I'd only ever seen a dead Akula dragged onto our shores three times. Once when Tonowari made a kill, twice when Rimlo's father made a kill and thrice when father had his accident.
Surviving against these creatures was incredibly rare much less to kill one.
Everyone was completely aware of this fact, and even more so when a boy from the trees and sky who had only just mastered holding his breath and learning our mantra came to shore with full grown Akula.
Stranger things have happened sure, but none to this degree.
As the four able bodied men, tugged at the massive rope tied around the Akula's body and dragged it on to shore, the crowds began to take note of the rare sight and naturally came to take a gander.
Announg passing by with Kiri and Rotxo were one of these.
Announg curiously stepped closer to the carcass and nodded his head in satisfaction.
"Impressive, Rimlo." He complimented.
"What's that?" Kiri asked as she peered intensely at the sharp teeth
"It's an Akula. A full grown male one by the looks of it." Rotxo gasped.
"And with one arrow too!" Announg observed, "What an effective kill, I hope to be just like you someday."
Rimlo stepping off from his Ilu and onto sure chuckled and shook his head "Oh,no,no, it's Neteyam you'd want to be like someday."
"Yeah, just like Neteyam." Announg idly agreed and then paused suddenly.
"Wait...Neteyam?" All three kids questioned in unison.
From behind the carcass arose the man himself. Neteyam, pulling the back side of the giant creature, stepped onto shore. He had a bit of an uncharacteristic bashful nature to his steps.
"Yeah..yeah, it was me." He nervously confirmed.
The crowd upon hearing this erupted into a cacophony of surprised gasps and praises. Warrior and child alike surrounded Neteyam with dozens of "congratulations"s and "Thank you"s. Neteyam simply sweetly nodded and reciprocated the "I see you" motion at least a dozen more times. Respect and gratitude abounded as he made his way through the crowd to reunite with his mother and father, no doubt beaming with pride.
The beams did not manage to make their way to the southern side of tide, where I sat upon my Ilu lightly bobbing in the water and clutching the fallen arrows with the game caught flopped over my shoulder. My teeth gritted and I found myself unable to get the command to go forward to form in my head. My Ilu, completely oblivious to rhe occasion as per usual, remained idle and clicked cheerfully every few heavy seconds.
I wished for it to rain, for the thundering clouds to return and conceal my shameful return and pathetic emotions regarding the whole thing.
Envy is shameful, I was aware of that. I've always been aware of that; but I more so found myself contending with a different kind of emotion. One that bought out the worst in me. One that forced all that moved me to work incessantly. One that never allowed me to rest in my own head.
Anger.
——————————
"We are not the first to strike." Rimlo affirmed as he pushed his spear forward.
"We are not the first to strike." We repeated and mirrored his movements.
"We are brother and sister of tulkun." The teal warrior continued bringing the spear in.
"We are brother and sister of tulkun." A group of teenagers, all varying in blues of course, repeated again. The sand lightly swaying with each curl of our foot.
Rimlo continued.
"We are created in their image. We do not fight, we defend, we breed peace and reap compromise. To fight is to kill and to kill is to sin. Always remember that before you are tempted to strike." Rimlo concluded with a deep breathe. With each pause he had made we followed his words.
"This session, you are to learn to defend yourself. To essentially, discourage the enemy from more violence." Rimlo explained as he slowly paced back and forth in front of us.
"No hesitation and no fear." He stated, but then stopped directly in front of me. I gulped slightly.
"No...mistakes." He enunciated. My eyes met his as a storm of embarrassment swelled in my chest.
But I simply nodded my head with a firm expression.
"I want you all to partner up." He then ordered as he stepped away from me "This is not hand to hand combat practice, you are not making your enemy fall to the ground. Right now, I want everyone to practice defense."
He faced the crowd "Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir!" We all shouted and began to step out of line to look for a partner.
I never liked this part of training. My strategy was simply to wait for all the partners to be picked and usually run to the last one standing. I've never been approached.
Until now.
"Hey, do you want to be partners?"
———————-
"So...were you there...when it happened?" The blue teen asked between grunts. We had been at it for the last twenty minutes, the rest of our peers blocking hits with their forearms behind us.
Even as skinny as he was, Lo'ak was quite to the contender.
"When...what happened?" I questioned, fully aware of what he was referring to. That's all that anyone was asking me the past three days anyway.
"The...ow!" Lo'ak shouted, stepping back and clutching his forearm "Shit! that hurt."
