The most important, was the magic Sahma granted the mortals was
wreaking pure havoc. The unskilled and underdeveloped races wielded
the massive powers like a child with a new toy. They instantly created
huge cities of magnificent splendor, but lacked the mentality to govern
such an estate. Thus, many of the Great Cities perished into the fertile
soils of Alanthia.

The great chaos within the cities only lead to the Great Wars. Every
intelligent being was unsafe in these times. Magic flew rampant, and
if you didn't get fried by a skewed lightning bolt, you were lucky.
Ming-Dao tried in vein to teach the mortals, but you can't teach a
world of children how not to play with toys before they destroy
themselves with them.

From high in orbit, the moons could see the wars below like great
fireworks, lighting the atmosphere in brilliant magical colors.
Unfortunately, the beauty was undermined by the mass death. Sadiq
was the first to take action. And his plan was simple -- remove
magic from Alanthia. And thus, he cast an invisible shell over the
whole of Alanthia that nulled any spell cast.

And peace, of sorts, returned to Alanthia. The people stopped
warring, because they needed to learn how to farm and build, rather
than kill. The magic in the atmosphere halted, and the days and
nights returned to just that.

In time, the magic was forgotten, and all that was remember was
the "Great Wars", when the skies flashed and sparked day and night
and chaos reigned supreme. It was a time no one wanted to remember.

However, there was one soul on Alanthia who wanted to. Aidan was
his name and he was a very meticulous and beautiful scribe. A priest
of the old religion, he preached daily on the Great Wars, and how
magic once existed. However, very few still believed in magic. At
first, it's not that people didn't believe, it's that they blocked it out.
And as the generations rolled on, it became nothing more than a myth.

Ming-Dao, on the planet's surface, continued to teach to press into
higher levels of consciousness for the people. He became renowned by
the people, and considered him a holy man. Ming-Dao, of course, never
revealed his true nature -- that he was indeed a god. This was key in
training, because he wanted them to find their own way and truth, not
adopt his on "godly" principle.

In fact, Aidan had made a pilgrimage one year to study under
Ming-Dao. While Aidan refused to learn the way of the martial arts,
he did accept the many words of wisdom that Ming-Dao offered.

One day, Aidan asked Ming-Dao, "Are you a God?"

Ming-Dao chuckled lightly, and asked, "Why would you think such a
thing, Aidan?"

"Because... I don't know, Master. I can just feel it."

Raising and eyebrow, Ming-Dao replied in a quiet, low voice, "Trust
that feeling."

Aidan smiled gratefully, and returned to his home town. Nearby, he
constructed a small temple. With painstaking detail, he hand-built
the entire temple by himself with small bricks. In the end, it was
a small structure filled with stain glass, but still not very
impressive. Only one of the four small walls were decorated. Paintings
of Ming-Dao were hung on the wall and many small, clay figurines of
Ming-Dao lay scattered around the floors. Aidan was a fine scribe
with excellent penmanship, but his clay works needed much improvement.

In this small temple to a person Aidan couldn't even prove was a god,
he prayed. With s figurine in each hand, Aidan chanted some words
Ming-Dao had taught him, but nothing ever happened.

A few years later, Aidan was getting upset, and wondering if his gut
was wrong. he decided he'd try one last time. With the normal figurine
in each hand, he bowed before the painting and began chanting. Aiden
closed his eyes and thought of nothing. He cleared his mind.

Slowly, he lowered to one knee and set the figurines on the floor
beside him. When he rose back up, he spread his arms to every side
of him in a slow, intentional, sweeping movement. His words changed
from those that Ming-Dao had taught him to those he had heard once -
Trust yourself.

Opening his eyes, Aidan was no longer alone. The Planets, Ming-Dao,
Byziana, Kazimain, and Sadiq stood in a giant circle around him. Panic
almost grabbed him when CeleDi touch his shoulder and calmed him.

"Prepare yourself quickly, Aidan."

Wild thoughts raced through his mind as to what they meant. But, he
shook it off, drawing from the remnants of CeleDi's touch, and nodded
at them.

In the circle around him, they, in unison, raised their arms to the
sky. And in a flash, brought them down pointing directly at Aiden. A
quick, sharp pain rushed through Aidan's body. His soul was on fire.
He fell over in agony and passed to blackness.

