The Narts Ancient Sagas from the Caucasus

By Sylvan Migdal

Sylvan Migdal, the artist, intros the origin for this project stemming from Ossetian myth and Circassian saga, and starts the story quite risqué, but what does one expect with a reimagining of sagas from long ago? The stories skip around, but the intro supplies the more important characters and the handful of nicknames they each have, I'll be sticking with one. Setenaya (a.k.a. Shatana, Satanay, Seteney, Psatina) is the matriarch of the Nart clan; and her adopted/bastard son Sozruquo (a.k.a. Shoshlan, Sosruko, Sosriqwe), the "hero". So, Setenaya is bathing at a river with another woman when she's peeped by a young shepherd, who gets a hard on and starts begging her to get some, since she got around anyways.

Setenaya uses her powers and denies him even able to get close to her, and he lays in the water stricken, not with mortis, but knowing he wasn't getting happy today, but does blast off... and instead of the stream hitting Setenaya, it passes her and hits a rock. Setenaya lugs the rock home, and waits nine months, it getting larger, until finally taking it to a smith, who breaks the rock open and a rock baby is inside. The baby says to Setenaya if she wanted him to be real, she'd have to get him soaked in she-wolf's milk. Setenaya tasks her hubby with this, and he does so without question, accept the first one, when he wondered why she had a rock, and she simply replying it was "magic stuff".

When he tempers the baby, they didn't quite have enough to soak him fully so he grew a bit bow-legged for his knees staying soft, on top of this, when he was older, he'd get teased for being a rock, and whatnot.

Then, we switch to Alimbeg's daughters which tells of how the Council required a man from each household to compete for the honor to serve in the new Council, but in Alimbeg's home there was no men, and when families disobeyed orders, the home must give up a daughter to be a servant to the Council. The women were all stricken with the possibility of the only newborn child, Sunshine, of the last Nart man, who had died recently, to be taken away from his 7 widows. Sunshine requests the ladies make bread and bring her father's gear, she grows immediately after eating all the bread, and going out to prepare the horse, she riding off to compete with the other men at the Field of Games. She was mistaken for Alimbeg's son and she builds on the story of having been raised by the Kambadas across the mtns, but either way, the boy was obviously the best out of the bunch of Nart youths.

Sunshine is made advisor-in-chief and she starts to q her abilities as being only a little girl and shaming her fam anyways, but she proves to everyone and herself she'd been the correct choice, doing helpful deeds and always providing justice, and usually firsthand. On another day, Sozruquo returns to town to see Shirdon, lying in the village sq, he asking him what was wrong. When he told of how the Council'd been shamed by making a girl a head of the council, Sunshine is pressured to instead focus on providing an heir, since he'd already fixed all their problems, so she goes and bids her 7 mothers farewell, in search of a wife, but actually planning to not return and live a life of anonymity. She travels so far she gets lost, but once reaching a road again, she's given directions by an old man on a 3-legged horse.

The man, Washtirji thinks she's his blood-bro, Alimbeg's son, due to recognizing his possessions, and asks what he was after, Sunshine saying she was looking for a bride, so he points her in the direction of a village with a daughter in a tower. The daughter sees Sunshine as she attempts to jump her father's saw wall, and is pleased to see Sunshine succeed as she and another girl wonder at whether she'd get whacked by a blade. When the two speak outside her very tall window, Sunshine admits she didn't actually expect to find a bride, and didn't have the tall ladder required to help save the daughter from her air-locked room. Sunshine is readying to retreat when the daughter shouts for her to wait, leaning further out the window when a bird flies by her and makes her fall, directly into Sunshine's arms.

As sentries shout for them to stop, the daughter tells Sunshine to go, Washtirji turning back into his human form, and the two meeting him outside the wall. Washtirji leads the two to a large oak where he leaves them with an apple, telling the two if the daughter ate the apple, and Sunshine ate the rest of the core, she'd turn into a man and they could live happily together, then biffs off. The couple spend the night under the oak and return to Nart lands the next day, the youths celebrating their return, and giving Shirdon shit for whinging as he had, but his response was how his words had spurred a happy result so why are they complaining, which no one could give reply, and so the couple lived happily.

