Mighty Jewel | LO'AK + NETEYAM

chapter twenty three

The next day after the clan meeting, several villagers seemed to be more at ease with Evelyn's presence and Kyalayi's true identity but still, there were some who would never accept it. Jake had woken up early as he intended to keep his promise to Tonowari, he would made sure that the girl's mother wasn't a threat to those who had gave him sanctuary. Before leaving for the beach, the Sully man kissed his mate on the cheek and glanced one more at his children, noticing that Kyalayi wasn't in her usual spot. Jake wasn't her father, he couldn't lecture her into not wandering around during the night, he couldn't care like she was his daughter but the man still worried. When he reached the crashed ship, Tonowari was already inspecting it, touching carefully the ashed metal.

"Tonowari." Jake simply stated to not startle the man as he joined him by the ship, the leader giving him a small acknowledging nod. The Metkayina chief stood by the entrance as Jake got in it, knowing his way around as it was similar to those he had been in when he was first introduced to Pandora. Jake pushed one of the buttons which projected the black box video, the last minutes before Evelyn's ship crashed on the beach. Both of the men glaring at each other before the video automatically started.

Tuk immediately woke up when she heard her father leaving their hut. The youngest Sully looked by the entrance as she realized the eclipse had only started to fade away, causing excitement within the girl. Since she had arrived in the village, Tuk had wanted to be the first one on the beach and today, was her chance. As she silently got up on her feet, she slightly growled at Kyalayi's empty spot. If the ocean girl wasn't in their hut then she might have been on the beach, beating once more Tuk of being the earliest. But the young girl still had hoped so she quickly hopped on the sand where she only found Jake and Tonowari. Happy of arriving first, she called out her father.

"Tuk, go back to your mother." Jake ordered to his youngest, his head quickly popping out of the spaceship's entrance as it did returning back in it. Tuk pretended to head back but when the young girl sensed her father's attention derived back to what he was doing, she dove her feet into the water, patiently and proudly waiting for the two girls to arrive. Several minutes later, the eclipse had completely disappeared and let its place to the bright sunrays as Tuk's cheeks warmed up. More villagers were coming out of their hut and onto the beach, swimming in the water, fishing or riding their Ilu.

"Hey there, early bird." Tsireya exclaimed as she joined Tuk in the water, slow and small waves hitting as high as her thighs. "You've beat me to it. I am proud of you." Tuk grinned to the congratulating words of her ocean friend as a question kept turning up in her mind, a concern look taking over in her eyes.

"Kya isn't with you?"

Tsireya frowned at the Sully girl as she soaked in her words, proceeding them and causing her to stare around the beach. Usually, if Kyalayi wasn't sleeping on the beach, she still would spend her mornings sitting on the sand. Everyone knew that. A worried feeling overwhelmed the chief's daughter as her heartbeat picked up, imagining the worst as to where her friend was. Tsireya heard commotion coming from the crashed ship as she stretched her arm to Tuk, offering her hand for her to hold. Tuk confidently grabbed it while they both went to look for help.

"Dad!" Tuk called her father, her voice echoing against the ship's debris.

Jake closed his eyes, sighing to what he had just watched. He pushed once more the same button to close the hologram and glared at Tonowari as they both silently agreed to discuss the matter later. The Sully man jumped out of the ship when he saw his daughter approached, his expression completely shifting as he noticed the hardened traits of both of the girls, understanding the seriousness of the situation. Jake kneeled on the sand, grabbing her daughter by the shoulders while Tonowari questioned Tsireya.

"What is it?" Tonowari firmly asked to his daughter but Tuk was faster and answered the chief's question for the girl.

"Kyalayi wasn't on the beach this morning."

"She might be somewhere else." Jake tried to reassure her youngest but in vain as he looked up to Tonowari and Tsireya, both of their eyebrows frowned.

"The girl has never missed a morning." Tonowari stated to the confused father as he searched the village as if Kyalayi was hiding but instead, the man interlocked eyes with his oldest son accompanied by his usual friends, all chuckling as they seemed to be returning from farther down the ocean. Tsireya thought the same as her father. There was no doubt that Ao'nung had something to do with it as, like his mother, he had the most difficult time with anything related to Sky People and Kyalayi had always been an easy target for the boy.

"Ao'nung." Tsireya sucked a breath in, in disbelief of how her brother could be so heartless.

To that information, Jake was quick to warn his family that one of them had been wronged. With the threats of his father, it wasn't long that Ao'nung had revealed what he had done and immediately pleaded for forgiveness. He had know Kyalayi for all his life and sometimes even treated her a friend, when no one was around, but after last night's clan meeting, the healer's daughter felt like a complete stranger. Ao'nung had felt like, over the years, he had been manipulated into liking a derivative of those demons, a half-blood. When Kyalayi's disappearance was announced to the clan, not many villagers volunteered to help with the search which ultimately made the Sully kids furious. Their sleep had been cut off short when Jake had came barge into the hut, Tuk jumping on her brothers and sister to alert them. The Sully had wished they had an easy time waking up early like the Metkayina girl, especially in that moment where majority of the village wanted her to be gone. Worriness overflowed the Sully hut while Jake explained the plan he had come up with Tonowari, now also present in their new home.

"Tsireya and Kiri will check underwater. Tonowari and I will fly over the water. Neytiri, Tuk, my loves, I want you to stay here in case she comes back." Jake turned his head to interlocked eyes with his mate. "We probably should warn Marrek and Evelyn. She's their daughter after all." Neytiri nodded to her partner as she grabbed Tuk by the hand and they both walked out of their hut and toward Marrek's. 

"What can we do?" Neteyam said to his father, causing the Sully man to shift back his attention to his sons. 

"Mount your Ilus. Search every corners and hiding places." Jake instructed to his boys who immediately got up from their crouch position and ran toward the ocean. They clapped their hands together, calling for the creatures, before they dove into the water and in the same time, grabbing the leather saddle as they were projected into the depth of the ocean. When both of the Sully brothers came back up to the surface, Jake and Tonowari rapidly flew above their heads, causing them to look up. The sky was a dark grey, clouds slowly covering the sun.  

"We should separate, cover more grounds before the storm. I'll take East." Neteyam stated to Lo'ak who was only a few meters beside him, the waves hitting them hard as they hardly were able to keep their Ilus afloat. 

"I know where she is." The youngest brother exclaimed before clicking his tongue on his palate, causing his creature to quickly move toward outside of the reef. If his prediction was right, Ao'nung would be too unoriginal to come up with another way of bullying. Neteyam watched his brother taking the lead, the boy tried to caught up but the stormy waves kept slowing him down. 

"Lo'ak. Come back here, you." The eldest shouted and as he figured his brother wouldn't listen, Neteyam pressed on his throat microphone and called for his father. "Dad, Kyalayi is outside the reef and Lo'ak is heading straight into the storm."