As I walked away from the cavern, the sunlight hit my skin- the warmth of the ray that dawned on me felt like a hug, a hug of appreciation from my ancestors as I had finally come out after checking the core hidden inside the volcano that had kept it silent for generations.
It wasn't easy to visit, it took me a while to remember the path when my father had started to bring me back when he was the chief of the town, but as his successor, I had learn the way to keep our town safe.
I walked into the meadow, slowly grasping the heavy air as my vision slowly focused on the distance of our town, which was getting closer. My anticipation couldn't wait- it's those moments when you feel like your heart is heavy and you can't breathe. But I know my people are waiting for me, it brings me joy, assuring them that the safety of our precious core is in good hands.
And just before I knew it, my sister was there running from a mile like an abandoned dog that hasn't seen its owner for a minute. In her arms are Anthuriums and Rafflesia that rarely grew in our town before I could speak to ask, she already leaped to hug and crashed into me.
"Ah! Careful Nova.. I missed you lil' bug."
I uttered with a smile, then kissed her forehead for a moment. "These flowers.. where'd you get them? They don't grow in your little garden, Nova."
I said with a hint of annoyance in a joking way.
"You were gone for too long, I had time to explore some parts of the forest, sis!"
Forest? I literally forbade her from going there. I was about to scold her until I heard another voice that interrupted me.
"Don't worry, I came along with her."
It was Lionel's voice, that deep vibrato that could scare a sleeping koala from a branch. My right hand in leading the town. The one in charge when I'm away guarding the precious core.
"Good. How are the people? Anything happened while I was gone?"
He shook his head lightly and gave an assuring smile, to which I then nodded and smiled back.
The three of us then walked back to town as the sun set on the horizon, some fireflies were coming out of the bushes giving light in our path as the cicadas carelessly buzzed in our ears, which gave me a bit of distraction from Nova's whines of complaining about having to fish dinner for herself the past few days without me.
"It isn't fair! I had to fish twice because Lionel wouldn't help me catch any."
Lionel then laughed, trying to remember the interaction.
"At least we know now you're not fit to be an angler."
He spoke in a teasing way.
I gave a small chuckle and muttered
"She's not a great hunter either."
which Nova took offence and pouted, facing the other direction while crossing her arms.
Both Lionel and I laughed hard at Nova's childish attitude.
As we reached the gates of our community, my people already kneeled and smiled at my presence: then chatters bombarded my face with
"Chief!",
"You're back!"
and "Is the core in good condition, Chief?"
Some even dropped their task of cleaning the bows we used when hunting and others stopped sharpening spears to ask me questions and surrounded the crowd that formed around me. I nodded with every question they asked, giving them relief about how the core is doing.
After a warm welcome, we had to celebrate once night had fallen.
They pulled me to the plain areas of town, where performances were held. Once the men finally gathered an abundance of wood to fill the night, Lionel told the history of our great ancestral leaders in front of the children. And then later on, Nova led our native dance to the fire, the ember ashes scattering all over the sky.
I could tell she had practiced this over and over again as her body tensed with happiness as her moves matched the beats of the drums.
I was quite fond and proud of her.
We then sang a harmonious call for nature's blessing. This made the moon more luminous and the stars shone brighter in the sky.
And as per tradition, I had to drink the night away and as time passed, my gaze drifted away.
My smile never faded as I fell onto a soft green pillow along with other people who were drunk in the field.