The Tale of Toranti and Kaztora
"Deruda come swiftly, we are about to begin," spoke a voice seasoned by years and wizened by experience.
Breathing heavily, the small girl caught up to the rest of the group.
"Sorry elder I meant no disrespect," said Deruda between gasps for air.
"Do not apologize little one, you have missed nothing, we aren't even at the tomakteral yet," the elder replied kindly, "Who can tell me where the tomakteral got its name?"
"I think tomaktur is what stories are called," answered one of the younglings.
"Teranteral is the place where our ancestors rest," quietly spoke another as the group entered the large structure.
"You are very close Hakan," the elder said as he stepped up to the place of the speaker, "Tomaktur is a tradition not of just any stories but the stories of our history. It is what you are here to start learning."
"What about what Kekeru said?" asked one of the small ones with a defensive tone.
"Don't worry Nar, your brother was correct. Teranteral is the place where our ancestors go when they are done guiding us. This building is the place of stories. Tomak. Teral. It may serve many functions but none are more important than learning."
"Well let's get this over with then."
"Nar, at least try to be interested and you'll see that these stories are worth learning. You must learn them or you won't understand our rituals, sayings, and decisions."
Nar didn't seem happy about this but protested no further. Deruda glared at Nar, she was excited to learn about these great figures of the past that her family often talked about.
"Make yourselves comfortable and we will begin. Our story begins with two siblings running to catch up with their parents only to turn around and see the foot of a giant crush their home."
"Toranti! Kaztora! Hurry up!" their mother yelled in panic. The two little children ran but Toranti tripped over his own tail. His little sister helped him back up and they continued running until they reached their parents and hugged their legs. "We must all go, quickly, the rest of the tribe is ahead of us," came from the deep voice of their father. Their parents took them be the hand and began to follow the rest of their community away from their home. Toranti turned back to look while his mom pulled him forward. Kaztora noticed and looked back upon their former home as well. When she looked back to her brother she saw something in his eyes as he stared back behind them. It wasn't sorrow, it was determination.
"This is silly, I haven't learned anything," Nar interrupted and stood up to leave. "Who stepped on your tail?" Deruda responded, not happy at the distraction from the story. "I do-" Nar started before Kekeru grabbed her hand and looked up at her. Seeing that her brother really wanted to hear the story, she sat back down. "The determination in his eyes would diffuse into his entire being and bring about a change that would affect all lizardfolk but this was not a change that he would be able to bring about alone even with the aid of his sister."
Toranti and Kaztora played away from the adults, they were busy talking to the leaders of yet another tribe. "Do you think they will send us away again?" "Toranti, we can hope that they will let us stay but all the others..." "I know," he replied just before he heard something in the tall wetland grass, "Show yourself!" Toranti stepped between the rustling grass and his sister and raised his small fists. A white claw reached through the grass causing Toranti to tense up but when the claw pulled back the grass it revealed another young lizardfolk. "You scared us," said Kaztora as she stepped out from behind her brother and approached the newcomer. The unusually pale lizardfolk retreated slightly back into the tall grass and reeds afraid of Kaztora but to curious to flee. "You have nothing to fear from us." The one in the grass turned to look at Toranti and after some time of staring decided that he was honest. "I'm sorry for scaring you two," they said stepping out of the grass, "I was told to stay away from the outsiders, 'they might be dangerous', but I had to see." "We were about to play, the adults will likely be busy for a long time." "Would you care to join us?" asked Kaztora, realizing that Toranti's invitation was not very clear. "Sure." The three children played underneath the unending light and before they realized it much time had passed and the adults had finished. "Toranti, Kaztora, come it is time for us to go," came the booming voice of their father. The siblings turned to their new friend who seemed nervous, they weren't supposed to be here afterall. "Again we are sent away..." the defeat was audible in Toranti's voice. "We must go. Goodbye..." "Tsero, my name is Tsero." "Goodbye Tsero," finished Kaztora. "Farewell. It is good to know at least one person would show us kindness." "Always. May we meet again."
