The children on either side of the Storyteller grasped his outstretched hands. A ripple of hand holding moved through the gathering until everyone was connected.
Whispers raced along the pond. Its mirrored surface reflected images of the galactic center, a glistening white haze filling half the eastern sky. The Storyteller remembered when the Milky Way formed misty bands across the heavens...but not anymore. Not since the collision with a neighboring galaxy transformed it from a spiral into a sphere.
At last, the children's thoughts quieted themselves.
"Storyteller," Morolan spoke the rehearsed invocation, "we are ready to hear your wisdom."
The Storyteller gave a nod and entered their minds, showing them images as he spoke.
"Eons ago, a man set out on a journey. He never knew the events about to unfold would play an important part in..."