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

5

Eraya's pov:

It was time for Araoukai and his family to leave again, after his mother had walked in on us having sex he became distant, he told me that he didn't want the union to happen between us and I told him that I didn't want that either, but it was a lie. Nobody had ever made me feel the way he made me feel, he was captivating and so gentle. To be honest, I wanted to discover what it would be like if we were together, maybe I could string my dad to send me over to their village before Araoukai's dad and mine decided on terminating this union.
"So, this is it," Araoukai sighed ss he towered over me, his hands on his waist, "I had a lot of fun with you."
"Yeah, me too," I said as I stared into his bright colored eyes, "too bad it couldn't continue for another few days, you actually know what you're doing."
"So do you," he said as my heart skipped a beat, "any man will be lucky to be your mate one day, Eraya."
I smiled at him as his brother walked psst us and patted Araoukai om his shoulder, signaling that their mother was almost done talking to my parents.
"Can I at least get a hug?" I asked him and he smiled as he leaned doen and gently hugged me, his hair tickling my cheek and I wished I could hold onto him a little longer but he broke away from my embrace and waved at me before walking over to his mother.
Look at me, I thought as he got onto his skimwing, the muscles in his back tensing up, just once.
But he never did and that pained my heart as I watched them vanish into the distance.

***

Zeoay's pov:

I was spear fishing near the roots when I suddenly saw someone's arrow fly by, I saw Asherah concentrating on her hunting as she shot a fish and smirked when she shot it in the eye. I smiled at the sight of her as my heart began to best faster in my chest, my Eywa she was the definition of beauty to me. I don't know what suddenly changed inside of me towards her, for years she was just my best friend's sister but now I was nervous whenever I saw her and all I wanted to do was hold her, hug her, kiss her and tell her how beautiful she is. I also knew that she would never admit to liking me back, after all I was nearly a year younger than her and she was very stubborn when it came to revealing her true emotions, but I knew that all that sarcasm and mean remarks were just a mask to protect herself. I was determined on peeling the mask off, I wanted her to be herself with me. My Eywa, I was crushing hard on her.
"Stop staring, Mullet boy," Asherah said as she shot another arrow and her cold eyes landed on me, "or you'll be my next target."
"That would be nice, since you're already my target," I said and smirked when I saw her cheeks flushed, "pretty lady."
"Did you drink poison this morning with breakfast or something?" Asherah asked as she jumped down from her root.
"You're my poison," I said and she quirked an angered brow at me, suddenly I realised what I had said, "in a good way! You're my good poison."
"You're weird," she said as she narrowed her eyes at me and collected her fish.
"And you're beautiful," I said softly and her eyes widened in shock, "I thought I'd tell you, since we're staying the obvious."
"So you admit that you're weird?" Asherah asked me and I smirked which surprised her even more, usually people backed down when she'd respond like that but not me. I could handle her, she was like a rough ocean in the middle of a storm and I wanted to tame that storm.
"Asha," I said softly as I stepped closer to her, even if she was older than me she was still shorter than me, "you can't scare me off like that."
"In what way can I scare you off?" Asherah asked me as I could see her blush, "because clearly you take a liking to my rudeness."
"Yeah, I love it when you insult me," I said and she frowned confused, "you can insult me all day long."
"You are weird," she said as she turned around, "I'm leaving now."
"See you later, pretty lady," I called after her and she grunted, making me smile before I returned to my spear hunting.

***

Asherah's pov:

