The Storyteller

Story One, Naginta

Let us start with the story of a brave young girl named Naginta. Please do not interrupt me, okay? I know you truly might not care, but you should. Your story shall be in my book soon, child. This very conversation shall be in my book too. It shall be strange though, telling the next passerby of your story. Not many talk to me.

Sorry, I went on a tangent. Naginta was a very clever, very brave, and very nice young girl. She was in poverty though and her family was sick and dying. Every morning, she rose early to tend to her family and her farm. Every night, she fell asleep attending to her family. Poor Naginta wanted what was best for her family, as you can tell. She always told them stories I gave you humans. She told them of her dreams and of her fears, and they listened.

They loved their dear Naginta, and she loved them. She gave them every medicine available, she prayed to every god and tried every ritual to help her family. Yet nothing worked. One day, Naginta was out in the field. She was crying and working, hoping nobody would hear her.

"Why do you cry, Naginta?" Asked a voice. She looked up and saw the wolf goddess of the harvest, Holo. "Oh great wolf, my family is sick and dying! None of the gods have answered my pleas! None except you!" She cried out. Holo sat next to the girl. "Would you be willing to give up anything for your family?" Asked Holo. Naginta nodded. "Anything and everything. My own life included." She told the wise wolf.

Holo was pleased with this answer. "Go to the Prince of Shadows and give him three stalks of wheat. When he hands them back, ask him which way the wind is blowing. If he replies with East, travel West. He replies with South, travel north. If he says it is not blowing, then ask him for his blessing and he shall give it to you." Naginta stood up, thanking the Wise Wolf. She grabbed three stalks of wheat and ran to the kingdom on the sea, the 13 isles.

She arrived at the 13th Isle, the isle of Prince Samuel. She walked in, knowing that he was the Prince she needed to speak to. He was the only Prince in the 13 isles. "Prince Samuel! I need to speak with you!" She cried. Prince Samuel smiled and motioned forth. She walked towards him and held out the three stalks. He took them and began to chant in the Elder Tongue. She watched as he took each grain and put it in a pouch.

Samuel handed the pouch to her. "Prince Samuel, what direction does the wind blow?" She asked. At that moment, a hawk landed on his shoulder. "It blows westward, my fair lady." He said. Naginta smiled. "Thank you, Prince Samuel." She said. She walked out and traveled East, back to her little home. "Wise Wolf, what must I do now?" She asked.

"You must feed your family the wheat grains, Naginta." Holo told her. Naginta nodded her thanks and walked inside her home. She fed the grains to her family, who went from deathly pale and coughing up blood to fully healed. Naginta smiled and then collapsed to the floor.

Naginta was dead. She had used her soul and her love to cure her family and bring them back from the brink of death. What is the matter, child? Do you think Prince Samuel cheated her? Well, it wasn't Prince Samuel nor Holo. Naginta had said she was willing to give up anything, including her life. It seems that her life was the cure to her family. Do not be upset, child. She is now a constellation. It is called The Hunter, for she never stopped hunting for a cure for her family.

The next story is much darker. It is the story of Prince Samuel and what truly happened to him.