Chapter 1: The Swan Ship 

This has all happened before, and it will all happen again. Before I tell you any of this, there is something that you must understand. People are born, they grow up, they laugh, they cry, they live, and then they die. It may seem sad, it may seem cruel, but it’s just the way things are.

We can’t change any of it any more than we can change the stars, but there are things in our lives that we can change. And I think that is the real reason that I’m telling you this story. This has happened before, and it will happen again. Now that I have your attention, let’s begin.

Five standard years ago. Shak: fifth planet of the Shakarass star system, colony world of the Elven race, outskirts of Tarrus Imperial territory. Toramirese: isolated settlement in the forest region of the planet. Though mostly populated by Elves, many off-worlders dwell in peace alongside the Elven locals here.

“Bring that back, you blasphemous little spawn,” crooned Alexander, one of the Elven elders of Toramirese colony. 

Nine-year-old Ryan Uruks laughed mischievously and kept running as fast as his legs could carry him as he munched on the apple that he’d pinched from old Alexander’s tree. The Elves had a divine respect for all plants, even the ones they ate, so to say that the Elf was a little miffed would’ve been an understatement.

However, Ryan’s revelry came to an end as he ran into his father seconds later. After a good hide-tanning, Ryan was forced to return the apple and apologize.

“I apologize for my son, Mr. Alexander,” said Ryan’s father, bowing his head and putting a finger to his forehead, the Elven sign of respect. “He’s a brick-head like me, so he comes up with stupid ideas to release all his pent-up energy.”

Old Alexander was not a full-blooded Elf, but a descendant from a partial human line, thus, his human name. Although his family practiced the traditions of the Elven race, they still possessed a somewhat aggressive disposition from their human ancestry. The Elven/human descendant had the mismatched features of a balding head with a pristine, wrinkle-free face that all Elves possessed. Tufts of hair poked out from his long, pointed ears, and he wore a green tunic and trousers with brown autumn leaves sewn into the fabric. Alexander still scowled down at Ryan through his spectacles, but his eyes soon softened, and he said, “As long as he learns to respect the laws of nature, in time, even he could amount to something someday.” 

“Respect the laws of nature,” mimicked Ryan under his breath.

Being an elderly Elf, Alexander couldn’t hear Ryan, but Richard sure could. Ryan contained a squeal of discomfort as his father stepped on his toe.

“I’m sure he will,” said Richard cheerfully while crushing his son’s toe.

As Alexander walked away, Richard turned to his son with a gentle smile and patted him on the head soothingly. Ryan made a pouting face as his father leaned down and stared right at him. Truthfully, Ryan didn’t mind the spanking that much, he just felt happy that his dad took notice of him.

“Not one tear,” said Richard, shaking his head. “Nine years old, and already a tough guy.”

“Please,” said Ryan decisively. “Like I’d cry over something like this. Only girls cry from a spanking.”

Richard chuckled. “Well, your mother might have something to say about that, but I have to ask you something first. You know why I had to spank you, right?”

Ryan shrugged. “Because I was being a pain, and I knew it.”

            “That’s about the gist of it,” said Richard, nodding, regarding Ryan with a loving smile. “But you know that I still love you, right? Just because I tan your hide, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It just means that I want you to grow up right.”

            “I know, dad,” said Ryan as he leaned in and gave his father a hug.

            Richard held his son for a few tender moments, exhaling contently. Then, picking Ryan up and holding him by his shoulders out in front of him, he said, “If you finish your homework for once, maybe we can do something fun tonight.”

            “Dad, I’m homeschooled! All my schoolwork is homework. Mom wouldn’t let me see the light of day if she could help it!”

Richard snapped his fingers, ignoring Ryan’s complaints. “I know! Why don’t we go hunting in Pinnfar Woods tonight? We can catch something good for supper.”

            “That’s okay,” said Ryan, giggling as he tried to kick out of his father’s grip. “I can go by myself. You’d just scare the game off.”

            “Oh, really,” said Richard, grinning as he wrestled Ryan to the ground.

They had many wrestling matches like this, and Ryan could never beat his father, though that never stopped him from trying. As Ryan rolled around in the dirt with his much larger father, he tried to put his old man in a headlock, but Richard wiggled out his son’s grip and spun him around in a flash. Ryan ended up on his back with his father sitting on his chest.

“I swear I’ll beat you one of these days, old man!”

