<div align="center">(https://i.imgur.com/1Lue4rP.png)<br/>(art by Samiran Sarkar (https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Beauty-of-Bengal-Village-Watercolor-on-paper/4169/2241177/view))<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 15pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Year Two<br/>The Time of Storytelling</strong></span></span></div><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><em>The Grumpus stares into the lava pool he sits above, head hung. "It was a beautiful island." He says sadly. It is all he will say. He does not respond to Rin at all, no matter how long she waits. But as she leaves, he turns and watches the space she once was. He turns the other way, eyeing something in the hot liquid. He strokes his rocky chin....<br/><br/>Agi teaches what he can, and true what Blossom has said, there is no shortage of exceptional potential in these mortals. The fiery cats in Agi's field prove helpful aids. Able to withstand blasts of warrant magic, playful and encouraging, some even begin to act as familiars to the most promising young hearth tenders. Alexandra herself is the most advanced and wise of his students, and this helps cement her position as the leader of the mortals. She seems particularly inclined to respect Agi.<br/><br/>Aqua's insistence shows the mortals the way to accepting the wild things of the island, and this gives the village its name - Harmony. The mortals vow they will strive to be welcoming to all things, thankful for the gift of Aqua's water. She is a very popular spirit here indeed. The mortals and animals alike love the flowers she gives them, the water of life he provides, and the wisdom they teach. <br/><br/>Rime's gift has attracted curious mortals who stare into the night skies, taking notes and making charts of how the stars move in her lake and how it differs from the stars above. There is some great puzzle here, although it will take quite some time to solve. These Star Charters have many questions, most of which Rime cannot know the answer to. The island is full of such mysteries, enough to occupy the icy spirit for many, many, years. Some of the more curious mortals and animals of the island offer their help, and Rime develops a small retinue of inquisitive things to aid in her discoveries. <br/><br/>Rin of course, is only known by the young of all walks of life that join together in her secret tunnels. And while the young will not remember everything, Rin knows that they will likewise not forget it all, even if they forget her. She knows the different creatures will love each other beyond their ability to remember her secret domain, when they still take rideymathings down the mountain together. <br/><br/>Wish, swift as the breeze, may be here, or there, or elsewhere, but her gift remains. And it is a gift the mortals are starting to appreciate. They know, unlike any who came before them, a bit of what it feels like to be a leaf in the wind. And for those who have the fortitude to enjoy the experience, it is enlightening, humbling, and, oddly, gives way to a sense of peace. "Get your feet off the ground." Becomes a saying for those are taking things too seriously, too personally, or giving in to greed or hate. Even the most fervent of the old guard who wish to see Gods again find themselves taking part in the island's joy ride. <br/><br/>For those who speak to the Reaper they find her quite encouraging. She says that these mortals are hoping they will find something waiting for them in the next world. A place designed for the comfort of their soul just as this village was for their living life. The Reaper is sure you help create such a realm, and tells you to meet her on the same night you went with the soul of the Wise Old Elephant, and those who listen realize they are being asked to come and build an afterlife for the mortals who love them, to ease them from the pain of being lost in the Reaper's realm. <br/><br/>Sometimes you see a flash of rainbow light in the sky, and it reminds you that Bubble has gone elsewhere. Will you ever see her again? The little ones of the island miss her, but they understand, not everything can stay forever. <br/><br/>And in the wilds Cor watches, patiently, protectively. A floating island here and there are starting to resemble the island of the Happy Spirits in miniature. The birds notice this. They talk of how Cor is learning to make his own land. They know that someday he will go to just that. His own island, away from here? Will he come back ever? Or will he make something new and move on? They bring him whispers of secrets of the island to coax him to say. They tell of the tunnels beneath, the strange things at the bottom of the wishing well, and the odd things they have seen out in the ocean. Is it enough to keep Cor here? Only the stone fox knows for certain.<br/><br/>The Spirit of Blossoms welcomes you when you come to see her. You notice that there are always little spirits here. Some of them you may recognize as having been little spirits a year ago when you were as well. Not everything grows at the same speed! She is always happy to see you, always delighting in watching the little spirits ask you questions. She does not leave her grove. She seems at peace with what she is, and she will hug you so fiercely if you let her. "With all I have seen, all I have done, who could have thought," she muses, "that in the end happy spirits would matter most of all."<br/><br/>The herd of the Wise Old Elephant misses her dearly, but she taught her daughters well and they raise the babies that you all met what seems like so long ago. You notice a few of the mothers are starting to paint their faces like the Wise One did, a little at a time. They are hesitant at first, unsure if they can claim such a lofty mantle. But in time, necessity silences such concerns. <br/><br/>And so months pass. The island is at peace. The days have become warm, too warm, so many of the living things wake up in the night instead. The young mortals have taken on this habit as well.<br/><br/>One warm night, the young mortals and babyphants and the few other friends of the island have a very special visitor to their storytelling fire. From a little seam in the ground that opens like a door, a creature no bigger than the smallest of them crawls out. It is made of rock and hot fire, it is shaped like a mortal but walks on its knuckles. The tiny young Grumpus eyes the young things for a moment, and they him, and then, after a silence, they move to make room for him to join them. And he does. He is slow at first, clutching to himself a little makeshift stone pouch of pretty stones and interesting rocks he likes that make him feel at ease. <br/><br/>"He needs to hear the story..." A little elephant insists. "Especially about how I made the biggest bubble!" <br/><br/>And with a laugh, the storytelling fire changes shapes to teach those who listen of the story of how this island came to be like it is. <br/><br/>They tell of Agi, who brings warmth, love, and luck. They think of him when they see the fiery cat dancing at the feet of Alexandra. <br/><br/>They tell of Aqua, who has ensures that Harmony will live up to its name. <br/><br/>They talk of Rime, who came to them in the storm and held it at bay, and who has turned the water to night.<br/><br/>They talk of Wish, who is wild as the sky itself, and who gave them something no village has ever had before! <br/><br/>And of course they never forget Rin, who gave them this place.<br/><br/>The animals do not speak of Cor around the mortals, not by name. But they do let their friends know that the being that protects them in certain areas is a friend. <br/><br/>And there is the mystery of the spirit who tended the wishing well, and who made the lake of bubbles. The creatures of the island miss her greatly, although no mortal ever saw her. Where has she gone? What shall she do? That is its own story. <br/><br/>But those are not all of the spirits. <br/><br/>There is also Dwyn, who can be found playing in the colorful tide, and sometimes making a tidepool of herself as she snoozes in the little holes she made there. She is making something, she says. She is making it with the water washing at the stone. It will take a very long time, but she is not in a hurry! And she has such wonderful friends to spend it with! <br/><br/>There is a little spirit of air who wants so much to hug the moon above! The mortals have started to help. They are building a very large catapult to use to shoot them as high as they can go! Maybe they will reach the moon and hug it? The little spirit can't wait to try! <br/><br/>And there are many other little spirits any of whom may grow to be more any day! <br/><br/>And so, hearing this tale of happy spirits the little Grumpus listens with wide eyes and an open heart. <br/><br/>His father has told him that this place is ruined, the happy innocence it once enjoyed so much marred forever by the arrival of complicated things that always need to grow. But the little Grumpus sees how the strokes of pens on paper mar them, but create new beauty. He sees how mortals, spirits, and creatures come together to share themselves. He sees how some protect, some nourish, and some provide a means of lifting oneself into something new. He wonders if maybe some of his new friends would like some of his rocks? And he wonders, if maybe, just maybe, tomorrow can be even better. </em></span></span>