Why the Leviathan has Two Legs

[wolfeyedangel]

In the time of the very beginnings, beloved, when animals still spoke and the Gods still walked the earth and magic had not grown so rare, the Leviathan lived both on land and in the water and had four legs like a crocodile. Now there were very few of any creature, including man, and so the numbers of Leviathans were small, but they could go anyplace. Great was their strength, greater than the water buffalo that pulls the plow, greater even than the enormous Elephant which may pick up whole trees and carry them away! Swifter than the eagle, and clever as are all serpent kind. The Leviathans were impossible to catch and dangerous to hunt. Many villages left offerings where the Leviathans were known to be, so that they would not offend and become prey to so mighty a beast.

The Leviathans then grew very proud, and often bragged of their strength and their speed, and most of all their versatility. "We can live both on land and in the water, both salt and fresh. We are stronger than the Elephant. We are swifter than the mongoose. Why there is nothing but magic that prevents us from becoming Gods ourselves! The villagers already bring us offerings!"

And so they agreed amongst themselves that it would be good to become Gods and forever have the worship of mortals and be able to do with all creatures as they saw fit, without so much fuss and bother as they had to endure now. They chose a representative to seek out the secret of Godhood. That representative has only been known as Messenger, his true name lost forever to time, which as you will see is likely just as well.

Messenger swam forth and first enquired of an old water buffalo grazing along the shore, as to where he might find the secret of Godhood.

"Why do you not ask the gods?" The creature snorted before turning back to his grazing, a little further from Messenger.

"You are quite fortunate I am not hungry or I would eat you for such impertinence!" Messenger responded, offended by such an answer.

"If you were hungry you would have eaten me and asked someone else," The water buffalo responded calmly before turning to rejoin the rest of his herd, which wisely found safer grazing lands.

Messenger next turned to the Ocean, chastising himself for thinking to find the answer in a creature that restricted itself to land, but for some time he had even less luck than he had with the water buffalo! Growing desperate he finally consulted with the Fisherman in the Moon.

"What do I know of Gods other than that I must obey them?" The Fisherman answered. "But if you must persist in this folly, you may ask the Bright One. She lives far from here where the Kaysing river meets the sea."

And he swam for many moons to reach the mouth of the Kaysing river, yet as he looked around he could find no one who matched the name of the Bright One. The muddy murky water, heavy from all the sand carried out of the mountains made seeing quite difficult, but within the darkness there came a flash of light. For the first time in his life Messenger felt need of caution, though he swam closer he kept his fore claws and teeth carefully at the ready swimming with only tail and powerful back legs. Before him swam the most beautiful fish in the world! Its scales gleamed as if in their own light, bright colors that only could have been gifted from a Rainbow fused in the majestic iridescence of a pearl.

"Tell me, Messenger, why do you seek me?" The Bright One asked, voice sad.

"Tell me, Bright One, do you know the way of attaining Godhood?" Messenger asked tersely, contemplating eating so large a fish, no matter how beautiful, and asking somewhere else.

"I do," The fish replied, "But you will find the result much less to your liking than you think."

"Bah, there is nothing I cannot accomplish, tell me that I and all Leviathans may attain the station we deserve," He demanded, attempting to loom over the fish, but finding it quite impossible, no matter how he puffed himself up or postured, she simply seemed to go brighter and larger.

"Very well, but your fate will be shared by your entire race. Leviathans are swift and strong, you may live on land and on water, but do you not know that the Gods live in the air? And so to become Gods you must learn to fly, but this will be no easy task for a creature without wings. You must obtain the blessing of the Air Lord and the Lord of Fire. You must climb to the top of the sacred mountain and there seek out the Phoenix, who has both of their ears. If he blesses you, they may grant you the final component, but be cautious. Those who court fire often wind up burned," The Bright One's tone was quite stern here. "You may find the price was not worth what you gain."

