Ionia read from the Chronicles out loud to her young brother Falanir:
“When the ancients arrived, all manner of beasts were with them; unicorns, firebirds, wyvern…”
Before Ionia could continue the list of Ancient Full Breeds, little Falanir interrupted. “And dragons! A white one sister? Was there a white one?” Bubbling with excitement, Ionia knew her little brother adored dragons.
Ruffling his hair “Of course! White, black, multicolored. All of them came” she smiled kindly at Falanir. Just at that moment their mother called for Falanir, it was his turn to set the table for dinner. “Off you go! Tomorrow I will read more to you”
“Promise?” Falanir pleaded.
“Of course! Off with you now!”
Ionia shook her head and mentally kept reading the list of Ancient Full Breeds ‘dragons, basilisk and okami’, if he had waited one more second his beloved dragons would have been named.
As soon as Falanir had gone, her joy turned to ash. Her father had been awakened as a Jondorian Bane, she knew as all Zarythians knew it was an honor to have the magic awakened but she couldn’t help the pain she felt. Ionia adored her father. She wanted him here and to remain alive until she married, had children and him the adoring grandfather…
Tears threatened in her eyes, quickly wiping them away, Ionia knew no tears were allowed, only joy and contentment. She felt none of that, she was angry that of all the races, they would sacrifice themselves for the others. The others who thought they were blood thirsty and viscous, all because they lived on an island with a volcano.
Ionia couldn’t help but wonder how it had started? The races were not so divided after the ancients visited, sure they had land parceled out to them, land they had to conquer from the Minotaurs, Giants and Naga but still, where had the hate arisen from?
Only Gideans, after an extremely long journey around the mainland of Genivan ever visited regularly and only for trade. Their aversion to land was well known, they were a sea people. Sordeans visited occasionally, mostly it would be a Seer, different from an Oracle who could see the lives of only the human races of Genivan and their futures. Her people summoned Seers who could divine meaning from the land and weather. It was rarely needed to summon a Sordean Seer.
Azurians had come in the past, many generations ago she had been told but why they no longer came Ionia did not know. Taloreans were incredibly sick on water but delegations had been sent in the past to their most northern island, Thyan Island. Short journey over water for Taloreans but that hadn’t occurred for a similar amount of time. Ionia felt as if the other races were purposely trying to keep Zarythians isolated, disconnected from the mainland.
Was this also happening to Gideans? They rarely involved themselves, but they are apart of the balance of Genivan. Ionia could only guess but her heart told her something was amiss, besides Eons, her people were the strongest warriors in all of Genivan. Was that the key? Keep the Zarythians ignorant so the others could work their mischief?
Ionia and her father had spent countless hours discussing these potentials, he was the only one who didn’t scoff at her notions or misgivings. Again an ache crept into her heart, how she missed her father!
Wiping fresh tears from her face, Ionia vowed to never stop questioning and to seek the truth. Even if it meant leaving Amalia… She would honor her father in this way, she couldn’t do it by sitting on this rock crying. His magic as a Bane was meant for destiny, a fate sealed to him before he was even born and Ionia would honor that blood binding of their magic and to Genivan. To never stop until she found the truth.
Comments