War Set to Peace

Chapter 9

Me and Ao'nung stayed in the cave and talked about how my life was back at home. We were enjoying each others company until Lo'ak came in.
     "Oh uh, am I interrupting something?" Lo'ak asked with a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes at him.
     "Yes you were actually, excuse you. But what do you need Lo'ak?" I said sarcastically.
     "I have a story to tell you guys, so hurry it up and meet me by the shore." He said while walking out.
     I shrugged and stood up and so did Ao'nung. We followed Lo'ak to the shore where Tsireya, Rotxo, Kiri, and Tuk all stood.
     "What is this about Lo'ak" I asked.
     "I wanted to tell you guys about how I was saved when I was beyond the reef."
     "Okay, spill"
     Lo'ak then began to explain how a dangerous creature had attacked him and a giant whale like thing came out of no where and killed it, saving him.
     "Are you talking about a Tulkun? That can't be right because the Tulkun haven't returned." Ao'nung told Lo'ak while leaning on a tree.
     "It's true, he also had a missing fin"
     That statement made everyone go quite.
     "Payakan?" Tsireya asked Ao'nung, sounding a bit shocked. Ao'nung then began to tell a story about how Payakan had apparently killed his kind and was known as an outcast.
      "No! You guys aren't listening, he saved me." Lo'ak tried to argue back but he decided to just walk away.
     "Wait Lo'ak, I'm listening!" Tuk shouted.
     I honestly felt bad for Lo'ak and was going to go after him but decided that it was best if he got some space.
     After the story Tsireya had invited all of us to go with her to see the underwater spirit tree. Ao'nung had things to do so he didn't go, and Lo'ak had ran off somewhere.
     "I think I better stay here and keep a watch out for Lo'ak to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." I told Tsireya and she nodded at me. "I trust you Neyteyam to watch over Kiri and Tuk, please be careful"
     The group then went off and into the water on there Ilu's, and swam away. I then began walking back to my hut to begin the search for Lo'ak. When I got to the hut I noticed that no one was there and decided to go to the rocky part of the village, and sure enough there he was.
     "You really need to stop running off you Skxawng" I said while sitting down next to Lo'ak.
     "I know, I'm sorry, but why does no one believe me?" He asked with a sad tone.
     "I will only believe you if you show me" I said will a slight smile on my face. He look at me and smiled.
     "We'll come on then" Lo'ak said while standing up and holding his hand down for me to grab.
     "Bet"

    We swam on our Ilu's for a while until we came to a large rock that stuck out of the water.
     "PAYAKAN!!!!!" Lo'ak yelled the tulkuns name, and then I felt it, it was a slight wave and then I looked down to see a beautiful creature below me. I could hear it making noises under the water, and I just smiled down at it. It was the most beautiful creature I had ever see.

He swam in between me and Lo'ak and finally came up out of the water. Lo'ak got off of his Ilu and Swam towards the creature.
"Lo'ak...what are you doing?" I asked him.
"Come here" he told me while he was climbing onto the tulkun. I hesitated for a second but gave in. I swam over towards the tulkun and got off of my Ilu, Lo'ak reached his arm out to help me up and I took it.
"Are you sure" I asked him before pulling myself up.
"100%"
We spent the next thirty minutes playing with Payakan and diving off of his tail as he shot us up.

"Well believe me now?" Lo'ak asked, sitting down on the fin of the tulkun.

"I never said I didn't believe you Lo'ak, but yes I do. But I think we need to start heading back before eclipse." I said and climbed off of the Tulkun. I looked into the Tulkun's eye "Thank you for the fun."

Me and Lo'ak then began to swim back towards the village but had noticed a chopper fly over us and towards the village. We picked up speed and before I knew it we were back at the shore. I jumped off my Ilu and ran towards where the choppers had landed, I then spotted a crowd of people around my family's hut. I sprinted over to the hut and rushed inside to see Kiri laying on the ground unconscious, I stopped and stared to see many scientist working on her, and among the crowd was Norm. I could tell that these people weren't doing anything helpful to Kiri, so I decided to go get Ronal.

I ran out of the hut and towards Ronal who was watching from a distance, beside her stood Tonowari and Ao'nung. I ran up infront of her with tears in my eyes.

"Please help my sister, the people in there don't know what the're doing, but I know you do." I spoke softly with sorrow in my eyes.

"I can't with them in my way"

"Then I'll move them, but please"

"Fine"

I yelled out for Neteyam to get everyone out of the hut, and then I followed Ronal to help collect supplies from her hut. I took everything she gave me and we walked back to the hut, I walked inside to see mom holding Kiris' hand and crying.

"Please help my child" Mom spoke as she backed away to give room for Ronal to do her work. I set down the things beside Kiri and looked at her unconscious body.
Kiri looked so lifeless, I couldn't take it anymore. I ran out of the hut without looking back with tears in my eyes. Was Kiri dead? Was it my fault that I wasn't there to help her? What caused this to happen? All of these thoughts ran through my mind as I ran away from the hut.
"Tsalwi?" Norm shouted as I ran by him. I stopped and turned to look at him.
"Normy? You're here." I stared at him before slowly walking up to him and hugging him.
"Is she gonna be okay Norm?" I asked him.
"She had a seizure underwater while connected to the spirit tree. She cannot connect again because it's too much of a risk. One more seizure can kill her."
Those words hurt me.
"Is she gonna wake up?"
"I'm not sure"

A/N
This chapter kinda sucks but I needed to publish something so yeah.