Jei examined herself through the reflection in the water. The mark on her chest, just above her heart, had painted itself overnight when she was young. It hurt, burned, and she felt the pain of the many Unda gärds before her. The tattoo resembled the flower growing from the ground flooded in water, the water lily. She traced the outline with her finger.

   "Sister," Juniel called.

   Jei pulled on her robe, concealing the insignia.

   "Yes, Juniel," she returned.

   "When you leave to make a home by the Lighting Tree, will you at least try to send me a letter?"

   Jei laughed and nodded. "I will try my best to send you my love."

   Juniel had long ago accepted her fate as an orphan and had said her farewells to her sister many times in her head. However, the tears couldn't be held back no matter how many practices she's had.

   "You will see me here," Jei brushed her thumb over Juniel's eyelid. "Just as you've started to see everything."

   "You knew?"

   "I've always known."

   The two sisters lamented together in a peaceful exchange. The two brothers on the other hand were not so calm.

   Wing had returned home, not exactly sulking or festering with anger. He was silent, seething with rage. His intent to kill the tree could be felt even beyond the doors of his hut.

   "May I enter?" Zhen asked. 

   "No."

   "Will you really not spend my last days with me?"

   "No."

   Zhen sighed and left.

   The entire day, he spent at the Anima Palace, packing with his gärds, each carrying a sack. They held essentials of clothing, cookware, and personal effects.

   Cini had a sword and shield that he placed with his pack. Pola added a tailored cloth tent for when they needed rest while Jei took with her a blueprint of a boat if ever a sea blocked their way. Zhen packed along his sword too, and empty bags to fill with hunted meat and foraged edibles along the way. These were the things advised by the elders to bring.

   Usually, another would carry said additional things, but Wing was never intended to leave for the Lighting Tree for he was only ten and with little experience in hunting in the darkness.

   As per the advice of Jei, the elders of the Giant Tree would keep Wing from going no matter what.

   It was also in their plans they made this day.

   "You will have to continue explaining the situation, Juniel," Jei instructed her sister, who trailed behind her.

   "Yes, sister."

   "And we will hold the ceremony for your appointment as the next Priestess-"

   "That's unnecessary. I have also foreseen the next true Priestess."

   Jei stopped walking.

   "But it is in your blood already. How can it belong to someone else?"

   Juniel shook her head, "You need not worry, sister. I am meant for greater things."

   "What is greater than leading our people?"

   "I do not know for certain yet, but I know that I am not the one to inherit the title. In two days time, you will see."

   Juniel only smiled at her sister.

   "Jei," Pola called out, interrupting the sisters. "Have you..."

   The Princess's eyes gestured toward Juniel.

   "We have said our goodbyes."

   Pola wavered. "How do I say goodbye to my children?"

   "Prince Sun is already quite informed," Juniel told her. "However, it is to Princess Nou you must carefully explain. But do not fret. She will come to understand."

   "I see, you have inherited the sights like your sister. I shall follow your advice then."

   Pola headed to her children. Sun, indeed, accepted the fate of losing a mother very quickly. Nou on the other cried her heart out, refusing dinner that night. Pola never saw Nou understand, but she fiercely believed in the vision Juniel had told her.

   Cini only had Lord Tigran to say goodbye to and that was no difficult task.

   "She will take on your work," Lord Tigran presented a blind young girl. "Say hi, Tip."

   Tip shyly nodded.

   "She is young."

   "Indeed, only eleven. But Juniel has frequently visited her these past seasons. I suspect she has heard something from her sister."

   "Or inherited the sights," Cini offered his theory.

   "Yes... possibly!"

   "She is young," Cini repeated.

   "As were you and Zhen!"

   "A year older we were."

   "In a year's time, she will be as strong a warrior as you were."

   "As I was..."

   "Rejoice," Lord Tigran clasped a hand on his shoulder, "for you are securing the lives of the young with this sacrifice."

   Cini hesitated to agree despite knowing that it was a great cause.

   "I cannot help but mourn my brother in arms even before we part. And I cannot help but be bitter for he may never taste the fruit of his love."

   Lord Tigran agreed wholeheartedly. "Yet, the fruit of his love has long been prepared to never have her heart be filled."

   They both wore deep frowns.

   "Juniel says, that one day, their love shall bear fruit that will taste ever so sweet, and we shall all find it a treat," Tip muttered.

   "Juniel,  you say," Cini pondered aloud. "Maybe, I'll visit her tomorrow."

## Today of All Days

   Today of all the days was not the best day to throw a tantrum. Wing shot to his feet and dashed out of his room even before the first light of day touched the tips of the Giant Tree.

   "Juniel!" Someone whispered through thin walls.

