We have many spawnling's stories about great ocean whales. Our ancestors come from a very wet place, with vast oceans and few island scattered throughout the planet. I suppose the ocean whales probably existed, though I haven't seen anything like that in my lifetime.
Long ago, when the seas were wide and the shores still soft, there lived a great elder Whale. Hiraila belly was vast, and hiraila song was louder than storms.
When a spawnling cluster came of age, zi were sent to the Whale. For it was said that hira could look into a spawnling’s eyes, hear zilis voice, and know what role zi should play.
One morning, the seas were warm and full of life. The first spawnling came when the sun had barely peeked out from the water. Still waking, the Whale rumbled, “You are quick! Quick ones chase fish. You will be a hunter.” And so it was.
The second spawnling swam out from a cluster of sea grass, after watching what had happened with the first. The Whale sang, “You are clever! Clever ones keep shells. You will be a counter.” And so it was.
One by one, the Whale judged. One by one, the spawnlings were given their place.
At last came a very small spawnling. Ge was neither quick nor clever. Girt voice was quiet. Girt beak was plain.
The Whale hummed low. “You are small. Small ones fetch scraps. You will be a gatherer.”
The spawnling hesitated, girt heart heavy. For ge wished to be great, like the Whale, or swift, like the hunters, or wise, like the counters. Still, ge bowed and left without a word.
But instead of fetching scraps, ge returned to the Whale the next day with a gift: a tiny shell polished bright. Its colour was so lustrous beneath the clear sea that it reflected the surface starlight all the way down to the Whale's grotto.
The Whale's eyes were drawn to the shell. “Why have you brought me this?”
The spawnling croaked, “Because I wish to trade, not just fetch.”
The Whale laughed, a sound like crashing waves. “Small one, you do not obey. But you are bold. Bolder than the quick, bolder than the clever. Very well. You shall not fetch. You shall bargain.”
And from that day, it was said: even the smallest of spawnlings can change zilis station, if zi dare to be bold.
jacobvanloon
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
