A few days later I was with Loak when loud horns blared through the village. Sharing a confused look we quickly moved to the gathered people. As soon as we got close you could feel the rage in the air. The people were armed with spears, fury in every one of their faces. Ronal and Tonowari stood in the center on a slightly raised platform. My family stood in front of them.
"My spirit sister and her baby have been murdered by the sky people!" my heart dropped at Ronal's words. Her face showing the anguish she felt in her heart. The people erupted into a call of fury.
"This war has come to us. We knew about this hunting of our Tulkun people. But it was over the horizon, far away. Now it is here!" he yelled. The Metkayina were a powerful people. A fearsome one as well. Their anger and fury were shown through loud growls and the full extension of their tongue outside their mouth. It was a fighting sight to see.
"You gotta understand how the sky people think. They don't care about the great balance!" Father stepped in trying his hardest to stop a war from breaking out.
"We will answer the sky people!" A villager yelled earing shouts in support.
"Listen listen to him," Neteyam begged.
"The sky people are not gonna stop, this is only the beginning. You gotta tell your tulkun to leave. You gotta tell them to go far away!" father demanded addressing all the people.
"Leave?" Ronal asked bewildered. "You live among us and you learn nothing!" she accursed.
"We will fight to protect our brothers and sisters!" Another villager yelled slapping his hand hard against his chest.
"No no no no no no," my father watched in disparate as the people got more riled up.
"If you attack if your fight they will destroy you! They will destroy everything that you love," father said gesturing to Ronal's swollen belly. Aonung eyes flickered to me at that statement. The villagers weren't calming down, if anything my father's words got them more riled up. I sunk into myself as the yells got louder and louder drowning out my father's voice.
Seeing he was losing the battle my father made one last attempt. He pulled the tracker out of Neteyams hand and rushed up to the platform holding the device high into the air. The people went silent looking upon the device in fear.
"You tell the tulkun, that if they're hit by one of these they're marked for death! Call for me and I will silence it. Saving their lives that all that matters. Right?" he asked.
"Saving your family," he said desperately. Those words seemed to get through to the people. Ronal and Tonowari shared a look as they both decided on what to do.
"Tell the tulkun," Tonowari ordered.
"Go, go!" Ronal ushered her people.
"Sylwanin," Aonung called walking up to me extending his hand. Taking hold on it he pulled me into himself. The sky people were there. And with the sky people they brought danger. And at that moment all he needed was me in his arms. To know I was safe and by his side. That's all he needed to calm his heart. Placing his hand on the back of my neck he placed his forehead to mine breathing in my scent.
"Stay by my side," he begged. I nodded cupping his cheek. Taking my hand he pulled us away to the water.
We warned the tulkun. And when we returned I saw my brothers arguing.
"Loak?" Tsireya called as he dived into the water. Rotxo was with us as we jumped up onto the platform.
"He's going to warn Payakan. Come on," Neteyam said slapping Aonung's chest before diving after Loak. We all quickly followed suit diving into the water, mounting our Ilus, and chasing after my brother.
On the way, Kiri and Tuk rode up to us.
"What's going on?" Kiri asked.
"He's going to find Payakan," Neteyam said before diving under the water.
"Wait up," Kiri called before joining us.
The stupid skxawng wouldn't listen to our pleas to return. When Payakan emerged I was glad he didn't though. A tracker had been planted into his side. Loak was quick to act rushing to try and pull it out.
"Loak!" Neteyam yelled jumping onto Payakan's back.
"Bro comes on help me out," Loak called desperately. The rest of us quickly assembled around the tracker pulling with all our might. My heart dropped as I saw the demon ship in the distance.
"Call it in," Neteyam ordered. "Call dad, Call it in just do it," he pressed. Loak nodded picking in his comms and calling dad as the rest of us struggled with the tracker.
"It's getting closer!" Tsireya yelled in fear.
"Three two pull!" Neteyam yelled as we pulled with all our might. Yet it didn't even budge.
Seeing that we weren't getting anywhere I tried to think of something.
"The rope, Use the ilu!" I yelled. Neteyam quickly dived off bringing his Ilu close and throwing us a rope. Once it was tiered down I nodded to Neteyam.
"Go go go!' Aonung called. I watched as the ships were unloaded from the ship and I watched as they headed for us.
"PULL!" I screamed. With one last heave, we all fell into the water the tracker coming free.
"Go, get out of here!" Aonung ordered as we surfaced. He pulled me to my Ilu making sure I had mounted before moving to his own.
"Go that way, I'll draw them off," Neteyam said taking the tracker and rushing off. We quickly mounted our ilus and rushed off. We came to a stop in some large reeds waiting for the boats to clear from above us.
We should have been in the clear. We should have been safe. Yet nothing ever goes my way. The demon ship launched subs of all kinds that instantly made their way towards us.
The chase was on.
============================================================
============================================================