Not long ago, but very long ago, there were five gods of the East. Each had one of the five special gifts—voice, music, dance, power, and intelligence. The evil wizard wanted to control their powers for his own uses, so he sent out a messenger to each of them, inviting them to his palace in the North without their knowing that his true intent was to hold them captive under his roof as slaves. Each god agreed to attend, and so they all trekked North in various ways.

            The first god was like fire, lighting the way, leading others, embracing and protecting his followers in the brightness of his smile and the strength of his arms; a passionate man with a caring and forgiving heart. Tall and muscular was he, a warm heart within his chest. He was a man of leadership, brave and daring, the man every other male wished they could be. Strong-willed and powerful, he set across the plains to the wizard's lair on foot, fighting nature with his bare hands and making peace with his heart. 

            Cold by appearance was the second god. He could be easily compared to a colorful frozen popsicle. The first layer is cold, a shell for the flavors—the thoughts—later inside, but one must bypass the first layer. Once melted away, the second level changes from that cold color to a warmer one, slowly revealing the flavor inside, revealing his true personality. And onward to the third layer; hot is the color with bursting flavors accommodating the brilliant hue to fill all the taste buds, coating the tongue in crystallized sugar and flavor. But then the dessert is finished and only the wooden stick is left behind, the core of the popsicle. The third layer is the god's pure emotions, caring and kind, motherly, warm like a hearth to keep you toasty. The core—his soul—made of wood is a strong spirit, but very sensitive, bending, breaking, until it snaps; all insanity is loose. To the wizard's palace, he soared upon a majestic bird high above the mountains, free and bold, creating its own path, elegance and beauty gliding above.

            Third is the god of a rich yet humble manner. Big is the heart within his chest, open to anyone. Light-hearted, he is carefree and welcoming. This god is like a puppy, always following its master, the one who has done no harm to the pup; a shadow hiding in the trees keeping watch for those who wish to harm his own prey; a prince on a white horse, come to whisk away the damsels in distress and bring them to a better place, a fun place. Though he is a god of many skills and is mentally stable, his emotions, wild, untamed, and powerful, had always gotten the best of him, kind-hearted beyond belief. Magical is what most describe the third god as, a magician, but he'd much rather be known as a musician, what with cradling his precious instruments and cooing over the sweet notes. The magical musician, upon a cloud of dreams and hopes, sped onward through the air, side by side with his soulmate, the second god, for both were emotional people and related well to each other. 

            A god of childish antics and stupid pranks is that of the fourth, yet he is honest and open, if not slightly naive and a bit distracted. Cute is the fourth god with the high pitched voice. His friends are animals, the woodland creatures that lead him through the forests safely, the aquatic fish that lead him to the depths of an undiscovered world, and the winged ones that allow him to taste the sky's rain up close and rub the fibers of clouds between his fingers. Innocent is this one, pure of any evil. He is a child, always searching for toys to play with, people to talk to, creatively thinking of new ideas, moving around with his entire body as well as his heart. Through the waters, holding onto his good dolphin friends, the fourth god sails through the blue waves to reach the evil wizard's home and trap. 

            The fifth is the smartest of the five. Quiet, but powerful, daring, strong is the fifth. As soon as the letter of the wizard had reached his home, he knew he should not go. He was prominent, observant, always thinking—sometimes too much—but like the fourth, he was innocent. He, too, was almost like a child, but also powerful and strong like the first. The fifth was like a strong horse with a magnificent, flowing white mane. Headstrong, he was, like a horse's skull, as thick in the head as the creature itself. Always running, chasing his dreams, searching for his goals, like the horse galloping through the meadows, or searching for food is he. Strong and healthy, he is, like the beast. Beautiful, handsome, the fifth god prances around to show to those his skills and how majestic he is, how powerful he is. And the white mane that falls about the horse's neck and back represent the innocence of the fifth, the purity, the child within. So upon a pearly white horse with a beautiful and long mane, the fifth god rode across the plains, following the first's footsteps, to go and save his friends. 

