Phoenixes
The Raven Bell
I am a crow, and I was perched in a tree, speaking with a young man-
“…It found a clay jar, but there was too little water inside. So, it picked up stones in its beak and dropped them into the jar until the water rose, and it finally managed to drink. However, once it returned to Penglai Mountain, the clan leader had it burned to death.”
“Why?”
“It was sick. A ‘Crow Plague’ had grown inside its head. That is a type of pestilence from your mortal realm that only we crows can contract.”
“How could they tell it had the Crow Plague?”
“It started dropping stones into jars. It even claimed that the divine bird atop the Fusang Tree looked like it had three legs and fifteen toes.”
“…That Crow Plague you’re talking about? I think it might go by another name in our world.”
“What?”
“Brains.”
