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| Parable of the Pearl |
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by Tanwen Skyplume

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There once was a small fishing village that was going through a time of poverty,
for lately fish in the bay had been scarce. In that village was a merian named
Aurum, who had to raise a family of four by himself ever since his wife's death
a few years ago. To help relieve the hardship his father was going through, the
oldest son, who was called Orien, would swim into the ocean in search of coral
and pearls that could be sold in the city. However, he was never able to find
enough to give his family more than one meal a day. Still, he kept on searching,
feeling that someday he'll be able to find something extraordinary.

One day, Orien came across an enormous oyster, and in it, a beautiful pearl that
mysteriously glowed with iridescent light. When he picked it up, he was stunned
to find that it could speak! "Salutations, my friend! I am a Pearl of Wisdom. If
anyone keeps me to their side and listens to what I say, they will surely be
blessed!" The young merian simply nodded, his jaw still agape, and brought the
pearl back to his home, eager to show his family this newfound treasure. His
family, of course, was amazed by this curiosity - who wouldn't be? - but his
father seemed conflicted with what to do with it.

Aurum suggested, "We should sell this in the city market - it would surely fetch
a high price! No, instead, we should it keep it for ourselves, and use its
blessings to prosper!"

Orien rubbed his dorsal fin in thought, and turned to the pearl for an answer.
"You should not sell me," the pearl replied, "for I am priceless. Nor shall you
keep me for yourselves, for I am to be shared. Indeed, share me with your
village, and everyone will be blessed for it!" Though Aurum first looked
skeptical, they were soon calmed by the radiance of the pearl, and somehow felt
more trusting of the object. And so the family agreed to share the pearl with
the rest of the village.

In the next village meeting, Orien showed the pearl to all the denizens, who
quickly became enamoured with the thing. The pearl told then told them of a
hidden cove to the east that, at sunrise, becomes packed with fish ripe for the
taking. "However," the pearl added darkly, "I advise that you do not fish during
the day. In fact, I insist that you must all return to the village before
sundown." With that noted, the next morning the village fishermen set sail for
the cove to find that the pearl was correct: there were countless schools of
fish here, all of them filled with fish easy to catch and miraculously able to
stay fresh without needing to be preserved. With this secret cove, the once
quaint fishing village became a prosperous town that everyone in the Basin would
go to when they wanted fresh, succulent seafood. And for a time, all was well.

Not before long, however, the fishermen became restless. While on one of their
daily fishing excursions, Orien's father complained, "Why can we not fish during
the night? If the fish retreat during the night, I would understand, but why did
the pearl speak so menacingly" The rest of the fishermen pondered this, and then
nodded in agreement - this was indeed quite suspicious. "Let us stay instead of
retreating before sundown, my fellow fishermen," he continued, "for if the pearl
truly is on our side, it will surely protect us from anything that comes our
way!" The fishermen raised their fists in approval, and so they continued to
fish, even at sundown.

Back at the once quaint village, Orien was helping to prepare dinner for his
family when he had a sudden urge to go consult the pearl. "Keep stirring this
stew for me," he told his sister, and then he ran out of the house and into the
town hall, where the pearl was now kept. "Did you call me?" he asked
breathlessly.

"Young merian," the pearl said with urgency, "you must take myself and your
family far, far away from this place and never return. Something terrible is
about to happen!"

Stupefied, the young merian said, "But my father is still out there! And what
about the other villagers?"

"It's too late for your father, I'm afraid," the pearl replied sadly, "for he
thinks I have the power to protect you all. And the other villagers will be too
prideful to listen to your words, or even mine. Now quick, before you join the
fate of your father!"

Hesitantly, Orien picked up the pearl, but then he put it back. "Something is
not right here. You said you would bless us!" He glared at the pearl, waiting
for an answer, but he received none. However, like the pearl did for Aurum
before, the radiance calmed Orien, and though he was still skeptical, he put the
pearl in his satchel and ran back to his home.

He told all his siblings to follow him, and trusting their brother as they do,
they did as he told. Soon they were out of the village and on a hill overlooking
it, when one of the younger brothers turn backed and gasped in horror. Their
village, which had once been quaint, but then turned magnificent, was now set
ablaze, with a massive ship in their bay. For you see, the hidden cove was
actually the hideout for a particularly vicious pirate crew who would leave
during the day and come back at night. Orien and his brothers and sisters were
deeply saddened by the sight of their home decimated, but they knew there was
nothing they could do for now.

After hours of running into the woods, Orien, with the help of the pearl, found
a cave where they could all rest for a bit. While his siblings slumbered, the
pearl apologized to Orien. "I am truly sorry for what had happened to you," it
said with great sadness.

Orien shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, Pearl. You gave us more than we
could have ever hoped for - but in the end, we got what we all deserved. We were
just too proud!"

"But you were not," the pearl noted. "You were close, but in the end you did not
succumb to your pride. Now, I offer you once again: continue to follow my words,
I can still promise you and your family blessings beyond compare. Will you
accept?" Without giving a second thought, the merian nodded.

Soon after, Orien and his siblings moved to the city and listened to the pearl
for advice on every matter. Eventually, they became a prosperous fishing cartel,
and everyone married and had their own families. Because they listened to the
pearl and applied its wisdom to their lives, Orien and his family lived long and
happily.