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                "Anything?

That opens up a lot of possibilities Diogenes."

                "You

bet it does. All my life I've lived within the confines of the rules society

threw at me. Now it's up to me to make the rules. Why wouldn't I be open to

anything?"

                "You

have a point, and a valid one at that. But I'm thinking that maybe you should

learn a little more about this world before you go off the handle. All you have

seen is a mere scratch upon the surface. I think that you might do well to

learn about other people and their significant others."

                "You

mean their wives?"

                "No you

fool. First off, I meant those who live here, in this realm. And as you should

already know, not everyone here is male. Like me!"

                "Sorry.

That was stupid of me to assume. I've gotten sort of wrapped up in all that I

can do that I guess I not completely aware of the variety of, what do I call

them; species? I mean, how many types exist here? And what would you suggest I

do?'

                "I

would suggest to you that there are a lot of unattached beings here, ones whose

original creators have died. Usually they die too, but not always. I think they

would rather vanish back into nothingness, but something tethers them to this

realm. What say I introduce you to some of them?"

                "Sounds

intriguing. But before we do, what are you expecting me to do for them?"

                "Meet

them."

                "Yes,

and then what?'

                "Then

help them. If they want to fade away, I think you can help them do that. If

they want to live, then you can release them from whatever bonds hold them,

real or imagined."

                "That comes

across an awful lot like killing."

                "Yes, I

suppose it does. But what point is there in living if you have no reason to

live?"

                "I

suppose you could be right." He still sounded doubtful.

                The two

of them went off. She led them to a door that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"My study" was all she would tell him. The door opened to a room filled with

books, a dess, even windows to a blue sky and a lovely garden. He stepped back

out and walked around the solitary door and frame. He tried to open it from the

back. No good. He returned to the other side and opened it up.

                "This

is really, really weird!"

                "There

is absolutely nothing here that is weird. If you can imagine it, it can exist.

Just never try to go through the other way."

                "I did

try. Nothing happened."

                "That's

because I was already here on this side. Both sides can't be occupied at once."

                "Oh.

What's on the other side?"

                "My

darkness. We all have it. Sometimes tis a better thing to hide it away from

view. Less danger of offending people that way. Now get any ideas of entering

it out of your head. For now we need to put out a call to those I spoke of."

                She

borrowed his power and called out mentally to all the lone, unattached

residents. They began popping into existence like fireflies congregating in the

night sky. He was amazed at how many there were.

                "Whoa!"

                He

found himself confronted with many more beings than he had counted on. They

ranged from little doglike creatures to great hulking beasts. He did his best

to assess them as companions rather than sex toys. A lot of real people just

wanted friendship, not kinky sex. He did his best to view them as such.

                Despite

his resolve, his eyes fell on several that seemed to have potential possibilities.

He didn't make any advances however, because at present this was her rodeo. He

wasn't about to step on her toes at this point. There would be plenty of time

later on to investigate a few of the candidtates.

                "Hello

everyone and welcome! First off I'd like to thank you all for coming. Since

you're probably wondering why you have been called here, I would like to cut to

the chase and explain. This gentleman here, Mr. Smith, seems to have the power

to exert a certain amount of control over your present existence. Therefore, I

would like to have some volunteers who are tired of their lives and wish for a

change, whether it is a release from it or some sort of improvement to it."

                The

looks she got were quizzical. One voice shouted out, "You mean he can kill me?"

                "Now

dear, that seems a little harsh. He can, I think, make your existence end

painlessly, so yes."

                The

speaker can forward. She looked tired and weary, but it did nothing to dim her

lovely looks. She was, as best as he could figure out, some sort of harpy, only

nothing at all like the ones from the lore of the Greeks. True, her arms were

wings, and her face, while a bit hawkish, still retained refined and delicate

features Grecian qualities. Her feet were avian, but between the ankles and the

shoulders she was one hundred per cent human.

Give or take a bit of plumage.

                "My

master died a long time ago and I cannot make myself fade. If you have the

power to do it, please destroy me."

                "Uhhhhhhh....."

                The

lady elf looked at him. "What's the matter?"

                "I

can't kill her!"

                "Why

not?"

                "Well,

just look at her! She's beautiful. I would never have had the imagination to

think her up!"

