Boat of Destinies

2. Promise

Makana counted her earrings on each ear, making sure none of them went missing. She didn't want to seem the slightest bit suspicious to her family when she returned home. Ten. Five complete earrings on each ear, she leaned back in relief.

The reflector beeped twice, announcing the losing connection with her face because of the sudden distance. Letting it blink off, Makana turned away. Her eyes darted nervously to the window made from clearstone, something very rare to see in her sector of Sakami.

It was barely light outside. A few beats before dawning. She cursed under her breath, knowing it was definitely time for her to leave. Makana massaged her face, trying to seem as if she'd been awake for long beats working. Chu'a sauntered over, giving her a lazy smile as he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

She held back a hiss. Her turquoise eyes met with his deep purple ones. "Take care, love." Chu'a whispered. Makana resisted another frown. The Tuza character for love was terik. It held different meanings altogether. It could mean love, dear, or even harlot. It was a strange character, hard to interpret in a conversation. Most people avoided it.

Only strong deuces would utilize it when they were sure what they mean to each other. Currently, Makana glared at the confusing nickname she had just be given. She lifted her chin higher in defiance. Makana felt a small part of her fill with satisfaction as Chu'a's eyes trailed down her neck.

Makana had definitely grown over the past ten orbits. Her gently curved and smooth neck seemed to glimmer in the light, growing exposed and she held her chin high. Her elegant carved cheekbones matched her angular shaped face. Makana blinked, her long and full lashes brushing against her light purple greenish tint of skin.

Her nicely sculpted eyebrows and straight nose added to her radiant beauty, not as much as her older sister, but enough to have caught the attention of Chu'a. Makana knew she had him wrapped around her finger, and she was going to use that as leverage to end everything between them.

"Goodbye, Chu'a. Don't come here again. Don't look for me anymore. I wish you and your deuce a strong life unified." Makana said, jarring Chu'a out of his trance as she recited the line one usually said in a pairing ceremony.

Makana turned away quickly, plucking her phet made bag from the ground. She left the small house in a hurry, her bare feet slapping the hard stone slabs they called stairs. Her heart strummed in a fast rhythm as horrific thoughts swam across her mind of being discovered.

She knew well enough the consequences for those who got discovered being disloyal to their deuce. Man or woman, the loyal deuce would get to decide the punishment for their other half. It could range from being exiled to getting executed. It was one of the Decrees... at least that was what Makana assumed.

A sound rustled behind her, causing her to spin around in shock almost instantly. With ears pinned back and pupils narrowed to slits, Makana braced herself for whoever it was that saw her exiting the compartment building. As her eyes faced forward, she realized it was no one.

Until her eyes trailed down to the ground.

A frown fixed itself on her lips as her shoulders slumped in flooding relief. Makana stared down at a small creature only a few measures tall, coming up to her calves. Her ears loosened as the tension rolled off of Makana.

"Nemat," she grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

The creature was a pretty common specie in the nation of Sirinu. Most common folk who could afford them often bought them as domestic pets. They were small in size, not much use for them other than to dwell on how cute they were.