Chapter 3
The very next day at the break of dawn, the two siblings set out on their quest. Heading South, they were highly armed head to toe with weapons and the knowledge of the masters. They both carried enough food in their bags for about a week and the makings for a single tent.
Once outside of the Kingdom walls, they had to walk several miles to get through the once fertile farm lands to get to the Water Tribe territory. By the time they reached the border, the sun had begun to set, and they decided to make camp under a tree for the night and enter the potential hostile land tomorrow.
Lost in thought, the two had nearly talked the whole way. As Denarha finished setting up the tent she turned just in time to see Lucorrian shoot flames from his hands to start the fire for dinner. With a glint in her eyes she just smiled and called him a showoff. He eyed her back mockingly for just a moment, a thought crossing his mind: 'everyone just thinks she's just this sweet little sister of mine, but man she is devious and relentlessly morbid.' However, the smell of food broke his internal monologue and he finally chirped up. "So what do you think he will be like, our brother? I've never seen an albino before, only in the ancient books." "He's going to be strange for sure, unmannered even, growing up without a family on that savage island." "Sister, we honestly don't know what we're going to find there, we've only heard rumors. He could be a priest for all we know. Nothing has come out of that island other than the occasional animal and tales taller than the trees. You seem more concerned than curious. You afraid he'll be some mutilated all powerful elemental freak?" Lucorrian added with a taunting laugh. "Hmm, maybe. There's a reason people like him have been locked away on that island for centuries." "Surely an island full of these people, if they held such power, would have broken free by now?" She just shrugged in reply.
The two settled down for the night after eating their fire roasted mutton. Lucorrian could hear his sister's slow breaths coming from the tent. He couldn't sleep, he was too excited, he finally had a brother like he had always wished for, a half brother, but a brother nonetheless. He laid by the fire, gazing up at the stars. He had never had anyone around his age to be friends with, and his own brother Lucian could be a total badass for all they knew. His thoughts began to wander and go crazy with mostly irrational theories. 'What if albinos were physical connections to other realms? Being half peasant, maybe he was shown mercy to be a half God, a DNA power link or something to the eternals themselves.' The sunrise was just a few hours off by the time he was lulled off to sleep, his frantic thoughts fading with satisfaction.
It was around 7am by the time the two made it to the Water Tribe border. The air reeked of mud and sun baked rotting foliage. Not two minutes after crossing into the swampland, Lucorrian and Denarha were met by a patrol party. The group had mild blue skin with teal scales, covered in bronze armor. Also not unlike the other water people, they had more fins on them than the other tribes and webbed hands due to their lives and jobs around the rivers.
This was one of the main fears that had driven the kings throughout the many years. Every tribe relied on one another, like gears in a mechanism. If one was to be lost or taken over, per say by power hungry albinos, the kingdom and entire country could fall. The Water Tribe provided the entire shire with fish and clams, and minor amounts of hydro power, as well as many herbal medicines as well. The Fire Tribe was known to be the home of the most skilled blacksmiths of all the land, no finer weapons could be found elsewhere. They were often recruited in the kingdom to personally supply the guard. The Earth Tribe however were master jewelers, creating diamonds from coal as well as many other beauties. This tribe particularly was more often than not brute and sturdy built, regularly recruited for soldiers. Though the Wind Tribe controlled most of the weather and seed pollination for food, they were vastly underrated and underappreciated. Almost everyone there were either farmers or herbalists. The only famed thing about them was that their royal blood lines often had feathered wings descending from the ancient ones to improve their fighting abilities.
Denarha's eyes widened in fear as the Water Guard patrol surrounded them with swords and their stereotypical tridents, she had never been in a real battle before. At that moment Lucorrian would have given anything to have been going through a more docile tribe's territory and to have anyone else be in charge but him. A slender and dense looking man approached and stood in front of him. He spoke strong and smooth. "We heard there were campers along this border, but I never expected the prince." He gave a little bowing dip of his head and continued. "I am called Quayzar, master of the guard. State your business." "We are simply passing through on matters of state to Isle Carlye. The King has sent us. Some advice for our journey and perhaps an escort would be appreciated." "Hmm. I will take you to our elemental master and see what we can do. Follow me, and uh, watch for the gators, them fellers are sneaky bastards."
The group reached the center of the tribe's escarpment within an hour. The structures were mainly log cabins, covered in moss with reed roofs and beds. The wild river wove and arched its way around them, only yards away. Its sound gave a calm sense to the entire place but Lucorrian was still uneasy, he had never had any important diplomatic missions before. If this leader denied them passage, they would have to go the long way around through the Wind or Fire territories, adding four days to the journey that they didn't have to spare.
Lucorrian was invited into the leader's tent, while his sister waited outside with Guard Master Quayzar. Each tribe leader was like a king in their own territory, holding even more potential power over him, a prince, since he was secretly still not the official Master King. He handed his sword to the servant inside the entrance as a sign of good faith and peace. Spotting the dark blue leader sitting quietly in the corner drinking tea, Lucorrian slowly approached and gave a respective bow and the leader stood up and did so as well. After offering his new guest tea, he said "I hope all is well" in a concerned tone. "Yes! Yes...well, I sure hope so. The King has sent me on a mission to find a young man of personal importance. I know not anything of him, just a birth name and that he was last seen on Isle Carlyle." "Well, what's his name?" Lucorrian looked at the old man cautiously and replied "His name was once Lucian." The tribe king paused thoughtfully and finally said "Hmm. Never heard of him...I recommend that you go to the ocean temple on their most southern point, the monks there keep a good census on every citizen." "Thank you very much Water Master." Lucorrian bowed again, turned and left, re-gathering his weapons on the way out.
As he came out of the hut he was eagerly greeted by his sister, guard Quayzar, and a young beautiful woman with midnight blue skin and short blond spikey hair, in a black robe. She bowed her head to him in greeting and Quayzar spoke up. Gesturing to the new face, he said "This is my daughter, Starry Night." The girl gave her father an annoyed sideways glance and chirped in herself with a strong defiant tone. "I was named after something supposedly famous on some other dumb planet far off in the galaxy. You may call me Star," she said sternly, clearly peeved off.
"A women warrior is your top student?" Lucorrian said. "I am amazed a-and honored of course! Ladies too often have to fight twice as hard." "Hey! What about me?!" Denarha whined at him. He smiled at his sister and gave her a little shove. "Of course you're good, I trained you. Not that your ways are inferior," he quickly added, turning back to their new acquaintance. "Ohh, cocky are we? Not surprised. Princes always think they're better than everybody else," Star dryly mocked back. "Care to use your sword to do what your words fail to achieve?" she challenged him. They stared defiantly at one another for a moment and then Lucorrian just shrugged. "It was merely a complement, whether you accept it or not is up to you, but I will be exceedingly happy to spar with you another time," he said with a charming smile. "It's settled then!" Quayzar interrupted, "she will be your escort. We have to look out for one another and it is incumbent upon me to be somewhat responsible for what happens to our guests." On that note with very little protest, everyone agreed and said their goodbyes, heading towards the border to finish the rest of their journey.