Akoni had gone to get the live trap for land bound animals.
When he found the trap there was pheasant in it, and he took it back to the house.
When he got back to the house, he found Lea on the table and Moray staring off in the distance like his mind was a million miles away.
He grabbed Moray and turned him around, yelling at him if he was ok, and he just looked at him like he was some stranger.
Lea's crys weren't helping matters, she kept sobbing and talking about monitor lizards and fighting and Moray not listening to her. She was just so upset and afraid that it was stressing her out.
Then Moray fainted. Akoni had caught him before he hit the floor.
Lea's cries caught his attention when she pointed at Moray's leg. There was a bite mark on his leg.
Now he could see why Lea was so upset. They were going to lose Moray like they lost Fallyn if they didn't get help, and fast.
Picking up Moray in his arms, Akoni exited the house with Lea right behind him.
They went straight to the healers' hut.
The healers' hut was a wooden building with a few windows to let in sunlight, but most of the time they were closed to allow patients to sleep.
They entered the hut.
The healers' hut was a long building with the majority of it being a place for patients to rest and heal.
There were about ten cots for patients to rest on.
Moray twitched in his arms and he looked down at his son's strained face as he fought the venom starting course through his veins.
"You'll survive this," he whispered to Moray. "Rakin! Where are you? We need you it's an emergency!"
A thirty year old man appeared from another room, looking tired.
"Akoni, Lea What is the meaning of this? Why are—." Rakin's eyes must have fallen on Moray because then he said, "I see. I'm so sorry, I'll do what I can." Rakin said, walking over to Moray, and put a hand on his forehead, and didn't say anything for a few seconds.
Then he said, "He has a slight fever, not a full one yet, but it's getting there. Place him on a cot. Lea go get some water and keep a wet cloth on his forehead and try and slow down his fever and keep his temperature from rising. Akoni follow me." Rakin told them.
When Akoni has set Moray down in the cot, he followed Rakin into the other room he was in earlier.
Rakin went to a shelf and started taking things off the shelf: A syringe, herbs, linen, alcohol, an old rag, a glass bottle, pestle, and mortar.
He then gave the items to Akoni, and said, "Take theses into the other room and wait for me."
Akoni did what he said and took them into the other room.
He saw Lea wringing out a wet towel and then put it on Moray's forehead, trying to keep his temperature from rising.
He put the things down, and went over to Moray's other side, and got down on his knees, and started stroking Moray's hair.
"It's my fault. It should have been me, not Moray. But I was so scared and Moray froze and I froze and I was too late to do anything. I failed Moray like how I failed Fallyn." Lea said with strain in her voice as she blamed herself for what happen to Moray.
Putting a hand on her hand that rested on Moray's sleeping chest, he looked her in the eyes and said, "It's not your fault. I know you would rather die than let Fallyn or Moray die. You were scared for Moray and froze with fear. I promise you Moray will survive this. He's strong and resilient like his mother."
"And he's stubborn and strong like his father." She said him.
Then Moray stirred and slightly opened his eyes.
"Moray," Lea said softly, putting a hand on his cheek. "You need to go back to sleep sweetie, ok. You need rest."
"Hurts..." Moray managed to choke out.
"I know sweetie. It's ok, jut go back to sleep."
Moray looked at his mother and then his father and then reluctantly closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Lea took the towel off again and wetted it again and wringed it out and put it back on Moray's forehead.
Then Rakin came in the room, and started feeling Moray's head again.
"His temperature has risen some."
Then Rakin took the mortar and pestle and put some herbs in it and some water and stirred it up.
Then lifting Moray's head up, Rakin put the mortar to his lips and poured it down his throat, putting a hand over Moray's mouth to keep him from spitting the liquid up.
Putting the mortar and pestle down, he grabbed the alcohol and the rag, and poured a little alcohol on the bite.
Moray groaned in pain, and his eyes flew open and he tried to get up.
Akoni put a hand on his chest, holding him down.
"It's ok Moray. It's ok, just close your eyes. It will all be over soon." Lea crooned to Moray, stroking his hair.
Moray looked at Lea, not wanting to go back to sleep.
"I have something that will help. Sorry I didn't give it to you earlier. I thought you were already asleep." Rakin said, and then picked up the glass bottle and put the syringe in it, filling it with liquid. Then he put it in Moray's arm and pushed the plunger in, injecting the liquid into Moray's bloodstream, putting him to sleep.
