Elder Poa says: "Again!" called the beaver. The mammoth was surprised, but the ottuk gave a friendly nod. And the animals spent the rest of the day playing in the rain shower the mammoth joyfully made.
Elder Poa says: "Can't you see what you have done?" Screamed the gold dragon, "Do no more, or you will forever change our world!" Angry at being denied, the blue dragon tried to pull a scale from her tail!
Elder Poa says: "For it is by listening to stories that we learn how to do the mightiest of deeds."
Elder Poa says: "How long?" Asked Koonak. "What do you mean?"
Elder Poa says: "I am dangerous." said the mantacorn. "But I owe a debt."
Elder Poa says: "I am sorry," said the stranger sadly. "I must go. We are called." And in a flash of cerulean, the stranger transformed. Tusks grew to fangs, hands to claws, and skin to bright blue scales!
Elder Poa says: "Take me with you!" Asked her potential mates of the tribe. But Hanuuqa turned them all away, for none looked strong enough to carry their own weight.
Elder Poa says: "This will make a tasty meal!" Thought Koonak. "And I shall call it soup!"
Elder Poa says: "We used to think that all mantacorns were dangerous. Why aren't you?" asked the children, for they had come to think of it as another parent.
Elder Poa says: "Why listen to stories, when we could be doing mighty deeds ourselves?!" He asked.
Elder Poa says: A mighty shark, with dorsal fins like mountains and teeth the size of mammoth tusks!
Elder Poa says: A seemingly perfectly average fish.
Elder Poa says: A splash so big, it emptied the all the lake's water! "See?" groaned the slyvern. "This is why you shouldn't have joined us."
Elder Poa says: A very, very long time ago, there was a young, adventurous tuskarr named Hanuuqa. Often she would leave on long journeys to hunt or trade.
Elder Poa says: After months of watching, Puolak returned to the village. The turtle had disappeared.
Elder Poa says: Again, three of the exact fish popped out. He removed his mitten, tossed it into the hole, and three mittens popped out!
Elder Poa says: And rarely, oh, so very seldom, Day and Night take up their weapons and fight one another in the skies overhead.
Elder Poa says: And the ottuk's paw made the mammoth sneeze! Water came blasting out of her trunk and all the other animals laughed in delight at the sudden shower.
Elder Poa says: As they wriggled on the slick ice, Hiqintu wondered to himself whether it was coincidence, and threw another catch from his bucket into the hole.
Elder Poa says: At those times, both Sun and Moon hide their faces in embarrassment at the rudeness of their cousins.
Elder Poa says: Be careful, young ones, of the rumble of the earth like heavy footfalls. For Foxrose Fourtoes may approach!
Elder Poa says: Because the ottuk always invited others to play, and never turned away an unhappy face, the mammoth gave him her tusks in gratitude. The two would always be friends.
Elder Poa says: But <name>, undaunted, promptly killed it and cooked it into the most delicious of soups, nourishing their family for weeks!
Elder Poa says: But be wary those footfalls! Each one shakes the earth, and may crush you!
Elder Poa says: But in the shadows, Mother Tuskarr could see for the first time. She rushed the dragon, spearing out its eye. The gold dragon screamed, but the blue dragon threw the eye into the sky and escaped with Mother Tuskarr on his back!
Elder Poa says: But one night, in the dead of winter, the father never returned from his fishing hole. As the children wept, a mantacorn appeared by their home, dragging itself up onto the ice.
Elder Poa says: But Sikrar was not felled! It roared in fury and PULLED! The lines went taught, and threatened to capsize the boat!
Elder Poa says: But some creatures floated and did not seek fish. Mattyiuk thought that would do very well, indeed.
Elder Poa says: But the blue dragon knew it was not enough light for them to thrive. He went to the first bronze dragon, and said "O radiant one, your scales are so bright. Please, may I have one of your scales to help the tuskarr?"
Elder Poa says: But the dragons were different. Their scales shined even in darkness.
