Amon: The Prequel of Radiance Lost

Chapter 1

    Amon held onto his daughter's small hand as they waded into the clear oasis. Their feet were tickled by the small shoots of grass that sprouted just beneath the surface. His daughter slipped, but Amon held onto her, letting her pick herself up but not letting her fall.
    Although the exterior of Juuga was thick rainforest, the interior was an arid wasteland surrounded by a ring of mountains known as the Coronam, Juuga's Crown. All water inside the Coronam was utilized, and yet somehow Anon had found an underground source in the midst of his own small town. With the help of others, he'd gotten it to be pumped to the surface and even set up a filter using netting to help keep it clean. The Janahi, the soldiers and enforcers of law in Juuga, had looked on him with a smile at the discovery, and granted the townsfolk of Timar permission to do with it as they pleased.
     "Okay, Zara." Amon leaned down. "Are you ready?"
     Zara nodded and giggled. "Yes, yes, yes! Let me go!"
     Amon obeyed, his hands releasing her shoulders, and Zara dove into the water. The water bent with ripples as she clumsy stroked through it, gradually finding her rhythm. She turned around to wave at her father when she suddenly slipped, water flooding her nose. Amon had rushed in up to his knees when Zara yelled at him, shooing him away.
     "I'm okay!"
"Okay." Amon slowly sat down, letting the water swirl between his toes.
Voices came from behind, and Amon shivered as two boys jumped into the water, splashing him. They swam over to Zara, roughly splashing each other. Without a word, Amon picked her up and carried her from the oasis. They walked on the dirt trail back to their houses, leaving wet footprints behind.
Zara pouted as Amon dried her. "Why'd we leave? We didn't even stay that long."
Amon tossed the towel over the banister beside him. "Those boys were playing too rough. I didn't want u getting hurt."
"But i wasn't hurt."
"Because we left. You don't wait for things to happen all the time. Some things you try to avoid."
    Zara continued to pout. "But i wanted to swim still."
    "It's okay. Let's make something to eat."
    Oil fizzed and popped as Amon placed a mixture of sliced meat and veggies into a pan. Zara sat patiently at the table, her legs swinging slightly. She hummed as she scribbled on a piece of paper. Suddenly, Zara coughed hoarsely, a wheezing, hacking cough.
     "You okay?" asked Amon.
     Zara nodded, then coughed again, frowning afterwards. "I think so."
Amon watched her with concern as they ate. Zara frequently sipped from her water as she ate, and it seemed to keep the cough away for a while. He left her alone for a moment, going upstairs to get a comb, oil, and spray bottle.
     Catching himself in the mirror, Amon studied his face. He was of middle-age, but his brown skin only had a few wrinkles. His hair had started to grey and thin, but he still held onto it, refusing to go bald. He scratched at his greying beard and went downstairs at the sound of Zara's coughing.
Zara continued to scribble as Amon worked on her hair, separating it into parts and twisting two thick clumps together after spraying them heavily with water and rubbing scented oil into them. Doing his daughter's hair was one of his favorite pastimes. It hadn't been hard for him to learn. He was meticulous with his hands, and twisting the strands of thick, kinky hair together was like stirring medicinal paste. Slow and calming.
     Done, Amon wiped his hands on a cloth and looked at Zara's paper. "Are you feeling better?"
    "I feel fine, Daddy. It's a cough."
    Amon smiled and lifted her into his lap. "You're right. Drink some tea now and before you go to bed. It'll be gone in a few days."
   "Look." Zara held up her drawing. "What do you think it is?"
   "It's the oasis. You're getting good."
   "Thanks." Zara took the paper and stared at it. "I try not to draw in school, that way I don't get in trouble."
    "That's good. Whenever you're not in school or studying medicine with me you can draw all you like." Amon gave her a hug. "I'll get you more paper tomorrow."
    The two of them spent the rest of the day in a happy quiet. When night fell, Amon tucked his daughter in, kissing her forehead and pulling the sheets up for her.
    "You look just like your mother." said Amon.
    Zara wriggled in her bed. "Really?"
    "You do. You have her beautiful skin and hair and smile. But your hands are mine. They're patient. That's why you draw so well."
"Really?"
"Really." Amon slid a cup across the nightstand. "Finish this before you sleep, while it's still warm. Don't stay up to late."
"I won't. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Z."
Amon closed the door behind her, pausing as he heard her erupt into a coughing fit. He held onto the doorknob with his eyes shut tightly before going to bed.