The light of the Undying Lands came from C'Don's face. As of yet, no shadows had been woven, so the light filled the Undying Lands without shade or darkness. He looked hard at the blue ring, and his light reflected on the waters of the Lake of Sonuria, the Lake of Eternity, in four shimmers on the lake.

Then one of the shimmers rose, became a beautiful, slim woman, young in features yet with silver hair, sad yet stately.

"Seyhe I name you," said,C'Don,"--and you are the very first of the Kaanho, the Powers that will aid me in my task of managing a world. All things spiritual, things pertaining to the spirit and the soul, shall be your province."

And her fingers trailed in the water as she emerged, and she touched each of the shimmers in turn. The first one she turned arose as a squat, massive-muscled man with dark hair and beard. His visage was grim.

C'Don said to him, "Nado I name you, and among the Kaanho your task will be order, justice, and much of the course of the future will be known to you, and men will call you Fate. Yet much will be outside your knowledge."

The next shimmer she touched became a woman, who wore her dark hair shorter than Seyhe did, and was plumper and she was smiling and reaching out to embrace others.

"Iader shall be your name...and your province will be mercy, and unselfish love, concern, and caring."

The last shimmer Seyhe touched became a tall slim youth with golden hair, and a wide grin. He seemed almost dancing and capering as he left the lake Sonuria.

"Pipiath is your name, though I'm sure you will invent others. For you will be the master of Imagination and Creativity--of Arts, of Stories, of Music--and of Dreams."

Pippiath laughed, and said, "Delightful!"

Seyhe spoke, for she would become the spokeswoman for them. "And you--?" "You may call me C'Don. I am the Creator of all you see, and all you can discover. All power is mine, and all knowledge, in all the Creation you are in. For everything you see derives from me, so nothing happens that is not in my imagination...nor can any power exceed my ability, since all that is, to you, exists in my willing and imagination."

"And you need us? Why?"

"Because it pleases me. Because it is lonely here, in Canchtu. Because a story is dull if it is a monologue, with one person."

C'Don paused. "Because I like you, else I would not have created you."

Iader hugged C'Don, and Pipiath danced and sang a song in praise of existence. Seyhe meditated, and Nado looked at the plain, already planning buildings to come.

Next chapter.