Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
004, deja vu
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"YOU DID what?!"Åstelieha shouted as Aonung broke eye contact. "Was you involved in this aswell?" She asked Rotxo, who nodded slightly. "You two know so much better than to do that, after what happened to me?! You two disappoint me." She spoke through gritted teeth before turning around, beckoning for Neteyam — who was already staring at the girl — to come over.
"Tell him what you told me." She mumbled to her twin brother, who sighed, before telling Neteyam what he had done. Neteyam's eyes instantly darkened as grabbed Aonung by the arm, speeding through the water as they made their way to the Sully's mauri.
Åstelieha laughed at the sight of her brother being dragged through the water, but she soon stopped as she heard Rotxo trying to get away. "I don't think so." She huffed, dragging the boy towards her by his ear.
"Why did you do it? Because he beat you guys in a fight, is that it?" Åstelieha seethed as Rotxo sighed. He knew a lot better than to take Lo'ak outside of the reef after what happened to Åstelieha.
"I'm sorry, Telie." He looked down, disappointed in himself. "It isn't me you need to say sorry to, if Lo'ak does return, you and everyone else involved must apologise to him. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and kill you." Roxto nodded, quickly swimming away from the girl.
Åstelieha swam around on the ilu for another hour, skimwings had now swarmed the sky in search for Lo'ak. "Neteyam!" Åstelieha rode near Neteyam on her ilu, noticing the boy was distressed.
"Come." She beckoned for the boy to her on the ilu with her. He hesitated for a second, before getting onto the back of the ilu, resting a hand around her waist as the ilu began moving. The pair swam around on the ilu for a while as Neteyam had his head rested on Åstelieha's shoulder.
"You know, when I was a little girl, I had a friend. Her name was Kxe'mae, she was a few years older than me. Her and her friends were bad people, unhuman. Kxe'mae was a bully, and she began bullying Tsireya — of course I stuck up for my little sister. So the next day, Kxe'mae and her friends tricked me into going outside the reef. They left me there. Aonung Rotxo and Tsireya never stopped searching for me, from the moment they opened there eyes to the moment the closed them. Sure, the rest of the clan was looking for me, but not as much as my siblings. I was miles away from home according to Aonung for almost a week, I broke three of my bones and I was on the verge of death when they found me. But I made it. And if your brothers anything like me, which I think he is, then he will be fine." Neteyam was at a loss for words.
Neteyam knew she didn't want his pity. "What happened to them?" He asked, referring to the girls.
"They were banished, all of them. There families had the option to leave with them and all of the families left." She replied, wiping the lone tear that fell from her eyes. "He will be back, Neteyam. And if he doesn't return, I give you permission to give my brother the same fate."
Åstelieha swam to the shore, the pair getting off the ilu as they sat down on the sand, watching the sun set.
✧˖*°࿐
They talked and laughted for hours, their eyes staying on the skimwings in the sky Åstelieha rested her head on Neteyam's shoulder, hugging her knees close.
"I don't think he's coming back." Neteyam breathed out, almost as if he didn't mean to say it out loud. Åstelieha's head shot up from his shoulder as she grabbed his face, turning it to look at her.
"He will be okay, Neteyam. He is a warrior, just like his brother." Neteyam scanned her eyes, wondering if she's was lying. "What did I tell you?" Åstelieha grinned as she heard the calling sounds that meant they had found the missing person. The pair looked to the sky, watching as the skimwings dove into the water. "Come!" Åstelieha shouted, standing up and dragging the boy along with her over to where the crowd was.
She dropped his hand as she stood beside Tsireya and Neteyam jumped down to Lo'ak examining his body to make sure he wasn't hurt. Åstelieha zoned out of the conversation but zoned back in as her father pushed Aonung to the floor making her twin brother kneel.
"No, my son knows a lot better than to take him outside of the reef. The blame is his." Åstelieha walked away, not wanting to stay any longer. Her mind swarmed of that day, as it began replaying in her mind.
✧˖*°࿐
"Hey Åstelieha, want to come exploring outside the reef with us?" Kxe'mae asked as she swam up to Åstelieha, who was feeding an ilu. "I don't know, my father would kill me." Kxe'mae rolled her eyes at this reply.
"Oh yeah, I forgot how boring you are." Kxe'mae went to turn away but Åstelieha grabbed her arm, stopping the older girl from leaving. "I'll come." Kxe'mae grinned, watching as Åstelieha got onto the ilu she was previously feeding before the pair sped off towards Saryu and Ha'nsa.
Kxe'mae, Saryu and Ha'nsa all shared a knowing smirk before the group began making their way towards the barrier of the reef. Soon enough, the group was now outside the reef. They dived into the water, exploring for a while.
Kxe'mae grinned as she found the perfect spot to ditch the girl.
"I lost my necklace, will you go get it for me?" Kxe'mae signed towards the stone hole as Åstelieha hesitated for a few seconds but not want to disappoint her friends, she went it. After a few minutes, she realised there was no necklace in there.nÅstelieha swam out of the hole, her eyebrows furrowing as she noticed her friends and the ilu's had gone.
Åstelieha arose from the water, her heart dropping as she realised how far out she was. She couldn't even see home from where she was.
"Kxe'mae! Sayru! Ha'nsa!" Åstelieha repeatedly shouted, desperate for her friends to show up again. But they never did. Åstelieha went to her second option as she began trying to call for an ilu, but since she was so far outside of the reef, her calls weren't being recieved.
And it wasn't as though Åstelieha could find her way back, as she had never left the reef so therefore she didn't know the way home. She was truly lost in the middle of the ocean.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
M speaks !
this is quite a sloppy chapter but it does tell you a lot about telie. also, happy new year!
