Kayne once again came around slowly opening his eyes. This time he was in a hammock swaying back and forth. His hands were tied and his cloak over his legs. He felt around and realized his bag and his belt were both missing. He slowly surveyed the situation. No one was around and he was below decks surrounded by cargo. Trying to remember how he’d gotten there nothing came to mind. Then in a panic he remembered his mother. Where had she gone?! And Naia, they were all asleep still. He got out of the hammock with his hands still tied which was a bit of a challenge. He swung his legs over one side immediately flipping and only managed to not slam his face on the ground by hanging onto the hammock with both hands as his legs flopped all over the place. Once the awkward maneuver was completed he managed to pull himself up to his feet. Feeling embarrassed he silently hoped no one had seen it. Quietly he snuck around in the hold below decks looking for a way to get his hands untied. He found very little of use to him down there. He found a large barrel of water and realized he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had any. Suddenly his mouth tasted extra dry and salty.
Finally he found a nail and began working at the bonds. Several times he dropped the small spike with a small clang on the wooden deck. He feared someone would notice him. As he slunk around he could see and hear above deck in a few spots where he then watched and listened. To his astonishment Naia strode around the deck free as a bird with her gear intact. In fact she looked to be happily conversing with a crew member. Confused he made his way further aft where a staircase led up. Slowly he crept his way up to the main deck and he eased his head above the deck line to look around. He couldn’t see Naia now but across from him slung on a hook near the captain's quarters was his knife belt. The three dwarven daggers were on it but the Alkin blade was missing. He glanced around and took his chance. He opened one of his hands and wished for it. One of the dwarven daggers wiggled out of its scabbard and zoomed straight into his hands. He then eased back below decks and finished cutting his bonds.
Little did he know someone had noticed his little dagger trick. The helmsman had been watching him the whole time. Quietly he’d gotten the attention of Naia who happened to be near the hold but looking the other way. He’d wordlessly informed her about him and she’d quietly hidden nearby waiting for him to pop out. Without fail, a few moments later Kayne predictably did so. He sprung out of the hold dagger in his mouth and summoned the other two right into his hands. Looking like a feral sea rat, he stood there ready to fight anyone that came near. Naia jumped out from behind him with her hands in the air like a scary monster! Kayne dropped the dagger in his mouth where it almost lodged into his foot. She had screamed behind him. “HA!!! Gotcha!” Her arms were wrapped around him from behind before he could do anything but recognize the voice and looked down to seem himself entangled and the dagger stuck in the wood near his right foot.
Rolling his eyes he said. “Alright Naia, you got me. What on Sacalia is going on here.” She released him and he lowered his guard stance to turn around to look at her. As he did so he noticed their little ship still sitting in the middle of the large center of the boat sails all stowed nicely and lines coiled. Coming back to him all of the sudden he remembered. “Naia, where’s mother?!” He said. “Kayne. Calm down she’s right over here. The crew of the Yukishan picked us up and managed to stabilize her wound.” She responded.
Excitedly he asked, “They healed her?!” With a glance at the deck Naia replied. “No she’s just not dying anymore. We have to get her to a special healer somewhere. The captain has us headed there now, actually.” Pointing to the symbol on their main sails she continued. “This is actually the same ship that was in port at the Raka summer fair. They made my sail for me.” He realized the symbol happened to be the same swallow over some flower he didn’t recognize. As they spoke, she guided him across the deck to a door near where his belt hung on a hook. He took a moment to slip the two daggers into the belt and then strapped it on over his tunic. Tapping the side the third that was stuck in the floor across the deck materialized in the last open sheath.
“She’s in here.” Naia said as she watched the trick he’d just performed and then knocked on the ornate door to the captains quarters. A somewhat familiar female voice came from the inside beckoning them in. The very same voice that had caused him to lose consciousness before. He rubbed the back of his head finding a bump and a bad memory.
As he entered the cabin he saw several things all at once. Kismet sat casually in a chair without his patchy worn cloak on for once and had no baggage on him at all. He was just nonchalantly sippin’ on something hot in a cup. Across from him was the captain raising from her seat. Between them was Kayne’s sword in its usual size and shape, bare on the desk between them over a map of Sacalia.
