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

3

Aonung's pov:

"Look at her hands," I overheard Asherah laugh as I was hidden from her sight at the edge of the forest, plucking berries for my youngest daughter, "what a freak."
"What about that tail, Asha?" Taraji, the oldest daughter of Asena ans Kiojah, laughed along with her friend, "I can't believe your brother's crushing on that."
"I told him to go for you, since you're obviously the better choice," Asherah chuckled as the two girls looked at Khalilah from a distance, "but apparantly my older brother's got zero taste."
I narrowed my eyes as I placed the basket of fruit down and watched the girls converse about Khalilah, giggling as they pointed out everything that they thought was wrong with the girl. I sighed as I could see my own reflection in my oldest daughter, she resembled me so much in everything.
"There she comes," Taraji laughed as she turned her face away, Asherah smirked, even that she got from me.
"So, forest freak, I heard you've been getting cozy with my older brother," Asherah said as she walked over to Khalilah who was simply trying to make her way back to the village, "I think it's time you stop that, we both know you're only after the Tsahik title."
"I'm not," Khalilah answered calmly, "but if you're so worried about that title, why don't you just take the part upon you? Or did your mommy see what kind of weakling you are?"
"I'm a warrior," Asherah said as she balded her fists on her side, "Araoukai's probably forgotten all about you already, knowing him he's already getting more cozy with the girl everyone would actually want to be Tsahik.. They'll never accept you."
"I'm not after the Tsahik title, you spoiled brat," Khalilah sneered, "I simply like your brother and I don't need that title to prove my affection for him. How come you two are even related? Actually, how come you're related to any of your siblings? They're sweet and gentle whilst you're just a bitch."
"I can be the biggest bitch on Pandora and still be more liked than your four fingered ass, seeing who you're related to," Asherah said and that struck a nerve with Khalilah, "you're no competition for me, treehugger, I suggest you leave my brother alone. You'll only bring him misery."
Khalilah frowned before quickly walking past Asherah and Taraji as I could see the tears dwelling in her eyes. Asherah and Taraji laughing as Khalilah cried, pointing after her until my daughter's eyes landed on me and her smile faded.
"A word, daughter," I said as Asherah sighed and made Taraji leave us alone, the girl's ears lowering as she left me and my daughter alone.
Asherah eyed me curiously as she awaited what I would have to say to her, she was clever like that.
"Stop bullying that girl," I said and she scoffed, "you finally stopped bullying your cousins and now you start bullying Khalilah? I thought we were past this."
"I'm doing you a favor, dad," she said, "you don't want that girl to be Araoukai's mate and I don't want her to become my sister-in-law and the sooner she realises that nobody wants her to be Tsahik the sooner Araoukai can mate with that girl you've shipped him off to."
"It doesn't matter what we want, in the end it's up to your brother," I said, "no more bullying, got it?"
"Of course I do, father," she said and smirked, "can I be excused?"
"Yes, you can be excused, Mischief," I said as she rolled her eyes at her nickname, "you can return to the village and see if Kiri and aunt Reya need your help with attending to the wounded and sick."
"But dad, I said I'll stop bullying that girl," Asherah pleaded, "you gave me a day off."
"Your aunt gave you a day off," I said stern, "you better return now and do the duties your mother has provided for you or else you'll never be allowed beyond the reef again."
"Fine," she grunted as she stomped away from me, when I squinted my eyes I saw a fifteen year old version of myself strutting away. She'd come around eventually. I did.

***

Asherah's pov:

I was furious, he always told me what to do and what not to do, could he not see that I was doing the clan a favour? That girl would be the end of our clan. Naeyi and Emra'o contributed something to our clan, but Khalilah, she was a waste of space in my opinion, not to mention that my uncle always dragged her with us when we'd do something, making me dread going to my uncle. Re'ylä agreed with me on that matter so we quickly bonded over that and we'd always go hunting together but she got to go explore the other villages whilst I was stuck here doing Tsahik duties.
I didn't want to be Tsahik, my mother asked me to be but if I was going to lead I would want to become Olo'eyktan, I don't want to tending to people's wounds, to the births of their babies, that wasn't me. If I would lead I want to lead war parties, hunting expeditions and all of those kind of things. Araoukai and I should swap places in my opinion, but he was next to be Olo'eyktan, I love my brother but he needed more backbone.
Frustrated I grabbed a rock and threw it ahead of me, not expecting much of it.
"Ow!" I suddenly heard, making my ears perk up as I saw Zeoay rub over the back of his head as he turned around to face me, "are you trying to kill me?"
"No, it was an accident," I sighed as I walked over go him, suddenly realising how tall he was, "sorry."
"You don't seem very good at that," Zeoay said and smirked, "luckily your pretty face makes up for your lack of sympathy."
"You think I'm pretty?" I asked him shocked, not once had a boy called me pretty, I always felt excluded. Taraji, Naeyi and especially De'iya got called pretty but never me. They never looked at me twice, they probably assumed I'm do something terrible to them, everyone knew of my warriors training.
"It might just be because of the rock you tried to kill me with," Zeoay said and I grunted, rolling my eyes as I looked away from him, "or maybe the rock just gave me the courage I needed to finally tell you that. Either way you just made my brain fuzzy."
"You're insane," I said as I felt my cheeks heat up, "you're my brother's best friend."
"Kaoru's too busy with collecting food to even notice anything else," Zeoay said as he slightly tilted his head, "what troubles you, Asha?"
"Just my older brother's poor choices, what else?" I joked as Zeoay smirked at me, "stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?" He asked me ad I tried to walk past him, "you can hit me with another rock if you'd like."
"If you look at me like that again I'll hit you with a fucking boulder!" I said as I continued walking, my heart suddenly raising for a strange reason that I couldn't explain. Little did I know that Zeoay, the oldest son of our greatest warrior and my mentor Teungyi would torment my thoughts, his words had struck a nerve and I was determined on forgetting about them as I returned to the Tsahik duties I had to do.

