"The Man of Stone"

"The Man of Stone" is one of the Dunaryj Legends. This one is about the Dunaryj Neyolnso and a man named Iyrel Kathyndo. Neyolnso challenges Iyrel to bring him a crystal from the bottom of the Yndokanys Mountains, but a Oro'san ken Toren'i steals the crystal back, which leads Neyolnso to turn Iyrel into a man-shaped stone.

The Story
Once a man named Iyrel Kathyndo-akayu lived in the village of Othryst. He believed himself to be the strongest creature alive, stronger than the charyd, stronger than the amurym. Iyrel competed in many challenges, such as breaking an unbreakable structure. To do this, he broke a chip from the Rainbow House, thought to be impossible. But it was in subduing Karyngolyk, the great amurym, that he gained the attention of Neyolnso, the Dunaryj of Stone and Strength. One day, while Iyrel was dragging a large charyd by its horn, Neyolnso appeared before him. "Your strength is impressive," He told Iyrel. "I wish for you to prove that your strength is the greatest against My challenge. If you can complete it, I will allow you a place withing My Realm." Iyrel, believing that he could never lose in a challenge of the body, accepted. Neyolnso told him of a yellow crystal in the bottom caves of the Yndokanys Mountains and told him to retrieve it. Iyrel began digging into the mountains with his bare hands, stripping away layers of rock until he formed a new entrance into the caves. He descended through the caves until at last he reached the bottom. He grabbed a crystal and, with a single pull, tore the crystal from the ground. He then climbed back through the cave. As he reached the exit, an Oro'san ken Toren'i stopped him. "That crystal belongs to me! I demand you return it!" it said. Iyrel paid the creature no heed and headed for the exit. The creature reached out with a spidery limb and snatched the crystal away. Iyrel did not notice that the crystal was gone and returned to Neyolnso. "I bring your crystal," Iyrel said, holding out his empty hand. Neyolnso laughed at the sight. "You were not wary of the Oro'san ken Toren'i, and it stole its crystal back. Now you have lost and proved that brute strength needs respect for agility and intellect. Take your punishment and live forever as a man-shaped stone." Iyrel's skin then hardened into stone, freezing him in place for eternity.

Learn from this that strength is not only measured in how hard one can swing, or how much one can lift, but also in flexibility and the power of the mind.