The seasons changed, and the steppes thawed once more. Spring broke through the last remnants of snow with countless colorful flowers sprouting on the plains. The landscape was a sea of colors, the constant breeze generated rolling waves across the hills, and a floral scent pervaded the air. Rodent-like animals that hibernated in their deep burrows reared their heads, looking for food and mates.

Yunil lunged down the hill and snatched one such rodent in her hands. It struggled in her grasp, but she delivered a quick bite to its neck, crushing its spine. Then, she tied it to her belt next to the other three already dangling from it. Sniffing the air, the Nokkoy searched for her next prey.

Viyal watched from a distance atop her Shinoon, shielding her eyes from the still low-hanging sun. Yunil showed unmatched energy throughout the journey despite walking on her own two feet. Meanwhile, Viyal was easily irritable and tired from adjusting to her mount's constant swaying.

She looked toward the front of their column, where Amiro stared at Yunil with great interest. Nobody could have foreseen that the little baby Viyal demanded to buy from a trader, seemingly on a whim when she could not even speak, would grow into such a skilled hunter. She put even the Jagul to shame with her barehanded hunting prowess.

Behind him, Noro and Saro sparred with wooden sticks atop their Shinoona. They had finally started to grow fuzz around their lips. Their energy was similarly limitless as Yunil's, as their bodies began to bulk up naturally. Rather than pay attention to others' growth, they cared more about their own.

Rowen came right after, seemingly asleep in his saddle. Viyal had not once seen him sleep in the camp, but he appeared quite relaxed when riding. Still, she had yet to witness where his title of a mighty warrior from a foreign land that her mother introduced him as came from. Whenever bandits or an enemy tribe attacked, he would remain in the camp instead of riding out to meet them like the others since he could not catch up to them on his heavy mount.

As the procession of sixty riders continued ahead of Yunil, Viyal glanced back to look for her among the hills. The Nokkoy would catch up to them in no time, so the tribesmen did not feel the need to call for her. She always shared her quarry with Viyal first, but leftovers were distributed to the rest of the party. They had a selfish interest in letting her continue so they could have fresh meat for dinner.

It had been a little over a year since the day the prophecies of Lavaro and Layavi were revealed. The twins grew steadily, as did the tribe. After almost doubling the size of their Shinoona herd, the Zakhira gained an influx of new members who heard of their amazing wealth. Many were disgruntled people who left their tribes, survivors of those destroyed by raiders, and some lone travelers.

Among them were families who spoke of a great war coming for the Sunrise Lowlands. The Omagala Empire in the southeast had settled their internal strife and turned their gaze outward now. They were looking to punish the steppe tribes who raided their border towns and to expand their reach. If left alone, the Gadat threat could affect the entire steppe.

That was the reason for this journey separating them from the rest of the tribe. Amiro decided to learn more about the coming war personally and left the tribe with Gavro. Viyal convinced him to take her along through much foot-stomping, pouting, and unrelenting glares. It was her first chance to finally see the world beyond the seasonal grazing route the tribe took, and she would not miss it for anything.

A whistle pulled Viyal from her thoughts, and she looked ahead. The scout traveling a few kilometers ahead returned, waving a black cloth. It was the signal that a tribe was being raided by bandits ahead of them. The Bavadi man met up with Amiro soon after to report the situation, and Viyal rode to the front to listen in.

"It's a small tribe with many Tulana," the scout explained. "They're close to being overrun."

"How many raiders?" Amiro asked, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Their detachment wanted to avoid fighting, but Tulana were a peace-loving species of humanoid rabbits, so perhaps there were not too many bandits.

"I counted twenty-two mounted archers. Some are armed with Gadat weapons," replied the scout, but he wore a difficult expression.

"Out with it," demanded the chief.

"They are led by Mosyvvi twins."

Amiro's eyes widened, and his mane puffed up in anger. Noro and Saro felt a shiver of anticipation run down their spines at the sight of their father's sudden change. He turned to his tribesmen and raised his spear with a mighty bellow, "Azakhal demands justice!"

Everybody responded with a war cry and readied their weapons. Not one person questioned the chief's decision to get involved in an unrelated struggle, potentially putting them all in danger. They knew the reason for his wrath, and he would not rest until it was stilled with the blood of this enemy.

Mosyvvi were meant to be exemplars of Azakhal's virtues. Those who abused their divine might and resorted to banditry were no better than beasts. Their kind was exceedingly rare since male Mosyvvi twins usually took over other tribes through honorable duels with their chiefs. Only the weakest or morally corrupt ones would gather the scum of the steppe around themselves to raid and pillage.

Amiro had half their party remain at a safe distance and guard their trade goods while he led the warriors, including Noro and Saro, to fight the bandits. Viyal and Yunil were ordered to stay behind with Rowen, but they were too curious to sit still and rode after them once they disappeared over the next hill. The old knight was too slow to stop them from leaving and could only call out to them impotently.

The two girls saw smoke rise over a distant hill and knew the Tulana's camp was on fire. If it got to that point, it usually meant the defenders who rode out to meet the enemies were all dead, and the pillaging had begun. As if driven by a mad urge for destruction, bandits would always smash or burn what they could not take with them.

