Chapter 1: Before the Profacy

The sun was high in the sky. The clouds were fluffy white, hanging from the sky like jewels off a chandalier. The birds were singing their tropical tune, the waves were crashing onto the shoreline with their soothing anger. It was an average day on Mystery Island as the next tour boat rode on the waves. The boat itself was rather large: fit for more royalty than the common person. It was pearl colored with streacks of red and green jetting down its sides. The boat was powered by two large jets, each screaming with a kougra's mighty roar that sounded like a gentle purr above the water.
There were two families aboard the ship that day: one was a family of six acaras who all sported rish attiare. The second family was not even a family, yet. It was a coulpe, hissies in fact. They were not as dressed up as their fellow family. In fact, the only thing they actually wore to show they were rich was a pair of gold braclets and a pair of gold tailbands. They were larger than most hissi, dark tan brown in color, ranging in other colors as well. The male hissi, owner of the gold braclets, was smiling from behind his wife and looking out to the beautiful coast and island ahead of them. The female, owner of the gold tail bands and the wife of the male hissi, was smiling as well, holding her belly, which was swollen with the gift of a newborn soon to come. In fact, what they didnot know was that it would come that very week they were on the island.
A few days passed as the families toured the island on foot, seeing all sights from squaking Shiquis (small pteri)to giant kougras who inhabited the inner island. On the final day, after seeing the beautiful ruins of a lost civilization, the two families were ready to crawl half across Mystery Island to their luxury boat where they would sail back home. The familiy of acaras could not wait to leave, their clothes ruined and ripped. The hissi couple, however, were not really ready to leave. They wanted to just see one more sight: a legandary shoreline that was said to be mmore beautiful than beauty itself. After convincing the acara family to stay, both families headed toward the shoreline, hoping to find the legandary shoreline. The sun set slowly that day, showing off an array of colors from red to purple, and the stars began to show themselves for the night. At that time both families made it out of the jungles of the island and were on the start of the many beaches. The acaras, tired to tears from the day's journey, demanded that they set up camp and look for the shoreline the next day. Within the hour a campfire was made, lighting up the dark night sky and giving warmth to the cold island ocean air. The acara family huddled around the fire like flies to fly - paper, while the hissi couple laid on the sand, looking up to the sky and stars. Anouther hour passed and the fire began to die down. The acara family was in deep sleep at thie time, so the hissi couple thought this was a good time to sneck off to watch the waves. However, as they tried to get up, the female hissi began to yelp in pain. Her baby was coming. Within seconds of the yelp her husband knew it was time. He quickly darted toward the ocean, hoping to get some water to boil. Along the way, he gathered a spare cloth piece from the father acara's side. The female hissi continued to scream in pain as she waited for help. Her husband came back with some ocean water and the cloth soaked to the thread in water. He put the cloth on his wife's forehead and tried to get the fire going again. The acara father slowly awoke by the screams of pain from the female hissi and darted up when he found out what was going on. He woke his wife up and asked her to assist the female hissi while he and the male hissi got the fire going. Confusion and cries swarmed the air that night. Along with the screams of pain from the female hissi, the nighttime air sang with caws of Shiqui, roars of kougras, and yelps of mynchi. The whole night was awake until the sun finally braved showing itself to the island. As the sun warmed the evening's chills away, the noise of the night came to a sudden stop. There was an eerie silence in the air for a while until it was broken by the cries of a newborn. The sun's warmth made the isladn more peaceful as the new mother held her baby in her arms, relieved that the pain and wait was gone. The new father panted heavily as he looked at the new child, his own child. The acara mother and father smiled as they left to wake their own children, leaving the couple to be alone with their new child. What should we name her? the hissi mother whispered, hoping not to wake thier new child. I don't know. But it should be something majestic, something beautiful like the island where she was born. the hissi father whispered back. After a brief silence for thinking, teh hissi couple smield and looked into eachother's eyes, each knowing what the other one was thinking. How about Tillani? the mother hissi said, watching as her baby girl woke to the sun warming her body. That sounds perfect... he said while he too watched the baby wake up and giggle as a butterfly landed on her nose.
