CHAPTER 2
Shazara had pulled the taller prince back to her home. Hakuyuu tried to clear the fact that he wasn't cursed or anything but gave up soon seeing that she was extremely stubborn.
Finally reaching the territory's main site, Hakuyuu was amazed by the tall walls and gates. They were crafted and designed so carefully detailed and built.
Once they went through the building, Shazara pulled her mask off. That was when Hakuyuu had a clear look of her bright amethyst slitted eyes. They were eyes that reminded him of a dragon's.
'So this is what they call normal,' he thought to himself.
"Leader!" Shazara turned to look at the caller to see her people gather around but far from them, staring at the prince with curiosity and a bit of hostility.
A woman spoke, "Who is that boy, Leader Shazara."
Hakuyuu looked at the younger girl. She was a leader? So young? He also noticed the way the women dressed. The clothes were different yet similar than those of Kou's but here; they were more colorful and extravagant, beautiful even. He saw all kinds of hair ornaments and accessories. The women here also had the little girl's eyes except they were either blue, green, brown or obsidian grey eyes. They weren't as breathtaking as the little girl's he met.
"He says he is something called a 'prince' and is from a place that isn't from here," Shazara explain and the people shared questions and looks of doubt.
"I think the curse fell on him."
Immediately, as if that answered all their questions, the people started to worry about the now cursed boy.
Shazara started to pull the taller boy again to a certain direction as a man started to walk beside her while looking at the prince worryingly.
"Leader Shazara, Daddan is in her workshop right now," he informed, "She also brought a young boy with red hair and abnormal eyes."
The young leader nodded and reached a simple house made of wood and bricks. Slamming the door open Shazara pushed the prince to sit in a nearby bed.
"Daddan!"
An elderly woman immediately come into the room from another room that seemed like a kitchen. A boy with red hair followed behind her.
"Young Leader," the elder, Daddan, greeted in courtesy and happily.
"What brings you here?"
"Daddan, I brought someone who might be cursed!"
Daddan glanced at the prince and the little boy behind her did the same. The redhead gasped in surprise, "Your highness!"
Shazara tilted her head in confusion.
"Koumei!" The so called prince quickly went to the red head. The locks that caught Shazara's attention. She had seen that hair once and that was when she took a glimpse to Hakuyuu's future.
Daddan laughed at the clueless little girl.
"Young leader, they aren't cursed. They are people from outside this island."
Shazara's eyes widened and shined at the discovery. There were people out of this island. The redhead! Such beautiful hair. She walked up to the boy who seemed around her age and ran her hand through his hair. She saw another flash of the boy feeding pigeons.
Jolting in surprise, he slapped Shazara's hand away.
"Don't do that!" the so called Koumei said.
"Kou?" Shazara said deep in thought before smiling brightly.
"Haku! We found your Kou!"
'Haku? Kou?' the prince and his cousin tilted their heads. The girl was stupid in a way but her smile made her adorable. Just how was she a leader?
Daddan laughed heartedly at her leader's foolish attitude.
"Young leader, Kou is another place out of this island," Daddan informed.
"There are more lands? More people?"
The elder woman nodded.
"Though I am starting to wonder how the people of the outside came to this island."
Daddan looked at the two outsiders in questions to which Shazara quickly caught on.
"The island is protected by the ocean currents. There was only one way, which is extremely hard to figure out, to enter the territory."
Immediately Shazara could feel her medic's hidden suspicion tone. It was worrisome because of course she knew of the Ring of Whirlpool that protected the island for so many generations. Shazara started to feel insecure so Shazara straighten her back and examined the outsiders.
Shazara hadn't considered outsiders to set one foot in the Ryuushaku Territory. She knew how the ocean currents worked. There are whirlpools around the island, forming a ring. If a ship went into the whirlpool, it would be guided back out, denied of entrance.
The prince smiled and patted the redhead's shoulder.
"He is the one who figured it out."
"And what is your purpose here?" Shazara asked sharply, something that surprised the prince and the redhead.
She had suddenly held an aura that screamed dominance and respect. It was something she learned from her parents.
"The Kou Empire was going to take this lands to become one with the empire if there were no people but seeing there is a kingdom we ask you join us."
Daddan and Shazara stayed quiet for a moment. Daddan looked at the young leader, Shazara had her eyes closed and and brows furrowed.
For some reason, both Hakuyuu and Koumei became nervous. They both didn't want to start a war in lands they didn't know, they would be in clear disadvantage.
Shazara opened her eyes and looked at the prince.
"I accept," Shazara said and immediately Daddan wanted to interfere but her leader beat her to it.
"but I have conditions."
The prince smiled and waited for the young leader to continue.
"First, the entrance of this island will be kept as a secret. Only Koumei will know how to enter and those I tell outside this island." Hakuyuu wanted to argue but feeling that the young amethyst eyed leader had reasons for this condition he nodded at the condition.
"Second, I want this island to be where the people like you are imprisoned. I decide who."
Hakuyuu frowned. People like him?
