Memories of the Prince Imperial of Alnaria.
"Papa! Can you tell me a story?"
"Of course little cub, which you like to hear today? The Alligator and Heron, or perhaps the panther and the fool?"
"No Papa, I want to hear the story you told Sister last night. About the whale and the King."
"Oh." Said Papa. " I don't know if you're quite old enough to hear that one."
"Please Papa? You always say I'm older at heart than Sister."
"Very Well, but you must promise to listen."
"Of course I'll listen!" Said the child.
"I do not mean for you to simply hear me cub, I mean for you to listen with your ears and your heart."
"I will Papa!"
Papa breathed deep of the night air and began. "Very well young cub."
"Once upon an ancient time before the Primacy, and before the Empire, there lived a King of our people. He was strong and cunning, but vain and prideful. So prideful he thought himself able to trespass against the gods at his will. He would hunt sacred animals, and liken his skills to that of divinity. His greatest pleasure occurred on the first of each month. He would take his keenest warriors and finest sailors to hunt whales. As you know this a great sin against Ulnari, god of the Sea who claims all whales as his children. After a great hunt in July, the King, feeling so sure of his abilities declared a new conquest of the surrounding peoples. His father had begun the expansion, and he saw it as his destiny to continue it. He went north to the great fortress of Alan-Sar and gathered his armies. He sent his greatest Marshal south to do the same, and together they would conquer the world, or so the King thought. The enemies of the King moved first however. Twenty Tribes besieged the fortress of the north. They could not break down its walls, so they waited, and waited, and waited. The men of Alan-Sar and their lord grew weary of the siege, and so very hungry. Alan-Sar itself was built upon cliff, above a sea cave. From this cave they could normally fish, but every day they caught less and less. Unable to access the jungle either the men began to starve. One by one men perished from hunger. They prayed and prayed for the Marshall of the South to reach them, but the tribes had halted his advance. the soldiers prayed to every god they knew, until even the King prayed to gods he had once thought himself above. On the fifth week of the siege the King went down to the sea cave and not only prayed, but begged to Ulnari for forgiveness and relief, he promised to humble himself every day before the gods should he be spared from this fate. Ulnari however was silent to the King, they caught no fish that day. The King had terrible dreams that night of leviathans from the deep, in his nightmares the great beasts consumed all he had and loved. So restless was the King that he returned to the sea cave to pray for respite. In the cave he found not only relief, but that his prayer had been answered. the great body of a whale had beached itself on the shore of the cave. The King dropped to his knees and wept in gratitude to Ulnari, for he knew this offering would save him, and his men. Three weeks later the Marshall of the South shattered the enemy tribes and dispersed them to the winds. When he entered Alan-Sar the Emperor told him the story of the drift ashore god, and of his promise to Ulnari. To the King's surprise the Marshal laughed. Sire the gods favor us and our cause. For I too prayed to the gods, and great Orlamin stuck down the enemy leader. He sent a jaguar to take him while he used the latrine. The King could not help but laugh at the absurdity, but deep down he knew the seriousness of the matter. He had made promises to the gods that he must fulfill, and so he did. Every day after, he and the Marshall would pray in the waves, and in the jungle to the gods who saved them."
"Alright I think that's enough of the story for today." Said Papa. "What did you think of that little cub?"
"I liked the part with the Jaguar getting the guy on the toilet!"
Papa laughed heartily. "Don't tell Mama but that's my favorite part too. "When you're older I will tell you the rest of the story, but for now its off to bed. May you dream of whales and jaguars young cub."
"Papa! Can you tell me a story?"
"Of course little cub, which you like to hear today? The Alligator and Heron, or perhaps the panther and the fool?"
"No Papa, I want to hear the story you told Sister last night. About the whale and the King."
"Oh." Said Papa. " I don't know if you're quite old enough to hear that one."
"Please Papa? You always say I'm older at heart than Sister."
"Very Well, but you must promise to listen."
"Of course I'll listen!" Said the child.
"I do not mean for you to simply hear me cub, I mean for you to listen with your ears and your heart."
"I will Papa!"
Papa breathed deep of the night air and began. "Very well young cub."
"Once upon an ancient time before the Primacy, and before the Empire, there lived a King of our people. He was strong and cunning, but vain and prideful. So prideful he thought himself able to trespass against the gods at his will. He would hunt sacred animals, and liken his skills to that of divinity. His greatest pleasure occurred on the first of each month. He would take his keenest warriors and finest sailors to hunt whales. As you know this a great sin against Ulnari, god of the Sea who claims all whales as his children. After a great hunt in July, the King, feeling so sure of his abilities declared a new conquest of the surrounding peoples. His father had begun the expansion, and he saw it as his destiny to continue it. He went north to the great fortress of Alan-Sar and gathered his armies. He sent his greatest Marshal south to do the same, and together they would conquer the world, or so the King thought. The enemies of the King moved first however. Twenty Tribes besieged the fortress of the north. They could not break down its walls, so they waited, and waited, and waited. The men of Alan-Sar and their lord grew weary of the siege, and so very hungry. Alan-Sar itself was built upon cliff, above a sea cave. From this cave they could normally fish, but every day they caught less and less. Unable to access the jungle either the men began to starve. One by one men perished from hunger. They prayed and prayed for the Marshall of the South to reach them, but the tribes had halted his advance. the soldiers prayed to every god they knew, until even the King prayed to gods he had once thought himself above. On the fifth week of the siege the King went down to the sea cave and not only prayed, but begged to Ulnari for forgiveness and relief, he promised to humble himself every day before the gods should he be spared from this fate. Ulnari however was silent to the King, they caught no fish that day. The King had terrible dreams that night of leviathans from the deep, in his nightmares the great beasts consumed all he had and loved. So restless was the King that he returned to the sea cave to pray for respite. In the cave he found not only relief, but that his prayer had been answered. the great body of a whale had beached itself on the shore of the cave. The King dropped to his knees and wept in gratitude to Ulnari, for he knew this offering would save him, and his men. Three weeks later the Marshall of the South shattered the enemy tribes and dispersed them to the winds. When he entered Alan-Sar the Emperor told him the story of the drift ashore god, and of his promise to Ulnari. To the King's surprise the Marshal laughed. Sire the gods favor us and our cause. For I too prayed to the gods, and great Orlamin stuck down the enemy leader. He sent a jaguar to take him while he used the latrine. The King could not help but laugh at the absurdity, but deep down he knew the seriousness of the matter. He had made promises to the gods that he must fulfill, and so he did. Every day after, he and the Marshall would pray in the waves, and in the jungle to the gods who saved them."
"Alright I think that's enough of the story for today." Said Papa. "What did you think of that little cub?"
"I liked the part with the Jaguar getting the guy on the toilet!"
Papa laughed heartily. "Don't tell Mama but that's my favorite part too. "When you're older I will tell you the rest of the story, but for now its off to bed. May you dream of whales and jaguars young cub."
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