Like Water || Neteyam

Chapter 7: Not Now

"Check it out!" Lo'ak exclaimed after dismounting his pa'li.

"Whoa!" Spider looked around the old battlefield in wonder as he followed after Lo'ak.

You rode along with Kiri and Tuk, for you were barely Tuk's size, and the pa'li was able to take one extra tiny person with no issue. Tuk jumped off before Kiri could take her hand, therefore she helped you off instead.

"Is this the battlefield?" Tuk walked around tentatively, her voice sounding unsure. "We shouldn't be here."

"Don't be a baby Tuk, or the toruk will get you." Lo'ak paused as he came face to face with the remains of a Samson which was already covered in vines, leaves, and dust. "I'm going up there."

"Lo'ak don't!" You tried to grasp his hand but missed by an inch for he had already began to walk.

"Are you crazy?" This time Kiri agreed with you, "What if it all comes crashing down?"

"No way, it's been up there for like a hundred years..." Lo'ak brushed off Kiri's concern.

"Fifteen." You and Spider blurted out at the same time without plan, the two of you exchanging knowing looks as you couldn't help but roll your eyes a little, and Spider laughed as he saw your face.

"Fifteen years," Lo'ak repeated impatiently, "Think about the stuff we'll find!"

"The toruk will eat us..." Tuk still lingering behind everyone mumbled anxiously, apparently she took Lo'ak's joke way too seriously.

"Tuk it's okay," you went back for her, taking her hand in yours, "the toruk is not here, it won't eat anybody. Even if it were here, it would be the boys that it first eats." You glared at Lo'ak and Spider, neither of them hearing your mocking, for they were way too occupied while climbing up towards the Samson that was hanging between tree branches. Kiri at first was against this idea, but now seeing that the boys were at it, she couldn't help her curiosity no longer and decided to follow along.

"So cool!" Spider called out in awe as he peaked inside, and a skeleton sitting in the pilot seat came to sight.

"What is wrong with you..." you shook your head and rolled your eyes at him, not understanding how Spider could find a human corpse to be "cool." Even though the humans did many evil deeds to this planet and its people, that man or woman who lays dead in this Samson might have had friends and family who cared for him or her deeply. You do not know whether this person committed many sins before their death, that does not stop you from sighing in sorrow as you wish for him or her to rest in peace.

"Too bad this thing can't still fly, my dad would flip." Lo'ak climbed inside the Samson through a broken window, looking more and more excited.

"He's gonna flip anyway. We shouldn't be here, the council's ending soon." Kiri just watched while shaking her head.

"You worry too much!" Lo'ak ignored Kiri's suggestion, but this time Spider agreed with her.

"She's right though, Ira and I also gotta change our air soon." Spider's words reminded you. You then noticed that you had about fifteen minutes worth of oxygen left, while the other backup supplied were hung on the back of one of the direhorses.

Kiri peered over a small hill where the skeletal remains of an ikran came to view.She could only guess that it most likely was killed during the battle from many years ago. Noticing that little Tuk was just wandering around aimlessly, and you were just standing under the Samson whilst the boys continued playing with the buttons inside it, she called to both of you. "Come on Tuk, Ira, leave them to it, let's pay our respect to the ikran."