Eventually he saw a lightly blue skinned Piscalian woman holding her hands over his mother's wound. Blue magic was coursing into the wound. Two blue bands of magic glowed around her leg above and below the laceration. Where it did the black lines of poison stopped like it was being trapped behind the bands. Kismet told him, “Kayne, Captain Pallaj here has ordered her ship's healer to help your mother. Thanks to her coming across us in that fog and picking us up off the sea, Nilah may survive that wound. As it turns out she was fleeing the Korrigan attack as well.”
He looked at his mother who was laid out on a daybed but unconscious then he looked at them and asked, “What happened to us? Why did we all pass out in that fog?” Having sat back down to sip her own mug of something steaming the captain replied, “I believe I can answer that question for you. Kayne, was it? Could I offer you something to drink while I explain?” Unsure what to ask for he replied. “Uh, sure an ale might help my head stop throbbing a bit.” She snapped her fingers and a deck hand appeared out of nowhere handing him a mug and gesturing to a swiveling chair that was affixed to the deck nearby.
“So!” She said crisply and pointing at the map, moving his blade towards him and out of her own way. “We are here. Your tiny village is over here and we rescued you somewhere in this region.” She circled a spot to the north of Raka and to the east of Ashjunta. “Kismet tells me you were headed to Ashjunta to find a larger faster ship to take you somewhere to get her healed. Had we not stumbled upon you, you’d be so far lost out here that one of the monsters residing in these deep waters may have found you and gobbled you right up.” To make her point she chomped down on a cracker and then crushed the last little bit of it into crumbs onto her plate. “Mhhmmmm. Those morsels really are quite scrumptious. Moving right along, these fog banks like you found reside in dead spots in the sea. They’re caused by some magical shenanigans brought on by the time crash waaaaaay over here.” She tossed a marker across the sizable table towards the Southeast corner of Sacalia.
“They’re not much of an issue for larger ships like ours but sometimes smaller craft, like yours, will find their way, unfortunately, into them and never come out. As you experienced they make you get all sleepy and eventually one of Ark’s Korrigan raiders will come by and smash any ships that are unfortunate enough to be caught.” Making like she was playing with two small wooden boats, she shook one black one at a much smaller toy and then knocked it over.
“Our ship, the Yukishan, is part of the five race alliance that was formed before the war and resulting battle that caused the time crash. It is part of the Piscalian agreement that, because we are ill suited for fighting on land ,our vast fleet of trading and war ships would patrol the waters all around Sacalia for these Korrigan raiders. Whenever we find one of these peculiar fog banks, our wind seers slice through them clearing a path for us to slip in take a look around and either blast any nasty Korrigan ‘ships’ to pieces.” She made air quotes around the word ‘ships’ with a look of disdain on her face. “Or, fortunately for you, rescuing derelict vessels and wayward crews that aren’t well manned enough to have a decent wind seer onboard to cut through the infectious fog.” Hearing this Naia looked like she was going to take offense but Captain Pallaj cut her off. “Yes Naia, you are quite good for your age, but there is no way you could have known about these banks. Only the most well traveled and experienced crews are aware.” Naia stepped back and resumed leaning on the wall and ‘un-ruffling her feathers, so to speak.
Kayne looked back down at his blade and slowly put his right hand over it. Everyone in the room watched him tentatively. “Oh, right, sorry about the wallop Mr. Jasper gave you there on my order. We couldn’t have an uneasy teen wielding a magical sword swinging it around the deck all willy nilly. Had no clue what sort of mischief you’d get up to with it.” She said apologetically.
Kismet to his right began speaking next, “Kayne, I think we have some clue what this blade does now. What was it you were feeling when you swung at the crewman? You managed to lodge that blade into a well forged steel scimitar. Had the blade not reverted to its previous size it may have been a struggle to separate the two.”
Kayne touched the hilt and the small dagger pulsed blue. “I felt fear and anger.” Slowly he picked it up and nothing changed about it. Gazing at it he said, “I was also still a little groggy from the fog. All I wanted to do was protect the boat and the three of you. I didn’t even notice that it had changed shape until it was lodged in that blade.”
