Crocodile Tales
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A collection of stories Yokan is cataloging of the history of his people. This is mostly a side project for myself and a way to provide more information for anyone interested.
Long ago, before the Au'lessi counted the stars to tell the time, before shamans, before legs and before land was more than a place to lay eggs, the Au'lessi were like any other creature we now hunt today. Their legs were short and their bellies dragged shamefully upon the ground, and so only for warmth in the sun or to nest did they ever take to land. They could not speak between themselves as we do now except with their bodies and their rumbles and hisses, and lived alone most of their lives because they could not speak to the others of their kind. They were decent swimmers, decent hunters, and decent fighters, but what they had been given above all other creature was intelligent thought and faith so that the Gods could be praised for their work. They did deserve it after all.
But thought and faith did not save the crocodiles from much. Mournful mothers could only stand by and watch as swampbirds rooted through their lovingly buried nests with their great sharp beaks and consumed their unborn children, for the swampbird's necks were long, their feathers slippery and their stilt-like legs powerful and capped with long, sharp claws. Great firecats preyed on young and old alike as they basked in the heat of the day on the warm sand. Massive rocs would sail down from the skies above and snatch crocodiles from the waters like mere fish. Sharks of all shapes and sizes threatened their territories with death and starvation, for they were truly the sworn enemies of the crocodiles, able to swim faster, turn quicker with hides as tough to bite as stone.
The Gods who watched over all things spoke to the crocodiles within their minds when their thoughts were at their most desperate, for they had after all cursed them for having given the crocodiles intelligent thought instead of much stronger bodies to compete with the more dangerous but dumber species of the land. With so much to manage - all the animals, the land, and the plants, the Gods were not always kind when they answered the prayers of the crocodiles.
"Please don't let them it take my eggs, Nameless One." a mother would think to the God of Stone while she paced the waters just outside her nest as a swampbird ravaged it and she could do nothing. Nameless One would reply sternly, "The swampbird must eat as well my child, for she too has eggs to lay and children to hatch. I must watch over many creatures great and small to insure balance. You are selfish for thinking only of your own children."
An elder, who had sired many children was too slow with age to flee when a firecat came to claim him on the beach, and he fought for his life. As his great jaws snapped and his tail fiercely lashed, he prayed to A'un, the God of Fire "Great A'un, scare away this firecat so I may live to see my grandchildren become strong and sire children of their own." A'un, outraged replied, "If you do not have the will to survive to fight to your very last breath, then I will not help you.
A young female, out on her own from her mother hunting in the ocean was surprised by a roc piercing its great talons into her vulnerable underbelly as it lift her from the water and began to carry her off to consume her at its nest. She prayed to Mu-en, the God of Air, "Mu-en, please weaken the grip of the roc so that it may let me go." Mu-en laughed mirthfully, "We gave the roc wings, talons, and size so that they may catch prey because they are physically frail. Crocodiles are given great mouths, heavy tails, durable bodies and can hold their breath for long times, and we also gave you intelligence. It is not my fault you have not used the tools given to you properly."
A healthy, powerful male swam far from home in search of a suitably strong female to mate with when a massive shark caught him from behind, but this male did not pray as he snapped and lashed at his greatest enemy. He did not beg for his life, prey for his opponent to be weaker or for the Gods to interfere. He only thought to himself, "I must be stronger, faster, and more cunning than the shark if I am to survive, mate and make strong children for myself. I will not be like the fools who pray to the gods for help when they only help some, not all. If I die because I cannot help myself, I deserve to die."
Au-assana watched as this male fought bravely and heroically, taking on many wounds but dealing them out in kind. She was used to the crocodiles praying to her, the Goddess of Water to send the currents and lead the sharks away from them often, but this one did not call out to anyone, even as he began to tire and grew close to death. In a desperate move, his jaws finally found purchase in the shark's gills, and he tore at them with his snout until the shark ceased to move. Curious, Au-assana sent other hungry sharks away. She carried the brave and tired male to a safe haven with his kill by her tides, and as the sun set, she sent her waves to place him safely onto land. In his mind, she spoke, "Why do you not pray to the Gods who created you like the rest of your people, crocodile?"
