A young man, about fifteen summers old, sat on a woven mat in the corner of the room. He had long aburn hair and seagreen eyes. He wore a pair of blue pants sewn together from the canvas of an old sail. He loved listening to Junko teach the old legends to the children. He knew he would be in trouble if his mother, or even worse his sister Yagoi, found out he was here. He was supposed to be helping with the fish gutting, a job he rather disliked.
"Have any of you heard the tale of Hideaki and Ai?" asked a young woman, Junko, she had short, curly, red hair and green eyes. The small group of children shook their heads to indicate that they had not. The teen grinned, this was his favorite. Looking up, Junko noticed he was there.
"Skipping out on work again, Cye? Well, I won't tell this time, but Yagoi will have your hide if she finds out," she said then she continued with her story, "Once long ago the sea was always wild and would never allow anyone to cross her waters. But then Hideaki spoke to the naiad Aglaia and asked her if he might speak to her Mistress the Sea. Aglaia spoke to the Sea who allowed Hideaki to see her. Hideaki spoke to the Sea and he was so charmed by her beauty that he named her Ai, love. Ai in turn fell in love with the young man but she knew that it could never be, because she was the Sea Goddess. Knowing that he could never be with his love again Hideaki begged for a boon to remember her by. Ai granted his request and gave him a small blue orb that held a part of her soul. Then she bid Aglaia to return him to his own world. Aglaia was also struck by the young man's charm and eventually she grew to love him as well. After many years Hideaki found love again with Aglaia, though Ai the gentle Sea Goddess never truely left his heart. Hideaki and Aglaia married and they founded this village Alderlithe. And though Ai was saddened that she could never be with her love again she was happy for the couple. And as a gift she calmed the stormy waters of the sea and allowed the people to cross it. Greatfull for her gift Hideaki and Aglaia vowed never to forget her kindness and they cared for the orb, the Soul of the Sea, higher than any treasure. And Alderlithe still gaurds the Soul of the Sea to this day."
Cye smiled as Junko finnished the tale, he noticed that she didn't tell where the orb was kept. The first time he had heard the story he had snuck into the the temple to see it himself. It had been there and it had seemed to be calling to him. He had been about to touch it when one of the elders had caught him, he hadn't been punnished for it but the location of the orb had never been revealed in the stories since.