Seyhe kissed each of them on the forehead, and when he did, their eyes fluttered awake. They looked about them, and they saw the Lake of Eternity, Sonuria, and the four Kaanho, and C'Don, from home the light was streaming. He pointed at each one in turn.

"Tyrder.

"Meidte.

"Jipue.

"Terfre.

"Hestsif.

"Braus.

"We will meet again. My name is C'Don, the Creator. These others will lend you strength from afar. But you will eventually return here."

"Why...why wake us up here, then?" said Meidte. Speech was instilled in them from the beginning, since they were made full grown, and there was no one to teach them.

"So you might remember. Where I am sending you will be fair, but I want you to remember the glory you will be coming to.

"Goodbye, my well-loved six. Be kind to one another." Then the light in C'Don's face blazed, until it was near-blinding. When the Kaanho recovered their sight, the mortals were gone. When the mortals recovered their sight, they were on the southwestern shores of the continent of Cathrarho, on Tu, near a green forest.

These were the first families: Tyrder and Meidte paired together. Jipue and Terfre paired together, and Braus and Hestsif. That very first night, as they huddled together, Edonarter emerged from the forest.

"Greetings from the Kaanking, the master of the Powers that regulate this world. C'Don, told us of your coming, and as the messenger and herald of the Kaanho, I bear you greetings. I am also master of the hunt, and can show you what animals are good to eat, and how best to live in the wild."

"Are you...like C'Don?"

"No. But I am the grandson of some of the others that you saw, like Seyhe, who kissed you on the forehead and brought you out of your long sleep. If it will not frighten you too much, a different Kaan will come every night, and instruct you in some of the ways of Tu."

The next night Hedene came and showed them the ways of plants and growing things, what plants were pleasing and which were harmful, how to cultivate.

The next night Linfal came and answered their questions about how the world was made and basic knowledge thereof.

Tjisir came, and taught them the ways of weather, but mostly he just liked talking with them. He could teach them least, perhaps, but he was a frequent visitor in that he enjoyed their company.

Sashang came and talked of what lurked in the waves, of the extent of the waters.

Zaer came, and terrified them all. He told them of their alloted span, and how they could be accidentally killed before that.

Mayalaph came and talked of the different ways of pleasure...and the children that would result...of love.

Angusin came on the last day, and spoke of leadership and responsibility, of C'Don and what their dreams did and how it drew them to the Greater World, of the struggles before and after the world was made, and of Sagin Shadowfather and his malice.

He ended it with, "We Kaanho will be watching. But for now, you need to proceed on your own. This is the last night of instruction. If any of the Kaanho visit you, it will be their own choice, not through my orders. You are not forgotten, but you need to learn how to tame the world yourself."

Tyrder and Mesidte proved to be the natural leaders among them. They had six children, Jipue and Terfre had four, Braus and Hestsif had five but Hestsif died of fever after the fifth, and Jipue died in a hunting accident. Braus and Terfre married after their mates died, and had two more. Ponep they named the village, after the white waves that danced on the coast. There were twenty-one individuals by the time the second generation reached adulthood. There were nearly eighty by the third generation's adulthood, and the days were all pleasant, for there was as of yet no winter.

Japastea was of that third generation, the granddaughter of Braus and Hestsif. She was large for a woman, and she loved to flirt with Tjisir when he came visiting. They fell in love, and despite Angusin's misgivings and Hedene's inner anguish--for she loved Tjisir---they married. Japastea became pregnant with twins, but her labors killed her, for the children were giants, nearly twice as big as any other child. As they grew, they became twice to three times as tall as the others.

The first winter set in, in Tjisir's grief over the death of Japastea, and lasted for months, where many thought it was the end of the world. Then Hedene convinced Tjisir that his grief was needless, and they married, and the first Spring was made.

They took the largest among the tribe as mates, when the fourth generation had grown, but even though they had children, the wife of the male was so injured by the birth that she could never have children again, and the female injured her husband one night while sleeping and rolling over him, after having three children. The male giant's wife had two, twins. All took after the larger size of their giant parent.

The tribe had swelled to three hundred or so, and split, as half moved further down for better hunting. But none wanted the elder or younger giants, who had proved to have a dangerous temper, and who might end up killing who they married.

Angusin, from Chialta, said, "Tjisir, I value your children, but they dwarf humanity, and I fear they will kill or be killed...remember, they are but seven against hundreds, no matter what their size."

Tjisir said, "So what would you have them do?"

"Plead with your mother Sashang, to raise a special land for these giants. We seperated the elves from humanity. I think, even though they are of human stock, we shall have to do that between giants and humans, also. For they will need more space than the usual island can provide."

Sashang consented, and Tjisir bore away all seven giants, two elder, five younger...to the new land of Tesut. Four of the five first cousins intermarried, and bore eight and seven children, respectively. When one of the females died, the odd female became the new wife, and another three children came. The eldest of that group of three proved to be the natural leader, and helped lead them in this mountain ringed land with a central plain. Iree he was named, and he was the giant from which all giant emperors claimed descent.

The Kaanho took even more of an interest in the giants, due to their being descended from one of their own, and Linfal would often visit to help them and instruct them.

In time, their civilization surpassed the crude villages that the humans were making, and the tribes they gathered under.

Next Chapter.