In the Stars

Chapter 13

Inspired song: (Dandelions by Ruth B)

I've never seen the sky so bright! Shielding my eyes with one hand, I slowly adjust to the brightness while still holding Neteyam's hand. We continue to walk back to the others, and just ahead of us, four figures gathered by the shoreline. They seem confused, huddling around the water. Pushing past the group, I spot Kiri. One of the guys touches her tail, and Lo'ak quickly steps in to protect her.

"You've got to be kidding me"

Neteyam says, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"We've got to help them."

I turn to face him.

"Come on, let's break this up."

He holds my hand tighter as we start jogging toward the others. When we get closer, Lo'ak is in a heated argument with Ao'nung. Of course, it's Ao'nung and his minions!

As we arrive, Neteyam looks tougher than usual, ready to fight. His chest is out, and his eyes are locked onto the group.

"What happened?"

I ask Lo'ak.

"He called Kiri a freak!"

Lo'ak's voice is filled with anger as if he's ready to spit the words into Ao'nung's face. Neteyam isn't going to tolerate this either, shoving Ao'nung and pointing a finger into his chest.

"Leave them alone."

He said warningly. Ao'nung raised his hands in surrender.

Moving closer, I found myself standing beside Kiri.

"Are you okay?"

I asked, concerned, and reassuringly rested a hand on her arm.

"I'm okay... for now."

She replied, her arms crossed as she rolled her eyes. I held her in a side embrace, and she leaned into the gesture.

"Let's go."

Neteyam said in a calm tone, still keeping an eye on Ao'nung.

We walked side by side, passing the group. Neteyam followed closely, taking my hand in his.

"Lo'ak,"

Neteyam said quietly but clearly.

"I've got this, bro,"

Lo'ak responded as he began to walk back toward the group. We all turned around to watch him. At first, he was just mumbling a few words, and then without warning, he started throwing punches.

"It's called a punch bitch!"

He shouted back. Neteyam glanced down at me before joining his brother in the fight.

Kiri and I exchanged looks of disbelief as the boys wrestled in the sand.

"You look stupid."

She said in annoyance.

They were now shouting at each other, repeatedly pulling each other's hair and tails. Now it was funny to watch on the sidelines. Kiri and I just started giggling to ourselves. However, this needed to end so Kiri and I ran back to the pod and got Jake. Jake and Tonowari ran towards the group of boys and a few more volunteers to help out.

Waiting for them to return, I started to pick at my fingers. I don't know why. Thinking about it made me anxious. When I finally see him reappear on the path, I relax and smile. However, I started to worry when I saw his lip busted and his body covered in bruises. Lo'ak followed behind with his tail between his legs in embarrassment.

"Oh my gosh, your lip!"

I blurted out, trying not to stare too intently.

"It was worth it."

Neteyam said with a smile.

Suddenly, he picked me up and spun me around. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held me close, but our moment was interrupted by Jake's stern call.

"Neteyam, get in here now!"

Jake's voice cut through the moment.

Neteyam gently set me down and gave me a smile before joining Lo'ak and Jake heading towards the pod. I waited outside until I saw Lo'ak shaking his head, muttering to himself about apologising to the Chief's son.

"Where are you going?"

I asked, calling after him.

"I have to go and apologise"

He said sarcastically as he continued to walk to find his Ilu.

I sighed and turned around, hoping to see Neteyam, but he was still talking to Jake. Their conversation seemed intense, especially since Jake kept glancing in my direction from inside the pod. After a while, Jake stepped aside, and Neteyam left the pod with a smile on his face.

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

He asked, taking my hand into his.

"Of course."

I replied. I waited for him to speak, and he said,

"Not here, follow me."

Holding me closer, he led me toward the village.

"Where are we going?"

I asked, curious about our destination.

"You'll see."

He replied.

We strolled through the Metkayina village, observing the locals fishing and weaving nets. We then followed a sandy path leading into the Metkayina jungle. The further we went, the sounds of the sea and village were replaced by distant animal calls and the rustling of trees. The jungle here was different from what I knew, yet it carried a unique peace.

As we ventured deeper into the jungle, the sand turned into soft soil beneath my feet. It felt refreshing and grounding.

"Come on."

He encouraged, leading the way.

He said quietly and darted towards the vines that led to a thick branch. Pulling himself up using his arm muscles, he ascended to the top.

I didn't waste a moment and started following him. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself up using my feet and pulled with my hands until Neteyam reached down to offer his hand. I grasped it, and he hoisted me up until we were both standing together.

Neteyam moved forward and jumped to the other side of the tree trunk. Positioning himself, he readied to catch me.

"You've got this."

He encouraged.

I took a step back and then took a leap of faith. Running towards him, I jumped, making it to the other side.

"Woah."

I exclaimed, grabbing his arm to steady myself. His other hand swiftly moved to secure me, making sure I wouldn't fall.

"You keeping me safe, huh?"

I teased. He chuckled in response.