Laurel had only brought forth daughters thus far who, while mighty forces in their own right, competed with each other and posed no threat to the male branch of power. But when Pan walked into the sacred grove on this day, he saw that Laurel had given birth to a son, and he trembled with fear. Before a single name could be given him, Pan grabbed a sword and cut his son in half.

          Laurel only laughed. In his rage, Pan had forgotten that it is not possible to kill a god. The boy did not die, but instead split into twins whom their mother named Akireli and Kumbayeli. They became gods of the two moons that circled Lossi and, as the world would soon learn, a whole lot more. Akireli and Kumbayeli disagreed about everything, and made sure everyone else knew it. Most disconcerting of all, wherever the twins passed, discord wasn’t far behind. Others around them would grow irritable and start arguing, as well.

          Laurel and Pan hoped they would eventually become tired of incessant bickering, but they only grew worse. Soon they were stirring up trouble in the Sidhe Court, spreading lies and gossip amongst the nobles. Egos were ruffled, tensions rose, lines were drawn, and conflict escalated until all-out war erupted between leading Sidhe families and their faerie underlings were forced to choose sides. Their goddess Onedia was at a loss and retreated into the woods. The mighty Sidhe nation was split in two.

          The families holding dominion over Life came to call themselves the Light Sidhe of the Seelie Court, and their underlings became faeries. The families holding dominion over Death came to call themselves the Dark Sidhe of the Unseelie Court, and their underlings became tricksters. Ever were the two Courts at war, though neither could remember exactly why. Some elders believed it had to do with an argument of whether the forces of Life or the forces of Death were more powerful. But, in truth, it did not matter what the initial cause was, for it was long-obscured by centuries of fresher offenses piled on top of it.

          Only now did Laurel and Pan understand the true powers wielded by their twin sons. Akireli and Kumbayeli were gods of polarity, duality, opposites, and conflict. Their parents could not afford to have them conjure up more strife in the Enchanted Forest, so they told them to go in any direction they pleased and not stop until they reach the ends of the world, where they wouldn’t be a nuisance to anybody.