Hand In Hand

Chapter 1

Astrea

"Let's go! Hurry up Astrea we don't have all morning!" I hear Tsireya yell at me from outside my families hut. Tis, Aonung, Rotxo, and I plan on heading out to our spot early in the morning to see the fish swimming in the sun. So it's not my fault that I was not exactly very happy about waking up this early...too look at fish...that we see...everyday.

"Good morning sweetie. I made some fruit and juice. I wasn't expecting you to be up this early so you can pick at what's left." My mother tells me as I make my way to go pick at the breakfast she prepared. "Thanks but I'm apparently already late for my outing so I have to get going. I'll be back in time for dinner I promise." I reply to her as I walk out the door towards my friends standing near the water.

"Well good morning to you princess. How was your beauty sleep?" Rotxo calls out to me. "Talk to me again this early again and I will rip out your tongue out." I snap back with a glare. "Good morning my beautiful, are you actually ready for the day?" Asks Aonung as he attempts to wrap me in a hug, I quickly step out of his path and under his arms over to where Tis is standing.

"I have yet to see why we had to get up before most of the village to look at fish so I do hope you are not lying to me about it being breath taking. The only reason I am here with you two snaytus is that Tis is here and that she promised me that she would braid my hair the way I like it with all the beads." I respond crossing my arms over my chest. I do love my mother more than anything and she does do my hair in very intricate looks but whenever Tis does my hair it is always something else. She incorporates all of my favourite beads that I carve from different trinkets I find from the ocean and the opening of the forests just behind our village.

"I love it when you change your hair. You somehow are always able to become more gorgeous then the day before." Aonung said in a very evident flirty way. "Let's go guys we are actually losing the sunrise the more time we spend talking here." I respond, ignoring all of his advances. I don't intend to always give Aonung the cold shoulder with his very obvious declarations of love but I just do not feel the same way for him. And I refuse to lie to myself and to him.

I call my Ilu Oare over to me as I dive into the water. Being in the water feels almost like home to me. Being in the water is peaceful. As if a blanket of comfort is gently being placed around me, almost as if it is shielding me from what I will have to deal with when we get back to the village. Though I might not be the daughter of the clan leaders by blood, they have cared for me for as long as I can remember. This is probably due to the reason that Tsireya had been born under the same stars which is why I see her as my sister. In her having her own clan duties I had made it my duty to help her with those duties. After years of us doing a one person job with two people Ronal and Tonowari had decided that I am capable of completing my own tasks to help the clan. Tasks of which I was honoured to take. Originally.

In taking these tasks I had not realized at the time that I am also taking the responsibility and duty to complete these tasks. Expectations of which I may not always reach. As in never. Not once. It's like they set me up for failure sometimes. Which yes is ridiculous but I can't help but think because I do complete whatever task they give me, but just not up to their "standards". They tell me to bring back some fish to eat; I gather the wrong one, they tell me to gather branches for a new hut; none of them will work. Hence why I see like a failure to majority of the clan. And why I also like to keep to myself with the expectation of Rotxo, Aonung, and Tis such as on days like this.

It doesn't take us very long to reach our spot just beyond the reef. It's this small open area of colourful coral that house a vast variety of fish and other sea creatures but due to all the tasks that we are required to complete each day, we usually are not able to come here until late at night. Which is very pretty but there is not very much life going on at this time, which is why Tis suggested we head out this early in the morning.

"Ok I take it back, this is absolutely breath taking. Thank you for convincing me that I needed to see this." I state as I stare at my surrounds. My entire life I have lived in this part of the ocean but it never ceases to amaze me. The beauty of the world that is all around me is nothing short of amazing.

I see Anoung trying to get my attention with a wave of his hand. "Look I found this and I think it would look pretty on you." He signed to me while holding a small pink shell which he tied a string around to form a necklace.

"Thank you Anonug. Can you put it on for me please." I sign back to him as I turn around in the water, pulling my hair to the side so that he can tie it around my neck for me. I know that in taking this necklace it will only further his love advancements but he is still first and foremost my best friend. And the necklace is indeed very pretty. I feel the water slowly move as Anoung comes to a stop behind me. He slowly reaches his hands up to my neck placing the necklace just above my breasts between the shells and twine used to construct my top. After he finished tying the knot I turned back to face him with a smile on my face. "Thank you. I love it." I sign to him. He simply just smiles back at me before a shadow covers both of us. Then another casts over the coral around us. We all look at the sky to see 5 figures flying in the sky directly above us.

"What the hell was that?" I sign to the group as we all turn to face each other. When I get no answer in return I call Oare back to me and race up to the surface. "Ikran? Here?" I hear Rotxo ask as he too breaks the surface. "I'm pretty sure their forest people, but why would they be all the way out here?" Tis asks the group as we all sit on our Ilu's watching the Ikran fly hundreds of feet above us. "Well it's definitely something that we should check out!" I yell back to the other three still sitting in the water as I race back to the shore as fast as I can to meet our guests.

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Snaytus -> losers
Oare -> moon

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