Arn, Mai, and Chak had started packing their bags. The anxious overthinking about the upcoming meeting between all the Sun tribes and the king kept them from resting.

  Unlike Arn, Rin wasn’t a muscular giant. But Arn knew Rin was hundreds of times smarter and far more capable of leading the tribe because of his gift for understanding people.

  Arn stood still for a moment, staring at the sky as he knelt to grab his bag.

  “Are you just going to stare at me?” Arn's head turned slightly as he looked behind him. He lifted his eyebrows as he looked

  “How did you do that?” Rin replied as Arn turned around.

  Rin was skinny, tall, with the same skin tone and face as Arn, but his body had never developed the same way. Not frail, but the difference was clear.

  “I still don’t get how you do that,” Rin said.

  “Do what?”

  “That, knowing when someone’s around, feeling things near you.” Rin approached Arn, taking a few steps at a time

  “I told you, you just need to feel the change in energy.” Arn opened his bag, he moved some of the items inside as if making room, and grabbed a journal he kept attached to his belt inside the bag

  “Easy for you to say.” Rin responded as he sat next to Arn

  “I mean, if I can do it, so can you.” Arn closed his bag, he stretched his back and reached towards Rin, he extended his arm and hand, placing it on Rin’s shoulder.

  “Brother, the best thing my ability lets me do sometimes is know when it’s a good day to leave the house.” Rin lowered his head as Arn placed his hand on his shoulder.

  Rin felt as Arn's hand tightened slightly as he let those words out “Your gift is great. Stop putting yourself down. You have the ability to see what has yet to come and change the future.”

  “Eh, I don’t know about the last part.”

  “Well, you can avoid things, right?”

  “Yes, but that’s not changing the outcome. Just swaying things to a path I didn’t see.”

  “Well, that’s still a lot. You could save thousands ahead of time. You can know when catastrophe will strike and stop it. So stop putting yourself down.”

  He patted Rin on the head and kissed his forehead. “Have you done your weekly training? I don’t sense your spark getting stronger.”

  “Yes, I have. But it’s futile. You know I was never meant for fighting or any of the things you and the warriors can do.”

  Arn turned around. “So what? That won’t stop me from loving you, or stop you from being my brother. No harm will ever come to you as long as I’m around.”

  “But you’ll have to worry about other things soon. Father wants you to trial to become the tribe’s elder. I don’t want to be a burden to you or anyone here anymore.”

  “You aren’t a burden, Rin.”

  “Tell that to Father. He barely sees me.”

  “I once had a talk with Father about not spending time with me when I was younger. He said, ‘Arn, you must understand, our family isn’t just Mother, you, and I. I must worry about every child, elder, and woman in the tribe.’”

  Arn deepened his voice to imitate his father. “He told me he loved me and sent me to train.”

  “So he’s always been like that?”

  “Sadly. But I’ve grown to understand him.”

  “Will you be like him?”

  “Hell no.”

  They both laughed.

  Mai burst in. “We need to leave now. You guys are taking too long. We’ll miss the fireflies.”

  She grabbed Rin’s backpack and rushed outside. “Let’s go! We’ll make the village look bad if we arrive late to the meeting. We’re supposed to be there in three days, and we’re already a day behind.”

  “We’ll be there in no time,” Arn said. “We’ll just use the underground road. The closest connecting cave is less than a day from here. We’ll reach the summit today if we run.”

  “Then get to running,” a deep voice called from outside.

  “Easy for you to say,” Arn laughed as Chak stepped in.

  Chak was much younger here, less muscular. His hair was long, ears pierced, sides shaved. Two girls clung to his arms.

  “So, are we leaving? Or do I get more time to enjoy the beauty the goddess Pelor has put upon this land?” He grinned at the girls.

  “Can you stop being so… that?” Mai glared.

  “If you would stop messing around and focus on your training, you might beat Arn. But instead you spend your days entertaining women you’ll forget in a week.”

  “Ladies, she didn’t mean that,” Chak said, feigning shock. “If I wanted to beat Rin, I could’ve done it long ago. He’s my best friend. No desire for that.”

  Rin approached. Chak’s confident grin faltered. He gulped.

  Arn handed him a bag. “Best friend, come on. Let’s go. We’ve wasted too much time.”

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  Arn pushed his leg against Chak’s, tripping him.

  “Too slow,” Arn said, laughing and offering a hand.

  “Dick,” Chak muttered as Arn helped him up.

  “You love me. No hurry.”

  The group gathered their belongings and headed to the center of town. A large crowd waited. From the middle, two elders approached, a man and a woman who bore striking resemblance to Arn and Rin.

  The group raised their hands, forming a triangle shape in front of their foreheads. “Tumal Sinu,” they repeated.

  The elders responded with one hand raised. “Airu.”

  The woman and man kissed both Arn and Rin on the forehead.

  “My dear sons,” the older man said. “I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

  “We couldn’t be prouder,” Queen N’us added.

  “This journey will be remembered by the tribe, by the world, and by our people,” King L’os continued. “The endless pursuit and slaughter of our people is soon to end. A new age of cooperation and peace between the tribes of Gaia and the kingdom of Ashenveil will bring prosperity to the lands.”

