The sun blared down onto Adal's black hair, setting it ablaze with a heat that made him drip with sweat. Slumped over the side of the teetering ship, sick to his stomach from the tremors caused by crashing waves, the man quite seriously believed he would throw up all of that morning's breakfast he'd had earlier. Or maybe all of his innards.

"Sir, you're not really looking so good," a familiar voice chirped behind him, forcing him to turn his head uneasily from the rail of the ship. "You're sure you'd rather not eat something?"

He found himself shaking his head and slowly straightening his spine. His quickly swiped away any sweat that gathered at his brow and smiled. "I'll be fine, Reynold. It just seems I'm not fit for long voyages on these ships! I'll adjust soon enough."

To that, his friend merely chuckled and walked back to the front deck whistling a low tune. Adal could only manage a sigh. I still haven't adjusted after a few weeks. This isn't too good. I may need some medicine from below.

It'd been a while since he last wrote down anything in his journal, but it was hard to make any new finds or observations when there was only a vast expanse of blue around him. It was futile to even try to come up with new things to write; he'd written it all down already within the first week. He remembered how excited he was initially, taking note of the wind and weather they'd come across, the sea creatures he'd managed to only glimpse briefly before they returned to the depths. It was becoming more and more repetitive and it made him stir-crazy to no end. Even the faintest of doubts began to cross his mind, whether or not there truly was an island that was out in the vast gulf. It was hard to even imagine how some piece of land could have traveled so far, but Adal was a firm believer in the ounce of truth that made up the legends of old. His ancestors knew something was up, it merely got distorted with time and the passing on from ear to ear...

A low bellow from the crow's nest interrupted the researcher's train of thought. "There is land ahead!"

A silence, followed by a loud, collective "What?" burst from every corner of the ship, the word even managing to spit itself forward from Adal's mouth. The twenty or so members of the expedition scrambled towards the front of the ship, narrowing their eyes and whispering amongst themselves. "Where is it?" "I can't see a damned thing! Not with your bloody big head in the way!" "Hush now, stop squirming!" "I'm sure he's just joking, ain't he?"

All doubts erased, Adal joined them at the front, shushing their mumbles and focusing his gaze on the horizon. Though it was faint at first, the few minutes that passed by allowed it to come into view: an island, just like the legends described it. "The Isle of Izohir," Adal croaked, finally forgetting about his seasickness from before.


"There, the ship! It's headed for the bay!"

Mira blinked, allowing her eyes to follow the tip of a guard's finger to the exact object he pointed towards. Her family had been called to the watch tower at the bay to observe the approaching ship, coming up with the best plan possible to deal with the mysterious threat. She didn't quite see it as a threat though; it was more of a box in which no one knew what lay inside. It could've been a gift or perhaps it was empty. Or if what her family said about outsiders were true...

"It's best we guide them to the shore, then deal with them when they come off the boat. If they are hostile, we will resort to our forces. In preparation, gather those who are capable of fighting and protecting. Guards and Hunters will come with us when we guide them to the castle. Let messengers know to keep mothers and children safely indoors," her silk-like voice stated, not a single tremor of fear showing in the words. Her words hushed the others around her and they stared for a few seconds before nodding in agreement, shouting orders to the messengers to fetch those needed.

Mira turned to her parents, her eyes shining. "I will greet them by the docks. You should return to the castle so as to hear what they have to say. If anything happens before then, our forces will dispose of them before it reaches you or the people." They also agreed, hastily making their way to their residence. Yet through it all, the princess's excitement fluttered in her stomach and she couldn't help bounce in her step as she made her way down to the bay.



With the guards and hunters behind her, Mira waited patiently for the ship to settle. Each moment lasted an eternity, yet no one thought to say a word. They were all on edge, but Mira stood tall with a hand on the hilt of her sword. She could not let her beating heart give her away, her nervousness peak her voice. She needed to remain the stronger one at the bay, knowing her people watched from the windows.

