Zel blinked after reading Larea's message. "A story?" he repeated. His legs were already crossed and now he crossed his arms too, with on hand holding his chin and his head tilted slightly sideways. He'd never been asked to tell someone a story before. He knew... probably hundreds of them. He tried to pick one he thought Larea would like.<br/><br/>"Well, alright." Zel said. "Once, in a small village, there lived a young boy. His parents gave him a name meaning "one who has everything", but they were killed early in his childhood by a plague. The boy somehow survived the plague and was left with enough food to feed him for a month. All the other villagers, however, had been left with nothing to eat."<br/><br/>"He was a generous boy, and so one by one, he gave each villager a cup of rice, giving them each an equal share. Once everyone had been fed, he turned to get some rice for himself, only to find there was nothing left."<br/><br/>"He was left hungry for days, and a kind villager, whom he'd helped, took pity on him. She told him of a magical dragon which could grant three wishes. The boy thanked the woman and immediately set off in search of this dragon. "<br/><br/>"On his journey, the boy met a man and his daughter. The man called out to him and asked where he was going. "I am going to see the dragon," the boy said. "So that he may grant me three wishes." The man said to the boy that if he had three wishes, surely he could spare one. The man told the boy that his daughter was unhappy. She refused all of the suitors that were offered to her, and never smiled. In truth, the daughter just wanted someone who could make her smile, but no one had been able to do so yet."<br/><br/>"The boy was generous and agreed to ask the dragon for a proper suiter for his daughter. He continued on his way until he met another man, this one fussing in his garden. The man called out to the boy, asking him where he was going. "I am going to see the dragon," the boy said again. "So that he may grant me three wishes." This man again told the boy that if he had three wishes, surely he could spare one."<br/><br/>"The man told the boy that no matter what he did, his flowers would not grow. The boy agreed to ask the dragon to help the man's flowers grow and went on his way. The boy then came upon the dragon, sitting on the other side of a river. The boy called out to the dragon: "I have come here, so that I may ask you to grant me three wishes," the boy said."<br/><br/>"The dragon rose to look at the boy, asking him what wishes he wanted granted. First the boy asked the first man's wish. "I will send the girl someone who can make her smile. This will be the one she marries," the dragon said. In response to the second wish the dragon said, "There is a sack of gold burried beneath the man's garden. Dig it out and the flowers will grow." Then the boy asked his own wish. "I would like to know, why my name means "one who has everything" yet I have nothing?" The dragon looked at the boy for a moment, then spoke in its deep rumbling voice, "Soon," the dragon said, "you will have everything you could ever need.""<br/><br/>"The boy was not quite satisfied with his answer, but the dragon disappeared under the water. The boy began his way back to his own village. He soon came upon the man with the flowers. The man looked up when he saw the boy and asked what the dragon said. The boy recounted the dragon's answer and the man asked his help in digging out the gold. It was a large sack, and very heavy. "I have no need for this much gold," the man told the boy. "All I wanted was for my flowers to grow. Won't you take this with you?" The boy did not want to be rude and refuse, so he took the gold and went on his way."<br/><br/>"Next he came back upon the first man's house. The man asked the boy what the dragon had said, and the boy recounted the dragon's answer. The man's daughter came out to see what they were talking about, and started laughing. Before her, was the boy, covered in dirt and mud, dragging a sack almost as big as he was. It was such a funny sight that she couldn't help herself. The man looked upon this situation with awe and immediately had the two married."<br/><br/>"It turned out, this man had been the king, there on a small vacation. When the boy returned to his village, he returned a hero who had encountered a magical dragon, bearing with him immesurable riches, and a royal bride. He was greeted with a kings ransom, and finally came to fit the name he was given."<br/><br/>Zel took a breath, having finished the story. He looked at Larea and gave her a slight smile. "Was that suitable?"