The Story of Povl II

As Povl was being reborn under Qeosi's greatest priests, he himself went down to the village of Cississling undisguised. At once the villagers recognized him and came upon him in fear and hatred.

"My dear little village, why are we so violent today? For I have come to bring you good news! Would you not hear it?"

At this the villagers quieted, for as scared and violent as they were, they were frightened of the Ony before them and had heard many tales before.

"My dear little village, today I come to broker a deal with you, once which will be most beneficial to us both! Surely you have heard of and see Famdy lurking about the woods?"

And the villagers nodded, indeed, many of them had seen the Wild One.

"And have many of you not worried in your homes of the danger she may be? Do not deny that you greet her with eyes as frightful as the eyes you greet me with! You may be honest, I will not anger! I, too, would be frightened by myself. But today, I come not in anger or malice, Today I come to make a deal with you who have been so patient as to listen to me!"

"For I will take care of this Fadmy of yours. I will make her as you are, that she may possess no further potential harm to Cississling, no more potential harm than any of you possess towards one another, for it is indeed the poor way of our world to be most grievous towards our fellows than to engage in comradeship. But nonetheless I engage you!"

"But what of her guard? We have noticed peace and prosperity since her appearance, would not such things be lost when she came as one of us?" They inquired.

"Worry not, my friends. For her spirits are an intrinsic property of her being. I can work magic about her to remove her threat but not remove those spirits whose good will you have so long enjoyed, and well deserved, I might add." Qeosi was quick to answer with a great grin.

The village huddled. "We cannot trust him, as the leader of the Ony. On the other, we have no solution ourselves for she does elude us. Perhaps we can argue a deal as he says, but perhaps not." They mulled over themselves as to whether they could trust his word. Qeosi sat far beyond them, grinning brilliantly, relaxing and sitting upon a barrel. His gaze was fixed upon them. "His looks seem to betray a design on us," some noted.

After much deliberation, it was decided that, for whatever his faults, it might be best to take Qeosi on his offer. If Qeosi had been in a superior position, he would not be bartering with them with such silly (yet potentially dangerous) sprites like Fadmy. And what could he possibly ask of them? His deal might not be that harsh.

"Qeosi, you devil, we take you up on your offer. You shall make Fadmy harmless to us. What do you ask of us in return, then?"

"I ask only that you let my people live alongside you as equals in your village. For we have many who cannot live the life we are resigned too and are in need of rest and a place to retire."

"We are idiots! You remove one danger to expose us to ten more! No deal!"

Qeosi had expected this, and at that moment demonstrated to the villagers the Ony who he would have walk among them. And at once children, women, and elderly, the scared and the maimed came from behind him. And the villagers' hearts melted at the sight of them, and they quickly gave in, for who could possibly deny such people quarter?

"Also, I have but one more aspect to add to our little deal..." Qeosi added.

"Would now suggest we surrender our homes as well? Or perhaps our possessions? What more do you ask of us for a singular act of yours?"

"I am sorry, my friends! Please, calm yourselves for it is just a small favor. For when I do work my magic upon Fadmy, you must not call her Fadmy. For to do so would undo the magic I am bounding unto her. So, above all else, do not call her by your pet name for her. Instead, I ask of you to call her 'Povl' for she is, indeed, most curious in more ways than one."

And the villagers agreed among themselves that this was reasonable, in fact, a necessary aspect of the magic of the deal. And so the deal was struck.

"Good dealings, my friends! Now, let me retreat and do my work. Rest assured, it is the very finest, as expected of those who managed to nearly defeat your people many years ago, for we are still mighty!" With this he laughed and disappeared into the woods of Ritch. The villagers felt fear at his words as they did recall the great war of their ancestors.

So it was.