The families spent an extra two week on their luxury boat docked on the island. The excuse for the hissi family was it was just too beautiful to leave yet. The acara family's excuse was that they had to re-supply. In those two weeks the new baby girl grew quickly. She was a happy little girl: trying to catch butterflies while in her mother's arms, trying to slither onto the island sand when no one was looking, and anything else a curious hissi could try and do. Even the complaining and spoiled acara family could not resist the baby hissi. While it was the hissi coulpe's turn to find food, and water, the acara mother held the baby, the acara daughter fed the baby hissi, and the acara brothers played with the baby. At the end of the two weeks the boat was finally ready to set off. At the break of dawn that day, the boat left the shoreline and headed toward home. The hissi couple was sad at leaving the island they truely loved, but they were joyess for their new baby girl, eager to share her with family and friends and to raise her. As the day passed, the once beautiful and peaceful sky turned dark with storm and soon rain began to fall. The sudden change in weather didnot stop the boat as it sped along the water. By the time the rain finally stopped, it was late at night with the moon hung high in the sky. The air was crisp and cool, the water was calming down from it's storm, and the ocean started to grow silent. Too silent. While mother and children of both families were inside th eboat sleeping, both fathers were on deck, guiding the ship on course and watching the seas. It was about midnight when the silence of the ocean was broken by a distant boom of a cannon. The fathers were jolted from their state of falling asleep as the crash died down. Both fathers looked out west toward the ocean (in the direction they were going) to find nothing there. But out of no where, there was anouthr crash, but this time it was much closer and the boat suddenly dipped, being hit by the cannon that made the crashing noise. The fathers didnot even have enough time to turn around and look before they were grabbed and held down to the deck floor by two large pirate krawks. After the krawks signaled that they had the fathers in their grasp, two pirate aisha, two pirate bori, and two pirate lupe stomped down below the deck to grab the other family members of both families. Each member was thrown up from below, each being held by either a pirate kyrii, a pirate lenny, or a pirate gelert, and forced down to the deck floor. After all members of the families were forced down by a pirate and a path was clear, a pirate eyrie, the captian, walked onto the boat, smirking and chuckling in his throat. Look my crew, a lovely boat basically provided for us on a plate. And even better not one but two rich families to provide us with riches and information. This is just too perfect... the captian eyrie spoke in a dark voice, looking at each captive with a smirk.As he went down the line of captives, he stopped at Tillani with a grin. And look here boys! A new member of our crew. Well, with years of practice anyway... he said, getting to his knees to get a better look at Tillani who was being held by her mother. ...Or she could at least be worth a nifty price back on Krawk Island... he said again, getting up again and staring out toward the sea. The father hissi, angered by the captian's words, struggled to get out of the large bori's grasp. Hearing the disturbance, the captian turned around and waltzed toward the male hissi who's eyes had fire burning red hot in them from anger. Chuckling, the captian took out his sword and put it to the hissi's neck. If I were you, I would stop struggling...if you want to see your family again... the captian said, giving the sword to the bori and ordering him to keep it at the hissi's neck. Waltzing to the middle of the ship's deck, the captian looked to the moon with pride, then sharply turned his gaze to his crew. Throw the captives onto my ship, tie them up, then wait for my command! the captian barked to the crew. In an instant, the crew members holding the captives walked off the luxury boat and threw them on their boat in a single line. As one of the pirates was about to throw Tillani and her mother onto the pirate ship, the captian stopped them. This hissi looks like she could be useful. Leave her on this ship Oiko and force her to show you where their hidden riches are. When she is done, then you can throw her onto our boat.... With a nod, the pirate holding Tillani's mother brought her to the entrance to get bellow the deck. You heard the captian. Gather all your riches together in one pile down there, and be swift about it. We do not have all night! the pirate barked, throwing her down there. As she landed with a thud, Tillani started to cry. Below the deck was much darker than the female