Shepherdess Ashes
One of the first stories, chronologically, tell of Mo Pandim childhood. Lost from his family, he was raised by a pair of siblings. The two women would raise him lovingly, teaching him patiently but also frequently playing with him.
The sibblings were shepherdess. The oldest of the sibblings was stern and logical, a great gathered and with a voice that commanded the clouds. The youngest was only learning the craft, and was a great hiker and climber, strong and gentle she frequently wrestled with Mo Pandim.
As time went on, he became strong, as he and the youngest would pull mountains and cliffs to save sheeps. He went to be tall, and one day he rose from bed and made a headshaped hole in the roof. He was, most of all, kind. He would knit large mittens and fluffy sweaters to his family and neighbors, bring plants and fruits to wounded animals, free child animals from hunters traps and frequently bring the elders with the best berries.
Still, fate came sadly, when a pack of wolves attacked the younger shepherdess. She did not survive, and Mo Pandim became too sad to ever be truly kind again. As the convoy was set to take the younger shepherdess up the mountains to her burial, Mo Pandim stole her body and went down their home in search of a powerful spirit to bring her back.
His long journey was filled with obstacles, but he did not stop. The spirits tested him time and time again, frustrated as his determination would not weaver. Finally, The Sorceress of Fire and Ashes came to him and took pity, telling him that no spirit had the power to cross into the afterlife and back and the shepherdess girl deserved rest.
Furious by the spirits meaningless tasks, he attacked the sorceress, blaming her for the words of truth she spoke. The Sorceress, while not capable of pulling mountains and spliting the sky, was the most powerful fire spirit in the lands and had no problem in defending herself, even if he was reckless. As he slashed at her, screamed at the skies and took each and every one of her spells with stead body.
The fight went on, and the forest around them now only fire and cinder. Knowing the Sorcerer's word to be truth, he fell to the ground and begged for mercy through death, too miserable to move on. But the sorceress reminded him of his other sister, alone and in mourning that never got to bury the shepherdess. Certain of the next thing to do, Mo Pandim asked the help of the sorcerer.
Despite it all, the Sorcerer of Fire and Ash was a gentle soul that only hurt when provoked, and as such she kindly took to help Mo Pandim up the mountain again. There he asked for forgiveness of his remaining sister, and was told no forgiviness was need, for the remaining shpherdess also wished to save their sister, but she had not the determination or the strength to make the spirits bow to her.
Together, Mo Pandim, the Sorcerer and the Elder Shepherdess went up the mountains where, at the peak, the Sorcerer granted the family a pyre to make the sun envious. As the body turned to ashes, the spirit of the younger shepherdess formed in the ashes and the family held each other one last time.
It is said that as the shephedess tried to console Mo Pandim she dried his eyes, hugged him and covered his ears, the ashes marking his white fur with the sorow his soul could not let go.
In Literature
One of the most popular literature works of the arklypsians is the Scrolls of Giant Giant Pandim, a collection of over a hundred pandimas folktales including this one. The scrolls were written by an arklypsian from another culture that was fascinated by the Pandim mythology. The scrolls are so old it has been dated to centuries prior to foundation of the Pandima Empire.
In Art
A famous arklypsian band, Bernatious Ted have many songs inspired or directly recount tales of Mo Pandim. Their most famous song is Ashes to Ashes, inspired by this part of Mo Pandim legend.
Comments