Krystyn looked at her grandfather and asked, "Is what she says true?"
"Yes."
"Then, why?"
"Centuries ago my father made me sacrifice part of my soul to gain more power and be shown to my future bride. I hated it as it would mean that the Volcano God owned a part of me, forever. But also I wanted to find my own bride, not whom the Volcano thought best. However I did as was expected. My father told me he himself had done it. It sent me to Souza Bluart. At first we were at odds with each other then we fell in love. I don't know if the Volcano God knew what would happen and didn't care or my father had something to do with it. He didn't approve of the choice the Volcano God chose. He had another in mind."
"If he had someone in mind he wanted you to marry then why didn't he just have you marry her?"
"He feared if he did it would anger the Volcano God. It is said he is a very powerful God and not one who likes it when his people defy the traditions he sets forth. But being the Volcano God's will he accepted it. He was happy when the marriage produced a son. However soon after she died under mysterious circumstances. I never wanted to marry again. Then father introduced me to Laria Dice, the woman he wanted me to marry."
"Your Volcano God wasn't angry?"
"I suppose he didn't care since the bride he chose for me died. I refused to marry her at first as I was mourning the loss of someone I cared about. Two days later I woke up next to her in bed. I couldn't understand how. My father told me he was happy I changed my mind about marrying her. I was stunned as I barely remembered what happened. But my father said the Volcano God approved so it didn't matter what I wanted or remembered. She soon had a daughter."
"So I have a sibling?"
"Had, she learned our child had a lot of power and made some deal with the Volcano God as my daughter was gone I never learned what happened to her. I assume the Volcano God took her as his bride. All too soon my son was also taken. I was devastated when she was somehow able to seduce him away from me. I still don't know if it was by magic or something else. My father disappeared soon after as well. He could be alive but being so long from the volcano it's not likely. When my son returned with you I couldn't risk losing you. I sent you to that family to hide you. It was to keep her from finding you and taking you back or killing you for your power."
"Don't forget to tell her about the fact that you're draining her of her power even as we speak." Zariah said. She was tired of these people. She had other things to do than stand around and talk to Dartz and force him to explain these things to his granddaughter he should have told her years ago.
"What does she mean grandfather?"
"The necklace you wear." Zariah replied helpfully. To keep Dartz from saying she was lying.
"The one my adopted mother gave me?"
"Yes, you were born with tremendous power. Even at a young age you would have been doing magic even without training. The necklace was to prevent your powers from awakening. I had hoped that you could live a normal life believing they were your family. Grow up, marry, have children, grow old with your husband and die a natural peaceful death."
"So what happened?"
"Your grandfather was in too big of a rush to get rid of you that he didn't make sure the necklace was strong enough to contain your powers then and in the future or at the very least use a mirror or something to check in once a year or so. If he had he'd have seen your necklace being overwhelmed and so because he didn't your powers started to leak out. He could have easily slipped into your room once a year and stolen your power or at least strengthened the necklace. What power you are using isn't your full strength. It's only the residual energy coming off the necklace."
"So if I take off the necklace my full power will come out?"
"NO, You mustn't remove it. It helps keep you hidden from Laria as well."
"He may be right about that, I can't say. But also I'm afraid that without having your power build up removed you can't remove that necklace. Otherwise you risk going into a magic coma. And unlike Mokuba's brother you won't recover fast. This much build up you will remain in said coma for years or possibly centuries."
"Centuries?"
"I didn't want to get rid of you. I was doing what I thought was best for you. But she's right unless your power is taken then if you remove your necklace it's possible you may never wake up."
"You made a necklace that could hide her. Unless your power is useless then this woman shouldn't have been able to see anything in or around your volcano."
"My power was fine. Perhaps I should ask what you're running from."
"I will not explain myself. You're trying to change the subject."
"Perhaps I should ask your father the chief what you're doing here?"
Zariah glared at him. "I don't bow to blackmail. You don't want to mess with me."
"And why should I fear you? You wouldn't contact Laria and put Krystyn's life in danger or expose yourself to her and risk her targeting you."
"I don't fear that woman. She doesn't know if I'm still in contact with my people. She wouldn't risk their wrath. But even without that she wouldn't dirty her hands and use any of her power against me, it would only weaken her if she tried and her minions are laughable. My weakest shields could keep them at bay." Then she thought for a moment and waved her hand and Krystyn suddenly slumped to the ground.
