six impossible things before breakfast

Loren gave Petra an apologetic smile. "Magic comes from inside me, so it's a little bit of both." Nodding, he gave her an understanding look. "I can tell you more about it later." His tone was back to being gently soothing. As she asked for the whole story, he took a deep breath. "Alright. I can do that." He glanced up as they reached the edge of the trees, though the buildings were still a good distance away. "There are gods in this world. Actual gods. They created this world, and the people and beings in it." He paused to let all that sink in. Pressing his lips together, he glanced at her. "There was...someone, who took the magic given by the gods and wanted more. Who used it in ways the old gods didn't approve of. Who became a god herself." Again, he stopped talking in case she had any questions. Taking another deep breath, he continued. "So the old gods and the new one went to war. It was long and bloody. Eventually the old gods triumphed, but they couldn't vanquish the new god. So they imprisoned her, instead, in a magical barrier. However, she found a loophole. A way to bring copies of people from other worlds, using portals. They arrived here, a trickle at first, then a flood. And finally, they set her free." LOREN Brought back by satisfaction more times than the cat