Dawn broke soft, but Bright was up before the sun—kicking dirt, muttering about "mango rations," and shoving his sack of fruit into their shared pack like it was the most important thing.
Tan Kai rolled out of his blanket, brushing dew off his sleeves. The Lotus Spear leaned against a rock, its blade glowing faint green—like it was eager to move, too. Agus was already checking the map, his finger tracing the red line west.
"Path's clear till the Silver Stream," Agus said, folding the map and tucking it into his coat. "Cross that, and we'll hit the foothills—Bronze Drum Clan's camp is just over those."
Yara slung her herb pouch over her shoulder, a small flame dancing on her fire herb. "Tested the lotus wraps again this morning. Spear's good for hours. Even if we run into trouble."
Nam nodded, passing Lila a small jar of salve. "For bug bites. Foothills have those big black ants—bite like fire."
Lila tucked the jar into her pocket, then grabbed Tong's hand. "Ready?" He squeezed her fingers and nodded—quiet, steady, like he always was.
They set off by first light, the valley behind them growing smaller. The path was narrow, lined with wildflowers that brushed their ankles, and dew soaked their shoes till they squelched. Bright complained the whole time.
"My socks are wet," he groaned, stepping over a root. "Mangoes hate wet socks. What if they get mushy? Then we've got no snacks. No snacks = bad fighting. Basic math."
Tong laughed, grabbing Bright's arm to keep him from tripping over a rock. "Your mangoes are in a waterproof sack. Calm down."
Bright huffed, but he slowed down—just a little.
By mid-morning, they reached the Silver Stream. It was shallow, its water glinting like metal in the sun, and smooth stones dotted the bottom. Agus knelt to test the current.
"Slow enough to wade," he said, rolling up his pants. "Stick to the stones—avoid the deep spot by that log."
Lila went first, Tong right behind her. She stepped carefully, her shoes squelching as she hit the other side. Yara followed, her fire herb still glowing—just in case the water had surprises.
Tan Kai was halfway across when he heard Bright yelp. He turned to see Bright flailing, one foot stuck in the mud by the log.
"Mud! Stupid mud!" Bright yelled, trying to yank his foot free. "I'm gonna lose a shoe! And my mangoes are gonna get stuck too!"
Nam knelt on the bank, holding out a stick. "Grab this! Stop thrashing—you'll sink deeper."
Bright grabbed the stick, and Tong hauled him out. His shoe was caked in mud, and he looked like he might pout.
"Mud's enemy number one," he muttered, scraping dirt off his shoe. "Right after soldiers. And judges. And trees that trap you."
Everyone laughed—even Bright, a little.
They stopped for lunch by the stream, sitting on a patch of dry grass. Bright immediately pulled out his mango sack, tossing one to each of them. The fruit was sweet, juicy, and still firm—no mush, thank goodness.
Agus took a bite, then nodded toward the foothills. "Bronze Drum Clan's got a trick—they beat their drums at sunset. Scares off wolves. You'll hear it soon."
Lila's eyes widened. "Big drums? Like the ones grandma talked about? The ones that make the ground shake?"
Agus smiled. "Bigger. Made of bronze, just like their name. Sound carries for miles."
Yara finished her mango, wiping juice off her chin. "Think they'll let us see them? The drums?"
"Maybe," Agus said. "If they trust us. Lina traded with their leader—Old Drum. Nice guy. Loves stories. And lotus tea."
Tan Kai pulled Lina's diary out of his pocket, flipping to a page he'd marked. "She wrote about him here. Said he once chased off a group of soldiers with just his drum. Banged it so loud, their horses ran away."
Bright perked up. "Drums that beat soldiers? Cool. Way cooler than mud. Can we ask him to play? For… uh… strategy. Yeah. Strategy."
Nam rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Sure. 'Strategy.' Not because you want to hear a big drum."
Bright grinned, not even trying to hide it.
They packed up and kept going, the foothills drawing closer. The path got steeper, and trees grew thicker—their leaves blocking out the sun, making the air cool. Lila pointed out a woodpecker tapping on a tree, and Tong stopped to show her a caterpillar with bright red spots.
Then Bright froze. "Wait. Did you hear that?"
They all stopped. For a second, there was nothing but birdsong. Then—rustle. In the trees above.
Nam held up a hand, her fire herb flaring. "Stay quiet."
A small brown monkey dropped from a branch, landing right by Bright's mango sack. It grabbed a mango, squeaked, and darted back up the tree.
"Hey!" Bright yelled, jumping up. "That's my mango! Thief! Monkey thief!"
He chased the tree, waving his arms. The monkey perched on a branch, holding the mango up like it was taunting him. It took a big bite—juice dripping down its chin—and then dropped the core.
Bright stared at the core, then at the monkey. "You… you ate my mango. Rude. So rude."
The monkey squeaked again, then swung away into the trees.
Everyone burst out laughing. Bright crossed his arms, but his lips were twitching.
"Not funny," he said. "That was a snack. A valuable snack."
Tan Kai clapped him on the back. "We've got more. Relax. At least it didn't take the whole sack."
Bright huffed, but he fell back into step with them.
By late afternoon, the trees thinned, and they crested a hill. Below them, in a clearing, was the Bronze Drum Clan's camp. Tents made of brown cloth, a fire pit in the middle, and—by the biggest tent—a huge bronze drum, its surface polished till it shone.
And then they heard it.
Thump. Thump-thump.
The drum. Deep, loud, shaking the ground under their feet. It echoed off the foothills, and birds took flight from the trees.
Lila grabbed Tong's hand, her eyes wide. "Whoa. Grandma was right. It's so loud."
Agus smiled, staring down at the camp. "Old Drum's greeting. He knows we're here."
Bright leaned forward, squinting at the drum. "Can we go see it? Now? Please? For… strategy."
Agus laughed. "Yeah. For strategy. Let's go."
They walked down the hill, the drum's rhythm guiding them. A man stood at the camp entrance—tall, with a long gray beard, wearing a coat stitched with drum patterns. He held a drumstick, and he smiled when he saw Agus.
"Agus," he said, his voice deep like the drum. "Been a long time. Lina said you'd come, someday."
Agus clapped him on the back. "Old Drum. This is Tan Kai—Lina's son. And our friends."
Old Drum's eyes flicked to Tan Kai, then to the Lotus Spear. His smile grew. "Lina's spear. Good. We've been waiting. The Court's been sniffing around here, too. You're just in time."
Bright's hand shot up. "Can we see the drum? The big one? Please?"
Old Drum laughed, loud and warm. "Later. First—tea. And stories. Lina always loved our lotus tea. I'm sure you will too."
They followed Old Drum into the camp, the drum still thumping in the distance. Bright was already asking about the drum's size, Lila was staring at the tents, and Tan Kai felt the token in his pocket pulse—soft, happy, like it knew they were where they needed to be.
Tonight, they'd rest. They'd drink tea. They'd tell stories.
Tomorrow, they'd plan.
But for now? For now, they were exactly where they belonged.