Skxawng • Neteyam

16

•••

After dinner, it was Yeriyah who was the first to leave. She only had an hour before the eclipse, and she hadn't seen Zaeyli all day. Yeriyah wanted to see where her ikran stayed and if she were safe. She ensured no one followed her as she made it to the start of the trees.

It was a pathetic excuse for a forest and looked nothing like the ones back home, but at least there were trees for her ikran. The trees weren't as tall or sturdy, and the forest wasn't as thick or lively as their old one, but it would have to do.

She ducked into the tree line and began calling for her banshee. It took Zaeyli a little longer to get there than usual, but that was due to the new surroundings. Her ikran touched down beside her, and she brought a hand to her skin. Yeriyah connected her forehead to Zaeyli's a breathed in.

"My girl." She sighs. "Are you alright?" Zaeyli flaps her strong wings in reply, stirring up some of the sand around their feet. Yeriyah grabbed her queue, ready to make the bond, when a voice stopped her.

"What are you doing?" She spun and found Aonung. An awful look crossed her face at the sight of him. She had no time for his games and did not wish to speak to him.

"Leave me alone." She snarls and is about to jump on, one leg already thrown in the air when he stops her. Aonung took a quick step forward, and her banshee roared in warning.

"No, wait!" He started, and even though he hadn't come for this, he couldn't help but ask. "What is it?" His head cocked to the side. For a moment, Yeriyah turns to Zaeyli.

"She is an ikran. Do not look her in the eye." She warned, and Aonung was quick to look anywhere else. He'd never seen anything like it and could not imagine what it'd be like to fly one. While he spent his time under the water, she spent hers severally thousands of feet in the sky. "Her name is Zaeyli."

"She is beautiful." Aonung nodded, but Yeriyah's good mood vanished quickly as she reminded herself who stood before her.

"What do you want, Aonung?" Yeriyah asks with a bored tone. If he wanted to make amends, complimenting her ikran had been the right start.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to be such an asshole to you." He admits, and her eyebrow arched in skepticism.

"I didn't realize you had manners." Yeriyah hums to herself and fixes the holder on her ikran, where she sometimes places her bow.

"Me neither, but I just...wanted to say sorry to you and hope we can be on better terms," Aonung replies.

Despite not fully believing him, she nods. "Fine, if that's what you want."

"It is." He says quickly and then looks back towards her ikran. "Can I touch her?"

"If she lets you without losing a finger, of course." Yeriyah beckoned Aonung to try, but the boy hesitated. "I'm joking. Yes, you can."

"Hilarious," Aonung mutters as he walks up closer. He reached his hand out, and she flapped her wings in a warning. Yeriyah placed a comforting hand on her neck before connecting their bond. Yeriyah felt her ikrans hesitation as Aonung reached forward. She tried her best to calm her ikran. Once his hand met her skin, he smiled. "She's...weirdly soft." He says.