Promise

Preparing her luggage didn't take long, and once it was done, Mo'an threw her backpack in the corner of her room as if it was nothing more than a filthy rag. Without sparing another glance at it, she lazily stretched her body while yawning, then went out.

Outside the house, the teenager sat on the edge of the wooden terrace, swinging her legs back and forth. With a deep look in her eyes, she lifted her head and gazed at the canopy that plunged the whole jungle into darkness. Only a few paper lanterns that were hung on the rope bridges brightened the night a little, their warm light attracting the eye.

Even in the daytime, the sunshine barely passed through the foliage, and when it did, its rays were dusky.

Tomorrow, after leaving the tribe's territory, Mo'an would be able to see the endless sky, the twin suns, and the clouds, but she didn't feel any excitement at the thought. Once upon a time, the idea filled her with enthusiasm; now, it only brought back unwanted memories, making her grit her teeth.

She had yearned for the suns as a child, and as a result, she had lost her elder brother the day the three siblings decided to sneak out to admire the sky.

The price she had to pay wasn't worth the sight of the suns, neither then nor now.

"Did you pack your luggage?"

The sudden voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and Mo'an tilted her head toward the direction of the sound. She smiled slightly when she saw her father and her mother walking up to her from the nearest bridge.

Although it was dark, her night vision allowed her to distinguish the two of them easily – the lanterns were there for the young children whose beast attributes weren't fully developed and for the elderly with bad eyesight.

"Yes, dad. I did it. I'm not that unreliable, you know?" chuckled the teenager, looking lovingly at her parents. "I didn't see you at the feast…"

"We had something urgent to discuss with the elders," sighed her mother, whose feline ears turned sideways to express her displeasure. She would have much preferred spending the evening with her children.

"Some problems have arisen in the North. It seems like the creatures in the swamp are getting reckless," added her father, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And we received the reports about it only a few hours ago, yet their odd behavior has been going on for at least a week or two. I don't know what the sentries were doing, but they sure took their sweet time to notify us."

"You have it rough," smiled Mo'an, a sympathetic look on her face.

In response, her father carelessly waved his hand to let her know that it was nothing. They had seen worse. It was only troublesome because it wasn't something they could push aside to enjoy the evening with their children.

If those creatures were left alone, giving them the time to evolve, they could become a danger for the youths of the tribe in no time. They often went to the swamp to pick up medicinal herbs with only three to five warriors supervising their work, so if the creature became more vicious, it would put them in danger. Her parents had to deal with the potential threat quickly; they couldn't ignore their responsibilities just to spend a few hours with their children, even if they were about to leave the tribe for many years.

"You will have to be careful tomorrow. When the convoy passes through the swamp, be on guard. Even if we tell the soldiers that the road is risky, those brainless fools will ignore our warning. After all, we are merely beasts that can talk," grumped her mother, obviously disgusted by the Empire's way of thinking.

"Don't worry. It's not like those creatures are a threat to me. But if they eat one or two soldiers along the way, it won't be my fault," chuckled the teenager, a cold light flashing through her golden eyes. She could already see the gigantic fish-like creatures biting off the soldiers' heads one after another, or the elephant-like monsters stomp on the men until they became nothing more than mashed meat. That would be quite a sight.

"Make sure not to let all of them die so you can have a witness or two. Otherwise, the Empire will say we're the one who did it, and not the swamp creatures, or something along these lines. Those men will use whatever reason they can to remind us of our status as an inferior race," scoffed her father, dejectedly shaking his head.

In response, Mo'an shrugged. In any case, the creatures might or might not attack, so she decided to push the problem to the back of her mind. She would think about it if it were to happen.

Her parents sat beside her, her father on her left, and her mother on her right. They chattered for a moment, talking about everything and nothing. Her parents complimented her about her new look, and Mo'an talked about her day, how she spared with master Ru and the insight the fight gave her. She didn't forget to sing the praises of a few stalls, saying that their cooking was marvelous and that it was a pity they couldn't taste it.

As the teenage girl spoke, she finally remembered the earring La'en had given her earlier. She gently pulled it out of her pocket, showing it to the two adults with a proud smile. Then, she asked under the incredulous stare of her parents, who couldn't believe their own eyes, "Mom, can you pierce my ear?"

The familiar voice, which had lost its softness, made her come back to her sense. Her mother couldn't help but gulp before nodding furiously. Without a word, she ran inside to pick up a needle, drawing laughter from her daughter.

"I never taught La'en would give you his earring," whispered her father after a moment, staring at the jewel with soft eyes. He knew how precious it was to his friend, and it truly was a surprise to see it lying in his daughter's hand.

"Well, your bosom buddy does take Shi'an and me for his own nephew and niece, and he always pampers us to death. When we were young, he even tricked us into calling him uncle, after all," chuckled the teenager. "Sometimes, I've got the feeling that he treats us better than his son."

"Well, he is the kind of man to be strict with his children and lax with the children of others," shrugged her father, a helpless smile on his lips. "When you were little, he taught you all kinds of pranks and stupid things, and who were the ones to pay the price of his lousy teaching? Certainly not him!"

"Yes, yes, I remember. Lyell'en was the worst among the three of us, and Shi'an and I were his acolytes who followed him everywhere like ducklings. He even dragged Tiel and Nael into making mischief. In the end, he led Tiel astray, and La'en can only blame himself for this," laughed Mo'an, a hint of sadness glinting in her golden eyes at the mention of her big brother.

If at that time, little Mo'an had stopped Lyell'en instead of following him along or told her parents about her brother's plan, perhaps things would have been different; perhaps he would still be by her side, teasing her and quarreling with their father.

A big, callused hand ruffled her soft hair, and her father whispered, "Don't blame yourself. Lyell'en was the oldest, and he was more or least aware of what was going on at the time, yet he still decided to break the rules and take you out with him, putting you in danger." The man sighed, then added, "Still, I'm proud of my boy for sending both of you home sound and safe."

The teenager clenched her fists and nodded her head, adding with a small voice, "And who knows? Maybe he is still alive, angering people to death here and there."

"Knowing how stubborn he is, it wouldn't be too surprising," said her mother behind them, and the father and daughter duo turned their head toward her at the same time. She had just come out of the house, a needle in her right hand.

Although, she said that, the three of them knew the probability of him being alive was low. That day, the ones who captured Lyell'en were more likely slave traders, and his end was something none of them dared to think about. Even if he managed to survive, it would be through a living hell.

Still, Mo'an had long decided to take the opportunity to search for her brother while doing her military service. She refused to think that he would give in, not that unyielding brother of hers.

Back then, while trapped in a strange net, Lyell'en had screamed at the top of his lungs that he would come back home one day, no matter what. Then, following his promise, he wouldn't die easily, even if it means crawling back from his grave again and again.

Hence, the teenager believed that he was not dead. If she couldn't wait for his return, then she just had to go and fetch him herself. She had five years ahead of her, and in those five years, she would investigate the event that had happened more than ten years ago.