  He walked among them, soldiers surrounding the group, townsfolk cheering.

  “You and your loyal companions will be the first of our kind to touch the land of Arelith in more than a hundred years.”

  Rin looked up at his father, sweat beading on his forehead, mouth stuttering.

  “I…” he whispered.

  The king didn’t hear, but N’us noticed.

  “What is it, son?”

  “I’m in the middle of something, N’us,” the king said.

  “And so am I now,” she replied. “Speak, child.”

  “I… I’m not sure this is a good idea, Father.”

  The king knelt, placing an arm around him. “What’s the matter, son?”

  “Nothing will happen to you. No one would dare touch you or anyone in your group.”

  “But… I saw the destruction of our land by a cloaked figure.”

  Arn looked at Rin, surprised. “Why didn’t you say something before?”

  “Because I wasn’t sure if the embers were showing me reality. But I’m afraid that if we leave, the tribe will be vulnerable and something will happen.”

  The king held him close. “Son, no one can enter our lands without sacred permission or invitation.”

  “But I saw it! I saw that everyone died!”

  “Son, it’s far too late to cancel the meeting now. All of Gaia will be present. The tribes, our brothers and sisters from across the land. It will bring shame and enemies if we don’t go. Why didn’t you speak sooner?”

  “I didn’t see the vision until yesterday, when I noticed the fireflies decaying. I think they were trying to tell me something.”

  N’us knelt. “My dear, we will have guardians on high alert. Every warrior will be ready. No one will get inside without us knowing. I promise you, we’ll be fine. And when you return, you’ll see that your visions were of hope, we’ll avoid tragedy because of them.”

  “But Mother…”

  “Shhh. You must learn to quiet your mind and trust others. If not, trust your mother.”

  She hugged him. Rin looked around at the villagers watching.

  “Yes, we’ll defend everyone,” one voice called.

  “Go on, we’ve got this!” another shouted.

  The warriors nodded.

  Rin looked at Arn. “Trust your brother too,” Arn said. “And us.”

  “Whatever happens, we’ll be here to solve it and fight through it together,” Mai added.

  “Yeah, what he said,” Chak chimed in.

  “Okay…” Rin said, still uncertain but trusting his brother more than anything. If Arn said things would be okay, then they would be. He never lied. He always protected him.

  “I guess if everyone is on high alert, it’ll be hard for intruders to break through the fey guard.” He cracked a small smile. “But if I get another vision, we must leave at once and return.”

  “Promise,” Arn said, shaking Rin’s hand and pulling him into a hug.

  As they departed, Rin looked back at everyone waving goodbye. His worries lingered, but the excitement of traveling with Arn and the group eased them. This was the first time in his sixteen years he had left the tribe’s sacred ground.

  He had only ever seen the land within the safety perimeter the elders established long ago. He never joined hunts or gathering parties. His weakness would slow them down, and he never cared to learn about edible plants, so he never read the manuscripts.

  “You okay?” Arn asked, slowing to walk beside him.

  “We’ll be fine. I promise. This will be quick. We’ll be there by midnight and back in two days.”

  “Right!” Mai called, stepping back. She grabbed a yellowish, curved fruit from a vine, peeled it open. Inside was clear and sweet-smelling. “Plus we’ll get to taste and see new things!”

  She offered Rin a piece. “I’ve heard they have these things called kakes. They fill them with all kinds of fruits. I CAN’T WAIT. I WANT A BABERRY KAKE, A MELAPPLE KAKE! what if they can even make them out of meat? A CHIKODILE KAKE!”

  She jumped and twirled while eating, stuffing her mouth until she nearly choked.

  “You sure about marrying her, man?” Chak asked, approaching.

  “She’s your sister,” Arn laughed.

  “Exactly. I’m trying to warn you.”

  They both laughed as Mai continued talking to herself, completely lost in her excitement.

  “Does she really not have a care in the world?” Rin asked.

  “Nope,” Arn and Chak said in unison.

  “Think about it,” Chak added. “Would you have a care in the world if you were almost untouchable and could destroy a small city with your gift?”

  “Anyway, let’s hurry,” Arn said. “We’re still half a day from the closest cave. If we’re going to make it on time, we’d better move. Plus this will be Rin’s first time using the caves. I can’t wait to see his face.”

  Arn gave Rin a playful tap and ran ahead, stealing a bite of Mai’s fruit. She got angry, went into Ignus mode, and threw the fruit at him.

  “WOAH, UNNECESSARY!” he yelled.

  “THERE’S OTHER FRUIT AROUND! WHY THE HELL DID YOU TAKE MINE?!” she screamed, jumping on him.

  “Welp, I better go separate them,” Chak said. “Don’t get too far. I’ll be back in a second.”

  Rin watched the three of them and cracked a smile. He had forgotten his worries for a moment.

  “Maybe things will be fine,” he whispered as the group picked up the pace.

  “Wait for me, guys!” Rin called.

  Arn slowed. “Come on, slowpoke. I’ll keep you company.”

