Maaave and the Phantom Writer: Vol. 3

A fabric of the People of the Springs, telling the legend of the young dragon Ma'awi creating hot springs. Different passages seem to come from poets of different ages.

So the wise dragon's obsidian gates closed to Ma'awi. Thus Ma'awi returned in disappointment.

Descending the mountain, the Iktomisaurus spirit that had always accompanied it, far from land rich in phlogiston, lost light and warmth, became ashen pale, and its song grew more and more distant, more and more blurred.

Ma'awi was lost and grieved, urgently wishing to find a way to save its companion. Yet the wise dragon's obsidian gates were already tight shut, refusing another glance at its young kin.

"...Scatter me into the sulfurous pools; bury me in the icy tarns..."

Ma'awi heard the Iktomisaurus spirit's voice. Iktomisaurus spirits cannot speak—but Ma'awi did not know that. So it decided to fulfill its companion's wish.

After who knows how long of wandering, who knows how many mirage deceits pierced, who knows how many life-hanging dangerous roads, Ma'awi came to a hot-spring land full of sulfurous pools. At that time this region was not yet fit for living beings; even approaching would burn one with sulfurous poison gas and swallow one in scalding acid water.

Yet miraculously, as Ma'awi scattered its companion's body into the sulfurous pools, the scalding acid water turned into clear springs.

And our tribe's first poets were born from those clear springs. As our Meztli tribe says, "poets and singers are born of sulfur"—for their language is indeed burning and piercing.

Thus young Ma'awi created the earliest hot springs on Natlan's lands.

Thus Ma'awi settled in the hot-spring land; limbs and claws became streamlined beautiful fins; its lean body grew rounded; it became the first of the swimming fin-dragons.

Of course Ma'awi did not forget its companion—no, how could it forget the good friend who adventured with it?

Ma'awi taught all the songs it had heard and learned to the humans newly born in the clear springs. Yes—these humans are our ancestors. And the songs our Meztli tribe passes down are exactly echoes left from that ancient age.