Writing Prompts Archive/7/Mina

*Kigoh’a ran. His father had yelled at him, not for the first time, to just get away. Run as far as he can. Be safe.*

*Promise me.*

*So he did. His legs were strong, as many Miqo’te are, and would carry him fast through the trees, away from the flames. He tripped often on the roots underfoot, almost sending him careering into the dirt below, but he kept going. He would not stop until he was safe, as he promised.*

*\*\*\**

*Mina curled herself up below deck. Every ounce of her was regretting leaving their adoptive home without her brother but it was too late to turn back now. She was already a month and a half into a two month trip back to Aldenard and wasn’t about to give up on her plan to find her family. Mina’to had protested, refusing to come with her, but she was stubborn. Even so, she felt the prang of guilt in her chest because she didn’t stay with him.*

*The rocking of the boat caused her to stand up, with great difficulty. There was shouting from above, and her curious nature got the better of her. She ventured, crawled more accurately, up the steps, poking her head through the door and stared in horror.*

*The sky was falling.*

*\*\*\**

*Mina’to sat on the dock, staring out into the sea where he’d last seen his sister. It had been weeks since she left but still he cursed himself for not going with her. It would be nice to reunite with the family, wouldn’t it? Of course, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the tribe just didn’t care about them after all. No one ever did try and rescue them when they were taken to Kugane. Mina’to knew it was a ridiculous thing to ask of them, to track them down when their kidnappers were so skilled at swiping people and leaving no trace. But it still hurt to think that their father and brother didn’t even try.*

*He closed his eyes, hoping his sister would be okay. He’d made her promise to keep herself safe. Of course she’d just brushed him off, telling him she’d be fine and he had nothing to worry about. She did, however, ask him to keep himself safe too. And their family. The family they grew up with, who rescued them from the streets of Kugane. Mina’to nodded. He would do his best.*

*A flash of light caught his eye. He looked up and smiled as a hundred dazzling stars flickered through the sky. A star shower. It was beautiful.*

*\*\*\**

*Kigoh’a slumped against a tree, panting heavily. He couldn’t keep running, he needed to stop. He looked back, the flames had receded and he was safe for now, but his concerns turned to his father. The red moon in the sky had been terrifying enough, but the unfurling of great wings that had soon followed was the reason why his father had been so insistent on him running. Now that he was in safety, he realised that his father was not. He contemplated running back, but that would undo everything his father had made him promise. He pulled his knees up to this chin and stared forlornly into the trees. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t save him. He couldn’t save anyone. He was hopeless, useless, weak.*

*Kigoh’a pushed his face into his legs and sobbed. He couldn’t even save his siblings.*

*\*\*\**

*Mina screamed as the boat rocked heavily to one side. The waves were kicking up higher, splashing salt water over the deck, some of it reaching the doorway to the cabin and hitting Mina in the face. The shouting on deck continued, it sounded as if someone had fallen overboard. Mina gripped the door, torn between trying to help and retreating. She had promised her brother she would stay safe, but this was out of her control. The moon was looming, bright red and bloody. Around it in the sky, the stars looked like they were falling. Perhaps they were. Mina couldn’t appreciate the starshower, whether she could even see it happening as the boat rocked side to side in the rough waves. A particularly heavy knock against the boat threw her backwards, down the steps of the cabin and rolling against the wall. She lay there for a while in pain, too terrified to try and reach the deck. It would be better to stay here after all, until the storm died down. She curled her legs up and her head in, holding her tail for comfort to ride it out.*

*\*\*\**

*Mina’to knew there was something wrong with the moon. It was… falling? Maybe he was dreaming. Moons don’t just fall. Do they?*

*His thoughts turned to his sister. She would still be travelling. Would she be okay?*

*He stood up. The fall of the lesser moon would be the exact kick in the arse he needed to go after her. Take up a weapon perhaps. He needed to do something. He needed to protect her.*

*I promise.*