            Once all five gods had reached the wizard's home, a banquet had been set out for them, a long, never-ending table of sweets, meats, and anything they desired. The fifth god wondered if his judgment had been wrong, and if it wasn't really a trap. Frolicking and playing, the fourth and third gods were by the fountain, splashing around in the water with little animals. The first and second stood upon the venue, admiring the skies together, holding each other close, like a mother and father would. Entranced by so much food, the fifth god gulped down all of the treats while chatting with the wizard. 

            "What is the meaning of this feast?" the god asked, at the sauce on his fingers like a hungry babe.

            "To praise you and the other four, of course!" the wizard exclaimed, throwing his arms wide in an exaggerated open gesture. 

            "Surely, this was not supposed to be a trap, no?" the other questioned carefully.

            The wizard chuckled heartily. "Of course not!" he lied smoothly. "Who would think to trap the five gods of the East?"

            The fifth god just shrugged and continued to stuff his belly full of cakes he'd never tasted nor seen before, accepting that he'd been wrong about the wizard's plan. The wizard grinned at his own brilliance and stalked off to the kitchen. He returned later with a drink for each of the gods, handing them each a glass of colorful liquid.

            "Here! A toast to your excellences!" the secretively evil one announced as he raised his cup, the others mimicking.

            The wizard grinned wickedly as he relished in the sight of the five sipping greedily at the juice in their cups, murmuring compliments and comments about the deliciousness, the sweetness of the drink. The evil one nodded in approval as the gods requested for another cup of the potion he'd just distributed to them, a little concoction he'd whipped up himself. 

            Late into the night, the five gods were too drunk, filled with only that addicting nectar that the wizard continually offered. 

            "Sleep here tonight," the wizard suggested. "I am sure you brought your most valuable things with you—no?—for who would leave home without the most precious of his items carried about on his person?"

            "Indeed!" agreed the first god, clasping a hand to his heart. "I carry what I value most within my ! Intangible, you see, I carry my gift, bestowed upon me from the dawn of my birth, as the others were given as well in their beginnings. For me, my gift is power!"

            The wizard grinned, eyes shining as he watched the gods reveal their gifts, one by one.

            "True!" the third god shouted. "I bring my music with me everywhere, my instruments as well, for my gift is that of music, the melody that lulls to sleep the living and awakens the dead." He turned to the second god. "What of you, my soulmate? What gift have you?"

            He second hesitated for a moment before chuckling softly, a slight smile grazing his red lips. "I have a voice, one that is said to be beautiful like a rose, sweet as honey, and soft as a cloud. That is my gift, my voice that sings to all those who want to hear it."

            "My body is my gift!" the fourth chimed happily. "Dance, the fluidness of my body when I twist and turn, that is my gift."

            Turning to the fifth god, the wizard and other four gods awaited the final god's answer. 

            "Intelligence," said the fifth, laughing for no reason, tapping a finger to his temple. "I am the smartest of the five. I soak up knowledge like a sponge and spew it out like a book."

            The wizard grinned, satisfied with that day's progress and answers, ushering the guests up into their rooms and bidding them all a good night. 

            Five weeks passed and there was not one day that went by without any of the five downing a cup of potion from the wizard. The wizard was worried, for an ingredient in the potion of his was depleting quickly. There was not enough for the bubbling concoction of the sweet drink that shriveled up the gods' will to leave and that clouded their mind from correct judgment. Therefore, he was forced to revoke the gods from drinking his potion until he received a stock of his special ingredient which would arrive early in the morning of this appointed day. Within the days of no potions to gulp down, the gods had realized that they'd stayed longer than expected without their knowing that more than a month had passed by under the stars. 

            "We must leave now, no?" the third god asked the others as they walked underneath the large iron arch that led to the gardens that supported large red roses as well as all sorts of different shades of blue roses, pink roses, and many other colors. "I worry about our region in the East without our presence."

            "As do I," the fourth agreed, clapping a hand on the third's shoulder. 

            "Nonsense! Our region is strong!" exclaimed the first god, picking at the grapevines in the garden. 

            "Relax! Enjoy our stay! It's only just begun!" added the fifth, stretching out his long legs and sitting on the bench. 

