Flood of Ashes [sequel to 'Not So Perfect']

14

TW: mention of death/ murder/ bullying & insecurities

Kanzia's pov:

With hands tightly gripped around my arms I was being dragged through the scorched grounds of our lands, to the top of a massive Vulcano, where our headquarters were. I was trying to get loose from the grips of the men holding me, trying to escape, because I knew what was about to happen.
I had seen it happen with my other siblings before me. I was the youngest, Varang the oldest. There were many siblings in between us, none of them were left.
I hardly felt fear, I didn't fear anyone in my clan and I didn't fear any of my enemies but Varang..
Varang I feared for.
When the men finally let go of me they dropped me face down into the scorched grounds beneath me, in front of the throne that belonged to my sister.
I was scared but I refused to look down at the ground, with my hands and knees in the dirt I turned my head up and stared into her bloodred eyes. The crown she wore was made out of bones, the bones that belonged to my older brother, he was murdered by her just before we went to war with the Metkayina.
"Leave us," Varang said with her cold and raw voice. The men did as they were told, they bowed to Varang like she was their Goddess and left me in that dead crater with her. Her throne room; it was made of the bones of her fallen enemies, meaning that both my parents skeletons and my siblings skeletons were somewhere in here on display.
"You were defeated by a fifteen year old?" Varang spat as she got up from her throne, "and in front of their whole clan either."
"She- she surprised me!" I stammered, the fear was evident in my voice, "I saw her get eaten by- by that animal- akula! Anzu found me swimming as the akula swam away with her inside of it.. She didn't win, that beast won!"
"That beast was controlled by her!" Varang spat, she was right but I would fight for my life with all I had, I believed in this cause, I believed in my sister and I wanted to help her. I wanted to win.
"I- I'll kill her," I whispered, "I'll skin her alive, I promise."
"You're my last sibling," Varang spoke as she looked down at me, "I still need you, despite you being a massive fail to the clan. I'm feeling generous today, luckily enough for you."
I stayed quiet as I swallowed my saliva, Varang slowly circled around me, like a scorched leopard did with it's prey. She embodied the fiery animal that lived on our lands.
"You have one more chance," Varang said and I let out a relieved sigh, "but since Anzu died because of your failure you will have to go back into training."
My eyes widened for a slim second, I didn't want to go back to training, it was painful to say the least.
"I'll do anything to prove myself to you," I spoke as I bowed down.
"Good," Varang said, "because the next time you fight Asherah I want you to bring me her head."

***

Asherah's pov:

"Where are you going?" My mother suddenly asked me as I was trying to sneak out of our pod. With wide eyes I turned to see my mother leaning against the woven wall in between her bedroom and Zaniyah's bedroom.
"I-I couldn't sleep," I lied, I was waiting for everyone else to fall asleep, "I wanted to go hunting."
"With your hunting gear still in your bedroom?" She asked me and I sighed, "and let's not forget that you're wearing your new top and your hair down, you always wear an old top when you hunt and you always have your hair up."
I stared at my mother, she knew me too well, I was doing just fine by sneaking out of the pod for the past few days.. how come she just happened to be awake this night?
"You only wear your hair down on special occasions," she said as she quirked up a brow, "who's the boy you're meeting?"
"I- eh- I don't know what you're talking about," I lied once more but my mother didn't seem impressed, "I just went to check on Kanì, my new pet akula."
"Oh, really?" She asked me sarcastically, "you have a busy night, my daughter. Hunting without hunting gear, going out for a swim with Kanì and meeting some boy in the middle of the night. You must be exhausted from the past few nights."
"You knew?" I asked her in a high pitched whisper voice.
"You're my daughter, I made you, of course I know!" My mother told me in a high pitched whisper voice, "I'm just curious on who this mystery boy is because I need my daughter to be safe!"
"I can protect myself, mom," I scoffed.
"Not if it's multiple boys ambushing you," she said as she got up, walked over to me and pointed at my loincloth, "and if you're unarmed, the only reason I even waited this long to confront you was because I had to make sure it was about a boy and not you going out for a stroll."
My ears lowered, I understood her worry, I knew about what nearly happened to my mother when she was seventeen and that would've happened if my father and Neteyam hadn't come to save her.
"I don't mind you having a boyfriend, you're almost sixteen," my mom said as she cupped my face, "but I want to know who it is and why you feel the need to sneak around with him, I will never say no to you following your heart.. I just want you to be in a safe environment and not secretly out somewhere with Eywa knows who. You understand that with nobody knowing where you are and with who anything could happen to you, right?"
"I know, mom," I sighed as I looked up to her worried eyes, "have you told dad?"
"Not yet, but I will," she said honestly, "I just hope you'll tell me who this boy is, because when I have to tell your dad you have a secret boyfriend and I have no name to give him.. well, you know how he'll respond."
"He'll keep me watched for like.. forever," I sighed, "why isn't he like that with Araou and Kao?"
"He is, just not in front of you," my mom said as she moved a strand of my hair behind my ear, "he's teaching them to always respect women and their boundaries, that's not something that is taught to all boys and he can't oversee if the boys are raised well.. therefor he is more worried when his little girl gets involved with boys."
"I'm just not sure on.. what this is," I sighed, "I don't want it to be out in public just yet."
"It doesn't have to be," my mom said softly, "but I want to know who it is you're meeting up with so secretly at night."
"It's.." I stammered as my mom raised her brows at me for the name of my boyfriend, "it's Zeoay."
My mom's face turned from a stern look to a rather surprised look. She was probably very surprised that the son of her best friend Teungyi was the boyfriend of her daughter, especially since I knew they joked about that.. Uncle Mo had told me so.
I could also tell she was relieved that it was Zeoay, she knew that Yrritsyo would always raise him to be respectful to women and wouldn't tolerate any bad behavior from his son toward women.
"Why are you so quiet?" I asked her and she suddenly smiled at me.
"I didn't expect it, but I do understand," she said as she pecked a kiss on my forehead, "you two would make a cute couple."
"Mom, please, it's just been a few days," I said as I began to blush, "can I go? Or?"
"Does Kaoru know about this?" She asked me suddenly, Zeoay came over here a lot, Kaoru and him are best friends and now Zeoay's dating his older sister..
"Not yet, so don't tell him," I said, "we're just sneaking around because we're not ready to have it out in the open just yet."
"You two aren't or just you?" My mom asked and I rolled my eyes, I wasn't ready to have it out in the open. Zeoay had however been in a good mood for the last few days, everyone noticed his happy stroll.
"He'll have to come over at one point, you know that right? Especially after I tell your father," my mom said softly, "I'll make sure your siblings aren't here when that is."
"I know," I sighed, "I'm already late, he'll.. he'll get worried."
"Cute," my mom said in this girlish voice, "your dad and I always snuck to this cave.. no! You're not going there, I'm not telling you. Forget I said that!"
"Goodnight mom!" I said as I ran out of the pod, the giggles of my mother dying away as I walked over to the big flat rock along the shores, where we'd meet up for the past few nights.
"There you are," Zeoay sighed relieved, "I was getting worried a bird might've snatched you away or something, which would've been bad because I can't fly."
"Not exactly," I chuckled as I walked over to him, "but my mom caught me sneaking out."
"Oh," he said as he walked over to me.
"Yeah, I-" I began but he placed his index finger upon my lips, shushing me.
"Wait, first-" he began as he moved a strand of my hair behind my ear with his left hand, his right hand finding it's way to my waist and pulling me against him. My skin smashing against his as he did it so quickly, he leaned in and pecked a gentle kiss upon my lips, making my heart flutter.
"So," he said when he pulled away, "did she find out about us?"
"She did, she apparently already heard me sneak out the past few days," I said, "she was now ready to confront me about it and she'll tell my dad."
"Y-your dad?" He questioned, suddenly nervous, "so, I guess this is my last night alive."
"Don't be silly," I said as I wrapped my arms around my waist and placed my chin onto his chest, "my dad likes you."
"As your brother's best friend he does!" Zeoay said as he ran a hand through his hair, "as his daughter's boyfriend he'll probably think I'm too scrawny."
"You think my dad was already in shape at your age?" I asked him, finding his sudden fear of my father cute.
"Well.. yeah!" He exclaimed as he embraced me back and kissed me on my forehead, "my dad didn't get in shape like that, he's still scrawny! And so am I!"
"I don't think you're scrawny," I said as his gaze met with mine, the worry washing away, "I think your body just perfect the way you is."
"Let me guess: because both your brothers will break me like a twig and your dad will use me as a toothpick," Zeoay said making me laugh, "don't laugh! That's the only reason you'd say my body is perfect."
"I'm not in shape like my dad," I said and Zeoay scoffed and rolled his eyes at me.
"No, that's because you're perfectly shaped," he scoffed, "I get seasick every time I see you sway your perfectly shaped hips."
"Is this you telling me that I turn you on?" I asked him with a sneaky smirk, Zeoay's eyes widened in shock and he began to blush.
"I'm just saying that you're perfect," he said nervously, "I never said that."
"We're sea people," I said, "we don't get seasick."
"Well," he said as he searched his mind for an excuse, "I.. do."
I chuckled and stood on my tiptoes as I quickly pecked a kiss on his cheek.
"What was that for?" He asked me with a bright smile upon his face.
"You're cute when you're nervous," I said, his gaze softened as he had this dazy glow on his face.