                The

creature looked up at him, holding her wings out in a defensive way. "Beautiful?

Look at me! I'm a conglomeration of two completely different species!"

                "Yes

you are. In human mythology, you would technically be called a harpy."

                The elf

lady scolded him. "She is no vixen! Cremille is a wonderful, kind hearted

person."

                He shot

an angry look in her direction. "Do you know everyone here?" Then it dawned on

him that she had just baited him.

                She

nodded. "Yes, pretty much. What's the point in having neighbors if you don't try

to meet them all?"

                He

shook his head and turned to the creature, this Cremille. "If I thought you

were ugly, I would have said so. Since I don't, I didn't. But at the same time,

I don't think I could ever kill you, or anyone for that matter."

                His

partner in mind and body pulled him aside. "Not everyone here will want to be

saved. And not everyone will want to be bedded. So you had better figure out

your intentions sooner rather than later."

                That

made him a little angry. She had complained about his morality; now she was

foisting hers onto him. Sure, she had been old and maybe she had been ready to

die. But just because she and he were now sharing so much, it didn't mean she

could tell him what to do. Oh, he knew she was probably right, and even if

these creatures weren't real, they deserved more out of him than him being some

sort of Dr. Kevorkian. 

                So it boiled

down to a matter of giving them a choice. Fine. He would supply the poison and

it would be up to them to take it. He imagined in his mind a ball. He made it

black, like death, shot through with red, like fire, and added touches of gray,

to mimic ashes. He formed it in his mind and made it appear in his outstretched

hand.

                "There.

I refuse to be part of your destruction. If you want to die, touch the ball.

But decide well, because once you do, you will not be able to change things

back to the way they were. You will no longer have your consciousness. You will

completely cease to exist as you know it."

                Cremille

stared at him. "What the hell does that mean?"

                "It

means that you touch it and poof, you're gone. No muss, no fuss, no pain."

                She

suddenly looked nervous. "Do you really think I look pretty?"

                His

smile said it all.

                "What

can you offer me if I decide to live?"

                "I'm

not sure what you're asking..."

                "She

wants to know what you can do to make her life tolerable if she decides to

live." Those were the words of she who presently shared his body.

                "Oh. I

can release you from your connection with your original creator!"

                "That's

not enough. I need a reason to live."

                "So

what do you want?'

                "I want

a life, my very own life, to do with what I please, without interference or

condemnation."

                "Done."

                "What?"

Her look was as sharp as an eagle's.

                "I said

it was done." He leaned out and touched her hand. Fire ran across the tips of

her wings and made her hair stand on end."

                The elf

leaned over and whispered, "Show off!"

                "Hey,

making a show of it makes people appreciate it more."

                Cremille

stepped forward. "Tell me to make love to you." Her voice was strained and

deadpan.

 "Uh, ok. I order you to make love to me."

                She

waited. Her wings quivered in place. All of a sudden she launched into the air,

narrowly missing bashing her head on the high ceiling. She swooped and dove and

turned and banked, even losing a few feathers. When she landed she ran up and

engulfed him in her wings.

                "I

can't believe that you could do that! You have set me free. I don't have to

listen to another being for the rest of my existence!"

                "Was

that a problem before?"

                "Yes!

Yes! I was ordered by my creator to live on after he died. I think he meant

well, but once he told me that, I was stuck. I had no happiness, and I had no

escape from my misery."

                "So

which choice will you make now?"

                She

eyed him warily. "Why, what does it matter to you?"

                "Nothing

I guess. Like I said, I think you're pretty. I also think that any life has

value, even if some of them are less appealing to me than others. But I have

already been chastised for throwing my will around too freely. You may choose

anyway you like without interference from me!"

                "Is

that so?"

                "Uh...

yeah. I said that didn't I?'

                She

reached for the globe. It was roiling with dark energy. He had purposely made

it intimidating to deter the weak and foolhardy from touching it. Only those

who truly didn't fear their end would nerve themselves to touch it. "So if I

touch it, you'll not try to stop me?"

                He

hesitated. "Uhhhh. Correct."

                "And if

I do - what then?"

                "Then

you'll be gone and I will lament your loss."

                Her

feathers ran with fire again. "Is that so? Prove it?"

                He was

getting angry. "How? If you die, and I lament your loss, you'll never know!"