"How dare you speak to the prince like that?!" Koumei yelled.
Daddan sweat dropped from the way her leader spoke and saw her confused expression.
"The Young Leader means, the royalty."
"The royalty?" the prince questioned.
"You want this island to be a prison for royalty?" tried to confirm the prince.
"Yes."
"Why? We already have an island for the prisoners. Royalty or not, a prisoner is a prisoner."
That is when Daddan gasped and turned her full attention to Shazara.
"You had a vision my leader?"
Shazara nodded affirming her question.
"It is only for what you call yourself, royalty." Shazara explained.
"This will be a secret between us. This land will act as a prison for your family. Well more than a prison, a secured second home for your family when someone needs to disappear."
"Why would you want that?" Koumei asked in confusion.
Shazara stayed quiet and looked Koumei intensely for a moment before she spoke with an extremely excited smile.
"Because YOU are my best friend from now on!"
Everyone wanted to face palm at the ridiculous reason but Daddan knew that it was more than that but decided to keep quiet. She trusted her young leader. Daddan knew Shazara wouldn't bring danger to her people.
"My third condition is that you have never set foot in this island, no, that this island doesn't exist."
The prince was annoyed, he came to make this land part of Kou not leave it out.
"And why would I do that?" Hakuyuu asked.
"And how can we lie that this island doesn't exist when some soldiers can see it from the ring of whirlpools?" Koumei questioned.
Shazara sighed leaned on her seat.
"Don't get me wrong Haku," she said as she looked at the handsome boy lovingly.
"This land will be yours truly as she is truly mine," she explained and continued, "but this is for safety reasons. Your people can't know that I am trying to keep the royalty I choose and the people I care about in danger."
Then she turned to Koumei with a smile.
"As for lying that the island doesn't exist, I can hide it with my space and time magic."
"Magic?" Koumei questioned.
Shazara nodded, "I genetically got it from my mother. My plan is simple: just after the ship has crossed the ring of whirlpool, the ship will be in the 70 meter distance of the time and space magic. Then it will be guided right across the other side of island outside the ring, meaning the ship went right through it making it seem like the island is a mirage. It will be the same vice versa. Doesn't matter how they cross, on or underwater or in air; no one will come in and no one will come out."
The prince was surprised. The girl was intelligent. She knew how to accomplish what she wanted but Hakuyuu still had one more question to her third condition.
"Then how will the royals you choose enter?"
Shazara and took out a bracelet of little pieces of amethyst.
"This will be the key to the way in and out," she said.
"The person who holds this during the 70 meter, will be immediately transported to the island. Remember, ONLY the person who has this. It is an amethyst stone created by my magic and soaked on my blood. I will probably need the blood of person who wants to enter. It will be like a personal key in and out. No one else but the owner of the second blood can use it. When they enter, my people will treat the person right and the person who want to go out will be transported just out of ring."
Koumei took the bracelet into his hand in fascination.
"Is this stone special?" he asked.
Shazara nodded excitedly.
"Yes, this stone holds a part of my magic as well a perfect magic vessel."
"Wow you are really intelligent!" Koumei said excitedly as he returned the bracelet to the Shazara.
"And as for my last and fourth condition!"
Shazara said and her eyes shines as she looked at the prince.
"I want to marry you!" she declared to which Daddan panicked and shocked Hakuyuu and Koumei.
"Young Leader, what are you spouting?!"
Shazara laughed happily.
"I want to have children of his race! Hakuyuu will be my husband and I will bear both his and Koumei' children!" Shazara told her plan.
Daddan paled at her plan, "Young leader are saying you want bear childrens of every race of the outside?!"
"Yes!"
Hakuyuu was dumbfounded. The girl was crazy, that was a given. They were many races such as; the fanalis, the Imuchakk, the Heliohapt, the Kou and etc.
"Shazara-san, Koumei and I are from the same place and family and you can't have children from two people," Hakuyuu tried to explain.
Shazara looked confused and so did Daddan. "Why?" Daddan asked. It disturbed Koumei how an elder women was the one asking the question.
"Because it is improper for women to bear children of many men."
Shazara tilted her head in further confusion
"Why?"
Koumei was annoyed. Why didn't she understand? It was improper!
"In Ryuushaku women and men can have children with 4 different people but have only one husband," Shazara explained.
Now Koumei and Hakuyuu understood. It was culture but then why did Daddan seem to refuse?
"But since Haku and Kou are from the same race then I guess I will only bear Haku's child," said Shazara.
The room was silenced before Hakuyuu broke it with a laughter. The girl was crazy indeed. He found the culture improper but he didn't mind marrying the girl for the sake of having a secure home for his family. Besides he did not want to marry someone under his mother's influence. If she wanted to be his wife then she would have to go by his rules so Shazara couldn't really meet other men.
"I agree to your conditions," Hakuyuu finally answered to which Koumei looked at him shocked.
Daddan looked sadly at her young leader. She didn't expect for Shazara to leave so soon and also hope her leader wouldn't be hurt soon.
