———Published June 22nd, 2024———
Before the beginning, there existed only the Waters and the Void. The Void was empty, except for a lone creature.
The creature had small wings protruding from a tube-shaped body protected by scales.
The creature flew through the Void, twisting and turning. Sometimes it would fly low, skimming the waters with its gentle claws. Or it would fly up and up—towards the holes in the Void where light filtered through.
The creature loved the Void.
It went on like this for a long time. The creature flying, flipping, and skimming the waters. But eventually, the creature grew lonely and bored.
In its boredom, the creature began to play. And in that play, it discovered it could stretch its body to great distances. Or recoil down to a single point.
The creature felt too constricted being a single point. So it began to stretch itself out. Longer and longer and longer. And as it grew, it twisted and turned—until it was endlessly long and filled the Void from seam to seam.
This was quite a predicament.
Because not only did the creature fill the Void, but it had wrapped itself up in a series of intricate knots. Knots that created a great cavity with its head at the complicated center. The knots were so tight, they blocked the light streaming from the holes in the sky.
The creature had never experienced the dark before. And it grew scared. And as it grew scared, a great burning began in its stomach. And with a single burp, a blue-white ball of flame emerged.
It was just enough light for the creature to see by.
But still the creature felt trapped.
And still the burning in its stomach continued.
So the creature sucked in air and huffed its best huff. And with that huff, it ejected a great ball of brilliant, yellow-gold flame. This ball of flame emitted a terrible heat. A heat that burned the creature’s scaled skin.
The creature struggled against the gordian knot its body had created. It turned and twisted and weaved in reverse. But the more it struggled, the tighter the knots grew. And the hotter the flame burned.
Soon the creature grew mad. The heat had blackened its scales and was beginning to cook its flesh.
So in a panic, the creature began to bite and chew the thing that had it contained—itself. And as it chomped through thick layers of itself, splashes of blood and great chunks of scaled flesh fell into the Waters. Spitting up geysers and churning the Waters in purple swirls.
Soon the creature was free. And as it flew in its freedom, it gazed upon the blood-churned waves. At the hunks of itself dotting the seas from horizon to horizon.
Over time the creature healed and its hind legs regrew. And during that time, the Void and the Waters transformed. Where blood had fallen into the water, there now swam animals with scales and tails. And other animals with smooth skin and holes on the top of their heads where they blew out air. And tiny, shelled creatures that crawled on the ocean floor or attached themselves to rocks. The Waters now teamed with life.
And where flesh had fallen, landmasses appeared.
The creature delighted in its creations. It flew over great masses of earth pointing up from the land up into the sky. It flew through grand chasms of red soil cutting across the land. And it sat on great rises, looking at the balls of light far away.
The creature grew to love the small, blue light. So it put it in orbit nearby so it could smile over the land on quiet evenings.
But the big ball of yellow-gold light still made the creature afraid. So with a great breath, the creature blew the light far away almost all the way to the heavens. Close enough to give the lands light and warmth. But far enough away to never burn the creature again.
The creature was happy.
For a time.
But one day, the creature noticed something was wrong. It started as an itch under one of its scales. The creature scratched the itch loosening the scale with its gentle claw. But still, the itch continued.
This went on for many cycles of the lights. Until one day, when the creature laid its stomach on the warm sand of its favorite beach, the scale came loose entirely.
Finally the creature could scratch its itch. So it did.
But it felt sad at losing its scale. It didn’t want to say goodbye. So it buried the scale in the sand and marked the spot with a large rock so it could come back to visit.
Three days went by. And during those three days, the creature flew the lands. It perched on high cliffs. Eyed long vistas. And watched as the great ball of fire descended in the sky leaving the land purpled and pinked.
But still, the creature felt something was missing.
And still, despite how much it scratched, the itch persisted.
So after three days, the creature flew back to the beach where it had buried its scale to lay in the warm sand. But before the creature landed on the beach, something amazing caught its eye. A strange being was sitting on the rock he had placed to mark the spot of his scale.
The creature had never seen anything like this being before. It looked nothing like the creature.
It had no wings and no claws. Instead, it had 4 long appendages sticking from its body. The creature landed in front of the rock and asked the being what it was.
The being called itself Woman.
And soon, the creature and the Woman became good friends.
The creature would tell the Woman to climb on its back. And he would fly her across the lands. The creature had seen it a million times before. But to the Woman, everything was new. And she was delighted. And the creature was glad at her delight.
