This story is inspired by the song The Islander by Nightwish (which is just a beautiful song anyway + the music video is pretty cool)


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(Thanks to Martisol )

"Caw! Caw!"

High above his head, seagulls circled, calling out in a language foreign to him. His eyes slowly opened, blinking a little from the bright sunlight. The only other sounds he heard were the sounds of water, and occasional ruffling of trees.

His fur was soaked, and his face and belly were salted with beach sand. He weakly sat up and looked around.

The deer lay on a short beach that wrapped around a small island. The island became vegetated farther in the center, where strange trees and foliage rose up from the ground. The deer had never seen a place like this - he had not even imagined such a land.

He called out as best as he could, but his voice was raspy. The call fell on no other ears but the seagulls above, who continued to caw back at him. He looked up to them, only to be blinded once again by the sunlight. The sky was a clear blue with a few long clouds that streaked high into the atmosphere, and below, the waters were as clear as glass, and farther out, he could see strange things that seemed to grow and move under the water.

The stag tried to stand, stumbling a little as he had never stood on the sand before, and he made his way toward the water. Dipping his head in, he washed his face and tried to taste the water - he hoped it was as pure as it looked, but when the over-salty taste filled his mouth, he quickly spit it out.

At least his face was a little cleaner now, and he was able to see a bit better. He looked to the horizon, only to see blue meet blue at a thin line. He had no idea where he was, or what he was on for that matter. He couldn't even remember his name or where he was from.

"Caw!!", the seagulls cried out for a third time. The stag looked to them for a moment. "Caw...caw...I guess my name is Caw.", he decided.

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A little more time passed. Caw's heart raced - he wasn't sure what was deeper into the island, and he was the kind that was afraid of the unknown. There could be predators here. There could be danger...

But he knew that there wasn't much use to staying where he was.

With a deep breath, he stepped off the beach and into the trees. The light canopy cooled him, though he still felt the salty breeze from the beach. He took a few more steps in, looking around, making sure he was standing on solid ground. The soil held light vegetation, some varieties of shrubs and grass he had never seen before.

His stomach started to growl at him. He looked down at the plants, not even sure how they tasted. It didn't matter to him, he had to survive.

He bent down and bit into one of the shrubs...

It wasn't too bad. Actually, he kind of liked the taste. The leaves were a little more savory than he was used to, but it would have to do. He began to eat his fill.

After a few minutes of grazing, he then sat up and looked deeper into the wilderness. He heard something - water, but not like the lapping of waves he had listened to on the beach. This was more of a trickling sound.

He continued on - he was still wary of the place, but he soon felt absolutely parched. Then he saw it, probably the most beautiful sight he could imagine at the time.

In the heart of the island was a clearing, a rocky hill rose up like an obelisk, almost like a great monument. The top of it sprung out water - pure water, which collected into a little pool below the rock face. Caw quickly approached and sipped the water - it was much more refreshing than the sea water he tried to drink before.

He began to relax a little. The ground provided decent food for him, and the pool of water would sustain his thirst. He almost felt like the place was a paradise.

Almost...the water cleared his mind, and he began to remember things before he awoke on the beach...more like someone...

A doe...a doe...what was her name? This sudden burst of thought made his mind race once again. He remembered her, she had a beautiful slender body, her fur was pure white and her face was brown. She would smile at him, a lovely face with green eyes. She was his, she was perfect.

What was her name? What was her name? The thought echoed in his mind again and again. It would begin to drive him insane just thinking about it, not being able to remember.

He stopped, gasping, looking back at the pool at his own reflection. The face stared back at him - his eyes were a dark brown, those eyes looked back at him. He had become weary, alone, and confused.

Caw wanted to clear his head. He left the pond and shortly after found a small area where the rock was smooth. He sat and rested his head. This new place had already worn him out, and before he knew it, he closed his eyes and slept.

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Caw awoke to a strange sound. It felt like a groan, or maybe a growl. His blood went cold as he heard it, and sitting up, he let his eyes adjust to darkness. He had slept for the remainder of the daytime, and now that nightfall had come, he soon realized that he wasn't very protected on this place.

He heard the sound again, and standing quickly, he listened for it, trying to locate the source of the noise. He had barely explored the island, so he didn't know what else was here with him, and the darkness made things much worse.

He finally heard it once more, and found the direction. A rocky hill sat before him, and mustering enough courage, Caw climbed up it, only peeking over to look at the other side of the island. The sound was much louder now, and he soon spotted something laying on the beach. It was a massive, shadowed form that was producing the sound.

"A monster!", Caw whispered to himself. The form seemed to move a little as the surf flowed in and out, and it continued to make that horrid sound.