"Shit?" I asked tilting my head.
"Hm?" Lo'ak questioned as he rubbed the aching skin "Oh yeah uh it's like a bad word...like a bad word you say when you're upset." He fumbled "Ugh I'm sorry I don't know the word for it in Na'vi."
I was surprised "Do you mean...'curse word'? How come you don't know that word?"
This was a completely new scenario that I had never encountered, it had completely fled my mind that they were half sky people. I became even more reminded nothing Lo'ak's extra finger and wide but circular palms, nothing like my paddle like ones.
Lo'ak became uneasy "Yeah, I know...it's weird. I should know those words." He agreed solemnly "I know, I know, sky people talk is shameful."
"I never said it was bad...I just..." I trailed off, noticing the shift in his demeanor.
He was embarrassed.
"I didn't say it was bad...I just wanted to know what that word was." I sputtered out "Is your arm ok?"
"Yeah yeah it's fine, let's continue." He brushed off "But you didn't answer my question."
"Well...neither did you." I retorted "How come you don't know those words?"
Lo'ak became slightly defensive "Ugh, you sound just like my da-" He groaned and stopped himself from finishing his thought.
"Like who?" I became slightly perturbed by his sudden rude demeanor.
"Whatever! let's keep going." Lo'ak snapped back.
"Ok, ok, ok." I mumbled and got back into position.
Our sparring continued, only this time I was the one taking the hits. With his fists, Lo'ak struck at my arms which were now in the shape of two crossed sticks diagonally.
"So, how was it? When he...killed the Akula?" Lo'ak grunted.
I suddenly dropped my arms and briskly stepped back, almost wanting to laugh "You can't get mad when I ask a question and then try to ask me a question."
Lo'ak sighed "You have...a point." He dejectedly admitted "You just looked pissed when you came back picking up their shit."
"Still don't know what that word means." I reminded him.
"Alright how about this." He began "I'll tell you what that word means and you tell me what really happened with the Akula."
I raised my brow "What do you mean what really happened with the Akula? What is your brother saying?"
"Do we have a deal?" Lo'ak ignored and expanded his arms out as he cocked his head, awaiting an answer.
I scoffed "How is that a fair trade? I get a definition and you get a whole story." I began to chuckle at the their seemingly identical trait of trading off information for favors.
Lo'ak shrugged his shoulders "I don't really have nothing else you want, to be honest."
I placed my hands on my hips and stood pensively. Was Neteyam making the story sound worse to benefit himself? I didn't want to believe that he'd do something like that, but my cynical nature began to kick in immediately.
I needed answers.
Eventually, I turned to him. "I'll tell you what really happened and then you tell me what your brother's saying."
"And the curse word?" Lo'ak asked.
There was a long pause as I thought for a moment.
"Yeah, that one too."
——————————-
"So that's what actually happened?" Lo'ak breathed out in amazement, as he sat with his legs crossed on the warm sand and I leaned up against a palm tree.
We were on break from the defense exercise and watched the remainder of our peers spar, including Neteyam who was cheerfully enjoying his practice with another Metkayina boy. Rimlo had left Announg in charge to oversee the last remaining session of the day.
"Yeah, I almost had it and...I didn't shoot in time." I admitted, slightly embarrassed.
"I mean that's not as bad as my mistakes." Lo'ak sympathized "I fell off my Ikran like twice before I got on that thing. In front of my family and clan."
I dryly chuckled "Really?"
"Yeah...." Lo'ak then began to laugh lightly "It was so embarrassing. I don't recommend. It was worse then when I messed up on the Ilu."
"Now that was pretty bad." I recalled with a click of my teeth.
I then recalled what I was owed.
"Hey, you're trying to gloss over our deal!" I snapped.
Lo'ak looked back up at me with confused eyes.
"Alright, now spill, what's your brother been telling people? Why are they asking me to confirm the story?" I barked back.
"You know you don't have to be mad." He laughed "It's not even that bad, I just wanted to hear your perspective."
"Well?" I queried awaiting an answer.
"Oh, he just said that your loincloth got stuck on the rock and you weren't able to move away. That it was completely out of your control." Lo'ak said idly.
I slowly turned my head "...what?" I enunciated.
"Yeah, you got stuck and that's the only reason you chocked up. Honestly, your story sound worse than....Yo, Kaia where are you going?" Lo'ak's eyes followed me as I stomped through the clearing to his older brother, his back turned.
