This Is Our Home //Avatar The Way Of Water

Outcast

It had been a few days since Tonowari reported to the Sully's about the sky people. Tsireya, Neteyam, Aonung, and Neylayā had noticed Lo'ak has been acting weird. They believed it was because of the tulkun's return and how Payakan is considered an outcast. Somehow Tsireya convinced them all to go watch Lo'ak's interaction with Payakan, so hiding behind some seagrass the children watched Lo'ak swim into Payakan's open mouth. Until Payakan shut it, Neteyam and Neylayā got scared and started swimming towards the tulkun to save their brother, but Ao'nung and Tsireya stopped them and told them to stay using the underwater sign.

It was a very long time till the children saw Lo'ak appear out of the tulkun's mouth in shock, however the tsahik had swam up and was angry signing for all the kids to come to the village now. As the kids walked on the shore with their heads down following Ronal and Tonowari, they drew much attention to the rest of the clan including Jake and Neytiri.

"You allowed it. You allowed him to bond with the outcast." Ronal says angrily stomping around the marui and pointing at her daughter.  

"Tsireya... You disappoint me, daughter." Tonowari says softly, causing Tsireya to lightly sigh with tears rolling down her face. "And you are the son of a great warrior. I believed you are better raised than that." he says pointing towards Lo'ak.

"Payakan saved my life. You don't understand" Lo'ak says trying to express his feelings.

"Sit." Tonowari says starting to kneel and Lo'ak follows.
"Sit."
"SIT DOWN!" Tonowari yells and the rest of the kids making Tsireya drop down and kneel, while Neteyam, Neylayā, and Ao'nung slowly sink down. Now Neytiri and Jake had walked up to the marui kneeling behind Lo'ak and Neylayā. Tonowari puts his hands together and does a heavy blow pushing them apart.

"Hear my words, boy. In the time of the first songs, the tulkuns fought among themselves to gain territory and to get revenge. But they realized that killing, justified or not, just leads to more killing. Therefore, it was forbidden to kill, it is the way of the tulkuns. Payakan is a killer and therefore he is an outcast." Tonowari explains why Payakan is an outcast kindly to the children.

"Sorry, but you are wrong." Lo'ak says still trying to speak his truth, causing a huff of disapproval from Ronal and a slight smirk from Neylayā.

"Lo'ak, you are speaking to the olo'eyktan." Neytiri says trying to ease tension, but still allow her son to speak.

" Well..."

"That's enough" Jake yells warning Lo'ak to stop.

"I know what I know." Lo'ak says with a final light shoulder shrug.
"That's enough" Jake lowly states in Lo'ak's ear, then grabs him by the arm  "I'll take care of this one." They leave the hut and Neylayā immediately gets up and starts running after them, "Dad wait!"

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It was a few hours later and Neylayā and Lo'ak were walking closer towards the beach. Until Neylayā heard Tsireya come up behind them, then she smiled and walked away hiding behind some bushes eavesdropping.

"The storm will pass. Lo'ak, I saw something today, I saw a forest boy chosen by a tulkun. I am very proud of you." Tsireya says slowing down the walking pace.

"It was not Payakan who killed the boys. I saw it all. The demon ship killed his mother, so he gathered the young bulls and the reef boys to attack the ship, and they were all killed. But by the sky people, not of him. He's not a killer." Lo'ak says finally letting the truth come out. 

"But by the Tulkun Way, he bears those deaths." Tsireya replies calmly.

"Does he have to pay for it for the rest of his life? He knows what he did was wrong!"

"We have to tell my father" She says grabbing his arm trying to pull him but he grabs hers.
"No. My father is already mad at me." Lo'ak says, making Neylayā feel bad about her fathers harshness.

"Your father will understand."
"No. He doesn't understand anything. The whole clan hates me. Demon blood, alien. That's all they see." Lo'ak says holding up his hand, Tsireya sighs and grabs his pinky.

"I see you." 
"You are the brother of a tulkun. You are one of us now." She says slowly, whiling looking at Lo'ak. Neylayā has the biggest smile on her face watching her little brother fall in love with the chief's daughter.

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Authors note
We are coming towards the end my friends. But I have a fun little scene (that I made up) that I want to add!
overall thanks for the love on the story. Have a good day/night!!