Pouring more alcohol on the old rag, Rakin pressed it on Moray's wound.
Removing the old rag, he put it on the floor.
Then he started selecting certain herbs and putting them into the mortar and then crushed up the herbs into a green-brown-yellow paste.
Dipping his fingers into the paste, he applied it to Moray's wound.
Then picking up the linen, he wrapped the linen around Moray's bite mark, and then tied it when he got down wrapping it around Moray's leg.
"There all done. Now he just needs rest. I recommend he stays here tonight and tomorrow so I can make sure he's getting better instead of worse." Rakin said, getting up and taking the things Akoni brought with him back into the storage room he was in when they got here.
When Rakin left, Akoni looked at his son's sleeping face, that was a little bit strained, but other than that his face looked peaceful.
"Do you two plan on staying the night?" Rakin asked, poking his head out from the other room.
Akoni looked at Lea, and then at Rakin, and said, "Yes, if it's ok with you."
"Alright." Rakin said, and then ducked back into the storage room.
Then Rakin came back out with pillows and blankets, and Akoni helped Rakin put two cots together by Moray's cot.
Handing Akoni the blankets and pillows, Rakin said, "If you need anything I'll be in the other room." He pointed to a closed door that led to another part of the hut.
"Thank you so much Rakin." Lea said to him.
"That's what I'm here for." He responded and then went into the room he pointed to a few minutes ago.
Taking a blanket and pillow from his arms, Lea spread the blanket over Moray and put the pillow under his, and kissed him on the forehead.
Then she helped Akoni get the cots ready for bed.
When they were done, they got onto the cots; Lea being the closest to Moray.
The last thing Akoni thought about before slipping off into a deep sleep was: Moray and what would happen to Lea if they lost another child.
Riptide's POV
Riptide had been sleeping underneath his Rider's bed when he heard a strange hissing noise.
He went to investigate, pushing the door open because his Rider forgot to shut it all the way. He walked into another room, seeing a two-leg with long, curly, brown hair getting metal round things with handles out.
Then he heard the hissing noise again, and the two-leg must have heard it too because it looked around the wooden structure till it apparently saw the thing making the noise. The two-leg screamed, and grabbed a round, metal thing by its handle and a sharp thing that looked like a straight, thin dragon claw, and the two-leg started throwing things at the beast he hadn't been able to see yet.
The beast must have hissed at the two-leg causing it to freak out and jump on the table, knocking two wooden things over when the two-leg jumped on the table.
Then he saw the beast near the wooden thing the two-leg was standing on.
It was an ugly, brown thing with green and yellow mixed in with its scales. It had long claws, short teeth, but a strong jaw, and thick powerful limbs and tail. The giant lizard thing was about half his size.
He saw it move closer to the two-leg on the table, Moray's mother, something he didn't have. So shouldn't he protect his Rider's mother?
The giant, ugly lizard's hiss drew his attention back to the current situation: protect his Rider's mother and reveal himself or let this ugly lizard attack the two-leg.
Making his choice, he charged towards the lizard at full speed, as fast as he could go with his webbed talons and heavy tail slowing him down, and he slammed into the ugly thing's side, knocking him and it down on the ground together.
Once the beast reoriented itself, it started struggling to get on top of him, Riptide starting to do the same.
As they struggled to get on top of each other, they rolled around on the floor while the two-leg kept screaming in fear as Riptide and the lizard kept grappling with each other.
He then felt Moray's mind enter the house, and the two-leg screamed something at Moray that he couldn't hear because of the growling in his ears from the giant, ugly lizard.
Then while he was distracted by the two-leg's screams, the lizard sunk its short, sharp teeth into his forearm, its jaws starting to crush his forearm.
Snaking his head around the lizard's neck, he suck his teeth into the top of the lizard's neck, causing it to let go of his forearm and hiss in pain as he continued biting it, drawing blood.
The lizard started shaking its whole body, trying to get him to let go, but he wasn't going to let go, no matter how hard the lizard shook.
Then he felt the lizard sink it's claws into his tail.
He roared in pain, letting go of his grip on the lizard's neck.
Then the lizard whacked him across the head with its tail, knocking him to the ground, the world spinning as he hit his head on the stone floor. He struggled to get up, but his head was so dizzy that he couldn't even concentrate.