And with a swift shove of my tail, Neteyam was suddenly on the floor. Sand falling everywhere, but the clearing suddenly silent.
Neteyam slightly disoriented from the fall, raised his head "What the...." He began
"LOINCLOTH?!" I shouted "YOU TOLD PEOPLE MY LOINCLOTH GOT STUCK TO A ROCK?!"
Rubbing his side, Neteyam raised a brow "What? Well yes but-"
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" I interrupted, my teeth beginning to bear "WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING SO EMBARRASSING?"
I may be fearful of conversation, but confrontation is not something I refuse to do. I mean I live with Announg, you are expected to retaliate at some point. But to this degree, never.
I wish I could tell you that I knew what I was doing was wrong and completely extreme as well as unacceptable behavior. But the emotions that this strangely colored being had been awakening in me, began to crumble out. Everything I tried to bury within me, all of it was out.
All of them
"Because you looked really hurt that you messed up!" Neteyam began to defend himself "I thought if I told people that it wasn't your fault and it was out of your control, you wouldn't feel bad."
"I didn't ask you to do that for me. Did I?" I snapped.
"W-well no but-" He sputtered.
"Did I?!" I sharply interrupted.
"Why..." Neteyam began as he stood up and wiped the sand off of him "Why are you angry?!" His voice suddenly raised.
"Because you said an embarrassing lie!" I screamed.
"Arguably isn't what actually happened even more embarrassing?!" He angrily questioned.
"That's not for you to decide! I never asked you to 'protect' me. Not now and especially not then."
"Oh, well I'm so so so sorry for saving your life!"
"I had it! You just wanted to soak in all the glory for yourself!"
"I cannot believe you...You almost died!"
"I don't care! I didn't go to that hunting mission to be embarrassed by you!"
"Well, then you should've just stuck to your stupid little jobs! That's all you're good at!"
The crowd watching us slightly gasped and began to whisper among each other. I was even taken aback and my mouth slightly parted.
Neteyam immediately face placed and let out a disappointing sigh as he stepped forward, reaching out to me "Kaia, I'm so-"
I briskly stepped back from his reach "Ok then, that's what we're doing then."
"Kaia-"
"You shut up! All you are allowed to do with me is to fight...I challenge you to a tricktayö." I then spat out.
The crowd behind us erupted in gasps. Neteyam raised a brow and brandished a confused expression.
"What's a tricktayö?" Lo'ak questioned from afar, a laugh beginning to erupt from his throat.
"A challenge." Announg began as he stepped between me and Neteyam "A consented brutal rivalry between both parties."
"A what?" Neteyam asked.
"What word confused you?" I sarcastically asked.
Neteyam simply smirked.
"It essentially means you and her have consented to be rivals. This is usually done to encourage improvement between two struggling trainees but in this case...I sense that is not the case. Whoever yields first is...well kind of a loser." Announg laughed shaking his head "Although, I'm confident this leech will be squashed just the same." He said facing me with a taunting smile.
I hissed and bared both fangs and Announg did the same with a loud hiss back. Neteyam swiftly stepped between me and Announg and gave Announg a warning look.
"No." Neteyam then turned to face me, slightly looking down due to our conflicting heights "No, she'll be a worthy opponent. Im sure of it."
"Alright, Kaia if this is what you want..." He began.
"I accept this tricktayö!" He shouted with a confident smirk plastered all over his face. The crowd followed with an erupt of cheering for both parties. It was the first time any kind of attention was being bought on me and I felt my shoulders giver with every sudden shout but I dare not let him know.
"I will say." Neteyam whispered as he lowered his head near my ear "I'm looking forward to beating my teacher."
I scoffed "I'm looking forward to sending your sorry tail to the bottom of the ocean where it belongs."
I slightly cringed at myself for that line. Stupid banter was never a habit of mine, well neither was this.
First time for everything I guess.
Neteyam merely chuckled and walked past me towards his brother. Lo'ak who had witnessed the whole event from the bottom of a palm tree, stood up and followed his brother away from the sandy clearing.
Before he was completely out of sight, he turned to me with wide eyes of amazement and shook his head in disbelief as he mouthed
"Shit."
AUTHORS NOTE
Longest chapter bro geez.
Also I want to point i completely made up the word in this story for the rivalry they begin lol, that's not an actual thing just a plot device lol.
Anyways thank you 700 reads!!!!
Oeal Ngati Kameaie 💙💙💙💙