Moon Child

01

{Welcome to the Island}

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It was a peaceful day here in the Pandoran islands. The Metkayina people were continuing their duties, the women sewing and cooking, the men fishing and listening to whatever their wives ordered them to do.

Ixchel hurriedly tried to complete her chores in her marui, racing her brothers, Aonung and Roxto. Her sister, Tsireya, had already finished her chores and Ixchel was eager to join her in the water. If only she could finish weaving this basket for her mother a little faster. But her hands were already getting tired and she was just so bored.

"Roxto, I told you I would pay you if you just finished this for me, please brother," Ixchel whined, still weaving. Roxto shook his head, smiling as he stayed put. The girl turned to her other brother. "Aonung—"

"Definitely not," he laughed. "I hate weaving, you know this, sister."

"Oh, you are both terrible brothers! I will remember this when you—"

The children were interrupted by a commotion going on near the shore. The Watchers blew there horns to signal the people on the island. People running out of their homes, heading towards the land. They'd made a large flock on the sand, bustling around each other trying to see what was going on. As the children looked outside the marui, they saw the people gathering in front of these bird like creatures carrying people. People who looking like them, with slightly different features.

"Who are they?" Roxto asked as they forgot all about their chores. "Why do they look like that?"

"They are the land people," Ixchel explained, stepping out of her home to get a closer look. "Only a few of them. They come on their ikrans!" Ixchel smiled at the sight, growing more curious by the second. "Come, brothers, let us go. Surely they have a very interesting story to tell, so be kind."

The boys were anything but kind as the three made their way to the front of the crowd. Ixchel searched for her father as they emerged from the huddle of people. Aonung and Roxto puffed out their chest as they walked, looking the new people up and down, clicking their tongues. They were trying to intimidate them, for no reason at all. Ixchel thumped them on their arms, fussing at them for their behavior.

"Zola'u Nipprrte, friends, welcome," Ixchel said softly to the people. She looked down to the youngest little girl who was holding her sisters hand. "Welcome, little one."

Ixchel's father, Tonowari, the Olo'eyktan of their tribe emerged from the sea to greet the new people. She scanned the crowd for her mother who she knew would not be happy about this.

"What brings you here, my friend?"

Ixchel tried to listen carefully to their story while intently watching her brothers.

"Look at their tails!" Roxto laughed, grabbing the tail
of one of the boys. "How could you possibly swim with this?"

"Roxto, enough," Ixchel pestered, placing her hand on the Omatikaya boys arm. "Excuse my brother, he was clearly dropped as a baby." Roxto huffed as he let go of the boys tail, still looking at them.

The Omatikaya boy nodded thankfully, glancing at the girls cold hand.

"Do not touch them sister, they could be contagious,"
Aonung joked, pulling his sister's hand away. "Look at them! They have five fingers, Ixchel, look!"