The Man from Across the Sea
Traditional Faunus Folk Tale
It was an autumn day on the Faunus isle, with winter fast approaching. The air was colder now, and blew through the leaves of the trees and the sands on the beach. The waves lapped and dove, bringing with them the chilled ocean breeze and the salty taste of a dense mist. The Faunus would shiver as these winds blew, but continued to trade and shop and socialize. The Chieftain watched as his people worked, proud of their heartiness and resolve. His wife's warm arm was intertwined with his own, and his daughter's soft hand he wished he could continue holding forever.
It was then his daughter pointed out to sea, at the mist. The Chieftain looked to see a vessel emerging from the vapors, not one of their own. It was a small wooden boat, with a single white sail, approaching the beach. Its path was not for a pier, but instead the empty sands next to it. Before long, the busy trades and friendly talking ceased, replaced with curious silence and cautious whispers. The boat slowed and flowed up onto the sands. The folk were intrigued and on guard. The Chieftain knew this, and led the way as his people followed closely and carefully behind.
As they approached the boat, some readied oars and harpoons if a fight was required. Once he believed they were close enough, the Chieftain held out his hand as he stopped moving, signaling to the citizens to do the same.
As they looked upon the boat, a figure arose from on board and hopped over the side, burying his brown boots in the wet sand. He ran a hand through his ebony hair, and smiled with a mouth of teeth like pearls. He waved at the people, and took a step forward. As the people stared, he spoke.
"I heard tale of your island, and that no man like myself had ever walked upon it. I pride myself on having walked on every land and spoken to every people in this world, so I became dedicated to finding this land. I arrive bearing greetings, and perhaps more."
The Chieftain eyed the stranger, and what kind of person he was. No animal trait could be seen on him, so he knew he must be Human. "Your kind is distrusted here, and therefore so are you. What bearings and boons do you speak of?"
The man smiled wider, then lifted his finger. He climbed the side of his vessel, then returned mere seconds later carrying crates on his shoulders, stacked upon one another. He leapt back to the beach, and planted the boxes in the sand.
"I am a trader," the stranger explained. "I provide those with what they need and what they want. I bring with me my wares, hoping I will become the first to do business with your folk. I seek to bring the gifts of your island to the rest of the world I know. And you need not worry about your dealings with me assigning you to pact with any kingdom or rule, as I assign myself to none and travel where I am needed."
The stranger could see the looks of distrust and skepticism among the crowd. Still his smile never wavered and he opened up one of the crates. He pulled out a trinket and presented it in his palm, shimmering from the mist-covered sun. The Chieftain stepped forth to admire the piece: a gold necklace with a light blue stone embedded in the center.
"This was mined from up north," said the stranger, "and represents fragile beauty. Please accept it for free, since it matches the eyes of your beautiful bride."
The Chieftain hesitated, but had to agree that the blue was the shade of his darling wife's eyes. He accepted the gift as his wife stepped up too. He handed her the stone, and together they chattered about its fine craftsmanship and charm.
The man reached into another crate and pulled out an item that made the crowd chatter with excitement: a flowing silk that looked as though the man had ripped a piece of the mist away and was presenting it as fine cloth.
"This was spun out east," said the stranger, "using the fibers from mountaintop reeds." He handed it to the Chieftain, who admired its softness and glistening beauty. As he appreciated the cloth, the crowd came in close to better view and sample the wares.
The man presented a vial of tinted glass, and opened a cork stopper on top. Those at the front could smell the sweet fumes of the perfume contained within.
"This was brewed out west," said the stranger, "with wildflowers and bark from great trees." He set the vial back in the crate, and then presented five curious things. They appeared like crystalline rocks affixed to wooden sticks, colored in vibrant hues. Two were red, one was a light brown, one was a deep purple, and one was a light blue. It was much to the people's surprise when he opened his mouth and bit down on one of the red ones.
"It is candy!" the man exclaimed. "Sugar boiled and hardened in the shape of a crystal, flavored with northern wild berries, western lavender, eastern sea salt and southern spices!" He looked down to see children, huddled close to their parents, looking at the exotic treats. He grinned as he bent down and handed each a stick. "Your smiles are payment enough." Smile they did as they received the sweets, and exclaimed with joy and sounds of delight as they sampled the wonderful tastes.
The Chieftain nodded to the man, running his hand along the silk. "Your wares are well-liked it would seem. I invite you into our village so we may treat you with wares of our own." The man happily agreed and took up his crates, carrying them with him as the people circled around. They walked as a mass back to the town.