I watched Ri'han being taught how to breathe from De'iya as the two sat on the shore together, there was something about him that I didn't trust, it all seemed so convenient that he just stumbled upon Awa'atlu claiming that he was struggling for his life and yet there were hardly any cuts or bruises on his body, it didn't seem like he was in the water ff that long either.
If I shoot now, I thought as I drew an arrow, I can prevent anything from happening.
It seemed like the perfect plan and with the way he was seated it would be an easy kill for me but I knew that if I killed this boy I could get banished because he hadn't proved to be the enemy just yet.
I didn't trust him but still I lowered my arrow and grunted annoyed as I stomped away back into the forest, trying to figure out what had gotten into Zeoay's head recently. Suddenly he was complimenting me wherever I went, calling me nicknames and playfully smirking at me and I hated that some part of me deep down enjoyed it. He couldn't possibly be crushing on me, it was probably just a bad prank from one of the guys and with that in mind I brushed it off but he lingered in my mind, driving me nuts.
That's when the horn blew to announce the arrival of my mother, brothers, uncle and cousin. My ears perked up as I ran out of the jungle towards the pier, my mother was as radiant as ever as she hugged Na'aila and Zaniyah tightly before the two girls moved onto their brothers and my mother pulled my father down for a passionate kiss which he gladly returned.
"Ma," I said when I reached the pier, slightly out of breath, "you're back!"
My mother smiled broadly when she saw me as she immediatly pulled me in for a hug  and I sunk into her embrace right away.
"I've missed you," she said as she let go of me and cupped my face, "my beautiful girl."
My heart warmed when she spoke to me like that, my mother was the only one I allowed myself to be vulnerable with even if my father was the one who understood me the most.
"So, what happened?" I asked her and she sighed, which already told me enough.
"He didn't pick her of course," she said as my father grunted annoyed from besides me, he was hoping for Araoukai and that girl to work out. I had to admit that I wanted them to work out too, that girl actually knew what leading meant and Khalilah.. well, she'd simply never be accepted even if she would become the best Tsahik in the world.
"I'm glad to see the village hasn't burned down in my absence," my mother said and as she did my my father's ears lowered and I had to hold back my laughter as he looked like a little kid who had done something bad.
"There is some news," my father said as he scratched the back of his head, "an Ash Na'vi boy washed up on shore and asked for uturu."
"Okay?" My mother asked stern.
"And we let him stay," my father said and my mother looked at me to confirm this, I nodded as she turned her gaze back to my father.
"You let him stay? You? Aonung? The one who's been scared of a war with these people for the last eight years?" She asked him and I chuckled.
"My sister helped me decide, but yeah, he can stay," my father said, "they wanted to kill him.. to sacrifice him, he escaped."
"I don't trust him," I said as both my parents quirked a brow.
"I used to say that about uncle Lo'ak and his family," my dad said, "and in the end there wasn't a bad bone on their body."
"He's not exactly Toruk Mako's son or anything," I sighed and rolled my eyes, "I'm just saying that for someone who claims to have escaped a certain death he seemed to be in a pretty good mood real quick."
"Let's just give him a chance, allright?" My mother suggested and I nodded, "not all Ash Na'vi are evil just because those two women were."
"I have no idea, this guy's only the third one I've ever seen," I said, "I'm going hunting again."
"Okay, sweetie," my mother said as she moved a strand of my hair out of my face, "and thank you for taking over some of my Tsahik duties."
I simply nodded before leaving again.

***

Ri'han's pov:

I watched the wife of the Olo'eyktan return with her two sons, her brother and niece. Her two youngest daughters hugged their mother right away before they moved onto the oldest. The Tsahik walked over to her husband and kissed her passionately before Asherah appeared and got hugged by her mother.
I could tell that the Tsahik's weakness was her children, it was so obvious that she bore an unusual amount of love for them but I still had trouble trying to figure out Aonung and Asherah.. they were very good at concealing their fears.
I sighed and snuck out of there, running into the forest until I came across Anzu, he was madly in love with our leader Varang.
"What information do you have?" Anzu asked me.
"Tsahik's weakness is her children, just take them and the'll surrender ," I answered and sighed, "but there's more."
"Tell me," Anzu said stern.
"I've been getting cozy with Toruk Makro's granddaughter," I said, "and I know that she's one of the oldest in her family.. take their kids too and nobody will dare to fight you ever again."
"Good work, Ri'han," Anzu said and smirked, "looks like all those years of babysitting you finally payed off.. Varang will be pleased, in three days we'll meet back here and I will tell you what Varang expects from you."
"Don't worry," I said, "I'll do everything to make this the home of the Ash Na'vi."

Finally, it's here!
And now I'll be forced to make you wait for the next chapter because I'm going on vacataion to Spain.. how evil am I?
Anyway what do you think so far? Let me know in the comments !
There might be some typo's in here. Oops