                "Yes, I

know. So prove it to me while I am alive!"

                His elf

lady nudged him. "This is a fantasy world, but its real in its own right. She

is asking you, for the moment, to take the place of her creator. You have given

her new life and she wishes to share it with you."

                "You

got all that out of that?"

                Cremille

nodded. "She is wise. It would pay for you to listen to her."

                "Ok.

I'm learning. So what did you have in mind?'

                "Since

you seem hesitant to watch others emulate themselves, maybe you and I could

retire to somewhere a little more inviting?"

                He

looked to the elf, who shrugged. "Don't look to me for advice. I will go with

the others and counsel folks wavering with their choices. I don't want anyone

making a rash decision."

                He

closed his eyes and thought of a place suitable for a harpy. What his mind came

up with was an ancient Greek palace, nothing like from the real world, but a

modern invention in the old style. It had a bed, and flowers, and music. It was

a credit to his expanding imagination. It wasn't lavish in a decadent way, but

it was opulent enough to show that he had put some effort into it.

                She was

suitably impressed. "Better than what I've been used to. Interesting,

interesting..." She saw a few places she could perch if she wanted, and wondered

if he did it to be funny, or if he was just trying o be accommodating. She

opted for the latter because otherwise she was going to have to hit him.

                She

didn't think of herself as a freak, but she did often compare herself to the

others in this world. She was neither the prettiest in looks, nor the fastest

flyer among those with wings, but she liked to think she was somewhere in the

middle. This weird tiger person apparently had power here, which was fairly

novel in itself, because even the average creator was limited to his own

creations.

                This

one did seem to have potential. It was probably a good idea to get on his

pleasant side. That meant pulling out the stops for him. "So tiger. What's your

name?"

                "Diogenes.

And I'm not a tiger. I'm a human."

                "Human?

You mean like the otherworld humans? You're really a creator?"

                "That's

what they tell me."

                "Your

lady friend is one too. It's a bit odd to have creators working together. This is

supposed to be a place where your type comes to relax and have fun."

                "Yeah,

I suppose so. I never realized it was real in any particular way. But now I see

I was wrong. I'm finding it to be a much more fulfilling and educational

experience than I ever thought possible."

                "Educational?

I think you're doing something wrong then."

                He

shook his head and chuckled. "Oh, I'm doing it right alright. I mean, think of

all the possibilities I have open to me here. I'm only limited by my own

imagination."

"I see," she said, looking at him

with a look of concern. "Imagination is what created this place. Just what do

you expect to accomplish by changing it?"

"I didn't say I was going to change

it."

"But it seems inevitable that you

will. If you can do for others what you have done for me, a fundamental alteration

in this reality will occur. I think you need to be careful how you propose to

do that. For one, I'd hide that dark orb away from sight. If it's as powerful

as you suggest, can you imagine the temptation it will hold? Residents here

will just have to touch to see if it works. And when it does, they'll be gone

forever."

"You're right. But why not just

remove it altogether?" He held it up and willed it to disappear. Nothing

happened. The foul looking thing remained where it was, swirling with the ambience

of evil.

"So? Get rid of it?"

He gulped. "I tried. What's wrong?"

"How should I know? You created

it."

He stared at the ball for a long

time. "I can't make it go away.  Ineed to

hide this away somewhere, and I need to do it now!."

"Then find a spot that no one goes

to."

Her words struck a chord within him.

"I know. I'll put it in a place that no one would ever go."

He vanished for a few moments

before reappearing. "Done!"

She gave him a stern look. "Where

did you put it?"

"Now if I told you that, what good

would come of it?"

"You have a point. I think we need

a distraction to clear it from our minds. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Sex is always on my mind, but I

hardly wish to be viewed as a demanding pervert."

"Why not? That is what this place

is all about, though there are plenty of others things to do."

"Such as?"

She fluffed her feathers. "Such as

flying. I thought it was the epitome of freedom before I met you, but now, I

can only imagine what life would you would be like."

"Flying?! I'm frightened of

heights!"

"In your world, I could understand

that. But you aren't there anymore. Here, you can be and do whatever you want.

So give yourself some wings and join me!"

It took him a moment to comprehend

his situation. He was so confident of all he could do in this world that he had

forgotten about those peccadilloes and dreads that were particular to him. Even

in his original dreaming states he had clung to the ground. He sought an excuse

to forgo taking to the air.

