Underneath The Moonlit Night

Chapter 1 - Moonlit Serenade and Wilderness Trials

After a day of relentless riding, Qing Yi's frustration from his argument with his mother still festered in his mind. His horse trudged through the desert, the hot sun beating down on him as the lush rainforest of Khufu faded from view, giving way to an expansive, arid landscape. His companion, the ever-loyal Wyntir, his niece's tiger, padded along beside him, her large paws sinking into the sand. The desert stretched endlessly before them, and Qing Yi realized how far they had traveled from the rainforests of Khufu.

They hadn't intended to go this far. Qing Yi had needed to get away, his mind a turbulent mix of emotions and worries about his tribe's future. He'd left in a haze of impulsive determination, and now, after a full day of riding, he found himself farther north than he ever expected to be.

Just as exhaustion began to overtake both rider and mount, a shimmer on the horizon caught Qing Yi's eye. An oasis materialized before them, a welcome respite from the unforgiving desert. Qing Yi pulled on the reins and motioned for Wyntir to follow. The tiger's ears perked up as they neared the water, her muscles relaxing at the sight of relief. Qing Yi dismounted and knelt by the water, allowing his horse to drink. Wyntir padded up beside him, her sapphire eyes catching the last light of the setting sun, before lowering her head to drink deeply from the cool, refreshing water.

Qing Yi stroked Wyntir's head gently. "Thanks for sticking with me, Wyntir," he murmured, a tired smile creeping onto his face. "I didn't plan on dragging you along on this unexpected trip."

The tiger rumbled low in her throat, pressing her head against his chest in a show of affection. She didn't mind.

Qing Yi chuckled softly, glancing out at the desert that rolled on endlessly to the north. His gaze fell upon a faint path, worn and faded over time, barely visible through the desert sands. "A road?" he muttered to himself, squinting at it. It looked like an old trail, perhaps once used by travelers or merchants making their way between the southern oases and the northern regions. But now it seemed abandoned, almost forgotten.

Curiosity sparked within him. He stood, turning to Wyntir and his horse. "What do you think?" he asked aloud, more to himself than to them. "Where do you think it leads?"

The tiger tilted her head as if considering the question, while his horse flicked its tail lazily. Qing Yi sighed and looked down the faint path, the sun sinking lower into the horizon. He could turn back to the oasis, but something tugged at him to move forward, to see where this trail might lead. His frustrations with his mother hadn't yet settled, and the thought of returning was far from appealing.

The next morning, after a night of restless sleep, Qing Yi mounted his horse once more. With Wyntir beside him, he decided to follow the path, the curiosity gnawing at him. As the day wore on, they pressed further into the unknown, the desert giving way to sparse greenery. Hours turned into another full day of travel, and Qing Yi began to doubt whether the path would lead anywhere at all. The trail was nearly gone by now, and the landscape around him had changed little.

His limbs ached, and exhaustion had set in by the time the sky darkened again. "This is getting us nowhere," he muttered, glancing over at Wyntir, who was panting softly from the day's travel.

His horse, too, had slowed, its head dipping with fatigue. He let out a deep breath, realizing that heading back to the oasis now would take too long. "We'll just keep going a little longer," he said, more to reassure himself than the animals. "Maybe we'll find somewhere to rest."

The night passed slowly as they continued onward, the darkness deepening around them. It wasn't until the early hours of morning, as the first light of dawn began to creep across the sky, that Qing Yi noticed a change in the air. The sandy terrain shifted underfoot, replaced by the soft rustling of leaves. Greenery started to emerge, and in the distance, the outline of a forest loomed.