𝐃𝐘𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀, lo'ak

1. ALIEN

𝐃𝐘𝐒𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀ᵒⁿᵉ

     CERULEAN EYES DRIFTED to the Ilu beneath her, weaving its way to the headwaters of her home. The nurturing silence brought her ease as she gracefully entwined her way to the surface. She caught sight of her sister when she rose above the water. She shifted her head to flash a smile at her, which Tsireya returned.

     The melody of the horn reached everyone's ears. A signal that someone is here on their land. From this, Tsireya looked at her sister with her temple raised. A'kaia gave her a curious glance before their Ilu began to incise their path to the reef.

     From afar, they could see people with spears in their hands gathering around the unexpected visitors. A few were observing them while others were offering them a scrutinizing gaze. A sea of whispers were heard from the crowd.

     Once they were close to reaching the reef, A'kaia had her eyes set on the foreigners, as were everyone else.  From a short distance, she could see their skin complexion was lavender blue in contrast to her turquoise skin. They had thin tails, their eyes were toned gold, and they had pigments of patterned stripes that complimented their skin. They appeared to be a family and some of them looked frankly the same age as her. One thought lingered in her mind. Who were they?

     As she was basked in her thoughts, it appeared that the presence of A'kaia seemed to catch their attention. One boy, in particular. This didn't go unnoticed by A'kaia as her gaze traveled to see who those eyes belonged to.

     It was the youngest boy. His dark braids were behind his pointed ears while some were loosely framing his face; there were neutral blue and ruby-saffron patterned beads threaded on them. His body was lean, and his height was noticeably tall.

     As she emerged from her water, the boy's gaze never faltered──admiring her appearance from afar. The ivory and azure patterned sea shells adorned her figure with woven pearls that complimented her teal satin skin. There were fresh droplets of water caressing her flesh, and her damp-silky hair extended past her waist. She lifted a finger to stroke a loose curl behind her pointed ear while the curves of her full lips were parted.

     His golden eyes were coated with curiosity and interest at the appearance of the unknown girl. She stood out to him, and her beauty didn't go ignored. His pointed ears slightly perked up, and his eyebrow subtlety raised when she returned his gaze.

     Once her pretty eyes noticed him, Lo'ak quickly looked away once he realized he was staring, secretly hoping he was discreet about it. He put his head down in an attempt to let his braids conceal his face──trying to move his gaze anywhere else but her. However, from the corner of his eyes, he couldn't help but shift his orbs to see her face once more. His older brother noticed this and turned to him with a teasing smirk.

     When she approached, Ao'nung and Rotxo began to make unnecessary remarks about their appearance. "Their tail, how are they supposed to swim?" They inquired while laughs escaped their lips. A'kaia noticed this and frowned at them──while Tsireya slapped their forearm, "enough Ao'nung, Rotxo." They eventually shared glances at each other and ceased their remarks.

     "Hey," Lo'ak nodded casually in an attempt to greet the girl next to Tsireya. A'kaia just returned a smile in response──revealing her noticeable dimples, and the boy looked away immediately when he heard his brother snickering at him.

     The arrival of her father, Tonowari, brought everyone's attention and this caused the unknown family to greet him in respect, a sign that they come in peace. Moments passed and the pressure of tension could be felt in the presence of these unexpected visitors.