Many trades were made that day, as the people clamored to see what goods the stranger unveiled. They offered their own goods in exchange, the man eager to do deals and trade wares. Jewels and gemstones were traded for jewelry made of seashells and precious metals. Spices and cured meat were traded for dried seaweed and coconuts. Cloths were traded back and forth, with the stranger wrapping himself in one he traded for silk. The man gave perfume in exchange for logs, and gave to the children candy and carved wooden dolls for small bits of local coin that he insisted meant a lot to him. The trades continued until nightfall, where the commodities being traded became stories and laughs, along with roast meat and special ale. The Faunus people admired their goods as the man delivered his earnings to his vessel. When he returned, the Chieftain held his head high.
"Your gifts from afar are expansive, and your company greatly appreciated," the Chieftain told the stranger. "In exchange for the jewel and silk you gave us, we invite you to rest from your travels with us."
"I humbly accept," the stranger proclaimed, "for your people are goods to me too."
The celebration continued until late into the night, where the people finally went home. The man returned to his vessel, and the Faunus each returned to their places of dwelling, children carrying dolls under their arms.
The next morning came to be, and the people arose to work and trade and talk. The stranger came out some time later, carrying crates, where he was greeted and welcomed by the waiting folk.
"I hope you will see familiar faces come to greet you today!" the Chieftain told the stranger, offering him tea and bread. "Truth be told, many of were so caught in drinking and being merry, that some barely made it and some have not yet shown!"
"The reason for my tardiness," the man explained. "I was with those in sleep and effects of ale! Your people are quite the hearty, healthy bunch, to be operating so early in the day!"
The man presented his crates, and once more the Faunus were enraptured in the Human's wares. He showed them porcelain bowls, combs made of sweet-smelling wood, tea made of flower petals, seeds of exotic plants, and even pieces of pottery. He showed paints made of fruit and roots, and a sweet sap red collected from trees with red leaves. As before, the people were eager to trade, giving him ores, fruits, fish, oils, and even handcrafted items like daggers and flutes. The day was filled with as much celebration as the day before, culminating in more ale and roasted meat. After the people returned to their homes, the Chieftain went to bed with his wife.
In the night, however, there arose a great din from outside. The Chieftain awoke and investigated the noise, to find a house nearby up in flames. He called to his people as they rushed to the scene, carrying buckets of seawater and thick, heavy tarps.
The Chieftain ordered the people put out the flames however they possibly could. From the crowds and the chaos emerged the stranger, who asked them how he might help. The Chieftain handed him a bucket had him fetch water, a task he accepted with haste. He came back with the bucket, as well as an empty crate, filled with water retrieved from the sea. With the water he brought and blue Dust in hand, the fire was eventually quenched.
When the ashes were scoured and the burnt frame explored, no sign could be seen of the family that had lived there. The belief came to be that they had perished and burned, leaving no sign of where they once were. The celebration and joy from hours before turned to mourning and sadness. As the people cleared the remains of the house, the stranger spoke with the Chieftain.
"Tomorrow night I will depart, back to my lands. A tragedy has befallen upon you all, I will not burden you with any more of my wares. I will spend tomorrow preparing to sail, and dine with you all if I can."
"Your gifts ease the pain of this horrible night," the Chieftain said to the man. "We will trade with you food and whatever you seek so your journeys may be safe and prosperous."
The next day the people were taken with grief, and mourned the family they had lost. Candles were lit and prayers were said for the father, mother, and two children that were unable to be found in the ash.
The stranger rarely emerged from his boat, only to eat and deal with those who were willing. By nightfall very little had been done, and the man left to return to his vessel. The Chieftain returned to his bed, heart heavy from the melancholy day. He drifted to sleep, but it did not last long, as he was later awoken by a scream.
"My children are gone!" a neighbor cried out. "Oh please, have you seen where they went?" Clamoring followed, and the Chieftain arose to address the chaos building out in his town.
"Where have they gone?" a man cried out. The Chieftain inquired to what was happening, and the man explained to him.
"People have vanished throughout the night, disappeared from their homes and their beds. My wife is gone, several's children are lost, and yet more are reported each moment!"
