“[Justice] [recognizes Odin All-Father],” the voice of [Justice] reverberated across the chamber, silencing the shouts of accusation and denial that the room had exploded into after Quetzalcoatl’s petition was heard.

“I wonder why the Norns- Urdr, Verdandi, and Skuld have not shared this future as a warning to the Asgardians? Perhaps Quetzalcoatl has seen a false future, or he has been tricked into believing what he has seen is true,” Odin suggested.

“Further, I find it interesting that Aztec Pantheon has managed to breach the ley-line barrier and the restriction to the Gods that barrier represents. I wonder how such a feat was accomplished. Have the Aztec Gods learned a way to ignore or circumvent the restrictions placed on each of us by the will of the [Alpha and Omega]?”

“[Justice] [recognizes Zeus, Lord of Olympus],” [Justice] replied as soon as Odin had finished speaking.

“Olympus seconds Asgard’s concerns,” his response one of logic, a marked contrast to his usual verbosity. “The Fates that weave the tapestry of life have not hinted at such a future. If the workings of six Goddesses of fate, present, and future have seen no sign of these futures that Quetzalcoatl speak of, then I contend that as Odin suggested, Quetzalcoatl has been deceived.”

Zeus was not content to speak his peace. He had to punctuate each sentence with a roll of thunder and a spark of lightning that punctuated the end of his statements. I didn’t like either God, but at least Odin never felt the need to pound his chest as a testament to his importance and power.

Their accusations might have carried some weight, but this time Odin and Zeus had miscalculated by first not speaking with the Norns and Fate to find out the truth of Quetzalcoatl’s claim. By attacking the future that Quetzalcoatl had detailed, they left room for me to refute their claims, a miscalculation I intended to exploit as I sent a message asking to be heard.

“[Justice] [recognizes Teigh Mac de Beleros y Cyronax y Cailleach y Arianrhod, godling of Tuatha de Danann],” her words created another stir as the Gods began whispering, discussing my Pantheon and rank.

I knew my identity would come out in this assembly; it was only a matter of time. But as long as I kept my goals hidden, my identity didn’t matter. In fact, who I was and what I signified might help as Odin and Zeus tore the Heavens apart trying to figure out how and why I was not trapped in [Sleep].

“It was my hand that shared the future vision that Quetzalcoatl spoke of. It was a working of my magic that allowed him to pierce the ley-line barrier. I have constructed a [Fairy Ring] that allowed his Pantheon to traverse the ley-line barrier at will. My actions are in accord with the restrictions placed upon the Gods, as I have acted not as a God but as an Immortal striving to reach my full potential.

“[Fairy] has been restored to this world despite the machinations of Olympus and Asgard. The Summerlands are home to the Sidhe of this planet once more. The [Wild Magic] has woken. And a realm of [Cait Sith] has been established.

The Sidhe have been restored, and with that restoration is the return of the magics and gifts unique to our people. We have acted. And in our actions have rebuffed the armies of Man. Odin and Zeus’s war on the Sidhe was a precursor, a warning of much darker deeds that would come to pass.

“[Balance] has begun to be restored, [Justice] has been sought to seek redress. [Time] has anointed a new ruler of [Cait Sith], and the battle between [Time] and [Paradox] will continue to be waged.

“But Odin and Zeus have spoken falsehoods, whether or not they know it. They have suggested that Quetzalcoatl has been tricked and that their Norns and Fates have not shared the visions of these futures, so those future events must not exist.

“I say to that. I will prove it. I will share the vision of the future I shared with Quetzalcoatl within these chambers. Let every Pantheon be aware of what might come to pass. And let the Norns and Fates bear witness. If the future I show is false, let them swear to that falsehood before the presence of [Justice], [Order], and [Chaos].

“Further, if my vision of the most likely future proves false, or the Norns and Fates use deception to claim the truthful visions are false, let [Justice] weigh the [Balance] of our words and deliver a sentence that She believes just.”

“[Agreed],” [Justice] replied before Odin or Zeus had an opportunity to respond. There were two flashes of light that accompanied her judgment. Each second of light resulted in the appearance of the Norns and the Fates.

“[Share this vision of the [Future] you would have us validate.]”

I had a small gift of prophecy, nothing close to what an [Oracle] or [Seer] might have, but enough to adjust the likely outcome from the history of this world to match what I had experienced and learned when I’d lived my life on Earth.

The Judeo/Christian God had no Pantheon or place in this Universe, an omission that would create a divergence in the future. There would be crusades and religious extremism that fostered the atrocities of such vile acts as concentration camps and terrorist bombers, but those crusades would be against the magical races. The target for war and injustice made little difference in how the Armies of Man would progress.

The vision began by showing the alchemical accident that created gunpowder. The innocent innovation that produced fireworks. And then it turned darker. The advent of cannons, guns, and bombs. Each invention spurred the warring armies of Man to create deadlier, more powerful weapons.

I showed the invasion of Norseland and Remus, the name given to North and South America in this timeline. The vision expanded to show the native population decimated by disease, dying in large swaths as the Legions of Rome and hordes of Viking invaders stole the land of the indigenous people.

Battles, wars, world wars. The Flags of Nations may have changed, but the greed and expansionist nature of Man remained. The magic races were pushed back, pushed out until they were all but extinct. Even the dwarves that had agreed to work with Man were supplanted by science, machinery, and automation.

The world died as an iron age ushered in a technological era that had no place for magic. Only the Divine Blessings of the Gods and the magic of priests and acolytes were accepted and respected.

Gaea cried out in despair as the resources she freely offered were mined, animals controlled or eliminated, and pollution destroyed ecosystems that had taken millions of years to create.

As for the Gods?

Asgard, Olympus, Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist Pantheons flourished. The religions of Africa, Norseland, Remus, Australia, and Rus were all but forgotten.

The world changed and grown, and the destruction that followed the advent of gunpowder grew and grew until nuclear annihilation was a real possibility.

The images of mass graves, of slavery running rampant, of the eventual clashing of armies of man against each other armed with horrific weapons, bombs, and vehicles had the same result as if this assembly of Gods had stepped upon a landmine.

Voices of anger and accusation began filling the room. Those voices that had been whispering and discussing events amongst themselves rose in a cacophony of accusation and denial as the words Quetzalcoatl levied were proven to be true.

And standing there glaring at me in anger and hatred. The Three Norns and The Three Fates.