𖣘 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙖 𝘼𝙥𝙞 𖣘 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𖣘

18.

    "Lei, come sit." Eta'yla took Lei by the hand and guided her to the floor.

Lei braced herself — her mother was most likely going to scold her.

Eta'yla stressfully smothered her face in her palms and struggled to meet eyes with her daughter.

"What is it?" Lei grew extremely worried, she reached out for her mother's wrist.

Eta'yla breathed deeply for a moment before finally resting her restless gaze upon her daughter.

Lei impatiently sat there in silence, anticipating the worst.

"I don't want you to be a Koa." Eta'yla said.

Lei furrowed her eyebrows into a puzzled expression. "Mother, I have to." Lei shook her head and stared at the floor.

"I need you safe." Eta'yla laid her hand upon Lei's head, slowly cascading her hand throughout Lei's hair.

"I need to." Lei grasped her mother's wrist and set it down.

"You do not understand what you are doing."

"I am protecting our people. I am protecting you." Lei couldn't comprehend what her mother's objective was.

"I want you alive. What you are doing is dangerous — you are too young." Eta'yla kept her composed tone of voice. "I cannot watch them take my daughter too." Eta'yla raised her voice, she was adamant in her decision. "You are scared and immature. I know you—"

"I am old enough to decide my fate and this is what I want." Lei stood upwards.

Eta'yla followed her and grabbed her arm. "Do you realize what they have and we do not?"

"And I will—"

"No you will not." Eta'yla abruptly cut off her daughter.

Lei tore away from her mother's touch. "I need to protect my own and I will do what it takes." She raised her voice and clenched her fists. "Why do you even speak of this?"

"They are coming, and soon." Eta'yla's eyes budded with tears as she stared at her daughter.

"All you care for is yourself—"

"Mother—" Lei whispered weakly.

"You need to kill for your anger." Eta'yla shoved her index finger into Lei's chest. "You do not care for me, or your brother, or your sister."

Lei's breath hitched as she looked forward to her mother, Eta'yla stared right back at Lei with a sorrowful gaze.

Lei broke out into a restrained cry. "That is not true." She whimpered feebly, her ears pointed towards the ground.

Matahari stepped into the room. "What did you do?" She questioned Eta'yla coarsely as she took Lei by the hand.

Lei hated being condoled while she cried but she was truly exhausted.

Eta'yla stood alone in the room while her 2 daughters broke away, she felt as if she was going to lose Lei too. The Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk had warned their people of the attack that was to be upon them soon, and Eta'yla was dreading the inevitable loss the Nyala Api would soon undergo.

Lei quit trying to mask her painfully obvious cries and broke out into a sob when Matahari brought her into her room.

"Lei Lei." Matahari gently called her name and held her sister while she sobbed. "Mawey." She said while she sat Lei down on her hammock.

Matahari sat near Lei and awaited for her composure to return, she stroked her hand up and down her arm to calm her.

"What did she say?" Matahari finally asked.