The ship's passengers were odd-looking, paled and thin, tall, with looks of awe plastered onto their faces. The man who seemed to be their leader moved towards her, hand outstretched. He breathed in, words beginning to form in his chest, but Mira cut him off.

"Before you speak, drop any weapons you have here and proceed to the boats at the end of the docks. We will take you to those who rule our homeland," she spoke, her tongue like a sharp knife that seemingly caused the man to flinch and retract his hand. The outsiders murmured quietly before dropping the few mysterious weapons in their hands, following down the line to the boats. Mira made sure the leader took the first boat that she intended to ride. But before then, she glanced behind her.

"You two, hunters. Sit beside me, please," Mira commanded, gesturing to the boat that contained a dazed, mesmerized Adal. With the hunters, she took her seat and they started to row between the cliffs into the heart of the city.

It was mostly quiet, unnaturally so. It unnerved Mira, so she looked at the hunters pointedly. As much as she hated conversation, she hated the silence even more. "Your names?"

Kuruk

When the call went up for a ship headed to the bay, the young hunter was confused ships always came in bearing the catch or whatever merchants came from another place on the island. Kuruk suspected that was bot the case the moment the call went up for Guards and Hunters to join their princess to the docks where the ship was guided in.

He looked to his sister for answers who shrugged, she seemed as clueless as him in this moment. That didn't stop them from running down to catch up, even with the fatigue of coming back from a weeks long hunt couldn't stop him or his sister that much was true this is what he trained for either to go up against men or beast it didn't matter so long as his people were safe from harm that would come to them if he failed. He watched as men and women alike pale, thin, and with weapons started to come out. Hand tightening on his crossbow where it lay attached to his belt, he wondered if he would have to use it that problem seemed to solve itself as the princess said to leave weapons of any kind on the ship.

Both he and his sister looked on in surprise as the princess said to sit with her. A shrug from Raylen said tons orders were orders afterall, with that he climbed into the boat after his sibling took a seat on the left side while he took the right now it was time for the long ride back toward the heart of the city.

Raylen

Things just got a lot more tense and yet interesting at the same time, these people were clearly not from any part of the island she and Kuruk had walked. Not with the pale skin or clothing they wore, Raylen had never seen any weapons like theirs either long metal poles with large wood attached with a hole in the middle of the metal pole for what she didn't understand. Brown eyes scanned the man sitting in front of her, pale like the rest of the people that came here and thin how they got anything done from where he came from she didn't understand either.

Though both siblings looked to their princess not expecting the question, but it was Kuruk who answered it. "I am Kuruk Tabris and this is my sister Raylen Tabris," when he said her name her hand formed a fist and it went over her heart the salute all Hunters gave to their superior. By the looks of awe on the off landers eppressions, they we're not expecting this, but all she wanted to know was their intentions they try to hurt her brother or any of the people that lived here then she wouldn't pause to put them into their place.

As they got deeper into the city she saw men and women pointing and talking to one another, about what she probably knew, why? On the other hand? She didn't know the answer to that, all she hoped for was that she didn't want this to end in conflict she didn't trust them no far from it, but she didn't want bloodshed either.

The boat rocked gently on the aquamarine water, swaying her head side to side slightly. But she kept her head held high, eyes trained on the waterway before them. The two hunters seemed to be kind enough, not unfriendly in the least bit, but nonetheless Mira was slightly worried for how she could converse with them. She'd never really met with the hunters and definitely never remembered their names. I should at least commit the names to memory, that's what a good ruler does...

"A pleasure," she said, mimicking a slight smile that she'd seen her mother use. Pleasantries were sometimes a lot harder to copy exactly. "I hope... you were not inconvenienced by this abrupt happenstance. But it is what is needed to ensure the safety of the people here."

"Ah, excuse me? Pardon the interruption but I must ask for your name," a high-pitched voice squeaked from behind her. She shifted to look at the man in the eyes, but he was not afraid. Rather it seemed he was...ecstatic? "J-Just for reference of course! For record-keeping."

