Part 1 – Setting and Setup

October 16, 2067

    The beeping of the medical equipment put Edmond on edge. Edmond Gradon was the far descendant of the king of the Day, the protector of legends. It is his lineage that makes him the choice candidate for this newest of procedures. In recent months a new archaeological site unleashed new possibilities upon the world. For the site gave meaning to the kingdoms of Day, unleashed the knowledge of magic and miracles, and beasts of myths and stories were brought to new life.

    The science of cloning mixed with the new magical power allowed the creation of the pure form beast. These were wild and unpredictable, feral, and therefore not very useful to the ways of man. Nothing more than that of new biological zoos. For what everyday family wouldn’t want to see griffons dancing across the sky, hydras occupying caves, the shiny golden fields of the righteous sheep, sea monsters that are many times the size of blue whales and serpent-like. These were but a few of the animals and though their shapes were new and unique properties fun to look at, they still acted like their various cousins and family members. Like wild animals.

    So with that knowledge, we come back to Edmond. This poor soul, this son of lost kings, this child of the modern age, was practically given a death sentence. Because of his vast background and the estranged ancestors, he was being prepared to become one with his birthright. 

    For the King of Day was the greatest protector and the legend above all others. The king whose horde of wealth was mountains of knowledge and gold, jewels and books, precious oils and vats of preserved blood. The King of Day was a magical hybred of man and beast. The king of men and beasts. Crowned with the fleece of sheep, and fire of the elders. The King was a Dragos, the perfected hybred of men and dragons. Depictions of the king flying among stars was enough to whet the appetites of modern science.

    A nurse came into Edmond’s room and Edmond felt sheepish. He had been found through the planetary search. For all true citizens had been catalogue like that of many books, and if one wanted to move around Earth, Mars and Venus as well as their moons, then their blood was their identification, and therefore their passport. So with that every secret of one’s past is known and recorded. 

    The paper shirt that Ed wore barely covered his private parts, but from what he was told he may not be alive long enough to deal with his shyness. 

    “Nervous?” The question from the nurse felt like it was far away and obvious. She adjusted the IV and introduced a slow drip.

    “Is it that obvious?” Ed said as he clenched the blanket in his hands.

    “Just relax. The process may be the first of its kind, but it will be like going to sleep and you won’t even know what is happening.” She rubbed his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

    “So I go to sleep as a man and wake up as a what? A monster?”

    “As the King of Legends, the true ruler of beasts and men. Either that or you may just remain a man. That is what this whole experiment is about to find out what will happen.”

    Ed laid back in his bed as he felt the cool liquid slide down the IV and through his veins. Though her words were imprecise they were slightly comforting. He did relax and he worried less. Perhaps there was truly nothing to worry about.

    “Sleep for a bit. The doctors will come and take you to the operation room afterward.”

    Ed did as she asked and fell asleep. Though he was restless and his dreams were dark, he still slept. What seemed like moments to him, were hours to others.

    Scientists and Sorcerers, dreamers and rulebreakers, these were the men that set out to find out if gods existed. For what are myths and legends without Zeus and his powerful thunderbolt, or Heracles and his mighty strength, Ares and his power to inspire war in normal men. Some gods had the strength of nations, while others could influence worship and make themselves more powerful than others. 

    Doctor Charlie Hadley had been trained as a biochemical and human genetics engineer. He had doctorates in both fields and was the first man to successfully clone golden sheep with the help of his partner, Grant Crom Wizard. Grant had been an archeologist before he was imbued with the magic of the ancients. When that happened, he began to see the world in a new light. Lines of magic wrapped not only around the world but throughout the solar system and beyond. Lines of mana that would allow for travel beyond the asteroid field and even beyond the Sun’s gravity. The field of magic had allowed for wizards to make startling discoveries that would simply reshape the future of men.

    Hadley and Crom had spent hours together perfecting the craft of making magical animals and items mixed so well with the science of 2045 that men could now achieve miracles. However, diseases were still detrementing mankind, cancers and viruses. Thus the cloning of mythological animals took off, and the search for the golden fleece was sought. After the sheep was cloned and flocks of gold were made, mankind was ushered in a true Golden Age

    The abolishment of disease and life threatening scenarios brought about the search for life beyond Earth. Though the conditions were harsh, the golden fleeces kept every man, woman, and child in the perfect health and not one was lost. But as men kept moving away from Earth, they kept moving into harsher and harsher conditions. Though the fleece would keep them healthy, it required they not be separated from it ever. And man required individuality to maintain his mental health. So another solution was sought. 

    God-hood.

    This was not an easy task, as it required the blood of the King of Day to be found, and Ed was the long descendent of Day. With help from Hadley and Crom, Ed would become the first god in many millennia. 

    The hospital was cold and Ed had goosebumps. Though his dreams were dark, he had come through in regining light. His nurse was there to greet him once again.

    “Are you feeling okay?” She looked up from her book and stared him in the eyes.

    “I am fine. I just had a little nap, like you suggested.” He stretched reaching out with his arms and legs reaching beyond what he normally could and realized that the nurse look oddly, too small. She looked like a child to his eyes. 

    “You have been asleep for some hours. Don’t move about too much.” She said placing her arm up in a restraining motion.

    Ed couldn’t help but want to move. He felt like the world had been at his fingertips before he went to sleep and now, he felt like he could palm it.

    “Did it already happen? The operation I mean.”

    “Yes. It happened while you were sleeping. Are you feeling any adverse side effects? Any pain or discomfort?”

    “No, not at all. I feel like I can do anything.” He flexed his hands and thought that he saw lightning curl out around his fingers. “So I guess that it worked.”

    The nurse took a step back. Heaven help Ed, he really did think she looked like a child.