37. Dragons and Cats | Beyond the Firmament: Tales From the Cosmos

Beyond The Firmament

Tales From The Cosmos

37. Dragons and Cats

- Written by Gift C Enyadike Jr

As I said, the Jarwa, Dioretaar, loved the colour blue, so he chose a blue planet orbiting a blue sun to match his great blue crown of flames. As you might know, a blue sun is much, much hotter than a yellow one like yours, and though the planet Zul was richer in Ozone than Teyra at its peak, it would not be 100% effective, so the life that he raised was especially hardy and resistant. 

He was not inspired by the humans on Teyra, aside from their intellect and language, and he did not want to imitate the likeness of Da Suun, who was Da Vaada. No, he took a liking to the beasts that walked alongside man and crafted his own, and from them he raised two sapients. We who know call them the Levca and Krozna. 

The Levca were a towering race of tightly-woven scales and great strength. He gave them the gift of fire, blue and burning like his, and it was how they spoke to each other. 

The Krozna were a lithe and powerful race, covered in fur, sensitive to sound and smell. He gave them the gift of voice, loud and booming like his, which was how they spoke to each other. 

The Levca would rule under the blazing sun of Alta, and the Krozna would rule in the cool of Odic. This was so that one would not look to dominate the other. 

The Levca's scales were such that they could not be harmed without great effort, and in stillness, they were like stone. The Krozna were masters of their environment, in that they could not be found if they did not desire it. 

He was a stern overseer, prepared to punish even the attempt of such violations, and he did, harshly, while saying, "Vaadaromo" (Father's Mercy). It is a prayer for the wicked to be forgiven in death and allowed into Udamu. He taught both to do the same within their own communities. 

Such perfect harmony would not last, with or without Sevaasi and his cohorts going to work. After all, for all his vigilance, Dioretaar could not see everything. 

This was another case of the devil having a light workload. 

The two people had already coveted each other's gifts, wanting to be whole in reflecting their creator. Soon, they would fear each other because they had weaknesses. 

Yes, the Levca's skin was hard, but not unbreakable. Their eyes could be pierced, their ears could be deafened, and their food could be poisoned. And while their strength was unmatched, they were often slow-moving and lethargic, especially when the sun fell. 

And yes, the Krozna could make themselves practically invisible, but what good are hiding spots if everything can be set ablaze or trampled? And while they were quick and cunning, their stamina left much to be desired, especially under the light. 

So, neither slept, leading to mass paranoia and eventually conflict. A clear and continual violation of the edict given to them. 

Dioretaar saw this and his anger; he raised his sword, preparing to wipe them both out. The memory of Mars, which had been and still is Sevaasi's world, stopped him, and in shame, he dropped it into the void. Instead, he reached down to take back his gifts, the ultimate source of the enmity between them. 

When this failed to curb the conflict, he split the land, separating the two races by a vast ocean. Now they could sleep, but without their gifts, they could not speak to each other or to him. 

Da Vaada heard their hearts and told him to let them speak, and so written language was given to both peoples. Da Vaada then said to return their gifts, with added weight. So Dioretaar taught them to cross the seas. They used the seas to make war with each other, and once again, his anger had been roused, but he would do as Da Vaada commanded. 

When a Levca and a Krozna meet in the ocean and reconcile, they both regain their speech. However, the fire can melt the Levca from the inside and destroy everything around them, and the voice can deafen the ears of the Krozna and burst their lungs, and destroy everything around them. 

To this day, they rarely cross the seas because they will find death one way or another. But those who do and return are held in high esteem among their peoples and act as mediaries between them and Dioretaar, who in turn speaks to Da Vaada.

But one day, they will all speak again.