   Jei momentarily arose from her slumber and tapped on her sister whom she shared a bed with.

   "Someone is calling you."

   Juniel was staring at the window already as if she had known that someone would come looking for her that night. She wrapped a coat of fur around her shoulders and crawled out the window like a thief in the night.

   "So, you really did come," she said to the young boy.

   "What do you mean?"

   "Nothing... It would be better to go to the City of Fire first before heading to the Palace."

   Wing raised a brow. How had she known he was planning to ambush Zhen at the Palace.

   "What will we do in the City?"

   "We will call upon a girl I met. There, she will challenge you to a fight. And you shall fight her."

   "Why?"

   "Because you will want to."

   Juniel and Wing headed towards the City on a boat already tethered and prepared to be rowed.

   As they entered the City, the lights flickered, lighting a girl buried in the shadow of the tall mangrove structures of the city. She looked half asleep, her hair tied in a mess, and her obi was slightly too loose.

   "Welcome," she said groggily. "I woke up early like you said."

   "Yes, thank you," Juniel said.

   "You told her we would be coming? When?"

   "Many nights ago, I was told. And she also said we would fight. So, I prepared by weapon with the help of His Honor."

   "You told Lord Tigran?"

   "That I will be challenging someone in the future. Like you warned me, I did not tell a soul of your sight... until right now."

   Tip blushed realizing her faux pas.

   Wing could not follow their conversation, but agreed to the duel nevertheless.

   "We shall fight at the arena. It will be empty today, just as was foreseen. Lord Tigran has asked that all competitions seize during the seven days."

   "Good. Lead the way," Juniel said and pulled Wing along.

   The road to the arena was twisted, but nicely paved. The City was built by the Ignis people with the help of Solum. They were the most futuristic of all the different areas of the Giant Tree. The most stylish was the Palace and the most innovative were the huts carved into the tree. connected by semi-floating bridges. The simplest were the huts of the floating city.

   "I've never been here before."

   Wing brushed past the two girls and gawked at the vastness of the arena dug through the ground and surrounded by layers of seating arrangements. No one was there, but he could understand how surreal it was.

   "You hold competitions here?"

   "It is a place where we determine our ranking."

   "The elders determine our rank by the hunt," Wing told them.

   "The Unda do not engage in fighting, only when we must."

   "That's true. I've never seen Jei fight before."

   Tip didn't know who Jei was, but didn't ask. Instead, she took a fighting stance and beckoned Wing to come at her.

   Immediately, the two began to exchange blows. It was like what she had seen in her sleep.

   The two drew on their magic, releasing fire and earth towards each other, dirtying the arena, and their clothes, and marring their skins until only ash filled the air.

   Juniel covered her nose after retreating to a faraway seat. 

   As the day arrived, light shining and the darkness receding, both Tip and Wing continued to relentlessly attack one another.

   Tip landed a punch right at Wing's jaw, throwing him off his feet and knocking the wind off him. His eyes glowed for a moment as he caught himself just before landing on the ground. It should've hurt him, but the wind caught his fall.

   "A mix?" Tip said, tensing even more. "Then, I shall hold back no more."

   "You were holding back!" Wing exclaimed.

   Without ceremony, Tip began to rain down a series of fireballs at Wing, followed by fire punches and using her walking staff as an extension of her reach. The barrage of attack left no space for Wing to retaliate, only to defend.  It was no way to fight.

   Wing tried to cast shield after shield using his wind, but they were instantly broken by the mild attacks of Tip's staff.

   Desperate to get even one attack in, Wing threw in his best earth attack while simultaneously throwing his whole body for a forced attack. However, Tip found her own type of wind magic using her weapon to catapult her upwards to dodge his attack at the last minute.

   She had to take a deep breath while Wing wheezed to catch his.

   "I'm supposed to be strong," Wing said between breaths.

   "So am I," Tip informed him.

   "You both are," Juniel agreed. "However, your strengths depend on your experiences. Tip has been battling in this arena since she was eight. On the other hand, Wing, you've been sheltered by brother-in-law all this time. How do you think you'll ambush the Palace when you can hardly fight one of its warriors?"

   "I'll think of some way!" Wing said, storming away.

   "Thank you for playing along," Juniel walked beside Tip.

   "I have owed you all my life. This is but a ripple in that debt."

   "I didn't save your life to hold it against you."

   "Still, I wish to repay you."

   They were silent for some time until Tip dared to ask.

   "Will you assist him in his attempt to break this tradition?"

   Juniel nodded. "I will attempt to teach him what I saw in our future."   

   From afar, Cini watched the three, wondering if they'd succeed on the last day. He hoped they would, but he knew better.