Caw sunk back behind the hillside, hoping the monster wouldn't hear him move. He took a step down, and one of the rocks he stood on slipped out of the hill and hit the ground with a thud. Caw froze - the sound startled him, but he also began to scold himself. What if the monster heard him? How long would he last on this place?

Caw managed to get on the ground without any more noises, and sneaking back toward the little pond, he hid himself in the grasses and shrubs that grew nearby.

It would be a long, sleepless night for him.

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As the morning light broke the horizon, Caw's tired eyes finally closed. He got no sleep while he watched the hill - hoping that the massive figure wouldn't come to devour him. Caw stood, now with the sun illuminating the area, he climbed back up the hill and peeked over.

There, on the beach, was the same figure, only this time he could make out that it was something big and hollow. The deer raised his head for a better look.

It was a boat - a medium-sized wooden boat. The vessel was covered in barnacles, and several parts of it were broken off. It rocked while the waves hit it, and the breeze hit it at just the right angle for it to make a low groaning sound. Caw still had no idea what it was, but he was very relieved that it wasn't something alive.

The deer stepped over the hill and looked around on the other side of the island. There wasn't much there - it looked like someone had been there before, but they were long gone. A few odds and ends of tools and things lay on the ground beneath the trees. There was a circle of stones where a campfire was once used. There even was a pile of leaves that once served as a bed.

The various things seemed uninteresting to Caw, though. He didn't know much of anything about humans, and only made the assumption that these items naturally occurred on the already strange island. But where that something had gone, he wouldn't discover.

Caw peeked into one of the holes of the old boat. It was tipped on its side, much of the top of the boat had been broken and washed away. Inside, water sloshed around and served as a shallow habitat for a small group of crabs. Caw didn't dare stick his head in for a better look.

He was satisfied. There wasn't a monster, and he would be able to sleep better than he had before. He would spend the rest of the day making a perimeter of the island, finding out exactly how big it was, and making an ultimate decision of whether he was alone or not.

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A week passed. Caw had made his rounds around the island many times since his arrival. The only other animals he had seen around were a few marine animals who walked on the sand, and a few seagulls who flew around. Aside from them, he knew he was alone.

The grasses on the island grew back quickly. He was lucky for this - he had eaten quite a bit the past week. He was already getting used to the taste of the salty leaves.

About midday, he went back to the little pool of freshwater for a drink, and sitting there was someone who startled him half to death.

"Who...who are you?! Where did you come from?!", Caw questioned the other being.

Sitting by the pool was a small totem, a tiki-god statue who stared back at him with a grin on his face. The statue had never been there before, and Caw couldn't think of any other reason for it to suddenly be there except for it being alive.

The statue didn't respond to his questions. Caw started to remember a little of his former life...he worshiped statues before. Who they were, he couldn't remember. "Are you...are you a god?", he asked the little being. It still didn't answer, but he noticed that next to the statue were a couple of twigs that formed a pictogram. He was able to read it - "Kanaloa". "Kanaloa...your name is Kanaloa.", he said

The stag approached the little statue. It didn't seem threatening, but it's presence was enough to prove to Caw that there was some kind of mysticism on the island. Maybe he was on holy ground. Maybe had been disturbing the sanctity of the land.

These ideas suddenly clashed into his head, and immediately he bowed to the little statue, "I'm so sorry! I didn't know I was desecrating your land!", he cried. The statue stared back at him, and in the sky Caw heard several of the birds call out to him - "Caw! Caw!"

The stag hoped he understood the meaning of the sign - he believed that the little god was the one who brought him to the island, and that he was supposed to worship and do his bidding.

Caw would spend the rest of the day communicating with the god. The statue never actually spoke, but in Caw's mind, he could hear what he thought were whispers that told him about the island. He would start to interpret any little change in the environment as a sign from Kanaloa.

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A year had passed. Caw knew his island inside and out. Every little thing he found that washed on the beach, he brought back to Kanaloa as an offering. He wanted to appease the god as best as he could.

Caw had become much thinner than when he had washed on the shore. The constant exercise with the diet he had been eating made him slender but very strong. He was able to lift and carry things in his mouth that normal deer couldn't. He had become twined with the island itself.

On a particularly hot morning, Caw awoke and gave his praise to Kanaloa, who sat quietly and watched him, surrounded by various shells and assorted man-made things that Caw had found. The deer smiled and ran off to see what was new around the island.

He was beginning to check the far side of the island when he noticed something on the beach. It was an animal - one he had never seen before. It was a green color, with a flat body that crawled up onto the sand. The stag tilted his head when he saw it there, and slowly approached for a better look.

The creature was a turtle, one of the dwellers of the ocean who used the island to lay her eggs. The turtle had been busy digging a hole in the beach when she lifted her head and noticed Caw there - she was just as startled as he was. "Oh! Who...who are you?", she asked him.