Record-keeping? What kind of outsider is this? "Mira. Heir to the throne. Now I suggest to stay quiet, lest your throat is silenced for you." Her tone was not angry not feeble, but stable and soothing despite the threat she had uttered. It had worked well enough, for the man stayed quiet, eyes trailing all over the city.

Once they approached the docks at the foot of the castle, the train of boats slowed to a stop to allow everyone to step off. Many people were gathered around the pathways and windows nearby, waiting still for her reaction. She felt all the stares burn through the back of her head and began to sweat from nerves. She swallowed it down and directed the outsiders indoors, ushering only the guards to follow from behind. "Hunters stay positioned outside until further notice."

And with that, the doors closed behind her, leaving her with the foreigners.


"From the North? That's quite a distance you all have traveled," the king boomed, shuffling before them and looking them in the eyes. No, rather, he was looking into their very cores and it scared the hell out of Adal. "Yet merely for research? It seems far-fetched."

"It may sound ridiculous from your side, y-your majesty," he chimed, trying his best to stand tall and keep his cool. He was still internally freaking out about the idea that they'd found such a mystical island with some of the most powerful beings ever heard of, but he had to keep playing it down. "But the Kingdom of Aysel has expanded a great deal and we are interested in exploring the furthest reaches of our continent and even the world. This is solely a product of our combined curiosity and seeking of the truth."

The princess, Mira, narrowed her eyes at this, but Adal pushed on. "We have no intentions to harm you or disrupt your lives. We cannot leave just yet, for we have not stocked up on supplies. If you can please spare and aid us, we will do our best to cooperate and be of assistance." This garnered a murmur from the guards and he felt Mira's glare intensify. But she didn't dare to speak up.

The king stroked his scruffy neck, glancing over at his queen in hesitation. "We are not a brutal, unkind people, you must know. But to trust your word is a breach of the security of our homeland. It is not easy to say we can blindly put our trust in a man who claims to be a researcher."

Adal's face flushed a bit. "We are only a small group, sire. It's your people, of whom you have thousands of, against this small crew. If we do anything to wrong you, surely you can execute us when you see fit and dispose of us without any trouble." His crew behind him also stirred, unsettled by his words. But Adal knew what he said was true and, undeniably, hard to disagree with.

"He's correct. These folk appear weak from their long journey. They are in no way capable of battling our numbers in their state," Mira stated, cutting her father off before he could say anything. "Izohir's teachings instruct us to show kindness before might, father. I will hold myself accountable for the actions of this group and oversee their work here. In turn, I expect you will work on a day-to-day basis with our people who need it most.

"And," she added, after brief pause, her eyes settling on Adal, "if you dare to cross my people, I will personally see that you are shown no mercy. That is our trust."

Adal shivered. Her eyes went to meet with her father's, who drew a breath before nodding curtly. "Very well. We grant you permission to stay until you are prepared. Welcome to Izohir, Northlanders."

His crew cheered behind him and he couldn't help but begin to tear up at the thought of the great work that would from his research of this place. He smiled widely, joining the others in the tightest hug he could ever possible give. When he let go, he found himself swaying a little before puking this morning's breakfast onto the beautiful stone floors of the castle.



When they returned outside, Adal knew what the first thing he wanted to do was. He shifted past crowds of people coming from across the bridge to meet the newcomers, scanning the docks for the two 'hunters' he shared the boat with. "You two, Kuruk and Raylen was it?" he called out to them. "Adal Northrup, a pleasure to meet you. Can you please allow me to join you on your hunt?" His black pocket book was already out, pen in hand as he scribbled hastily all he managed to absorb thus far while talking to the siblings.

Mira stood behind him, already beginning to follow through on her promise to keep a close eye on the group, but at this point Adal could not care less. He would ask her more questions later, but he first wanted to establish a close relationship with the locale on the island.