***

Aonung's pov:

"Daddy," Zaniyah began as she shyly walked over to me, "can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can, my little princess," I said and frowned, Zaniyah was never shy, she was always upbeat and outspoken, her sudden change in behaviour was noticeable even though she clearly didn't seem to think so.
"Can you betrothe me to someone?" She asked me and my eyes widened.
"I can not," I said stern, "do you have any more questions?"
"But, daddy, it's Eyrae," she pleaded and my ears shot up, "you know him."
"Neteyam's son?" I asked her in disbelief and she nodded, "you take too much after your mother."
"Daddy," Na'aila suddenly said as she walked into our pod with Kiri and Rotxo's youngest son, "can Izan and I have a sleepover?"
"My Eywa this might just be the death of me," I whispered as I heard Asherah chuckle from the corner of the room where she was sharpening her dagger, "do you have anything to add about a boy too?"
"Nope, not me," she said and I sighed relieved.
"Good," I said as she rolled her eyes at me and I turned to my you best daughters, "what do Izan's parents say about the sleepover?"
"That it's okay?" Na'aila said as she held onto Izan's four fingered hand, "Izan's my best friend."
"Can Tissaia and Uzuri come too? And Eryrae?" Zaniyah asked, already forgetting about her betrothal question.
Before I could answer my daughters Teungyi knocked on the doorframe and I turned around to face her, a worried look upon her face and I frowned.
"Aonung, we need your assistance at the beach," she said stern, "an Ash Na'vi boy washed up on shore. Kiri and Tsireya are tending to his wounds as we speak, but we don't know what his purpose is here and if he's alone or not."
"I'll come right away," I said as I got up and turned to Asherah, "look after your sisters, Mischief."
"Will do, pops," she said knowing I hated that, I sighed and ran after Teungyi towards the beach.
The crowd of people surrounding the boy immediatly stood aside and cleared a path for me as I saw my sister and Kiri cleaning up the wounds of this boy who seemed around the age of eighteen and he was coughing up water, he didn't have one the lizards with him like Varang and Kanzia had about eight years ago, this boy came across very different than those two hostile women.
"W-where am I?" He stuttered as his eyes landed on me and fear overtook him, "P-please, Olo'eyktan, y-you have to help me."
"Why would I do that?" I asked the boy as he tried to sit upright with the help of Tsireya, "who are you?"
"My name is Ri'han," he said, "I'm from the Ash clan, Varang.. she.. she tried to sacrifice me in order to get healthy lands again.. I escaped but they killed my.. I fell in the water but I-I don't swim, got attacked by a big fish and I need help. Please I need uturu, they'll kill me even worse now that I've escaped.. you don't know what Kanzia can do.. she.. she's known as the bringer of death.. I need safety and a new life.. please, Olo'eyktan grand me uturu."
"Miya leaves for a few days and this happens," I whispered to Teunyui who chuckled at my comment, "how will I decide this without her?"
"Just use a throat microphone to contact her," Teungyi said and narrowed her eyes, "let me guess; you don't want to bother her with this since she's forcing your son a different mate."
"Reya," I said as I ignored Teungyi, my sister looked up and frowned, "a word please."
Tsireya nodded as she got up and walked over to me, stopping infront of me as she waited for me to speak, I took a deep breath and crossed my arms.
"I need you in deciding what to do with this boy," I said, "do we grand him uturu?"
"This boy seems harmless, brother," she said as she looked at the boy who was pleading with Kiri for safety, "he seems terrified, I think you should give him uturu and I think you know Miyara would've agreed with me."
"You don't think it'd risky?" I asked her.
"You're still worried about what those two women said eight years ago? He is not those two women, he's a terrified boy who needs a safe place," Tsireya said, "as a father, would you want your children to be turned away when they need uturu?"
"No, I wouldn't," I said and sighed, "Thank you for your wisdom, sister."
Tsireya nodded as she walked back to the big and helped him up to his feet as he stood before me with fear in his eyes.
"You can stay, we'll give you your own marui pod and at first light my daughter will teach you our ways so you don't suffer the sickness calles uselesness," I said, "how does that sound?"
"That's good, sounds good, yeah," he stammered and sighed relieved, "thank you, Olo'eyktan."
"My name's Aonung," I said and the boy nodded, "follow me, I'll show you to your pod."

If you had to make some ships with Aonung and Miyara's kids (with other people not each other of course) who would you ship each of them? Let me know in the comments!