“Maybe one day, runt, when I’m dead,” said Richard cheerfully as he flicked Ryan on his nose. Richard then brought Ryan to his feet with a strong pull, hoisting him into a piggyback ride. “We better get going for lunch. Mom will have a hernia if we’re late.”

“Dad,” said Ryan, flushing. “I’m getting too old for piggyback rides.”

“But I’m not,” replied Richard as he set off into a run.

Ryan’s father was taller and more muscular than any other human alive; this only frustrated Ryan with him being so short. His father was not completely human, but half Saurian, which made Ryan part Saurian as well. Saurians were sometimes known as Wingless Dragons on account that they had no wings. Some even called them Earth Dragons as they were much more heavily built than their winged cousins. Despite being part alien, Ryan’s father was still hauntingly handsome in a strange, otherworldly way that most humans found intimidating. He had an angular jaw and glistening white teeth that somewhat resembled fangs.

Bright golden scales covered Richard’s whole body, sparkling in the sunlight. He had raven-colored hair and blood-red eyes which Ryan had inherited. When Ryan looked into his father’s fierce eyes, a deep feeling of security and contentment washed over him. Richard wore brown trousers, black leather boots, and a simple white t-shirt for work, showing off his massive golden biceps. His father’s claws were usually retracted so that he could appear normal, but when he got angry they would grow to reveal their lethal potential.

Ryan had started to get scales as well, but they weren’t nearly as prominent as his father’s. For the most part, Ryan appeared human, which made Richard happy because he would always tell Ryan how people could sometimes be cruel to those who were different. Ryan still couldn’t understand why people sometimes treated others differently based on what they looked like, but he certainly knew that it must be true because his dad had said it.

Though most of the residents of Toramirese Colony treated him and his family kindly, some paid him no heed, and even other humans gave him a wide berth from time to time. But Ryan didn’t mind too much, because he still had friends he could play with, especially Henry. The two rogues went on the most astounding made-up adventures together, from saving the Emperor’s daughter, to slaying the Dark Dragon Lords themselves. Though their adventures were just pretend, they got pretty elaborate sometimes, and Henry would always get super into his role. The guy should think about being an actor. 

Back in the present, Ryan still rode on his father’s shoulders. Richard ran faster than any man could ever hope to match, so a piggyback ride from him felt like riding a horse as Ryan soared through the colony. Despite technically still being in pouting mode, Ryan couldn’t help but admire the beauty around him as his father carried him effortlessly across the fields. He never did fit in much with the other children, but at least he felt right at home on the beautiful forest world of Shak. It all just seemed right to him somehow, from the mountain-tall trees to the beautiful meadows that he saw on the few places where trees weren’t in abundance. The most fabulous part of living in Toramirese Colony had to be the views. All around Ryan, thick vegetation covered the landscape, as well as exotic plants of every shape, size, and color of the rainbow.

Toramirese Colony was an isolated settlement surrounded by gargantuan trees on all sides. Ryan had even heard his parents tell him that the colony couldn’t even be seen from the sky because the enormous trees covered the colony like a giant umbrella. Despite that, the colony still got plenty of sunshine as the Elves had erected mirrors into the trees to refract the sun’s rays into the village, allowing them to grow their crops.

As Ryan rode on his father’s shoulders, he could see evidence of the Elves’ Caesar Salad lifestyle, from the vast gardens of squash, apples, and other fruits and vegetables of various shapes and sizes. Some crops grew in great spirals, with purple and blue vines. Elves were vegetarians, and dad told Ryan that the word ‘vegetarian’ meant that they only ate plants.

I can’t understand why they’d do that to themselves, thought Ryan idly to himself. Not eating meat sounds like torture! Plus, how can they worship plants and eat them at the same time? It doesn’t make sense!

Ryan didn’t know why Elves loved veggies so much since plants were so nasty and meat was just about the best invention since holovids. Ryan’s father once worked as an archeologist, collecting all these old recordings of television shows and movies from Ancient Earth. They’d watch a new show every night before bed on the holovid, though Ryan’s mom wouldn’t let him see the scary ones.

As for what happened with Alexander, that was pretty typical for Ryan’s days. Being part of one of the few human families living in the colony, but more importantly, being the son of a half-breed, Ryan didn’t really mesh well with many people in the village. His only real companions were his parents and Henry, but his father usually worked late hours in the fields to provide for the family. Although, Richard thankfully made time to come back for lunch.

