No sooner had Areyos vanished from the cave, his footsteps still echoing in the damp air, than Yoko, submerged in the warm water of her bath, felt a wave of memories crash over her. Steam curled around her, caressing her skin, but her mind was elsewhere, lost in the past.
"Areyos… You and Kaiser always knew how to protect me, no matter the cost…" she murmured to herself, her gaze lost in the dancing reflections on the water. An image surfaced: herself as a small child, barely six years old, clutching a basket of vegetables.
"I must've been six at the time…"
"Hey, Areyos, keep it up! The sacred fire temple isn't far now. Dad's waiting. Hurry up!" called Kaiser, a sturdy stick resting on his shoulders, two heavy metal buckets dangling from either end, swaying with each confident step.
