"Since the dawn of the Goddess, our continent of Hera has not been the only land in this world," Gibbs began, his words flowing in an endless stream. Alice sat on my lap, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling as she listened with rapt attention.
"When chaos first parted, all lands were actually connected, and countless deities were born upon the earth. The Goddess Hera was the very first among them." Gibbs paused briefly, then continued: "In the beginning, the Goddess Hera did not possess a human form; she was the very first bird born in this world." Hearing this, I couldn't help but interrupt his story, asking in confusion, "Wait, wait, wait, that can't be right. The story I heard is that the golden owl was the first bird that could fly. Is your version even reliable?"
Undeterred by my interruption, Gibbs simply smiled and asked in return, "Stories are neither true nor false, Mr. Arthur. Some tales may seem complete, yet they are quite likely nothing more than ancient deceptions." Gibbs smiled and shook his finger slightly. "Some matters are neither right nor wrong either; it's simply that certain perceptions have remained deeply rooted in our minds for so long that we find it difficult to accept new accounts that overturn them. You may consider my story to be fabricated as well, but at least hear me out to the end, won't you?"
I lowered my head, realizing that my previous outburst had been rather rash. Only then did Gibbs continue: "Freely soaring between the heavens and the earth, the Goddess Hera enjoyed the freedom of flight. Yet, she always felt that something was missing from this world."
"'What on earth is missing?' Hera murmured, and suddenly caught sight of her own wings. 'Companions who can fly just like me!' Delighted, she found the answer to her riddle, but how was she to seek out such companions? Troubled by this, the Goddess lost her appetite and could think of nothing else day and night, until she decided to look for the answer within herself."
"And so, the Goddess Hera plucked a single feather from her own body, imbued it with her divine power, and cast it into the air..."
"'Fly, fly, fly above the sun, to the edges of the world, to the ends of the earth~' the Goddess softly chanted. The feather turned and danced in the air, bursting with golden radiance beneath the sunlight."
"Flipping and flying amidst the golden streams of light, the feather gradually stretched and lengthened, sprouting golden wings and growing into a shining golden owl—" Gibbs's tone was gentle and soothing, extremely pleasant to the ear. Little Alice closed her eyes, seemingly imagining the sensation of flight.
"'Goddess, you have created me. How shall I repay you?'"
"'You are a feather from among my myriad wings; there is no need for repaying me. I merely granted you life and the joy of existence, rather than having you rigidly sprout from my body. I hope that you can soar with my children.' Waving her hand, the Goddess created all the birds in the world and bestowed this duty upon the golden owl. Then, the Goddess folded her wings and labored tirelessly to create other living things, until she could no longer fly."
"None of the birds in the world ever witnessed the Goddess in flight; they only bore witness to the golden owl spreading its wings to soar. Thus, the golden owl became the very first bird in the world that could fly—" I was dumbfounded. I never imagined there was such a hidden story behind it all.
"'Goddess, how shall I seek your forgiveness, for because of me, no one in the world knows that you could fly?' The golden owl shed tears, and as the droplets soaked into the earth, lush green grass sprouted from the ground."
"'My child, you have no need to apologize to me; you yourself are worthy of such a title. As for me, I have my own responsibilities. The sky is not my final destination, nor is soaring my goal.' The Goddess said gently, 'My wish is for the world to no longer be monotonous, for the sky to have its own children, while only the ocean and the land pray to me.' Once more, the Goddess fluttered her twin wings, and feather after feather drifted on the wind into the sea, giving rise to scales and bounty, and thus swimming fish were born. Stripped of all her feathers, the Goddess's wings transformed and differentiated into human arms..."
"'I shall take on a mortal form as the daughter of the earth, and retreat into the dense winding woods.' Thus, the very first 'human' in the world was born."
I fell silent after listening. It was the first time I had ever heard this version of the tale, and it certainly somewhat subverted my understanding. Yet, once I heard it through, it actually sounded quite reasonable. Alice tilted her head, resting on the table as she listened with great relish.
