A golden snake hissed and slithered from the river as the capsules sank. Once the snake reached dry land, it slowly transformed to the blond Tala with golden yellow scales covering her private parts and some areas of her arms, legs and torso as she walked. A cloth was laid on the side and she walked towards it, sat and eventually stretched her body to lie down. As she breathed, wisps of light came from nowhere and started to enter her body, something which she noticed and did not reject.
Eder walked past her and into the river, he let his body soak until the tip of his hair and disappeared underwater. Latini arrived after and did the same thing. Remembering something, she came up and beckoned at Tala. Tala swiftly rolled the spread blanket and walked towards the river.
"Sasha is still sleeping. Accompany her, I'll be back shortly." She said and disappeared into the river again.
'It's still early anyway, I'm sure she'll be sleeping like a log again. Take your time, you'll be busy tonight.' she thought and did not speak anymore.
But she's definitely sure, her mother heard her. She picked up the rolled blanket and walked back home.
Sasha is having a good dream. She was riding a big black cat and they travelled around. She saw thin trees uprooting themselves and moving towards a river to settle down while some looked lazy and did not move at all. Some root crops pulled themselves from someone's garden and started running around. She got off the black cat and tried to chase the root crops in glee. When the plants saw her, they shrieked in horror and ran in all directions. Exhausted, she called on the black cat to lift her up but nobody came. When she turned to check, the massive head of a golden snake is hovering above her.
'Waaaaa!'
'Thud!'
Tala felt her body flew from Sasha's bed to the wall. Her fall looks bad as she scraped some skin off her arms. However, the parts that got scraped instantly had golden scales seemed to appear on them for awhile before they disappeared and the scraped arm is only reddened now. She raised her other hand to massage the reddened arm but she never left her gaze on Sasha.
Sasha is now sitting on her bed. The blanket that once covered her tiny body has flung somewhere on the floor and her chest rose up and down to catch her breath.
'What a dream!' she thought and moved her gaze around. She saw Tala sprawled on the floor and gasped.
"Mani!" She sprang from her bed and hastily helped Tala on her feet. She sat her down on the bed, went out to get some water and offered it to her.
"What happened to you?" She asked. Tala smiled awkwardly as she thought, 'you happened. That's what.'
"Oh, I got shocked when you yelled. I thought you were asleep." She said casually.
"I was asleep." Sasha replied. Tala raised her eyes in suspicion.
"I had a beautiful dream. Then a big yellow snake appeared. I got scared and. I woke up." She shared. Tala cleared her throat and spoke again.
"Did the snake do anything to you?" Sasha shrugged.
"Maybe."
"What do you mean?" The little girl pondered for a bit before she answered.
"Well, it has its big head hovering over me. Maybe it wants to eat me? Should I really go on a diet now, Mani?" She asked on horror as her imagination ran wild.
'That must be it! It must thought that I'm too meaty to be its meal, oh gosh!' She cupped her face with her little hands and looked on with distress.
Tala could not help chuckling at her adorable response. 'Why would I eat you, you rascal.' She thought. She ruffled her curly hair and assured her little sister.
"Don't be afraid. Mani is here." Sasha stared at her sisters clear, bright eyes. And she believed. Her family will always be with her, she nodded vigorously.
"Wash up, I'll make you breakfast. Baba and Nana locked their door. It seems that you've woken them up early again today." She said offhandedly. Sasha pouted.
"I was looking for second Ino but I can't find him so I went to their room to ask." She replied and followed Tala to the kitchen.
As her elder sister prepared food for her, she carefully climbed the kitchen countertop and picked her own eating utensils then brought them to her baby chair and waited patiently for her food to be served.
Tala quickly served her a warm glass of milk and continued preparing their breakfast. Sasha drank her milk and swung her tiny legs as she did.
"Are Ino Zari and Ino Huan still sleeping?" She asked after a while. Tala looked back at her and smiled.
"They went out to jog. Do you want to join them?" She asked.
"What? No! I have school today." She vehemently shook her head. 'What do you mean jog? Baba carries me in his arms everyday.'
When Tala was about to finish cooking their breakfast, they heard some sound from their parents' room. Sasha excitedly looked on while Tala just gave the room a glance and raised her brows as she smirked.
The couple, Eder and Latini, got out of their room with their hairs still in a mess. Latini walked towards the restroom to relieve herself while Eder rinsed his mouth in the kitchen sink. He went on to wash his face and dry himself with a face towel slung on his shoulder. Sasha followed her mom with her gaze.
"Good morning my beautiful eldest daughter!" He exclaimed as sniffed the cooking breakfast then turned his face towards little Sasha, whose face blanched in horror.
"Good morning princess!" He called adoringly.
Sasha gulped down the remaining milk on her glass and stared back at her father. She just blinked at him and did not answer. Eder smiled awkwardly then knelt beside her.
"Are you still mad at Baba for what happened yesterday?" He asked.
Sasha kept staring at him and she shook her head to answer but her face kept getting paler.
"Then why won't you speak with Baba?"
"I think Nana is in danger." She quietly said.