The Constant Star (51)

THE STORY SO FAR

They knew this would be a long journey for whatever creature they created, for chaos was surely covering all of nature. To strengthen their creation they chose to make them in their own image, so their visage would reflect the glory that is possible for them. We were birthed by the gods themselves, and given the name, ‘Humanity’. A new creature come to life as babes in a chaotic universe would not survive long, so the gods created a world—this world—for them, to raise them and train them for what is to come. The gods themselves raised the first of them, leading them—and indeed, us—into what we know to be true. We are called to be one with our soul-call, and one with the land around us. The earliest of our people lived among the gods until they were able to hunt and glean from the land, then the gods, in their divine wisdom, left for their own home. They promised they would take us to Vesta, our great and promised inheritance, and that when we arrived there we would be ready to inhabit such a perfect place. We know this promise to be true, as the stars teach us every night through their changing that we travel on toward our promised home. The Constant Star waits for us, beckoning our hearts to be ready for the great call for which we were created.

“Our heroes of old learned to live in this land and become a part of it. They recognized the power of unity with the land and the creatures within it. As that unity grew so did our understanding of our purpose. To become what we can become, we must sacrifice and celebrate our own desires as much as we pursue them.

“There are many stories and tales to tell, but this day let me tell of Travos: The Wanderer. The first of us to venture from his homestead.

“He was one of the Great Ones at the beginning; Travos grew with the gods in unsurpassed wisdom and understanding. He was an excellent woodsman: strong of heart and spirit. He discovered many methods of hunting food, all with great respect to the animals he would take for his people. He was raised by Jupiter, the great leader of the gods, who taught him to always look beyond the horizon for what is possible and never think that what you know is all there is to know.

“Travos took these teachings to heart, and once his father had left he began to see Jupiter was not just talking about the mind, but also about the physical space in which he lived. Yes, the great adventure of the soul is to explore oneself, but Travos sought new learnings and new experiences by venturing from his home and his family into the unexplored areas around him. There were others like him, but whereas they sought to explore the land toward Vesta, Travos chose bravely to seek into the Wildlands, away from the promise. For his father had also taught him that not all wisdom is found in safety; great danger can birth great knowledge.”

Siff sits astounded, whatever Petrin is doing is profound. The imagination can only go so far, but it is as if she journeys with Travos, exploring the lands with him. She sees Jupiter and feels a pang in her gut. How many Jupiters have there been since that time? Would her father have been such a good leader? Petrin’s storytelling ability is borderline hallucinogenic, though she has not eaten or drank anything since coming to the circle. Is it his cadence? His words? How is this story so powerful?

Travos is a powerful man, bounding through the wild-grass, hunting prey, discovering new foods and new lands. He comes upon the End Forest and even dares to enter that. He finds a path through the many mysterious beasts that lie within and reaches the Gate at the far side where he is met by his father, Jupiter. Jupiter tells him he has reached the world’s end and can continue no farther, for he is not a god himself. Travos must turn back. Travos kneels and thanks Jupiter for the wisdom and strength he has been given to understand and to survive in the most dangerous of places. Jupiter tells him there is much else to explore, and with this journey behind him all else will seem like nothing to fear. Travos returns to his people and tells of all he has seen and heard; he leads a group of settlers over the hills to found a village close to the End Forest, hoping that one day his people will be counted worthy to join the gods. That is the tale of how this village was founded. However, his restlessness and need for adventure do not allow him to stay here for long, “…and he journeyed once more into the distant wilderness, leaving us this beautiful land to enjoy, knowing he would never return from his soul-call: to discover and learn the great things the gods have given us.

“And now let me introduce to you our master storyteller, Elleibrieth.”

A woman of similar age to Petrin joins him on the cobblestones. She is tall and slender, but strong in presence and confident in her gaze as her eyes meet with Siff’s, “Dearest guest, honored elders, and beloved community, let me share the tale of our own village’s very first born hero. Our ancestor Clomenei: the one who learned the languages of the wild.”

If Petrin’s stories were captivating, Elleibrieth’s are intoxicating. Siff is right there with young Clomenei as she senses the animals are more than mere wild beasts. She begins to understand that their behavior communicates as much as their vocalizations, that the deer and the sheep and the wolf and the horse can be spoken with. And that her own soul-call is to bring unity and symbiosis. She is the one who brought horses to the community, not as captured and broken animals, but as

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