Meeting Paladore

"Meeting Paladore" is a mini-story that is part of the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series.

Story
It is around the time that Culliford, the Smurf who would someday become Papa Smurf, was 45 years old and had seen his own Papa Smurf leaving the village. "Where are you going, Papa Smurf?" he asked.

"It is a place that you cannot come with me to, my little Smurf," his Papa Smurf said. "This mission of mine may take years to complete, and I wouldn't want to think of losing you along the way."

"But I want to come with you wherever you go, Papa Smurf," Culliford said insistently.

"Now, now, be a good little Smurfling for me and promise that you won't go smurfing off into the forest to come smurfing for me," his Papa Smurf said. "Nanny will smurf good care of you, so whatever you do, don't disobey anything that she smurfs."

"I wish that you didn't have to smurf away from me, Papa Smurf," Culliford said with tears in his eyes.

"I wish that I didn't have to smurf this myself, Cully," his Papa Smurf said as he looked into his son's eyes. The both of them hugged each other, feeling as if they may never see each other again for years to come. "May the Smurf ancestors watch over you until I return."

"May they also watch over you as well, Papa Smurf," Culliford said as he watched his Papa Smurf head off into the forest with his gear.

Culliford remained obedient to his father's wishes for a few days, staying with his grandmother Nanny Smurf as she watched over the young Smurfling after her own daughter had passed away during childbirth. However, curiosity got the better of Culliford and he just couldn't resist the idea of heading off into the forest to find where his father was headed to. One morning he slipped off into the forest with a pack full of things he wanted to take with him before any Smurf was awake. He felt that nothing was going to stop him from finding out the truth of his father's mission.

A few days into his journey, Culliford had come across a giant being with pale skin and gray balding hair, wearing a dark blue robe and wielding a staff with which he used to command stones to levitate until he found some things that he was looking for. Culliford had never seen such a demonstration of power like that before and was curious to find out what it was that the giant was doing.

"Come forward, my little blue friend," the giant spoke. "There is no need for you to be afraid in my presence."

Culliford was surprised to hear the giant speak. "How do you know who I am as well as where I am?" he asked as he came out of hiding into the giant's presence.

"It is my business to know things about the residents in this forest since me and my people are its guardians," the giant spoke. "My name is Paladore, and I am a wizard who belongs to an order that must keep the world from being overcome by dark beings who call themselves Worlings."

"So what you were performing...it's called magic?" Culliford asked.

"That is one of the names used for the talents of my people, Abraham Smurf," Paladore answered. "Your people were also users of this talent, but one among you has abused a similar talent, which is why it has been shunned and not practiced for centuries."

"Why do you call me Abraham, when my real name is Culliford?" Culliford asked.

"Because I have seen that someone like you will come to me in need of something, to know that he has a great destiny in store and that preparation for it is in order, my young friend," Paladore answered. "You will endure great hardship as you grow into the name that will define your future. You will lose one son only to gain many, for that is what your prophetic name, Abraham Smurf, means...the father of many."

"Prophetic name? Then you must be a fortune-teller or something like that," Culliford realized.

"Seeing into the future to know what lies ahead is also one of my talents," Paladore said. "Come, let us retire to my chambers where we will discuss more about what your future will be."

To be expanded on.