Six Years Before, Gay Ever After

Chapter 8

Back to reality *
******************************************************
Raya rummaged through every corner she could find for any jade hidden in there. She took a small pouch as her purse and dumped whatever notes and jade coins inside, and Tuk tuk was still napping on her bed, with a little bowl of water beside him.

"Okay so we are done with 2 rivers...," Raya mumbled to herself while she took a pencil from her table and crossed out the two rivers they visited. She then went for a quick shower, and looked around in the kitchen for food. The fruits in the fridge were still there, and they were starting to overripe. Walking out to the balcony, she stared at the blooming frangipani and lotuses outside, wishing she was sitting beside her father enjoying tomyum soup, talking about the other lands, dragons...

She snapped out of her thoughts, then swiftly grabbed the items she needed. Back in her room, she finished packing and rolled Tuk tuk awake, and they set off for the other 5 rivers in Heart. The blistering sun shone down on Raya, making her sweat as she pedalled as fast as she could to the river up north, with Tuk tuk in the front basket leaning against the map for Raya to see.

"5 more rivers to go. 5 more rivers to go. 5 more rivers to go...," Raya panted as she cycled past big banyan trees and throwing sparks of dew from the grass. Tuk tuk noticed how worried his owner was, there was no doubt that Raya was not going to slow down on finding the missing dragon to get back her father.
******************************************************
Fang~

"Mother?"

Chief Virana turned around to see her daughter standing at her room doorway, looking at her toes and lifting her head a little to meet her eyes.

"Yes, my morning mist?"

Namaari spoke as calm as possible, not wanting to spark anger in her mother, "Is it... possible, to go to Heart so I can... uh... meet Raya again...?"

Her mother raised a brow as she thought of an answer.

"That place is dangerous now, Namaari. The Druun came from there, Raya... I don't think its wise to look for her, her father—" Virana frowned —"... should be with her, she should be safe."

"But... what if she... isn't?"

"Namaari it doesn't matter, even if they got a gem piece to protect themselves, so they are a good as stone when you try to find them!" Virana spat, glaring at her daughter. Doesn't she understand that Heart is our enemy? She thought.

Namaari squeezed her eyes shut, trying to control her anger to shout at her mother for not caring about the people of other lands too. Instead, she just nodded and headed back to her room.

Back in her room, she closed her book on the studying of other lands and went to sit on her bed and gazed longingly outside. The sun was setting and streaks of sunlight set in the sky. Namaari thought of Raya sitting beside her down looking at the sunset, sharing secrets with her, training with her.

Raya and her father are as good as stone out there... these words rang in her mind again and again.

Then she remembered, she doesn't have her scroll.

And her Sisu necklace.

Both are with Raya... she thought, that thought made her feel a little happier. She gently stroked the black fur of her baby serlot, who climbed onto her bed to accompany her.

"Do you think we should find her, Naiara? You didn't see her before, but I'm sure you'll definitely like her," Namaari whispered gently to her pet, still staring at the sunset, hoping hr mother would say yes for once to leave the palace.

An idea struck Namaari.

"Oh FUCK why didn't I think of saying THAT before?!" Namaari smacked her own head and jolted up from the bed, scaring the lights out of her pet that was halfway dozing off. She ran to her table and starting scribbling furiously on a piece of paper.

And there she was planning her escape to find Raya.
******************************************************
~Heart~

"Honestly, if the gem was in Heart, how far can Sisu go? To what, Tail?!" Raya huffed. They have finally searched another 3 rivers, still the same thing. No Sisu. The whole search has lasted about 3 weeks, and Raya is pretty much of an expert in controlling her hunger, but she really longed to eat a stick of satay or some meat. Tuk tuk though, only had enough strength to roll for a minute or so, he would then unroll and pant heavily, while at some point Raya would get down her bike, walk back to where Tuk tuk stopped and pick up the poor tired fur bug and put it at the front basket of her bike and continue pedalling.

At times Raya would glance at the pendant Namaari give her, admiring the blue hues of sunlight from its reflection. But those memories of spending time with her would turn into the hatred scene when Namaari kicked her down.

Sometimes she also would stare at her father's sword sadly, wishing everything was back to what they were before. She unsheathed the sword and stroked the shined metal that extended into a grappling hook, and for many other purposes. Raya still couldn't get how to extend the sword though, the sword was quite big for her, about three quarters of her height.

Raya opened the map again, taking out her charcoal pencil and crossed out the other rivers they have searched. "Look, we're almost done with Heart," she said to Tuk tuk as she closed the map and stood up. It was at night again, the sky was filled with only one or two sparkling stars, with the thin crescent moon reflecting light from the river the duo were sitting next to. There weren't many Druun roaming at the place Raya was now, but that didn't mean Raya was wary of her surroundings, holding the gem piece close to her.

"2 more rivers to go, and then we have to head for Fang—" she sighed and stared at the burning logs that was giving them light and warmth— "goodnight Tuk tuk." She patted Tuk tuk's rolled up shell, and wrapped her self in a blanket. Making sure the gem piece was in between them, she finally went to sleep.