Ryan’s mother tutored him from home, but he still got plenty of playtime in the afternoon. To entertain himself and to provide the people of Toramirese colony with some much-needed entertainment, Ryan and his sidekick, Henry, had amassed quite the reputation as pranksters. Their repertoire of pranks included delightful gimmicks such as setting loose a swarm of butterbarts during a picnic, to climbing the statue of the colony’s founder and giving him a painted mustache. They never did anything really harmful, just a few ‘diversions’, as Ryan liked to call them, to keep the people’s minds off their troubles.

To the younger Elven children, who had never even heard of mischief-making until Ryan came along, they were legends. However, even if he did perform a few pranks, Ryan didn’t know why everyone made such a huge deal of it. Most of the time, he really wasn’t doing anything wrong, but a lot of people gave him a disapproving scowl. Even the other human residents looked at him disapprovingly, or especially them in some cases.

Honestly, it seemed like everyone had a radar attached to their heads that went off every time Ryan so much as picked his nose. Which never happens without very good reason, declares Ryan to himself. Oh, well! Things aren’t all that bad. I have mom and dad. They are enough. Oh, and Henry too!

Richard reduced his speed, and deftly lowered Ryan to the ground. Together, they slowly ascended the tree house which served as their home for a much-anticipated dinner from Ryan’s mother. As Ryan began the familiar climb up the spiral ramp that served as a staircase to his house that waited in the branches, he looked up to the distant landing platform that towered high above the colony and wondered if he would ever get the chance to explore the universe like his father had. 

As soon as Ryan walked through the door to his home, a sweet smell overwhelmed his senses, a sensation that could only be described as his mom’s famous grim jelly pies. Now, normally anything with the word ‘grim’ in it could only be construed as something horrible, but that wasn’t the case with mom’s special grim jelly pies, made from grim berries that only grew deep inside Pinnfar Woods. Ryan knew that because he had been on frequent trips to the woods with his mother to help gather the elusive fruit. 

His father also took him on trips through the woods so that they could catch the animals that provided meat, or so his father had told him. Ryan never knew exactly how the animals they caught were turned into meat, and when he asked, his dad would look at him with that grown-up look of his and say, “I’ll tell you when you’re older, son.”

It was like his dad kept this deep, dark secret about the origins of meat, and it drove Ryan bananas just trying to figure out what that secret might be. After his father’s usual dodge of the question concerning meat, he would go into his shed, or his man-cave as he liked to call it, and wouldn’t come out for hours. When he did, he’d have buckets of fresh meat ready to be cooked and eaten. By the time he finally came out, Ryan’s curiosity would dissolve into ravenous hunger, and he’d forget to ask where meat came from.

But even meat couldn’t compare to the all-consuming aroma of his mother’s grim jelly pie. Mom’s pies were so good that she even managed to sell some to the Elves, who hoarded the pies greedily, sometimes getting into fights while in line. Grim jelly pies were considered a delicacy, but the Elves rarely had any because they were afraid to go too deep into the woods. Ryan often wondered why they were afraid to go into the woods when they lived on a tree-covered planet.

Joining them for dinner was the young half-Elf named Henry, Ryan’s notorious partner in crime, and one of the few Elves in the village that his family actually liked.

A bit of history is needed to understand Ryan’s relationship with Henry. Elves lived a very simplistic lifestyle. Despite the fact that they joined the Tarrus Empire, which is predominately human, the Elves were mostly left to tend to themselves, which suited them just fine. More than any other race, Elves were attuned with nature and the forces of the universe, which is one of the reasons that they were considered trusted confidants of the Elementals. Regular Elf men tended to be a little shorter than human males; not as short as Dwarves, but still a few inches shorter than the average-sized man. However, the High Elves tended to be taller than humans with longer ears as well. Ryan had only seen a handful of High Elves visiting the colony. Being Elves, they all had cool, pointy ears that Ryan found extremely fascinating, to his great misfortune one afternoon.

There are very few things in the universe that can anger an Elf to violence, and messing with an Elf’s pointy ears - which Ryan found out later was a testament to their manhood - is one of those things. Even more unfortunate is the fact that all Elves practice a special martial art to keep their bodies toned. That was how Ryan met Henry Junice.

