Flood of Ashes [sequel to 'Not So Perfect']

1

Miyara's pov:

"And then you crush the.." I explained but stopped when I saw Araoukai staring at something in the distance. I frowned as I turned around to see what my oldest son was looking at, soon realising that he was staring at Khalilah, Spider and Fninrey's daughter, in the distance as she was weaving herself a new top.
I smiled as I could so clearly tell what was going on, he was crushing hard on the Omatikaya girl and with that making me realise how grown up he already was.
"Your sister's decided that she doesn't want to be Tsahik," I said and Araoukai turned his head back to me confused, "she's very pretty."
"I don't know what you're talking about, ma," Araoukai said as he looked at the blue leafs in his bowl and frowned confused when he saw that I was already a few steps further than him.
"You would've known what to do next had you not been staring at a certain Omatikaya girl," I said and smirked when his cheeks got flushed, "does she like you back?"
"I don't think so," he said and his ears lowered, "but it doesn't matter because dad said I have to mate with a Metkayina girl."
"He said what?" I asked my son and he sighed as he crossed his arms.
"Dad's trying to set me up with Taraji, you know, Asherah's friend," Araoukai explained, "and I told him that I don't like her and he said that I have to mate with a Metkayina girl."
"Don't listen to your father," I told him, "just find yourself a girl you like and I will train her to be the next Tsahik."
"But dad's Olo'eyktan," Araoukai stated and I smiled.
"But I am Tsahik," I said stern as I untied a seastar bracelet from my wrist that I had made a few weeks ago and handed it to my oldest son, "go talk to her and give her that."
"No, ma, I always stutter when she's near and make a complete fool out of myself," Araoukai debated and I smiled at him, "I can't talk to her."
"You like her, right?" I asked him and he nodded rapidly, "what's the worst thing that could happen?"
"I could die," he said seriously and I chuckled at his comment.
"Just talk to her, Araou," I said softly, "if you don't you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
"I don't even know what I'd say," he said and I smiled, finding it cute how my son was having a crush.
"You made it work with that other girl so I don't see the issue here," I said and Araoukai narrowed his eyes at the mention of his ex girlfriend. It was a relationship of five months with the daughter of the chief and Tsahik of the village where Ronal and Tonowari now lived, which wasn't that far from Awa'atlu since Ronal still wanted to be able to visit her grandchildren. Aonung was very fond of Araoukai's first girlfriend, her name was Nyura but Araoukai broke up with her when she became jealous of his close relationship with his cousin Naeyi.
"I was fifteen, ma," he said and I frowned.
"And now you're seventeen, what's your point?" I asked and he rolled his eyes, "just ask her what she's doing, compliment her work and tell her that you think she looks nice."
"Fine," he groaned as he got up to his feet, "but if I die don't tell me that I didn't warn you."
"Just go over there, you big baby," I chuckled as he tied the bracelet around the band of his loincloth and made his way over to Khalilah, I turned around and pretended to continue doing what I was doing as I watched my son nervously walk over to the girl he liked.
Khalilah's eyes lit up when she saw Araoukai and a warmhearted smile appeared on her face, which told me enough already. Araoukai had clearly gotten more confident when he started talking to her as he sat down besides her and made her laugh, I smiled at the sight of it and decided to go and find my husband.
After wandering across the shore I found him with Na'aila and Zaniyah, he was trying to teach the girls to work a spear but they found the dancemoves they had learned from Seyza the night before much more intresting than what their father had to say.
"Girls, pay attention," Aonung said but Zaniyah twirled around and made Na'aila laugh, "Aila, Zani, how will you protect yourself with dances?"
"Dad, we have Araoukai, Asherah and Kaoru to protect us," Zaniyah sighed, "and you and mommy."
"And what if none of us are around?" He asked her as the eight year old girl as she rolled her eyes at her father.
"Uncle Mo'iki, uncle Yukrì or uncle Lo'ak?" Na'aila added to that and Aonung grunted frustrated that his two youngest children would much rather be dancing than protect themselves.
"I see the self defense lessons are a succes," I said as I approached the three of them.
"Mommy!" The girls shouted in unison as they ran over to me and wrapped their arms around my legs, hugging the, tightly.
"Please tell them that they need to learn to defend themselves," Aonung said and I chuckled.
"Girls, you need to learn to defend yourself," I said as they eyed me curiously, "you want to be cool like mommy's friend Teungyi?"
"Yeah, she's cool!" They said and I chuckled.
"Then you need to learn to defend yourself," I said and they nodded, "but for now you can play in the water, I need to talk to your father."
"Oh, daddy's in trouble," Na'aila said as she dragged Zaniyah into the water with her, I smiled as the two sisters immediatly started to dive into the water before turning my head to Aonung.
"What's wrong, darling?" He asked me as he walked over to me and placed his hands on my waist, pulling me closer to him.
"Did you tell Araoukai that he has to mate with a Metkayina girl?" I asked him as I placed my hands on his tattooed chest and looked up at my tall husband,
"I did," Aonung said softly and I quirked a brow at him, "the elders are already upset that he isn't betrothed so obviously he needs to mate with a Metkayina girl."
"The elders do not lead this clan, we do," I said stern, "and the elders will not decide who our son mates with, Lo'ak and Tsireya still aren't allowed to get tattoos because they mated before they turned eighteen, my brother only got semi accepted back into the clan after his mate died and still isn't allowed tattoos and the elders are still belittling Jake, his family and also Spider's family. I find them hypocrites and they will not decide how we raise our children just because they have small minds."
"He's got a crush on one of the Omatikaya girls, doesn't he?" Aonung asked me and my eyes widened.