Elder Poa says: But the other animals laughed. "But you're so big and hairy!" Said the turtle. "You're slow, you'll never be able to keep up with us!" Jeered the slyvern.
Elder Poa says: But then the ottuk, ever friendly, chirped. "Don't listen to them, of course you can join us!" Thrilled, the mammoth calf leapt in and made a huge splash--!
Elder Poa says: But there were no mammoths. Nor otters, nor beavers, nor deer. The rest of the tribe pleaded with their elders to move on, to follow the herds before they starved! But the elders only laughed.
Elder Poa says: But this only sent the gold dragon into a rage. She chased him, and though the grateful tuskarr hid the blue dragon, she would always find him with her burning, bright eyes.
Elder Poa says: But when Koonak tasted his new recipe, it was no good at all! His vegetables were firm and his fish rubbery.
Elder Poa says: But, he did.
Elder Poa says: Day and Night have long battled each other. From the beginning, neither loved the other as family should.
Elder Poa says: Days went by as Puolak sat watching. The turtle never moved.
Elder Poa says: Eventually, a young, brave tuskarr named Isker had enough. He led the rest of the tribe from the cave, and they lived on.
Elder Poa says: Every tuskarr matron knows a child emerges when it chooses. But when Teekuk arrived with a whimper, the elders knew he made a poor choice. He would not survive his first night.
Elder Poa says: Exhausted, Luqu returned to the village. He raged about how the fish eluded him and yelled at all who came near him.
Elder Poa says: Finally, the blue dragon and Mother Tuskarr were trapped in a cave by the bronze dragon. "Your curiosity is foolish, blue one. I see all. You can never hide from me as long as I have eyes!"
Elder Poa says: For six days and nights he fished alone, but caught not a single one! Never had a tuskarr heard of such failure.
Elder Poa says: For the rest of the winter, the mantacorn returned every night with fish it had caught from the deep places that only sea creatures know.
Elder Poa says: Forevermore, the bakar were the most beloved companions of the tuskarr of Imbu.
Elder Poa says: From a distance, Tuuku sat and watched one foolish tuskarr observe this shell in the wild.
Elder Poa says: Hanuuqa played in the ocean with a friendly ottuk. "Take me with you!" Said the ottuk. But Hanuuqa knew she was too young, and still needed the love of her mother.
Elder Poa says: Hanuuqa stared... and then reached out a hand to place it gently on the dragon's shining scales. "Take me with you." She whispered.
Elder Poa says: Hanuuqa visited the lands of the centaurs, where she met a strapping young scout. "Take me with you!" Begged the scout. But Hannuqa shook her head. He was still too tied to his home--the wind in the grass, the breeze through the trees.
Elder Poa says: He gestured to the waters. Within a moment, Sikrar emerged, belly up, bleeding from harpoon and spear. The creature was dead.
Elder Poa says: Hiqintu cursed his misfortune and stamped on the ground. But suddenly three of that same fish sprang from the water!
Elder Poa says: His cries were weak, his hunger pitiful. They knew he would never live a full year.
Elder Poa says: His family was horrified, but the storyteller did not mind. Once, he too had been young and unable to sit still.
Elder Poa says: Horrified, the tribe sealed the cavern. And though more gleamcoves appear every decade, a wise tuskarr knows not to disturb them, lest they, too, forget to hunt.
Elder Poa says: How, you ask? Though he was small and clumsy in body, he was bright in spirit and mind. The voices of the Ancestors were as clear to him as any speech. Thus, with their guidance, he was wise and true.
Elder Poa says: If by chance you meet her, give her a hearty HALLOOO, then run the other way! If you do not, she will grow angry and chase you!
Elder Poa says: If she catches you, she will crush you with her tail if not her great boots!
Elder Poa says: In a flash, Rulaq cut the lines, saving his crew. But the crew looked to him, aghast! "Now it shall escape, and continue to kill our families!"
