The Prologue

This is the prologue. It is from the perspective of one of the main characters, Jay.

Prologue

     If you’re reading this, I need you to get something straight. I want you to read this through and keep it real quiet. He sees anything and everything that is even remotely noticeable among you humans. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering, “You humans? You mean you’re not one?!” Well, you’re right.
     My name’s James Darwin Strong, and I’m one of a superior race of sentient beings, calling ourselves immortals. At least most of us do. Some are arrogant enough to term themselves as ‘gods’, and others, just as arrogant, say that we are not superior beings, but only that you are pathetic inferior ones (though personally I don’t agree with either view).
     Anyway, I imagine this must be rather difficult for you to swallow, so to speak. I’ll do some explaining for you. There are these things called Ways. They are the only connecting points between our world and yours. In your world they resemble what you call manhole covers. To you humans they are just that. However, if an immortal steps onto a Way, they are instantly teleported between worlds, to what is know as, in our world, a Way station.
     This method replaced the previous, cobblestone method. This happened for a few reasons. First, cobblestone roads have been largely made obsolete by your concrete and asphalt ones. Second, it was rather difficult and impractical to have to memorize and locate exactly which stone was the Way and which ones weren’t. Third, some people’s feet were too large to fit entirely upon a cobblestone causing a rather distressing dilemma. So we Strongs had to get this system up to date.
     It had to be the Strong family to update the system for the following reason. There are six main groupings of Ways. Each connecting one of the six main regions of our world to each of your continents with the exception of... Oh, what was it called? The icy one. Oh yes! Auntarkticah. Each of these afore mentioned regions is governed by an immortal clan.
     My clan, the Strong clan, rules the region attached to your... Oh dang! I forgot again. Oh yeah! Norse Amairiku. So we are therefore responsible for our Ways. Not that we use them very much.
     My great-granduncle, Matthias Strong, head of our clan, has seen fit to ban all Strongs from having any contact whatsoever with humans. (That’s why you can’t tell anyone about this message.) It goes even farther than that though. He also has forbidden any Strong from marrying a non-Strong, even if they’re another immortal. He says that it ‘makes sure only a full and legitimate Strong family member can rule,’ and nobody can challenge him; he is the only one able to update our Ways.
     You see, each immortal has one material or attribute that they control, known as their “domain.” No two immortals have the same domain. Uncle Matt’s domain is land. This means that the region’s Ways are within his domain. Therefore, no one dares cross him. It doesn’t help that he has a nasty temper sometimes, and that, however contradictory it may seem, immortals can be killed.
     So no one has ever had the guts to do anything but mindlessly obey him... until now. I, James Darwin Strong, plan to put an end to that.