Prologue

Zhawn closed his eyes, savoring the delicate caress of sea breeze and the scent of salty water. The ship was rocking to the rhythm of the waves, gently carrying him toward his homeland. Zhawn’s golden eyes fluttered open as another scent joined that of the sea.

         “Kal Laismarr,” Zhawn said the name of his home when he saw the distant cliffs of Karhadon emerge from the thick fog. The sailors rolled the sail and grabbed the paddles, carefully leading the swift corvette between the treacherous rocks. The land was getting closer, yet the mist made it look like a mere illusion.

         “How does it feel to see your home?” Zhawn’s companion, a woman named Nesrin, combed her white hair with her long, pale fingers, looking at him expectantly. The breeze was playing with her unpigmented locks, making them dance around her slender frame. The strange color of her hair contrasted with her youthful, ageless face. It was impossible to tell if Zhawn’s companion was a young girl or a mature woman.

         “How many years passed since I left?” he ignored Nesrin’s question.

         The woman huffed, showing she was displeased by such treatment and set her bright, blue eyes on him, serious expression on her face.

         “Seventy years,” she replied; a playful smile appeared on her pale lips. “Much has happened during this time. I was here before; I know all the answers for the questions you wished to ask me during the entire voyage.”

         Zhawn set his gaze on the waves beating against the corvette’s prow. He wanted to know; he needed to find out what happened while he was… away. And yet, he hesitated; he was battling with his thoughts for weeks now, afraid that the answer might prove itself devastating.

         He clutched the railing tighter and glared at Nesrin; the intense look in his golden eyes made her smile to falter.

         “Tell me, Nesrin, where is Kaellach?” he asked, hatred filling his voice as he said the name of the man who was his sworn enemy and who used to be his closest friend.

         “Much has happened since seventy years ago,” Nesrin sighed. “Kaellach is dead.”

         Zhawn looked at the white-haired woman sharply.

         “Dead? How?” he asked, careful to keep his voice emotionless.

         Nesrin smiled widely as though his reaction amused her greatly.

         “Seventy years ago, right after the battle,” she answered. “King Kaellach was the strongest of his clan, but it seems his unwavering trust in his allies was his demise – the humans that fought alongside him betrayed him and ended his life.”

         “Pathetic,” Zhawn commented, observing the waves crash against the ship furiously as though they were trying to protect the shores of Kal Laismarr from Zhawn’s corvette. “And his family?”

         Nesrin sighed heavily, casually resting her bare elbows on the railing.

         “Kaellach’s family?" The white-haired woman made a dramatic pause, enjoying every second of Zhawn’s anticipation. “Most of the clan was wiped out not long after his death. Perhaps his son is still alive.”

         Nesrin peeked at her superior, curiously searching for any kind of reaction. However, Zhawn’s face was hidden by a hood, and even if it wasn’t, she was sure he would never betray his thoughts.

         “Nesrin, once we reach the shores of Karhadon, find him,” Zhawn commanded. The white-haired woman nodded and backed away from the railing, about to return to the cabin below the deck.

         “You asked how I feel about returning home.” Zhawn’s words made Nesrin still. The golden-eyed man smiled bitterly. “Like a man who is about to drown the whole Kal Laismarr in blood.”