Then to his horror, he saw the ugly lizard rush towards Moray with its jaws open, ready to sink its teeth into his Rider.
No way was he going to let this excuse of a reptile hurt his Rider.
Jumping to his feet, he ran after the lizard as fast as he could ignoring the vertigo that threatened to make him fall down.
When the ugly, big lizard was less than a foot from Moray, who was frozen with fear, he jumped forward, tackling the lizard in its side, sending him and it rolling across the floor, trying to get ahold of each other's necks.
The lizard's claws caught on one of his gills, slightly tearing it.
He roared in pain, and kicked the lizard in the underbelly, sending the disgusting thing away from him.
Then he jumped to his feet and jumped on the lizard's back, and he latched his jaws around the lizard's neck, twisting its neck, while trying to stay on it without being thrown off and being at its mercy.
Then with a surprising amount of strength the lizard threw him off.
He landed hard on his back, the air being knocked out of his lungs.
As he struggled to regain his breath, the lizard ran at him, and then jumped on top of him, pining him to the ground with its claws at body.
He tried to get the lizard off, but its weight was too much.
Then the lizard's head arrowed towards his exposed throat.
He managed to catch the lizard's jaws with his talons, holding them open at their fullest extent to hurt the lizard.
Its tongue flipped out, hitting him in the face.
Its claws raked his sides as it struggled to get free of his grasp.
Determined to end this fight, he started turning the lizard's head one way, having to continuously fight the lizard's attempts to stop him and get free. As his strength started waning, he used the last of his strength to force the lizard's head to go the farthest it could go resulting in its neck breaking.
As soon as the lizard's neck broke, he saw the light leave its cold eyes, and it fell forward on top of him, its limbs and tail twitching.
He slipped out from underneath the lizard, and started towards the door, since Moray didn't look good and Moray wouldn't want his parents to find out about him, so he left, limping, to find Nalani.
He soon found Nalani's wooden structure called a house, and he took his tail and smacked it against the wooden door, hoping Nalani was home, or else he would have to wait for Moray to get better.
The door opened, and he saw Nalani look around for who knocked on her door.
He gave a tiny roar, and it caught her attention, and she looked down at him, and quickly picked him up and took him inside.
She set him on her table, and asked, "Where's Moray? What happened to you?"
He couldn't entirely speak yet, so he sent her images of what happened, and she understood.
Then Nalani went into another room, and then came back with some herbs, linen, an old rag, alcohol, a mortar, and a pestle, and she set them down on the table.
Taking a seat at the table, Nalani took the glass bottle with alcohol in it and poured a little on the old rag.
Then she looked at Riptide, and said "This is going to hurt like heck, but it is the only way to clean you wounds, especially the monitor lizard bite. If you want I can give you something so you can sleep."
He didn't want to be put to sleep, he wanted to be awake so he could see what Nalani did.
He looked up at her and shook his head.
She nodded, and said "Sorry this is going to hurt. Here put this in your mouth so you don't bellow your existence to the whole village."
Nalani grabbed a piece of leather and she placed it in his mouth. It tasted like bark.
He wasn't thrilled about the leather in his mouth till Nalani placed the alcohol soaked rag on the monitor lizard bite because it kept him from biting his tongue and from roaring to the whole village.
When Nalani was done addressing his wounds with the alcohol rag, she wrapped them in linen, except for the one on his forearm.
Taking the herbs, she placed them in the mortar and then filled it with water and mixed it up, and set it before him.
"This will counteract the venom from the monitor lizard. You need to drink it all."
Riptide looked at Nalani and then at the greenish water with herbs floating in it.
Taking a deep breath, he started drinking the greenish-herb water; it was worse than it looked it tasted like rotten fish, but he also didn't like the herbs because they kept getting stuck in his teeth when he drank.
When he finished, Nalani took the mortar back, and put some herbs in it, and crushed them this time until they were a green-brown-yellow paste.
Dipping her fingers in the paste, she applied it to his bite, then wrapped it in linen.
When Nalani was done, she put all the stuff she got out back.
When Nalani got done with that, she found him some raw fish, and he devoured it in three bites, not realizing how famished he was after the battle.
When he finished his fish, he was tired, and Nalani let him sleep on her bed,
and offered to let him stay here till Moray got better; which he accepted since he had no where else to go.
