3. Boat

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A ragged huff left Makana's mouth.

Her hand drifted up to cradle the head of the baby as she slid down a rock. Makana landed with a soft thump, causing her little sister to stir from her sleep. Makana peered down at Osa, the youngest child in the family. The one orbit old baby was currently wrapped tightly around Makana's torso with a bright blue shawl.

Pua and Inola had grown busy over the years, making the task of looking after her younger siblings to fall over Makana's shoulders. Koko wasn't much of a reliability, since she spent most of her days in academy. Unlike the rest of the family, Koko had decided to continue her path toward education after the age of sixteen.

It was expensive, but rewarding. If Koko wasn't in academy, she was working to pay off her expenses. Makana envied her. Koko was succeeding in the areas where she couldn't. Her older sister was headed in path of diplomacy, meaning she was going to be greatly known and heavily compensated in the future.

Osa yawned, her little mouth opening. Her big, round eyes blinked open, revealing two bright orange eyes. Makana stroked her chubby cheeks gently. Osa's ears twitched as she became aware of her surroundings; they were outside. The loud sound of creatures chirping and bugs buzzing filled the air, as well as the distant chatter and loudness of the small town behind them.

Makana considered letting Osa walk the rest of the way, she was growing heavy. But she knew her fragile feet weren't strong enough for the uneven ground beneath them. Osa's feet were still soft and definitely not capable of handling the harshness of the ground.

Unlike Makana's feet, which were hard and numb. The Sakami ground was dirty, filled with bacteria and viruses that could threaten soft feet. The bacteria was useful for the rich plant growth and development of the creatures. At academy, when she was four bits old, one of the first things they always did was burn off the softness of their feet.

It was a long and painful process but the results were good. Makana could walk anywhere without getting ill or feeling pain. The hardness of her feet also didn't have as many nerves as the rest of her body, which meant if she cut it or stepped on something rough it would be unlikely to feel any of it.

Makana pushed some thin leafed bushes out of her way as she extended her leg over it. Osa said something incoherently, babbling quietly. Makana stared down at her as she paused for a breath. Osa leaned her head over Makana's chest, blowing hard to make her little lips vibrate.

"We're almost there." Makana whispered.

The older sibling made her way cautiously through the plant growth around her. She was careful to avoid any poisonous or life threatening vegetation that was around them. The nation of Sirinu was famously known for their rich plants, including the ones that dripped with venom.

Makana stepped over another rock, sliding down from it. She came to abrupt stop as the ocean came into view. Her feet slightly sunk into the soft dirt beneath her. The ocean water quietly lapped at the bank, it's serenity washing a sense of peace over Makana.

"We're here, Osa." She grinned as she gazed out to the oceanic front. The Star shone brightly in the horizon, dipping into the water which made it seem orange and pink. The Dark Stars were beginning to come into full view not too far.

Makana's eyes found a small blob off in the distance, most likely a rocky cliff full with moss and vines. There were a lot of them around the coast of Sakami. Usually what people did, was to go and travel to find those cliffs. Depending on how high they were, people would take hours or days climbing them.

The Tuzi would climb the cliffs for many purposes. Sometimes the climbs were a symbol of trust and prosperity, when the deuces would get united they would climb it together without ropes or anything. They would use each other to achieve their inner strength and trust.

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