The Light in Aquala

Shortly afterwards, with the sound of the Aquala waterfall almost deafeningly loud in the stillness of the night, they emerged from the edge of the jungle.

They were especially alert, looking not only for the woman and the creature, but also looking for an easier path away from Aquala in case they needed to escape.

The vast canopy of trees and vines were no longer blocking out the moon and stars and the cool moisture from the heavy mist drifted through the air, settling on their faces and arms, slowly soaking their clothing. The scent of fresh water mingled with the smell of new grasses and flowering blossoms from evening plants was a welcome change from the enclosed darkness of the jungle.

It truly was an awe-inspiring night.

They couldn’t help but notice the countless stars twinkling across the dark sky, while the moon cast a silvery light on the path in front of them.

Fireflies in all sorts of different colors floated around them lazily, their tiny lights blinking on and off in an unhurried rhythm. After the darkness and strange events in the jungle, the open sky seemed almost impossibly vast. The gentle Neon colors still glimmered here as the mist from the waterfall was being carried past them on a breeze.

Mara felt the tension in her shoulders begin to ease. For the first time since the strange events at the waterfall, she allowed herself to breathe deeply.

The air was clean and cool, and the sounds of the night were peaceful rather than threatening. She glanced at Lena, who was gazing up at the stars with a look of pure wonder on her face.

Whatever came next, at least they were in this together.

They had only taken a few steps when a nerve-shattering, deep bark-like sound burst into the air. The dog-like creature was running toward them, intent on its mission, its long sleek legs moving effortlessly and so quickly they were almost impossible to see. Rivia was farther away, waving her hands urgently.

Both sisters instinctively began backing up as this unknown creature approached, its teeth bared and the Neon yellow glow in its eyes unmistakably bright. A low snarl rumbled from deep within its throat, building in strength, unlike anything either sister had ever heard. It was somewhere between a powerful growl and a warning, and it immediately erased any sense of peace that they had been feeling only moments before.

Mara's heart hammered in her chest. She could feel her palms growing slick with sweat as she gripped the straps of her backpack.

Beside her, Lena had gone completely still, her breath caught in her throat. The creature was moving too fast. There was no time to run. No time to climb. No time to do anything but stand there and face it.

Then they heard the woman shouting something, her voice barely audible over the thunderous sounds of Aquala. Both sisters looked toward her. She was holding one hand high in the air. Then she slowly brought a finger toward her lips before pointing toward them and making the same silent gesture again, this time lowering her hand.

“Close your eyes and stay quiet.” she seemed to be saying.

The creature was almost upon them. Out of options, Lena and Mara slammed their eyelids shut and braced themselves for the inevitable attack.

Which never came.

For the first time in their lives, they realized something neither of them had ever thought to test.

Could it be that their Neon glows now disappear when their eyes are closed, and so the creature wasn’t threatened by them anymore? Was that why the dog-like animal had stopped its charge toward them on the trail?

The soft blue-green lights that moved across Mara's face, and the warm oranges that moved across Lena's, the Neon glows that had followed them everywhere since childhood, had they simply gone dark the moment they squeezed their eyes shut?

The creature could still see, smell, hear and track every small movement they made where they stood. But the glowing colors must have marked them as something unknown and dangerous, and without those colors, they were no longer a threat.

It suddenly made sense why Jaxx had stopped reacting to them back at the tree. They had closed their eyes so their faces were no longer glowing with their Neon colors, and the animal no longer viewed them as dangerous.

How had they never considered that their own Neon might be something they could control so easily? It had to be something new or else they would have known of it before.

Mara felt a flash of frustration at herself. She was supposed to be an observant, scientific person and yet this simple discovery had eluded her until now. This must have started with this Season’s extra early changes or else they would have noticed it before.

The dog-like creature was now standing near to them, and Lena could hear its breathing close to her.

Very close.

She could hear its claws shifting against the earth and the faint movement of its body as it stood there, apparently trying to understand what had happened and who they were.

They could hear the woman running toward them now, her breath a little ragged. They heard her reach the creature, and as they peeked, saw her bend over slightly, hugging it and softly whispering words of reassurance to it. She was calmly explaining to it that these were friends and everything was okay.

They could hear the animal sniffing the air and as they slowly opened their eyes fully, it looked back at them from its owner and was visibly relaxed. The woman smiled at it and praised its behavior before straightening and approaching the sisters, her trustworthy companion by her side.

"Hi, I’m Rivia and this is Jaxx. I’m so glad you decided to meet me, and I apologize for taking some of your food." She smoothed her hand lovingly over the top of Jaxx's head. "He was so hungry and distressed from the trip here, I just had to take some of your food to soothe him, I’m sorry about that."

Jaxx looked up appreciatively at Rivia and then turned to look at his new friends.

He was very tall, with his back coming up past Rivia's hips and his long legs like an athlete's, muscular without being bulky. His face reminded Lena of a picture she saw in a childhood book of a dog called a Doberman Pinscher.

