Myth Land (unedited)

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I remembered a few days ago when the animals used to make noises of excitement. But at that time... that time... No one even let anyone hear them breathing. Everyone was as stiff as rocks. Yet I wondered why. It was a simple question which I believed they knew the answer very well. And if they put their hearts so much into it, they must have known all about this particular grand prize.

Maybe they were scared of the baboon? Oh, but I don't think they were. The baboon didn't put any emphasis in his voice. He didn't even have the glare like Licht's.

Or maybe. Maybe they feared that their assumptions, hopes, and imaginations of Myth Land inside their heads may be different, or even wrong, than what it actually was.

The baboon neither forced nor intimidated us to directly answer his question. He just stood there with a smile on his face. But it wasn't the kind of smile of politeness or patience. It was a smile of satisfaction.

I saw a tail of a basketball-sized bird rose higher than any birds who were there. Without the bird having to say a word, the baboon nodded as a sign to let him (or her. I don't know) speak.

'Your Honor, I have an answer to your question,' he paused for a while to breathe, 'King Baboon, as what my family, my love ones, and my friends told me: Myth Land is the place where everything is better. Our appearances are better than what we are now. Our fate is promised. Our hearts are softened. We are going to be smarter than we are now. There will be no hunger. Our lives will be beautiful and peaceful, for both our hearts and minds will be able to work together better than they are now.'

The baboon, who looked smaller than he actually was, stood on his two feet. He smiled wider than Joker, almost threw himself to the back, and then he clapped his hands as if he was trying to kill a flying insect but failed to.

'That is true! That is all true! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Now everyone please give a round of applause to our fellow owl!'

The only animals who clapped their hands were only the Family members.

'Thank you, owl,' the baboon continued. 'However, there is one point that is missing. What do you call these beautiful dreamy pictures of being better than what we are now?'

Before anyone could take any guess, he answered himself.

'Human!'

The Family, I swear, was possessed! They suddenly jumped, and shouted, and growled, and cheered, and roared or meowed or howled—or whatever you call it—and danced around while the animals who were on the ground didn't even crack a smile.

They didn't really enjoy that moment for long because the baboon ordered them to be silent, so they did. He inhaled a very deep breath and told us a tale.

'The old tale told by our respected former leaders has been proven true. Dearest friends of ours. The miraculous unicorns, the tenacious manticores, the vigilant griffins, other earlier commanders. And of course, the strongest and the smartest, the dragons.

Each one of them had moved to the land where the well-known perfected creature exists. Human. The place itself? Is Myth Land.

In Myth Land, everyone has an excellent level of intelligence. Don't you ever compare it to animals'. Intelligence, for humans, is the most important element in life. They do not hunt for food! They know how to feed themselves without having to be in a fight. They know how to actually create and use things around them. They make use and the best of it. They eat us, and plants, as much as they want. They can make food tastes better! They can wear many and any kinds of skins and furs they want to wear. Unlike us, who are stuck in the same skin until we die. They can style their hair, wear diamonds around their necks and fingers, and even change the colors of their eyes. They can do everything. Everything! By themselves. They have this special almost unthinkable abilities that we don't.