Next story begins with Urizhmag preparing to go on a quest, and told his wife, Setenaya if she poked her hand with an awl and she poured milk, he was alive still. As he's away, Nart Tughuzhipsh visits her, she treating him kindly as a guest until he asks when they could get together, kicking him out promptly. Nagurashkho, son of the heavenly smith Tlepsh decides he'd create some daggers for Setenaya, her maid saying he was more handsome, but Setenaya saying she wasn't going to betray her hubby this time, she being able to wait a few months of not getting any. When Setenaya returns to where Nagurashkho waited, saying she had to prepare food, he states she wouldn't have to go to the trouble, the daggers he magicked turning into 2 beings.

They prepare dinner, from start to serving, slaughtering an animal and providing dishes of food to the 2. After, the two beings return to dagger form, Setenaya saying how wonderful they were, Nagurashkho saying all she had to do was allow him to sleep on her bosom tonight...She goes for it, and is surprised by hubby returning, so puts on unisex clothes and biffs out the back. She's met by her hubby during the night though, wanting to trade the daggers, she asking for a woman, and he saying he'd sleep with her himself, she showing him who she was, but after she shares what had happened, the two forgiving each other and having a stronger union by the time they returned home.

Sozruquo was at battle at the Khizin pass against the Warbi invading armies by himself and was keeping them in retreat. He returns to the village which is empty of the men and asks a woman where they'd all gone leaving him to fend the village himself. She states they'd gone to vie for the hand of Kashera, the men ofc not wanting to inform "jizz-rock baby". Kashera is soon impressed by Sozruquo making his aimed shot with his arrows to her castle in the sky, she bringing it to earth and asking to meet the one who had shot the arrows being her betrothed.

When Kashera lands though, Sozruquo rushes inside the tower, and tries to take control of it, annoying her so, gets out and has her castle rise in the air with Sozruquo and stopping at heaven, which left him no choice but to jump out all the way back down to earth. Setenaya and her hubby with their maids have a kickback with Kashera and Setenaya tries to ease her mind regarding Sozruquo's behavior. Kashera is distracted with the fizzy drink they'd given her, Setenaya's hubby saying it's his fave drink called beer, which she'd gotten the idea from a bird in the hop vine, she taking the ingredients and creating the drink. Sozruquo wakes in the 7th level of hell where he fell, and the devils try to make it nice living for him down there, but it wasn't the same as fighting the Narts.

A devil offers Sozruquo marry his 3 daughters and happily stay, but he states how he was homesick for the Narts, so he's given old slippers and is told to pray, he being able to go home. Setenaya greets him 1st, and she helps him get to Kashera who'd gone back into her tower in the air, and when he's whirlwinded to her, they make up, get married, but Kashera couldn't get used to life amongst the rowdy Narts, so moves back into the sky, wanting Sozruquo to join her, but he knowing he wouldn't be satisfied, so the two divorce and live happily after.

Shirdon was outcast because he wasn't known to give memorial feasts for his dead relatives, so he'd be heckled about leaving his ancestors starved. He knew they only mentioned it because he was poor and only had a single cow which they wanted to feast on, he starting to warm to the idea just for how long he'd kept the beast. Shirdon prepares the beer but under alcohols the ingredients, then hires to dummies to be servers, the two arguing amongst themselves when they got tipsy after he'd allowed them to drink. As he tries to break them up, the not so alcoholed beer tips over and Shirdon gives them shit for what will he do when the rest of the people come to feast.

The townies who were there and saw what happened, decide to leave and warn everyone else there wasn't booze so they left Shirdon as he'd wanted, to feast alone, and his cow spared.

Khmish had gone hunting and was about to sling an arrow at a deer, when a small hunter on a rabbit gets to the deer first. The two hunters bond and share a meal, the small rider, Bisen introing Khmish to his fam after they'd finished and went to his home. Khmish is twin bro to Urizhmag who is married to Setenaya, and Khmish had been getting a rep as a womanizer. He'd been gifted a magic tooth from his aunt which made his smile irresistible to women, but he decides to refrain using it with the Marakwas.

Soon Khmish's become smitten with Bisen's sister, Isp, she refusing to marry him, which she wanted, unless he made certain she didn't become the town joke. He makes this possible and his nephew, Sozruquo acts as best man, but when he arrives to accompany Isp, she's a frog. He runs out and shouts on his way to his horse to Khmish and saying how he'd shamed them all, he then urging the other people to leave. When he goes inside to bed, Isp loses her frog form and is seated near him.