"But I'm a tiger!"

"No, you're a human in tiger form.

Change!"

He thought about it for a moment.

He liked this form for it made him feel powerful, something he definitely

wasn't in real life. Something with wings? He rather detested bats, so that was

out of the question.  Some sort of bird? No,

birds didn't have the proper genitalia for playing around (remember, he was

still thinking literally at this point).

"There's nothing that I want to change

into."

"Seriously? What kind of creator

are you? There're dragons, winged horses, gryphons..."

"Gryphons? But those are

mythological."

She rolled her pretty eyes. "Yes,

as are harpies. But here I am. Let loose your mind just a little bit more and

see the possibilities open to you. At times you seem quite brilliant, and other

times you seem as helpless as a babe."

"Hmmm. You're right. I tend to

think rigidly. But a gryphon? Is that something you can handle?"

"In what manner? I am an experienced

flier. You won't be. So I'll have an advantage over you, creator or not."

"Alright. I'll tell you what. Sex

is optional, but if I beat you, then maybe I can have just one go with you?"

She spread her wings, showcasing

her wonderful chest."If you beat me at flying, creator or not, then you can do

as you please with me."

"I could do that anyways you know."

"Yes, I suppose you could. But I don't

think that appeals to you."

"Neither does flying."

"Oh come on. Do you really think it's

all that bad?"

He sighed. "I guess there's only

one way to find out."

He dropped to his hands and feet

and clung to the floor. Over the next few seconds, stretching on to a minute or

so, he grew and shifted his shape until he was a winged lion bearing an eagle's

head. It took him a bit of time to gain this new form, seeing as he was

unfamiliar with it. One might think that a minute, a mere sixty seconds was no

time at all, but he was disappointed by the delay. But once he was finished, he

stood up on four feet and raised his handsome head.

"Well, this is a change."

"It certainly is," she said with

admiration in her voice.

He spread his wings and gave them a

few random beats. His action stirred up little mock swirls of dust. This world

had no dust except that which was dreamt up by the creators. But it made for a

wonderful effect. His muscles rippled under the stress of pumping his brightly

colored wings, sending a wave of motion through his sleek form.

In the next instant he launched

skyward, losing a few feathers in the process. He took the leap and decided to

tackle his fear head on. While he was under the impression he wasn't likely to

get himself hurt doing anything like this, he wasn't about to take any undue

risks. The only thing he felt he needed to do was to out fly Cremille and earn

his prize.

She was taken aback by his sudden

flight and departure. A few seconds after his liftoff, she too was airborne,

pumping her wings furiously to regain lost ground. She caught up with him a

short while later, slipping in behind him before overtaking him by a nose.

"Not bad for a ground-hugging fraidy

cat."

"I'm only part feline in this form,

I'll have you know. I'm also part eagle."

"My reference was meant to your

fear of flying, not to your present anatomy silly man."

The eagle head shrieked with

laughter. "It's funny how I suddenly don't find this terrifying. What accounts

for the sudden turnaround?"

"Attitude. I'll just bet you had

some experience as a child, or heard some story that gave you a phobia for no

good reason. Sure you could possibly fall, and for you in your world that could

mean death. But here, you control he skies. The only way you can fall is if you

will it."

He cocked his head to hear her

words, as the wind rushing past was a roar to his hearing. It was so refreshing

and invigorating to be soaring through the air that he had forgotten everything

else for the moment.

But just for a moment.

"So, if this is to be a contest, it

will need some rules."

 "Indeed it shall. Shall we test speed, agility,

or endurance?"

He thought for a moment. "I really don't

see how I can lose at any of them. I'm a creator after all."

"True. You have the advantage of

being able to fix the outcome. That would imply cheating. Is that the way you

want to win?"

"It's tempting, seeing as I can fix

the results, but I think I see a flaw in that reasoning. If I win at everything,

this world will soon lose its charm."

"Good, good! Now you see the trap of

perfection. Once achieved, you lose interest in life since there is nothing

more to gain from it."

"You seem awfully smart."

"What did you expect? A bird-brained

feather head?"

"I can't say that I had any

expectations. But still, how come you can grasp these concepts?"