Henry, part-human on his mother’s side, was quite belligerent for an Elf child. Henry had blond hair, blue eyes, and tanned, copper skin – an unusual shade for most Elves. Being a tad shorter than many of his peers, who are already short to begin with, didn’t help his temper on the day of their meeting. Ryan thought it would be funny to stick cotton balls on the tips of Henry’s pointy ears while he slept on a bench, and then he called him ‘poodle boy’ after he woke up. The fight was on immediately. Fortunately, the contestants being relatively short in stature and weak in muscle were unable to inflict much damage on each other before their match was interrupted by the most powerful force known to children kind, human and alien alike; a.k.a. the mom.

So while Brianna apologized to Henry’s mom, who in turn apologized for Henry, Ryan looked at ‘poodle boy’ with newfound respect. Any other Elf child would’ve ignored Ryan, which really hurt Ryan’s feelings. But this child hadn’t ignored him. Even though they had met in a fight, a fight that Ryan insisted he won, he felt a special kinship to this child who was a part-breed like him.

So, young Ryan with a bloody nose looked over at the elf child with the black eye and said, “I like you. Wanna be friends?” 

The boy stared at Ryan in astonishment. “I … I …” 

He seemed a little tongue-tied, so Ryan decided to ease the tension as he held out his hand. “I’m Ryan, by the way; Ryan Uruks, the greatest hero ever born. What’s your name?”

The boy couldn’t help but laugh at such a brash declaration as he shook Ryan’s hand. “My name is Henry Junice. And I would be delighted to be your friend, human child.”

Ryan frowned at that remark. “I’m not a human, I’m a Dragon!” he declared with indignation. “I only look human because of my mom, but on my dad’s side, I’m a Wingless Dragon. Just you wait, one day I’ll get these amazing powers, and then the Elementals will make me their leader.”

At this, Henry’s jaw dropped, which made Ryan laugh. Boys, even boys who fight, can form a bond quicker than most people can understand. As far as Ryan and Henry were concerned, the fight was over and nothing stood in the way of their lifelong friendship. From that day on, they became blood brothers in more ways than one. They did just about everything together, from exploring Pinnfar Woods, to daring each other to eat insects. Luckily, Richard was there to show them which bugs wouldn’t kill them, which made Ryan wonder if his dad had done this before.

Back in the present, as the four diners sat down to lunch at the round, wooden table in the center of their tree house, Richard Uruks once again started the day off with story time. Ryan didn’t know what was more fun, watching holodramas or listening to his dad tell the most outlandish stories.

“So there I was surrounded by the most bloodthirsty horde of Morlocks that ever crawled out of hell.”

“Richard,” interjected Brianna sternly with a look that could freeze the hearts of men.

“I mean the bad place,” corrected Richard nervously. “The thing you have to know about Morlocks, son, is that they are the even more barbaric cousins of the Goblins, and that makes them one of the most dangerous races in the universe.”

“What’d you do, dad?! What you’d do?!” asked Ryan while hopping up and down in his seat. He could tell that they were getting to the good part.

“Me, I didn’t do anything,” replied Richard.

Ryan gasped. “Does that mean you died?”

“Oh yeah, you bet I died,” said Richard calmly.

Wait, something’s not adding up, thought Ryan to himself.

“Or at least I would have if it wasn’t for the Dragon who saved me,” said Richard.

Ryan gasped again. “You mean a full-blooded Space Dragon.”

“Yep. It’s said that the Dragons were among the first creatures to discover Elemency. The first race to explore the universe and chart the stars, so it shouldn’t be surprising to know that they’re pretty handy in a fight.”

“Is it true that they are born with the ability to breathe fire and use fire Elemency, just like real Elementals from the Ministry of Fire?”

“It’s true, son,” acknowledged Richard, almost hesitantly. “In the past, Elementals had to use chants and rituals before being able to use strong Elemency. But the Dragons are more powerful than humans and can do it naturally.”

“And they’re our cousins, aren’t they, dad,” said Ryan, getting excited. “Because you’re half Wingless Dragon, and that makes me part Dragon too.”

Richard ruffled Ryan’s hair lovingly. “That’s right, son. And although most people would think less of you for your family heritage, you decide who and what you are, not anybody else. Not me, not your mother, and certainly not any snobby, racist bigot who can’t see the man you really are. Why, I bet people like that can’t even see past the end of their own noses.”

“They must have pretty big noses then,” replied Ryan.

