But it was not long before all the world and its denizens were known and understood by Matria. Matria had conversed all she could with the Primes and with Arkanda and there was naught left to speak of that had not been already spoken. And Matria lay upon the ground and fell into a deep slumber, undisturbed by even the loudest of creatures nor by the machinations and intents of the Primes who sought to please and rouse Matria once more.
And the world fell silent as the Primes ordered that all be hushed. Arkanda let slip the fabric of the sky and the Primes let loose a mighty howl and cry that echoed across the void to the seat Helix had fashioned for himself.
*****
Helix rushed back to the world to see Matria again lying upon its face, motionless and slowly being covered by the soft mosses and grasses that sought to keep her warm as she slept. Helix’s anger rose as he sought the reason for Matria’s convalescence.
Helix spoke to and questioned the Primes, who knew not the answer. Neither did Arkanda truly understand what had happened. Without help from those who could understand and converse with him, Helix was lost and without direction.
Matria had shown him the errors of smashing and crushing that which displeased him. But the Great Father knew not how to do else but destroy and the torment of watching his beloved asleep without warmth was appalling and tendrils of hurt and pain wrapped themselves around his heart. It was then he heard a tiny voice, a miniscule trembling of sound barely heard and barely felt.
“The Great Mother understands us all and there is naught that remains for her discovery.” Helix leaned down as far as he could lean and looked about in the midst of the trees and rocks to find a smallish thing clad in scales and cool in the warmth of his light.
Helix asked the thing what it was and it responded.
“The Great Mother never named me. I was too small and her eyes never fell upon me.” Helix was amused by this courageous being and reached out a hand to lift the creature before his eyes. In doing so he lifted the creature beyond the veil of the sky and the creature could no longer take breath and fell dead in Helix’s hand.
Aghast, Helix tried to bring life back to the tiny creature but had not the means to do so. Mortified at what he’d done, Helix tore at himself in rage and frustration.
*****
Matria is roused by the cacophony of Helix’s rages above the sky. She looked up and saw fragments of Helix falling through the sky around her as Arkanda rushed about attempting futilely to keep them from alighting upon the world.
Seeing Arkanda’s frustration, Matria placed a hand upon him and gathered up all the fragments and rose up into the void to soothe Helix, who saw her and wept at her constant beauty. Floating in the void beside helix was a small creature she had not before seen. It was lifeless and hung motionless in the blackness.
Helix explained that she had neither seen nor named this creature and lamented at its destruction. But Matria set aside the fragments of Helix and bade them stay where they were placed and thus gave them a life of sorts. She took in her hand the lifeless creature and studied the scales that cloaked it, taking time to run a finger gently across its still frame. Matria felt sadness for this poor creature and turned to see helix attempting to destroy the fragments he had torn from himself in an attempt to rid the void of their continued presence.
Matria stayed his hands and gathered up the pieces once more and stepped back into the world with them and the lifeless creature. Around her gathered the Primes and Arkanda, who all watched as she breathed life into these pieces of Helix and bade them to look like the creature he had unwittingly destroyed.
Each fragment, once a part of the Great Father, became unto itself a living being which Matria clothed in the scales of the creature Helix had destroyed. The Great Mother gifted to these new creations all of the attributes that she felt would make them above the other creatures.
Matria gave unto them fang and claw that they may defend themselves if beset by enemies.
She gave also unto them a long and lithe form that they may know strength.
In their hearts she placed a fragment of herself that they may come to know the joy of creation.
The Great Mother then took a step back as she saw the Primes wished to give her new creations a gift as well.
The Primes gifted the creatures with a wide variety of breaths that could harness the very powers of the elements themselves. Each breath marked that creature as beholden to one or more Primes and would change the colours of their scales in honour and deference to that prime.
Matria smiled and embraced each Prime in turn before Arkanda stepped forward and offered to grant a gift as well.
Arkanda gifted the creatures with a majestic and wondrous pair of wings that would allow them to soar above the world and to see it in all its majesty as did Arkanda.
The creatures, clad in their new forms and draped with their gifts, milled about at Matria’s feet and looked up with newfound eyes in wonder at the world around them.
Matria spoke to the creatures warmly and named them Dragon.
Matria smiled and was glad.