“Twelve. Twelve elements, split from us.”
“And twelve races to use them.”
“Weren’t there more?”
“No, there were always twelve. They’ve evolved over the millions of years, but there’s always always been twelve.”
“And we want to split them between us?”
“Yes, little brother. Three each. Loyal to us. Or at least protected by us.”
“Oh, alright. But how do we split them?”
“As I created these creatures, I think we should just pick three each. But I’m happy to let Kairos and Epani go first.”
Twelve small models appeared, representing each race.
“Thank you, Sini…”
“So, your choices, Kairos?”
“Hm… First, I will take the Thraki. Bound by the air, shaped as I. These dragons mimic me already, I should take them as their own.”
“And your other choices?”
“The Athrens will also be mine. Silent, sound-manipulating. Strong and honourable, nothing slips by them. And the Spasts… the tricksters… the long-lived, electrified little monsters. They add a bit of… spice… to the flows of time.”
“Alright, interesting choices! Sister Epani, who do you choose?”
“Ah… such choices… Well, I must first choose the Torr, for they are creators, one with the earth, same as I. Their forges mimic my energies as I light up the night sky. Following them, I claim the Rethavok, the defenders and wielders of light, the armoured guardians that lay down their lives to defend the weak. And how could I not choose the Lanex, the mechanical wanderers, the gravitational manipulators? After all, I need a race to explore the universe and document the treasures I have hidden within it.”
“Again, interesting choices! And I think it’s my turn!”
“Who do you choose, Sini?”
“Hm… I don’t know how you two chose so easily. I guess the Temthans are my first choice. After all, they are nature-loving reptilian hippies, as laid back as I can be when I am not working. Their domain has always been nature, and they follow me closely. I suppose the same could be said for the Vrekans. They’re no longer bound by water but still live with it, and they match the river-like cycle of life, death and rebirth. And how could I say no to the Vohra, my favourite little far-spanning race? Telepathically connected, they embody psionics and spread my desires for life almost as much as the Temthans do.”
“Are you happy with those, Sini?”
“Yes, I am!”
“Alright, Arkay…”
“Well, I didn’t really get to choose, did I?”
“Oh.”
“It’s alright. I quite like what you three have left me. The archivists, the hunters and the mages. The Skyavok, bound to the shadows, gathering intelligence and keeping it in their great libraries; the terrifying, flamebearing Banikans, capable of hunting down the most powerful of monsters; and the ice-borne Ksithans, the cute furry mages that create magical potions and items in their mountain homes.”
“You are happy?”
“Yeah. Are you all happy?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Are we allowing them to worship us?”
“I’m definitely not, I’m not letting anyone worship me, a death god. But if that’s what makes you all happy, so be it.”
“Very well. We have made our choices, and we shall leave each other and our chosen races be. Are we all in agreement?”
“Yes.”
“Yes!”
“Yeah.”
“Alright! Now, we’d all better get back to work. We’ve got a universe to rebuild.”