The Orion's Daughter : To Lands Beyond

Prologue

So much has happened in my life.

Where to begin...

Well... the beginning I suppose.

My name is Raina Toro, daughter of Typh Toro and Florae Toro, mother of Terrilyn Lun, and friend to the once infamous Orion, Steele Veyne.

How I came to know Steele is a story of curious origins. As a mother on my own, abandoned by the love of my life, I had to make a life of my own. I trusted the life of my daughter to a family of farmers who I had come to know and trust. Mr. and Mrs. Finch were kind people, overlooking elements of my past, and watched over Terrilyn as well as their own children as I went to work in the city.

What began as an unsuccessful journey turned fruitful once I befriended an older bookman, Caster Veil, who informed me of a well-paying position as The Orion's Factotum.

The Orion are giants from a land far across the water, and the position would have me tending to him, giving him meals and water.

Why was he in our land you may ask?

He was accused and convicted of destroying a city called Ombre, killing dozens of innocents in the process. He could not speak our language and offered no defense, allowing himself to be sentenced in our land where he remained locked deep beneath The Turret, one of many high security prisons in our land; though, admittedly, our prisons were not meant for giants such as him.

Having no other positions able to take me, I took the position with a heavy heart.

Through my service and exposure to him, I learned he was no savage. This thoughtful, kindhearted Orion was innocent. Steele was covering for his son, Mithos, who was the true culprit. I taught Steele our language and, finally, learned this truth about him.

He told me he was paying for his son because, according to his customs and culture, it was the only way to repay what had been done to my people and redeem the honor of his entire family name from him to his father, and his father's father, and so on.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

Steele hoped justice would be done, blaming himself for what happened, but it was not written in the stars to be so. Steele's son, Mithos, was not satisfied with what he had done before and returned to finish what he started in the town where I had left my daughter – Creewood. I wept, asking Steele for help because I could do nothing to get there in time to save my daughter while he could, and he gave his aid without hesitation, breaking out of what was thought to be an unbreakable prison.

He saved my daughter and all of Creewood at the expense of ending his own son, which nearly broke his spirit. He survived a lethal wound through his will alone and agreed to continue serving Creewood not only to repay what his son had done, but also to earn his way.

It took some adjustment and many, including my own daughter, are still a little uneasy around Steele, and for understandable reason.

They don't know him like I do. They have accepted him and his presence, but everything takes time.

As spring took root, nearly all saw value in Steele's presence. His knowledge of roots and the land, tactics for making the ground yield more and shifting the rivers and streams, is invaluable to us all.

I know they all see his value and his good heart. It will just take time.

Still, after six moons, Terrilyn still seems uneasy around him. I won't pressure her into knowing him like I do.

Still, I wish she could see what I do in him.

But that is for her to tell...

This is no longer my story.

I told my story as The Orion's Factotum.

Now... it is my daughter's turn.

This is Terrilyn's story...

TheOrion's Daughter, and her journey to lands beyond.