Captain Pallaj stood from her chair again and said, “I have several theories and while you were out several of us had a few swings with it, coming to the conclusion that it would only react to you. Seeing the way it pulsed just now to your touch proves it. The ‘sword’ is most undeniably bound to you. The other thing I know is who made it. I’ve only seen one other like it and there’s no mistaking her craft. Taras of Crescent Isle is the only one with the skill and means to create such a weapon. In fact we’re headed there now.” She pointed to a tiny island shaped like a crescent moon to the east of their location. “Normally. We wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near that island. The Alkin have covered it in a slew of enchantments that make it not only impossible to find but, should we approach it, the magical shielding would incinerate us like the breath of Calon himself.” She gave a meaningful look at both Naia and Kismet. They both had a knowing look in their eye.
“Who or what is Calon?” Kayne asked the room at large. Naia stepped away from her spot on the wall and explained. “This is Calon, personal companion to Silara. Captain Silara is the greatest seer the Piscalians ever had and the one who predicted your birth. Silara and her famous ship the Calons Star are the ones who broke the assault on Limuna several years before the time crash. She and her drake Calon single handedly stopped a cyclone being sent by Ark the foresworn.”
Captain Pallaj walked over near to where they looked at a painting of the fateful battle. She held up a gold coin in her hand as she broke into the conversation. “For his service to the kingdom of Limuna, he was awarded a place at the side of the king and minted on our currency forever naming them ‘gold dragons.’ For her service to the kingdom, Silara was made the Piscalian champion and her King requested a custom blade to be made for her by the legendary smith Taras. She is the very same woman who crafted what you now hold.” He took in the gravity of what he was being told the stepped back to look at the blade.
“Until we boarded this ship I had never even swung this blade. I’d like to give it another try, if you don’t mind, captain. Do you have someone I could spar with?” Looking him up and down she decided something. “I think we’ve got a rusty blade somewhere that you can abuse with that dagger of yours.” She said giving Kayne a wink. His face grew red at the proclamation.
She led him out onto the deck where men were moving back and forth working. She walked up to a locker, opened it and chose an old looking short sword, then swung around a banister and hopped up a set of stairs in a flash to a space behind the helmsman. Kayne followed her up and watched her as she gave the blade a few practice swings. It whistled through the air as she did so with an obviously well practiced hand. “Alright young man. Knowing what that blade can do I think I’m sufficiently skilled to deal with whatever you may toss out at me.” Kayne came up the stairs and mimicked what she had done, gave the short blade a few swings, and rolled his neck and shoulders.
“First let’s just start with a simple overhead chop to see what happens.” Kayne did so, swinging the small blade somewhat gently over his head down onto her sword, that she had prepared a block. The two metals rang. Nothing changed about the dagger he held in his right hand. “Alright something a little more vigorous I guess.” She parried his blade to the side from where she had blocked it. Coming at him, she began to strike at a decent pace allowing him to block and dodge. The first few he took one after another, blocking or parrying with the short blade.
She came at him once more a bit harder and Kayne almost couldn’t get to the block in time...the blade instinctively grew a foot in length! He could feel the hilt fill and form to his grip. They both looked at it with some tempered surprise. “There it is!” She said. “A bit harder then.” She picked up her pace and they began to dance back and forth. Here and there the blade would shift ever so slightly. Coming in for blocks and parries, it would increase in length and decrease in thickness to allow him to move more quickly. Each time it did this they were both surprised to see Kayne able to match the captain when he shouldn’t have.
Eventually he began to anticipate its changes and was able to strike back at the captain, gaining a bit of momentum. A few times when he’d go in for a harder strike, the blade would shrink back to a thinner rapier size only, to shift mid swing to a single sided scimitar. Changing mid parry a few times, the rapier would decrease in width and increase in length to allow him an easier stab. After a few of the hard scimitar strikes followed by the rapier jabs, the captain stepped back and broke the fray.
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She stood there and opened her ornate captains jacket revealing what most Piscalians wore. Tight fitting leather shorts and bralette. What she also showed, as she looked down,was that there was an inch wide hole in her jacket. “Alright there son. You seem to be picking up that blade’s skill with some innate ability. I don’t think my wardrobe can take much more before you make me indecent. At which point, I’d have to slay you to regain my honor and no one wants to see that.” She again winked at the young man who became even more flush than the first time. In addition she raised her blade to him in salute. Kayne remembered himself and the few lessons he’d had with a swordsman back home, so he returned the gesture. The captain then examined the blade she was holding. It was in fact severely damaged, with notches and chips along its blade. There were even a few spots where Kaynes had sliced an inch or more down the edge leaving it blunted. Kayne examined his blade as well, which had returned to its normal size. The edge and the length of the blade were completely undamaged, not even smudged in any way. It was simply perfect. He reached behind him and slipped the blade back into its small scabbard.