            "'Just begun'?!" repeated the fourth, appalled at the very words.

            "How long do you expect to stay?! Have you not noticed that we've already been here for over a month?!" the third exclaimed with flailing arms like an octopus. 

            "Come now," the second tried to reason, addressing the first. "Find it in you that we should leave. If not, we shall depart first and you may stay."

            Suddenly the fifth began to laugh loudly. "Hah! You expect to return home safely without the first?! How grand!"

            "He's right..." the third agreed."Do you not realize, my soulmate? If we return without the first, our kingdom will split into two, for half the kingdom will rebel against the one who they think is trying to take their leader's place—the first's."

            The second scowled. "I will take my chances," he announced, linking his hands with the third and fourth gods. "We're leaving..."

            "I think not!" protested the wizard who had appeared from thin air. "You must stay!"

            "Why!? You are probably only planning keep us here and leech off of our powers!" protested the second. 

            "Of course not!" he denied. "I am only here to offer you some more of my delicious drinks that you've all been addicted to."

            The wizard smiled wickedly and held out a tray of drinks, quite relieved that he'd received the stock of his special ingredient earlier and had added it to the bubbling mess in his lair. 

            A bit hesitant at first, the first and fifth gods reached out to the drinks. The third and fourth followed suit after watching the satisfied expressions on the first and fifth gods' faces. While the four drank merrily, the second sulked, determined not to be into what he was beginning to suspect as the wizard's trap. 

            "Come now," the wizard insisted to the stubborn god. "Take a glass and drink to your fill like your brothers!"

            Flinching at the desperate tone, the god shook his head profusely. "I assume you are up to an evil plot, and I will not partake. Keep those cursed beverages and me apart," he demanded.

            The wizard scowled and stalked away with the one untouched glass. That one... The prudent god of a motherly figure, always watching out for the other four. He had a strong will that the wizard intended to break, but now that the god had seen the ruse, there was no way to weaken him. The second god must be eradicated. 

            While four lay in a heap of blankets and pillows, too lazy to sleep correctly in a bed, one god refused to close his eyes, for fear of the wizard stalking him in his dreams. He roamed the large castle with only the brilliance of the moon streaming through the giant glass windows. 

            "A stray cat, I see," the wizard sang, following the god's soft footsteps through the hallways.

            "Let us leave," he growled, "or else I must take matters into my own hands and fight you myself."

            "Really? With no assistance from the others, you would duel with me?" the wizard repeated incredulously. 

            "If they wish to aid me," he answered, turning on his heels, "they are welcome to."

            In a flash, the wizard summoned the other four, now dressed fully and wide awake. "Choose a side!" shrieked the evil one. "Stay here in comfort with no harsh kingdoms to rule or go back to your tedious life as gods who oversee the loyal sea of people."

            The second chose to return to the East instantly.

            "Wherever my soulmate goes," the fourth said, "I go with him."

            The third furrowed his eyebrows and glared at the wizard for a long while before replying. "I choose to accompany my brothers home. There is something.... Unclean... Impure about you, wizard..."

            Only grinning and nodding in the most doll-like fashion, he turned to the remaining two. 

            "Here," the first began, "we have no rules, a bed to sleep in, and beautiful gardens."

            "Not to mention delicious foods!" added the fifth.

            "I will stay!" the first announced. "It is much too comfortable here to leave so soon."

            "I will stay with my brother," the fifth agreed. "How could I leave him alone?"

            "It is decided!" the wizard bellowed. "Be gone from here, god of music, god of voice, and god of dance! You are no longer welcome." 

            With speed, the three departed. With heavy hearts, the two remaining sighed in remorse. Should they have gone? What were they when there were only two and not five together as one? Eyes as sharp as an eagle's, the first spotted the second god turn his head slightly. Noticing the sparkling trail behind the god as the winged beast flapped away, he realized that he was shedding tears, the rare crystals of the second god's hidden heart. 

            The lead god turned to the youngest. "We have made a fatal mistake..." he murmured. 

            The younger nodded. "I realize now, brother... They tried to warn us... Now we must try to escape ourselves."