𝐎𝐞𝐥 𝐍𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐢𝐞 || 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

𝐈𝐈𝐈

𝟹
-𝙱𝚊𝚋𝚢𝚜-

I humm lightly as Kiri and Tuk sit beside me in the sand. Kiri huffs in frustration as she can't get the seaweed to stay together in its rope. I smile and move my hands slower, discretely demonstrating to her again. I catch her watching and I move even slower. I secure shells as I move along the braid, creating a small bracelet which I slide onto Kiri's wrist.

"Thanks." The girl says with a soft smile.

"No fair, I want one." Tuk complains.

"Which shells would you like?" I smile as Tuk gleefully scrambles to gather her shells.

I chuckle to myself as I quickly create the bracelet. The shells she picked are all sandy or coral, the combination makes for a beautiful piece. I grab Tuk's hand and slide the rope over her hand and she smiles shaking the bracelet, making a soft chink as the shells hit one another.

"Pretty." Tuk gazes at her new accessory. "Can we make some for Neteyam and Lo'ak?"

"I think they'd like that."

I smile, creating a bracelet with red and tan shells to match Neteyam's beads in his hair. As I think about it, they all have them. I gaze closely at the beads the girls share.

"What do the beads mean?" I ask, the words slipping from my lips before I can think. "I mean, do they mean anything?"

"They tell our stories." Kiri says with a memory filled smile. "This one is for when I was born, for when I first bonded with our spirit tree, when I got my Ilran, when we were first attacked, and when we left our home."

"That's bueatiful." I smile as Tuk begins telling hers.

"Mine are when I was born, when I bonded with the spirit tree, and when we left home."

I smile and nod as we continue our braiding my mind now wondering to todays new plan.

I collect shells at the bottom the reef. I pick each one special, only choosing the ones I think they will like. When I'm done I have three round shells and three shining pearls. My chest begins to ache as I swim to the surface.

As my ears clear of the salty water, shouts reach my ears. I turn towords the beach to see pale blue figures surrounding a dark blue one. Kiri.

As I storm over the sand, Lo'ak appears and begins to defend Kiri.

"Oh, another four fingered freak." Aoung teases, tugging the boys tail. "baby tail."

"Aoung, what do you think you are you doing." I hiss, shoving him away from Lo'ak and Kiri.

Sound simply passes me a glance before turning back to his friends snickering.

"What, you think bullying them will make you look cool infront of your friends?" Apungs ears flatten against his head as he hisses at me. "Shut up. Leave them alone, Aoung."

"Don't tell me what to do, A'Kila." Apung seethes, stepping closer to me, hissing. "Stay out of this."

Suddenly, Apung is shoved a few steps back and Neteyam steps between me and Aoung.

"You heard what she said, leave them alone." Neteyam seethes.

"As big brother coming-" Aoung interupts his friend with a hand on his chest.

"Back off." Neteyam hisses. "Now."

Slowly Aoung raises his hands in surrender, walking backward with a faked arrogant smirk.

"Good choice." Neteyam steps back slightly, pressing his back against my chest as my hand comet to his arm. "And from now on, I need you to respect my sister."

Apungs friends hiss as Kiri sticks her tongue out at the foolish boys.

"Let's go." Neteyam turns and presses a hand to Lo'aks head, guiding him away.

Neteyam pauses for a moment when he sees I am not going to follow. I give him an apologetic smile and he nods before beginning to walk away.

"Are you serious, Aoung?" I hiss at my younger brother. "What we're you thinking, she's just a little girl. They lost their home, everything. Leave them b-"

"Bye bye." Aoung's friend says in a sing song voice.

I hiss at the boy and turn to see Lo'ak turning back despite his siblings' protests.

"I got this bro." Lo'ak says, stepping up to Aoung. "I know this hand may look funny. Look I'm a freak." The boy wiggles his smallest finger as the boys beside me chuckle. "But it can do something really cool, watch. First I ball it up real tight like this. Okay, then-"

Lo'ak's words cut off as he swings his fist at Aoung, the boy staggering back wards. I yell in suprise as the boy lands three solid punches before Aoung falls at my feet, causing me to chuckle alightly at the once arrogant boy bleeding from his nose.

"It's called a punch bitch." Lo'ak yells at the boy. "Never touch my sister again.

Before I know it, Aoung has Lo'ak in the sand, both boys exchanging a few punches. I am pushed aside as the boys behind me join the fight, dragging Lo'ak by his tail across the sand.

Neteyam sighs before joining the fight. He lands a few blows, kneeing the first boy in the gut before another tackles him to the ground.

"Aoung, stop it!" I yell, grabbing my brother's arm. "You idiot."

I wrestle with the boy as he tries to tug his arm free. Suddenly his elbow crashes into my nose and I fly back into the sand. I hold my gushing nose as Kiri rushes to my side. I gently pull from her grasp and hiss before realizing a boy has Lo'ak by the tail and Lo'ak has Aoung by his ear, the three boys forming a line across the sand. I giggle lightly alongside Kiri as I realize how silly this is. After a while, all the boys are bleeding and tired.

"Enough!" I screech at the top of my lungs, causing the boys to pause.

I use their suprise to pry their hands from one another and get either side of idiots on either of my sides.

"You all are acting like babies." I say to all before turning to Aoung. "You should be ashamed. Go home all of you."

I storm over to Aoung and grab his ear harshly, dragging him home.

"Aoung you are so dead." I hiss as his hands claw at my arm. "Why are you such an ass?" He begins to speak. "Don't answer that."

"Mother, Father." I call and ding mother folding seaweed over fish and father sharpening his spear. "I just found Aoung bullying the Sully children and they got in a fight."

I throw Aoung to the mercy of my parents as Tiseryi walks in veiw.

"What happened?" Tiseryi asks.

"I think Aoung should Explain." I cross my arms over my chest waiting for him to speak.

"We were just having a little fun." Aoung says slowly.

"He was insulting Kiri and Lo'ak. Tugging their tails and pointing out their fingers." Father glares at the boy angrily while mothers expression is unreadable.

"Lo'ak threw the first punch." Aoung argues.

"It was well deserved."

"Enough." Father orders, standing. "I will not have your fighting brought into our home."

"He called them freaks." I protest.

"I said Enough." Father sighs. "Don't do it again. Go, leave my sight."

After a long pause I follow a scrambling Aoung outside. I shove him into the water not far from our home. He peeks his head up and I grin at his purple cheek before heading to the home of Toruk Makto.