=Chapter 2=

The sky people had no regard for the great mother, nor the great balance. It saddened me every time I saw their structures. They didn't care what lived on the ground they cleared. They cared for nothing but this thing they called money. It was a hard concept to grasp. People working for money, then having to use it to live. In the village, everyone helped everyone. 

The attack was well planned. Explosives were set on the tracks of a supply train. Once father gave the all clear the explosives were set off. It was a fiery mess. The explosion ripped the bridge, destroying it. In turn, the train went head over heels and exploded into a fiery heap. Two black hawks circled the destruction ready to pick off any attackers, they were quickly taken down by my parents, one each respectively. 

My brothers and my job was to circle at a distance and keep our eyes out for anything. Loak had other ideas. I had hoped he would realize how important this mission was. How it was important to show father we could be trusted. 

He didn't.

The warriors rushed in to steal the supplies. Loading them onto Direhorse's and Ikran's. The three of us banked allowing Loak to get a clear look at it all.

"We have got to get down there," Loak called enthusiastically, his devious excited grin spread wide across his face. 

"No way dad will skin us," Neteyam responded trying to be the voice of reason. A voice Loak rarely listened to.

"Come on don't be a wuss," Loak gave a cheeky grin before diving down.

"Loak! No!" I called before diving after him fully planning on pulling him by the ear back into the sky. Maybe I could save his dumb ass before father saw.

"Loak Get back here you. UGH!" Neteyam yelled before following after. As we landed Loak quickly rushed off. 

"Come on let's go. Come on," he beckoned.

"Loak get back here. Dad will be furious," I called rushing after him Neteyam hot on my heels. Loak eagerly reached for a gun he was handed before turning back to us and letting out an excited cry.

"Loak," I hissed grabbing his arm.

"You don't even know how to use that," Neteyam said pointing at it as he took his other arm and pulled him back in the direction of the ikran. Shaking his arms free he stopped loading the gun and cocking it.

"Dad taught me," he stated proudly before aiming it at nothing in particular.

"We need to go, Please," I begged. With a huff, he nodded. Before we could move our father's voice ripped through the comms.

"Gunships inbound. Fall back," I shared a fearful look with my brothers before we rushed for our ikrans.

"Come on!" Loak called. Blasts echoed around us as Neteyam took my hand making sure I was right by his side.

"Go!" Loak yelled pushing me. Even though I was a better fighter than them both I was still their little sister. Mid stride a wave of heat and force crashed into my back sending my brothers and I flying into the air.

I had been shocked by the blast. My ears were ringing, my vision was blurry. My head was pounding, but I wasn't sure if that was just my own heart beat or more explosions. I gasped when through the shock a pain emitted from my thigh. Grunting I pulled my body up till I was on my hands and knees trying to gather my mind. I coughed the smoke from my lungs as I looked around. Neteyam's hand still tightly held mine.

"Neteyam?!" I exclaimed in worry rolling his body over. He blinked in confusion. He was hurt but not to the point where it was life threatening.  My eyes snapped up scanning for my way out as I tried to pull him up. Seeing my father through the smoke I called out.

"DAD!" his head snapped around to us his eyes wide in worry. Rushing over he did a once over on me before picking up my brother and looking over his dazed body, front and back.

"Dad?" he asked in confusion. When seeing he was alright his face turned to anger.

"What are you doing here boy? What the hell were you thinking?" he asked heaving him onto his shoulder.

"Im sorry sir," he murmured. 

"Sylwanin, come," he said grabbing my hand and rushing us off. 

We hurried away after that. As I mounted Oogi I hissed and I bent my legs to sit. Looking down at my thing my eyes widened. A gash almost as a big as my hand sat right on my thing spewing out blood. Taking a bandage a bound it tightly around my leg as i watched everyone else mount. Tying it off with one last jerk I grabbed the reign's.

"Go Oogi," I urged him as we took to the sky. A wave of clam washed over us all at the completion of the mission. As we returned to formation and few with everyone else Oogi gave out a worried sound. I could feel though the bond his worry for me. A sound my mother caught.

"Sylwanin?" She flew closer to me looking at my leg with nothing but worry.

"It's just a scratch," I rushed the words out. She pressed her lips together but nodded.

When we got back to base I took a bit longer than everyone else to dismount. Oogi gently lowered himself down making it easier for me.

"Nin!" After Tuk greeted our mother she ran over to me as i gave her a side hug. My ears faltered as my father looked over us.

"Fall in," he demanded. Taking in a deep breath I walked up to Neteyam's side wrapping my hands around his arm.  We were in big trouble.

"You supposed to be spotters. You spot boogie's and you call them in. FROM A DISTANCE!" Both Neteyam and I looked down at our fathers frustrated words.

"Does any of this sound familiar? Get here!" He demanded Loak joining me on my other side. Kiri walked up to Neteyam looking over his many scratches.

"Jesus, I let you three geniuses fly a mission and you disobey a direct order," he ranted. As he spotted Kiri he huffed.

"Kiri can you go help your grandmother with the wounded please," he always did have a soft spot for kiri. Only because she listened to him all the time.

"My brother and sister are wounded," Kiri responded defiantly. Tuk looked over Loak curiously.

"Tuk go with her," Father didn't want them to be there for the scolding. After all, they did nothing wrong.  

"Dad, sir I take full responsibility," Neteyam spoke up.

"Yeah you do, that's right. Cause your the older brother you gotta act like it," he spat. 

"He did. He tried to stop Lo-" I paused as Loak looked to me pleadingly.

"He tried to stop us," I continued. Dad shook his head letting out a frustrated sigh as his gaze turned to me.

"Jake, your son is actually bleeding. And so is your daughter," Mum said as she stepped up behind us. Dad sighed as they shared a look.

"Mother it's fine," Neteyam tried to brush it off his hand falling to his side. At the same time, it slapped against my cut, and although it was only a light hit I hissed letting out a pained grunt.

"Just go and get patched up. Go on dismissed," he nodded us off. Neteyam nodded grabbing my arm and helping me limp away.

"How bad is it?" Neteyam asked. I briefly glanced over my shoulder at our mother.

"Bad enough that I'll get another scolding," I whispered.

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