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

8

Zaria's pov:

"Zaria, wake up," I heard my father say as my grandmother, aunt Tuk and uncle Lo'ak were cheering in the background, "we're here."
"We are?" I asked as I opened my eyes and blinked the sleep out of them and looked over my father's shoulder. I gasped as soon as my eyes landed in the vast forest infront of me, sure back at Awa'atlu we had a small forest but it looked nothing like this.
The trees were massive and filled with greens, I could see Ikran's flying near the floathing mountains and and I could only imagine the beauty that lied beneath all those leaves. My dad always spoke about his time in the forest, I always painted a picture in my head of what it could look like but my imagination could not paint what I saw infront of me, it could not do justice to the beauty of the forest. We had arrived.
"It's beautiful, dad," I said with my lips parted and my eyes widened, my father chuckled softly as Eyrae was just as stunned as me. I turned to look at the rest of my family, I don't think I had ever seen my grandmother so happy, this would after all always be her home. It was almost like she was announcing our arrival to the clan as several people appeared on their Ikrans, all around my grandmother's age.
"Palalukan Makto!" One of them cheered, "Toruk Makto!"
Emra'o, who sat behind our grandmother, quickly cheered like she did and Naeyi shortly followed as she sat behind uncle Lo'ak who was also cheering. I could finally experience the other side of my culture, not just my mother's but my father's culture.
I looked over at aunt Kiri, who had tears in her eyes as she smiled upon the sight of their old home, Aoran clutching onto her back as Tissaia was gaping at the sight of it infront of her, Izan wanted to fly with our grandfather and aunt Tuk.
"Kiri," my father spoke as aunt Kiri turned to him, "can you believe we're back in the forest?"
"It feels like a lifetime ago," she answered as she blinked a couple tears away, "it feels like I'm dreaming."
"It's all real, sis," aunt Tuk called as she laughed, "we're home!"
My smile fell when aunt Tuk said that, this was their home, this would somehow always be their home.. our lives were so different compared to those of our parents, because this forest contained their past, their ancestors, their stories, this was their home indeed. But mine, mine would always be Awa'atlu, or so I thought.. perhaps I was judging this place too soon, but aren't we always drawn back to our roots?

