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

11

Aonung's pov:

"Will he be okay?" I asked my wife as I paced around the room, watching her every move as she tended to Rotxo. I feared for my best friend's well being, I feared of him dying without his wife and kids.
Miyara didn't respond to me as she continued working, she had been ignoring me since the attack on Kaoru in his bedroom. I hated that it took me that long to realise how foolish I had acted by leaving my family and living with my brother.. over something that happened to my son that wasn't her fault. She blamed me now, and I understood her reasoning.
"Will he be okay?" I asked her again and when she didn't respond I got angry and began to shout, "will he be okay?! Answer me!"
She didn't even look up as she continued working, she had this concentrated look on her face, I hated it when she was that concentrated because it made it impossible for me to read her expression.
"Yrri, get Aonung out so I can work, please," she simply said with an extremely calm voice.
Yrritsyo sighed as he tapped me on my shoulder, but in my rage I shrugged him off and got up to my feet. Not only did she not tell me if my best friend would live she even made me leave Rotxo's pod.
"Come, Aonung," Yrritsyo said with his annoying calm voice, "you should leave."
"I should've known you'd always be her little follower," I sneered at him in my rage, "some things don't change."
"She needs space to work," Yrritsyo simply said as he pushed me outside, making me only more angry than I already was, "she can't work with you and your temper on her every move."
"That's my best friend there and she's keeping me from him," I sneered at him but Yrritsyo simply looked down at me and didn't move an inch.
"Your wife, the Tsahik, is telling you to take a step back so she can do her duties, duties you can not perform as Olo'eyktan," Yrritsyo said as he looked at something behind me, "and you're setting a good example for your kid."
I frowned confused and turned around, where my gaze landed upon Na'aila who stared at me with tears in her eyes. Na'aila stood there, with a handful of pearls in her trembling hands, her hair was loose and curly, she looked so much like her mother did at that age when she had her hair loose.
"Na'aila," I said as I crouched down before her, "don't cry, Rotxo will be okay, you'll see."
"Why are you so mean to mommy?" She asked me, "why is mommy so mean to you?"
"Mommy and I are just under a lot of stress from the war, sweetheart," I explained, even if it was a lie, and I looked down at the pearls in her hands, "where'd you get the pearls?"
"I found them in Araoukai's room," she explained, "I wanted to ask you to help me with making a necklace just like the one you made mommy so we can surprise Araoukai."
"Why.. why would we surprise Araoukai with a necklace just like mommy's?" I asked Na'aila.
"He told me he wanted to make Khalilah a necklace for when she returns," Na'aila explained, making my ears peek up, "he said that he really likes her just like you liked mommy and I wanted to surprise him by making a necklace."
I stared at Na'aila as she told me how my son felt about Spider's daughter, about the girl who was an outcast to many people of Awa'atlu, especially the elders. The arrival of Eraya had been delayed due to the war, but I wanted my son to mate with Eraya not Khalilah.. Eraya would make a perfect Tsahik, not Khalilah.
"Will you help me?" Na'aila asked me with her big blue eyes, the eyes she got from me.
"I can't right now," I said as pieces were falling together. If Araoukai were to betroth Khalilah and announce it infront of the entire village and that with Miyara's blessing, which she will surely give him, I would have to play along. I couldn't allow it, I had to get Eraya over here soon.
"Fine," Na'aila said as her ears lowered, "I'll ask Kaoru to help me, you're not around to help anymore anyway."
My eyes widened at what she said as she turned around and walked away before I had gathered myself back together. I watched her leave from my sight and I groaned annoyed, how bad was I at being a husband and a father?
"Aonung," Miyara said, making my head snap around to face her, "Rotxo's awake."
"Will he-"
"-Yes," she said, "but he was burned so badly that he can't fight anymore, his right arm is paralyzed and scorched, he is blind in his right eye and the entire right side of his face is burned, along with his ear which makes him probably deaf on that side."
"How.. did he survive that?" I asked her in disbelief.
"If Seyza hadn't been as fast as she was he wouldn't have," she said, "he owes her his life."
