The Balance of Life (Avatar: The Way of Water)

The Confession of a Soul

The next morning, I was silent. There was a tension in the air between myself and the parents. I could feel the stares of my siblings as they tried to decipher what happened the day before. Luckily, Tuk was oblivious and sat happily in my lap while eating her food, easing my anger. There was slight conversation here and there, but it was awkward to say the least. 

The tension was finally cut when Tsireya and Roxto came to gather my siblings for the day. I took the opportunity to slip away with them, to avoid any conflicts that could happen if I was left alone with my parents since I was still on edge. Tsireya caught my hand as she noticed me trying to slip away. I turned to face her as she questioned my sour mood with a worried look. I smiled slightly and kissed her forehead before letting her go and walking away. As I was leaving, I heard Kiri decipher my actions to Tsireya, putting her at ease as she explained that I would come to her when I was ready.

Thank you I sent to my sister as I was walking away. You are welcome, but you owe all of us an explanation when your ready she returned. I know.. I finalized with a huff. 

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When I finally reached my destination, I looked around for a bit before finding a large, smooth rock to sit upon. I made my way over and sat down with my knees pulled up and my arms resting on top of them, fingers fiddling with my songcord. And there I sat, listening to the waves crashing on the shore and the winds whipping past me. I spent most of the day there, getting lost in my thoughts, replaying memories from my old life. It was as if I was stuck in a vision, unable to look away, but I didn't want to anyway.

It wasn't until I heard angry footsteps coming towards me that I snapped out of it and found myself in reality once again. I did not startle though, I knew who was approaching me, I've heard these particular footsteps before. Seconds later, my baby brother sat down beside me and huffed. I did not turn to him, knowing he needed a moment to collect himself. We have been through this many times, whenever he felt angry or sad, he would find me and we would sit in silence until he was ready to tell me everything. 

But he was especially quiet today, which worried me. With my ears bent back, I placed my songcord on my hip and turned to face him, only to see tears in his eyes. "Lo'ak?" I questioned softly, but it only seemed to make him worse. At the sound of my voice, he burst into tears. "Oh my boy, come here" I whispered as I opened my arms and scooted towards him. He instantly fell into my embrace and cried into my chest while I rubbed his back.

"Why does no one listen to me? Why am I the outcast?" He sobs into me. Tears form in my eyes as I listen to my sibling in pain. 

"Shh, shh.. deep breaths, be calm" I tell him as I place my other hand on his head. I give him a couple moments and finally, he raises his head and wipes his tears. "Now, talk to me baby brother." 

He looks off into the horizon for a moment before telling me what happened. "You remember the Tulkun from last night?" I nod with a hum since he was not facing me. "Well I was telling the others about him and the Metkayina kids told me that his name is Payakan."

I take in the words, confused as to what made my brother so sad. "Payakan is a nice name, but clearly that is not what pissed you off."

He wipes away the stray tears on his face before placing his head in his hands and speaking in a muffled voice, "They said he is a killer, that he is outcast... I tried to tell them that he saved my life, that they were wrong, but no one would listen to me. All they would say is that I am lucky to be alive."

I frown before placing my hand on his forearm as a form of comfort. "I understand Lo'ak, but you must realize that they have their own reasons as well. They know the ocean and its history better than any of us."