At nights, they would sleep on the warm sand. The creature curled into a spiral. The Woman, using his body as a bed.
They spent many cycles of the Sun and Moon like this. For the Sun and Moon is what the Woman named the balls of light. She also named the land masses. The seas. And the animals in the seas that grew from the creature’s blood.
This kept the Woman happy for a time. And the creature was happy too.
Until one day, a longing grew in the Woman’s heart. She didn’t understand the longing. But the creature did. And it made the creature sad.
So he went away for three days.
And for three days, the Woman wondered where the creature had gone. Alone, she walked the beaches collecting sea shells. Climbed mountains. And watched the sun as it set in the sky.
But after three days, the creature returned. And it brought with it, a new being. A being that named itself Man.
The Woman was glad to meet the Man. And they were happy together as they laid down that night in a spiral of bodies. The creature was glad too. But he knew it would not last.
The Man and Woman spent their days exploring together. The creature catching fish that they could enjoy by the fire.
And they were happy for a time.
But soon, the longing in the Woman’s heart returned. She said nothing. But the creature could sense something was wrong.
So he went away for three days. And for three days, the Man and Woman walked the beach holding hands. They swam in the salty waves. And they curled around each other each night falling into a gentle sleep.
After three days, the creature returned. And in its claws, was a single fruit. He gave the Woman the fruit and told her it would cure the longing in her heart.
She noticed the beauty of the fruit. Its soft skin. Its red-pink hue. But what she didn’t notice was the bare patch on the creature’s back where it was missing another scale.
The Woman bit the fruit. It’s sweet juice caressing her tongue and rolling down her chin. She had never tasted anything like it. The Man should try this, she said. But the creature forbade it and told her the fruit was hers alone.
She finished it before the Man returned.
Now with the power of the fruit and the sun setting each night like a candle-lit dinner, the Woman became pregnant.
And soon after, the first child was born into the world.
Then another.
And another.
And before long, the Man and the Woman were busy tending to their new family. The creature was also busy catching fish to feed all the hungry mouths.
By this time the Man and the Woman grew sick of fish. And their children, who were now old enough to eat, would barely pick at the day’s catch.
The creature noticed this.
And it made him sad.
So he went away for three days.
And for three days, the Man and the Woman sang songs with their children each morning. They packed lunches of fish and hiked to great peaks. And together, they watched the sun setting in the sky each night.
After three days the creature returned. And it told the Woman and the Man to climb on its back. It was then that the Women noticed patches of bare skin on the creature’s back. She touched the raw flesh where days before scales had been.
The creature flew the Man and the Woman to a nearby isle. And as they landed, they were in awe.
Swatches of green dotted the cliffs. The Woman named these bushes. Tall brown trunks pushed towards the skies, topped by verdant leaves. These, the woman named trees. And as they explored, they found more and more gifts of the land. Roots, tubers, berries, herbs, and more.
The Woman and Man delighted in this new garden isle. They tasted everything they saw. And named everything they tasted. They delighted in all the flavors they found. The sweet and sour of berries. The bitter, earthiness of roots. And the strong, brightness of herbs.
The creature flew the children to the new garden isle. And for a while, the family was happy.
But soon the three eldest children grew up. And soon, they wanted partners and children of their own. The creature had grown to love the children. And he could sense the longing in their hearts.
So for three days, the creature went away.
And for three days, the family gathered roots and tubers. Pounded herbs and seeds into paste. And cooked fresh fish by the fire.
After three days, the creature returned with nine new beings. One for each of the eldest children. And three more pairs to populate the land. Everyone celebrated the creature and the new beings.
But only the original Woman noticed how few scales the creature had left. But still, the creature was happy and so was she.
Soon more children came.
And then more.
And then more.
And everyone was happy.
For a while.
But eventually, the land grew thick with people. They were running out of fish and fruits to feed all the mouths.
So the creature went away for three days.
And for three days, the people danced and laughed and cheered and toasted the creature who had brought them so much.
And after three days, the creature returned. He had nothing with him. But during the three days he was gone, he had labored immensely. He had flown all around the isle burying scales. But only the Woman noticed he had only one scale left now.
The isle became lush with crops and animals.
And the people migrated across the land so everyone had enough room and enough to eat.
The people named the new animals and plants tended them well. The creature no longer had to fish to feed the families. Which was good. Because now that it only had one scale left, it was too weak to do much.
But still, the creature was happy.
