The Elantra Pirates (First Draft)

Chapter 13

53 years ago

A small village located deep within a forest, the village is lively and is filled to the brim with Joonkels. They are all gathering around a little hut that is holding a birth ceremony of the new first born baby they've had ever since they've escaped their captors. The town has food ready for anyone to take, drinks being poured out into carved mugs from the trees, and people playing instruments. It's a whole festival, hosted by the leader of the village himself, Oukull Forecka'linser. Oukull's wife, Greta, is the one giving birth to what they call their, 'miracle child'. The whole town is lively, until the loud sound of Greta crying inside the tent, she was going into labor. Everyone drops what they're doing and gives their full attention to the tent. The screaming went on for almost a full two hours, with no one except Oukull and the local village doctor, knowing what was going on inside it. After the two hours had passed, the screaming stopped but the crying still continued, though there was a new source for the crying, the newborn baby. Oukull came out of the tent, and held the baby up in the air as everyone cheered. The first baby born in this village was none other than Hillanter Forecka'linser.

After the birth ceremony, Oukull helped his wife get cleaned up, though the doctor did make a check up. He came in with bad news, due to the complications of birthing out Hillanter, Greta had developed some kind of disease or something that is inside her body, slowly killing her. Greta kept coughing up blood, and had a pretty high fever, the doctor doesn't know what caused it or what to do to treat it. Oukull is now forced to raise Hillanter on his own, as his wife will stay in the hospital. The day after the birth ceremony took place, Oukull slept alongside his newborn for the first time, vowing to raise him as a strong warrior.

6 years later

Hillanter has grown up to be a normal six year old boy, doing little chores for his household, like fetching a pail of water from the well, and getting some food to bring back home. His home is the nicest hut out of them all, just down the road from the market. The village has become more populated ever since Hillanter was born, with more kids rummaging around town and having fun. Hillanter wants to join them, but his father told him he can't, due to him needing to be ready to train. He brings the food back home to his mom, who is still sick but staying in their hut. Her condition has only gotten worse and worse over time, with no sign of getting better.

"Hey honey." Greta greeted her son with her rundown raspy voice, that sounds like it's on the brink of a cough. "Did you get the water like father asked?"

"Yes I did." Hillanter happily responded back, placing the bucket full of water on the dirt floor, the water sloshing around. He places the food in the cooking center, a little makeshift center for making food for the hut. "Do you know where father is?"

"He's out on a hunt."

"Is he now?"

"I know he said he'll take you one day, he just wants you to get some training before you go out into the wilderness. It's a dangerous place."

Hillanter looks away from his mom and gets out some cooking materials. He's cooking his mom's favorite, some Licker soup. Including some greens, special red sauce you can only buy at the market, and some natural oils, to help with the fever. "Are you getting better?"

"I'd like to believe I am." Greta said. "But, I don't think so."

Hillanter cut up some of the greens and placed them into a bowl, mixing them together, crunching them into almost dust. "Will you ever get better?"

"Hopefully." Greta rolled over in her cot, to face Hillanter cooking.

Hillanter stops mixing and adds the red sauce to the bowl, the mashed up greens floating to the top. He adds a few droplets of the natural oils and mixes up the whole soup together. He walks over to his mother and gives her a bowl and spoon, she sits up and takes it.