The evening sky was inviting a shade of orange into the blue. It was perhaps four or five o'clock. Who knew?

Lana sat by herself on a spacious flat rock opposite the small waterfall, watching the misty waters pour like a torrent into the pool beneath it. Her bow and arrows were set beside her, unused since she had left her hut. The ripples on the water's surface provided a calming effect she had never noticed before. The fish were large, circling the pond's boundaries.

They could go nowhere. But they were well-fed from their source of food that came from the waterfall, raining down in abundance for them. There were plenty of worms and other sort of insects for them. The more Lana thought about it, the more she thought that they were just like the Brymlightians: trapped; confined to an area where escape was impossible. The only way of survival was within the circle they were allowed to dwell...

Lana wondered what it felt like to possess no worries, armed with nothing but faith that provision would be taken care of from above. Would some form of salvation eventually appear before them? She sighed. She didn't know why she came here. It had been a long time since her last visit --

The sound of rustling leaves made her turn around. Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes met those of Nikolai's. There was a short moment where they stared at one another, neither moving a muscle. Then, Lana broke the connection and returned her gaze to the waterfall. She had noticed that he had arrived without his machete. Letting out a quiet sigh, she couldn't help but feel annoyed at his recklessness.

Nikolai approached her and sat on the same flat rock with her equipment lying in between them. They sat in silence as they stared at the waterfall. Both of them knew that they each had something to say to the other, but they didn't know if they should.

After some time, Nikolai was the one who decided to speak first. "You remember the time when we first met?" he asked calmly.

Lana didn't reply. It was a silly question. How could she possibly forget the most important event that took place in her life?

*

An eight year old Lana, small and vulnerable, rushed to the edge of the huge pond, curiously pointing at the fish which had come bask in the warm surface of the water. Her parents were present and had warned her not to go into the water because none of them knew how to swim.

No one had noticed something churning among the school of fish. As Lana turned her attention to a young dandelion flower that was growing through the cracks of a rock, the creature lashed out through the pond's surface. It wrapped itself around her ankle and immediately dragged her into the water, pulling her under.

Wild with shock and panic, her parents dashed to the edge of the pond, yelling out her name as they grabbed desperately at the water.

She couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. And when she tried to, pain pierced her lungs like a thousand bee stings. It had been a confusing and frightening moment. Her eyes caught sight of the shimmering and distorted images of her parents. What were they saying? She tried to call out for help but she couldn't reach them.

A sudden splash.

The image of her parents rippled and was no longer visible. At the same time, a silhouette appeared in the water, swimming quickly towards her. It stretched out its arm and grabbed at her tunic. She didn't know what was happening but she felt her face break through the water's surface where she gulped down mouthfuls of air.

Someone, a man she hadn't recognized then, hoisted her up by the armpits and pulled her away from the edge of the pond.

Little Lana watched as the water thrashed about. A glimmer of metal slashed downwards into the water while a rubbery body of a snake writhed. Thick black blood spilled like ink into the water. A violent struggle took place before the waters finally slowed into a calm.

The head of young boy broke out of the water, slowly making his way to the pond's edge. He clambered out onto the flat rocks, dragging with him a long and large sand-coloured snake with yellow stripes in one hand and a dagger in his other hand.

Lana's parents were holding on to her so tightly that she struggled to breathe. She was overcome by surprise and amazement. Through her wet eyes, she watched as the boy rested on his hands and knees, panting with exhaustion. He scowled at her as though accusing her for his being tired.

The man who had helped her out of the water went over to inspect his son, patting him on the shoulder for the good job he had done. But the boy's eyes were trained onto Lana's. Without thinking, she extended her hand towards him. The boy blinked in surprise. A moment's stare. He studied her. Then, he extended his own.