Love at War | Aonung 🤍

🤍 Chapter 12

"These are called gill mantle. Through tsaheylu, they will help you breathe underwater."

Tsireya smiled wider as she showed the group the translucent organism.

"So you're telling me that these have been here all along? And we could have used them for the one year that we've been here?" Kiri frowned, unamused about discovering the organism so late.

Tsireya giggled, a hand over her mouth as she nodded. "Sorry, no one was really interested in underwater foraging so I never brought it up."

"Why are you so grouchy?" Loak interjected, raising an eyebrow at his sister. "It's not like you need it. I don't see you popping your head out of the water to breathe like us normal beings."

Kiri rolled her eyes. "Just because I can hold my breath longer than you underwater doesn't mean you get to call me weird."

"You're not weird, Kiri." Rotxo smiled at her.

A small tint of pink spread across her face as she looked away, avoiding his gaze. He didn't need to say it like that. At the sight of this, Loak raised his eyebrows and exchanged glances with Tsireya.

"So, this is how you use it. You connect your queues and then you wear it behind you," she explained, demonstrating for the group to see.

"Whoa! What is that?! It looks like wings! Are we learning how to fly today?!" Tuk's small voice drew their attention as they turned toward her.

Aonung carried her on his back as they approached the group. They were followed by Lia, Neteyam, and Siwei.

"It's called a gill mantle, Tuk," Tsireya beamed at her with a bright smile. "Come, let me put it on you. This will help you breathe underwater."

The little girl gasped. "Really?! So I don't have to worry about drowning anymore? Isn't this great, banshee princess?"

Aonung turned his head to the side, giving Tuk a funny look as Tsireya went behind them to place the organism on her back, connecting her queue to the gill mantle.

Giggling excitedly, she wriggled her little legs out of his grasp, leaping from his back into the water before he could react. A few feet away, Ronal dove underwater to get a head start and keep an eye on Tuk.

"Oh, but you know, your father asked me a really weird question the other day." Siwei creased her brows together in confusion at Lia and Neteyam. "Remember when we came back and discovered that Kiri had a seizure and Loak didn't come home until later?"

Neteyam nodded with a worried expression in his eyes as he anticipated what she would say next.

"Didn't you guys go on a date?" Lia inquired.

Siwei nodded. "Mhm! But your father asked me if we went to... um, Netflix and chill? What is that? Is it a Sky People term for something?"

Lia's eyes widened for a moment as she covered her mouth with her hand and walked ahead of them. Out of utter shock, Neteyam almost choked on his spit.

He met her curious eyes as he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, yeah it's a Sky People term. But don't worry about what it means. It's just a silly saying for, um, friendship."

"Oh, really? So I can use it like this?" To demonstrate, she cupped her hands to her face. "Hey, Nung! Do you want to Netflix and chill later?"

"What the hell?" Aonung's face was filled with disgust as he looked at her. "Hey, don't use something you don't know, skxawng! Neteyam, whatever you're teaching her, you better make sure she doesn't go around—"

"Shush!" Lia quickly covered his mouth to shut him up.

Siwei looked at Neteyam with confusion as her smile faded. A painful ache filled his heart when he saw her cuteness.