Fluttering his eyelids, Aidan awoke to a room full of his town's
people. They had rushed to his temple, he figured, when they heard his
scream. Sitting up, he realized that no one was paying any attention to
him, even though he was obviously passed out on the floor. As he rose
to his feet, he took quick note of a new lightness in his step that he
had never felt. As he walked up to the one of the townspeople, they
still paid no attention. He waved a hand in front of their face, and
still no response.

A new panic rushed through him. They couldn't see him! He must be a
dead! A ghost of sorts! Then he became aware that someone WAS
looking at him. Ming-Dao stood in the corner. At a lightning pace,
Aidan made his way to him. As he got to him, he bursted out in
feverent talk, asking Ming-Dao if he was dead?

Ming-Dao let out a hearty laugh, "Quite the opposite my Dear Aidan."

"Th.. th.. then wh... wh.. what's happend? Who were those people?"

"They were the other Gods of Alanthia, Aidan. They're the reason this
planet exists, and the reason you can have this conversation right now."

mean," he started shakily, "that I was right, and that there are more
Gods than just you?"

Nodding, Ming-Dao explained the basics of how this world came about.

"And Aidan, because you are the only mortal left who wants to believe
that there are Gods and Magic in Alanthia -- you have been blessed."

"Blessed? Is that why I feel a bounce in my step and I tingle every
time I take a step?"

Ming-Dao nodded, "Indeed, but that's not even a fraction on what
you've been given."

Aidan seemed confused.

"Take my hand, Aidan." He did, and they walked outside into a field.
"They cannot see you my friend, because that's the way it is when you
first become...." Trailing off with Aidan on his every word, Ming-Dao
rose off the ground into the clouds. Aidan was panicked at first, but
felt at ease with Ming-Dao. Then, Ming-Dao let go of his hand.
Falling quickly, Aidan raced towards the ground, feet first. Instinct
grabbed Aidan, and he reached out to grab anything he could, though he
knew there was nothing. A whisper entered Aidan's ear, "You're a God
now." Aidan was so flustered that he almost dismissed it for the wind,
but decided he'd better try it out, or eat the rapidly approaching
ground.

With a mighty push, Aidan stared at the ground and bid it not come
closer. And it did. It slowly stopped approaching him, and Aidan
realized that he was floating in mid-air. Smiling and laughing, Aidan
soared back into the sky to Ming-Dao. "Thank you! Thank you,
Ming-Dao!"

"It isn't me alone you should thank."

"The others?" Aidan asked referring to the others that he had seen in
the circle around him.

"Indeed, lets go see them." And with that, Ming-Dao shot into the
atmosphere of Alanthia and Aidan followed. out of the atmosphere and
into space, Aidan halted immediately and fell into instantaneous
prayer. The planetary skyline and the three mighty moons where so
close, and so beautiful.

Nikos's voice boomed through the air with a slight chuckle, "Raise,
Aidan. I am flattered that you still pray, but it is not necessary
-- you are a God."

Aidan, red in the face, stood in the nothingness of space to face
Nikos and the other two planets.

"Of course," spoke Sahma, "the greatest gift of all comes with a
price."

"Indeed," continued Sadiq, "I have chosen you, because of your
patience, wisdom, and commitment to your heart and religion, to play
a large part in Alanthia's future."

"We want you to bring magic back to Alanthia, Aidan."

"Magic," spoke a trembling Aidan, "like the Great War magic?"

Sadiq paused, thinking, and then replied, "Yes."

Seeing the painful anxiety on Aidan's face, CeleDi stepped in, "But
it won't be the same. *YOU* won't let it."

"They are much more mature now," continued Sadiq, "though this isn't
to say there won't be wars an problems and people that shouldn't be
allowed to use it, but we think it's time for them to reclaim their
magical abilities. We fear they may need it one day."

"And it is your responsibility," Nikos interjected, "to assure that
they get the magic, and are trained, much like Ming-Dao has done for
you."

Aidan, still flabbergasted, smiled, retracted the smile to a frown,
then fell into thought as he said, "Thank you, I will do my best."

Ming-Dao chuckled, "Your best, is now godly. You'll do fine."

Aidan smiled, held it a little longer, and then fell silent.