𝖲𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖧𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍

𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗇

 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

༄𓆉︎♫︎☀︎︎❦︎☀︎︎♫︎𓆉︎༄

      AFTER ANOTHER LESSON WITH RONAL, TU’AHU STILL COULD NOT LIFT THE WOODEN SPHERE MORE THAN A FEW INCHES FOR MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS. They kept at it for an hour, and Tu’ahu still failed. Ronal helped her to learn an easier thing, until it started to rain.

      Ronal set off on an ilu with Tonowari and Tu’ahu’s parents, while Tu’ahu and Kiri braved the storm and visited Loran and her baby. The young calf was standing on wobbly legs, barely leaving Loran’s side.

      “Loran,” Tu’ahu spoke to her ikran, who laid on the ground, licking her son who had just fallen before her. “Have you named your son?”

      Loran whined in a series of patterns, and Kiri and Tu’ahu smiled at the name. “Meuia is a beautiful name, Loran.” Kiri said, bending to gently pet Meuia.

      Tu’ahu joined her sister on the ground, hand on Loran’s nose. “He will uphold his name, tsmuke. Meuia will honor you.” she said, Meuia falling into her lap with a grunt.

      Kiri grabbed some fruit for Loran, and the two sisters left the mother and son to themselves, walking back to the village. Aonung was running towards them as they crossed into the village. “Tu’ahu! Kiri! Something happened to the tulkun! You’ve got to come with me!” he shouted, panting as he stopped in front of the girls.

      Tu’ahu and Kiri looked at each other and ran with Aonung into the center of the village. Ronal had stepped to the center as they arrived. Tu’ahu and Kiri quickly found their family, their dark blue skin standing out against the crowd. “My Spirit Sister and her baby have been murdered by the Sky People!” Ronal shouted as the villagers and the Sully children gasped.

      “This war has come to us. We knew about this hunting of our tulkun people. But it was over the horizon, far away.” Tonowari spoke to his clan.

      Lo’ak came up on Tu’ahu’s left, the latter lifting Tuk into her arms. “Now it is here!” Tonowari continued, inciting cries and shouts from the villagers. All the Metkayina people began snarling and shouting, Rotxo and Aonung among them.

      Jake began speaking, in front of Tonowari. “You gotta understand how the Sky People think. They don’t care about the Great Balance.” he tried to explain.

      “We don’t answer to Sky People!” a warrior shouted.

      Neteyam stepped forward from between Kiri and Tu’ahu. “Listen. Listen to him.” the villagers began to quiet down, and Jake continued. 

      “The Sky People are not gonna stop. This is only the beginning. You gotta tell your tulkun to leave. You gotta tell them to go far away!” Jake shouted.

      “Leave?” Ronal sneered. “You live among us, and you learn nothing!”

      “We will fight to protect our brothers and sisters!” another warrior shouted, a spear held high in his hand.

      Jake tried to discourage this motivator as more Metkayina snarled and shouted war cries. “If you attack, if you fight, then they will destroy you! They will destroy everything that you love!” Tuk whimpered, and Tu’ahu shushed her, covering her ears.

      The villagers started chanting to fight, as Jake begged them to listen. Neteyam held the red tracker in his hand, telling the villagers to remain calm. As Jake realized his words weren’t doing anything, he grabbed the tracker and climbed onto a net, holding it high in his hand.