The Light in Aquala

Mira and Lena's mother, Jocyn, had said her final goodbyes to her daughters.

So much had happened so quickly to change all of their lives forever.

Only a few hours earlier, people were making breakfast, cooking fruits over the beach fires while their children were laughing as they chased each other along the beach. The comforting smells of cinnamon and vanilla filled the air while the sweetbreads were baking.

Now all that was left were embers smoldering, with some of the breakfast foods that had been left behind. There was only so much each villager could carry, and they had to take what was most important to them.

No one knew if they would ever see their homes again.

Tears were still streaming down Jocyn’s face as she knelt down to pick up her own bag of belongings she'd left by the doorway to her hut. She took a final look at her home where she had lived her entire life. The home her mother had grown up in, and that she had raised her daughter's Mara and Lena in.

She drew in a deep breath to gather herself and put on a brave face for everyone else, quelling her worrisome thoughts. She knew all of the villagers would be observing her, following her lead, and if she panicked, they would panic.

She was the mother of the only two people who had the Neon on them.

No one else in the entire village had Neon glows and so, as their mother, she held a special position in the village. Many people loved her daughters and weren't afraid of them, but there were some that looked upon her and her daughters with suspicion and mistrust.

Were the Neon glows on her daughter's faces something to be scared of? Was it a blessing or a curse?

The calls of the seagulls brought Jocyn back from her thoughts and she hurried to take her place among the rest of the villagers as they were being guided into the jungle.

Everyone in the village had agreed to take the trail going North along the coastline. It was their only chance of escaping to safety, so the village families cooperated, helping each other as they moved quickly. The need to stay together as a group during their long trek was imperative.

The teenagers were herding the village’s livestock, and the younger teens were walking the dogs on leads, or carrying the cats, chickens and other small animals in little bamboo crates. The clucking of chickens, meowing of the cats and barking of the dogs had now quietened down as they realized this was the way it was going to be, so they may as well relax and enjoy the ride.

Mothers carried their babies in fabric slings, and all of the families kept their children close. Everyone carried food, water and whatever they had managed to gather before leaving.

Heavy burlap bags were slung across the men’s shoulders, and every ten feet was a hunter or one of the strong guards, ready to protect the villagers. Their eyes were constantly scanning the jungle, darting back and forth towards any sound they heard. They were determined to protect their people from anything that came their way as the group anxiously hurried along, trying to escape from the unknown.

Some of the more experienced hunters had gone out in front of the entire procession to clear the way, making sure the trail was safe and clear of obstacles. The strongest men walked at the very back, guarding the group from anything that would attack them from behind.

She was almost one of the last to leave and was walking along with young Tavi and the village's strongest men.

She looked up and gave a grateful smile to Galdor, who had quietly positioned himself close to her. His dark hair was slicked back from the humidity of the jungle and from him occasionally running his fingers through it, moving it out of the way of his eyes.

Jocyn knew that he would watch over her and keep her safe no matter what. His love for Lena was now obvious, much to her daughter's delight. She had loved him since she was a teenager and finally, he had taken notice of her and decided that she was his soulmate too, his Amo.

He definitely would be making sure Jocyn was safe.

The strange Neon lights were still hovering over the canopy, almost like they were watching and taking note of where everyone was going. And that eerie clicking sound was continuing without letup. The constant clicking was starting to push everyone’s nerves to the limit.

Jocyn smiled one last time at Lena and Mara, then looked towards the ocean before leaving. She saw the last of the infirm and older ones being helped into the fishing boats, along with a small amount of their belongings. They would be traveling by boat to the Northern coves to eventually meet up with the rest of the villagers who traveled by land.

She watched her friend Marta being helped into the last boat, her one wiry dog finally being caught and placed onto her lap. It immediately settled down and promptly started to fall asleep even though there was so much activity going on around it.

Marta’s children were excitedly pointing towards the ocean and hanging on to the sides of the boats as it was launched into the water, the salty ocean spray covering their little faces as the waves broke over the bow.

She hoped with all of her heart that she would see her daughters and Marta again. Marta had been a close companion of her mother and was like a second mother to her, and a grandmother to her daughters.

Jocyn couldn't believe that it was just this morning that everything changed. It felt like months had passed and her daughter's had just got back safely from their trek to Aquala. But now they were leaving again to face an unknown enemy. Someone who was powerful enough to change this Season’s Neon so completely.

She breathed deeply, trying to stop the anxiety from building in her chest, threatening to bring on a fresh flood of tears.

Her daughters and Marta would be okay. They had to be.

Jocyn turned her head back towards the path, straightened her shoulders and walked into the humid jungle. The last of the strong men entered the jungle and the village was now completely deserted.

Except for one old woman named Bjiji who stood on the beach, watching the boats leave.

It was time for her to start her secret mission.