***
Asherah's pov:

I never allowed anyone to see the vulnerable side of me, I always covered that part up with insults and arrogance, but in truth I'm insecure, but I'm not insecure about my skills, I know I can beat anyone that tries to oppose me. No, I'm insecure about my looks. I don't feel pretty like the other girls, I find myself jealous over my little sisters sometimes, they're young but I can already tell that they will inherit my mother's beauty, I look nothing like my mother if I did I would be prettier. Boys don't look at me a second time, they'd much rather look at Taraji or Naeyi, but most boys look at De'iya.. what annoyed me the most was that even despite Khalilah's family past they still found her prettier than me, so when she wrapped my older brother around her finger I couldn't help but feel rage. It overtook me like a desease, the girl I always loathed, the girl I always had a bad feeling about, in love with my older brother... in line to be the next Tsahik because I didn't want that title. I wanted a title, just not that one. I wanted to be Olo'eyktan, I feel like I would be good at that, I would make sure the clan was safe.. but no, I could not be..
I looked at my reflection in the water as I wondered why I could not be pretty like those other girls, why did I have to prove myself with my skills and not my beauty? I was not beautiful, I did not feel like I was. A teardrop fell from my eyes in the water beneath me as I heard the waves crashing against the rocks.
"What brings you out here so far beyond the reef?" Zeoay suddenly asked from behind me. I quickly wiped away my tears and turned around to him, the grin upon his face fell however when he saw my face. I could tell that he knew I had been crying.
"You were crying?" He asked me, sounding concerned.. but I did not believe it, nobody besides my family was ever truely concerned for me.
"Of course not," I scoffed rudely, "don't be stupid."
Zeoay took a deep breath and walked over to me, he sat down besides me on the rock as his skin brushed past mine, sending a shiver down my spine. I turned away from him as he looked at me, he sighed and placed his finger beneath my chin and forced me to look at him, my eyes widened in shock from the touch.
"You can talk to me," he said softly as he looked into my eyes, "maybe I can help."
"I don't need your help," I sneered as I slapped his hand away, "and I don't want it."
"Fine," Zeoay said stern, making me frown, "but you're not good at making friends, Asha, keep this act up and you'll find yourself without any."
"Maybe I don't need them too," I scoffed as I got up to my feet and turned my back to him, I didn't even notice he had gotten up to his feet too and was standing right behind me as my anger overtook me, "I'm better off alone anyway, and that's what I'll always be.. alone. I might just get used to the fact that nobody will ever want me.. maybe.. if I were prettier-"
"Who told you that you're not?" Zeoay asked, startling me as I turned to face him, he was getting taller by the minute, "who said you're not pretty?"
"It's obvious that I'm not," I said as I could see the sympathy in his eyes, which only made me more angry, "my dad doesn't give me those no boyfriend speaches like he gives Na'aila and Zaniyah, even he knows I'm not pretty enough for that."
"I'm sure he doesn't give you those speaches because he knows you can protect yourself, your sister's have never even held a spear because they refuse to learn," Zeoay said softly as he took a step closer to me, "Asha, who said you're not pretty?"
"Everyone did," I answered, "boys never look at me twice, they always look at De'iya. I'm not pretty enough to keep looking at."
"I know someone who might disagree with you," Zeoay said as his pupils dilated and a soft smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah, right," I scoffed and rolled my eyes, "who?"
"Me," he answered, making me frown confused, "I think you're pretty."
"Don't lie, you don't have to make me feel good about myself," I said as I crossed my arms, but his smile only grew, "you never looked at me twice either, Zeoay."
"That's because I never stopped looking at you!" He spat out honestly, his words shocking me to my very core, "I happen to think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met, I mean come on, I've had a crush in you for ages now.. Kaoru would kill me if he ever found out, but I can't stop thinking about you.. from the moment you hit me in the head with your bow when we were eleven!"
"You have a crush on me?" I asked him surprised as his eyes widened in realisation, he had said too much.
"I..uh.. W-what gave you that idea?" Zeoay chuckled as he began to blush and his ears lowered, "I mean.. you're the chief's daughter.. you're my best friend's sister.. I can't have a crush on you.. I think you're getting voices in your head, Asha, voices that sound like my voice but aren't actually my voice."
"You have a crush on me?" I repeated again but a bit more demanding than before.
"Well..." Zeoay stammered and sighed defeated, "..Yeah, I have a crush on you."
"You skxawng!" I shouted enraged as I slapped him across his face.
"What the fuck, Asha?!" Zeoay exclaimed offended, "I tell you I have a crush on you and your first instinct is to smack me?"
"Yes!" I grunted irritated as Zeoay was growing frustrated with me.
"Why!?" He asked me as a red shape of my hand was forming upon his face.
"Because I don't do feelings!" I answered stubbornly, "so don't think I'll ever return those feelings."
"You could've said that, not smack me," he said, "but I think you're lying to yourself! You put on this tough act but deep down you're just a girl that wants to be loved, others might buy your act, but not me."
"It's not an act," I lied as Zeoay walked past me and grunted annoyed. I looked at the horizon before me and sighed, but suddenly I saw something get closer in the sky before me.
"You know, it's one thing to act all tough and it's ano-"
"Shut up," I spat out and I could actually feel his glare burn on my back, but I ignored it as I watched the dots get closer and multiply. For a second I wondered if it were the Sully's, thinking they returned early but the closer they came the more there were and those were not Ikrans. My gaze landed upon the one that flew before the rest and I recognized ber, despite having seen her once and when I was a little child, I remembered her. Varang.
"We have to go home now!" I shouted as Zeoay looked at me confused, "it's the Ash people."
"Fuck!" Zeoay grunted as he began go call for our Ilu's, but there wasn't enough time. The ilu's were almost here, but Varang and her sister made their animals spit fire, that was as red as blood, at us and our Ilu's.
"Watch out!" I shouted as I ran forward and tackled Zeoay into the water, as we watched the fire vaporize the Ilu's..I could only imagine how hot that fire was. Zeoay wanted tossing back up to the surface, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him deeper.
What are you doing? Zeoay signed to me confused.
If we go ask up now, they'll kill us for sure, now they think we might be dead or we are dying as they are flying towards our home, I signed back as I saw the fear in his eyes, we can't warn them, We're not fast enough on our own. But someone out here is.
Payakan, Zeoay signed, will he help us?
I hope so, I signed back, my mother always took me and Araou to visit him, she even did so without uncle Lo'ak being present.. Payakan knows me. He'll help.
Unless you punched him in the face, Zeoay signed to me and I rolled my eyes as I grabbed his hand and forced him with me, letting go of his hand when he began to swim on his own. We had to get back as soon as possible.

