Skipping Stones | Lo'ak

16

CHAPTER 16

Lo'ak looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him as he made it out to the path by the water. He called his ilu before taking off a saddle from its rack, walking over to the animal to place it on his back. The ilu clicked and allowed him to slide the saddle over its head before Lo'ak walked back to fetch the reins.

"No way you're running out of here, baby brother," Neteyam said as he walked up to Lo'ak.

Startled, Lo'ak turned to face his brother, "I have to warn Payakan about the trackers," he told him.

"No," Neteyam disagreed, walking closer, "You have to keep your skxawng ass here," he was wearing a smile, as if he were merely teasing the younger.

"He's outcast! There's nobody to warn him but me!" Lo'ak was losing his temper. There was no time for this. The hunters were searching for tulkun pray at that very moment - Lo'ak was sure of this.

"Bro," Neteyam said, placing a hand on top of his head, "Why do you always have to make things so hard?" He shook his hand, making Lo'ak's head move.

Lo'ak hit his hand away and looked at him with a great deal of anger in his eyes, "No," he started, "You mean why can't I be the perfect son like you?" Neteyam scoffed and stepped back, shaking his head as his ears twitched in annoyance. Lo'ak's voice rose as he said the next words. "The perfect little soldier. Well I'm not you! Okay?! I'm not you. He's my brother! I'm going."

Neteyam was angry, "Lo'ak!" Lo'ak turned around to walk away and he stepped forward to pull him back, "He's your brother?" He made his brother turn to face him, "No. I'm your brother."

The rain was falling down heavily when 'Kanu arrived by ilu. Her, Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo had all come to them. She had decided that in the midst of all this chaos, she would forgive him. She leapt up onto the path and made her way toward the two fighting brothers, "Lo'ak!"

Lo'ak pulled his arm out of Neteyam's grip, "Get off me," he said and shot a look at 'Kanu before diving into the waters. 'Kanu had seen as his eyes softened for a moment before he was enveloped by the water.

"Lo'ak!" Neteyam yelled furiously.

"Come back!" 'Kanu called as she watched the water where he had disappeared.

"Come on! He's going to Payakan!" Neteyam told them as he called his ilu before jumping into the water. There was a series of different calls as the group of Metkayina called for their respective ilus. 'Kanu did not spare her siblings a glance before she dove in after him, holding on to her ilu as it graciously glided under her. She was swept away with it and the group followed behind Lo'ak, desperate to reach him.

Up ahead she could see Lo'ak come up to the surface, "Come back!" She called after him, blinking the rain out of her eyes. Lo'ak did not listen and instead sped up. As 'Kanu willed her ilu to go faster, she passed Neteyam and could see Kiri and Tuk some distance away. She hoped that they would not follow - she did not want Tuk in the way of potential danger.

"Lo'ak!" Kiri and Tuk called, but Lo'ak gave no reaction to them either.

"Lo'ak is going to find Payakan!" Neteyam told his sisters as the group passed.

"Hold on!" Kiri told Tuk, holding onto her as they dove into the water to follow the others.

'Kanu was close to Lo'ak - by now her ilu could bite the tail of his ilu if she willed it to. But instead of trying to get Lo'ak to turn back, she now raced alongside him. She agreed with him that Payakan should be warned just like all the other tulkun. Payakan was in more danger than the others since he was outcast - he would be an easy target to the skypeople since they would not need to drive him away from the pod first.