The Trickster

      According to legend, the sire of the dras kirai (dragon skinwalkers) was Mir, the Trickster. He was a being as ancient as the Great Mother herself. From the joining of the Earth and one of the Old Ones, he sprang forth from his mother's womb in the form of a willow tree. One day, a woodcutter came and chopped off the trunk of the tree. Lo and behold, a being with skin as dark as loam and eyes as bright as spring leaves leapt out from the split trunk and frightened the woodcutter half to death. As a reward for freeing him, Mir gave the woodcutter an enchanted axe which can cut through anything. He warned him to use his gift wisely or the consequences would be dire. But that is a story for another time. For a while, he lived in the forest under the Earth's protection and cavorted with all the beasts of the land. He was a shapechanger and could assume any form he wanted. Soon, he grew bored and left the forest to live among mankind. He assumed the form of a human man and made his living as a thief and a charlatan, thereby earning him the moniker of the Trickster. Men were not his only victims. Even gods and other powerful beings fell prey to his lies and trickery. So sly and cunning was he that not only did he gained the wrath of his victims, but their grudging admiration as well. Due to the unexpected consequences of his exploits (which often benefitted the oppressed and the downtrodden), he was upheld as the champion of the common folk. Though he had had many lovers (including Ryara), his one true love was a human woman named Keta, the daughter of a blacksmith. She was a village healer of no great beauty, but her charm and wit more than made up for her lackluster appearance. They met and fell for each other, and became lovers for a few blissful years. All was well until tragedy struck. I will stop here, because that is also a story meant for another time. After suffering from heartbreak and loss, he wandered aimlessly from one place to another, never settling down for more than a few days, always making sure that he formed no lasting attachments with anyone. He had become a loner and had abandoned his trickster ways. After he wearied of travelling, he settled down in a cave and cut himself off from the outside world. No one had seen or heard from him since. They say he is still around and that he watches over us, the descendents of his offspring, on occasion. No matter the reason for his seclusion, we are his legacy and his great deeds of old will live on in our hearts and minds as long as our line continues.