Isp explains she couldn't show her human form til night, she worked on making clothes for their wedding and guests, he passing it out and making sure the poor had the best. Khmish hated to be away from Isp, so one day he insists he take her to a council meeting in his pocket since he didn't want to part, she hated the idea, but he did it anyways, immediately getting called out by Shirdon. When he makes another disparaging comment, outside the council area, Khmish clocks him. In the evening Isp prepares her belongings to leave since he'd disregarded her so without thinking of her discomfort, and then making a brutish fool of himself, so before leaving she states it's customary to leave the child with the father, and so she blows their child between Khmish's shoulder blades, and advises Setenaya would be able to help him with it.

When he goes to her, she ribs him a bit for getting knocked up and abandoned having been a Playboy before. After, she settles down to helping him, which does take the counting of months to the day for when she'd be able to pop his baby out his back, by this time, being much a large bump. She pierces him with a blade and the baby bounces out, and into the ocean which boils and steams, the sea spirits naming him Batraz.

T'hadhaglej was on his death bed, but the god of harvest, he sending a messenger with a bag of millet seed to the people of Nart, one seed yielding a barrel of beer. The people build a copper tower to store and protect the seeds in, but it's soon destroyed and the caretaker killed, the seeds ofc, missing.

Next story has Sozruquo riding in the winter, people soon worrying about their animals dying because the snows had stayed late. Setenaya is who they all turn to, she feeling a bit miffed they only remembered she existed when they wanted help, but she tells of the country of Tar being lovely and it being a difficult journey, 60 mtns before breakies, 60 rivers by noon, and 3 oceans at sundown. Plus if they wanted to pasture their herds there, they'd have to defeat the Tar bros, Mukara and Bibyts, they being the thieves of their millet, as well. When it's asked who would be willing to face them, someone ahem's at the door.

Sozruquo had offered, and so began his journey with the herd. Mukara is the one who keeps getting told by unlucky messengers of someone coming to herd animals on his land, but he kept disbelieving them and throwing them into the sea or mtn. His wife soon tells him to just go look before murdering a third. When he comes barreling across his field to see a shepherd, Sozruquo who acts like he's the servant to himself, tells Mukara of the rep of his master, who Mukara becomes more impressed, trying the ideas, like using swords to chop his head off and the blade only clanging off, each idea Mukara also impervious from.

Sozruquo final idea defeats Mukara when he gets stuck in the frozen sea, he telling Sozruquo where his only blade which could pierce him was, Sozruquo correctly deducing it was a trap behind the door, and gets the razor, he laughing and playing his instrument again. Then, another rumble, and he assumes Bibyts is approaching, who says the same lines of angry blustery indignity on someone daring to graze animals on their land, Sozruquo giving him the same reasons and when asked after his bro, says he'd attempted some of the Nart games, Bibyts excited to try. Sozruquo gives him similar tasks but tries upgrading them, Bibyts nailing the last task as well, despite piling stones on top of him in the sea as well. Bibyts was so pumped he planned to claim 1 son and daughter from every Nart fam.

Sozruquo returns home with people who were praising him, but he feeling shitty since the younger men were on a hunting trip to feed their fams. Setenaya offers her help and so tells Sozruquo to hide when Bibyts came with his men, which wasn't long after, so she has him as her guest and planned to pray before their meal, she wanting the hidden source of his life essence and power, she explaining it was how the Narts prayed, wanting to be direct. He tricks her twice, and she finally gains his trust when she seems quite upset of the shame he'd bring her. He tells her his life essence was in the mother horse to his horse, Zhaqa, when she birthed a second mare being when Bibyt would die.

Setenaya gives Sozruquo advice before sending him off to find the mare. Then her daughter, Agunda comes to her with new of she and the other women weren't planning to wait for their hubbies to return to deal with the giants outside their gate, so would go out looking for them, Setenaya trying to slow her roll. Sozruquo is camping and feeds a hungry looking wolf, somehow and the fella thanking him for feeding him the last of his meal. He continues to be of aid to the animals he comes across his journey.

What incapacitates Sozruquo is trying to aid some baby birds from a poisonous snake, he smelling the venom and conking out of the tree and fallen to the ground. Meanwhile with Agunda, they were searching a ravine when she hears the horn which signified request for aid at the village, so they return to see the giants had infiltrated and was harassing people. Sozruquo is revived by the baby birds mama with water, and gives him a ride to the long-named land he was going to for the mare. She advises him how to become the witch, who owned the horses herdsman would mean he'd have to become her foster son, so he must suckle her breast which she rested over her shoulders for how big they were, and then she'd have no choice but to oblige.