"What can stand against me? No creature of Earth or Sea! No creature of Air or Fire will stand either. I will make him tell me the secret to gaining flight," Messenger replied with more determination than wisdom.

"Remember, soft words gain more than fear," The Bright One cautioned, but saw he was determined so protested no more as he swam away. Messenger soon came to the foot of the sacred mountain, whose sides are as steep as the spire capping a dome, as smooth as polished glass, and as slick as ice. Messenger tried in vain for hours to climb this impressive peak, for he could see the Pheonix (there was only one in those days) sunning himself from an opening near the top. But try as he might he was not strong enough, and so he circled the bottom contemplating the mountain from every angle. Now on the southern side of this mountain was a great pool, and so had Messenger overheated himself that he decided a brief bath in the pool would cool him. Little did he consider where he was, and he swam for a while then pulled himself mostly out of the water until only his hind feet and tail were submerged.

While he slept, the Phoenix, who had been watching him this whole time to find out what he was about, flew down to the sand next to the Leviathan. In those days he blazed so brightly the sand began to turn to glass beneath him and the Leviathan grew uncomfortably warm and woke immediately. His head came up and he glared at the Phoenix. "Who do you think you are to disturb my nap?"

"Who do you think you are to invade my home and make use of my baths without so much as a by your leave?" The Phoenix replied sharply.

"I am the Messenger of the Leviathans! I go where I please and do what I please, and I have come to receive the ability to fly from you," For the he had already muddled up who it was that could grant him the ability to fly.

"I cannot grant you the ability to fly. Neither will I ask my masters to do so for so discourteous a creature!" The Phoenix retorted indignantly.

"I will have the ability from you whether you will or no," And messenger rose, hind feet still in the water, and bared his teeth at the Phoenix, for all they were of a size.

"I say you will not, this is my home and you have done nothing to prove yourself worthy of such a gift!" The Phoenix growled at him.

"Then name your test," The Leviathan challenged.

"Stay where you are and do not move, no matter what happens from sun down," Which was only just occurring, "Until the next sundown. If you are still in exactly that position when I return then and have not moved, I will grant you what you ask. If not whatever you suffer will be on your own head. If you are wise you will spend the time in pleasant daydreams."

The Leviathan laughed at the Phoenix as he left and stood completely motionless. This was too easy! Why at least the Phoenix could have asked something hard! There weren't even insects here to make a nuisance of themselves. Though no sooner had he thought that then a swarm of gnats descended upon him, buzzing about him, attempting to get under his scales. He twitched, trying to shake them off but to no avail. They would not go! Oh how he longed for a nice soothing rain! And Lo and Behold, no sooner had he thought it than it began to rain, and the gnats were washed away. So astonished was he that he simply stopped thinking and thought of nothing, both gnats and rain vanished. He relaxed, and admonished himself to think of nothing, which was dangerous, for soon he was capable of thinking of nothing at all! Coherent thoughts ran away from him and only images, and predatory instincts came to him. He remembered the Phoenix and his bright feathers, and the anger he had felt towards the bird. For a moment he pictured himself leaping upon the creature as soon as it returned, rending it with his hind legs... and he fell, writhing in pain as his hind legs seemed on fire. In a sudden flash of mercy his wit returned to him and he plunged fully into the water, only to find not only had he moved, but his hind legs had burnt quite off, though the pool was a healing pool and there was no other injury.

Ashamed he realized he had failed the test, and he recalled the words of the Bright One that his fate would be shared by all his race. He slipped back into the river using just his forelimbs and vanished forever from history, so much so that had the Bright One not told them, the other Leviathans would never have learned what had happened to them.

[nightbug08]

Hmm it's like a just so story

[wolfeyedangel]

*grins* Deliberately patterned off that style. Glad to know I did it well enough for it to be recognized!

~Wolfeyedangel

[draikfire]

Very nice. ^-^ Good job, Pheonix-kun. I loved your story, especially all the imagery you put in there.

[wolfeyedangel]

Thanks!