Ha'rai

Ha'rai [ha-ra-ee, or ha-rye; literally translated: My Fire] (sometimes known as Ha'rai Raivena ) is the main character and namesake of the Ha'rai series. He was a vena, three-fourths Red Vena and one-fourth Black Vena. He was the son of Naya and Rii, husband of Nata, father of Miles Raivena, and stepfather of Iavio. He was also a firecaster and swordsman, and the first to be knighted in the Mythics' Kingdom who wasn't a Mythic.

Ha'rai was a warrior and leader during many influential historical events.

Early life
Ha'rai was born in 1617 CE shortly after Nefand's raid of the Black Vena Village, to two residents of the village, an ex-rogue Red Vena man named Rii and a half Black and half Red Vena woman named Naya. Naya was pregnant with Ha'rai at the time of the raid, but she and Rii escaped with their lives. Naya gave birth to Ha'rai in the wilderness, en route to the Red Vena Village, and because of the delay caused by childbirth, they were found by Nefand and Ulito, the two humans who led the raid. Rii and a nearby Red Vena man named Vata were killed in the fight that ensued, and Naya was badly wounded. Nefand was also wounded, and Ulito carried him away. The newborn Ha'rai survived unscathed.

Naya and Ha'rai were found by a Red Vena man named Kuori. Naya named Ha'rai, then died, and Tulo took Ha'rai with him to the Red Vena Village. Ha'rai was nursed by Limea, a woman in the tribe, the now-widow of Vata who had recently given birth to their child, Nata. Vata's death grieved Limea, and she became very, sick, but she endured until both Nata and Ha'rai were weaned, then died. For the rest of their childhoods, Ha'rai and Nata were raised by Limea's mother, Salai.

Ha'rai and Nata befriended Vai, and during their early years, the three were inseperable. In 1626, when Ha'rai was eight years old, the Black Vena escaped from captivity in the Black City, and sought refuge from the pursuing guards among the Red Vena. Miles Eques, a friendly mythic who had been following the tribe for three years, fought in the defense of the vena using his sword and firecast, and thanks to him, not one vena was killed.

The battle had badly frightened Ha'rai, and he determined that he would learn the skills Miles had, to protect his friends and family. The night after the battle, Ha'rai asked Miles to teach him. Miles accepted, and taught him every morning for an hour before the sun rose. Ha'rai learned a little about Miles' past, that he had been a captain among the Mythic Knights in the city of Mitarii. Ha'rai was also impressed by Miles' ability to kill the rgous which would occasionally come near the tribe.

Ha'rai and Nata grew closer together as the years passed. In 1630, when Ha'rai and Nata were thirteen, they were together in the forest to assist a hunt. Because they were bored, they began to climb trees. Ha'rai slipped, and Nata dove to catch him, sustaining some debilitating injuries. Not long after, they were attacked by a rgou. Ha'rai used his rudamentary skills to chase it off, leaving a burn over one of its eyes. The episode left the two with the realization that they loved one another.

Events of The King of the Black City
Beginning in 1632, Salai's health began to fail. Ha'rai was concerned for her, and did not want to leave for his rite of passage, which would consist of hunting an animal for days away from the tribe. In the autumn of 1633, after the tribe had settled into its winter campsite and upon the insistance of Salai and Nata, Ha'rai left to hunt.

Ha'rai determined that he wanted to kill the rgou that had attacked Nata and him years previous. He tracked it down, and was poised to kill it, when something stayed his hand. Instead, he caught and killed a small rodent, and cooked it that evening, at his small camp. As he did, he smelled the rgou approaching, and caught up his guard. The rgou simply looked at him, and Ha'rai gave it a little meat. The next morning, he found it dead, apparently from natural causes.

He carried its carcass back to the tribe and explained what had happened. Salai granted him manhood, impressed by his courage and sympathy. Miles Eques had secretly followed Ha'rai throughout the hunt, and was also impressed. Miles knighted Ha'rai, then left for the Rolvena Village to become reacquainted with San, a vena warrior he had met previously.

That evening, Ha'rai watched the sunset with Nata. He proposed marriage to her, and she accepted. After the sun had set, and as they left toward the village, they were ambushed and attacked by a human from the Black City named Sekit. During the fight that ensued, Vai came to their aid, but was rendered unconscious by Sekit's magic. Miles also came and dueled Sekit, but was stabbed through the stomach. Sekit left a ragged scar on Ha'rai's left ear, and kidnapped Nata.

Ha'rai was forced to stay in the village to recover for a few days, although he wanted to leave and rescue Nata.

Later life
Ha'rai served with Nata for decades in the Mythic Knights, eventually attaining the rank of captain before retiring. After that, he taught at the University of Mitarii until his death.