Chapter 3: Village Square

Slowly and reluctantly, he released her hand. Dodo didn’t know when she paused her lips and lick it. She averted her gaze back to the village, as if hoping that the fire would die down by itself.

“What if someone is inside and needs help?” She asked

“This fire looks as if it has been burning for hours!” Zahra pointed out. Nothing can withstand that heat. It’s only a matter of seconds, and everything would still turn to ash. Besides, what can you possibly do? You are a seer, I am a sword seeker, and Ginika is a mage. We have not had any training before; we are useless for now.”

The fire hissed loudly, and as if bringing to life what Zahra had said, about three huts collapsed simultaneously.

“Don’t go out there,” Ginika said and took the lead, away from the burning building, “It could be dangerous. Our main focus should be on how to locate our parents. We should be more concerned with their wellbeing. Let’s hope they are okay.”

For the first time in his life, Dodo did not argue with him. She only nodded her braided hair and followed his lead

Ginika traced his steps carefully but did not wait for the two girls who followed him behind. The moon still showered the sandy path with rich pale lights, and they snaked further into the distance.

He couldn’t tell what to make out of the event.

Ginika had never led the girls before, and they are always in front and are always five steps ahead of him.

They make plans, execute it, and tell him what to do, just like how he prefers it. They seem to have a solution and an answer to every problem.

Well, not today.

A small smile parted Ginika’s lips.

His limbs arched with enthusiasm, and every part of his body was enjoying the moment while it lasts.

For the first time in his little life, he felt a sense of purpose. Never in his life he desired for attention and enjoyed playing pigs and eating tigers.

He felt as if he was born for something more but immediately refused that notion. It sounds too bothersome if his life was not on the line.

So he just kept on stalling behind the gossiping voice of some girls.

“Did you hear that?” Ginika asked suddenly and stopped in his wake.

Dodo and Zahra tried to stop, but they had been walking so carefully that they bumped into each other, sending them flying down to the dust.

“What was that for?” Ginika cursed as he struggled up to his feet. He dusted his pelt skirt and frowned at the two girls.

“Sorry, wasn’t looking,” Zahra said, but the boy did not hear.

The sound came again, this time more vibrant than the first. The children froze and tried to listen to the voice of the wind.

Their faces brightened up with excitement when they heard clearly the wooden gong, which had begun to blast the night with its sweet sound.

“Oh my God,” Ginika jumped, “I haven’t heard that sound like forever!”

“Stop exaggerating, Gini,” Dodo said. Her tough composure was back, and that ‘know it all’ looks, which Ginika hated with a passion. “It was sounded last full moon!”

“For the Kingdom of Oru. And the other moon before that was from your hometown, Kiro.” Ginika panted as he danced in a circle.

“Whatever, at least now we know that the village is not under any attack or something. You are fooling around, boy, your dancing steps sucks.”

“Says the girl who can hardly dance,” Ginika retorted mockingly.

“I hate dancing, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dance,” Dodo said softly, but Ginika had stopped dancing and was laughing at her.

“Guys,” Zahra whispered, not minding to hide the fear in her voice, “But why had they set fifteen huts ablaze?”

“I can’t say for sure,” Dodo turned her attention to Zahra, “But my mother told me a story of how the three Kingdoms, after hunting, danced around a campfire. You want to hear the story?”

“No,” Zahra and Ginika said in unison.

They were not prepared to hear Dodo’s unending tale. She would only end up telling them of how her great, great, great grandmother, told her great, great grandmother and her great grandmother, to her… Her stories usually leave one hungry and light-headed, or it would knock you out.

“We should hurry to the village square then. There we would find the other children, who weren’t kidnapped by the children of the night.” Dodo said tauntingly.

Ginika fumed when he heard Dodo’s words. She was mocking him again. He knew what he had seen.

The elders in the village had warned them to look out for a raven, an owl or a bat.

That these creatures were the harbingers of the children of the night, unless the elders were wrong, Dodo should stop making fun of him.

The three found their way out of the main path, into the dark road leading to the village square. The hut that stood on this side of the village blinked with the light of the moon.

They were not destroyed or ablaze like the other building they had seen earlier. This made Ginika doubt if what he had seen was an owl actually.

Maybe he was a fool as Dodo had said, or his eyes were playing tricks on him. Either way, he just hopes he was wrong.

The talking drum had started playing by the time they came to the square of palm trees. It was as if the nuclei of the village were concentrated here.