Elder Poa says: In ancient days, a wandering tribe sought the shelter of a cave during the harshest winter they had ever known. As they entered, they were dazzled! For the cave was filled with beautiful, gleaming crystals!
Elder Poa says: In his youth, he could not paddle with strength nor hunt food for his people. The elders knew he could not provide for others.
Elder Poa says: In the ancient mists before time, the sky, earth, and sea were all black. The tuskarr were few and unable to find one another.
Elder Poa says: In the ancient times, before we knew time was time, an old seal named Koonak started to put fish, vegetables, and water into a pot, with a flame beneath!
Elder Poa says: It was invigorating! More and more they drew! It erased hunger and thirst, and made them strong enough to fell a mammoth in a single blow!
Elder Poa says: It was worth it for Ol'toolk, for then Koonak was able to make the most wonderful soup! For he knew to wait, and let time pass, with songs and merriment in between.
Elder Poa says: Koonak went to the bronze serpent spirit Ol'toolk and told him his woes. The spirit looked at him oddly. "How long did you keep it on the flame for?" asked the spirit.
Elder Poa says: Laughing with delight, Hiqintu threw in his fishing pole, the pail full of fish, then removed all his clothing and threw it in as well!
Elder Poa says: Light flooded the world. The eye, bright and fiery, came to be the sun, and its tears the stars. The blue dragon's scale became the moon. Days and nights began. And thus the tuskarr found each other, and became family.
Elder Poa says: Long ago, a tuskarr named Puolak from a village not too far from here set out on a journey. He wanted to observe the life of a river turtle.
Elder Poa says: Long ago, a tuskarr named Tuuku from a village not too far from here found an empty turtle shell.
Elder Poa says: Luqu left, determined to make his own story. He would bring back the greatest haul of fish the village had ever seen!
Elder Poa says: Mattyiuk watched how others fished. The flying creatures dove from high above and snatched their meal. But that would not do, he could not fly!
Elder Poa says: Mattyiuk, one of the First People, liked fishing a great deal but did not like riding the waves in a hide boat. The frame was solid and the skins flexible, but he just got so wet!
Elder Poa says: Miguu the Nervous, afraid of thieves and predators, would hide all her furs when summer came.
Elder Poa says: Much later, another tribe came upon the cave. They found the elders--what remained of them.
Elder Poa says: One day, a huge dragon flew by. The gusts of wind from the flapping of its great wings was so powerful, it lifted a chunk of land into the sky!
Elder Poa says: One day, Hanuuqa met another young tuskarr travelling alone. She had the most beautiful blue eyes, which glittered like the ocean!
Elder Poa says: One day, just like their father, the mantacorn never returned from his hunt. The children, hungry and desperate, sought out their old tribe.
Elder Poa says: One day, long ago, the great hero <name> was fishing when they were suddenly beset by a horde of monstrous demon fish! They fought the horde off with their bare hands, only to fish up...
Elder Poa says: One day, some animals were playing in a mountain lake. A lonely mammoth calf came wandering by, and asked to join their fun.
Elder Poa says: One day, the great fisher <name> decided to make a lure by collecting all the rarest fish across the lands. Over land and sea they traveled, and even to other worlds! When finally it was crafted, they caught...
Elder Poa says: One day, the great harpooner Rulaq set out with his crew to finally put an end to the beast. For weeks, they sailed the bitter cold, tracking the monster.
Elder Poa says: One day, the notorious fisher <name> thought of the new best way to catch fish - by standing on their head! For three days they remained in this pose, until finally they caught...
Elder Poa says: One day, while listening to the village storyteller, a young tuskarr named Luqu grumbled under his breath, "This is boring!"
Elder Poa says: One fine day, Hiqintu discovered a perfectly round hole cut in the ice at his favorite fishing spot. Not seeing any sign of other tuskarr around, he set up his gear and cast his line into the water.
Elder Poa says: One night, a young Imbu tuskarr traveling alone was attacked by a slyvern! The tuskarr dove into a small hole. But inside--the sudden screech of a Crystalspine!
