Karkan Isles

The Spark

Raheea was left concerned about his son. Usually the previous generations took the gifts with open arms. Yet Ekaee was different, different since he was born. A social outcast by nature, he and the rest of their family were his only friends. So he knew why he would be apprehensive, but never expected this reaction.

Quietly he makes his way towards Ekaee's room. Pitch black except for mere moonlight. Seeing him lying down and resting on his bed. Raheea takes a seat by him, slowly preening and caressing him. Hearing his heavy breathing of sorrow, Raheea gets up and gives him some space.

Walking around the room, he inspects all the strange marvels. Little inventions made from scraps of metal and wood. Turning in the wind to sustain a strange fire, to a light source that pulled cutouts on paper. Covering the light itself, making a shape of an average bird. Made out of light, it moved on the dark walls. Animated like it was alive.

Raheea always adored the creativity his child had. Yet others didn't see who Ekaee actually is. For he couldn't ever handle violence, and asked too many questions. Questions that in the people's eyes were dangerous. Usually birds like him were executed or lynch silentely. He was simply lucky that Ekaee was his son, so he could stay alive under his watch.

As he approached the wooden desk, something odd caught his eye. On the shelf were new objects. More of those strange things are called books. Raheea slowly approached it, noticing the original ones Ekaee found. Alongside them however appeared to be custom-made, made from Ekaee's own hands. Carefully he opened them, seeing detailed sketches that mirrored reality. Carefully drawn mountains and forest, with meticulous details no one else would catch.

Amazed, he flipped through it seeing little nuances of creatures captured in real motion. It was like they were alive, seen with his very own eyes. Yet as he flipped the page he saw something odd, sketches of humans and karkans... Capturing odd features about them, showing the strange beauty of them. One of them was their mother. Even after her disappearance, the sketch was like she was still here.

One odd thing about the sketches was next to some words. Reading what each sentence had to say. The one next to a sketch of a karkan with a scar read "Wajajaga the cool old man". The others next to three human children read "Trey, Joy and Eliza! My best friends!".

Raheea chuckled and grinned, it was nice that Ekaee had a group of peers. Even if he was never told, Raheea wasn't angry at all. his people pushed Ekaee away for being too different, and him being king didn't help with that. He would simply wait til he was ready to talk about it.

As he was about to close the book, he noticed one last sketch. It was of a little child with curls in their hair. With a shining smile and eyes that stared back. Not like any human he has seen before, resembling those invaders. The one he and his men shot down a few days ago. He remembered the screaming invader's face, and how their wooden vessel burnt in flames.

Written next to it were the words "Rachael! They live by the village west of the mountain range!". Yet Raheea wasn't mad about it as well. A child is innocent and cannot pay for an adult's mistake.

Then suddenly he heard footsteps again, turned around and saw his right hand man. Teyta was a man of great renown, for the people saw him as a demigod. One tactical man, yet a cold man as well. Like his only goal was to be powerful. Slowly Teyta approached Raheea.

"Greetings my lord." Teyta said formally. "How did it go."
"It didn't go great, Ekaee refused the collar."

"Seem like he made a good choice, for the people would've devoured him."

"I know that but I feel like they don't know him."
"Yes he's the overly pacifist loner isn't he."
"No, he's my son. A wonderful gift and a champion in his own right." Raheea answered back.