Prologue: Fulfillment
Prologue
It hurt to know that it ended like this. Losing my love, losing my daughter, and now having to say goodbye to my granddaughter for the very last time.
Holding her little hands while she’s bundled in my arms as she coos and squeals without a care in the world. I smiled as I slowly let her go and into the arms of a friend.
“You don’t have much time, Kaito.” Imana hastened, “You need to get out of the city.”
“I know.” I sighed, shedding a tear, “I just need her to know I’m sorry.”
The babe looked up at me with a glimmer in her deep brown eyes, just like her mother’s. Just like her grandfather’s.
“I’ll miss you.” I shuddered as I slowly backed away from her.
“Kaito,” Imana bowed her head, “be safe. Kurixi will return to Kurai.”
“I won’t be coming back.” I shook my head, “But another Lukanni will.”
I left through the shadows, with the moon as my guide. The streets were dangerous, filled with Serevine’s warriors, tearing out libraries and archives, burning books and scrolls, destroying anything that mentioned the one I loved most.
Outside the walls, the steppes were practically silent, with the settlements of recently exiled people dotted across every hill. I saw the village where I grew up, just close to the stream that flowed into the walls I had just crossed. Its warm glow welcoming the outcasts.
But that wasn’t where I was going. I had to make sure that Lyun’s prophecy would come true. After all, that was his dying wish. And I knew what that meant for me. If I couldn’t be there for her to protect her, I was going to have to make sure she had a chance to take back the throne. But that meant leaving everyone, including my family back in that village.
This wasn’t how I wanted it to be. It was only a moon after his death, but my grieving could not be shared. Not anymore. I missed him. I would always miss him. He took my heart, making him part of my life forever. And although we did spend twenty-eight years together, it didn’t feel like it was enough. And with my daughter even less. Even though she wasn’t of my blood, I would always love her and grieve for her as my own.
And with my granddaughter. I could see a great future for her. One of love and warmth and honor, but it hurt seeing me out of the picture; without any of her family in the picture. But I could see that her path would not lead her down the ways of Ru-Kai and his followers. She will have the heart of her grandfather. Proof that he wasn’t all gone, just out of reach.
I hoped that my plan would come to pass. The future is often so vague, even I couldn’t predict everything. Hope was all that was holding me together. Hope that she will survive and get past anyone who stood in her way. Hope that she would find the next Lukanni so that I might have some sort of glimpse of her in spirit. Hope that she will defeat her uncles and take back what was always hers. Hope that she is safe throughout her journeys. Hope that she protects her love. Hope that she is loved as I love her.
The journey to the vessel was long and lonesome. For that moon I have fasted. Food and water was no longer necessary for where I was going. There it stood within the dark wood, jagged and erupting from the earth. Where it all began. Where the Kurai, Kasur, and Karu arrived here and broke away, agreeing to lock away the past to prevent the destruction of the future. Breaking the connections to the spirits. Leaving only Lukanni, spirit of the moon, to keep watch. And like the others, would only be known as a fairytale.
I waited. Part of me was afraid to go through with it. To give up everything just to hope they’ll find me before Serevine does. I couldn’t say I didn’t regret being the Lukanni. But if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my granddaughter safe. This was the only way. I had to accept that. This was to protect her. To protect Lyun’s prophecy.
The metal floor was cold and the halls dark. Nothing new compared to my previous visits. Down the hall and behind the wall panel were all of the spells and incantations written in their tablets. Most of them were for physical magic like the summoning, healing, locating to name some. But those weren’t what I needed to find. Luckily I had already gathered the tablets I needed.
There I laid them on the floor, sealed the wall behind me, and pulled out the little round jewelry box Lyun had given me all those years ago. Its gold leaf edges surrounding the beautiful deep blue and the silver, lazuli, and obsidian at center reminiscent of the very evening he gave it to me.
“So ironic, isn’t it?” I laughed weakly, trying not to crumble, “Our friends in the harbor said marriage was a trap. Now I’m literally going to trap myself in the gift you used to propose to me!”
Tears streamed down my face as my chuckle turned to sobbing.
“I love you.” I cried as I stood up and began to trace around the jewelry box to begin the spell.
“Of body and of mind.” I choked on my prayer as I knelt back down with my hands held out in front of me, “I give myself up to be part of you for now. Be it for eternity until the key reunites with the lock and calls upon my name. To protect the People and to prevent our demise. That I might once again walk this earth, to ensure the prophecy might come to pass.”
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” the haunting voice in my head asked.
“Yes.” I shuddered. My hands began to glow in bright violet flame and I clenched to myself as I slowly burned away. It was a slow pain, but in a way it felt liberating. Like taking off a big fluffy coat after a marathon in summer with the breeze only cold for the first few seconds. But I was running out of time.
Before the spell completed I hastily placed the jewelry box up inside one of the ceiling panels in the room to ensure its safety.
“Lyun,” I gasped as the last of my body went up in flames, “even though I’m dying too, we won’t be seeing each other anytime soon. Not this time at least. I promise, once this is through, I will be with you again.”
