The Power of Three- Lo'ak x OC x Neteyam

Chapter 6

"I wish I'd been there!" Kiri exclaims to her sibling, marvel in her eyes. The family plus Tsireya, Roxto, and Ao'nung had become unlikely friends, even the males had calmed down after their spat a week ago. "The ocean blessed you two with a gift."

Ao'nung rolls his eyes exasperatedly, the conversation having been had already a multitude of times.

"The Tulkun have not returned yet, and anyway no Tulkun is ever alone."

Ava, Lo'ak, and Neteyam look among themselves, the three of them deciding that he was a bit of a know-it-all.

"Well this one was," Lo'ak insists. "And he had a missing fin, like a stump on the left side."

"Poor Tulkun." Tuk muses sadly.

"Payakan," Tsireya whispers fearfully, glancing over at her sibling in confirmation.

"Who's Payakan?" Ava and Kiri ask simultaneously, curiosity painting their features.

"A young bull who went rogue," Roxto explains. "He's outcast, alone. And he has a missing fin."

"They say he is a killer." Tsireya finishes, her ears laid back uneasily.

"No," Lo'ak shakes his head in disbelief. Ava reaches out and grabs a hold of one of his arms, squeezing lightly. The male wraps his five-fingered hand around her slender wrist, grateful for the contact.

"He killed Na'vi, and other Tulkun." Ao'nung presses, Neteyam leaning in to hear more about the creature. He catches Ava's eyes across the circle, his gaze betraying his fear for them.

"Not here, but far to the south."

"He's no killer," Lo'ak insists.

"You two are lucky to be alive." Tsireya claims.

"You don't understand, he saved our lives. He's our friend."

"My baby sibs, the mighty warriors, faced a killer Tulkun and lived to tell about it." Neteyam stands up and grabs Lo'ak's shoulders, the male shaking him off with a hiss.

"You guys aren't listening." Lo'ak accuses, climbing to his feet and backing away from the group. Ava watches him go, sending a disappointed look in Neteyam's direction.

"Lo'ak I'm listening," Tuk protests, but it falls on deaf ears.

"I can't believe you guys," Ava vents. "He's telling the truth, Payakan saved us. You weren't there, you don't understand." Lashing her tail angrily, she spins around, shoving past Neteyam on her way out. The teen looks after her, regretting his quick words to his brother.

Just outside the reef, Lo'ak calls for his new friend, the ilu he was riding pitter-pattering its front flippers to try and help get the creature's attention. Out of the deep the bull rises to the surface, raising his mantle out of the water in greeting.

"It's good to see you." Lo'ak smiles at the Tulkun.

Where's Ava? Payakan clicks.

"She's back at the reef," the forest Na'vi explains. He sits up on the Tulkun's fin with a serious look in his eyes.

Why are you outcast? What happened?

Payakan closes his double set of eyes, squealing softly.

**I can't. It's too painful. **

I trust you, Lo'ak signs. You can trust me.

"I thought I'd find you out here." The teen spins around in surprise, nearly falling off of his Tulkun's fin. Ava laughs as she disconnects with her ilu and swims over, signing a respectful greeting to Payakan. The bull clicks back at her, happy to see her and greatly amused by his boy's reaction to her. Once Ava gets settled, the sea creature drifts below the waves with his passengers hanging on with just their legs. The bull leisurely swims through a school of fish, his mouth gaping wide to swallow his lunch. The teens wave away the stragglers, pulling faces as they are buffeted by slimy fish.