Prologue
Before we begin, it should be acknowledged that none of these people are real. They have been weaved together from other stories and a wild imagination. This tale takes place, not in a world like our own, but in a magical world, in the land of Tortall. The capital is Corus, where the palace is. Things here are similar to medieval times. Our tale follows prince Raould and his cousin Gary of Naxen. Both are trained knights of Tortall and have gone through the Ordeal of Knighthood.
Prince Raould has the looks of his father, but the hair of his mother. His eyes are the bluest sapphire orbs possible; this came along from his father King Jonathon of Conte. But Queen Thayet passed on her midnight black, curly hair to Raould. Young Gary of Naxen is gifted in looks like his cousin, but has chestnut brown hair and amber-honey eyes. Both boys are of the age of eighteen and have achieved their shield. Under King Jon's allowance, the two boys have left the Palace, and their home of Corus, for an adventure around Tortall so that the young heir can understand all that he will inherit.
Now, our tale does not begin with the journey of the two boys, but of a young girl who grew up along the coast within the district of Pirate Swoop. She is the daughter of a fisherman, and is a mage. A mage is a person who is a magic carrier, a sorceress you could call her. But she is not that type of sorceress. She is a dolphin-whisperer. Her magic is of the sea, she has knowledge of the deep unknown, and shares a special connection with the mammals of the ocean.
She has hair as golden as the setting sun, her eyes are the color of green-turquoise. When a person looks into their depths, they are reminded of the ocean and of the fabled mermaids that live there. This beautiful girl lives alone with her father, after her mother died of the Seating Sickness. While her father goes out at dawn to fish, she takes care of the house and farm. She does her daily chores and prays to the Ocean god that her father will return safely each day.
She grew up with the young heir of Pirates Swoop as her best friend. Alianne, daughter to Tortall's Spymaster and the first lady knight in over a hundred years, George Cooper and Sir Alanna respectively. Alianne plans to follow her father's footsteps and is very skilled in the less-respectable things. Alianne has "strawberry blonde" hair and green-hazel eyes. She loves to teach her friend, the dolphin-whisperer, all that she knows. In a way, she educates this young mage, born to a fisherman-widower.
Her name is Kali, and this is her tale.