Elder Poa says: Only then, the creature opened its mouth to speak! it praised <name> for their skill and promised to give them power unimaginable.
Elder Poa says: Puolak kept watching, fascinated that this turtle moved so slowly and so aimlessly.
Elder Poa says: Realizing that he had lost everything, Hiqintu walked off into the mountains, unable to face the shame of returning to his tribe with nothing.
Elder Poa says: Rulaq shook his head. "It is more important that you can return to your families at all. For look-"
Elder Poa says: She is a strange creature, with the head of a stag, body of a tuskarr, the tail of a fox, and cloven feet. As she wanders the land, roses grow from her footprints, even on the thickest ice.
Elder Poa says: She said, "I'll dig a hole so deep, no one will ever find them!" She spent weeks digging and digging and digging.
Elder Poa says: Shivering, he waited. Nothing happened. He continued waiting, all day and all night. Still nothing.
Elder Poa says: So don't put all your furs in one hole, no matter how secure you think it is!
Elder Poa says: So he went to a river and found a turtle. He sat and watched the turtle.
Elder Poa says: So I tell you, politely avert your eyes from such a struggle that you do not lose your vision. The greatest spirits do not favor those who stare at them.
Elder Poa says: So now, we keep our friends the giant sea turtles on the surface with a steering carrot on a stick! They are content, and we do not get wet when we travel the waves!
Elder Poa says: So when the earth rumbles, be swift on your feet, and always come running home.
Elder Poa says: Steel yourselves, youngsters, for this is an old and dark tale from days of long ice and bitterest snow.
Elder Poa says: Suddenly, there was a shadow over the young tuskarr. A huge bakar stood protectively above him, spines stuck from its back and blood pooling around its paws.
Elder Poa says: That concludes my tale. Tapionuq and Kilpi went on to have many more adventures, but I will tell those tales some other time.
Elder Poa says: That land was where Miguu had worked so hard to hide her furs. Now all of those furs were lost to the winds forever.
Elder Poa says: The bakar trembled in pain, but stood victorious. The young tuskarr cried out in gratitude, and vowed to nurse the bakar back to health, though the spines could never be removed.
Elder Poa says: The children swore off the sea and traveled inland, never to be seen by their tribe again.
Elder Poa says: The children wailed as the hunters carved apart the beast and something fell from within its belly. Two great tuskarr teeth, carved with stories of many hunts. Their old father's.
Elder Poa says: The children were frightened, but knew they would to the cold. They followed the mantacorn to its cove.
Elder Poa says: The crew was awed by Rulaq's wisdom. For he had the eye to see the beast was dead, and the speed to save his people. "Even if it weren't dead," continued Rulaq "have patience. There will be more chances to strike a beast down. But not always the to return home to share the kill with your family."
Elder Poa says: The crystalspine shot again, and spines stuck once more in the bakar's hide! With a roar, the bakar turned and offed the crystalspine in a single bite.
Elder Poa says: The elders sensed great power humming from within the crystals and learned how to draw upon that power.
Elder Poa says: The first blue dragon looked at the tuskarr and saw their kindly ways. He plucked a scale from his side and threw it into the sky, where it glowed with a dim light. The tuskarr were thankful, for now they could see their roads and their fishing knots.
Elder Poa says: The fish were biting. His pail quickly filled so high that a freshly caught fish flopped from the pail and fell back into the hole.
Elder Poa says: The form we are born in does not define us. Had it been so, Teekuk Seawalker could not have become the greatest shaman of our people.
Elder Poa says: The mammoth sagged with sorrow, her trunk in the puddle that remained. "It's okay," said the ottuk. "I know you just wanted to have fun." He placed a paw on the mammoth's trunk.
Elder Poa says: The mantacorn, with polished horn and bright, sharp teeth, said to the children: "It is deathly cold upon the ice. Why not come with me to the comfort of my home?"
