The Jewels of Qia - Myth

NOTE: I am not polytheistic and therefore do not express any religious beliefs that correlate with this story. :)  Also, this religion is fictitious.

Also, here are some pronunciations:

Kie = KEE-yey

Qia = KWEE-yuh

In lands sprinkled throughout the world, some zealots and devotees believe in a council of gods that created Earth and the universe. Their faith worships and passes on the story of the Seven Gods, one of whom is the god of intelligence. The god, Qia, was the son of the goddess of life, Kie. In the beginning, Qia did not have a seat among the council of gods. But the divine Kie, who had borne a son whom she cherished deeply in her heart, saw that her son grew worthy to lead humans to enlightenment. The gods decided a god of intelligence was needed to sit in the council, and so came Qia. The other six were all the siblings of Kie, so Qia was the youngest of them, and was ecstatic to bring sparkling new ideas to lead the world when he was given a seat at a holy throne. When humanity’s intelligence first began, he created his first idea to make a great change in the world and have glory as a god, and excitedly rushed to tell his mother.

He told the great Kie that his brilliant mind had harnessed the power of electricity that his mother created for the world to create an electronic device with radio signals, which he said he wanted to bring down to humanity to help them in productivity and efficiency. He could imagine him coming down to Earth as the savior of humanity. But Kie shook her head. She gently told him that humanity was still growing, and therefore should not be introduced so quickly to a device too complex, for their minds were as new as fresh ink. She told him it would be better to wait and allow humanity to gradually pave its way to discover intelligence. Saddened but understanding his mother’s decision, Qia accepted and agreed to wait to reveal his invention.

Eons passed, and humanity began to flourish like a plant sprouting between cracked stones. Soon, they were shaping wheels and building walls, and soon documenting on tablets. Qia smiled upon humanity, proud of his work. Again, he went up to his mother, bringing up the subject of his invention, arguing that humanity was now ready. But the wise Kie again shook her head. From their thrones in the clouds, she pointed to the elements that the humans had still not found yet that lay scattered like uncharted stars throughout the Earth, and the metal they still used merely for crafting armor and sculptures. She reasoned that they still had many ages to go before they would be ready. She suggested again to slowly bring them to see enlightenment and discover philosophies and truths. Reluctantly, the god of wit obeyed his mother.

But Qia was angered that his mother was so cruel as to keep him from allowing humanity to soar to great heights; so he decided to prove how intelligent humans could be. Soon, thinkers came to the world who tested limits, broke barriers with philosophies, scientific discoveries, and artistic expression. Eras sparkled with shifts in discoveries, shone with expressive paintings, and shimmered in mapping landmasses and seas and creating paths to the future. Oh, how Qia polished and cut gems like they were crown jewels, shining crystalline edges that reflected the golden age of humans. Proudly, Qia presented his work to his mother, hoping she might at last permit him to unveil his great invention. Indeed, Kie beamed at her son’s work on Earth, but still her head shook no. Still, there was unrest and inequality throughout the world that would only worsen with the introduction of technology. Qia said nothing at this, as his resentment for his mother was boiling inside of him, threatening to overflow from his mother’s deferring of his chance to be humanity’s savior.

And so, the enraged god poured his power into the next centuries, working to make humanity’s intelligence transcend the limits, and all the other gods watched in awe as the they surpassed their expectations, planting seeds throughout the world that would prosper and grow into branches of ideas, spread across the world, tunneling its roots towards millions of minds, interconnecting systems, until the world was so complex that even the gods were speechless. At last, Qia wiped his brow, satisfied with his creation. Soon, his mother came up to him and embraced him, lauding him for humanity’s great heightening of intelligence. Qia almost laughed, but a part of him was still as tense as a stone, still wanting the glory he desired so long ago. Qia asked her again if he could bless the world with his invention, certain of her approval. But Kie tilted her head to the side in confusion and then pointed to a spot on the Earth. And lo, there, when he traced the line her finger made, he saw a human with fire, yes, fire, in his hands, and the very electronic device Qia himself invented all those eons ago.

“I am sorry, my son,” said the mother Kie. And those flames spread, as the wind blew, into Qia’s eyes, and soon it was all he could see. All his patient waiting, his cultivation of the human race, his own sprouts and jewels had shattered him, and claimed what was his. All of it came rushing out of him like a broken dam, like a shattered jewel exploding into a million fragments. He cursed his mother for exploiting him and taking his glory, for the humans for outdoing him. The clouds thundered, the sky darkened, and the earth shook as he threatened to ruin the minds of the humans to extinction. Then the powerful Kie, raising her hands to the sky and summoning her strength, at last banished Qia and removed his power. The gods could have sworn they saw a tear roll down her godly cheek.

Soon, a new god was replaced as the god of intelligence, and since then, it was said that the gods ruled Earth peacefully, and humanity would continue to prosper with their great intelligence. The devotees still believe Qia is out there somewhere, perhaps living a tranquil life as a human being, though still wearing a jewel on his finger.