Opavia

83.

kendrick landed on the island just below a bubble, frantically looking around at the mass destruction.

"kierra! vitani!" he yelled, staring down at the burn marks along the ground.

"i can't sense them anywhere." marco reported. "they are not here."

"then where could they have gone? i'm certain the whistle came from here." baltay landed beside oboiye who hummed.

he turned at a faint whine, approaching a broken-down building. he knelt at the entrance as zeze limped forward.

"zeze." he murmured. she pressed her mouth onto his hand, dropping the whistle in his palm. his eyes widened as eos moved out the rubble as well.

"where is vitani and kierra?" kendrick whispered, kneeling around the pair. their ears pinned back, zeze rubbing her head against oboiye's chest.

"they mourn." he whispered. kendrick's gaze widened as he turned, spotting four silhouettes a few yards away.

"who are you?" he stood, oboiye turning as th two rekran growled.

"well, two family reunions in one day." amari hummed. "i'm on a roll."

"what are you ta-" baltay and marco stepped before kendrick and oboiye.

"what have you done with vitani and kierra?!" baltay yelled.

"you know him?"

"don't worry about it right now." baltay snapped back anxiously, kendrick scowling.

"we have not done anything." amari turned. "yet."

oboiye's shadow locked onto him, amari grunting as kendrick shot forward. he pulled his scythe so it clashed with reese's sword, the two gritting their teeth.

"enough." amari sighed, raising his hand. the moon seemed to dim, oboiye suddenly rising from the ground.

"amari stop this!" baltay demanded as oboiye's body dropped. kendrick stuck his hand out, oboiye landing safely on a cloud. he glared up at amari.

"so my brother told his daughter but not his eldest son."

"what is he talking about?!" kendrick snapped. "who the hell are you?"

"learn how to treat your uncle with respect." amari smirked. oboiye gritting his teeth.

"my father did not have a brother."

"your father was a liar." amari hummed. "you asked about your sisters, did you not?"

"where are they?" kendrick roared. he hummed, looking up at the moon silently.

"kuma dealt with them."

"the warlord?" marco whispered.

"he sent every straw hat to various places far away. who knows where your sisters could be."

"damnit." kendrick swore.

"why are you helping us." oboiye demanded suddenly. amari looked down at the boy before turning.

"our time to face one another is not upon us. i want vitani." he started to walk away, kendrick gritting his teeth. "i suggest you four return home. while you still have the chance."

"oboiye." kendrick turned to his brother as he glared up at amari.

"call the asiago." he gritted. clouds shot down before them, allowing them to step up before shooting off.