“I’m impressed, Kayne. Had you plied that skill upon my crew with the intent you bore them before you may have brought down several of my deck hands. Glad we never had to find out. Though, I am curious to see the blade form you bore that time. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before and I have no doubt that should you employ it with sufficient force you’d have cut clean through any normal blade.”
Kismet showed up to his side and joined the conversation. “Well Kayne, maybe I should have let you at that witch, Mourwyne. Might have given her a run for her money if you’d had this blade on you. I’m glad the sword master I sent you was able to train some skills into you.” Kayne looked at him with confusion and said, “It was you all those years? It was you that sent me all the tutors and instructors?” “Well not just me. Kayne you’ve had an entire organization watching over you and instructing you all these years. The Kotonami, while not a large group, have a few members of varying importance scattered all over the world. Many wanted a chance to help educate you and thus you were allotted the very best,” said Kismet.
He then revealed a portion of his left wrist that was hidden by sleeve. What he showed was a small wave shaped tattoo with a circle around it and a star on one side. “Memorize this symbol Kayne; it's how you will know to trust the various individuals of our order.” Something came to Kaynes mind like a brick hitting him. Spinning around he grabbed Naia by the shoulders and spun her around. He brushed the tendrils that made up what Piscalians call their hair like decorations. The very same symbol graced her neck where no one ever should have seen it, but she and Kayne had been together for so long he’d seen it at some point.
“Naia… you’re part of it?” Before she could respond Kismet stepped in and said, “This is how we knew she was special. That’s no tattoo Kayne.” He looked again, touching it. He was right. Naia reached back and felt the spot he had touched and awkwardly looked at Kismet then Kayne. “I have a mark?” Pulling Kismet’s arm over, Kayne pointed at it. “It’s like a rougher version of that symbol. Kismet do I also have one?” Pulling his sleeve down he explained, “No, Kayne you’re not one of them. You’re something else entirely. If you’d like to take the mark, I think Captain Pallaj may be able to help you but you should consider it very carefully. If an enemy saw it they’d know immediately who you are. But you’ll know for sure when you’ve found the other four members of your team because they’ll have a similar mark on them somewhere pertaining to their own element as the original five heroes did.”
Kayne thought about something for a moment. Finally working out whatever he’d been thinking he asked, “Is that how we’ll be able to pass the barrier to that island?” “No, it will be because of this.” From a pocket somewhere on him, Kismet produced a small black flag with the symbol on the front. “Before you ask, no this isn’t just a flag, it’s been enchanted by Queen Lyrosier herself.”
Snapping her fingers to summon a crewman the captain said, “Speaking of which, we’re about a half day away or less. We may want to hang that favor soon or risk our own demise at the hands of incredible Alkin spell shielding. Here take this. Hang it from the prow as far forward as you can. AND!” She raised a finger to the crewman. “If you drop it you had better follow it under the ship and retrieve it yourself before I have the water magically removed from your body.” Both Kayne and the crewman looked somewhat horrified. Seeing Kayne's face, she explained, “Nasty way to go. Quite the incentive too. I got the idea from that mischievous Spriggen sprite girl. I believe her dagger performs the same spell but without the need for seals, the way a water magi might have to do it.” She stood there contemplating what she had said.
Kayne again looked somewhat taken aback. “Spriggen sprite girl? You’ve seen her too? And she fights?” Casually examining her fingernails, the captain responded with, “Why yes. Most who fought in the time before the time crash against the Korrigan have seen her once or twice. She always likes to have her fingers in the events that unfold around Sacalia. And during those wars that little girl was a deadly killer. Flitting between forms, she was next to impossible to lay a finger on. And that tiny dagger would dry a Korrigan to dust before it knew it’d been nicked by it. Just like that. Poof!” She snapped her fingers and then blew at them as if she’d had dust in her hand. “It took me a while to master the spell but once you know how, it’s a nasty bit of magic.”
