Skipping Stones | Lo'ak

1

CHAPTER 1

The arrival of the Sully family had alerted the people. The young Metkayina looked around her as her people dove excitedly into the water, eager to find out what was happening. It wasn't often that a handful of Na'vi would arrive to their reef on ikran. It seemed it hadn't even come to mind to anyone that their arrival could be bad news. But as she looked up ahead at the group of ikran soaring through the sky, she couldn't help but get excited as well.

"'Kanu! We must go see what is happening!"

'Kanu, the young Na'vi girl in question nodded at her adoptive sister Tsireya, watching as she dove into the crystal clear water. She laughed before clapping her hands near the water, watching as an ilu swam by. She wasted no more time before jumping over the creature into the water. She glided gracefully a few feet before taking a hold of the ilu, allowing it to help her arrive at the shore faster.

When she arrived, it seemed everyone was more wary of these people by now. The group which had arrived seemed to have just touched ground.

'Kanu looked to her left to meet eyes with her sister. Tsireya did a hand gesture, telling Kanu that they would fall back and check things out soon. The younger girl didn't seem happy by this, but she nodded and leaned on the ilu, wordlessly telling it to turn back around.

Tsireya led the way and as soon as 'Kanu was sure she wouldn't turn around for a little while, she bolted. She turned the ilu around and they were speeding through the water, toward the shore once more.

When Tsireya eventually glanced behind her, she sighed, "Let's go then." She had noticed her sister speeding ahead. She hadn't wanted to go yet, since their mother usually didn't take guests well and she'd hoped to spare her sister from that.

Their age difference wasn't much - a couple months at most - but when 'Kanu had arrived in their family as a scared little kid, Tsireya had chosen to take good care of her. And she'd stuck to this decision.

When 'Kanu arrived at the shore, she let go of the ilu, allowing it to swim off freely. She dove the last few feet until it was shallow enough to stand easily. Peeking her head out of the water, she saw one of the visitors already looking at her. She decided to stand up and walk out the water, she shook her wet hair out of her face, smiling at the boy who kept his eyes on her.

She'd seen his brows raise momentarily, as if she was a sight to behold. This made 'Kanu snicker silently to herself. She recognized the newcomers to be from the forest, given their thin arms and sky blue skin.

Tsireya got out of the water and ran up to her, pulling on her tail, "You must not run like that!" She scolded her.

'Kanu yelped as she felt her tail be pulled. She quickly swatted her sister's hands away, "I did not run away," she told her, "..I swam." Tsireya laughed and nudged her, causing her to stumble to the side, right into her older brother.

"Watch it, skxawng," Aonung pushed her away from him. It wasn't harsh, but it was enough to make her angry.

"You-"

She was cut off by Rotxo, her brother's friend, "Look. What is that?" 'Kanu looked at what he was referring to. She smiled when she saw a thin, feeble tail. "Is that supposed to be a tail?"

Though 'Kanu found their tails rather odd, she wasn't happy by how degrading and mean he sounded as he spoke like that about them. And when people around them laughed, she saw how the sky blue people looked uncomfortable.

"It's too small," Rotxo carried on, pointing at their tails, "How are they supposed to swim?"

Tsireya hit his hand and the boy looked startled, "Do not, Rotxo. Aonung," she scolded the boys. 'Kanu smirked and stuck out her tongue at the boys. Aonung did not take this well and he pushed her head back with two of his fingers.