Fistfull of Frontier: Honest Hearts

Scripture says that God first created the world. The mountains and the streams. The deserts and the forests. The oceans and the plains and everything in between.   Then she created the First Tribes. Tribes like the great wyrms, griffins, and sphinx. Then came the Second Tribes. The serpents, the lizards, and those that dwelt in the oceans. The Third Tribes followed; those that bore fur. Tribes like the wolves, the buffalo, and the mouse. Then the Fourth Tribes, coming second to last. The tribes that bore feathers and wings.   Then the Final Tribe. Crafted to be God's last project, though we don't know what we were intended for, we bore none of the gifts given to the other tribes. No claws, or fangs, or scales, nor great sense of smell or sight. Shocking, I know.   Whatever purpose God had for us, she told no one. If there even was one. Despite our apparent lack of a gift, she showered us with praise and paid us close attention. We were her darling creation.   The other tribes, especially the oldest, grew discontented. Angry that they were seemingly forgotten in favor of this apparent newcomer. Soon the other tribes joined the grumbling. The grumbling turned to shouting, and the shouting turned to yelling.   Then they turned on us.   The other four tribes descended on us with their teeth and claws. Humanity fled. Crying out for its mother. She called back, though her response was faint. She was hurrying back as quickly as she could. When she arrived, she found us huddled within a mountain. Tribes of all kinds swarmed around it, trying to force their way in. Even with God present, they chose to continue their assault. Her pleas falling on deafened ears.   She had no choice. She had to destroy her eldest to save the rest.   In an instant, each tribe assaulting the mountain felt themselves ripped apart; their gifts pried away from them. The First Tribe didn't even get that courtesy. Their punishment for attacking humanity being their complete removal.   When the sad task was done, Humanity emerged from the mountain again, warry of our surroundings. As a reward and apology, God took the gifts she had been forced to remove, and spread them amongst us.   Now the Final Tribe in both name and action.