"Tsero..." spoke Hakan, "I know that name." "He is one of the Five Great Heroes," replied Kekeru. "Hero of the Tradewinds," added Deruda. The elder simply observed the children as they talked but Nar seemed isolated, she had nothing to say. "Alright, quiet down now," interrupted the elder as the children talked about things their parents had told them, "Nar, can you tell us anything about Tsero?" "He did something about a disease right? Found a cure," she spoke in the way only a child could, pretending to be uninterested but revealing her interest by doing so. "That's right but our story is not quite there yet and that is a different tale altogether, one that teaches an important lesson, much like the one the tale we tell now does. Our two siblings continue to bounce from place to place as their tribe is refused safe haven at every turn. They grow for many seasons, and then they make a decision that would change everything."
"Toranti! Kaztora! Hurry up!" their mother yelled in panic. The two little children ran but Toranti tripped over his own tail. His little sister helped him back up and they continued running until they reached their parents and hugged their legs. "We must all go, quickly, the rest of the tribe is ahead of us," came from the deep voice of their father. Their parents took them be the hand and began to follow the rest of their community away from their home. Toranti turned back to look while his mom pulled him forward. Kaztora noticed and looked back upon their former home as well. When she looked back to her brother she saw something in his eyes as he stared back behind them. It wasn't sorrow, it was determination.
"This is silly, I haven't learned anything," Nar interrupted and stood up to leave. "Who stepped on your tail?" Deruda responded, not happy at the distraction from the story. "I do-" Nar started before Kekeru grabbed her hand and looked up at her. Seeing that her brother really wanted to hear the story, she sat back down. "The determination in his eyes would diffuse into his entire being and bring about a change that would affect all lizardfolk but this was not a change that he would be able to bring about alone even with the aid of his sister."
Toranti and Kaztora played away from the adults, they were busy talking to the leaders of yet another tribe. "Do you think they will send us away again?" "Toranti, we can hope that they will let us stay but all the others..." "I know," he replied just before he heard something in the tall wetland grass, "Show yourself!" Toranti stepped between the rustling grass and his sister and raised his small fists. A white claw reached through the grass causing Toranti to tense up but when the claw pulled back the grass it revealed another young lizardfolk. "You scared us," said Kaztora as she stepped out from behind her brother and approached the newcomer. The unusually pale lizardfolk retreated slightly back into the tall grass and reeds afraid of Kaztora but to curious to flee. "You have nothing to fear from us." The one in the grass turned to look at Toranti and after some time of staring decided that he was honest. "I'm sorry for scaring you two," they said stepping out of the grass, "I was told to stay away from the outsiders, 'they might be dangerous', but I had to see." "We were about to play, the adults will likely be busy for a long time." "Would you care to join us?" asked Kaztora, realizing that Toranti's invitation was not very clear. "Sure." The three children played underneath the unending light and before they realized it much time had passed and the adults had finished. "Toranti, Kaztora, come it is time for us to go," came the booming voice of their father. The siblings turned to their new friend who seemed nervous, they weren't supposed to be here afterall. "Again we are sent away..." the defeat was audible in Toranti's voice. "We must go. Goodbye..." "Tsero, my name is Tsero." "Goodbye Tsero," finished Kaztora. "Farewell. It is good to know at least one person would show us kindness." "Always. May we meet again."
"Tsero..." spoke Hakan, "I know that name." "He is one of the Five Great Heroes," replied Kekeru. "Hero of the Tradewinds," added Deruda. The elder simply observed the children as they talked but Nar seemed isolated, she had nothing to say. "Alright, quiet down now," interrupted the elder as the children talked about things their parents had told them, "Nar, can you tell us anything about Tsero?" "He did something about a disease right? Found a cure," she spoke in the way only a child could, pretending to be uninterested but revealing her interest by doing so. "That's right but our story is not quite there yet and that is a different tale altogether, one that teaches an important lesson, much like the one the tale we tell now does. Our two siblings continue to bounce from place to place as their tribe is refused safe haven at every turn. They grow for many seasons, and then they make a decision that would change everything."
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