To our little ones || Aonung x Neteyam

Chapter 33: Sour Resolutions

Kiri covered her face by instinct the moment Liri's screams reached her ears. She wasn't quite out of her initial shock when she saw the situation unfolding in front of her eyes.

Because Miles was on the floor and Rotxo was on top of him landing punch after punch.

The lack of light didn't allow her to see much, but she could make the drops of blood staining the tails under them, which only made Liri scream more, and Kiri feel stuck in place. The sight of Rotxo's face twisting in anger made her paralyzed.

How a man as kind as Rotxo was capable of such violence?

His knuckles were bloody, and his hair fell messily everywhere, it was like watching him slowly turn into an animal controlled by instinct after all reason had left his body.

"Ro...Rotxo. " Kiri called, voice weak as she hesitantly walked forward faster and faster until adrenaline gave her enough courage to grab his arm and pull him back with all her might. "Rotxo!"

"Kiri!?" She was still pulling him off of Miles when Lo'ak's voice made her breath hitch, all color draining from her face.

He ran as fast as he could, Tsireya following closely. Lo'ak took Rotxo by the collar of his jacket, pulling him aside in a quick motion and grabbing him as best as he could to stop him from launching forward to attack once again. Kiri put herself in the middle, eyes wide and hands forward to keep him at a distance.

"You animal!" Rotxo spat at Miles who was still groaning with a hand on his face to retain the blood coming from his nose. "In all my years of life, I have never had the displeasure of knowing a man as lowly as you!"

"What are you doing!?" Lo'ak saw from the corner of his eyes how Tsireya tried to approach, and just as he turned to tell her not to Rotxo took the opportunity to escape him.

"Stop!" Kiri pleaded. Her voice trembled as well as her lips, afraid that in his angered state, he wouldn't care to go over her, but he didn't, instead softly grabbing her by the sides of her arms and slightly moving her back as if trying to comfort her and at the same time to keep her away from Miles.

"You will respect her!" He pointed at Kiri with his eyes still set on the bleeding man that was now barely standing. "I do not know whatever values were thought to you, but if you are going to marry this woman you will respect her!"

"Rotxo!" Kiri cried, immediately looking for her brother's reaction.

"Marry?" Liri's cracked voice could be heard from the back.

"Marry!?" Lo'ak approached them with long strides. He was breathing heavily while throwing looks at the three of them. "Kiri, what is he talking about?"

"Lo..." Kiri shrank in place. She looked at him with glossy eyes.

"Answer me!" He shouted and not long after he felt Tsireya's hand on his shoulder urging him to calm down. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Rotxo. "You tell me, then. What is going on?"

"What you just saw is non of your goddamn business." Miles spat angrily at Rotxo.

"You shut the fuck up!" Lo'ak snaped with all the intention of walking up to him if not for the hold Tsireya had in his arm.

"Rotxo, please..." Kiri shook her head. They looked at each other in the eyes before Rotxo gave her an apologetic look.

"They are engaged." He stated. "I don't know for how long, but I do know that when you are to marry a woman you do not go around compromising other ladies behind your fiancé's back!"

"You never told me you were going to marry Miss Sully!" Liri cried, getting quiet when Lo'ak turned to look at her.

"Do you have anything else to say? Because if not you are free to leave, I do not think your brothers will take this news so kindly." He mumbled, doing his best to keep himself as collected as possible.