When Viyal and Yunil reached the top of the hill, they saw Amiro and the Zakhira warriors loose a hail of arrows at the raiders attacking the outer ring of the burning camp. His roar reached her ears even this far away, and his sons echoed it. It surely instilled terror in the bandits.

She then spotted the Mosyvvi twins leading the enemies. They looked smaller than even the yet-to-be fully-grown Noro and Saro, but their manes were thick and dark like Amiro's. That marked them as adults. To most other species on the steppe, they would still be imposing, but they could only be considered runts among their own. Perhaps that was why they resorted to attacking those much weaker than themselves.

The enemy twins shot arrows at Amiro as he approached, but he almost casually deflected them with his spear. They recognized a stronger Mosyv when they saw one and turned their Shinoona around to keep him at a distance. However, Noro and Saro shot their mounts in the hindquarters with such accuracy that it would make Soroca proud. It slowed them sufficiently for Amiro to catch up.

Knowing they would be unable to escape, they turned to fight. Viyal had to give them credit for not dismounting and begging for their lives. But perhaps they knew not to expect mercy from a fellow Mosyv after what they had done. They wagered there was a higher chance of survival by fighting him together.

One of the twins wielded an incredibly long lance, and the other swung a steel mace. Those were the Gadat weapons the scout mentioned. That lance had a reach advantage against the much shorter cavalry spears used among the steppe tribes, including the one her father carried. The mace was better at close quarters and complemented his brother's range.

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Viyal was surprised when Amiro threw his spear on the approach like a javelin and took the lancer clean off his mount. His longer reach was rendered utterly useless by an attack from a distance. Then she stared in disbelief as her now unarmed father jumped off his Shinoon's back and dove onto the other bandit leader, pulling him to the ground before he could bring his mace to bear.

They rolled in the grass, but Amiro ended up on top and began to claw and bite his fellow Mosyv until there was only a bloody mess. His downed brother got back up but was skewered by Noro and Saro's spears. Viyal stared at her father; she had never seen him fight that recklessly and messily before.

Amiro stood up and let out a blood-curdling roar that scattered the other raiders in all directions. Within only a few minutes of their engagement, thirteen bandits lay dead, and the others would soon be picked off by the Zakhira tribe's mounted archers chasing them. Without wasting a moment celebrating their victory, those near the camp headed inside to help the Tulana.

Yunil shook Viyal from her stupor at witnessing her father's bestial rage. The Nokkoy gestured at the burning camp and spoke, "We should help."

"You're right," Viyal responded, squeezing her Shinoon's flanks with her legs and driving it onward. Yunil stared at her back for a moment before following her silently on foot.

When they approached the camp, Amiro had wiped the blood from his face and directed his warriors to help evacuate the survivors from the flames. He noticed Viyal and Yunil, and his eyebrows dropped. "I told you to stay with the others!"

"I wanted to see how Father fought," said Viyal, not faltering under his stern gaze. Hearing this, his expression softened, and he sighed. Then he smiled wryly.

"Well, are you impressed?" Amiro puffed up his chest in feigned haughtiness. He was not worried about being seen fighting like a beast but only about her safety. Now that the situation was under control, he could even crack a joke.

"Yes, Father did great! Truly a paragon of might! The greatest warrior of the steppe!" Viyal piled on the exaggerated praise and watched him deflate. Only with his family did he show this silly side of his.

The burning tent next to them was suddenly cut open from the inside, and a small figure leaped through the flames toward the towering Mosyv. "Monster!" It screamed.

Yunil reacted faster than anybody and tackled the figure, knocking it to the ground. It spun around itself in a whirlwind of three blades, slashing the Nokkoy's hand and forearm. Luckily, she barely jumped back in time, sustaining only shallow cuts.

It was a monkey-like boy, wielding short curved swords in each hand and one with his prehensile tail. His clothes looked different from those of any steppe person. Amiro recognized them as the traditional garb of the Omagala Empire's people. This was a Samagshin, a member of the empire's majority species.

"Qua," the boy spat and glanced around, realizing his position. There was no way out of here for him.

"What is a Gadat doing here? Are you with the bandits?" Amiro inquired with a growl. He towered at nearly twice the monkey boy's height and had arms as thick as his torso. Even those curved swords would do him no good against an adult Mosyv, and he knew it.

"Please cease this, Tashi! These are our saviors," a female Tulan came out of the hole in the burning tent that the Samagshin made.

"It's a Mosh! One of the bandit leaders!" the boy named Tashi argued with a thick accent, pointing one blade at Amiro.

Yunil suddenly lunged at him to pin him down, but he reacted faster than she thought and swung the three blades at her from three different angles. She barely stopped her forward momentum in time and hopped back to avoid being cut again. Not even Noro and Saro had the reflexes to stop Yunil when she jumped on them from a resting position during training.

Viyal stepped forward and grabbed her arm. The Nokkoy spun her head around, baring her teeth out of instinct. But when she saw her sister, she calmed down and lowered her gaze in shame at being unable to control herself.

"They came to help us," argued the female Tulan.

