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

10

De'iya's pov:

"You are terrible climbers," Firìja chuckled as Emra'o dropped onto the ground, he was more Metkayina build than me and Naeyi so it was no lie that he would have more trouble with learning the Omatikaya ways.
"Hush, Fi," Ralu sneered at his sister and she held her hands up in defeat, chuckling at Emra'o.  Ralu and Firìja were the children of Tarsem, the Olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya clan and his mate and now the Tsahik, Yise.
They had been teaching me, my siblings, cousins and Khalilah the ways of the forest, I hardly expected it to be so different. I didn't really know what to expect from it, my father always spoke so proudly of the forest and it's customs but I never really thought about what it would be like.. I never expected to be here anyway, I always thought I'd never leave Awa'atlu.
"Are you okay?" Ralu asked Emra'o as he touched his shoulder whilst trying to help him up. Emra'o shrugged his hand off as he nervously got up, like he was afraid anyone would notice. Which only made it more noticeable. Ralu's kind smile faded as he looked down at his feet defeated, it was obvious the two boys had a thing for each other.
"I'm fine," Emra'o said as he brushed the dirt off him and looked at Naeyi besides me who was smirking at her twin brother, "I'm going to find dad, see if he's been able to contact mom."
"Good luck," Naeyi joked, "loverboy."
Emra'o shot her a glare as he stomped off to deny what he was feeling, I grew up with the guy, I knew him extremely well. He was crushing on Ralu, big time, but the only ones that knew that Emra'o was attracted to men and men only were me and Naeyi, and now maybe uncle Lo'ak since Naeyi stupidly blurted it out, although neither of the twins had heard their father about it yet.
"Do you think something's wrong?" Khalilah asked us from above us, being a natural at this climbing stuff, "we've been here for quite some time now and we haven't been able to contact anyone."
"I'm sure Araoukai's just busy," I joked as Khalilah blushed at the mentioning of Araoukai, she had told us very proudly that she and him had kissed before she left.
"And Khonsu too?" Khalilah asked us as she turned to me, "even Ri'han?"
My eyes slightly widened at the mentioning of the Ash boy, it was true that I had grown rather affectionate of Ri'han, he was so sweet and handsome and he was different... like me. Not in traits but in looks, when I'm around him everything just makes sense. I'm beyond happy. He makes me feel things I hadn't experienced in my relationship with Maël, Ri'han has become a thought in my mind that popped up as soon as I woke up and stayed with me in my dreams at night.. he was just always there despite him now being out of reach. He made me feel special and he made me feel good about myself, I was attracted to him.. I knew that.. but I just didn't understand to what extent I was attracted to him and I was curious about discovering it.
"Ri'han probably got drowned by Asherah," Naeyi shrugged as we kept on climbing, "can you imagine how boring their life must be without us?"
"Yeah, right," I scoffed as I rolled my eyes, not liking her joke about Ri'han, "I'm sure they're bored too death."

***

Araoukai's pov:

"Something's off," Asha said as she planted herself down besides me and we hid behind a large rock, "they know too much."
"What are you talking about?" I asked my little sister confused, "you're probably just paranoid again."
"Paranoid?" She asked me offended as she got up and shot an arrow into the neck of one of the Ash people, "they showed up in our home to finish Kaoru off! How many more scars does our baby brother need to get it through your thick skull? How did they know in which pod we live, how did they know that dad hasn't been sleeping at home?" Asherah questioned, "I bet that Ash boy that you all seem to like so much is still with that lizard bitch and her psycho sister snitching on us."
"Ri'han? He's fighting against them with us," I stated as I pointed at the Ash boy who was cutting down Ash people, "why would he kill his own people if he was with them?"
"It would be the perfect cover, wouldn't it?" Asha said as she quirked up a brow, "mark my words, brother, he's their rat."
"Well, I trust him," I stated stubbornly as my sister rolled her eyes at me.
"That makes you an even bigger idiot than I took you for," Asherah said as she looked at Ri'han and smirked, "I could just simply kill him and get it over with."
My eyes widened as I watched Asherah draw and arrow and aim it at Ri'han, I gasped and before my brain could give my body the command I had already jumped up and pushed her to the ground. The arrow still got released however, but instead of it hitting Ri'han it scratched past his cheek, making a small cut in it and his bloodred eyes shot over to Asherah who looked at him with such an intense amount of hate in her eyes.
"For your sake I hope you mis-took me for someone else," Ri'han shouted as his fingers touched the small cut which was now bleeding. Zeoay, who was fighting like a one-man army just before us, turned to their fight with his ears perked up.
"I was aiming for you," Asherah answered honestly as she kicked me off her, making me grunt in pain and grab onto my nose, where she had kicked me, "this war has happened since you came along here with your fake sob story."
"I am fighting for your people here!" Ri'han said as he stomped closer to her, "try it again and you'll regret it, princess."
"You touch even as much as a hair on her head and I'll get you myself," Zeoay threatened Ri'han as he stepped infront of Ri'han, blocking his gaze at Asherah. I frowned confused at Zeoay's strange comment, it made me wonder what Teungyi's son wanted from my sister. I looked up at Asherah for clarification but she was staring at Zeoay with a small smile on her face and a blush upon her cheeks.. I blinked a couple of times, feeling rather confused.. what was going on?
"There'll be no killing each other," I said as I got back up to my feet and dusted the sand off my body, "we're all at the same side here, we're just saying and doing irrational things because of the dire situation we find ourselves in."
"I'm not being irrational," Zeoay said as he spit on the ground besides him before locking eyes with Ri'han and smirking, "I'm just making him a promise."
Ri'han stared at the fourteen year old boy, Zeoay might be young but his parents were two of the best warriors in the village, only a fool would take him on. I was growing anxious od the situation, which made my attention for the battle slip away.. I didn't even notice Zeoay's little sister, who was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.
"They're retreating!" Müna shouted as she pointed from her hiding place over to the battlefield, "brother! They're retreating!"
"What did dad say about you sneaking onto the battlefield?!" Zeoay shouted at his eleven year old sister angered.
"Erm," she stammered, "do it?"
"Get out of here, skxawng!" Zeoay hissed at his sister and with a big sigh she hid herself away again, she was extremely good at hide and seek.
But Müna was right, the Ash people were retreating, I saw my father, Teungyi, Yrritsyo and the others all cheer excitedly for their victory over this battle. Sure, the war was not over yet.. but this battle we had won.
"Miya!" I overheard Seyza shout, turning my attention over to her, she shouted something which made my mother run after her as fast as she could.. something was wrong but with all the loud cheering I could not hear what Seyza had shouted at my mother.