Akoni's POV
Akoni woke up in the healers' hut when the first rays of light shone through the windows.
He sat up on his cot, and saw that Lea and Moray were still asleep.
He quietly got up from the cot, and walked outside to take in the fresh, cool morning air.
He then heard voices, and he got behind the hut, wondering who else could be up this early in the morning besides the fishermen.
He saw two boys walking alone among the huts, and he quickly recognized them as Timote and Piri.
He was about to go say hi to them and ask them why they were up so early when he heard them say, "I told you we should have used a sea snake."
"I say the monitor lizard was good enough, besides do you want to go catch the most venomous snake in all of Oceanus?"
"No, but that brat is still breathing. We have to get rid of him before he wakes up and tells everyone what happened."
"Well this time we might have to get our hands dirty instead of letting a stupid lizard do our dirty work."
Then he couldn't hear anymore.
He was shocked to his core. The princes were trying to kill his son. But why? What did Moray ever do to them to make them hate him so bad? He though they got along so well when they were playing an extreme version of tag where they tackled each other, well mostly they tackled Moray, but now he could see why they were so rough with each other. They actually hated each other and he didn't even see it and he made Moray play with attempting murders. He was the worst father ever.
As he was lost in his thoughts he noticed that the twin princes disappeared into the morning fog.
He stared into the thinning fog, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. But he saw no sign of them.
Fearing that Timote and Piri might come for Moray why he was recovering, he let his spirit animals out of his dormant state.
A flash of light emitted from his bicep and a seagull with black wings and tail and the rest of its body white, flapped in the air before him.
"Hi Keanu," he said to his spirit animal.
Keanu chirped at him, sounding mad that Akoni hadn't let him out of passive state in a few days.
"Sorry Keanu, but I really need you to look after Moray and Lea till I get back. Just keep them safe from Timote and Piri. If they come in the hut and act like they are going to hurt Moray or Lea then attack them till they leave, ok." He asked Keanu, hoping the stubborn and proud seagull would watch over his family till he got back from a talk with the king. He just couldn't lose anyone else, losing Fallyn had hurt him deeply and still haunted him in his dreams.
The sea bird chirped again and went into the hut and went to perch on a pole of the cot, near Moray's head.
"Thank you." He thanked Keanu.
Then he left the healer's hut and went to the king and queen's hut.
He found the king and queen's hut on the highest point of the village, on a large, flat slab of stone overlooking the village, only ten feet higher than the village.
He walked up to the hut, and knocked on the door, and waited till he hear scuffling from inside the hut.
The door opened and he found himself face to face with the king of Oceanus and his best friend in the whole village, their friendship going all the way back to when they were three.
"Akoni," Makani, the king said, sounding tired like he just woken up, which he probably just did, not expecting to be woken up so early. "What are you doing here so early. I thought we weren't going to survey the island till three hours from noon." Makani said, thinking about the exploring they were going to go do three hours from noon.
"Im not here about the survey. I'm here about your sons."
Makani's face turned serious when he mentioned his sons.
"What did my boys do this time?" Makani said, sounding irritated that his sons possibly got in trouble again.
"They tried to kill Moray with a monitor lizard." He said bluntly.
Shock and horror spread quickly across Makani's face.
"That's preposterous. They wouldn't do that. They love playing with Moray. Just the other day I saw the boys playing tag with Moray. Two against one by the looks of it. I'm guessing that boy of yours is good at evading my boys since Timote and Piri were both chasing him together, shouting at him. Heck Moray looked like he was running for his life. It's just the way those boys play can make anyone laugh." Makani said, clearly thinking that Moray and the twins got along when they clearly did not by the way Timote and Piri were talking.
"Makani I don't think they're playing. I think they were actually trying to kill Moray with a monitor lizard."
"Do you have any proof that Timote and Piri tried to kill Moray?" Makani said, becoming serious.
"No my king, but I did hear them just earlier about them talking about how they were going to have till Moray themselves. Please Makani find them and keep them home till Moray is better. You know I can't bear to lose another child."
"Wait, what do you mean till Moray gets better? Did something happen to Moray that I didn't hear about, after all I am his godfather, so I should have at least heard about it."
"The monitor lizard Timote and Piri let into my hut bit Moray and now he is in the healers' hut recovering."
"When did this happen?"
"A little bit after noon yesterday."
