Mighty Jewel | LO'AK + NETEYAM

chapter eleven

"So, how was I?" Lo'ak asked as both Kya and him jumped out of the Ilu. The girl brought her fingers to her lips and stayed silent for a moment, deep in her thoughts.

"You're almost there." She softly chuckled before swimming to the shore.

As Lo'ak was about to follow the girl, envying more contact with Kyalayi, a grip on his shoulder stopped him from doing so. He turned around to see his brother, barely keeping himself above the water. Neteyam looked tired of swimming and training all day. Lo'ak's gaze dropped to his neck where a pearl in seaweed rested. The boy wondered where he had gotten the necklace.

"Come on." Lo'ak exclaimed to his brother as he swam toward the beach. Kyalayi and Tuk played in the sand, making mountains out of it. Kiri stayed in the water, her body floating face down. Tsireya and Ao'nung got the mounting gears out of the Ilu's bodies and on the hooks where the rest of the equipment were. The two Sully brothers finally reached the beach.

"Come play with us." Tuk shouted to her brothers as she pulled Neteyam's arm. The boy forcibly sat on the sand, Tuk kneeled in between him and Kyalayi. They briefly met eyes before Tsireya came back on the beach, alone.

"Today was very good." The curly haired girl said. "You've shown real progress but we must practice your sign language before you're all fully ready." She added as she grabbed Lo'ak by the arm and they all kneeled in circle on the sand.

"What about Kiri?" Tuk exclaimed as they all look at the girl who stayed afloat, not far from the shore and still focused on the fishes. Tsireya lightly chuckled.

"Kiri will be okay." She stated as they all understood what she meant. Kiri had been connected to the water in a way that no one had ever been. The instant she succeeded to dive, everything seemed to be easy and natural for her. "Kya, would you mind helping me out? I don't know where my brother is." Kyalayi smiled and nodded to her friend. "Good. Let's pair you up. I want you to sign everything you want to say to your partner and I'll correct you." Tsireya paused, thinking about who she would group together. "I'll start with Lo'ak and Tuk." The sibling got up on their feet and walked a few meters away, before Tsireya followed them, she turned around to Neteyam and Kyalayi. "You can still practice."

Now that the trio was further down the beach, Neteyam crawled toward the girl. He sat in front of her as she straightened her back. Kyalayi's eyes were on her gloves, playing with the dangling leather straps. She felt timid around the boy, he intimidated her. Especially now that she had revealed parts of herself to him. Parts of her story. Neteyam cocked his head, craving to meet her jewel gaze.

"How can I sign to you if you don't look at me?" He gestured in sign languages which did what he had hoped for. Kyalayi lifted her head and finally looked at him. She frowned as she had missed what he was trying to say. He repeated the gesture a second time.

"I'm sorry." Kya signed. Neteyam smiled, proud of him for understanding. "I have talked to my father." She continued, signing. Neteyam's eyebrows furrowed, his ears twitching in curiousness. They continued signing.

"And?"

"I don't think I'm a hybrid. He talked to me about my mother. About how brave she was."

"She died?" Neteyam exclaimed out loud. So surprised of what Kya had just revealed that the words slipped out of his mouth.

"In sign language, Neteyam." She overly exaggerated her signing to make her message more clear.