The fire lizards were not the first creatures I’d given life. When I’d claimed my territory on Talahm and created a Sithern, the joining of my energies had been used to birth entire colonies of Fey.

Every Sithern I created since that first one had used that same energy to create a new species of Demi-fey.

I had been the reason behind and stood as foci for the Tuatha de Danann when they had uplifted the Yeti and made them Sidhe. The Teigh-fey had been born of a blending of my magics, my [Domain] now that I had formed one, and [Fairy].

But in all of those instances, I had been nothing more than a donor, a willing participant. Essence, magic, and desire were the small contributions I had made to allow a greater power than mine to orchestrate and fuel the process needed for creating or uplifting life.

This was different.

I had created the framework for what the fire lizards would look like. I had set the parameters for birth, growth, and death. I had decided what characteristics they would share. I had decided they would have flight, fire immunity, fire breath, and teleportation. And it became a reality because I had willed it so.

This was the first time the [Laws of Life and Death] and the [Laws of Creation] had been mine to wield. I had glimpsed their DNA as they were forming, tweaked that genetic material to gift them with genetic memories, and willed them to be born as adults. Fully formed, with their genetic memories borrowed from the Demi-fey.

This was the first time I shaped and created a new life. I was the artist sculpting his clay. And just like that artist who had complete control of what the final product would become, mine was the will, fueled by my divine energies to make it so.

It was the first time I felt more. More than Sidhe. More than a [Ranked: King]. More than immortal. The creation of life allowed me to touch upon the new powers and abilities I was gaining. The first time I had stepped beyond and influenced the world with my Divine countenance.

I had flexed my metaphysical divine powers truly for the first time. And as I did, more of the secrets of existence were mine to claim. The secrets of life and death, the secrets of creation and destruction. The secrets of my own nature and what it really meant to be [Ranked: Godling].

The High Priest had prostrated himself when he saw the first Fire-lizard take flight. His actions were mimicked by others. His action was the start of a wave of genuflection as every Aztec within sight mirrored his obeisance.

“I have linked this portal to a remote location, a [Fairy Ring] made of stone. It would be almost impossible to destroy it without intent, and with your people and the Fire-lizards protecting this ring, the portal should last until the ley-line barrier that divides the world falls,” I informed Quetzalcoatl.

The [Fairy Ring ] shimmered like a mirage found in the heat of a desert. The portal would remain open permanently. Or at least until Quetzalcoatl stopped supplying the energy to empower it.

Most [Fairy Rings] opened and shut each time they were needed, but the Aztecs would have no way to reopen the portal if it closed. That was a magic ability restricted to the Sidhe. And no Sidhe would debase themselves enough to serve as a gatekeeper, a servant responsible for opening and closing a door.

“Come,” he commanded as he entered the portal.

I could have ignored his command, but there was no point. It would serve my purpose to remain close to Quetzalcoatl until he called for a conclave of Pantheons. I needed him to stay on task. One of the reasons I had linked the portal to a remote location was to keep him from losing his focus on what was necessary as he became lost in exploration.

Quetzalcoatl was not as curious as Coyote, but he was a God that had been constrained by Universal Law to minimize how far the reach of his [Divine Mandate] would reach. Passing through that portal would allow him to stretch his [Divine Nature] to the fullest.

The first of any of the Gods in this world to do so.

I hadn’t taken my first step into the portal when I’d arrived and received a beacon of Divine energy, rippling across the planet, summoning, and demanding every God of a certain level or importance for a Pantheon to attend a [Conclave of Gods].

As a Godling, I should have been exempt from even receiving an invitation, but I was the highest-ranked member of the Tuatha de Danann Faction. Not only on this planet but in the Multi-verse. I hadn’t realized I’d be required to attend. I had maneuvered Quetzalcoatl’s call for a conclave because I intended to use Odin and Zeus’s focus on this assembly of Gods to steal the items I needed.

With them distracted, it should have been easy to sneak in and out of both realms.

That might be harder to do if I was going to be forced to attend the formation of a Senate and play cosmic politics.

The chamber that had been created for this event was ornate. It was dripping with gold and marble, but for all the glitter and glam, it was fundamentally a room in a rotunda. The room had been created with divided areas. Each section was assigned to each Pantheon. Whoever had designed the room had also included a speaker’s well, and a raised dais where someone could oversee proceedings.

[Time] would not attend. That Celestial remained constant, indifferent to the machinations of planetary and universal Gods unless a [Universal Constant] was under attack. It would have no interest in these proceedings.

But that wasn’t the same for some of the other Celestial entities. [Order] and [Chaos] created and claimed balcony seats to observe what was decided here, while [Justice] took her position as de facto judge pro tempore until the mechanisms and make-up for a conclave of the Divine could be finalized.

Each Pantheon’s designated section allowed the ranking God to fill the area with attendants, counselors, and advisors.

I didn’t have any other Gods I could call on to fill the section I had been assigned, but a quick question to [Justice] to ask about the restrictions on who could be invited meant I had a workaround.

I designated Queen Morgan le Fey, Merlin, Huig the Goblin King, Innis the Clan Lord of the Loan Maclibuin, Beowulf, Dracula, Niroth Hammersmith, and Pythia the Queen of Elves as my advisors.

I further designated Morgan as my proxy.

She was the only Sidhe I was positive would not trade away any of the Tuatha de Danann rights or advantages for the few hours I would need if I had to leave. The rest would serve as advisers, able to sit in on planning sessions and offer advice but with no power to vote or make alliances.

I wouldn’t have to adjust my plans to steal the items I was after. [Justice] had informed me that I was free to come and go as long as the [Court of the Divine] was in session. There would be no barrier restricting each Pantheon’s movements.

I couldn’t see Odin or Zeus taking advantage of that rule. Their hubris would not allow them to miss a minute of scheming and manipulating their rivals. I had initially hoped to divert their attention using war and subterfuge. This was much better. Let them be so focused on politics and power that I could act without interference.