousands of years they had rebuilt their strength and numbers. It came to pass, only a short time before the fruits of Eliwyn finally opened, that the div fulfilled Kador’s prophecy that they would rebel against the gods. For generations, the Marid and Shaitan had been united under a single Marid caliph, Gian ben Gian. Gian ben Gian’s court dripped with opulence, and his people were beloved by Tinel, for they had learned every trick of magic put before them.
One day, Gian ben Gian called together his counselors and the other great div leaders and asked them this: “Why do we continue to obey these gods in their palaces of air and water? They have had two wars, and each time we have nearly been destroyed. I say we take their palaces with all our might, and retrieve our birthright! We should be gods, not them! We were born of fire, not them!” So, the div made plans for a great war against the gods.
Darmon observed all of this. Master of craft and guile, Darmon had spent a year and a day disguised as a servant to Gian ben Gian so that he might better understand the div. He immediately fled to the palace of the gods and told them what he had observed.
Gian ben Gian’s reach far exceeded his grasp. His people were not half as mighty as he believed, and the gods were more powerful than he had ever dreamed. Rather than descending upon him themselves, the gods sent their host, led once more by the mighty Iblis, to undo Gian ben Gian’s plans. The div were wholly unprepared, and were utterly defeated when Iblis personally slew Gian ben Gian. Having come to understand the complete ramifications of Kador’s prophecy, the gods knew they could not allow the div to remain in the sphere, especially since the young races would soon be born, and would likely be attacked and destroyed if the div were permitted to roam free.
So, the gods banished the Marid to the pillar of water, and the Shaitan to the pillar of fire, where they remain today. But the Shee had done nothing but remain in their fastnesses under the earth, in the forests and deep in the sea. They had never participated in a war, and remained wholly peaceful. But the gods, fearing that Kador’s curse would one day lead the Shee against them too, called forth these secret people. It was the gods’ decree that the Shee must decide whether to be stripped of the fire that coursed through their veins, and therefore their immortality, or to abandon the free will that was their birthright, and be bound to the earth.
Most of the Shee decided to be rid of the fire in their blood. These were set about the foot of Eliwyn and made to sleep until the fruits still on the bough came to ripen. They would awaken as the first elves. Those who chose to be stripped of their free will returned to their homes in the secret places of the earth, where they remain today as the many water sprites and fairies of the wood, still bright ones but forever bound to the earth and unable to choose their lot in life.