𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 || 𝗔𝗼'𝗻𝘂𝗻𝗴

5

"He did what!?" I turn to Ao'nung after what Neteyam told me. He slowly backs away.

I rush towards him until someone stops me, it was Lo'ak. "This skxawng left you to die!"

"I mean, yeah he did. But he was the one who told Neteyam I was gone." Lo'ak keeps his hands on my shoulders and I slowly calm down.

"Get off me." I lean away from Lo'ak and he moves his arms back to his sides.

"He wont do anything like that again, we're friends." Lo'ak reassures me. I stare at him in disbelief.

"Tell that skxawng to stay away from me." I walk away and go to the marui.

-

I lay on my hammock and put my hands behind my head. Just when I'm about to get comfortable someone says my name.

"Rua?" I already recognise that voice, I ignore it at first but he doesn't leave.

I sit up on the hammock and face him, "What do you want Ao'nung. One minute you're a total dick to us and now you're acting all friendly."

"Yeah. That's because your brother stuck up for me. He didn't have to, but he did." Ao'nung walks towards me.

"He was stupid for doing so." I look up at him.

"I respect him and he respects me. Now all I ask is for you to respect me." He looks down at me. I stand up in front of him so I feel less uncomfortable.

"I'm still waiting for your respect towards me." I give him an intimidating look, he doesn't seem as tough as before.

"You already have it." He moves back a bit, giving me some space.

"Okay well, you have my respect. We are not friends though." I walk past him but he quickly catches up with me and walks by my side.

"And how can I make you my friend?" In the corner of my eye I see him turn his head towards me.

"Maybe you can start with helping me hold my breath for longer. I can hold it for about three minutes, I need to hold it for longer." I stop walking and turn towards him.

"Alright. Let me get my sister, you go get whoever you want." He walks in the direction of his families marui.

I see Lo'ak talking to Neteyam, Kiri, and Tuk and I quickly walk over to them. "Anyone wanna join me for some more training?" Everyone nods except for Lo'ak.

"Tsireya will be helping." I walk away when I say that and shortly after Lo'ak is by my side.

-

"Breathe in.." We all do what Tsireya says. She doesn't say breathe out. I catch onto why she doesn't say it. We have to hold our breath for as long as we can.

One minute goes by, so far everyone is doing well. Two minutes, Tuk couldn't hold her breathe anymore. She was upset at first but Kiri comforted her.

Three minutes, Lo'ak and Neteyam started to struggle. Me as well. After four minutes Kiri, Neteyam, and Lo'ak all couldn't hold their breathe anymore.

It's just me, Tsireya, and Ao'nung. I start to feel lightheaded. I rub my head and look at Tsireya. I shake my head at her and breathe out.

"Four and a half minutes!" I stand up and catch my breathe.

"Well done Rua!" Tsireya claps her hands. I turn to Ao'nung and he's slightly smiling.

"How did he go from a total dick to this?" I ask myself quietly.

"What was that?" He walks in front of me and I see Tsireya and the others look at eachother.

"Nothing, just talking to myself." I walk past him and go towards the others.

"Can we go swim?" I ask them.

"I need to go and sleep, all this moving around has been making me more tired." Kiri looks at me sadly, she mouths sorry.

"Kiri you have to come though! You'll love what I'll show you. I'm glad Rua wants to go swim since I was also going to ask." Ao'nung looks at Tsireya as she finishes speaking.

-

"This is our most sacred place, the cove of the ancestors." Tsireya swims underwater and we all follow her.

She swims towards the spirit tree and when she reaches the spirit tree she grabs her kuru from behind her.

She waits for us to reach her and then she signs to us to link our kurus to the tree. I grab mine from my back and see everyone else doing the same.

I watch Kiri link her kuru to the tree and she closes her eyes. I link my kuru to the tree as well and close my eyes.

When I open them I'm back at the Omaticaya clan. I get up from where I'm sat and look around. I see Mo'at and.. Grace. My mother.

I run up to her and hug her, "Mother.." I feel her stroke my head as I cry into her chest. I look back up and everything is gone, it's just me and her.

"Mother, I miss you. We had to leave you, I'm so sorry." I wipe my eyes and she kneels down to me.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was never there to watch you and Kiri grow up. My beautiful girls.." She tears up and pulls me close to her.

She slowly pulls me away, "Rua, you have to go now." She looks down at me and rubs the tears from my face.

"I'll be back soon, I swear!" I hug her one more time and close my eyes. When I open them, I'm being shook by Tuk.

I look around and see Kiri shaking frantically, a seizure. Neteyam and Rotxo are pulling her up to the surface.

I quickly catch up to them and get to the surface first. I call over our Ilus, Neteyam comes out the water and lays Kiri on one of the Ilus.

"What happened!?" I turn to Tsireya who is trembling. Tuk holds onto my arm and I hear her quietly crying.

"It started randomly, she started to seize while she was linked to the tree." Tsireya quickly turns to Kiri after we both hear her cough.

"Kiri!" Tuk shouts, I grab Tuk and get on my Ilu and I put her infront of me.

"Quick! We need to get her back to the camp!" Neteyam shouts and gets on his Ilu.

Rotxo gets on his Ilu and holds Kiris Ilu to bring it back to the camp.