The witch accepts his help when he said he only wished to be of use to her, but she said she'd punish him if he failed her, regardless. Day one of the witch being away, he couldn't find the horses, but the wolf he'd saved had shepherded them to him. On day 2 the horses run of into the sky, the bird he'd saved chasing them back to the ground. Day 3 the horses go into the sea, but the catfish Sozruquo helped, shooed them out.

After this day, Sozruquo gets all the horses back on the witch's property, and by then there was a fourth horse. The witch gives Sozruquo the horse as payment, and he rides off. The newborn horse says he'd be even stronger if he allowed him to return to his mother to suckle a 4th time, one more than his elder bro, Sozruquo agreeing, and the colt coming back quicker than normal. Meanwhile Bibyts fought against Agunda, who was giving him a run for his money, but then upon realizing he wasn't fighting Sozruquo, when her helmet comes off, he gets well annoyed.

Bibyt then sees Sozruquo's servant, who reveals his true identity and tries to chase him on his horse, beating his horse a bit too much and so pleading with his younger bro to slow down, but the lil guy reminding Zhaqa he didn't have to take his shit, so the horse jumps into the air, and when he lands, Zhaqa kicks him with his hooves off and away. This leaves Sozruquo to allow his village to harvest the cattle and sowed the millet seeds.

Next story Shirdon is passing his mother's grave when he hears a wailing baby. He sees the little girl and names her Setenaya, she growing within months, and able to bake bread so well, it quenched hunger and made one drunk. Setenaya then spots some flowers she tries to transplant next her house to grow but they kept dying, she sad she'd upset their happy location. Overnight it rains, and seemingly magically, the flower blooms, Setenaya learning how to greenify her thumb, and helping Tlepsh the smithy by giving him wooden examples of the anvil and hammer which'd change his business life, only using his hands so far.

It took Setenaya a bit longer to come up with something to pick up metal with though, getting inspired by two intwined snakes, which gives her the spark for tongs. Now she was a grownt woman, she wanted to find a hubby, going around the world and considering celestial beings. When Urizhmag's wife comes to her pleading for help because she hadn't been able to make the mead, she requests for her wedding gown to borrow, and after the night went well, she tricks him at first, but then he's into it, and Setenaya magicks the outside to stay evening, his wife getting locked out, and she thinking she'd pissed him off, dying during the night, and being honored at her memorial. Urizhmag is worried about how it looks, but Setenaya has him ride on his horse backwards a few times in front of the townspeople and in a week they forgot about it, and the two wed, nothing really coming from their scandalous start.

The next story, Batraz is shown growing up in the sea, and learning about life from his extended fam, the Donbettirs. Setenaya advises the Narts on how to coax Batraz back to land by staging a hair cutting on shore so he can see. Batraz was interested in participating, so they shave his hair off and place it back in the sea, which allows Batraz to wish to remain on land. Batraz goes to live with his father, Khmish.

Batraz'd play in the fire at Setenaya's and hang out in the clouds, sometimes. During this period, Burafarnig's 7 sons were the most noticeable kids in the village, what with being clothed quite spiffy and being rumored to have the best marksmanship with bows. One day Batraz goes off on his own and sees them as they begin a bowmen contest, and wanted to join in. The boys aren't open to this though, so Batraz offers to retrieve their arrows and only asked to have a shot when the boy was through, so they agree.

When being impressed Batraz would sometimes catch the arrow as it was still in flight to the target, they decide to see what he can do, which isn't too impressive, actually. The boys laugh their asses off, and Batraz requests they make a further target with their fancy hats, so the boys run off as far as they can and set up the caps. Batraz looses his arrow and felt and fur fall around them as Batraz trots home singing his fave tune. When Batraz is a man, he loses his wife and child to a plague in a month.

Batraz mourned for a year, his deflation affecting the Narts, so after some time he goes off to quest for something. On the road, a handsome youth starts riding next to him without saying a word, which he takes as long as he can until speaking up with how creepy it is. The youth draws his sword and Batraz acts quicker and stabs him through, he saying he'd wanted to fight beside him, not an equalling to what his responses were and getting himself killed, but Batraz feels even worse now, since the youth says before he passes of the wind and water avenging his death, oddly enough, and he returns to his village. He sets out again and tells the village he planned to learn more about the youth, Quayda, he'd rightfully murdered.