"Is Moray ok?"
"He's asleep right now, but Rakin thinks he'll be ok as long as he drinks these herbs till he feels better."
Makani nodded, and said, "Well I hope he gets better, but Akoni you know what happens if your accusation against my sons proves to be wrong. I won't be able to protect you from your punishment as the law forces me to treat every wrong doer the same depending on the situation."
"I know. I'll get the whipping post, how many lashes you deem appropriate for the accusation."
"I'll look into it, but try and get me some more evidence by the end of the week, and will see what the elders say about it."
"I can do that when Moray gets better he'll be able to tell you all about the situation."
"You're still going to need evidence, not just your own son as a witness, you need at least two or more witnesses to convince the elders of this act."
Akoni nodded, thinking how he was going to try and find enough evidence against Timote and Piri for attempted murder against his son.
"I'll inform the elders of this accusation after breakfast, and I'll talk to Timote and Piri about it. But I warn you I will take no pleasure in this, wondering if my sons tried to kill my godson, but none the less I will treat them the same why I would when questing any other suspect."
"I'm sorry this won't be easy for you, but thank you, and if there is anything I can do to repay you then just let me know."
He turned to leave when Makani said, "All I wish for is the truth of this little scandal."
"As you wish my king."
Then he left.
When he got back to the healers' hut, he found Rakin applying more of the green paste to Moray's leg, whom was still asleep. And Lea was wetting his head again with a cloth. Keanu was perched nearby, watching with his watchful black eyes.
He entered, and Lea and Rakin both looked at him.
Rakin then turned his attention back to his work. Lea was the one who broke the silence.
"Where have you been, Akoni? I was so worried when I woke up to find you missing and Keanu here watching Moray like he was waiting for something bad to happen." Lea's voice was full of worry.
"I'm sorry Lea, but I went to go talk to with Makani about something important."
She looked at him for a moment like she didn't believe he was telling her the whole story, which he didn't, but he told her the truth somewhat, but he didn't want to tell her the truth in fear that she would start freaking out, and he would tell her the truth once they got Moray home.
"Ok, but next time tell me or leave a note. You about gave me a heart attack when I woke up to find you missing."
"I'll give you all some space. Lea just keep wetting his head and when he wakes up have him drink that." Rakin said, getting up and pointing to some green herbs floating in a mortar next to Moray's cot.
Lea nodded, and Rakin left and went into the storage room no doubt to clean it up because it was incredibly messy when Akoni had been it last night and would hate to see what it looked like in the daytime.
"I know you're not telling me the whole story, Akoni." Lea said in a hushed tone.
Getting down next to her, he said, "I promise I will tell you all about it once we get Moray home. I can't risk letting anyone overhear us talking." He said so quietly that Lea had to lean closer to him to hear what he said.
He caught a whiff of tropical flowers that her hair always seemed to smell like. It's what made him fall in love with her as well as her sweet personality and her beauty that could rival even that of the High Chief of Nilo's wife, who is said to beautiful, but he would bet Lea's beauty could beat anyone's.
"Ok, tell me when we get home, and I'll do my best to help you." Lea said, putting a soft hand on his.
He kissed her on the cheek, and she laid her head on his chest, and he stroked her soft, curly, long black-brown hair.
Riptide's POV
Riptide woke up on one of Nalani's pillows, stretching like a cat would.
Then jumping off the bed and walking into the kitchen, he found Nalani cutting up some raw fish.
She must have heard him, and she looked at him, and set the cut up fish on the ground in a wooden bowl along with some herb- water in it.
He bowed his head in thanks, and went over to the wooden bowls, and started eating the raw fish, savoring it more than the cooked fish Moray gave him on the guest night they met and bonded.
After he ate and drank, Nalani let him out so he could do his business.
After he was done he come back to the door and scratched on it till Nalani let him back in.
When he was back inside, Nalani addressed all his wounds again, especially the monitor lizard bit, adding more of the greenish-brown-yellow paste on it and then wrapping it back up.
Then for the rest of the day Nalani read to him about all she knew about the SeaWing tribe.
Akoni's POV
Moray woke a few hours later, and Lea had him drink the the liquid Rakin asked her to make him drink, he drank it reluctantly, his face saying it tasted like the foulest thing he ever put in his mouth as he clearly tried not to gag.
"Does it taste like squid ink?" Akoni quietly asked Moray jokingly.
