Ska'i Malamalama
Half of the Ula men and Ska'i forced the trespassers to walk up Volcano Olawai by spearpoint, after releasing them from their net-y prisons. A few of the young ones tried following, before their mothers called them back into the village, scolding as they did so.
The trail was a little over two miles long, but Ska'i was used to this route. She ran this and back as a warm-up, with her morning training. It was obvious these trespassers weren't used to such physical activity, considering they always had their dragons flying them around. The Quiet Burly one especially was heaving up a storm, forcing everyone to slow down. When he tried making everyone pause for a quick break, Koi roughly forced him to his feet and they plodded on. Much to Ska'i's disapproval; they were being far more cooperative than she could imagine him being. And her, if she were in their position. The closer they got to the top, the more fruit - mango, guava, and passionfruit - and flowers - birds of paradise, plumerias, and hibiscus - lined the walkway. Coupled with forest plants - sugar cane, banana tree saplings, and ferns - and vegetable roots - taro, poi, and ube - were also interspersed.
"What is all this?" Ska'i heard one of them ask so faint, it was near a whisper.
"Well," she heard Homake, Koi's best friend, who was an even bigger titi than he was. He answered him through his boar skull mask, patronize dripping from his voice, "That is a fruit." and he pointed the end of his spear at a mango. "Can you say, 'fruit'?"
The Failed Guard was looking like he was about to blow up like the exact mountain they were all standing on, and get himself into an even worse situation. Ah, so he was the one who'd asked the question.
Luck seemed to be on his side. Quiet Burly hurried to say, "Yes, mangos are just one of the many fruits that grow here that are indigenous to you and your people, aren't they?"
. . . Auwe?
Koi stilled. It unwittingly gave the the trespassers a chance to catch their breath, while the rest of the accompanying Ula stopped. What fell over the procession, was a deadly type of silence like a heavy cloud, thick with tense anticipation. And everyone stood in poised silence, waiting for the lightest mist drop to fall from that cloud, ready to strike at the smallest command. Ska'i felt her eyes grow big, as her head turned to glare at Quiet Surly in suspicion and disbelief. Her grip tightened on her spear in preparation, although she wasn't quite ready to kill them. There was more than her little island! It wasn't like they were very social; the only other people who would be able to know about the type of fruit they grew here, were their enemy tribes.
With the smallest head nod from Koi, they all backed up a step to lower their center of gravity and extended their spearheads at the invaders. "How do you know that?" Koi spat out at Quiet Burly as if he were Kanaloa himself. The tip of his obsidian arrowhead was pressing so close to his throat, that dared he swallow, it would pierce through his throat.
"Um," Quiet Burly managed to squeak out.
Ska'i never knew such a huge man could accurately resemble the sound of a mouse.
"Uh," the Skinny Leader tried to lean in, but immediately got rebutted by a second spearpoint almost meeting an eyeball. He eased off, while Quiet Burly spoke up again. "Ahem. Ah, to answer your question, all these offerings - ." And he tried gesturing with his hands, but the tied ropes restrained him from making a lot of movements. Then he gave up and chose to jerk around his head a bit in awkwardness. "- here, coincides with the tropical humidity, and climate."
Ska'i and a few others began to lower their spears, in hesitation. It caused Koi to whip his head around at them in anger. But she snapped back with a growl, "Koi. It makes sense."