Batraz travels for weeks, eventually he meets a rider like Quayda, but this time the youth starts chatting and tells of a girl in his fam who fought men to find one who could marry her, she going through guys like m&m's. Now Batraz has a better sense to why Quayda had tried to sneak attack him having to do with testing his strength, since his sis, Qaydukh had heard he was a strong badass. So, he gets directions from the youth as to where he could find Qaydukh. The youth gives him directions to a mtn in the middle of the forest, and when reaching it, a storm brews, which Batraz feels drowsy by, so sleeps for 3 days, the storm raging around his blanketed bod.

A youth wakes him and leads him to a tower, saying he was leaving and if Batraz attempted to leave, it wouldn't do him a good turn, so he waits patiently, whistling. Again, as mist fills the room, he's woken by a youth who tries to fight him, and fails. Turns out he's fighting Qaydukh, who as fighting him for so long, becomes impressed. She gets naked to show she's a woman and says they should just skip to being married, already.

They blissfully live together for a year, and Qaydukh senses he's homesick, he wanting to bring her with him, but she wanting to stay for her bro to come back, Quayda. The 2 walk about outside and he sees the grave grown over with grass, a gale starting. When the wind blows the skeleton out of its grave and into the water, Batraz laughs with the lad's vow, and then has Qaydukh promise not to get mad before confessing her bro's nonsense. She understood, but she also knew if she ignored tradition which said she must take the life of her bro's murderer, she'd struggle with the aftermath of losing the love of her life.

So they proceed to live together and a month later Batraz goes hunting, and he's met by Qaydukh acting like she was ready to avenge Quayda, and she gives a valiant effort but he survives the ice, fire, and darkness she brings about them. Qaydukh at last apologizes to him for not being able to keep her word to let it go, she asking if they still had a chance, but Batraz knowing trust would not be the same, so they'd part from each other and know their happiness wouldn't mix again.

Next, a repetitive beat permeates the forest, Urizhmag follows the sound to where warriors were performing a dance of the Narts. They were trying to get the attention of a woman, Akola who flew on mechanical wings and no one knew what she looked like but assumed she was a looker. Urizhmag says he could get her, and what they'd offer him to bring her to them, they each upping the goods. Off Urizhmag goes to attempt to get Akola.

Urizhmag tells his horse to act tired af as he pretended to whip him, Akola and another lady seeing him from the tower as he beat his horse, they offering he stay the night instead of wailing on his horse, he says the Agur have come to attack his village and he had to warn his sis or give her a respectful remembrance. The women insist he stay since he wouldn't be able to do anything today on his exhausted horse, so he accepts and has a wonderful evening with Akola. The next day when he leaves, he takes some time resting and then returns in the direction he'd come, shouting he'd been too late. Akura packs quickly and asks to be taken along for escape, Urizhmag taking her to where the men waited, she realizing he'd tricked her, he acting coy.

The men all ask for a dance with her, she putting them down, until Batraz, she accepting, but had some info about a relative of his currently trapped, Uon, and she would tell them his unfortunate story having been enslaved in a giant's lair. One day, Uon had been hunting a beast known as the Slyest of the Sly all day, and when he followed the creature into a cave thinking he'd trapped it finally, he's invited to a feast. He has some fun with the woman in the cave, and during the night, they're picked up by a large creature, flying away. Uon lived as a shepherd, and only wore one outfit which sagged in rain and tightened in the sun.

So Akola's quest for Batraz is to help Uon out, steal the giant's treasure, and restore his fam's name. Batraz takes the conditions for a dance, and advises the men to not offend Akola in his absence, and to keep dancing. Setenaya helps Batraz prepare, he captures one of Uon's last horses at night, and prepares for his journey. The horse warns him of the mtns guarding the pass they must go thru to get to the land Uon was in, this time a timely whipcrack pausing the mtns from smooshing anymore of the horse's tail off.

When they see a lone shepherd among a crapton of flocks to herd, he greets him and the man looks misty-eyed over the horse looking like one he'd owned and expected to be dead by now. Batraz assures him it's his horse and then tells him his reasons for coming, Uon not looking hopeful he'd succeed since the giant, Akhshualy was seemingly invincible, but instructs him where he could be found. Batraz saw no way in to the tower so hails Akhshualy himself as he walks by to invite him to stay for being a weary traveler. Akhshualy consents and moves a huge rock which was blocking the hidden entrance.

