1. "How Wonderful It Is to Be Alone!"

In the earliest days of the world, there was a god named Aurazan. Aurazan was the god of Peace. He enjoyed walking the world and was content in his solitude. Whenever he passed, humans would forget their strife and live, for a time at least, in harmony. He was also a prideful god—quite proud of his own equanimity. He saw all conflict as beneath him.

One day he was wandering in the deserts of what we call today the American Southwest. He particularly enjoyed wandering the desert because of its perfect silence and solitude. He felt so much at peace that, as he found himself in a small canyon, he cried out with pleasure:

"How wonderful it is to be alone!"

And then, from the walls of the canyon, a voice answered:

"How wonderful it is to be alone!"

Aurazan stopped. He had never before heard a voice from any creature, great or small, speak back to him.  Aurazan felt, for the first time in the many eons of his existence, a disturbance of his precious solitude—and anger began to well up inside of him.

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