"He nodded, giving the half empty bowl back to Lea, who refused to take it back.
"Rakin says you need to drink it all first." She said, pushing towards him.
"I rather drink a gallon of salt water than whatever that is."
"Ya well this is going to help safe your life."
He reluctantly drank the rest of it, looking like he wasn't trying to throw up.
When finished, he handed it back to Lea, and laid back down, looking sick.
"When are we going back home?" Moray said.
"When you're better sweet heart," Lea said, "Now go back to sleep so you get better."
"Is there anything to eat?" Moray asked, his stomach rumbling after he said that.
Lea looked at him, and Akoni got up to go asks Rakin.
When he entered the storage room, which was definitely worse than it looked in the dark.
"Rakin is there anything for Moray to eat?"
"Rakin looked up from his work, and said, "He should probably stick with non solid food till he feels better. There's some coconuts in the kitchen." Rakin said, giving him directions to the kitchen.
He thanked Rakin and then went to find the kitchen.
When he found the kitchen, he entered and found the coconuts on the counter. He used a knife to cut them open, and then brought the two halves out to Moray.
He gave Moray a coconut and he drank it so fast it was like some just poured the whole thing in his mouth, then he finished his second one, and then went to sleep like Lea said.
Then giving Lea a half, they ate the copra or the coconut meat.
Moray woke up a few more times that day before night fell, and Akoni climbed onto his cot with Lea on the one next to him, right next to Moray.
When morning came Rakin demeaned Moray fit to go home as long as he continued drinking the liquid stuff, which Moray did not seemed thrilled about, and as long as he also applied more of the green paste stuff to his leg.
Rakin gave them the stuff they needed, and they went home.
Once they were home, Lea sent Moray to his room for more sleep, claiming that Rakin said he needed as much sleep as he could get so he could recover faster.
Akoni sent Keanu into Moray's room to keep watch on him incase Timote or Piri tried anything.
"So what is it you wanted to tell me yesterday?" Lea asked, sitting at the table, waiting for him to take a seat.
He crossed the room and sat down, and told her the whole story.
When he was done Lea was somewhere between angry and worried.
"I can't believe they tried to kill Moray. I thought the monitor lizard came her because of our bad luck with children. I actually thought we were cursed when Fallyn died and Moray was bitten."
"We're not cursed Lea and you know that. It's just bad luck."
"I know, but it just feels better blame it on something."
Then a knock at their door interrupted their conversation.
Riptide's POV
When Riptide woke up that morning and ate and went outside to go to the restroom, he saw Moray and his parents walking back to their wooden hut.
He quickly tore across the sand to Moray's bedroom window, thankful to the big rock under his window.
He got on the rock and used his claws to climb up the wooden wall till he got to the window and dropped onto Moray's bed, and quickly jumped off the bed and ran underneath the bed just as the door opened, and a pair of feet walked in along with the flutter of wing beats.
Someone got in the bed, and he guessed it was Moray, and he was about to jump out and start licking Moray's face, but a sharp chirp from a bird stopped him.
He quickly peaked out and saw a white bird with black wings and tail feathers perched on Moray's window.
He felt a twinge of jealousy as this imposter watched over Moray. That was his job as his Rider's dragon.
He waited when the bird wasn't looking, and he quietly climbed up the bed and slithered under the covers, coming to rest beside Moray's side.
He felt the covers lift up a little and he saw Moray's dark brown eyes look at him, and his tanned skin paw gently petted him.
He felt relief spread through him as the connection between them strengthened by the contact.
Then someone ripped off he covers and he felt strong hands grab his body and snout and pick him up and leave Moray's room.
Moray called out in protest as he tried to get to is feet, still weak from those two demonic princes attempt to kill his Rider. When he was older and bigger he would teach those two a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.
Then he heard the sound of metal being drawn, and he saw a dagger being drawn.
He struggled against his captor as the steal blade descended towards him.
Then just as the blade was close enough to stab him in the head someone grabbed his captor's arm, stopping them from stabbing Riptide.
It was Nalani, and she had guilt written all across her face.
Akoni's POV
Akoni got up from his chair and went to open the door, half expecting Makani to be there.
He wasn't.
In his place was the village storyteller, Nalani.
"Nalani what are you doing here?"
"I came to see if Moray was all right. If it's ok with you."
