Is Fantasizing About Reality Ridiculous?

Year 35: Morgan ran his fingers over a large page of raised dots. Young Charles sat next to him and watched, wide-eyed. He was quiet and patient. Morgan sensed a tacit eagerness. “The book I have open today is Bullfinch's Mythology. Do you understand what a myth is?”

“A story!” the lad answered quite cheerfully.

Morgan smiled. “Yes, myths are a type of story, but they also try to explain why things are the way they are. For instance, some claim how the world came into existance.”

“Read a true one, please,” Charles hugged against Morgan's side.

“A true one? Myths are understood to be just tales mankind created to explain what they did not understand. Most aren't really credible.”

“I like true stories,” the child stated pleasantly.

Morgan placed the book aside:

“Ten thousand years ago, there existed a kingdom filled with vast wonders and powerful magicians. They had many wonders and very advanced level of magic. They looked down callously on other races and believed themselves superior in every way. They captured other races and all sorts of great beasts to show off their superiority. They believed the only reason the others hated them was jealosy.

“They created magnificient structures to celebrate themselves and one day the ruling council decided to create a tremendous tower to house a new city. It would be larger than any city known and taller than the mountains. They wanted its top to brush the sky.

“They started building it, beautifully sculpting and shaping it with magical grandeur that is unmatched to this day. When it neared completion, they boasted that the gods themselves could not do better. This angered their gods and the gods sent forth their emissaries to wreak havoc among the vain people and destroy their lands. As the people of the kingdom cried out in misery, the gods enacted one final stroke of retribution. They opened the heavens and let the rain pour down. The skies poured for an entire cycle and the rain still did not cease. The survivors of the earlier catastrophes all ran to the magnificent tower of Hysper for protection from the rising waters. To this day, the world sees mostly rain and the only known survivors of the great cataclysm live in the tower built of their hubris and vanity.”

Charles thought intently. The vocabulary might well have been over the young boy's head. “That story is true?”

“Well, it may not be completely accurate, stories tend to change over time, but there is some truth to it. I have been to Hysper and the tower is a mile deep in water. And the Magiir were punished for their vanity long ago by the gods.”

Charles crawled up into Morgan's lap and hugged him.