The Kiwanja Tribe was a realm both strikingly different and surprisingly similar to the Tiānkōng Empire. While Kiwanja thrived on the earth below, Tiānkōng soared high in the mountains. The Kiwanja people were passionate about athletics and Olympic games, whereas Tiānkōng valued knowledge and learning. Kiwanja embraced a more primal existence, living closely with nature, while Tiānkōng embodied a civilized and regal lifestyle. Despite these differences, both realms held honor as their highest virtue, excelled in combat, and bore the scars of the Great War's violence and brutality.

The former chief of the Kiwanja Tribe dedicated his life to rebuilding what the war had ravaged. He tended to the ill and injured, restored their shattered homes, and labored under the sun to rejuvenate the land. After many years of tireless effort, his work bore fruit, and the tribe's losses were restored. This devotion earned him deep love and admiration from his people. Even the animals of the savannas and jungles respected him, for he adhered to sacred laws. He instructed his people to avoid overhunting, allowing them to kill only for sustenance or self-defense. He emphasized that every creature, whether animal or human, deserved respect, and no life was less valuable than another. He even forged peace with the giants of the realm, permitting them to farm on his land and serve as healers for his tribe. It was no wonder he was so beloved.

Of course the tribe was devastated when their beloved chief was killed on a hunting trip. He had been the greatest leader they ever had—wiser, more loyal, and kinder than anyone before him. The saddest part was that he died when his only child was just three years old. Wendy had already lost her mother to complications during childbirth, and now she was left without a father to raise her.

Wendy was destined to become the Chieftess of the Kiwanja Tribe, but she was far too young to succeed her father. Until she reached the appropriate age, her father's brother, Faust, took on the role of chief and became her guardian. However, Faust was not the nurturing type; in fact, he showed little interest in his niece. Instead, he entrusted the orphaned toddler to Grandeeney, a gentle giantess who had served as the former chief's healer and was now Wendy's nurse. Initially uncertain about her ability to raise a human child, Grandeeney soon came to love Wendy as if she were her own flesh and blood.

Under Grandeeney's love and care, Wendy blossomed into a cheerful, sweet, and kind girl with a deep affection for the wild. She felt most at home among the trees or in the tall grass, inhaling the scents of flowers and earth. Wendy delighted in swinging from vines, splashing in the watering hole, and listening to the birds sing. She shared a special bond with the plants and animals, preferring their company to the responsibilities of becoming the next leader of the tribe.

Wendy understood the significance of her role and respected it, yet she often felt insecure about being an heir. The weight of her father's great legacy loomed large, making her doubt her ability to live up to expectations.

The only person who knew of her struggles was a boy from the tribe named Romeo. He was her closest friend, and together they would sneak away from their chores to explore the jungles and savannas. Unlike others, Romeo saw beyond her title; he recognized her as a girl who simply wanted to embrace a life in nature, free from the pressures of leadership.

"Hi, Romeo!" Wendy greeted him with excitement one morning as he plowed the fields alongside the other farmhands.

"Hey, Wendy!" he replied.

"How much longer until you're done?"

"About another hour, I think."

"Well, when you're finished, I want to show you this really cool place I found yesterday."

"Why do you always get to choose where we go? Why can't I pick for once?"

"Because you never ask or make suggestions! But fine, you can choose this time. Where do you want to go?"

"Uh... actually, I don't know."

Wendy smirked at him. "And this is why I usually pick the places."

"You're lucky, Wendy. You don't have to spend all day farming in the hot sun. You can go anywhere, and that's how you know about all these places."

"Lucky? Please! I may not be farming all day, but I still have to spend hours learning about the boring laws and history of Kiwanja. Soon, I'll have to learn how to fight and hunt too."

"So? We all have to learn that."

"But I don't want to hunt or fight. I don't want to kill people or animals."

"Wendy, it's part of life. It's how we survive, just like the animals. It's not evil; it's the natural order. Besides, I could never be a vegetarian—you know how much I love boar meat."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I can't say I'm an expert on that topic."