The Chieftain was scared as he heard the accounts. Men, women, and children had all vanished without a trace. Over a dozen had gone in the short time he had been asleep. Though his worried wife clutched onto his arm, the Chieftain feared for his daughter, who had last been asleep in her room. He rushed into the house and into her room, and found to his horror that her bed was bare, with no sign of where she had gone. His wife screamed and cried and began searching the house as the Chieftain panicked and paced. He thought to the man out on his boat, and hoped he had not yet left. He barged from his house and across the dark streets, then went down to the beach.
The boat still remained, though further out, floating in the shallow water. The Chieftain ran to the coastline and waved, calling for help from the man. There was no response, so the Chieftain assumed that the trader had to be asleep. He waded in the water, and using his Faunus claws, climbed up the side and onto the boat.
The vessel was small, enough for just one man, but was large enough to store crates and goods. Under the sail was a hole in the floor, with ladder leading beneath. The Chieftain descended, his eyes quickly seeing into the dark hold. Next tot he crates and a table was a sight he never wished to behold.
The stranger was standing, wiping a knife, covered with dripping red blood. Lining the walls were pelts of fur and stretched out hides, unmistakably Faunus in nature. On the table were pieces of flesh, surrounded by claws and fangs. Animal ears, like cat and rabbit, were drying on racks and on shelves.
"What have you done?" the Chieftain inquired, his voice shaking with fear.
"I came for my goods," the man replied, his teeth reflecting the pale light, "exotic products from a distant isle fetch good price with merchants and stores. Imagine the price for fur pelts and jewelry, made from faraway beasts. Those not just gone tonight, but also those who were too drunk or seemingly lost to fire. Their legacies will endure as children sleep under their fur and workers wear their hides as clothes. Women will wear necklaces of claw and tooth, and the oils from the snakes will be snake oils of course. Though my customers will be unaware of their origins, I am sure they will pay nonetheless."
"Where is my child?" the Chieftain demanded, bearing his claws at the man.
"Her soft skin was so nice, I just had to have it. I think a jacket would be a fitting use." The man smiled and dropped his rag on the floor, holding his knife and taking a stance.
The Chieftain roared into battle, rage enveloping his mind, and the stranger fought back. Their battle was fierce and took both of them back to the deck of the boat. The man stabbed at the Chieftain, who backed up to the rail, and then toppled over the side. The trader watched as he splashed into the water, then ran to open the sail. The night wind filled it, and immediately the boat began to sail away. The Chieftain tired to claw back to the top, but it pulled away from his claws.
The Chieftain swam back to shore, cursing as his people drew near, carrying torches. Some carried weapons, like swords and bows, as they watched the ship sail away. As the Chieftain was about to address his failure, seeing the objects his citizens held gave him an idea. He retrieved a bow, and with a torch's flame, lit the arrow on fire. He shot the arrow and it struck the boat, the flames spreading fast to the wood. The people took notice and did the same, launching what fires they could. Just as the vessel got to the distance where no arrow could reach, the same wind that gave the killer his haste spread the flames to his boat. The Faunus folk watched as the traveler's boat burned on the top of the water. Screams echoed in the night all the way to the beach, mixed with the sobbing and wails. The vessel came to a halt when the flames burned the sail, and then it began to sink. No figure was seen jumping off of the boat as it vanished in fire and water.
The days that followed were morbid, and the Chieftain refused to tell what he saw until he felt the time was right, only telling the people their missing were dead. The isle was in mourning from dawn until dusk, and the Chieftain would not show his face. The stranger's goods were burned, and the people cursed and damned his soul. They swore to themselves that never again would they trust men from across the sea.
Ozpin's Notes
This story has been a infamous one among Faunus for centuries, especially among those who carry anti-Human sentiments. They cite it as an example of the wickedness of Humans towards the Faunus, with the terms "man from the sea" or "sea trader" even being used as derogatory terms for Humans in some areas. Ironically, even Humans have come to share this story, using it to both spread the moral of "don't trust strangers" and as an insight on Faunus culture. Fortunately, most cultures, both Human and Faunus, accept this story as purely fiction or, at most, a dark legend of sorts. The titular Man from Across the Sea is often cited as a well-remembered and appropriately well-feared villain in popular culture, though the story's status as a folk tale, albeit one mostly rooted in fiction, has made it rarely adapted outside of its original literary format. In more modern times, some have attempted to continue or expand the story by adding in the Man's ghost coming back for revenge, though this version is not true to the original folklore and not wildly accepted as part of the story. Still, this collection is not the first to include "The Man from Across the Sea", and it certainly will not be the last.