Worlds Apart: Volume I

The During: The First Casualty

This is the face claim for Marali. The picture for Ney'ite's face claim came from @.srato on TikTok.

Ney'ite sat with her siblings as they waited for the war party to return. Neyetam held Tuk while the others sat in a line and watched the entrance of their hideout. Spider had also joined them while they waited.

"What do you think happened this time?" Lo'ak asked as they sat and watched. Lo'ak sounded excited about the description of battle.

"I'm guessing they hit the rails from the woods, destroyed what they needed, and got in and out without a casualty," Neyetam said. "Just like it's been for the past two months."

"Don't sound so sad you're not out there," Kiri said. "You'll have your chance soon enough."

"You know it's more than us having our chance to prove ourselves as warriors," Ney'ite sighed as she wrapped her arms around her knees. "We just want to be out there with our friends."

"Why are you so sad?" Tuk asked. "You get to stay here with us?"

"We're not sad because we get to spend more time with you," Neyetam said as he hugged Tuk. "We just worry about our friends since their facing danger without us. We've been training with them and have been by their side for years. It's strange to be separated."

"If you choose to be a warrior, you'll understand," Ney'ite smiled at her youngest sister.

"When do you think that they'll get back?" Spider asked.

"Hard to say," Neyetam said. "Tysal, Marali, and Aytanin say that they are usually out of the area within five minutes of the initial attack. It just depends when they decide to make that attack."

"It's not fair that we don't get to go," Lo'ak sighed. "We should be out there."

"Lo'ak, don't be so excited to go to war," Ney'ite looked at her brother. "What we will do as warriors is necessary for the survival of our people, but we should not indulge in the violence."

"Listen to her, Lo'ak," Neyetam said. "War is not something to run with a smile. It is something to be respected and not taken lightly."

"Don't lecture me," Lo'ak rolled his eyes. "I get it from Mom and Dad enough."

"They lecture you because they care and you like to get into things you're not supposed to," Kiri said as she looked at Lo'ak.

"Yeah," Spider nodded. "With the amount of times you've snuck out and not listened to them, I'm surprised your mom hasn't skinned you alive."

"Mom would never," Tuk looked at Spider with wide eyes. Everyone laughed at Tuk's genuine concern that Neytiri would skin their brother alive. Ney'ite always loved talking with her baby sister. "What's so funny?" Tuk looked between all of them. "I don't want Lo'ak to be skinned alive."

"Mom would never actually skin Lo'ak alive," Ney'ite explained to her sister. "Spider is just saying that Mom gets very upset when Lo'ak doesn't listen to her."

Tuk nodded and seemed to soak in the information that had been presented to her.

"I just don't want to be lectured," Lo'ak grumbled. "If it wasn't for the Sky People coming, I would have had my Dream Hunt and been considered a man by now. Just like you and Neyetam. It's not fair that I haven't had the chance to prove myself yet."

"You will get your chance, bro," Neyetam promised. "You just have to be patient."

"Yeah, you'll get the chance to be a mighty warrior," Spider said. "And you'll swoop in with your ikran and take out the person in charge with no problem."