Epilogue
Mark and Talia slept for twelve hours, and their routine the next day set the pattern of their days for some time to come. They officially worked for twelve hours each day, but their duties were not arduous. During the first four hours and the last four hours of each workday they lazed around and played on their private beach, engaging in informal discussions on every subject and visiting with their many guests. Monarchs came to discuss politics and administration, wizards came to share the latest spells, generals came to discuss battle strategy in the void, engineers came to show off and demonstrate the latest weapons and devices. Tithian and Grakonexikaldoron kept them abreast of the latest magical and astronomical research.
It was made clear to the Keys to The Just Alliance that these informal discussions were of great value to those they spoke with, and that their off-hand commentary on the things they learned consistently led to new breakthroughs and new directions of research, even if their discussions were conducted while enjoying archery practice on the beach or while paddling in the lagoon.
The gods had taken to using the subtlest of disguises. While in their presence, most people forgot the fact that they were gods, even though everything else about them was easily recalled. After they had left, it was remembered that they were divine.
This was not the case on Mark and Talia’s secluded beach, where they were often visited by the gods of two pantheons. They would sometimes drop by singly, and sometimes in small groups of no more than five. A few of their discussions on morality and policy went on continuously for days.
The middle four hours of their workday was spent traveling and talking to people. This involved anything from informal chats over tea with chance-met citizens in a hostelry they’d picked at random, to formal speeches delivered to vast multitudes. They attended formal social occasions of every variety and every size with persons of note in every field, and often visited schools, Healers’ hospices, and public works sites.
When off duty, Mark and Talia enjoyed life to the fullest; attending the arts, participating in sports and games, and playing the tourist, and routinely hid their identities when off-duty in public. Often they selected a beautiful and isolated place to simply relax and enjoy each other’s company, and let their love grow.
Their passion for lovemaking and erotic play continued unabated, and on roughly a third of those occasions they were joined by one or more lovely females, and not all of them were elves, but all wished to convey their most profound gratitude in the elven way.
They were surprised by a knock on the cottage door as they were just going to bed one night, and it was surprising because they were expecting no visitors at that time, and Stripe had not announced his detection of any visitor’s arrival in his patrolled area, and Sheramiv had not asked if an unexpected visitor should be admitted.
When Mark psionicly checked to see who was there, he found it was Neela, first goddess of humans. When he opened the door, he was surprised again to see her looking as bashful as a fourteen-year-old, though her little smile seemed a bit mischievous. Her smooth black skin and hair looked enchanting, contrasted strikingly by a simple but slinky white wrap dress.
“Hi. I know we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot when we first met. I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to make amends.” she quietly announced, and managed to seem positively shy while being obviously and very effectively seductive.
“Come on in.” Mark grinned. “You’re always welcome here, but as to amends, you’ll have to ask my wife.”
Talia thought it was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a uniquely and incredibly pleasurable experience with the most enchanting of playmates, and as it turned out, she was not mistaken in the slightest.
He got another surprise several nights later, when he came out of the privacy after preparing to retire for the night, only to find Talia and a strikingly attractive Sylvan woman posed erotically beside each other on the bed, waiting for his arrival and wearing nothing but their smiles.
“I wanted you to have a chance to see what it would be like with a girl who was close to your height, but there are very few human women who are both tall enough and of a type I find to be extremely attractive.” Talia explained with a giggle. “And then I remembered that all Sylvan women are close to seven feet tall, and quite striking in elven eyes, so here we are. I am pleased to introduce Penakiana Tokbitkeze, who is very unique for her people in being seven feet and four inches in height. My research indicates that she is one of the five finest courtesans in Serminak.”
“Third finest, to be exact.” Penakiana confidently smiled; obviously delighted with his suddenly rampant virility, and she gracefully beckoned him closer.
Of all their nights of erotic adventure, that was one of their most adventurous.
Then came a particular sunny afternoon on the beach, five weeks after their victory over Zarkog. An engineer who had been there that morning had demonstrated a device he had invented; two flat blades of wood with their ends twisted a bit that had been bound at their centers into a cross. With a bit of practice at the throw, it could be made to fly in a perfect circle and return to the hand of the thrower, without using any magic whatsoever. He had left several of them of various sizes, their blades ranging from six inches to nine feet in length, and now everyone in attendance was playing with them.
“Have you noticed exactly who is here today?” Quewanak asked Mark while throwing a white cross to circle the young man.
Mark looked around, then shrugged. “Just our usual friends and accomplices.” he grinned, and threw his cross to circle his green friend at the same time.
“Think a moment. Myself, you and Talia, Dalia and Bezedil, Yazadril, Nemia and Hilsith, Silaran and Equemev, Povon and Kragorram, Alilia, Tithian, Somonik, and Grakonexikaldoron. Of the gods we have Neela, Visinniria, Heklivmalgiso, Falgaroth, Amirgath, and Glup. This is not the first time that this exact group has been together in this place.”
It took a minute, then realization came.
“Ah.” Mark nodded. “Right after I Healed Dalia and Bezedil. When we first found out that all of us except Gran were candidates for divinity.”
Quewanak nodded, and made another toss while calmly meeting Mark’s eye. “It’s an incredibly beautiful experience, you know. And it’s as easy to set godhood aside and ignore it as it is to do so with the magic you already know. Sure, it changes you profoundly, but you can simply enjoy time as a mortal whenever you want, just as being a great wizard and warlock isn’t impeding your enjoyment of playing with toys like a child right now.”
Mark nodded thoughtfully. “You’re saying you think I should take the big step?”
Quewanak raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you?”
Not the End.
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