7. The Last Bird

In his prime, the Ghostbird could have swept away any danger with a single winged blow. Cosmo knew this, but he also knew those days were long gone. And that broke his heart.

He gently placed everyone back on the ground. Eeris let him go and opened the woven pouch around her neck. With the same tenderness, Cosmo took the eggs one by one and placed them inside.

“He is dying,” said Cosmo. “He is the last of his kind.”

“You’ve been stealing eggs for a while now, haven’t you?” Eeris gently stroked the Ghostbird’s dark brown wings. Their leathery skin stretched between three fingers, each as long as her neck.

Cosmo nodded. “Yes, I used to steal dinosaur eggs. I flew lonely between the clouds for so long. So I enchanted the eggs, made sure dinosaurs with two wings hatched from them. And my wish came true.”

“So you stole our eggs to do the same thing again,” said Dilova. “Your own playmates for the skies.”

Her disgusted gaze cut Cosmo the most. For he felt it was deserved.

“That’s not true! I did it for the world. You will learn to fly someday. You will! I only wanted to … speed things up. Enzyme.”

All the eggs were safely tucked away in the pouch. The Ghostbird could barely keep his eyes open. Each exhale burst through Dilova’s feathers like a heavy gust of wind, even lifting her up.

Eeris laughed. “And here we thought these beings came about naturally. Bella even said how happy she was that such magnificent Ghostbirds came to live on our world.”

Cosmo was a giant, but looked a small boy next to his creation. He stroked the long beak. “But I know now that life born of magic is not real life. The Ghostbirds could never have children. They have no hunger, no enemies, no feelings. So they did nothing but fly around aimlessly.”

He sighed. “Dilova, can you please promise that you’ll quickly figure out how to fly properly?”

“I’ll do my best.” She turned away and sat down to give her one leg some rest. “But I won’t do it for you, egg thief. I’ll do it for myself. One day you’ll see me flying above everything, forever, just like the Ghostbird. I believe that.”

Eeris rubbed her warm cheek against Cosmo’s. “I forgive you, brother. But let him go now.”

Everyone touched the Ghostbird one last time, then formed a circle at a safe distance.

“Go, friend,” said Cosmo. “Live your last days however you want. If there is anything you want.”

The Ghostbird’s posture conveyed nothing, his eyes showed no sorrow or joy. The being simply existed. It was and nothing more. He rose up, pushed himself into the air with the help of the geysers, and needed just one stroke to reach for the horizon.

“I want no more lies, Cosmo. We’ll only get through this if the whole god family stands united. All those secrets only cause problems. Speaking of which …”

Through Cosmo’s tears, he managed a slight smile. “Well, I can’t believe my bird ears. Eeris has a secret? Sweet, kind Eeris who shares everything with everyone? To whom we don’t tell half our plans because she would blab them to the animals?”

“Wait, what?”

Eeris shook her tail. Dilova and the other animals had climbed onto her back. “Never mind. The Proto-Turtles have come ashore. That’s why they’re building the stairs. They’re afraid of punishment, so I haven’t said anything.”

“Why would we punish the other creatures for what a few turtles do?”

“It’s not about what we actually do, it’s about what the animals believe. Just like they believe there is a Supreme God above the clouds.”

Eeris turned her neck to stare at the creatures on her back. “Who, listen closely, does not exist.”

Cosmo nodded. “And they believe we send down great disasters upon everyone for the slightest mistake. Many believe we threw that asteroid, on purpose. Dear sister, I think we mostly have a problem with our image.”

Dilova scoffed. “Says the egg thief.”

Eeris sucked in a big breath. “Come on brother, we’re going to tell everyone the truth. Seems like a first step to becoming great leaders.”

When Eeris returned the pouch of eggs to the rightful parents, she was practically celebrated as a hero.

Cosmo had immediately left for the South, looking for Bella. If there was a Supreme God, it would be her. She had to decide what they were going to do. And Eeris was fine with that, because she wouldn’t know the best choice.

Abrahon, the Proto-Turtle, hadn’t listened. Once free, he stomped towards the stairs, unafraid of Ardex’ and his fire punishment. She couldn’t keep locking Abrahon in wood prisons every day.

They had to find another solution.

“Listen up, everyone!” said Eeris. “I’m asking you one last time: stop building. There is nothing up there. At this very moment, turtles are on their way here.”

She nudged a few bunnies. “Go take a look. Go up and look East, behind the Maybemountains.”

She circled the camp, with Fiante as the centerpoint, standing on a pile of broken tools. He was as upbeat and confident as always.

Eeris locked eyes with him. “They’re coming to destroy the stairs because they want the materials. Do you want the gods to intervene?”

“That sounds like a good idea to me, yes,” Fiante said softly.

“But then you’d also be fine with us intervening and stopping you from building the stairs?”

“Ha! Good one, Eeris.” Fiante tapped his new hammer against his own leg, his eyes always on the great stairs.

“I’m still waiting for an answer. I’m being honest. I admit Cosmo stole your eggs because he wanted to help, but he saw his mistake and gave them back. I admit all the gods have made mistakes. I’ve lived among you for thousands of years. Why would I lie about that Supreme God?”

The bunnies came back down. “She’s right. Abrahon will be here within a day.”

“One day is all we need,” said Fiante, and he tapped the bunnies kindly on the head.

He stepped down from the pile of rubble. Dilova jumped onto his back, tried to get his attention by tugging at his ears, but he acted as if he didn’t notice a thing. “Here we stand. A group of creatures who, in peace, want nothing more than to build some stairs. And you keep interfering.”

“Because we care about you.” Eeris struggled to stay calm. She looked into hundreds of glassy eyes. Eyes that would close forever if they finished those stairs and climbed up.

Let Cosmo make it in time, Eeris thought. Let the Proto-Turtle come then and destroy the stairs. I can manipulate trees and plants, but I can’t destroy lifeless stone.

She made one final attempt. “We believe we have to save you.”

“No, you believe we have to stay on this planet and listen to you. I believe I have to finish the stairs and find freedom up there.”

“One,” Fiante stepped onto the stairs.

“Step”, he took the next step.

“At,” another step.

“A time.”

All the creatures ran up the stairs, materials in hand, no desire to wait until the next morning.