"You will love many women Veritas, that is our way. Do not give you heart to any one woman but share your love with them all."
The 12 year old boy often wondered why his mother, Prudentia, did not live together with his father.
"Father, what if I am smitten by one? Should I not want to be with her always?"
"You must not let that happen my son. We are not like your friends, we are breeders. That is a very high honor bestowed upon us by the heavens. Our seed has to be spread far and wide. You are in fact my 32nd child, by 32 women."
"I know this but I often wondered what it would be like to live with mother and you together."
Sapiens observed sadness in his son's face. It in turn, made him sad to see this.
"Why do you look sad, Veritas?"
"I..uh..I was wondering if you love Prudentia my mother. Or was she just another passing seed bearer? And do you love me, or am I just number 32?"
Sapiens smiled broadly.
"You are well named Veritas, for there is always truth in you and you never fear to show it. These are fair and honest questions and I will answer them as honestly as I can. Yes I love Prudentia and yes I love you, very much my son. How can I not? You come from me."
"Still I see you so rarely. And mother seems sad at times because of you not being here."
Sapiens felt the weight of his young son's words tug at his own heart. He knew the pain his son felt. He had felt similar pain as a young child.
"This is our way, the way of the Heliosense men for generations. It is our destiny to breed. It is your destiny as well. Love is strong in us, so strong in fact that it can not be contained on just one woman or child, it is like the sun and shines on all those we choose."
Veritas remembered that conversation because now more than ever it had rung true. He had fallen for one woman after having been with hundreds, possibly a thousand before her. Like Sapiens had predicted he had felt love for each woman and each child they had borne him.
But this one, she had been so overwhelming, he wanted her all the time. He had risked banishment from his own land for her for failing to maintain his duties as a breeder...
He stood on a cliff in DaVinci gardens looking at the ocean's waves and the strong sun shining across the water.
Veritas spoke aloud. "I will always love you, but I must never see you again. I must set you free for both our sakes." These words weighed heavily in his heart. He ached for her. But he knew it was best this way.
He felt the burning begin in his eyes, he knew they were flaring with the energy of the Gods. The power of the sun had come into him and shot out through his eyes.