"Of course." He said, stepping out of the way, and opening the door wider.
"Thank you." She said politely, and walked into the hut.
Then he heard a flurry of wing beats, and Keanu came flying in through the kitchen window, and flew over to Moray's bedroom door, pecking at the wood.
Akoni quickly crossed the room, and threw open the door.
There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Moray was sound asleep, and it looked like nothing was wrong, but Keanu kept flying in circles above Moray.
He walked over to bed, fearing that the twin princes did somehow manage to capture a sea snake and put it in Moray's bed and that was why Keanu was flipping out and circling Moray's head.
He grabbed the covers and tore them off, finding something unusual by Moray's side, sound asleep along with him.
Keanu squawked again, landing on Moray's shoulder, clearly not liking the scaly reptilian that kind of looked like a leviathan from the old legends.
Fearing that the beast was dangerous, he quickly grabbed the beast's snout and body and picked it up, waking Moray in the process, and he started walking out of the room.
"Father don't! Please don't hurt him." He heard Moray beg him as he tried to get his feet and follow him.
He ignored Moray's pleas, and left room and took beast into the kitchen.
He grabbed a dagger and was about to kill the beast when he felt someone grab his arm, preventing him from stabbing the beast through the head.
He turned and looked at the guilt written face of the storyteller, and he could tell she knew something he didn't by her face.
"What are you doing Nalani?"
"You can't kill him." She said sternly.
"What do you mean I can't kill 'him'?" He asked, wondering what she knew that he didn't.
"I promise I will tell you everything when you put him down and put the dagger away and listen to what Moray and I have to say." She said, looking guilty.
"What do you mean you and Moray?" He asked, wondering what trouble Nalani got his son into.
"Put Riptide down and put the dagger away and sit at the table with us and we will tell you everything." She said, letting go.
Giving into his curiosity of what she knew. He put the sky blue lizard with wings down and put the dagger back in its sheath and joined Nalani at the table.
He saw the sky blue lizard scamper across the floor and jump into Moray's lap and hiss at him, showing its sharp, white teeth that were just as deadly as any shark's teeth.
"So what misfortune fell upon our family again?" He asked Nalani, looking at the lizard out of the corner of his eye, watching it incase it tried anything.
Keanu then flew over to him and landed on his shoulder, also glaring at the winged, sky blue lizard.
"This isn't a misfortune, but a gift." Nalani said.
"What do you mean a "gift"?" Lea asked, also wondering what trouble their son had gotten into again.
Nalani looked at the two of them with careful, and then said, "Have you heard of the Dragon Riders?"
"I'm pretty sure everyone has heard about the so called legendary warriors that supposedly protected Erdas throughout the ages. But one question. Where were they during the first Devourer War? I didn't hear of any legendary warriors coming to our aid, helping us defeat those invaders. Instead it was the Four Fallen who came to our aid, sacrificing their lives in the process to defeat the Devourer and Kovo and Gerathon. The Greencloaks also were formed too, the only people who would get together to retaliate against the Devourer and the Conquers. Again where were the Dragon Riders? How do we even know they existed in first place? They might as well as been created by some crazy writer wanting to fill people's heads with silly stories and lies about the past." He said angrily because the so called "protecters" of Erdas hadn't been there to help the people of Erdas when they needed them most. The Greencloaks were.
"I know the Riders hadn't been there in the past for the people of Erdas, but they were almost destroyed in a war ninety-one years ago with a mad Dragon Rider named Galbatorix and his thirteen followers. You see the Riders were already low in numbers when this war started, resulting in themselves almost being destroyed and the Riders actually fading into the past and turning into stories that are told today. Most people believe the Riders to be gone, but they are still around and they have been looking after the people of Erdas, not flying down on their dragons and telling all Erdas they were here, but they have been secretly helping the people of Erdas from the shadows, hiding from the Mad King, fearing that he would hunt them to the ends of Erdas, seeking to destroys them for once and for all.
"But there have been rumors that the Riders are returning. Two children from Arctica and a child Oceanus are rumored to have bonded with dragons three years ago and have left a year ago to start their training with the Riders on their secret base."
"This is ridiculous. You expect us to believe that the Riders are real and have been watching the people of Erdas and helping them?" He said, not believing her story no matter how much he wanted to accept her story and have faith that the Riders were still around and looking after them.
