Fate's Game | Lo'ak Sully

Part 20 - Hostage

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Lo'ak was violently attacked. It was a tragic incident.

Not by an angry animal or by the Sky-People.

By his own brother.

The two had been out riding their new ilus around, going all the way up to the edge of the reef to explore areas they hadn't been able to before.

Neteyam had a plan the whole time, surprise surprise. He took his brother to one specific location, telling him to go ahead of him. Lo'ak blindly obeyed him, thinking Neteyam was scared or something like that, falling right into his obvious trap.

He'd been lead into a rock pool that only had one way in and one way out. Neteyam blocked it. The outer edge of the pool had towering rocks the whole way around it, meaning there was no point in swimming for it, either. Lo'ak looked around for a while before turning back, asking his brother to move so that he could fit through the gap. When he didn't budge, the boy asked again, that time more aggravated.

"What the hell, bro?!" He whined, trying to push passed him once again. "What's with you?!" He slowly started to become more aggressive with his shoving.

"I just want to talk to you about something." Neteyam informs him, moving forward so that his brother would have to back away.

Lo'ak didn't answer him, he was more bewildered than anything, feeling cheated.

Once he'd made sure his brother wasn't going anywhere, or more accurately, wasn't able to go anywhere, Neteyam begun to investigate.

"Enjoying it here?" He starts it off mellow.

"Uh... I guess?" Lo'ak was stumped as to what his brother was up to, as there was no way he'd have brought him all the way out there to chit-chat about life at the reef.

"Good, good. I think Fay'tari is too."

That comment made Lo'ak adjust his posture, showing he was clearly uncomfortable. "So? What's that got to do with me?" He nonchalantly questions.

Neteyam lowers his head, peering up at his brother. "What are you up to?" He asks in a menacing tone.

Lo'ak shifted back further. "What?"

"Oh, sorry. I meant what are you two up to?" He switched up his words, appearing more aware then he actually was.

His brother froze, his eyes were wild with worry as he begun to think his brother knew something about the game he was playing. He begun to sweat, his mouth becoming dryer and dryer.

"What do you mean?"

Neteyam got closer. "Come on, brother. You can tell me."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Bullshit!" Neteyam yells, causing an echo to sound around them. "You expect me to believe Fay'tari's suddenly letting fish-fingers run his grubby fins all over her just for fun? To be nice?! No!"

Lo'ak's breathing quickened rapidly, he desperately didn't want his brother to know what was going on. He tried to think of something as an excuse, but it was no use. Neteyam wasn't done revealing his evidence.

"And you! You've been getting a whole lot of help recently! Have you always had trouble walking or is that a new development?" He teased as well as dug in further, telling his brother that he could see right through him.

"What are you getting at?!" Is all Lo'ak could say, not being able to confirm nor deny either of Neteyam's accusations.

"I know something's going on. Tell me what it is!"