Elder Poa says: The slyvern dove! The bakar leaped in its way, and as they tumbled, the spines stuck in the bakar's back pierced the sylvern, killing it.
Elder Poa says: The spirit Ol'toolk shook his head. Mortals were so foolish back in those days, they did not understand the passage of time! Patiently, Ol'toolk explained it to Koonak, and opened his eyes to the way of time.
Elder Poa says: The storyteller smiled. "It seems the fish are more clever than you! Perhaps," he told Luqu, "if you had stayed and looked for meaning in my stories, you would not have been so easily outsmarted!"
Elder Poa says: The stranger smiled, and the two were never seen on the Dragon Isles again.
Elder Poa says: The strangest creature mortal eyes have ever seen! It had a face like a duckling, the torso of a seal, and the tentacles of a giant, toothy squid!
Elder Poa says: The swimming creatures chased each other, the larger eating the smaller. But that would not do, he would be wet all the time.
Elder Poa says: The tribe had gathered to see the catch of their new hunter. It's teeth were sharp and bright, it's horn polished and long.
Elder Poa says: The two travelled together from one end of the isles to the other, both insisting they were heading the same way of their own accord, yet taking great pleasure in the other's company.
Elder Poa says: The youngster scrambled out and begged the Spirit of Beasts-- "Call away these hungry creatures!" The fox wyvern dove, and the crystalspine shot-!
Elder Poa says: Then one day, after Puolak awoke from a nap, the turtle had moved but a few feet!
Elder Poa says: Then one day, the sky grew dark with the wings of dragons.
Elder Poa says: Then, <name> threw it back into the ocean. They went on to fish in other waters, but never quite felt the same after that one catch...
Elder Poa says: Then, furious, the creature drew a mighty weapon, a spear the size of a storm cloud! It waved it in the air, threatening to strike the hero down!
Elder Poa says: There are many versions of this tale, but I tell you this one is the most true.
Elder Poa says: There once was a beast known as Sikrar, made of tentacles and teeth and all things wretched. It hunted our fishermen relentlessly, dragging boats into the depths with a single, silent strike.
Elder Poa says: There once was a hunter so arrogant, he grew tired of his tribe's mediocrity and brought his children away to feast on his glorious catches alone.
Elder Poa says: They are meant to share the world. One departs as the other arrives. But when one lingers, insults fly!
Elder Poa says: They did not need food. They had the Gleamcove.
Elder Poa says: They had forgotten to hunt, to eat, to drink, to be with their tribe. And so they perished. Only one remained, her eyes gleaming.
Elder Poa says: They wept for the loss of two parents that day.
Elder Poa says: This went on for months, when suddenly Tuuku returned to the village. The turtle was gone.
Elder Poa says: Tuuku bragged about his clever ploy. We listened to his tale, but felt he wasted his time on a prank that brought joy to no one.
Elder Poa says: Tuuku decided to place it in the forest near a river to see if his work could fool an unsuspecting traveler.
Elder Poa says: Tuuku fashioned some fake legs for it and his tribe said it looked real.
Elder Poa says: We humored Puolak and heard his tale. But we were not impressed.
Elder Poa says: When finally it appeared, they threw all they had at it! Nets, harpoons, spears-- and they struck true!
Elder Poa says: When the observer slept, Tuuku would move the shell a few feet.
Elder Poa says: When they waited long enough, the broth became thick and flavorful. The vegetables were tender, and the fish melted in Koonak's mouth. Ol'toolk and Koonak shared a fine meal, and Koonak vowed to share his knowledge with all the world, so everyone could make delicious soup!
Elder Poa says: With her final breath, she spoke no words of wisdom. She only chattered her tusks and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
Elder Poa says: Writhing in <name>'s hands, the creature slipped from their grip! It thrashed about and <name>, looking equally foolish, floundered around trying to catch it! It took far too long to recapture the creature, and many an onlooker had a hearty laugh at the scene.
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