"He owes it to you too," I said as I towered over my wife and pecked a kiss on her lips, I was glad to find her kissing me back even if there was still a lot of anger between us, I hadn't lost her entirely, "I just had to kiss you, even if you hate me."
"I'm angry with you," she whispered as her big bright eyes looked up to me, "but I could never hate you."
"Oh stop!" I heard Rotxo's hoarse voice, "I didn't know you'd be in each other's loincloths."
"It has been more than seventeen years since that day and you still bring it up," I chuckled, remembering the day I first kissed Miyara and he interrupted our kiss.
"I'll leave you two be," Miyara said as she turned to Yrritsyo, "let's see if Seyza finally had luck with contacting the Sully's."
"Teung went to help her," Yrritsyo spoke as the two walked out of the pod, "either they succeeded or Teungyi got so angry that she broke all kind of contact equipment we had."
Their voices died as they were laughing over Teungyi's short temper with Sky People technology, which is why contacting the Sully's who were still unaware of the war here was a task placed within Seyza's hands.
"You look like shit," Rotxo chuckled as I walked over to him. I surely looked dirty but not as bad as he did, despite being covered in leafs and ointment.
"Have you seen yourself?" I chuckled and I sat down besides him.
"No," he laughed, "and I'll pray to Eywa that I never will."
"I'm glad you're not dead," I said and he rolled his eye, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost my best friend."
"Probably throw a tantrum," Rotxo said and groaned in pain, "you were always good at that."
"Thanks, man," I sighed and Rotxo smiled, "does it hurt a lot?"
"Why do you think I'm laughing so much?" He asked me, "I'm trying to laugh through the pain.. it's unbearable."
"Luckily Seyza found you in time," I said, "why were you so far off from the battlefield?"
"I was following Kanzia," Rotxo explained, "she's a dangerous one."
"Ri'han told us they call her the bringer of death and that she has never been defeated in battle before," I said, "you were stupid to go after her all alone."
"Yeah, I know," he said, "she lured me to her flying salamander and he burned me to a crisp as I tried to flee."
"What the fuck is a salamander?" I laughed, "Kiri's been teaching you too many Sky People stuff."
"It's a lizard thing from the Sky People yeah," he said, "it sounds funny."
"Salamander," I said and rolled my eyes, "those burns have gotten to your head."
"Yeah, probably," Rotxo said and his smile fell, "but I can still see that you should be making up with your mate and not be chatting to a barbecued Na'vi."
"You nearly died," I debated.
"But I'm not dead," he said, "stop being such a stubborn pain in the ass and make things up with Miya, do it at least for your kids."
"Fine," I said, "I'll make sure your kids come home."
"They don't have to," he said calmly, "if they are saver there I wish for them to stay with the Omatitkaya.. even if that meant I would never see them again."
"There's a war over there as well, Rotxo," I said as I got up, "neither places are safe."
"I'd send them to the other side of Pandora if it should keep them safe," he said and suddenly realised, "I don't think I'll be able to ever ride a Skimwing again."
"I'm sure Mo'iki will find a way to help you with that," I said and chuckled, "he's our Skimwing whisperer."
"I thought your son earned that title when he successfully rode his on his first try," he said, "I'm tired, Aonung... I need to rest, go ahead and talk to your wife."
"I should get someone to watch over you," I said but Rotxo closed his eyes and didn't respond as his chest heaved up and down. I got up to my feet and saw little Müna running along the woven pathways.
"Müna," I said as Teungyi's daughter looked up at me curiously, "can you do me a favor?"
"What's in it for me?" She asked me and my ears perked up at her forwardness, she truely was Teungyi's daughter.
"What do you want?" I asked her and she frowned, like she was in a deep thought.. I couldn't believe I was negotiating with an eleven year old girl.
"I want Tsahik lessons," she said, "I want to learn to heal."
"I can get you lessons with Miyara, but they start when you turn thirteen, you know why right?" I asked her.
"I know," she nodded, "so, what do I need to do for you?"
"I need you to watch over Rotxo until I can send your father over to do so," I said and she scoffed.
"I wouldn've done that for free," she snorted, "but a deal is a deal."
She walked past me into Rotxo's pod and simply sat down besides him, I even saw her place her two fingers on his neck to feel his pulse. Müna noticed me watching her and she chuckled.
"Zeoay taught me," she said, "he likes healing too."
I nodded and frowned for a moment before shrugging it off and leaving to find Miyara and patch things up with her. It was long overdue.