During the night, Batraz is spied on by a woman who Akhshualy had a crush on and also was enslaved, she finally consenting to they sleeping in the same bed, but wasn't ready for any touchy stuff, Akh way into it. During the night, Akh is about to go outside for a wee when the woman insist he use the chamberpot, she then secreting it to Batraz, this being the only way to kill Akh, he also needing 3 of Akh's arrows, then go to Tlepsh to temper them in the piss, not missing his aim in the spine. Batraz has this done, and does the job when Akh goes out to hunt. Batraz then reunited this woman and Uon, who had been friends before, she showing Uon a secret spot with milk which restored their youth.

The woman also showed the 2 the giant's treasures, one being the perfect magic item to transport all the goods including his herds out. Batraz gave Urizhmag his never miss bow, and his pop some of the youth-returning milk, and the dance with Akola was upgraded to wedding, a double wedding, since Uon also was marrying, and the party lasted a week.

Psabida made his living by smuggling horses at night across a bridge and his way lit by a woman, Qaydukh from a tower. One evening, Qaydukh in the window must listen as her hubby boasts of how awesome he is, and maybe he should remember his wife, who lights his path and wouldn't be able to fare nearly the same, the 2 making it a bet. So the next night he goes on in the shoes and coat she made him, on the saddle she'd , and on the horse she cared for and loved her more than him, does his usual deal and asks his horse which is the best path, this time the beast acting grazingly. Psabida becomes lost for days in varying weather, Qaydukh also making the weather fine for when he set out.

Psabida this time is chased by the Marakwas when he attempts to claim their herd. At this point, Qaydukh is starting to feel compassion for her hubby as he tries to get the horse to go faster so he doesn't get them killed just for being on Qaydukh's side. Psabida starts feeling egocentric when his way is lit by the moon, and when Qaydukh notices, he's plunged in darkness, and has a bit of slip up. He doesn't make it and Qaydukh mourns for a year before setting out in men's clothes and considering finding a wife this time.

They spend 3 years together, her wife not knowing she wasn't a man (supposedly), and then after they split, Qaydukh is back to looking at her hubby's grave. She's noticed by a passing man, who asks if she's alright. She's impressed by Sozruquo's conduct and tests him with some shit weather, he again crossing the river on his horse to make sure she was ok, and offering her a ride to shelter. She's impressed with him, the storm passes and she gets a bit frisky with him underneath his cloak, the 2 marrying, ofc.

Next story has Urizhmag say to some men how there weren't any real Nart men left, so he'd come up with a contest for the youth to prove they had morals. Khmish wishes to claim the prize for the peckish of eaters, his son, Batraz, no one able to argue his minimal appetite. The 2nd prize for best warrior is also claimed by his pop for Batraz, again no one able to deny this to him. The 3rd prize was for respect of women, Urizhmag again going for it for his son, since he'd found his wife sleeping with another man, slept outside, and by morning accepted the man as a guest.

Batraz arrives and they spring the surprise of the gifts of cloth he'd won, being asked how he became so good. Batraz harkens back to when he'd been tasked as a boy to bring water from the river in a skin bag, and the water being lower than when he filled it for how it was meant to keep the beverage chill, but lowered the amount thru condensation quicker. This is when he learned to be half satisfied when hungry. How he became a warrior he'd learned from his dog who had been attacked by mean dogs, and watched how he survived by dividing the pack and taking them out in ones and twos.

The 3rd reason for how he became so respectful of women occurred when he was older and with a hunting party, staying over with 2 women, a mother and daughter, their hubbies having been gone for quite awhile, and the men almost not staying with them for not wanting to ruin their reputations, but the women putting them up in to huts. After hearing the 2 women argue in another language he knew, which room they wanted to spend the night in for a nice orgy, he realized women get as horny as men and it wasn't fair to leave them for months or years on wars and adventures to leave them lonely. So, from then on he didn't begrudge his lovely wife to be alone whilst he was away.

Next story has Batraz receive news from his wife, Akola and how the women in the village were giving gifts to the physical embodiment of Huytsuay Dzuar, deity of would-be mothers. He turned her away with the others for being sexual flexible. This doesn't set well with Batraz and he confronts the man deity, Dzuar. When dealing with Dzuar by whacking him with branches and using a new one when it broke, he attempts to hide at 3 villagers homes, but Batraz threatens 2, and then agrees to allow Dzuar to leave when the 3rd man asked, out of respect for him. Dzuar left the village and didn't return.