"That's not the point," I said and Aonung smirked, "I'm just saying that we lead the clan and yet they get to make the decisions just because they're old, well guess what, they're not going go be around here much longer so our son can pick whoever he likes and I'll train that girl to be the next Tsahik."
"What if he chooses a boy?" Aonung asked and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Then we'll be having a male Tsahik," I said stern and he chuckled, "I'll choose our son's happiness over what they think every day."
"You sound a little too much like your brother when you talk like that," Aonung said as he moved a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"He was right in the end, wasn't he?" I questioned, "Mo'iki did more for me than my own parents did, he's been more of an example of how a parent should treat their children than my own. My parents deprived me of my own rights and I will not let our children suffer that fate just because a bunch of really old people think that the next Tsahik should be Metkayina."
"So he does have a crush on an Omatikaya?" Aonung asked and my jaw dropped when I realised I had indeed just exposed Araoukai.
"He... might," I said softly as I looked down but Aonung placed his index finger under my chin and forced me to look back up at him.
"Who is it?" He asked me softly, staring into my eyes.
"Khalilah," I answered, "Spider and Fninrey's daughter."
"Fuck, Miya," Aonung grunted annoyed, "she's not only Omatikaya she also has demon blood, she's got four fingers."
"Even if she had six fingers I wouldn't care because our son like her and I think she likes him back," I said and he smiled at me, "what?"
"I just love that you're such a caring mother," Aonung said and sighed, "but you're also a leader, Miya, the elders are still very influencial people and they won't be happy if an Omatikaya girl with demon blood from the demon that killed my mother's spirit sister and many other people from our clan to be the next Tsahik."
"She is not Quaritch," I said, "and I will not hold her responsible for that, Spider was still human when that happened and when he got his avatar body he was reborn and now he, Fninrey and Khalilah are Metkayina and if Araoukai wants to spend the rest of his life with that girl than he has my blessing."
"All I'm saying is let's not jump to any conclusions yet, just be open towards the oppertunity that I have made for our son," Aonung said and I quirked a curious brow, "we could make an alliance with the Ta'unui village, the youngest daughter of their chief and Tsahik has no mate yet, they offered to betroth her to Araoukai and since this girl actually knows what leadership is I think it would be okay if they met."
"So you first throw Taraji at him and since that didn't work you want to ship him off to another village for some strange girl?" I asked Aonung and he rolled his eyes at me frustrated.
"This would be a good alliance between Awa'atlu and Ta'unui especially when those lizards come back for war," Aomung said and I scoffed.
"It has been eight years, Aonung, let it go," I grunted annoyed and he shook his head.
"Just please take Araoukai to Ta'unui for me, if it doesn't work out I'll consider the demon girl," Aonung said and I frowned, "I promise."
"Fine, but you will tell him that," I said and crossed my arms, "now where are our other two children?"
"Asha is probably terrorising the neighbourhood and Kaoru is probably in dreamland," Aonung said and I rolled my eyes, "kidding. Asha is hunting with Re'ylä and Kaoru left with Zaria and Zeoay to build a treehouse or something."
"I see," I said and sighed, "good luck with teaching the girls self defense, I'll be checking on my brother if you don't mind."
"That depends, are you still angry with me about the mating choices for our son?" Aonung asked as he grabbed my hand and twirled me around.
"Maybe a little," I said as I tried to fight the smile on my face.
"So, you're going to complain about your strict husband to your brother because you know he'll have your side since he practically raised Khalilah too?" Aonung asked me and I nodded, making him chuckle.
"And he's been having a hard time since Zuaia moved out," I answered. Zuaia was twentyfour now and instead of mating like many others did when they turned eighteen Zuaia decided to travel to some of the Metkayina villages and even the Omatikaya clan by the eastern sea, where she met an Omatikaya boy and moved back here with, Mo'iki had a hard time admitting that his oldest daughter had grown up and since she mated a few weeks ago she also moved out of the marui pod, leaving him and Re'ylä together but Re'ylä was a free spirit who spend most of her days beyond the reef of in the forests, meaning that he was now entirely alone.
"I think I'll invite Mo'iki to come with me to Ta'unui," I said suddenly, "Asherah can take charge in my place."
"She doesn't want to be Tsahik," Aonung said.
"I know, but we'll be gone for a few days and she had Tsahik training," I said, "she, Tsireya and Kiri can all help you with Tsahik duties since they all had the training."
"That's settled then, you three will leave in the morning," Aonung said and my eyes widened.
"Tomorrow already?" I questioned, "maybe I can take Kaoru too, oh and Na'aila and Zaniyah have never even been beyond the reef.."
"No, Kaoru you can take but my girls aren't getting beyond the reef until they learn to defend themselves," Aonung said stern and I quirked a brow at my husband.
"Your girls?" I repeated.
"You know what I mean," he whispered as he narrowed his eyes, "just go to your brother already."
"I will," I said as I looked over at the girls playing in the water, "good luck with daddy, girls!"
"Thank you, mommy," Na'aila said as she immediatly ran forward to Aonung and jumped up into his arms.
"Where are you going mommy?" Zaniyah asked me confused.
"To uncle Mo'iki," I answered and her eyes lit up as she ran over to me with a big smile upon her face.
"Zani, we were training," Aonung said as he held Na'aila up in his arms.
"I'm tired, daddy," Zaniyah lied as she fake yawned, "I'll be going with mommy, bye bye."
"Traitor," Aonung said as he stuck his tongue out at Zaniyah, who scoffed offended and stuck her tongue out to her father before allowing me to pull her up and take her with me.