He sat on the warmth of his favorite beach, the Woman petting his belly in the sun. He feasted on fruits and deer and other things the people brought him. And when he felt strong enough, he flew over the isle, seeing the joy of the people as they waved up to him in the sky.
Everyone was happy.
For a while.
But soon, the weathers changed. Clouds began to form. And they brought with them rain and storms.
One day, two of the Woman’s great grandchildren were out playing when they got caught in a sudden storm. And they were washed to the sea where the both children drowned.
This was the first great tragedy of the land.
The people wailed. But no one wailed harder than the Women who had been there before the lands grew lush.
For three days the Women wailed.
And for three days, the creature stood by her side.
The Woman recovered. And so did the people. But the people no longer felt safe on this land.
The creature could sense the longing in their hearts.
And it made him sad.
So one day, the creature went to the Woman and told her he was going away for three days. But you have only one scale left, she said. You’re already weak. Don’t go.
But this time was different.
Because this time, the creature asked the Woman to come with him.
So she did.
They flew to the center of the isle to a plot of land the Woman had never seen. Here plants grew thicker than anywhere else on the isle. And the soil was rich with nutrients.
They landed in a clearing where red soil peaked through.
The Woman got off the creature. And the creature began scratching its last scale. This Woman watched and waited.
The scale came off. And the creature handed it to the Woman from its gentle claws.
The Woman held the scale in her hands. And she began to weep as the creature, now nude without a single scale to protect it, began to dig a hole.
When the hole was just big enough for it to climb into, the creature turned to the Woman, a single tear in its eye. It said to the Woman only this:
Watch over them as I did.
And then with a few deft flicks of its claw, the creature buried itself in the red dirt. The Woman could hear the wind whispering over the land.
For three days the Woman sat by the mound of dirt where the creature had buried itself. For three days, she held his scale in her hands. And for three days, she wept. Her tears spilling into the soil where he lay.
After three days, a tree began to emerge from the spot. And soon, the tree was the biggest in the land. Its boughs were dotted with flowers that scented the air. And seeds that fell to the ground in droves.
And finally, she understood.
She went back to get the Man and others who brought axes, saws, and carts. And for three days, they chopped down great branches, hauling them across the isle where they were turned into houses, giving the people homes that rain and wind couldn’t reach.
As they worked, they sang songs of the lands and the fruits and the animals. But most of all, they sang about the Creature.
Finally the people were safe and happy again.
A year went by. And they used the seeds from the great tree to plant many more across the isle.
They advanced their skills. And soon were able to build ships to cross the seas. The people spread. And houses and then towns and then cities sprang up on islands far and wide.
But still, the Women was sad.
For a year, she kept the scale in a precious box that only she could open with a hidden key. And once a day, she’d take the scale into her hands, long enough for just a single tear to fall.
One year to the day of the Creature’s sacrifice, the Women took the long pilgrimage to the great tree in the center of the isle.
She brought with her only the single scale and the clothes she was wearing.
On the way, she feasted on fruit and drank from the clear streams that trickled down from the mountains.
She got to the great tree just as the sun began to set. She placed her hand against the trunk. Feeling the coarseness of the bark. It felt good.
She turned around and found a bare patch of dirt. Close to the tree. But far enough away where it wouldn’t be blocked from the light.
She dug a shallow hole and placed the scale. Allowing a single tear to fall.
For three days she sat under the shade of the great boughs.
And for three nights she slept by the base of the tree. Using a spiral of its roots as a pillow. She dreamt of the Creature every night. Flying on its back over the lands as she named each new thing it pointed at.
On the third day she awoke as the sun was rising. And right in the spot she had planted the scale, a single sprout emerged. And out of that sprout, a single flower.
The flower was the most beautiful thing the Woman had ever seen. She put her nose to it and inhaled the deep perfume. She knew the flower was the Creature’s final gift. And in some ways, the one she would most treasure.
The Women made her way back home by the light of the climbing sun. She hugged her husband. Kissed her great grandchildren on the forehead. And sat in the warm sands of the Creature’s favorite beach.
The people were happy.
And so was the Woman.
And this went on for a very long time.
Every year on the anniversary of the Creature’s death, the Woman would make the long trek to the center of the isle. She’d place her hand on the coarse bark of the trunk.
And would inhale deeply the gift of the flower.
For three days she’d sit in the shade of the tree.
And for three nights, she’d sleep comfortably in a curl of the tree’s roots.
After a few years, not even a single tear fell.
She was happy.
And the Creature was happy too.