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In the heart of a wood which lost its name long ago, is a place where a seeker of stories

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may go.

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If you've arrived in a story's your desire, come, take a seat, for what you require is

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a tale from the second storyteller.

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Oh, hello there again.

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By now I'm sure you know me as the second storyteller.

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And before you ask, yes, I do have my back to a closet trying rather forcibly to keep

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it closed.

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Hey listen, I know this looks really really bad, but anyway, I still have a story for

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you, of course.

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You see, I brought one down here ahead of time just in case I would be otherwise indisposed

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like this.

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I have been afraid this would happen for a while, you see.

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And I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to fulfill my role here, but before there

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is no time left, I give you today's story.

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The Mage and the Firefly.

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The Mage and the Firefly.

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This is a story about magic and fire.

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In a village by the ocean lived a woman who stood apart from the other woman.

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There was something slight yet distinctly different about her.

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She had a secret that she kept so that the villagers would not fear her.

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They were not unkind people, but to keep the peace the woman kept her secret.

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The truth was, the woman was a mage.

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As the sun set each evening, she would walk through a forest that ended on a cliff overlooking

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the ocean.

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As the moon rose, she would reach up and draw down a cloak of starlight.

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Throwing it over her shoulders, the woman became the mage.

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She would spend the evenings mending the broken branches of trees with her magic, and settling

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quarrels among the animals.

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The forest life was grateful, but they were not her companions.

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Though her magic brought her joy, the mage was lonely.

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There was a fire.

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It had burned so powerfully, it frightened everyone away.

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Using its own power, the fire changed itself into a firefly.

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In this form, its true power was hidden, and no one was afraid of it.

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The firefly would dance, bringing smiles to the faces of all who watched it.

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And the firefly was happy.

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It forgot that it had ever been fire.

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One evening, as the sun was setting on a cliff overlooking the ocean, the firefly came across

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a woman.

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Because of her magic, the woman could sense the firefly's true form.

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She was overjoyed to find someone not unlike herself.

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Firefly, behold, she said, as the moon rose and she drew down her cloak of starlight,

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transforming into the mage.

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The firefly landed on her palm, and the mage said, Now, firefly, won't you show me your

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true self?

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When the firefly danced, its glow tracing streaks of orange and gold across the night sky, weaving

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beautiful patterns as it flew.

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Pleased with its show, the firefly landed on the mage's palm.

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But the firefly was shocked to see tears streaking the mage's face.

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The firefly flew away as quickly as it could, unable to understand the mage's sorrow.

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Days passed, but the firefly could not forget her, the mage on the cliff overlooking the

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ocean.

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So the firefly flew back to her.

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When the firefly returned, it found the mage frozen in place.

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The sadness in her heart had turned the mage to ice.

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The firefly became fire.

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As flames engulfed the mage, the ice surrounding her vanished.

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She was beautiful in the fire, the warm colors of the flames reflected in her cloak of starlight,

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and she smiled.

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Wreathed in flames, the mage said, You are fire, and you are beautiful.

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You are the firefly, and you are beautiful.

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The fire once more turned back into a firefly, and landed on the mage's palm on a cliff.

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Overlooking the ocean.

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And neither was lonely.

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Undo.

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It seems I am nearly out of time.

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I am so sorry.

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I do not know what will happen next or when we will meet again.

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Please understand that it was never my intention to mislead anyone.

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All I have ever wanted was to share this place with you.

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No matter what happens, I intend to do whatever it takes to oppose them.

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So no matter what happens next, please be well.

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And remember me as your second storyteller.

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Ha ha ha ha ha.

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Fool.

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Now that is how you magically banish someone into a closet.

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Oh my hat.

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Ah, there we go.

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Much better.

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Oh.

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Now here is something interesting.

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Huh.

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You came here looking for a story, didn't you?

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Well don't worry my dear.

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You don't have to deal with that fraud anymore.

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Me?

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Well.

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I am the first storyteller.

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Today's tale has ended.

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But return once again to this place where you are considered a friend.

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Return to this tower in its mysterious dweller.

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For more from the Librarium, The Second Storyteller.

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Thank you for listening to The Second Storyteller.

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If you have a prompt for a story, please send it to thesecondstoryteller at gmail.com.

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If your prompt is selected, your name will be credited at the end of the episode.

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This prompt was a fable from Science and Socks.

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If you would like to help support the future of this podcast, please consider becoming

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a patron by going to patreon.com slash thesecondstoryteller.

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A donation as small as a dollar is greatly appreciated and helps keep us going.

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A donation of just $10 a month puts you on the list of current library card holders and

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your name will be read at the end of the episode.

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The Second Storyteller podcast and the featured stories were written and created by Katie

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Chacon.

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The role of the Second Storyteller is played by Charles Scott.

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Today's voices of the story were provided by Katie and Antonio Chacon.

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The voice of the intro and outro is Chris Camp and you can find the fantastic games he's

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worked on at rix.itch.io.

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That's riks.itch.io.

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The music was written by Fintan, who can be found at garbagebagalloneword.itch.io.

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The Second Storyteller will return next month with more magic, fun, and of course, a story

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to tell.