Skxawng • Neteyam

19

•••

"I wish I'd been there. The ocean blessed you with a gift, brother." Kiri says, her eyes sparkling with the idea. Lo'ak had just been telling them all about what had happened when Aonung ditched him. All of them were sitting in a circle.

"The tulkun have not returned yet. And anyway, no tulkun is ever alone." Aonung jumps in. The tulkun was a sacred animal to the Metkayina and one Yeriyah hadn't heard about until now.

"Well, this one was. He had a missing fin. Like a stump on the left side." Lo'ak explains.

"Poor tulkun." Tuk pouts, but Yeriyah watches Tsireya's face fall as Lo'ak explains. There was fear and worry etched in that look.

"Payakan." She breathes. "It's Payakan."

"What?"

"Who's Payakan?" Kiri wonders, a bit of worry on her face as well. Rotxo decides to be the one to answer.

"He's a young bull who went rogue. He's outcast. Alone. And he has a missing fin."

"They say he is a killer," Tsireya warns Lo'ak, and Yeriyah turns to Neteyam for his reaction. He observed his brother.

"No, no." Lo'ak was quick to defend.

"He killed Na'vi and other tulkun. Not here, but far to the south." Aonung says, and Yeriyah watched as Lo'ak shook his head.

"No, he's no killer."

"Lo'ak, you are lucky to be alive."

"I'm telling you, guys. He saved my life. He's my friend." Lo'ak urges, and Yeriyah's ears fall.

"I believe you, Lo'ak," Riyah says softly, making the younger brother nod at her thankfully. Then Neteyam had gotten up and placed two hands on his brother's shoulders.

"My baby bro! The Mighty Warrior, who faced the killer tulkun and lived to tell about it, huh?" Neteyam was joking, but Yeriyah could see the pride in his eyes. Lo'ak got up, disappointed and angry with every step he took.

"You guys aren't listening." He sighs.

"Lo'ak, I'm listening!" Tuk calls out at the same time as Kiri calls him back. Neteyam sighs in regret as Lo'ak walks away.

"You, skxawng!" Yeriyah hit Neteyam's chest, and his ears fell further.

"I know, I know." Neteyam sighs and glances in the direction Lo'ak walks off in. "I will apologize later." Neteyam placed a hand on her, and Aonung glared at the action.

"There is something I want to show you guys today." Tsireya smiles widely, and Tuk is already jumping up and down in excitement.

"Where are we going? Where are we going!" She yells over and over. The group laughed at her excitement and turned to the chief's daughter for an answer.

"It's a secret, but let's head over now." Tsireya smiles, and the group gets up. Yeriyah did not miss her longing gaze in the direction Lo'ak left. She wondered if Tsireya had been planning to take Lo'ak to this place too.

•••

As they ducked under a large rock to get to the other side of it, as she popped out the other side, Yeriyah's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. There were floating islands and rocks that formed incredible arcs and positions in the sky. The area was beautiful, and her heart filled with joy.

"This is the Cove of the Ancestors. Our most sacred place." Tsireya explains, and smiles cross all the Sully's face. Kiri's eyes danced with awe, and Tuk could not look around quickly enough. Despite the beautiful view, Neteyam couldn't help but look over and watch Yeriyah's reaction. Somehow that seemed more interesting than his surroundings.