"Krystyn!" Dartz looked up at Zariah, "What did you do?"
"Sorry did you want her awake for this next part?"
"What, next part?"
"Oh I simply was going to say if you really want to call my father to be my guest I can't stop you."
"What's the catch?"
"No, no catch. Just a little fair play. I felt you wouldn't want her to know her fate if you forced me to tell on you."
"You'd seriously tell Laria where to find Krystyn?"
"Who's talking about that bitch? No, I wouldn't try to find her and tell her. Why do that when your Volcano God is much easier to find. I'm sure he'd love to know why she's not married and making babies."
Dartz paled, "There's no telling what he would do if he learned she exists and hasn't appeared before him to offer up part of her soul as a lifetime pact with him. He wouldn't be happy."
"She's what 116? Give or take?"
"No, she's 16."
Zariah raised an eyebrow, "You take me for a fool then?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"If she's only 16, then you're only a century older than I am. She thinks she's only 16?"
"Yes. I restrict the time she's allowed out. She doesn't know how much time has passed. When she gets upset wanting to see her adopted family again I have a hard time resisting. But I allow it."
Zariah raised an eyebrow, "You aren't fooling me. You've never let her go anywhere, since she entered that cave. You manipulate her memories to make her think she's returned to them and had a very nice time. Even now I bet you still do it just to keep her happy. Despite by now her family is long since dead."
"You think you know me?"
"You're like my father in a lot of ways. He did that to me as a teenager wanting to leave the island and explore the world. I learned as an adult that he had manipulated my memories. I'd wake up thinking I'd just returned from days of travel to faraway places. Of course I always ignored the strange looks and sometimes laughter I'd get from people. My father just told me they were obviously just jealous that I got to travel. I believed it, till the place I had wanted to visit all seemed to look the same. Then my mother and I went exploring the island one day and found a place I had never been before. It was beautiful. But then I realized it looked just like one of the far away lands I had thought I had visited."
"Is that why you left your homeland?"
Zariah sighed, "Yes, okay fine. I started to research the places I thought I had visited when I was younger. I got to looking at how far away they were and even with magical help how long would it take to get there. I realized that the couple of days I was supposedly gone that the seasons on the island and seasons in the places I wanted to visit would have been very different. But to be sure, I showed one of the elders Iniya who specialized in magic travel and one of the few who ever get to leave the island. I asked how long it would take to get to one of these places and back again. The answers I got were even with magic to get there, even here and look around and back would take a month's travel time more depending upon the magic level of the person. So I realized I couldn't have visited them and returned within a couple of days as my memories tell me. I confronted my father with it and he admitted doing it, to keep me happy. Then he told me I was soon to meet Nizam, a prince from the neighboring island of Biscotti. We were going to be married and I would be crowned Queen and Nizam King as he would step down. My dreams of leaving the island and doing what I wanted were shattered. I'd been trapped forever."
"How did you get out? I wouldn't have thought you'd have had enough magic to get out from what I've heard of your island."
"No, the island's barrier prevents any non authorized personnel from leaving. However the day of my wedding came. I packed a few things and created a temporary clone. Normally it'd have been noticed right away but with the excitement of the wedding I knew they'd never look. My father expected me to forgive his deceit, bow down to him and my future husband, get married, have babies and live in the knowledge I'd never see the outside world. My brothers and sisters did and now rule neighboring islands. But unlike them I had dreams of the outside world. I knew from previous weddings that the Island's barrier would be at its lowest level. If you had even a small amount of magic you'd now see the island. I used a rowboat to make my escape."
"With your level of magic a portal should have been simple with the barrier low."
"Also a greater chance of getting caught. If I had used any magic they'd have caught me. They'd have sensed the portal and come running. Once I was far enough away I used the magic to create a portal to dry land and once there I turned and sent the boat back. All boats contain a tiny magic signal that if you get lost it can return on its own."
"You place spells on your boats?"
"Some are allowed limited access outside the island's protection barrier to fish. If a storm or something happens and the fishermen can't see the island or figure out a way back. The boat's magic can be tapped and it will return to the island no matter how far away."
"You never get food from the mainland?"
"If food from the mainland is required only Iniya will be allowed to go or he would choose someone to send. I tried to get him to choose me but I think my father feared I'd run. He was right as I'd have tried."
"Tried?"
"Iniya, kept a magical leash on anyone who went. To ensure they returned."