[11/08/2021 Update: Chapter Edited to include more information]
Two men were leading a long narrow boat towards the foothills of a mountainous valley. The boat swam languidly in the placid waters of Lake Loktak. Although named a lake, it wasn't a lake at all but rather a lagoon, a stray piece of the ocean that came too far inland and over the centuries was cut off from the ocean by a narrow marshy barrier. It was the only piece of topography that stood between the vast Sea of Kalinga and the small coastal town of Maiyang.
One end of the boat dipped lower than the other. When it reached the shore, the first rays of the sun had started to wash over the gently rolling hills. Daylight was blooming across the inky blue sky. Colors of orange, violet, and yellow filled the eyes wherever they looked. The cool morning breeze nipped the skin just enough to cover it in gooseflesh.