"My creator was what you would term

a professor, one of classical civilizations and of mythology. He imbued onto me

some of his own qualities. Trust me Diogenes, I know who your namesake was, as we

would spend hours discussing matters from your world. If you are looking for an

honest man, look to yourself. Be that man."

"I see. So I need to figure out  way of taking on this challenge without

throwing the results in my favor."

"Yes! I have an idea if you wish to

listen to it."

He slowed his flight to a mere pumping

of his wings, allowing him to hover in midair. She followed suit.

"Go on."

"Give me the power to create a

place that won't be familiar to you. It'll mock real places on your world, and

thus will have mountains, clouds, forests, lakes and all sorts of other distractions

and obstacles."

"Hmmm. That just might work. I'll still

have the upper hand, but I'll be hindered by not knowing the landscape. I like

it!"

He extended a talon and hooked into

one of hers. She felt a brief surge light her up much like he had before. She

closed her eyes and when she opened them, her breath was taken away. They were

still hovering, only now it was over a narrow lake whose pristine waters reflected

light glancing off the sides of steep, majestic mountains. The air was calm,

the clouds might as well been made of gossamer spider webs and the sky so blue

you felt you could swim in it.

"Well done Cremille! You have more

to you than meets the eye. I'll be intrigued by what else you have hidden

beneath your lovely surface."

His implication was well taken.

She felt her cheeks flair up as the

blood rushed to them. This man might be less refined than her original creator,

but he too had qualities that were only just beginning to show. She was tempted

to forgo the contest and get down to business, but a stubborn streak held her

to her original course. Besides, she hadn't had a good aerial competition in

forever. That would be the preamble to her constitutional, the appetizer before

the main course. Oh, she knew he'd win no matter what, but she was going to make

him earn whatever right he thought he had over her.

"We'll see about that. The race hasn't

even started."

"No it hasn't. So what are the

terms?"

"That's an excellent question. A

simple race to a finish line seems a little boring. I was thinking that what we

should do was to attempt to keep the other person from crossing first."

"Isn't that pretty much the same

thing?"

"On the face of it, perhaps it is. I

was thinking more along the lines of interfering with each other. You know, making

the race more challenging by throwing up roadblocks."

"Roadblocks in the air? Isn't that

a contradiction?" he said with good humor.

"You get my meaning. Consider it

like a game of tag. The person who is "it" can't cross the line until they tag

the other."

"Oh I see. The only one who can

cross will be the one free of the onus."

"Onus? Well, if you wish to call it

that, then fine. You have the power. You can create a spell that will restrict

the one burdened with it from crossing the finish line. Agreed?"

"Sure. But what and where will the finish

line be?"

"Hmmm. A good question. I know! Let's

say we have to swoop under that natural bridge formation over there three times

to win."

"No, I don't think so. A triple

loop and you win automatically. How about we make the line move and reset each

time? It can show up in a specific color, just like it does in some of the

video games I've seen."

"Video games?"

"I'll explain later, though now

that I think on it, there are probably characters from them inhabiting this

world. I mean, it only makes sense that some gamers have dreams about what they

play."

"Show me?"

"The characters?"

"No stupid, what you mean."

He pointed a wing at the bridge she

had mentioned. It glowed with a faint red aura.

"Like that. Once a qualified flyer

passes through the region, they get the point and the line establishes itself somewhere

else."

"Oh, I like it. But what if we end

up tied, with two apiece?"

"Then whoever crosses last wins of

course."

"OK then. I agree with this method.

I think it'll make this much more interesting."

He waved his wings and the red

disappeared.

"It has now moved to a random area.

So we'll have to tag each other while looking for it, and hope that we find it

before the other."

"Sounds like a plan. Who gets to be

it first?"

"I'll go. But remember, once you're

tagged, you have to be rid of it before you can score."

"I got the gist of it. Now, on you

mark, get ready. Go!" She tore off through the sky like a meteor.

Diogenes watched her form vanish

into a cloud before taking after her. She was wily, and yet he felt like he had

an unfair advantage, even with the rules they had set. After a few seconds had

ticked by he pumped his wings and tore after her, shredding the cloud into little

puffs of vapor as he strained to close the gap.

It was going to be a wonderful

game, and even when it was finished, he had a feeling the trophy at the end was

going to prove to be the greater achievement.