"Is this not the Mosh that led the attack?" Tashi wondered in bewilderment. It would appear he could not differentiate between Mosyvvi, perhaps because he was a foreigner.

"The ones you mean are dead over there," Yunil barked and pointed at the hill where their bodies lay. The Samagshin boy stared at her suspiciously, then shot a glance where she indicated.

Viyal thought it was too fast for him to see anything, but it would appear that the split-second look was enough for him to capture the full picture. He sheathed his weapons skillfully in the three scabbards on his belt and fell onto his knees. "I apologize for attacking you."

Amiro stared down at the monkey boy before turning away silently. The boy looked up in confusion but realized that he had been forgiven. He stood up slowly and hung his head.

"What is a Gadat doing with a steppe tribe?" Viyal walked past Yunil and inquired.

"Not now. I need to help my people," Tashi said, waving her off. Viyal did not take offense at that and glanced at the female Tulan. She understood there were likely complicated circumstances leading to him calling this tribe his people despite being a foreigner in these lands. "Wait..."

Viyal turned back to look at the monkey boy and found him staring at her blankly. She raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the Tulan, who seemed equally surprised. Something seemed to click in his mind, and he fell onto one knee.

"Skin like the finest porcelain. Hair like a ray of moonlight peeking through the clouds. Eyes like the purest Kuliab. You are the most beautiful flower of the plains I have ever had the honor to lay my eyes upon. May I ask for your hand, my lady?" Tashi extended a palm toward Viyal with a charming smile.

Yunil stepped between them and glowered at the boy. He returned the glare without a hint of fear of the taller girl since he was confident he could handle her. But he noticed movement behind them and quickly rolled back as Amiro's claw cut through where his head was a split second ago.

"So you were an enemy after all?!" Tashi drew his weapons and prepared to fight.

"Do not approach my daughter!" The chief stood to cover Viyal and bared his teeth at the Samagshin.

"Daughter? Liar! How could a beast like you father such a living work of art?" He dug himself deeper into the hole of his own making.

"Father, I believe this boy is simply an idiot," Viyal grabbed Amiro's little finger with her tiny hand and declared. His daughter's touch calmed him down immediately, and he snorted at Tashi in disdain. "He is a Gadat. He knows not the people of the steppes. And he knows not that I am still a child."

The monkey boy's jaw dropped when she spoke. Despite not opening her mouth too far, her three rows of teeth were inadvertently revealed to his sharp eyes. He had mistaken her for another species due to her unusual hair and eye color. But Viyal could practically see the gears turning in his head and compute a decision.

"Father!" He fell onto both his knees and knocked his head on the ground. "I ask for your daughter's hand. I shall wait for her to reach adulthood, no matter how long it may take."

"Who are you calling-" Amiro flared up, but Viyal squeezed his finger.

"Is now the time for such foolishness? Go help your tribe," she ordered Tashi in a cold tone. The boy shot up in shock and looked at the burning camp. Although the Zakhira had already evacuated the survivors, they needed treatment and at least the comforting words of one of their own.

"You are right," he lowered his head to Viyal in shame and admitted. "I lost sight of the more pressing matter over your charm. I have much to learn yet."

She watched him walk away with a dubious look. The monkey boy was rash and impudent, but his heart was in the right place. Although she had no intentions of humoring his hasty proposal, she was quite interested in his story. Then she glanced at Yunil as she licked the cuts he had inflicted on her. His martial prowess was something special, too. He could not have learned it from the pacifist Tulana, so he must have been trained in the empire.

"Let's get you treated," Viyal took Yunil's hand and pulled her along. She frequently got cuts and bruises from running around in the field and catching small animals. Viyal would always have to force healing salves on her since she hated the smell, but she was surprisingly obedient this time.

As they headed toward their tribesmen gathering a distance away from the camp, Viyal glanced back at the monkey boy and found him caring for the survivors of the raid. He never once peeked in her direction and concentrated on the task before him. She smiled at his diligence; it seemed he was quite the upstanding soul.

"You are not considering it, are you?" Amiro's doubtful voice startled her.

"Never, Father," she looked up at him with an expression of disgust. "But I am interested in his strength."

"I hear the Gadat practice all kinds of martial skills. That one is the first Samagshin I have ever seen at that level, though," he responded with a thoughtful glance at Tashi. "And he is still young."

"Hah, he is nothing compared to the might of us Mosyvvi," Noro joined them and declared.

"I'd like to try sparring with him, though," Saro added, scratching his chin through the thin beard growing from it.

"We will take their tribe with us, so perhaps you will have your chance," said Amiro, looking at the destroyed camp. He had planned to travel lightly and swiftly, but he could not leave the survivors to fend for themselves.

Viyal considered that this was perhaps another manifestation of her prophecy. Fate brought her together with a skillful fighter who impressed even her father, the most powerful warrior she knew. Maybe he would become her ally and help her on the path to conquering the world.

She chuckled at that outlandish thought she would have never even conceived in her previous life. Despite this world being more savage and cruel, she considered that she enjoyed this second chance more than her first. After all, every day could hold a new adventure in store for her.