The crocodile ate his kill proudly, and did not fear her great waves as they lapped at his feet, "The Gods created us. You all gave me many things to survive: will, a strong body, cunning, and stealth. Sometimes these things are not enough, but that is not your fault. That is my fault for not using them properly. If I fail to use what you have gifted us, I will not pass on my weakness to my children. Another, stronger crocodile should have the right to pass on his strength, not a weak and lucky one spared by the Gods." Au-assana thought the crocodile wise, and asked, "If you could choose what gifts the Gods gave you, what would you choose?"
The crocodile pondered over this question for a good deal of time, "I would not choose anything for myself. I alone cannot be stronger than any other crocodile, nor more favored. In the end, my strength would be meaningless to my children if I were to take a weaker mate than myself who still must turn to the Gods for aid."
Au-assana laughed at his answer, her waves bubbling and frothing with amusement, "If the crocodiles did not turn to us for aid, and we did not help them as much as we can within limits, they would no longer believe in us. That is insulting that our children to not believe in us who created them. We made you with that purpose in mind."
The crocodile smiled with his long wide jaw, "On the contrary, they would be grateful above all others you have created. A roc , swampbird, shark, or firecat does not thank you for the gifts you gave them. If you were to give your gifts to my people, I would gather them to me, all of them, and make sure they knew the Gods have given us gifts. I would tell them Gods are kind and merciful and have given us everything we need to survive. In that way, the Gods will live on in our hearts rather than our prayers."
With that, Au-assana smiled serenely, and her head bowed, "Your are a wise male, crocodile. For your selflessness and wisdom, I will summon my sibling Gods and you will tell us what you would do to strengthen all of your people."
Au-assana did so, gathering to her the Nameless One of Stone, A'un of Fire, and Mu-en the God of Air as had not been done since the creation of the lands and willed the crocodile to speak what he would give his people.
He thought, "I would give them limbs like the swampbird so that they may might fend off those that ravage their nests and be able to compete fairly against them." The Nameless One was pleased with this request, and in moments, the crocodile's legs grew long and sturdy, claws on new hands and feet.
The crocodile then thought, "I would give them a voice so that they may speak to each other and together scare away the firecats who hunt them on their basking beaches. For many wills combined are greater than one alone." A'un was satisfied with this request and with a flicker of a firey hand, the crocodile's snout shorted, his neck thinned and a flexible mouth from which words could form.
Then, the crocodile spoke though his language was rough and rudimentary, "I would have them live no longer in the water, for there we are vulnerable against the roc who looms high above us and the sharks who are stronger and fast. We have all the tools we need already to learn to protect ourselves, but we need a place to call home." Mu-en bubbled with laughter, and with massive gusts did he blow away much of the water covering the land, there in developing a land for the crocodiles to live with massive trees that gave cover from the deadly roc. In addition, his skin became a rich mottled green instead of deep grey so that he might match his new environment.
Au-assana looked upon the crocodile, saddened by his choice to abandon her tides and live on land instead, "Is there nothing else you would change to strengthen your people? Yes, you are now stronger, and with many people that will come together, but there are other creatures and other trials on land you do not face in the water. Are you not afraid you will find a more dangerous enemy than the shark?"
The crocodile considered her words carefully, his new fingers touching his green chin, "No, we are Blessed enough for what you have given us. To be any stronger would tempt us to abuse your gift and endanger your other creations, which in the end would damage ourselves as well. I believe things to be fair now. The only thing I am concerned about is that not every crocodile will be wise as I am, and take into consideration the lessons of the Gods. One day I will die, and then where will my people be?"
Au-assana smiled, and gestured, "Then, because you ask for nothing more, my gift is one you will be Blessed with. I give you hair that flows like the water you came from to always remind you of what you once were. But more importantly, every generation I will send your people another wise one such as yourself who will honor and represent me. I will assign them a guardian to teach these new shaman my ways." Au-assana wept for worry of the crocodiles, and from her tears formed small, blue, winged serpents who danced in the air like wafting currents of water. They circled around the crocodile as she spoke, "And you will be Na'kun, my Honored first."
The other Gods, jealous Au-assana had guaranteed her favor among the crocodiles, jumped at the chance to bestow their own Blessings so they could be remembered as well in generations to come. Thus, the Au'lessi began their new lives on land with shamans given the Blessing to guide them. This story is one that has been passed down from Honored Na'kun himself, the first water shaman whose name we praise and whose lessons are fundamental to the ways of water.
