Pufalu sat on its throne.
Built of black marble, the throne was grand and imposing.
Countless scrolls and books lay spread across the enormous table before it.
The library was its fortress, and its castle was a Mage Tower built on a demiplane within a spacetime rift.
Magic was life, dark and profound. In the past, Pufalu would have continued researching magic, but now it had no mind for that.
It was not merely because the elements that had previously sealed it away had finally loosened their grip, allowing it to ignite its divine fire within this demiplane. It now had a higher power at its command with which to explore the mysteries of magic.
More importantly, igniting its divine fire had brought it incredible power-and premonitions.
It sensed that a powerful deity, or demigod, had already locked onto its demiplane and could break in at any moment.
Suddenly, without the slightest warning, Pufalu sensed an intrusion into its demiplane and reacted without hesitation.
It quietly and rapidly recited a series of defensive incantations, protecting itself with spells powerful enough to ward off mental, magical, and physical attacks.
But just then, a voice spoke. "As a mage, you are extremely powerful. But as a deity, you are far too weak. You have not even understood the difference between divine power and magic."
Startled, Pufalu took a step back. An elf shimmering with golden light appeared before it. Its legendary spells had not delayed him for even a moment.
The elf wore magnificent armor and a long cloak.
"Anion?" At their first contact, Pufalu involuntarily spoke his name.
"Your Highness Pufalu, gods can sense one another's names, unless one stands at least two ranks above the other." Anion smiled calmly, his black eyes narrowing. "Also, as a matter of basic courtesy,