His eyes had gone from the glowing Neon yellow to black, with a slight yellow glow around his pupils. In the moonlight, the yellow ring gave his eyes an unusual intensity, even though there was something almost gentle in his expression now.

Mara studied him with the same careful attention she gave to anything new. The creature was clearly intelligent, responding to Rivia's words and tone with a level of understanding that went beyond simple training. And the way the Neon yellow glow had dimmed in his eyes when he relaxed must mean it was connected to his emotional state, just like the Neon on their faces did.

"I am Mara and this is my sister Lena. No worries, I am glad Jaxx is feeling better with some food and knows we aren’t a danger. So where did you travel from? We have never met anyone else with the Neon on their faces and it is really exciting to finally meet someone! And what was with that blinding flash of your Neon colors and them exploding?!"

She couldn’t stop the questions from flowing out of her mouth once she started talking.

Meanwhile, Lena was grinning while looking toward Jaxx and made an inviting whistle. Jaxx calmly walked up to her and bumped her face with his nose. She laughed and Jaxx seemed to turn into a puppy, all animated and excitedly getting the zoomies around his new friends.

His long legs suddenly seemed to move in every direction at once as he raced around them, turning sharply and bounding through the grass with a ridiculous amount of energy for such a large animal. They all laughed as he darted past them and then circled back, clearly delighted with his new companions.

Rivia smiled as she watched Jaxx finally slow down and come to curl up beside her. He closed his eyes and was asleep in an instant. His breathing quickly became slow and steady, as though the enormous burst of energy had completely exhausted him.

Rivia looked back to Lena and Mara, saying that they might want to sit down for this story.

“It’s a long story and I am not sure you will believe it. I know I didn’t when I first heard it.” She looked at the sisters, and they saw that the weariness in her face was gone and only hope remained. “But I will tell you if you want to hear it.”

Mara glanced at Lena, who nodded eagerly, her orange glow moving in faster swirls than it had a moment before.

“We want to hear it,” Mara said as another gust of wind hit them all. “But first, we should get somewhere that has more shelter for all of us and where we can rest. The wind is picking up and this part of the jungle is probably not the best place for a long conversation. I know it is dark, but between all of our Neon colors glowing together, I think it will be light enough for us to safely travel and find a better place to stay for the night.”

Rivia smiled gratefully. “Thank you. That’s a great idea, especially since Jaxx and I have not had a proper rest for a while now.”

When he heard his name, Jaxx lifted his head and looked at the sisters one at a time. Sensing a walk was coming, he then started to eagerly weave around them, obviously having decided a walk was exactly what they all needed.

Lena and Mara gathered their belongings and with Rivia and Jaxx joining them, they all began walking past the massive tree. The Neon was still faintly moving through the bark, following the lines of the trunk, gathering in the deep grooves and brightening where the surface was smooth. Blues and greens, purples, silvers, oranges and yellows still flowed through it, and threaded between these colors were thin lines of gold that brightened once every few seconds and then faded.

They followed a narrow trail that Lena and Mara knew would lead them to a small clearing near one of the higher pools where the water from Aquala plunged down into.

The path there was winding and uneven, with exposed roots and loose stones that required careful footing. The vegetation pressed in on all sides, broad leaves brushing against their arms, catching on their clothing and glowing the Neon colors of whomever walked closest to them.

Fireflies lazily floated around the ferns alongside the trail, each glowing brightly with shades of their Neon, and the jungle air was thick with the scent of night-blooming flowers.

Mara studied Rivia from the corner of her eye as they walked.

The woman moved with a quiet grace, her steps light and sure despite the difficult terrain. Her clothes were travel-worn but well-made, and her face held the kind of calm that came from someone who had seen a great deal and learned to accept it. The Neon on her face continued to shift gently, and Mara noticed that the surrounding jungle was constantly responding to it.

Rivia’s Neon glow was affecting literally everything around her, causing things to glow the same rich purple, silver and gold colors.

She also noticed that Rivia was talking to Jaxx who seemed to appreciate the discussion. She spoke, not in a loud or obvious way, but in a quiet, almost constant stream of words. "This way, Jaxx. Careful, there is a root. Good boy. We are almost there."

It was as if she was narrating their journey for him, reassuring him, or perhaps herself. It was a small thing, but it made Mara respect Rivia since her reassuring Jaxx in unfamiliar surroundings was evidence of someone who cared about others.

Jaxx, meanwhile, had relaxed considerably. His tail was wagging constantly, knocking into the plants along the way and causing the glowing fireflies to dance away just in time.

As he moved with a steady, confident gait, he would occasionally stop to sniff something along the trail, his nose working intently before bounding ahead to rejoin Rivia.

The yellow glow in his eyes had softened to a slight ring around his pupils, and Mara found herself thinking that he looked so much more relaxed now in his new surroundings and with his new friends.