Keeper of the Lost Cities Book 0.5, Moonlark

pRoLoGuE: The Story of How I Got Banished (Hazel and Nyota POV)

Hazel POV

My reckless younger self didn't always think everything through.

I knew this, of course, but I didn't realize how serious it was that I needed to control this instinct.

I learned my lesson in Atlantis about four years ago.

I swear, I was just fooling around. I didn't mean for anything to happen!

Anyways, when I was six years old, I was in Atlantis one day when the worst happened.

**Flashback to four years ago**

I'm playing tag with my sister Marella. I dash away from her, channeling the limited energy I had into my legs. My dad had taught me a lot of elven skills when I was even younger.

I wander past a jewelry stand.

"Move along, child. Move along." The stand owner glances down at me with a tight smile.

I walk past the stand, only slightly. From my pocket I pull out a bouncy ball. These human toys that, if thrown, bounced super high. Little human kids love these things, and my dad brought me one, knowing that I would love them.

Marella comes barreling towards me, shouting, "TAG!"

But she pushes me too hard.

I slam into the stand behind me.

A loud CRASH fills the air.

Silence.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." I bend down to start picking up the jewelry.

The owner of the shop stares at me for a minute, as if deciding whether or not to punish me.

Then he pulls down his hood to show me his face.

I stare fearfully into the piercing sapphire blue eyes of the disguised Councillor.

"You're banished. Until you can find a way back, you're banished forever."

My dad appeared at Councillor Emery's side. "Isn't it a little harsh to banish a six-year-old?" He's better at hiding his fear, but I can always tell when he's scared. "Especially for knocking over a stand?"

A crowd was starting to gather. In the Lost Cities, the world was so perfect nothing like this ever happened.

Councillor Emery laughs. "If it was just that, yes. But we've gotten other reports about your... problem child." He lowers his voice so he thinks I can't hear. "Your wife." He raises his voice again. "Anyways, do we have any other arguments?"

"Yes!" My sister shoves her way through a crowd of elves. "I know I'm only seven, but I can't let you banish my sister! She's only six. She won't be able to survive alone!" Marella bursts in.

"Simple fix to that. Do you want to be banished too?" Marella shakes her head fiercely. "That's what I thought. So stay out of it."

Our dad grabs my big sister and clutches her to him. "I'm not losing you, too."

I turn in defeat and start to run away.

Councillor Emery calls after me, "Starting Monday, you go to Exillium." 

Nyota POV

It's hard when you manifest before you even make it to Foxfire.

Only three years ago, I manifested when I was ten.

As a Mesmer.

I remember that I could barely control the ability. Every single time something didn't go my way, I had to fight the urge to mesmerize someone. Most of the time, I failed. Miserably.

And then, I finally made it to Foxfire.

By then, everyone knew about the 11-year-old Mesmer who couldn't control her ability.

Everyone was terrified.

Well, mostly everyone.

Except my only friends at the time, Linh and Tam Song.

My parents spent a lot of time with their parents, so we ended up hanging out a lot. Linh and Tam tried to help me with my ability, and I, in turn, tried to help Linh.

Not that it really helped.

They got banished two years after me, I soon learned.

With the amount of progress I had been making (which was none), I started to wait my turn for the Councillors to show up and banish me.

I didn't have to wait long.

**Flashback to two years ago**

I somehow managed to get to the Silver Tower at Foxfire, sneaking in with a bunch of Level Eight students that towered over me. I pushed my curly black-and-purple hair out of my face.

I saw someone in the corner, lighting a fire. But they weren't using anything but their hands. They were clearly a Pyrokinetic, which I hadn't known was illegal at the time.

The unmistakable urge took over me, hard. I could barely walk straight. And no matter how hard I tried, it swallowed me whole and I entered their mind.

Mesmer is a rather abstract ability. You enter the control center of someone's mind and control their actions as if you were their brain. And they have no choice.

I had no idea why, but something – no, someone – was telling me, "Make them burn more." And I listened. Biggest mistake of my life.

The elf's hands whipped up, and a huge flame grew in front of them. I forced them to push the fire at the walls of the tower, and the entire thing exploded into an inferno.

Shrieks erupted around me, and I pushed myself out of the Pyrokinetic's brain. They stumbled back, horrified, and made eye contact with me.

The Beacon of the Silver Tower, whose name I later learned is Master Leto, ushered everyone out of the burning tower. When he found me, his eyes flashed from shock to confusion to understanding. The Pyrokinetic was gone when I looked for him in the crowd.

Master Leto took me to Dame Alina's office, not telling me a thing, but muttering, "you kids," under his breath a lot.

Dame Alina didn't have to ask me very many questions, just hailing the Councillors almost immediately.

After they saw the damage the Pyrokinetic – no, I – had done, they unanimously voted to banish me to Exillium.

**Flashback over**

After that it was a blur.

I was sorted into the Ambi Hemisphere.

Made myself a home in Wildwood.

And Linh and Tam had the same idea.

We protected each other for the rest of our time in Exillium.

I manifested as a Charger about a year ago.

I gained control of my Mesmer ability.

I thought Exillium would be the worst time in my life.

It was the exact opposite.

Everything was perfect.

Until Zoë Endal disrupted my life with mentions of a 'moonlark.'