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chapter six. ilu's. ━━━━━━━━━━━━
Ao'nung whooped and called for the ilu's.
They were kind and gentle animals, something they ride on to get further into the water without tiring out their bodies.
Maleia swiped her hand across their orange and blue skin, soothing them in the water.
"These are ilu. If you want to live here, you have to ride," Ao'nung announced.
Maleia smiled and nodded her head.
She crowded everyone in a small circle, choosing who will go with whom, choosing Lo'ak to be with her.
Maleia caressed the ilu so it wouldn't be scared when Lo'ak bonded with it.
"You have to be gentle.. ilu'sare sometimes easy to scare," Maleia told Lo'ak, grabbing onto the ilu's queue and holding it out.
Ilu'swere too calm, therefore being frightened was easy for them.
Especially, when someone from the forest was trying to bond with them— knowing Lo'ak would take a different approach from his ikran.
Lo'ak connected their pink tendrils.
The ilu squirmed under the connection, Maleia calming it immediately.
"Tam tam. Hold on here," Maleia showed Lo'ak the place to hold on. His hand moved there, accidentally grazing fingers with Maleia.
Before Maleia could tell Lo'ak how to sit properly on the ilu, he took off.
His body dug under the water, the pressure from the ripples being too strong.
Loud laughs fell from Ao'nung and his friends as they teased Lo'ak when he came to the surface for some air.
"I will not warn you again!" Maleia groaned as she pushed Ao'nung's chest with her finger.
The ilulifted himself from the water, turning around to splash Lo'ak with its strong fins causing Maleia to widen her eyes and cover her shocked features.
She swam towards Lo'ak.
Her hand pressed onto his shoulder before wiping the water from his face, "I'm sorry about them. They do not have.. manners."
Lo'ak looked back at them all.
His ears dropped in embarrassment, he even saw Tsireya was laughing at him.
Maleia dug her palm into his shoulder for a comforting touch— Lo'ak turned and offered her a small smile of nothing.
He had nothing to be proud, or happy, about.
"I will tie your tails to a fare reef and let the akula eat you alive!" Maleia signed to them.
Their laughing soon died with her words.
Akula's being the scariest animal they had known to curse Awa'atlu's ocean.
Lo'ak didn't know what she had said, but he was glad to have her say something.
"It's okay, Lo'ak. You will get it next time!" Tuk exclaimed as Neteyam held her tight in his arms.
Maleia smiled and agreed to those words, "I will give you extra practice, if you should want it." Lo'ak looked into her eyes at the offer.
Her watercolour eyes already looking at him.
"You would?" Lo'ak asked her, in disbelief.
Maleia chuckled before enthusiastically nodding her head, "I do not see why not."
She faced them all again, noticing they had returned to teaching the other Sullys on how to ride the ilu.
Lo'ak thanked Maleia's kindness. It was relaxing to have.
Moving from their harm was hard enough, and the kids from Awa'atlu hadn't made it easier with their constant teasing and cruelty.
They had viewed them differently. But, Maleia viewed them the same.
All it took was a little encouragement and the Sullys would grasp their learning more quicker.