Gibbs seemed a little parched from speaking, so he picked up the Manmei wine on the table and took a sip, letting out a satisfied word of praise: "Ah—as expected, the Manmei wine here is the best." He cleared his throat again and continued, "Ever since the Goddess retreated into the earth, the sky became the territory of the golden owl. It flew over the dense jungle and saw the Goddess create the denizens of the forest; it glided across the plains and saw the Goddess erect massive encampments; it traversed the fertile soil and saw the Goddess cultivate bountiful farmland. But watching the Goddess's back as she toiled day and night, the golden owl decided to do something for her..."
"'O Deity, please grant me a fraction of your might so that I may share your burdens.' The golden owl pleaded."
"'My child, you have possessed extraordinary power since your birth; you merely need the sedimentation of time to discover it. I hope you will seek the answer within mankind.' The Goddess leaned down and whispered into the golden owl's ear."
"And so, the golden owl crossed mountains and seas, assumed a human form, and blended into human communities, yet never discovered its own talents."
Gibbs looked at me and continued, "The story that follows might shatter your understanding. Prepare yourself." I nodded and sat up straight. Only then did he speak once more: "Following the Goddess, more and more deities descended into the world. Some were kind and sincere, while others were ferocious and cruel. The Child of Calamity—Sera—was the latter."
"By nature cruel and bloodthirsty, he brought death and terror to the land. Humanity lived beneath gray shadows; they were far too insignificant to contend with Sera and could only beg the Goddess for help."
"They knelt and prayed countless times, yet the Goddess offered no response for the longest time, standing like a silent statue... She merely listened quietly to humanity's despair, watching with indifference as they fell into terrifying nightmares."
"'My child, the time has come for you to offer your power,' the Goddess said with a smile to the golden owl."
"The golden owl closed her eyes. She listened to the silent wails of living creatures; she felt the pain of life upon the earth; she attuned herself to the fervent heartbeats and breathing of the people. A crystalline tear welled in the corner of her eye and rolled down onto the earth. In an instant, the tear blossomed with a dazzling golden radiance, growing ever brighter as it pierced the clouds and even enveloped the entire land. Every person who witnessed the holy light felt a warmth akin to the sun."
"The golden owl mastered the most mysterious power in the world—dreams and memories. Wielding this power, she brought sweet dreams one after another to the people, granting countless individuals the courage and determination to survive, bestowing peaceful and beautiful dreams upon every living soul..."
"Humanity launched a final counteroffensive against Sera. The battle was exceptionally tragic; Sera's power was unprecedentedly formidable, and warrior after warrior fell in pools of blood..." Gibbs's tone turned melodious and deep, as if resonating with the story, before suddenly turning vibrant and passionate as he recounted: "Yet the conviction of the people had long since been forged like bedrock by their sweet dreams. It was time for this terrifying oppression and slaughter to come to an end!"
Alice, too, excitedly waved her small fists, fiercely punching the air as she looked thoroughly stirred.
"Sera's power was simply too overwhelming, so much that despite exhausting every trick and skill, humanity ultimately could not escape the fate of defeat..."
"However, the great Goddess Hera stepped before humanity once more. 'Unforgivable evil one, your deeds end here.' With that, using her own body as the catalyst, Hera transformed herself into golden chains that tightly bound Sera's neck and limbs. No matter how Sera struggled and writhed, the seal—bought at the cost of the Goddess's life—was unbreakable. Carrying his hatred for the Goddess, Sera plummeted forever into the endless abyss, permanently sealed away until the end of time..."
"The Goddess loved every living creature in the world equally. Even toward Sera, the benevolent Goddess believed there was a side of him capable of repentance. Before her death, she entrusted the golden owl with these final words: 'My child, from this day forward, you need no longer wander in confusion, for you have already found your true self, and so I can safely entrust everything to you.' Raising her head to gaze at the sky, the golden owl sorrowfully poured out her inner anguish and reluctance to the Goddess, 'My dear Goddess, I cannot become you. How shall I lead humanity carrying your will?'"
"‘My child, you are the very first life I created in this world; you are the fullest feather upon my body. If it is you, I believe you will surely do well... This time, I suppose, must be our final eternal parting... My child, carrying your own pride, fly freely onward—’"
"The world returned to peace; there was no more bloodshed or death. Under the leadership of the golden owl, humanity grew increasingly prosperous. They expanded their territories, raised dynasties, and ultimately established city-states of their own. As for the golden owl, she vanished without a trace, and no one has ever been able to track down her shadow, right down to this very day..."