This surprised Caw. He had not heard an actual voice for many months, and clearing his throat, he said, "I am Caw, servant of the god Kanaloa, and caretaker of this island." He was proud of the little title he gave himself, and then he asked her, "And who are you?"

The turtle gave her name. It was in a tongue that Caw didn't understand. It didn't matter anyway, he was more curious about what she was doing on the island. "So what is that you are working on?", he asked. The turtle looked back at the hole, "Well, this is where my young will stay until they are ready to come to the ocean.", she explained.

"So wait, what was a turtle again?"

The voice of a young fawn interrupted the story. Sitting in a circle were a group of deer, young and old, all in various colors. The afternoon light illuminated the Endless Forest a little, it was the perfect setting for a folktale. "Don't interrupt, little one.", Virgil, who sat in the group, began to scold the fawn, but the storyteller smiled, "It's quite alright."

Martisol spoke, "Don't you remember, the Twin Gods had turtles appear in the last Abiogenesis. They were those flat creatures that looked kind of like fish."

The fawn then remembered the Abiogenesis, "Oh! That was a turtle? I didn't know!", he said.

"Please, carry on with the story, Dag.", The Priest said to the storyteller.

"Yes, please! What happens next?", Toukan asked.

"It's been very interesting! I can't wait to hear more!", Queze agreed.

Dag nodded, "'So what are you working on', Caw asked."

The turtle replied, "Well, this is where my young will stay until they are ready to come to the ocean." Caw thought this was interesting, and curiously, he asked, "How long does it take for them to be ready?" The turtle looked up to the sky, "The sun will pass between forty and seventy five times before they are ready."

Caw was intrigued! "And you're going to stay and watch them that long?", he asked. The turtle looked at him, "Sadly, no. I cannot stay up here much longer, I must return to the water.", she said.

The deer's happiness faded a little. She wasn't going to stay? Then, who was going to look after the little turtles? He watched her curiously as she laid the eggs. It was a lot different than how deer gave birth, he was very surprised that the little ones came in the eggs.

Then it came to his mind. He knew for sure that Kanaloa would want him to help. He asked, "Do you want me to watch over them?"

The turtle was surprised by this offer. "No one has ever taken care of the little ones for me.", she said, "You really would make sure they made it to the water safely?", Caw nodded his head, "It would be my honor!", he replied happily.

The turtle smiled, "Thank you. I could not have asked for a better friend.", she said. She began to cover the eggs with the sand. Caw understood now, this had to be why he was on this island. He was to protect the little lives in the eggs.

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Every day after that morning, Caw sat on the beach where the turtle marked the spot where her eggs lay. He watched the sea for hours, his thoughts to himself every moment. He watched for signs from Kanaloa, and some things he interpreted as messages for him. He saw things wash on the shore - and leaving the mound for the moment, he returned them to his island god.

The days passed, and with each passing of the sun, he dreamed about what the day would be like when the eggs would hatch.

On one particular day, Caw awoke to an odd sight. He heard the sounds of birds before him, but it wasn't the usual sounds that the seagulls made. Sitting up, he looked to the sky and saw two great figures that circled above the island. Their huge bodies cast great shadows along the land, and their calls were loud and deafening.

Suddenly, the two creatures descended and landed on the soil. They looked up at the surprised deer, their eyes were black and beady, their faces covered with a long, pale yellow beak. Caw was visited by two albatrosses, and as quickly as he saw them, as suddenly they began to move. The two walked around the place, biting into the grasses Caw ate for food. They normally didn't eat the shrubs, but strangely they feasted, eating his food supply so rapidly that even he didn't realize it was happening.

When Caw snapped out of his daze, he cried out, "No!", and ran toward the two. He held his antlers down, ready to strike at them.

And then...

The antlers hit one of the birds, but strangely the attack bounced off of its body, sending Caw dazed. He stumbled back, his eyes were blurry, and then the albatross approached him. Outstretching its wings, the great bird clapped them together.

And at once, Caw passed out.

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The stag awoke with a terrible headache. He sat up, letting his eyes adjust, and then in terror saw what happened before him.

All of the grasses on the island were gone! The trees and sticks were still around, but the ground was completely bare. The two birds destroyed his food supply, endangering his chances of survival on the land.

The stag was furious. He whipped his head around, lashing out with his antlers at anything that got in their way. Trees nearby were stabbed and scratched. The soil was scarred. A nearby rock chipped off one of his antler points.

And then he saw Kanaloa, sitting there, smiling at him. The tiki god watched the entire scene occur.

"You!", Caw snapped at him, "You let this happen?! You are a false god! I should have never...!", and before he realized it, the stag charged at the little statue, hurling it skyward. Kanaloa flew through the sky a good distance, hitting the ocean with a 'bloop' sound. Caw would never see his presence again.

