Aaric was being pampered by three girls and one goddess in the quiet warmth of their cabin, as a consolation for their previous betrayal, when he looked up as if a sudden spark of inspiration had struck him.
"Why don't we get on with the dimensional isolation of the island? We have Apophis, Typhon, and Lady Eilistraee here to provide the divinity required for such a task, and there is no better time than the present," Aaric suggested.
The girls looked at one another and slowly separated from him, their playful moods shifting into something more focused. Luna called for the winged stag to serve as their transport, and once they all agreed on the plan, they prepared to depart.
"Contact your pantheons as well," Aaric told Luna and Daphne. "See if they would wish to join us, or if they would simply like to be present for the transition."
Both girls nodded at the suggestion. Luna channeled her divine energy to form a shimmering nightingale, while Daphne wove hers into a delicate butterfly.
The two messengers took flight, crossing the space of the dreamlands to carry the word to the Greek and Egyptian pantheons.
"How about you tell me how you procured Apophis and Typhon on the way?" Eilistraee asked as they all mounted the winged stag.
The beast took off at a moderate speed, its great wings beating against the air as they headed toward Velka's base.
Aaric began to explain the process, detailing how he had used his unique abilities to bind the serpent gods to his will. He also took a moment to send a mental message to his parents, asking them to meet the group at the base.
"That is fascinating," Eilistraee muttered, her brow furrowing in thought. "From what I can tell, Apophis and Typhon are nearly on par with me in terms of raw power. Why don't you do the same to other snake gods?"
"Do you know of any others worth the effort?" Aaric asked with genuine curiosity.
"Well, there is Zehir, the god of the yuan-ti, and then there is Dendar, whom some call Nidhogg," Eilistraee said, placing a finger on her lip as she recalled the names of the more ancient and malevolent serpent deities she had encountered in her travels.
"You know I will not give them a chance at redemption, right?" Aaric asked casually.
He knew Eilistraee was a goddess of redemption and that she would usually prefer to see every evil being turned toward the light.
"And how many people would die if I waited for them to change? If they ever would." Eilistraee replied with a shrug.
Aaric offered her an approving nod. He understood that many gods were limited by the very aspects of their divinity, and their decisions were often dictated by what they represented.
It made them stubborn and narrow in their thinking. He was glad to see that Eilistraee had grown beyond such rigid tendencies in the short time they had known each other.
"Shall we go on a god collection spree when you are ready?" Eilistraee asked with a mischievous smile.
"Well, when you say it like that..." Aaric trailed off, unsure of how to respond. She made it sound as if they were going to a market to shop for deities.
The girls giggled at the look on his face. Their laughter filled the air until the base came into view.
"Look who it is, Velka. How have you been?" Aaric said as they dismounted and saw the figure approaching them.
"Good, great, My Lord! The merging of this realm with that of Lady Eilistraee was an incredibly informative experience. Both the AI and I learned a great deal through that process," Velka babbled as she always did.
Aaric encouraged the talk with smiles and nods. It seemed the researchers had gained a deep understanding of how space functioned within the dreamlands during the merger.
Velka mentioned something about creating folds in space for celestial objects like suns and moons, which would allow for separate day and night cycles for various islands.
The AI had been busy analyzing its own divinity and had become proficient in optimizing energy usage for complex tasks.
Aaric moved toward the chambers where the central servers of the AI were housed. He found Simon and Edwina, already there and chatting with Iggnesia. The woman smiled when she saw the group approaching and offered a respectful bow.
"Greetings, My Lord and Ladies. Please inform me if there is any way I could be of help," Iggnesia said.
"I would love your input on the creation of a separate realm of our own," Aaric told her. "Let me call Veldanava and Argent as well." he added.
He formed two paper birds in his palm and sent them off with a flick of his wrist, giving Edwina a cheeky smile as he did so.
"Aaric, Hades wants to talk to you," Luna said, shaking his hand to get his attention. "He is asking if he can form a portal to this location."
"Ra as well," Daphne added, shaking his other hand.
Luna had the shimmering nightingale perched on her shoulder, while Daphne's butterfly rested on hers.
"Of course. Tell them they are more than welcome here," Aaric said as the girls were still shaking both his arms.
The messages were sent, and the entire group entered the server room.
"Greetings, My Lords and Ladies," the AI chimed, its voice echoing through the chamber.
Everyone greeted it back with nods and waves.
"I have invited some gods over. Can you make this room appropriate for a gathering?" Aaric asked.
The AI responded instantly. The walls expanded, and the room transformed into a grand hall with a massive round table and high-backed chairs. Tiny robots flew through the air, ready to provide refreshments or whatever else the guests might require.
Veldanava and Argent arrived shortly after and took their seats, joining the conversation as they waited for the two kings of the pantheons. They discussed the layout of the new realm, asking the AI for any limits they would have in the formation of the new realm.
They reached a consensus to form an entire galaxy within their dimension, with the main island and the golden tree resting at the very center.
Velka, Iggnesia, Veldanava, and Argent would stay within this world to manage the biomes and the physical appearance of the landscape.
They would form planets for their respective species as well.
Eilistraee was given dominion over the moon and the night sky, allowing her to design the placement of celestial bodies in the galaxy as she saw fit, that would allow her to make her own sign for the stars in the sky.
During this discussion, two swirling portals manifested in the hall. Hades and Ra stepped through them. They greeted the assembly with nods and smiles.
Hades patted Luna's head affectionately, and Ra did the same for Daphne, before they both took their places at the table.
"Thank you for inviting me, Aaric," Hades said with a smile. Ra hummed his agreement, nodding his head in his own stoic way.
"Of course. I consider both of you and your pantheons to be a part of the family," Aaric said.
"About that," Hades said, leaning forward. "How about we make it official by merging our pantheons?"
It was more of an agreement than a question, as Aaric had already signaled his openness to the idea with the message he had asked Luna and Daphne to send earlier.
Aaric glanced at Ra, who nodded solemnly, indicating his desire for the same.
Eilistraee beamed, her silver eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of such a massive union. While Edwina and Simon both nodded their approval.
"It would be an honor to join our pantheons together," Aaric said. He stood up and offered Hades and Ra a bow of respect and appreciation.
"No need for all that, son. We are family after all," Hades said, standing to catch Aaric's shoulders and pulling him into a brief, firm hug.
Ra patted Aaric's back and let out a rare chuckle.
The merging of the pantheons was a momentous event. Every universe controlled by the gods of the Greek and Egyptian pantheons would be added to the collective, alongside their vast realms in the dreamlands.
The same had happened when Eilistraee had merged her realm with the island.
And with the Egyptian and Greek pantheons Aaric was familiar with being at the top of their kind, it would be a big deal even in the dreamlands were there were a thousand more Greek and Egyptian pantheons.