Romeo set down the bag of seeds and put away the plow. "Alright, let's go see this cool place you're talking about."

"I thought you had to finish plowing the fields."

"My father is still out hunting. He'll never know I'm gone."

"Okay."

The two children hurried away from the village, with Wendy leading Romeo into the jungle. They climbed a tree so tall it seemed to touch the sky. At the top, they were greeted by an incredible view of Kiwanja: the sun shining down, tall grasses swaying, trees rustling, birds soaring through the sky, antelope prancing in herds, and elephants bathing in a waterfall. It was the most breathtaking sight either of them had ever seen.

"Wendy, this is amazing!" Romeo exclaimed. "I can see my hut from here!"

"Wouldn't it be great if we never had to come down?" Wendy replied. "If I didn't have to go back to those boring lessons and endless training? Why can't they just let my uncle stay chief?"

"Beats me. Adults can be so strange sometimes."

"Hey, do you want to play tree-top tag?"

"Don't I always?"

Tree-top tag was a game Wendy had invented after watching monkeys leap from branch to branch. One person would chase the other as they swung on vines and jumped onto branches. Many adults deemed it dangerous and often warned Wendy and Romeo against playing. But like most children, they ignored their elders' advice in favor of fun.

"Can't catch me!" Wendy taunted, landing on a sturdy branch.

"We'll see about that!" Romeo replied, grabbing a vine and swinging after her.

Wendy quickly jumped to another branch, determined not to let Romeo catch her.

"You've never been able to catch me, Romeo!" she boasted. "I've always been the fastest! I beat you in races, in herd chasing, and especially in tree-top taaaahhhh!"

Suddenly, the branch beneath her snapped, and she began to fall. Just in time, a strong young man caught her before she hit the ground. He had serious green eyes and war paint tattoos on his chest and over one eye. To many, he was handsome and noble, but to Wendy and Romeo, he was a bit annoying and slightly intimidating.

He was Jellal, the strongest warrior in the tribe, Romeo's older brother, and Wendy's bodyguard. When Wendy was a baby, Jellal had excelled in Olympic games, races, and fights, using his strength and quick wit to emerge victorious. Despite being only seven at the time, he earned the title of the former chief's most prized warrior. After the chief's death, Grandeeney requested that he be trained as Wendy's protector, and he happily obliged.

While Wendy trusted Jellal and Romeo loved him as any brother should, they often found his seriousness grating. He constantly nagged them about chores, lessons, and training, spoiling their fun.

"So this is where you two weasels sneaked off to," he said, disapprovingly eyeing Wendy before turning to Romeo, who was trying to hide in the trees. "Romeo, I can see you up there! Come down at once!"

Romeo sighed and slid down the tree trunk.

"You're really in for it this time!" Jellal scolded. "When Father returned from the hunt and found you gone, he nearly had a panic attack! How many times have we told you not to leave the hut without telling us?"

"Why are you asking me? You already know the answer. You're the one who brings it up all the time," Romeo shot back.

"And you," Jellal turned to Wendy, "know not to play tree-top tag. What were you thinking? You could have been killed! You both could have been killed!"

"We were just having a little fun," Wendy replied innocently.

"Is dying from a fall fun? What if I hadn't gotten here in time? You would be dead! And you would have broken poor Grandeeney's heart!"

"You're not going to tell her about this, are you?"

"Oh yes, I am! And I'm telling Father too!" Jellal glanced at Romeo.

"Oh Jellal, why do you have to be such a killjoy?" Romeo complained.

"Why do you always have to stress Father out? You promised me you'd try to be more mature this season. You promised to help with the farming."

"And I am! I was just taking a little break."

"And you promised not to do anything dangerous! Like wandering off and jumping around in trees! I swear you're going to send Father to an early grave!"

With that, Jellal took both children by the hands and escorted them home, where they would face their parents' reprimands.