  The traveling caves were a mystery even to the natives of Ashenveil. They only granted passage to those deemed worthy. To ordinary travelers, they appeared as normal caves. But for those loved by the sun, the caves functioned as traveling gates, connecting smaller caves across the country.

  This helped the tribes keep their lands hidden and mobile. The ability to return without knowing their exact location had kept them safe from government attacks for hundreds of years.

  The group approached the entrance. The surrounding rock molded into an arch. Leaves and vines intertwined to cover it. Water from a small river misted, creating a mirror-like veil over the opening.

  Rin stared, perplexed.

  “First time, right?” Chak asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Trust it. Don’t be afraid. It’ll feel like a tingly sensation. Once you feel that, you know you’ve made it to the other side.”

  “A tingly sensation?”

  “Yeah. Just walk through the mist. You’ll understand.”

  Arn looked back. “Come on, Rin. Don’t stay behind. Hold my hand, you don’t know where we’re going, so you need a guide. I got you, little bro.”

  “Right… coming.”

  Rin grabbed Arn’s hand. They stepped into the mist together. Feet first, then legs. The tingling came.

  “Cool, huh?” Arn said.

  “Yeah,” Rin replied.

  Their feet hit solid ground. The atmosphere changed completely. The land was barren, almost no water, no forest. More desert than anything.

  “This is where the capital city is located?” Rin asked.

  “Yup. Once a flowing land with trees, water, abundance of life and magic. Now… this.”

  “What happened?”

  “Who knows. The land just started dying.”

  Arn looked around. Chak and Mai stepped through.

  “That happened,” Mai said, pointing to a towering castle in the distance. Red smoke rose from its chimneys.

  “I hate this place,” she muttered. “Let’s hurry so we can get this over with and go back home.”

  She walked faster, face filled with disgust and anger.

  “Is she okay?” Rin asked.

  “Yeah,” Arn said. “The flames just communicate with her a lot. She tells me she hears them cry.”

  “I hear them scream and agonize,” Mai called back. “You make it sound pretty. They hate this place, and so should all of you.”

  “If it’s such a bad place, why are we trying to negotiate with them?” Rin asked.

  “Ask your father that,” Mai replied.

  “Tone it down, Mai,” Arn said. “This isn’t our fault. We’re just doing as we’re told. Don’t talk to him like that.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just… I don’t understand why we’re trying to make peace with them. They murdered so many of our people. If they wanted peace, they would’ve stopped the killing long ago.”

  “Mai, we’re following my father’s orders. He thinks this is for the better. He says it’s time to put aside our differences and build a world where our children can prosper. And this is the way.”

  Mai took a breath. “If there’s any children left.”

  She kept walking ahead. The group fell silent after that. The heaviness of the negotiations settled in. The next two hours passed quietly, with only brief stops to eat and drink. Their minds filled with questions about how they’d be treated and whether this was the right choice.

  “I think we should go back,” Rin said softly.

  “We’re too close,” Arn replied. “And Father would kill us if we turned back now. What’s the matter, Rin? Did you see something?”

  Arn looked at him. The city towered in the background, red smoke tinting the morning sky pink as it dispersed.

  Rin looked up at the castle. His vision blurred for a moment as he tried to use his gift, but nothing.

  “No,” he said. “I just… I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Chak laughed and got closer. “A bad feeling? We have two of the strongest warriors in the village, and your brother.”

  Arn turned. “Funny.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about.”

  Rin looked at Arn and Chak. “I… I had a vision just before we came. Someone broke the village’s barrier and killed Father.”

  His voice broke. His breathing grew unsteady.

  Arn got close and hugged him. “How did Father look? Did he look like he does now?”

  “No,” Rin said. “His hair had grown, and he was using his gift.”

  Arn looked surprised. “Father hasn’t used his gift since I woke mine. That shouldn’t be possible. Maybe it was just a nightmare? Not to mention he’s almost bald at this point.”

  Arn rustled Rin’s hair. “Exactly! Now stop worrying. We’ll take care of this quickly and hurry back. They’ll all be fine. I promise.”

  Rin looked at Arn. His eyes filled with love and trust. His whole life, Arn had been there to protect him, to snap him back from visions. He loved his older brother and trusted his word. If Arn said things would be okay, then they would be.

  “Right,” Rin said, smiling.

  He looked up and saw Mai eating another berry, smiling back at them.

  “That’s how I know you’ll be a good father to our children someday,” she said as she looked back at him and smiled.

  Rin looked at Arn as his face lit up. Normally his brother’s body was hard and centered, but those words shook him. He put so much pressure on Rin they almost fell.

  “Brother… Brother… we’re falling,” Rin said.

  Arn blinked. “Did she just say…”

  Chak approached, offering arms to help them up. “Yes, she did. I guess we’re officially family.”

  He hugged Arn. “Only took sixteen years.”

  Chak laughed as Mai walked faster. She wasn’t the type to say things like that, but today she knew those words would bring some happiness before they reached the city.

  The group moved on, picking up the pace.

  “Wait for me, guys!” Rin called.

  Arn slowed. “Come on, slowpoke. I’ll keep you company.”