"Do you think it's really going to be made of gold?"

"I don't know."

Silence.

"How big do you think it'll be?"

"I don't know."

Silence.

"Hm…it will probably hurt like hell, though. I mean, it's worse than constipation, right?"

The vein above Soral's right eye pulsed as he leaned against his spear. His knuckles were white from his deadly grip, but his gaze remained set on the dirt road. "I don't know, Nokiel."

"Well then, what do you know?" The vexed half god grumbled as he sunk his heels into the moist soil. They'd been out here on the hills for a couple of days now, standing sentry, and suffice it to say, the Ellos clan's boyish-faced warrior was bored out of his mind.

He tsked and rolled his eyes to the sky, disappointed that there wasn't even a beautiful cloud to gaze at. Everything today was boring and uninteresting. Boring as boring can be. For lack of anything better to do, the young warrior had spent a long time digging a hole with the toe of his boot.

"I know that if you don't stop talking…" Minow growled low in his throat, his tone lethal like the venom of a viper. The leather straps around his arms bunched as he flexed his muscles, his gaze directed to the chatty member of their scouting trio. "… I'll personally help 'mopey' here choke you with your own entrails."

Hearing the threat, Nokiel scrunched his brows into a deep furrow as he looked at the tall warrior from the visiting clan. He drew himself to his full height, his mouth formed into a fine line. While being much shorter than the Aldor clansmen, he was not to be trifled with. In combat, he could very well hold his own and prove to be a victor even against the most seasoned of men. With his chin thrust outwards and arms across his chest, he glowered at the foreign warrior, incensed. "Oh yeah?"

Minow replied flatly, not even bothering to look at the shorter man. "Yeah."

A cool breeze swept through the hills, fanning the hairs framing their exhausted faces and providing welcome relief to their sweaty brows. Nonetheless, the tiny token Mother Nature sent them amid the sweltering late-summer heat was not fully appreciated as Nokiel stomped over to his cousin and close friend, intending to harrow their tall companion with sheer numbers if necessary.

"You hear how he's talking to me, Soral?" Nokiel turned to face the raven-haired fighter, only to have his confidence shaken when he saw the glare fired at him. "Hey…Sue…"

"Nok," The dark-haired warrior grumbled and rubbed his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. His shoulders bunched, exasperated to the breaking point. Honestly, his younger cousin needed to learn how to read a situation better. "For the love of all mankind, can you please just shut up for a few minutes? You've been running your mouth all damn morning!"

"Well, what else can we do here?" Nokiel lowered his gaze and mumbled back, hurt. The loose tendrils of hair sagged as he stared at the stomped Earth under his feet.

It wasn't like he was doing it on purpose. They'd been hurriedly preparing for the arrival of Jaelan and Wylen after the Aldor clan joined them two weeks ago. Almost every member of the tribe had contributed to constructing the large pavilion in the village center. Women constantly ran back and forth from its interior with various assortments of herbs, roots, cloths, and bedding. Everybody was in a rush to help ensure everything was in order before the prophesized arrival.

Two days after the Aldor clan's arrival, their clansmen discovered that Jaelan was carrying a golden egg inside him, fathered by the warrior Wylen, the Aldor Chieftain's son. Stories about the child of prophecy were told around every campfire. Older men and women alike enthusiastically spread the news by word of mouth about the future King. The one who would unite all clans and transform what was once a divided group of factions into a prosperous and thriving empire.

However, for all of this to occur, the egg implantation inside Priestess Sensisari was vital. Everything would be lost if they made one slight miscalculation, including their childhood friend and brother Jaelan.

Priestess Sensisari's temple had sent many of their young priestesses to them in preparation for the bringer of prophecy. The girls in violet silks could be seen scampering around the village, at least two of them constantly bowing their heads in front of a pillar of fire, their long hair hanging loose around them as they prayed to the gods and their ancestors for guidance and sight. The older women from the temple, on the other hand, hovered and buzzed around the azure-eyed Priestess, preparing her for the egg's delivery.

The young Priestess was held in a trance for days on end. Simultaneously, the Great Priestess performed rituals and prayer circles to sanctify her body, ensuring Lady Sensisari's purity and innocence remained intact and as strong as ever. Nokiel had peeked into the tent more than once, only to shirk away when he found the rites stomach-churning.

But he understood how critical it was to have everything prepared ahead of time. Only those who were innocent and pure of heart would be allowed to enter the tent, which had been made sacred by the temple's women before Jaelan arrived and the egg delivery began. As one of the few selected to enter the tent on the day of the delivery, Nokiel was warned about the various obstacles that could arise during the egg collection.

When Priestess Sensisari returned to their village, she immediately summoned him and Soral from the crowd of onlookers. They were chosen to be present inside the tent when the egg was delivered alongside the Aldor clan's Minow. Jaelan's sisters, along with the Chieftain's wives, had protested, insisting on being included as participants as well. They were, however, all denied entry. In order to enter the tent, one had to be untainted and pure. Naive to the pleasures that the Earthly body could offer.

All those not selected to stand inside the tent were forced to remain outside and form circles around the erected pavilion, hands joined, and eyes closed, praying to their ancestors for the safe delivery of the bringer of nations. The fire pillars would be lit, and everyone would wait with bated breath as the ceremony commenced.

After that day, the three of them were clumped together, listening to everything Priestess Sensisari had to say regarding their duties in the delivery. They were shocked when the young woman revealed that she would lose her heavenly sight once the egg was implanted inside her. As a result, she wished to instill in them the knowledge they would need to assist Jaelan and Wylen in rearing the heavenly prince. Unfortunately, she would be unable to offer any words of assistance after. Her life would fade with the coming night when she gave birth to the bringer of prophecy.

Nokiel had been terrified when he heard it. He had stood there mutely staring at the Priestess, unable to utter a single word. He couldn't believe how calm the young Priestess, who was barely older than him, was when she delivered the alarming news. He wasn't sure he had the courage and determination to go ahead with something like this. Despite these challenges, she was able to give her life to bring this child into the world.

The whole thing made him shiver internally.

"We do what we're told," Minow replied gruffly.

The Aldor warrior turned his head to face the grassy plains, his eyes trained to detect even the slightest movement. Sweat had already soaked his tunic, and his feet felt like they were burning inside his leather boots. Even so, he stood stoically, checking the perimeter. "As soon as we see them approaching, the quickest of us three will take off at a run to alert the village of their arrival. They're late as it is…"

"Mhm," Soral nodded and rubbed the back of his hand with his chin. He couldn't hide the worry on his face. He hadn't seen his cousin in two months. They'd never been apart for more than a few days.

It had been hard without him.

He and Nokiel were simply not enough.

He couldn't stop thinking about Jaelan, wondering if he'd found the jade moon trapped in five shadows. Then, as a result of this unexpected development, his worry for his cousin grew tenfold. He only hoped and prayed that everything would be well and that they could all go back to the way things were before the blue-eyed Priestess turned up in their midst. "That old hag said they were supposed to arrive two days ago."

"You think something bad might have happened?" Nokiel spoke without thought. His words rushed past his lips before he could even try to filter them.

Two vicious pairs of eyes turned sharply in his direction.

"YAH!" They roared in unison, hating to hear their fears voiced so carelessly. They had already conjured up a slew of horrific scenarios in their minds. Neither warrior needed Nokiel's thoughts to add to their own alarming ones.

"Nokiel, for the love of the gods!"

"Idiot! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What I say?" Nokiel winced and took a step back, feeling their outrage as piercing as the blade of a finely sharpened sword. "Geez, sorry!"