As though she hadn’t just described a little girl turning blood thirsty Korrigan warriors to dust just moments before, the captain barked an order at her first mate. “Mr. Andelle. I’ll take my afternoon meal in my quarters. And show this young man around the ship. Thank You!” With that she about-faced and walked down to her cabin handing the damaged blade to her first mate. After taking the captain a meal, Mr. Andelle showed Kayne all the basics of where things were and how the ship ran. After that he was once again free. Knowing it wouldn’t be long, Kayne opted to find a corner of the ship and an unused wooden box top where he practiced throwing his three dagger and returning them to his hands.
He was getting familiar with them by the end and he could sink them in specific spots almost every time. Naia, seeing his prowess from across the boat, decided she needed to test him. She yelled at him from where she was, “Hey Kayne! Bet you can’t hit this pot lid in the air!” Hearing her jeer, he glanced over his shoulder to see what she was going on about. She held the top of the water jar ready to spin it into the air. “Alright Naia. I’ll give it a try, throw it!” He said with a grin.
She spun the disk into the air over herself and prepared a little bit of wind magic. Kayne wound back and began to throw. As he did, she gave the pot lid a little jerk with her wind making it dip oddly to one side. Little did she know that once again Kayne’s right eye had gone blinde and his left eye gave him a vision of the dagger sinking into the wooden circle. His vision came back and the two watched his dagger dig its blade directly into the middle of the pot lid. And right before their eyes, both flopped right off the deck and into the sea.
They both ran to the rail of the boat to look over. “Oooooohhhh. I’m sorry Kayne, I didn’t think about it falling overboard! I can’t even see where it went!” She was about to jump right off the boat to search for it when Kayne stopped her with his right hand. He looked at her and then looked to his left. He opened it and out of the water came both the pot lid and his blade. With a look of astonishment and a little embarrassment, she put her hand to her forehead briefly and said, “Oh, right… Magic dagger. Man, I wonder how they manage that enchantment. It really is useful!” He pulled the lid off the dagger point and handed it to her. “Here you go young miss. I believe you lost your lid there for a second” he said with a smirk, admiring his own word play. With a groan she shook her head, sat back down, and replaced the lid from where it had come from.
“It really is a super handy enchantment. Speaking of which, when we get a chance, we should treat our bags and other things with some of this handy powder. That way when we have to sail again our stuff will stay dry! I wonder how many things we can use it on.” Nodding in agreement, Naia said back, “Sounds good to me, although I won’t need to do any of my clothes. I really don’t mind being wet. If I’m dry for too long it starts to bother me. We Piscalians are from the sea already and really shouldn’t be far from it at any point.”
Kayne remembered something and responded with a somber tone. “We should do mothers, so she won’t get wet if we have to travel like we did before.” Looking down at her feet trying not to think about her own mother and the fact that she might be about to lose another she responded simply, “Yeah, sounds good Kayne.” He put an arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze.
Before they could sit there and sulk much longer, the sailor in the crows nest hollered. “Laaaaaaaaaaand ho!” Without delay, Captain Pallaj burst from her quarters and strode to the helm. The captain peered around from her vantage point then said and did nothing else for several minutes. Kayne and Naia heard all this and ran to the bow of the vessel so they could watch. To their surprise they looked below at the twin prows of the ship only to see ethereal humanoid shapes swimming in the waves splashing from it.
Naia then said, “Kayne look, sea nymphs! They’re supposed to be a good omen for any ship!” As they watched the tip of an island became visible slowly. When the crow's nest had called out the ship had reduced speed and came down from upon hydrofoils. At the same time when they could see the tip of the island the sea nymphs looked up and immediately vanished. Not long after they heard the captain begin to hurl out orders to the crew followed by her saying, “Brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen!” She was apparently unsure of whether or not their ‘ticket in’ would be effective. Kayne was very unsure how she knew to call out until a layer of red glistening magic was inches from his face. If something was going to happen, he’d have been thrust face first into it unknowingly.