Both Richard and Brianna laughed merrily. When the laughter stopped, Richard stared down at Ryan with a look that might’ve been sadness. “Son, because of the way you look … because you are different from most human children, many people will use that as an excuse to look down on you. But I want you to always remember to never be ashamed of who you are or where you come from.”

Ryan smiled with the innocence of a child. “I won’t, dad.”

I could never be ashamed of being your son.

Between eating meat, eating pie, and listening to his dad’s stories, Ryan wondered what more there could be to life. Then, as if from some sixth sense, Ryan suddenly felt the urge to look up at the landing platform again from the kitchen window, and that’s when he saw it. An alien vessel had just made landfall.

The design and construction of the craft differed greatly from that of Elven ships. A small frigate, probably no more than twenty crew members, in a smooth, elegant design that made it look a lot like a graceful bird. As if to add to its bird-like appearance, small pieces of metal jutted out from the hull that resembled feathers. It was completely white and covered in intricate, green glowing designs and elegant symbols that seemed to mean something significant. The runes made curving, circling lines all over the hull, which only added to the vessel’s mysterious aura. Very few vessels landed in the secluded village, and none as beautiful as this one.

It’s gotta be someone pretty darn important. But if it is, why would they want to come to a place like this? 

Ryan had never been to any other world, never seen any other place except Toramirese Colony and the vast Pinnfar Forest that surrounded it, but just looking at this strange alien vessel stirred feelings of adventure and mysticism within him. How great it’d be to explore the vast universe, to see the stars that inspired such grand stories that his father beguiled him with every night. It must be the best thing in the universe to explore alien worlds and meet people and races that no one has ever known before. As Ryan gazed at the beautiful and mysterious vessel coming in for a landing, he knew in his heart of hearts that he had to find out who was on that ship and why they had come.

“Say, dad,” said Ryan as he held a piece of pie to his mouth, unsure if talking or eating was more important. “Do you know anything about that ship that just landed, that one out there that looks like a bird?”

His father stopped mid-bite as he turned towards the ship slowly. His face took on that only-stuff-grown-ups-should-know look, and then he stared intensely at Ryan with those strange blood-red eyes of his. Slowly, deliberately, he finally answered, “Yes, I know them, son. They are old friends of the family. They’re here just to check on how we’re doing.”

            There’s gotta be more to it than that!

“Could they be from Tarrus?” suggested Ryan tactfully. “Maybe they’re coming to talk to you guys about the time that you were Elementals?” Uh, oh. He’d just said the taboo word. Elementals. A word filled with wonder, and at the same time, danger.

Instead of changing the subject, like Ryan expected him to do, his father smiled. It was a strange smile, mixed with both sadness and pride. Then, after sharing a meaningful look with his wife, his father said, “Yes, it might just have something to do with our old Elemental days. Nothing to worry about though, I’m sure. Just a couple of old geezers talking about war stories together.” Ryan heard a slight ‘ahem’ from his mother, and then his father realized his mistake and quickly amended with, “Not that your mother is by any means an old geezer! In fact, she is the farthest thing from it!”

This was apparently the right answer, for Brianna rubbed Richard’s hand tenderly before saying, “For that matter, I wouldn’t describe you as an old geezer either. Not in the slightest.”

They then shared a knowing chuckle together, and Ryan knew that they were talking about smoochy stuff again. It made him a little nauseous. Although Ryan of all people could understand why his dad got so ‘goo-goo’ eyed around mom. To Ryan, Brianna Uruks was the most beautiful creature in the universe.

Many considered Elves more graceful and fairer than most humans. However, in Ryan’s opinion, even the best among them paled in comparison to his noble mother, who displayed the bearing of a queen. Brianna Uruks had a strong, oval face dotted eloquently with dimples on her cheek of creamy skin. She had a tiny beauty mark just below the left corner of her mouth that Ryan’s father often admired. Her long, flowing hair was bright scarlet like Ryan’s, and she possessed the most astonishing gray eyes.

She stood tall for a woman, with a straight back and an athletic build. He once heard rumors that his mother descended from the Angels, the most mystical and powerful people in the universe, and Ryan didn’t doubt it. She usually wore a simple green dress with long sleeves, the traditional attire of the Elven woman which accentuated her graceful figure wonderfully. The smell of honey always accompanied her. She told him it was from her perfume, but Ryan wondered if she just naturally smelled so sweet.