"Akoni, maybe she is telling the truth. How else do you explain that." Lea said, and gestured at the sky blue, winged lizard in Moray's lap.
He looked at the lizard, earning a similar look back at him from the lizard.
"She is telling the truth." He heard Moray say.
"Moray—." He said to Moray, but was interrupted by Lea.
"I believe you Moray."
"Lea." He said, shocked that Lea believed Nalani and Moray's crazy story.
"Akoni there is no other explanation for the baby dragon." Lea reasoned.
"I know this hard for you to believe father, but every word Nalani said was true, and Riptide is a dragon not a lizard." Moray said, sounding like he was trying to convince him.
He stared at the table for a few minutes, trying to take in all that he heard.
Finally accepting the truth, he said, "I believe you. I may have sounded angry earlier with the
Riders, but I was just mad that the Riders left us on our own for almost a century when they were supposed to be watching over us and protecting us like they should have done during the Devourer War. But now that you are a Dragon Rider my son that doesn't mean I hate you. I have never hated the Riders, I was just so upset with them for leaving us on our own for so long and leaving us to fight the Devourer War on our own."
"I understand father." Moray said, sounding like he understood his father's anger and disappointment at the Riders.
"What's your dragon's name?" Lea asked.
"Riptide."
"That is a good name for it represents his fierceness like a riptide." He said, thinking the name was actually pretty good.
"Thank you father."
He nodded, and then turned his gaze to Nalani, "How long have you known?"
"Almost a week." She responded.
He nodded, and then looked at his son and the sky blue dragon sitting in his lap.
"Did Timote and Piri try to hurt you this week?"
He saw Moray look down at Riptide, and then said, "Yes. They threw me off a cliff on the day I bonded with Riptide."
"What!" He and Lea yelled at the same time.
Akoni was outraged that Timote and Piri threw Moray off a cliff and tried to kill him with a monitor lizard. He would march up to the Makani's house and ask to give those boys a whopping of their life. The only thing stopping him was the trial where the elders would decide who was guilty.
"Moray did you know that the monitor lizard was set loose in the hut by Timote and Piri." He said.
A threatening growl came from Riptide, and Moray said, "Why those sons of a backstabbing-bloody-demon-jellyfish."
"Moray, Riptide please don't do anything reckless. Your father is already taking care of the situation." Lea said, touching Moray gently on the hand.
"What do you mean he is taking care of it?" Moray asked.
So Akoni told him about the meeting with Makani and the trial that was to take place in a week to see who was guilty and that he also needed to gather more information for his accusation against the twin princes to convince the elders.
Moray agreed to help, claiming that the twin princes were evil and that they hated him for no reason.
He even confessed to why Timote and Piri threw him off a cliff.
Nalani even agreed to help gather information about the princes, and even claimed that she even saw the twins talking about a monitor lizard, and saw them walk by her hut, coming from the woods with a covered cage.
After talking for a little bit, they finally came up with a plan to get more information and evidence about the twin princes.
Nalani soon left after that, saying that she needed to get ready for the story tonight.
Lea made Moray go back to bed, and Akoni sent Keanu back to Moray's room to watch over him.
Once he was alone with Lea, he said, "I promise you we will win this trial. I want Timote and Piri to pay for their crimes, no matter the consequences. I do not wish them dead, but I want them to learn that it is wrong to try and kill others because you don't like someone." He said, never telling Nalani or Moray about his lashing if his information and evidence wasn't enough.
"I know you will, but it is just so sad that those two already fell down a dark path at such a young age. What example will that set for Kalani and Kailani."
"I know Kalani and Kailani will be better than their older brothers." He said, hoping he was right.
"You're probably right. They are good children. They will be good queens some day."
Then Lea started lunch, while Akoni went into Moray's room, finding him asleep.
He saw Riptide laying by his side, waking up when he heard Akoni come in.
The two of them looked at each other for long moment before he said, "Take care of my son Riptide when he gets older."
The sky blue dragon nodded his head and allowed him to sit by Moray and stroke his hair while he rested.
P.S. Hope you all are enjoying.
Makani means wind or breeze, Nalani means silence of the heavens, Lea means mythical goddess of canoe builders, Rakin means respectful, firm, confident, steady, Keanu means cool breeze over the mountains, Kailani means sea and sky, Moray means sea, and Akoni means inestimable or priceless.