Most hands of the ship gripped railings or rigging in preparation. The red glistening magical barrier shimmered around them as they passed through it without harm. Here and there they watched the rigging along the masts and a stray bit of twine or sail would separate from the ship. When it did small crackles of power would be seen sparking and incinerating those bits. The captain shouted an order to the two ships’ magi and their spells immediately ceased. The stern of their ship slipped silently through the water and the spell shield closed behind them with a crackling sizzle. Just like that, they slipped in. The ship gave a small jolt forward and they were back to a slow cruising speed and the captain resumed giving orders. Sails were furled, lines were coiled up, and three sailors on each side turned large wheels that then lifted out massive wooden boards that dripped sea water above the deck on each side. “Look Kayne, just like on my skiff. They’re special hydrofoils that help lift the ship off the water when it’s at full speed.” He watched in amazement at how big they were and just nodded in agreement.
As they approached the small crescent shaped isle, a long single dock was clearly visible outside a few simple but well built huts within the shallow protected cove of the island. “See if we hadn’t pulled those up as we passed through the channel of the island we’d get caught on the sand bars that protect the cove,” Naia explained to Kayne. Gazing upon the shore and the island they could see the few inhabitants looking curiously at the ship. They also saw the lush tropical forest and on the west past the small village was a waterfall. It cascaded down onto sheer stones that had been obviously curated to channel and control the water in and around a stone hut that had a smokey chimney. The stream dropped off a square stone into a deep section of seawater that looked like it went too far down to see. From it a small amount of steam constantly poured out. Naia and Kayne both just leaned on the railing, mouths agape, staring at all they were seeing. Getting closer they realized the people on the beach were all dark blue skinned, tall, and well muscled folk. Kayne could have sworn he could see one of them glow blue, ever so slightly.
Out of nowhere Kismet appeared behind them, in his usual full cloak and backpack, giving them both a start. “Alright you two, you’ll have plenty of time later to see everything. For now go gather your effects and prepare the skiff to be offloaded.” The two were unsure how to respond so Kayne managed a semi stifled. “Uhm… Alright.” As they moved about the ship the two dodged sailors going back and forth about their duties to gather their things from around the ship. It took Kayne a few extra minutes to figure out which hammock he had come from to find his cloak though. He later made the excuse saying he’d been knocked out and just couldn’t remember which one he’d fallen out of at the time. But Naia just rolled her eyes saying; “uh-huh likely story.” In fact the only way he figured it out was that he accidentally put his hand on one of the swinging beds and felt the unmistakable fabric of the cloak that Queen Lyrosier had gifted him as a child. Its fabric always felt the same simple silky yet heavy material. The way it felt made you sure that it would protect you from any weather but almost weightless. He donned it and found that his bag of money and gems was buried below it.
He came above deck again and saw that the ship had come to a very gentle stop. Naia and a few crewmen were attaching lines to the ends of her skiff and preparing to lift it out of the central hold. He looked to the bow and saw that some sailors were lowering a gangplank. Not off the side like usual but down the middle between the two hulls. The ship was big enough and wide enough between its hulls that at this dock they could simply straddle it and tie on between hulls.
Several seamen began to mutter a heave ho and the little skiff floated magically up into the air with Naia standing in the middle of it holding onto some of the rigging they’d done up. Next thing he knew it had been lowered down beside the much larger vessel and with a splash it was in the water. Naia untied the lines used to haul it up and with a small spell she took the tiller and guided the boat to a spot on the dock much closer to the beach where boats her size were more suited.
Kayne looked around wondering what he should do when, out of the captain's quarters, came several burly crewmen that gingerly carried a stretcher out with Nilah laying between them. Kismet dutifully followed behind them. Watching the party pass Kayne joined Kismet in the procession and said, “Where are they taking her? Does this island have a healer that can help her?” Kismet replied in a somewhat hushed tone. “I’m not sure Kayne, that poison Mourwyne uses is some mighty awful stuff, we’re not even sure what it really is. Could be something Ark or Aumatia drug up from the underworld simply to spite the inhabitants of Sacalia.”
Without further explanation, they followed his mother down the gangway and onto the dock. Captain Pallaj strode forward past them and went to where Naia stood near the base of the dock talking to a small group of Alkin and Piscalians. Kayne thought he even spotted a Kindel man somewhere in the back standing menacingly with a large scimitar at his hip, a quiver of arrows and a bow slung over his shoulder saying nothing. Before he could make his way into the conversation where the Captain stood. She was talking with a rather large Alkin woman dressed in heavy leather smithy aprons and tools. They then rushed his mother off through the village before Kayne could hear or say anything.