This next section of the story, where Kilynn's grandmother explains the Hunt is long. I'm going to break it up over a few days to spare your eyes reading it on the screen. A quick recap of part 5 - Kilynn learned that her mother had been taken by the Hunt and that her father blamed her for it. She fled the city and went to her favorite place in the woods where her grandmother was waiting. Ryl and Herry had followed Kilynn and the three of them had just settled down to listen to their grandmother tell them about the Hunt. Here we go:
Kilynn, part 6
“The story of the Hunt begins just over a hundred years ago,
on an island far on the other side of this world. It is a small island in the
middle of a vast ocean, with no other land close by. The waters surrounding the
ocean are turbulent, even in the calm season. In the storm season the island
disappears into a cloud of mist, obscuring it from the view. In addition to the
churning waters, it is said that large, dangerous creatures feast upon any ship
that dares sail near the island. Because of this, the people of the island
lived in near isolation from the world around them. And this didn’t bother them
for their few encounters with outsiders never went well.
“I can see you want to ask why. I shall tell you. The people
of the island appear human, like you, but they are a little more than human.
They possess a spark in their soul that grants them magical abilities. Even the
smallest child on the island can control the basic elements of earth, air,
fire, and water. As they grow older, children are taught how to use their
abilities to contribute to their society. The cities on the island are lovely
places, with beautifully sculpted buildings and statues, well-tended gardens,
and clear, pure water to drink.”
Ryl started to speak, interrupting his grandmother, but she
put a finger to her lips to quiet him. “Be patient Ryl, and wait until my story
is done. If you still have questions when I am through, then you may ask them.
But for now, be quiet and listen.”
“Any time outsiders had visited the island they were
intrigued by the mysterious powers of the islanders. They would often try to
kidnap some of the citizens, enslaving them to harness their magical powers.
But once off the island, their powers faded and many of the citizens were killed
or turned out and left on their own to struggle to survive or die. It is said
that the queen, Abryelle, cast a spell upon the ocean to churn up the waters
surrounding the island in hopes of protecting her people from outsiders. She
also instructed them, that should an outsider ever arrive on the island again,
to hide their abilities. She would do anything to protect her people.
“Life was good and simple on the island and the people loved
their queen. She had born one daughter, who was named her heir, and many sons.
The children were also adored by the people, for they were sweet children who
were eager to do their best to keep the island safe and happy.
“One day when the princess, Larya, had reached her
eighteenth birthday, a large wooden ship sailed into the harbour of the main
city on the island. The people were shocked that someone had managed to sail
through the troubled waters and reach their remote island. When the captain and
his crew disembarked, they were surprised by the beautiful city they found and
the peaceful but scared people that greeted him.
“The captain, Willam, was escorted to Queen Abryelle, where
an offer of friendship was cautiously made. The captain revealed that he and
his crew had been blown off course while trying to sail from one land to
another and had no knowledge of the island. Abryelle was suspicious of this
until the captain showed her a map which did not include the island. Hoping to
keep the magically abilities of the islanders a secret, the queen would not let
Captain Willam and his crew leave the castle grounds.
“At first, Willam was angered by this for he wished to leave
the island and return to his exploration of the seas. But with storm season
starting the queen could not in good conscience let them leave for doing so would
be sending them to their deaths. Willam would stalk around the castle grounds
in a huff until the day he met the princess.
“Princess Larya had been away when Captain Willam arrived in
the city and did not return until he had been there a month. Larya was
mesmerized when she saw him for the first time for he was so different than the
men of the island with their dark hair and eyes, and pale skin. He was taller
than anyone else on the island, with silky blond hair and bright emerald green
eyes that stood out against his suntanned skin. Willam, likewise, was entranced
with the beautiful daughter of the queen. She had long dark hair like the other
women of the island, but her eyes were a rare bright blue instead of the usual
brown of her people."
At this description, Ryl and Herry looked over in surprise
at Kilynn for their grandmother had just described her. She was taller than her
grandmother, but Kilynn’s hair was a deep brown-black and her eyes were bright
blue. Kilynn looked at her brother and saw they could be related to the captain
her grandmother was describing with their blond hair and green eyes. Their
grandmother smiled at them as they studied each other then went back to her
story.
“Captain Willam and Larya began to spend a lot of time
together, and this concerned her mother. As the heir to the throne, the
princess was to marry a man of her mother’s choosing – someone of a high
background that would help to continue the royal bloodline. Thinking it would
help reduce their interest in each other, Abryelle reluctantly allowed Willam
to leave the castle and explore the city. She knew this was dangerous for the
captain would see her people using their abilities. But the captain was too
entranced with the Larya to be bothered with the people of the city.
“The crew, on the other hand, were jealous of the abilities
of the islanders. The first mate, a man named Mikeal, started plotting a way to
get one of the islanders onto their ship, thinking their abilities to control
water and the oceans would be beneficial on their long voyage. Mikeal had
noticed that Larya’s best friend, the Lady Syranne, had taken an interest in
him. He pursued this relationship, hoping to entice Syranne of leaving the
island with them. Mikeal did not realize that Syranne’s powers would fade when
she left the island. Syranne had heard rumours that her abilities would fade,
but she had fallen in love with Mikeal and would do anything for him and agreed to help him.
“Abryelle saw that
things were quickly becoming serious between her daughter and the captain and knew
she had to put a stop to it. She had Willam and his crew locked up, first in
their rooms and then in the dungeon when Larya let them out of their rooms. And
although she could not lock her daughter up in the dungeon also, she assigned a
constant guard to keep an eye on the young woman.
“Knowing that her mother would never allow them to marry,
Larya began to plan for a way for her and Willam to be together. Mikeal
revealed to the captain his relationship with the Lady Syranne and the captain managed to pass this information on to the princess. The two ladies began working
together to come up with a way to free the sailors and leave the island.
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