Next story has Warkhag celebrating his twin boys births one at each call of a rooster. Their naming was given to Tlepsh for having found an affinity for the 2 lads, naming them Akhshar and Akhshartag (Brave and Bravest). When the boys get older, in the matter of hours, they start becoming mischievous with bow-making and killing birds which flew above them. When they're older they decide to adventure separately and leave an arrow each at a river crossing, Akhshartag coming back first to find the other arrow undisturbed.

Akhshartag plans to locate him and senses he'd been captured. He comes to a lone tent, and inside sees an iron door open and close of its own accord, he peeping a man with his bros bloodied scarf. Akhshartag looses an arrow at the tent and a huge screech follows. He waits outside, and by morning, an old woman comes out the door, yelling about her other only eye just got tagged by the arrow.

Akhshartag comes forward, and she recognizes her nephew when he asks after the scarf. She has him collect milk and dew, and he poured the milk on her eye. She can now see, and shares a story of on Saturdays, Bisenags comes out from water and hunt. They take a person, or someone dies, her hubby having been taken and she still searching for him.

His aunt says Akhshar wished to quest to the elder Bisenag for having been hit by ore from space, wanting the elder's head. She reveals Akhshar had given her his scarf and it would turn red if he were in danger, she about to go for him, when Akhshartag shot her. Next Saturday, they go to the iron door where the Bisenags emerge, finding his aunt's hubby attached as the rope ladder by his beard, and chained on a table laying down. They see Akhshar chained up on the wall, then a battle ensuing.

Akhshar, now with the others, released and walking back had brought a sword Tlepsh had made of heavenly iron. He'd squared off with the Bisenag chief and broken his sword with his own.

Next story begins about a magic apple which grew one per day, and by every morning it was stolen, and no one knew who it was, yet. One day a father gives his boys the responsibility of making them an honorable fam by catching the culprit, since it was their turn to guard it. Akhshartag takes first shift of guard. Akhshar sees it's a bird taking the apples, and he aims for it with his bow.

Akhshar gets the bird right thru the apple area, and Akhshartag wakes to Akhshar swiping the apple and telling Akhshartag to give him a year. Akhshar goes to a mourning group of women who say their sis was dying, because of missing her wingtip, he taking responsibility and also saying he could aid them. He returns her wingtip and the two marry. The two were very happy with each other.

Akhshar and Dzerashsha are soon pregnant with twins as they stay in Dzerashsha's realm, her parent allowing them to relax there, but Dzerashsha believes they should return to Akhshar's village so the kids can be born there and the villagers willing to accept them. Back at the village Warkhag, their pop, is taking their absence rough, the fools who were jealous of the two, taunting him, so he driving some of their cattle off cliffs when he got too annoyed. Akhshartag and Dzerashsha swim to where Akhshar is camped, and 2 versions are given, 1 where, Dzerashsha doesn't have good discrepancy for which twin is which, and both twins end up dead, 1 shot with an arrow in the pinky and the other falling on his sword with guilt, and another where both survive, and Dzerashsha gives birth to twins in Akhshar's tower, naming them Urizhmag and Khmish. The boys also grew outrageously quickly and started to become terrors with bows, one girl almost getting hit, crying to her mother, and her ma tells her to take care of the brat, she going out there and giving Khmish a piece of her mind, insulting a relative of theirs who lived in the woods.

The two boys are shamed and break their bows. They run home to Dzerashsha, and next they find Warkhag and clean him up. When Dzerashsha passes away naturally, and is wooed by Washtirji, protector of travelers, and they have a daughter, Setenaya. Setenaya became a healer with the magic apples, creating youth maintaining creams and heal other ailments with the apples.

Yaminizh, the spirit of Cholera comes to Setenaya in the form of an old blind Nart man, and she recognizes and refuses him, which makes him take revenge by killing a tree which would've saved the Narts from death.

The next story relates how the previous storyteller sharing of Dzerashsha died young, but in this story she survives to see her sons grow and with Gatag, master of rivers and streams, had another son, Shirdon, who she sends to live with her parents in the sea. Dzerashsha advises Shirdon to say to others he's a Nart, but not to let on she was his ma, so he acts goofy around other Nart's and makes fun of them, vanishing in the earth when they tried to strike him. Young Sozruquo one day comes home with a hound, and at night, Shirdon tries feeding it. This doesn't make Sozruquo happy, so he tries following the dog, since it'd begun to bond with Shirdon more.

