Where's My Love? - Lo'ak

Chapter 13: The Scar

Sitting on the large rock near the reef was uncomfortable for Esmyrie. She kept having to adjust her skirt and legs, as she was getting divets into her skin from the roughness of it.

Lo'ak saw her movements and instantly stood up, grabbing her arms so she would stand and moving her to sit where he just was. When she sat down at Lo'aks previous spot, it was a lot more comfortable, it being smooth instead of rigid. She gives him a grateful nod, which he returns, before taking his place where she was just sitting, it also being uncomfortable for him but shrugging it off as if it is nothing.

The atmosphere was weird, the kids being so close to eachother. Roxto, Ao'nung, and Tsireya seem like naturals sitting on this rock, while the forest teens are moving every few seconds trying to get comfortable.

Finally, once the kids all sat still, Tsireya started her instruction, telling them how to sit, how to keep there posture, Roxto and Ao'nung helping demonstrate.

"Breath in...." Tsireya instructs, the only sound being the gulps of breath, the waves hitting the beach and coral that sticks out, and the wind blowing through Esmyrie's hair. "Then breath out." She directs her breathing with her hands, moving them downward to show the motion.

It isn't a simple up and down, the breath. It's slow, caculated. It's like a feather that is flying in the wind, going up, up, up until the wind stops, and it glides down to the ground slowly.

"Imagine a flickering flame. You must slow down your heartbeat." Tsireya explains, before putting a hand on Lo'aks chest and another on his stomach.

Esmyrie see's the movement, and see's the clench of Lo'aks abs when the girl puts her hand there. She sees the way Lo'aks eyes widen for a split second, before going back to there natural state, now staring off right in front of him.

What frustrates Esmyrie isn't the fact that Tsireya is touching Lo'ak, it's the fact that her thumb is unknowingly rubbing along one of Lo'aks scars on his stomach, one that Esmyrie helped heal.

"I don't understand why you won't listen to me Lo'ak! It's dangerous after eclipse, and neither of our fathers have taught us how to hunt properly!" Esmyrie says, trying to encourage Lo'ak to go back to their home, but Lo'ak shrugs the idea off, wanting to prove himself to his parents.

"I don't know why you are so worried, nothing bad is going to happen. I'm just trying to show dad that I in fact, can take care of myself, and can hunt."

"This isn't even hunting Lo'ak this is fishing! Hunting would involve a land animal, this is fish! We have been fishing since we were four!" Esmyrie groans out, trying to get it through his thick skull that it is best to go home.

"You're right, this is fishing.... we should hunt a land animal. I have my bow and arrows, so.... lets go!" Lo'ak exclaims, quickly running into the forest, causing Esmyrie to follow him.

"Lo'ak please! I don't like this! It's scaring me!" Esmyrie cries out, losing Lo'ak in his mission to find a land animal to hunt.

During Esmyrie's search she thankfully finds Lo'ak, yards away, his bow prepared as he sees the leaves in front of him shift from movement.

"Lo'ak!" Esmyrie whisper shouts, which causes her to receive a glare from the boy.

"Shhhh I'm hunting." Lo'ak says, turning back to the leaves.

However, his hold on his bow lessens, especially once the creature is revealed, poking out of the leafs and bushes. A Thanator, and not any Thanator, a mother Thanator.

"Lo'ak...." Esmyrie whimpers out, her hands starting to shake in fear of this predator looking at them like its next meal.

"Run! Run!" Lo'ak yells, dropping his bow and grabbing Esmyries arm, quickly dragging her away as the Thanator chases them. "Go! go go go go go!" Lo'ak urges, making sure the girl is infront of him so he is in line of the immediate danger.