A Taste of What's To Come.

Hello there!
So I'm back! Today was also my first day of school, which wasn't bad to be honest. I spent most of the day in the library avidly reading my genetics textbook. (I half think something in me got messed with over the summer. Me, enjoying a textbook? This is (almost) unheard of! But then again it's biology so that kinda makes sense.) Other than that...I think I'm looking forward to all my classes (except for chem lab of course).

 And of course, I'd feel bad of not leaving a bit of original writing for you to peruse, so here's the beginning snippet of my latest project. It's quite small, but hopefully these 348 words are entertaining!

Aza perched on the top of the highest stone tower of Otowa Hopa, his eyes cast as far across the desert plain as a 10 year old could dream and his small hands clutching the small warrior’s knife that hung from his breechcloth. From Hopa, great roads stretched as far as the eye could see in all the cardinal directions, but this day Aza’s were fixed east. His uncle, the pharin Karuanhe, had led a party south of their city a few moons ago and had promised to return with great treats for his nephews this day. 

“I will travel all the way to Otowa Tiwa and deal with the people that beg trouble there. I will return when their spirits are tranquil again and I will bring you both great gifts.”

“Will it change our lives?” his brother Ani demanded. Since Aza was born a cycle after he had been, Ani had been forever obsessed about life-changing people and objects. According to him, ever since Aza had been born, people had been forever confusing the two of them: they were splitting images of each other, from their choppy coal-black hair to their dark caramel skin to their stubborn jawlines. The only way people told them apart was by their eye color: Ani’s was bright green, like their father’s, while Aza’s was blue, like their late mother’s. 

Karuanhe had chuckled at Ani’s question. “Maybe it will.” 

Aza had tugged his uncle’s stubbed right arm worriedly. “Will you make it back before the cold moons arrive?”

His uncle ruffled his hair.  “You celebrate your birth in the second moon of winter, don’t you? I’ll certainly return by then, young Aza.” Karunahe had expected to wrap up business in  Tiwa quickly and promised Aza and Ani that he would be gone only a few moons. “At this time three moons from now, watch the east road carefully. Look for a flagstaff with the Hopa weave around the Tkalis banner and you will find me marching triumphantly below.”

Aza strained his eyes on the road east but saw no banner, not even the dust of a horse or boot. 

Hopefully it's interesting! I think the entire first "chapter" of this story drags a bit, but I'll be back within a week with the next part of this chapter! As always, any feedback, predictions or questions are encouraged; I'm curious as to how this scene looks to other people. 

For those in the UC system, good luck this upcoming quarter and year! For those not...(though I wouldn't know who would be reading this that isn't) good luck to your pursuits as well!
~Minerva

P.S. ECA! I know! I have to get back to working on that.....>_<"
P.P.S. Question--Next to work on/ post--the continuation of this or the next few parts of ECA?