Writings for Martell

House of the Undying Story

Story: The Magical Clan of Kaylee
Word Count: 1120

Kaylee lounged comfortably on the porch of the large, thatched roof cabana while she typed away at her trusty laptop. With a satisfied smile, she hit enter and closed the laptop for the day. The numerous trade deals she just made will bring in another small fortune to her small clan's already remarkable wealth. The Arcone people use one hundred percent of their brains, giving them impeccable intelligence and extraordinary powers and abilities. The speed at which Kaylee calculates numbers and memorizes inventory is impressive to say the least. A flick of the wrist made the computer she gripped vanish until the time she would need it again.

The twin suns of Harmony glistened across the vast ocean in front of the little beach house. The immortal would never tire of looking out at the planet's iridescence blue sky and aquamarine sea. Some of her clan members were surfing today. Another grin brightened Kaylee's face as she gazed their antics. Lord Thomas and Lord Kyle were laughing as they switched surfboards with each other, right at the top of an enormous wave. Her brother, Prince Troy, even joined in. Not to be outdone with the surfing stunts, he managed to jump his board right over the both of them.

"Princess! Oh good, you've finished your work. Are you going to join them in the water today?"

Kaylee's attention was drawn to the colorful parrot-like bird, which landed so gracefully on one of the white railings that surrounded the porch. All of the animals on Harmony were friendly and fluent in English. Pete was one of Kaylee's favorite bird friends. He always made sure to stop by for conversation whenever he spotted the Princess around, especially at times like this when she wasn't busy with anything else.

"Hello, Pete. I was thinking about going out there with them. I might just do that." Kaylee winked and got up from the chair. She raised her arms over her head for a long, slow stretch. "See you later!" Kaylee blew a kiss at the perky bird before she vanished and appeared at the water's edge carrying her own surfboard.

The princess stood at the there for a moment, enjoyed the playful way the soft, rippling waves gently crashed at her feet. The aqua water of this wondrous blue sea was crystal clear, other than the white foam made by the waves. Just a bit further out, the water was blasting with crushing force. Her clan members were skillfully showing off their daring maneuvers, so she figured it was time to remind them that she had a few great moves herself.

It wasn't long before she joined the surfing party. The water spiraled around the board like sparkling stardust, as she road the waves. Finally, she flexed her knees, then jumped her board over Troy, while he was jumping over two of the other boys.

"Oh, Sis is out to play!" Troy teased. "I'll race you back to the beach." Troy shouted over at his sister as he twisted his board back to the sand. Kaylee started to head that way, but Thomas grabbed the back of her board, causing her to fall backward into the water.

"Thomas!" Kaylee laughed as she tossed her hair. "Not fair to gang up on me!"

The group vanished their boards into the air as they stepped back on the beach. With a wave of their arms, each one dried themselves off, and walked back to the cabana porch.

"That was fun!" Troy said.

"I need an ice cream soda now." Kyle began. "Let's have some here on the porch."

Kyle was about to zap up some ice cream sodas, when a visitor appeared suddenly. Kyle and Thomas immediately bent into a deep bow.

"Father!" Kaylee's eyes widened as she walked over to give her dad a hug. "What a nice surprise! What brings you here today?"

"Father." Troy also went over to give his dad a small hug.

"Kaylee, Troy." King Orion returned their hugs. "Kyle, Thomas." He gave a slight nod to the lords. "As you were."

The king ran a hand through his thick black hair. Although he was seventy thousand years old, he still had the appearance of a teen. Arcone people age until they are 16, and then stay that way for all of their immortal lives. Each one is adorned with athletic bodies and stunning looks. "Children, I wanted to talk to you about two things. First of all." He raised a brow at his daughter. "I put you in charge of Earth, after my departure from that planet. You spend so much time on this private little vacation planet of yours, while your Earth is in shambles. Have you not noticed that the humans are out of control? They've run out of sufficient housing. Crime levels have risen to shocking and disturbing amounts. And frankly, the filth of our home world is becoming embarrassing."

Kaylee looked down at the wooden deck boards of the beach house floor while her dad continued his reprimand.

"You insisted that the humans know about the existence of Arcones and Vampires, saying that you could better care for them if they did." He sighed, and looked out at the ocean. "You are neglecting your duties. I want you to get back there, and do something about the housing and overpopulation problem. And work on beautifying the planet again."

Kaylee looked up from the floor and let out a breath. "We could do that. We have a few plans that we had started talking about. Building underwater towns, and high rise apartment towers..And, I guess we could start some programs to have people who are interested move to other planets. We'll work on it soon, Father." She tried to force a small smile.

"Good. And speaking of population..You've had this clan for 2000 years, and there are only twelve of you in it. I think it's about time that you turn some more humans or vampires to increase your numbers."

Troy started opening his mouth to speak, but his dad held up a hand and continued. "Perhaps new members might spark some fresh new ideas and bring more strength to your clan."

King Orion stepped forward to give his daughter a kiss and then shook his son's hand. He spoke while doing so. "Alright. I have to hurry to a meeting. Work on those issues, and keep me informed on your progress." Just as he appeared, he was gone just as quickly.

"What are we going to do?" Thomas asked.

"Pack up. Close up the house and outbuildings. See that the animals here will be okay." Kaylee held her head up with new determination. "We're going home."