Nayou stirred on the bed but could not sleep. Perhaps it was because the moonbeams from Mayari seeped through the porthole in his cabin, illuminating it with a reddish hue, sending vivid memories of his first hunt with Tala alive.
...
"Hurry up, Tala. You are slow as a turtle." A boy around thirteen, whose skin color was like bronze, shouted impatiently from the yard.
"What did I often tell you, Nayou? Here in Norden, she is our Princess Tala, and you should address her as such." A gentle voice was heard from one of the houses made of stones, lime, word, and thatch roof. It was Mona, the wife of Lakan Lando, reprimanding Nayou. Her firstborn was almost a grown man.
Mona went inside Princess Tala's room and helped her pack some clothing. She placed the items in a cloth bag with straps to conveniently carry them on her back.
To escape from the clutches of the new King of Astralis, Lakan Lando and the few guards who survived the royal family massacre were on the run for a long while. After they rescued their wives and family from Andros, the capital of Astralis, they decided to travel north and settle on the uninhabited island of Norden in the northern part of Astralis.
The conditions in Norden were really harsh. It was very hot in the summer and overly cold in the winter, and strong storms battered the island during the rainy season. It was the only place in Astralis that had snow during the two-month winter season. Because of the harsh environment, no one dared live there.
Inside her room, Princess Tala released a deep sigh. It was getting more and more difficult to dress as a boy. Her body developed early, and the bump on her chest was already noticeable. She needed to hide her breasts. She tightened the string of a swaddling cloth across her chest and secured it with a knot that her Tata Lando taught her. She wore a loose upper garment made from animal hide with a round neck and sleeves that reached her wrist. Instead of a skirt, she wore a trouser that reached up to her knees. On her two feet were a pair of boots made from crocodile skin.
She wanted to protect her legs from scratches when she, together with Nayou and his four younger siblings, scoured the forest for food and firewood, so she came up with a design of shoes that would be appropriate. She drew the design on the ground and showed it to her Nana Mona. Her Tata Lando had a lot of crocodile skin and after two weeks, Princess Tala has a beautiful looking boots that could protect her legs up to her knees.
She hurriedly gathered the front and sides of her waist-length hair to the top of her head and tied it with a strip of black cloth. The rest, she just let cascade like a waterfall. That's how her Tata Lando does his hair, and she loved it. She went out of the door and grinned at Nayou.
The sun has started its ascent in the east. The group of fourteen took the shortcut to the mangroves, where their boat was hidden.
"It is high tide today, so we will not have a hard time with our travels. The current will not be against us." Lakan Lando said as he started steering the boat out of the mangrove area into the bay and to the river.
"We will reach Mount Batan before noon," he said with a determined look.
They needed more animal hides to sell or barter them with swords and metals the next time they traveled to TerraCosta, a week's sail from Norden.
'This is the first time I will bring the children to a dangerous place.' A worried look passed over Lando's face. Mount Batan was an unchartered territory for them. 'But it will be a test of intellect and strength for them. They needed to go through this before we can take back Astralis.'
"Be very careful as there are a lot of dangers lurking in the mountain. Don't be greedy. Just hunt for what you need." Lakan Lando reminded the two kids.
Lando's group started their journey to the mountain when the sun had traversed a quarter of the sky. They arrived before noon.
"Lakan Lando, the trees here are huge, and I cannot recognize many." Tala exclaimed.
"Little girl, this is a mountain. Of course, the trees would be bigger." He paused before continuing.
"Be observant. There are many poisonous snakes as well as boa constrictors around." Lakan Lando continued its reminders.
Lakan Lando had hunted a few times in the mountain. He led them to a cave beside a stream. The cave entrance was small, but the inside was big enough to accommodate twenty people.
One of the ten pharis that went with them lighted a torch while the others carried bark and branches they had gathered earlier.
"This is the safest place to camp. You can go around the area later, but don't go too far, as it gets late. We stay the night here, and tomorrow morning, you can hunt further," he said as he lighted the dried leaves that were placed beneath the firewood. The wood started burning slowly, casting shadows on the walls and ceiling of the cave, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Early the following morning, while everyone was still sleeping, Tala woke up to wash her body in the stream. The water was warm, and she felt refreshed. She did not dare remove her clothes; she just rolled her sleeves and her pants up.
They set out to hunt after a quick breakfast of broiled fish, boiled eggs, and sweet potato. They split into two groups. Lakan Lando was with his son, Nayou and Princess Tala.
Tala's first kill was a white rabbit. She used her bow and arrow and hit it in the back when it was fleeing away after being startled.
Tala and Nayou have their bows and arrows, a sword, two daggers strapped to their thighs, and a coil of rope.
"You need to look out for tamaraws. Remember, we need to capture them alive. Do not use your mana to hurt the animals. The use of the 'force' is forbidden in this mountain." Lakan Lando reminded them.
"Tata Lando, why is it forbidden?" Tala asked.
"Manipulating energy will cause imbalance and harm the animals in this mountain. We can only use traditional means to hunt. Besides, you also need to train physically as you cannot always rely on your ability as a phari and a hara." He imparted this important knowledge to his son and the princess.
Tala nodded in understanding.
Soon, Tala saw a deer, but it ran away when it was startled by something. She stealthily followed it until it stopped in a stream to drink. She reached out for her arrow and aimed it at the neck of the deer. She had just released her arrow when she heard a growling sound behind her.
She pulled her sword and turned around, only to be attacked by a wild boar. She fell on her back. The raging boar, whose two front legs were in the air, was about to pounce.
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hara - female counterpart of phari