hissi remembered from 10 minutes ago. It was also scarier with rope hanging from the ceiling like spider webs. With one long sigh, the female hissi set Tillani in a woven basket and began to gather the riches. Gold coin after gold coin was thrown into a pile along with crystals, saphires, rubies, emeralds, and other precious jewels th eacara family wore as simple necklaces. The hissi hissed as she thought of the acara family. Why would anyone bring precious family jewelry on a vacation? The hissi just shock her head and moved on with her task. Finally the last emerald was thrown into the pile and the job was done. The female hissi knew that the pirate who held her captive was going to come down any minute to check on things. The hissi bent down to pick Tillani up when she realized something. She loked behind her and saw a large window that led right to the ocean's waves. Looking back at Tillani, she saw that she was sleeping in a basket that was a perfect size: the perfect size to squeeze the baby out the window and hopefully off to freedom. The hissi quickly grabbed Tillani, who was in the basket sleeping, in one arm and a handfull of jewels in her free hand. She sprinkled the jewels in the basket with her baby. Tillani woke suddenly to jewels falling gently on her. Her mother then wrapped her up in her blanket and headed toward the window. Looking out to the sea, the female hissi saw that the waves were calm that night. With a sad sigh the mother kissed her baby on the forehead, hugged her, opened the window and placed the basket, with the baby inside, out to the ocean's mercy. With that she quickly slithered to and up the stairs and told the pirate that her deed was done. With a nod the pirate grabbed the hissi and headed for his ship, throwing her on. With everyone off the luxury ship the crew headed for under the deck and began to take an armful of treasures and riches each. The captian laughed as th eship was emptying. Meanwhile, on the pirate ship, the father hissi realized that Tillani was not thrown onto the ship with her mother. Where is Tillani? the father hissi cried out softly, his eyes starting to water with tears. With her eyes filling with tears as well, the female hissi looked out to the sea, seeing the basket cruise past the pirate ship unditected on the waves, heading toward shore. She is off to freedom, off to a better place...I hope the female hissi chocked softly, breaking into tears at the fact that her baby was gone forever, from them forever. After two hours of gathering the treasures and riches, the captian chuckled and waited until every crew member was off th eluxury boat and safely on the pirate ship. Once the cost was clear, the captian reached into his pocket, took out a match, and lit it, then facing the prisoners. Well...let this be the last light you shall see... the captian chanted as he dropped the match onto the boat's deck and darted up, his wings extended and carrying him back to his ship. The acaras and hissies could only watch in horror as their only ticket home was burning, dying right in their grasp. The captian landed on his ship with a thud, satisfaction written on his face. You monster! the male hissi roared at the captian, struggling with the ropes that held him down. Turning to the gaze of the male hissi, the captian only chuckled and picked up a gold coin on his deck that got dropped while the drew was loading the ship. The crew chuckled with the captian at the hissi's words. The chuckling soon ended and the bori walked over the the eyrie captian, giving the capitna his sword back and walking back to his position. With a grin the captian walked closer to the male hissi. Thank you... he said deeply. With a second to spare the captian roared and slashed his sword clear across the hissi's neck, cutting the head off clean. In horror, the female hissi screamed with sorrow in her eyes. The captian chuckled again and looked at the rest of his prisoners, his beak gleaming like the twinkle in his blood stained sword. Within anouther second he went over to the father acara and slashed his head clean. Meanwhile, Tillani cried as she was swept away in her basket, not knowing what was going on. All she could hear was the waves splashing at her basket, the seagulls as they flew ahead signalling the new morning, and the roars of the pirate ship as the captian and crew saw their goals becoming fufilled. Tillani managed to wiggle her head free and looked ahead. She saw the ship she was on only a few hours ago in flames, almost completly gone, and the pirate ship with the crew dancing and cheering to the riches they now gained. As the scene was blocked and swept away by a wave, Tillani cried out for her mother, hearing no responce in return. Only the morning cries of seagulls and the cries of the waves carrying the basket to saftey answered the cries of the little hissi.