As Richard and Brianna shared a look that only two people in love could understand, Richard turned to Ryan with eyes both cautious and assertive. “But those days of adventuring across the stars are long behind us. Nothing in this universe means more to me or your mother than protecting you. Now I know you’ll be eager to meet these strangers from Tarrus, but I don’t want you getting involved. There are things that are better for you to learn when you’re older. Your mother and I are going out to meet them, but we want you to stay here out of harm’s way.” 

Ryan became concerned at hearing that. “Why? Are they dangerous?”

His mother answered with a reassuring smile and a tender squeeze of his shoulder. “Of course not, dear. They’re our friends. Your father and I just want to be cautious, that’s all. We don’t wish to burden you with troubles that you need not be burdened with. That’s why I’m asking … no … more like begging you to please stay here and stay out of trouble. You can even go play at Henry’s house if you want, just as long as you stay far away from the newcomers.”

Ryan turned to Henry hopefully, who had been eagerly eating his pies, but at the same time listening intently. Amazing how Elves could multi-task like that; or at least Ryan never managed to eat and pay attention to a conversation at the same time.

Henry respectfully put his pie down and said, “You’re welcome to come, but I don’t think we’ll be having much fun. It’s my family’s weekly celebration of nature. You know, the time when all the Elves gather around the plants and chant for hours.”

Ryan huffed in disappointment. “You Elves don’t do anything small, do you? Well, I guess you gotta make up for being short in some ways.”

Henry just narrowed his eyes at Ryan and frowned.

“Don’t worry about me, guys. I’ll be fine,” said Ryan reassuringly. 

Ryan’s father eyed him suspiciously. “You’re not planning on doing something mischievous, are you, son? I’m still getting complaints from the time you taught the Elf children how to make water balloons out of the giant green bean pods. The elders were riding my tail for a week after that nightmare.”

Ryan gave his most innocent, puppy-dog look. “Of course not, father. I wouldn’t dream of pranking now. Why would I? I’ve learned the error of my ways and become a model citizen. Trust me; you have nothing to worry about.” Ryan reasoned that since he wasn’t planning on pranking anyone, he wasn’t necessarily lying.

Ryan then turned away with a secret sigh. He knew his parents loved him, and he loved them just as much. But he wondered if they had given up their lives of romance and glamour because of him. They deserved so much more than to live in obscurity in this little colony where no one even knew who they were, or the amazing things they must have done in their lifetime as Elementals.

That’s why I’ve gotta find out everything about these strange visitors while I have the chance!

As everyone left the house, Ryan stood at the door to see his parents off. “Remember, Ryan,” said Richard, raising a finger warningly. “If you go playing in Pinnfar Woods don’t-“

“Don’t go past the meadow of the butterbarts,” finished Ryan. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

“And don’t be out past dark,” warned Ryan’s mother.

“Got it, mom.”

Ryan and Henry bumped fists in their customary farewell. As his parents left to rendezvous with their mysterious visitors, Ryan snuck out of the house through his window. It wasn’t really necessary since both of his parents had already left, but it just made him feel cool. He balanced on the window sill and was just about to follow his parents when something caught his eye.

Just coming down from the back exit of the space platform was the most beautiful thing to ever come across his field of vision. A girl, maybe a year or two older than Ryan judging from her height. She wore a shiny, jeweled dress and crystal shoes so fine that Ryan could actually see her feet inside. Her dress was an elegant shade of blue and white and it seemed to sparkle in the sun.

But most amazing of all was her long, silver-gray hair that went down her shoulder blades and over her back, almost resembling a cape. Even though the girl was clearly human, or at least she didn’t have pointy ears, her shiny hair seemed to give off a faint, magical glow as it reflected the fading sun. And most alluring were her eyes, which shone deep violet.

In those eyes, Ryan saw a person of such nobility and authority that she must have been a queen; the fact that she was only a couple years older than him didn’t seem to matter that much. This girl probably held the station of no less than ruler of the whole universe. It seemed to suit her well as she walked gracefully through the gardens with obvious self-confidence, as if she were overlord of all she surveyed. Ryan knew that she must’ve been from the ship. Not only did her dress and figure fit the design of the smooth vessel, but Ryan could tell that she wasn’t with the usual human riff-raff that lived in the colony.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Ryan started following the silver-haired princess as she traveled deep into the woods. Why she would even want to travel in the woods remained a mystery, but then again, mysteries are part of the reason that made adventures fun.