The Breath of Water | Neteyam

79 • Revelations

She walked with a somber expression, her face devoid of any worries about the current onlookers she had.

Through the village she stepped, with the five boys floating in water behind her. The villagers' mouths were open in shock, trying to make sense of what they were seeing.

"They are..."

"They are floating...!"

"...is it because of the tsakarem?"

Her facial features were all pointing downwards, her mind filled with disdain for the four creatures she paraded in the air. The villagers would crowd and follow behind her—some in awe and some in confusion.

The bullies were punching and kicking the air, demanding to be let down.

"Let me go, freak!" Karìuk shouted, trying to punch the water but it's freaking water so his actions were futile.

"Son...?" a parent called out, pushing their way through the crowd. Karìuk turned his head and saw his father. He reached out with his hand, trying to grab him.

"Dad! Help me!" he exclaimed.

"Son!" the father yelled, trying to reach his hand too. Liyanin stopped walking, then turned her head to the distressed parent. The father looked at her and began to scream and point at her. "You let him down now!"

"Your son has committed an act of kawngkem (evil deed, crime)." Liyanin stated in one of the most foreboding tones the village had ever heard her speak in. Said tone shook the father to his core, eradicating the refutes he would have given her. He was scared straight. With that, she turned back around, continuing to walk to her pod.

Hearing her say that, the villagers began to whisper amongst themselves. An act of kawngkem was punishable by whatever the Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk deemed fit. Whether it be exile, or death.

Ronal and Tonowari were discussing how they would break the news to the village about the Ta'unui when their eldest daughter arrived. Ronal's back was facing the entrance, so she didn't see her. Tonowari, however, did. He smiled when he saw her, but it quickly fell when he saw the image behind her. Including her own face. She was pissed.

"Liya...what are you...?" Tonowari started, his voice giving away. Ronal turned around, wanting to see what her mate was looking at.

She didn't even lift her hands, but Aonung's body that lay in its bubble carefully floated inside the pod. Ronal and Tonowari's eyes watched it glide onto the floor and once it landed, the bubble popped and disappeared, revealing his beaten form. Ronal's eyes widened in fear as her mouth fell open. She crawled over to her son, holding his head. Tonowari's eyes resembled his mate's, his breaths becoming stronger.

"Aonung!" Ronal cried out, tears falling from her eyes. "Oh, what has happened?"

Tonowari turned to his daughter, now standing. He walked over to her, now seeing more clearly who she had carried behind her in water streams. It was the crew Aonung used to hang out with. His eyes darted over to them then back to Liyanin.

"What has happened, Liya." It wasn't framed as a question, and his voice was stern.

"They assaulted him. And this one—" she brought Sawkxun to the forefront. He moved around in fear, trying anything to escape the clutches of his water prison. "—this one had means to end his life."

"W-hat?! That's not true!" Sawkxun shouted. "If anyone wanted to kill anybody it'd be her! She fucking burned us!"

"...his...end his life?" her father repeated.