Meanwhile, Dzerashsha advises Shirdon to come visit more since a daughter of a neighbor was dropping by often, and she thought they'd make a good match. The 2 have triplets, which he strives to keep them clothed for not making much money. When a wool merchant comes to collect wool from him, Shirdon tells him he must wait til he finishes digging his ditch so water can flow again, and then the flock will return catching all the wool on the brush, so the merchant must wait, returning home.

Next story, Setenaya is on the outskirts of her relationship with Urizhmag, and says they should have a break up party before she leaves. After 7 nights of partying, she makes sure her guests don't allow Urizhmag to leave unless he isn't sober. He doesn't wake til morning with Setenaya in a carriage with him, fanning him with a leaf and yelling at the oxen pulling them along, she telling him he was the only treasure she wanted to bring with her, this allowing them to make up, and to live happily once more.

The concluding story, Urizhmag goes on an adventure, and at some point after Setenaya realizes she's pregnant. When she was close to giving birth, she leaves Nart lands in secret, baking and offering honey cakes for luck, and praying for a year. When Urizhmag returns, Setenaya doesn't speak of her pregnancy, and as years pass, the Nart youths became despondent with hunger. Setenaya asks what seemed to be troubling him, and he relays the energy lacking in the village, Setenaya prepared with plenty of food to spare.

Narts came from everywhere to partake, and no one was turned away. Urizhmag at one point goes out to chop more wood, and is picked up by a bird, and dropped on a flat, large outcropping of a mtn top in the middle of the ocean. He learns he's in the lands of the Lady of the Flowing Waters, and she welcomes him to her home. A young boy also greets him, and when they sit to eat, he offers the youngest the first bite, the boy tripping on the carpet when he was coming over to sample, and getting run through with Urizhmag's blade.

Urizhmag goes back to the top of the pillar, and the bird returns him where he'd been found, but this time face down, Setenaya finds him laying outside. When he informs her what happened, she guiltily admits having sent the boy to live with her relatives, since she'd known the boy would die by Urizhmag's hand. The two began spending much time at the Stone of Oblivion which helped one forget their sadness. The nameless child spent years with Barashtir, who ruled the dead.

The child confesses to Barashtir of his parents forgetting him. The boy is allowed to go to his parents when he comes up with a solution when it comes to letting Barashtir keep his reputation of not allowing anyone to return to the land of the living involving a horse's shoes being put on backwards so it looks like the child was heading only to the land of the dead. The boy goes to his father, Setenaya suspicious of the young child asking for Urizhmag to accompany him to the memorial mound, but Urizhmag not denying a quest request. Urizhmag meets him there, the area around hot and steamy because of the child's horse's breath.

The child then has the horse roll in gravel until becoming huge like a mtn, smearing glue to make layers on the horse's body. They next see his mtn horse, and a steel horse fight as the 2 hide in a foxhole and stay safe, but Urizhmag got too curious and kept looking. He lost his hair first, and then the top of his skull, the boy changing Nart custom to match what was occurring to Urizhmag. After, the boy says he should round up the herds and he'll inform the owners, since honor couldn't have him steal, and so he does.

An old woman asks the child to spare her last son who has yet to be claimed by death, he agreeing and becoming her milk son, he then trying to spare her son, but he being prideful, so shooting him in the shoulder of his tunic. No one could loose the arrow from the earth, and by the time they'd cut the part of the tunic to release their capt, the Narts had escaped. After handling the rest of Urizhmag's pursuers with a wave of blood, they get to the divvying up field, where Urizhmag said the child should be given the honor, since he'd done the work. He sets the whitest bull aside as a sacrifice for the dead, revealing to Urizhmag he's his forgotten son.

Urizhmag wished for a last look at his boy, but the child runs to his horse and goes back. The child is turned away at the mtn entrance because the sun has set, but Setenaya prays for a last bit of sun to be on the tip of a mtn, and the boy points to it, he being allowed back, and Setenaya throwing a ring onto the boy's hand as he'd raised it for a wave of farewell. This is the mark of the 1st of many annual memorial feasts to their son Urizhmag and Setenaya have from then on.

This was a fun series, maybe there'll be more coming, but the artist has moved on to other projects and I shall as well! Worth the read!