The deer stumbled, his mind raced frantically. He collapsed, sobbing and screaming out wildly. Why? Why did the island god betray him? Was he destined to fail?

There was nothing left for him. He lay there, shivering with each breeze of the wind.

And then, he remembered something.

Laraine...her name was Laraine....

The image of a beautiful doe appeared in his mind. Her body was snow white, her face had a brown color that matched her gorgeous eyes. She was the most beautiful doe he had ever laid his eyes on.

Laraine...I'm so sorry...I cannot be by your side...

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The morning came. Caw slept very little, his hunger grew with every hour that passed. He opened his eyes, and standing, he went to the beach.

The cool morning breeze was kind to his face. He watched as the sun rose from the distant horizon, the warmth hitting his body and calming his mind.

Then something extraordinary happened. He saw the mound of sand nearby him begin to bulge. It soon erupted, and out came the sea turtle's children. They climbed from their nest and began to move toward the sea. Caw was completely awestruck - it was a lovely sight to see the little ones finally make it.

Then his attention went to the sky. The seagulls gathered, looking down at the little ones and cawing happily as they waited for the right moment to catch an easy meal. Caw did not hesitate when he realized this was about to happen. He ran and stood above the little turtles, giving them a path to travel beneath his body. The gulls swooped down at them, but Caw's great antlers whipped at them, in some instances he connected, striking them with enough force that they seemed to explode into a cloud of feathers, hitting the sand hard and squawking in pain.

The remaining gulls fled - they couldn't get past the deer and decided the meal would be too hard to attempt. Caw watched as all of the little turtles made it to the water. None of them were lost in the journey.

Caw breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing and looking out to the sea. He did it, he made a difference in the lives of another species. He was still hungry, but he felt good, and he knew that he could die that day with a sense of pride.

However, the story doesn't end here. Caw returned to the heart of the island to find a small patch of grass had grown, almost like some kind of a reward. Caw did not believe in Kanaloa anymore, but he did feel like there was some other force that put the grass there for him.

And then he remembered, his mind was finally clear.

He used to live in a forest. A great forest, one that stretched for miles without any kind of danger. There he lived with Laraine, the two of them were very happy.

But he did something he now wished he didn't. On one day he found a little statue near the pond of the forest. The land was covered with totems and idols from a civilization long ago, but even the deer knew that they weren't gods. There were two true gods.

Well, this stag was foolish enough to start worshiping the little statue. He did not know any better, and for that, the Twin Gods sent him away.

Caw understood. This was his punishment, and he knew not how long it would take for him to redeem his actions. He thanked the Twin Gods for the meal they gave him, and he ate the patch of grass.

And thus, his life continued on. Caw lived on the island for another hundred years. He was the banished islander, but he worked every day from that moment to redeem his mistake so long ago. Every year he welcomed the turtles who came to lay their eggs on his island, and with each hatching he made sure all of the young made it to the ocean. No youngling was ever lost on his land.

And finally, on one lovely night, Caw stared up at the stars, his body was old and battered, but he smiled and was happy. He closed his eyes, remembering all that he had done on the island, and praying to the Twin Gods that he was reconciled. And in that moment, his heart stopped.

"Oh, but...it's such a good story, but it can't end there!", said Queze.

"There's not a happy ending for this poor fellow?", Virgil asked.

Dag nodded, "There's a little more to the story, actually.", he said.

That night, that moment, the two albatrosses stood before the body of the old stag. They bowed their heads and transformed into the Twin Gods. The two gods sat by him, resting their heads on his chest. "Laraine is waiting for you.", they said to him, "You have been forgiven for your great deeds."

And he met his doe in the afterlife. She prayed for him every day, her prayers were answered by the Twin Gods by various gifts they left on the island for Caw. Laraine died waiting for her lover's return, and she was promised she would see him again one day. The two met once again, and it was the happiest moment of their lives - a moment that was made beautiful from one hundred years of longing for one another.

"And thus ends the story of Caw, the Banished Islander." Dag finished the story.

The circle of deer sat silently. They were happy to hear the end, that things turned out well for the story's main character.

"So wait...", Toukan started to say, "If the Twin Gods were in the story, then is this tale true?"

"That would be interesting if it was.", The Priest said.

The circle watched Dag's face. He bowed his head, and then said, "Perhaps we can find out. Is the tale true, Auriea?"

The deer did not realize they were in the presence of a god, and turning they saw the doe god standing by the trees nearby. She heard his question, and without speaking, nodded her head.

"Oh!", some of the deer gasped. They knew, there was no mistaking it. Dag's story really happened. It was a great feeling to know.

Dag did not even know. Even he was a little surprised. He finished the story by asking, "Now, what shall we say is the moral of this tale?"

"Don't worship false gods?", the fawn of the group replied.

The storyteller smiled and nodded his head, "Good answer."

The End