***

Aonung's pov:

"Dad, can I be Olo'eyktan?" Kaoru asked me bluntly as we were fishing together on a canon near the edge of the reef.
"No, your brother will be Olo'eyktan," I said and Kaoru sighed, "why do you ask?"
"I dunno, seems like fun," Kaoru shrugged, "and since Asha gave up her chance to be Tsahik I was curious if I could be Olo'eyktan if I asked nicely."
"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, son," I chuckled and Kaoru shrugged.
"Yeah, well the next Olo'eyktan is also supposed to be betrothed to whoever becomes the Tsahik and Araou has never been bethroted," Kaoru simply shrugged, "he's just fucking around with girls, so I think I could still be in the running for Olo'eyktan.. I would allow you to betrothe me and I would be loyal to my betrothed."
"Girls? As in plural?" I asked my youngest son curiously.
"Oh yeah," Kaoru said bluntly, "his ex-girlfriend, that one girl from his birthday.. oh, and that Ta'unui chick that he claimed not to like."
"Eraya? The chief's daughter?" I asked him shocked and suddenly Kaoru's eyes widened, like he realised he had said too much.
"..no," he lied as his ears lowered, "I meant.. her sister's cousin's raccoon."
"What's a raccoon?" I asked and grunted as I realised he tried to get me off topic, he had probably learned the word from his long term friendship with Zaria Sully, "forget that, why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
"Because mom told me not to after I told her that I saw them on the beach," Kaoru said, "but it was pretty traumatizing to see, you know."
"Y-your mom told you not to tell me?" I asked him surprised and he nodded. I felt somewhat betrayed to learn that Miyara was keeping this a secret from me, we never kept secrets from each other. The last time she kept secrets she was secretly crushing on Neteyam while being betrothed to me so I couldn't help but wonder how many more secrets she was keeping from me.
"I'm sorry, dad," Kaoru said.
"It's not your fault, Kaoru," I said softly as I swallowed my saliva, "you don't have to be sorry.. I'm sorry your mother made you keep this a secret when you're clearly not okay with it."
"You know what would make me feel better?" Kaoru began and smirked.
"Tell me," I said and smiled as I could already feel where he was heading with this.
"If you made me Olo'eyktan," he said and stood up in the canoe as he flexed the muscles he was trying to build, "I mean how awesome does Olo'eyktan Kaoru of Awa'atlu sound? Much better than Araoukai, no offense I know you picked out his name and mom picked out mine but my name would make people shiver in fear."
"I'm sure they will," I chuckled but suddenly Kaoru's smile fell and he looked horrified.
"DAD!" Asherah's screamed from a distance, "IT'S THE ASH PEOPLE!"
I turned around and saw my oldest daughter on the back of Payakan while Zeoay was holding her ankles so she wouldn't fall over as she was trying to get my attention, pointing at the sky.
My eyes fell upon Varang and her sister Kanzia, my gut feeling was right all those years, they would come back for war.
"Kaoru, watch out!" I shouted as I leaped to save him but I was too late. Varang's fire blasted him off the canoe, burning his skin and he fell into the water.
The last thing I heard was Asherah crying her brother's name out in fear as I jumped into the water after my son.

Fun fact: I thought I had already published this chapter when in fact I had not. I'm sorry for the wait.
Who's your favorite character so far? And have you made a ship you like already?
Do you think Araoukai should become Olo'eyktan after his father or do you think another one of Aonung's children deserve that title?
Let me know in the comments and should you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!
Have a nice day 😊