CHAPTER 16

Lo'ak looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him as he made it out to the path by the water. He called his ilu before taking off a saddle from its rack, walking over to the animal to place it on his back. The ilu clicked and allowed him to slide the saddle over its head before Lo'ak walked back to fetch the reins.

"No way you're running out of here, baby brother," Neteyam said as he walked up to Lo'ak.

Startled, Lo'ak turned to face his brother, "I have to warn Payakan about the trackers," he told him.

"No," Neteyam disagreed, walking closer, "You have to keep your skxawng ass here," he was wearing a smile, as if he were merely teasing the younger.

"He's outcast! There's nobody to warn him but me!" Lo'ak was losing his temper. There was no time for this. The hunters were searching for tulkun pray at that very moment - Lo'ak was sure of this.

"Bro," Neteyam said, placing a hand on top of his head, "Why do you always have to make things so hard?" He shook his hand, making Lo'ak's head move.

Lo'ak hit his hand away and looked at him with a great deal of anger in his eyes, "No," he started, "You mean why can't I be the perfect son like you?" Neteyam scoffed and stepped back, shaking his head as his ears twitched in annoyance. Lo'ak's voice rose as he said the next words. "The perfect little soldier. Well I'm not you! Okay?! I'm not you. He's my brother! I'm going."

Neteyam was angry, "Lo'ak!" Lo'ak turned around to walk away and he stepped forward to pull him back, "He's your brother?" He made his brother turn to face him, "No. I'm your brother."

The rain was falling down heavily when 'Kanu arrived by ilu. Her, Tsireya, Ao'nung, and Rotxo had all come to them. She had decided that in the midst of all this chaos, she would forgive him. She leapt up onto the path and made her way toward the two fighting brothers, "Lo'ak!"

Lo'ak pulled his arm out of Neteyam's grip, "Get off me," he said and shot a look at 'Kanu before diving into the waters. 'Kanu had seen as his eyes softened for a moment before he was enveloped by the water.

"Lo'ak!" Neteyam yelled furiously.

"Come back!" 'Kanu called as she watched the water where he had disappeared.

"Come on! He's going to Payakan!" Neteyam told them as he called his ilu before jumping into the water. There was a series of different calls as the group of Metkayina called for their respective ilus. 'Kanu did not spare her siblings a glance before she dove in after him, holding on to her ilu as it graciously glided under her. She was swept away with it and the group followed behind Lo'ak, desperate to reach him.

Up ahead she could see Lo'ak come up to the surface, "Come back!" She called after him, blinking the rain out of her eyes. Lo'ak did not listen and instead sped up. As 'Kanu willed her ilu to go faster, she passed Neteyam and could see Kiri and Tuk some distance away. She hoped that they would not follow - she did not want Tuk in the way of potential danger.

"Lo'ak!" Kiri and Tuk called, but Lo'ak gave no reaction to them either.

"Lo'ak is going to find Payakan!" Neteyam told his sisters as the group passed.

"Hold on!" Kiri told Tuk, holding onto her as they dove into the water to follow the others.

'Kanu was close to Lo'ak - by now her ilu could bite the tail of his ilu if she willed it to. But instead of trying to get Lo'ak to turn back, she now raced alongside him. She agreed with him that Payakan should be warned just like all the other tulkun. Payakan was in more danger than the others since he was outcast - he would be an easy target to the skypeople since they would not need to drive him away from the pod first.

Lo'ak and 'Kanu rose to the surface and Lo'ak waved his hand in the air, "Hey! Payakan!"

'Kanu squinted and could see the enormous outline of a tulkun splashing in the water. The others were now close by and 'Kanu and Lo'ak turned their heads to look behind them as they heard his name be called.

"Lo'ak! Wait!"

"Let's go!" 'Kanu called to him and Lo'ak shot her a glance. He looked thankful for just a second before they dove back into the water, doing their best to get to the tulkun.

Payakan made his way over to them - meeting them halfway there - and they both came back to the surface. "What's wrong?" Lo'ak asked and simultaneously signed to Payakan.

The tulkun merely turned around in the water, showcasing an identical device to the one that Jake had presented to the tribe, "Oh crap," 'Kanu said, fear bubbling inside her.

"Shit!" Lo'ak yelled and jumped off the back of his ilu, "Stay calm!" He said as he leapt onto the tulkuns fin, "Stay calm!" He told Payakan as he jumped onto his back to attempt to remove the device.

'Kanu followed him, leaving her ilu behind as she jumped to join Lo'ak on the back of the tulkun. She crouched down beside him and they tried pulling the device out. She used her legs to give her more strength but the device was really stuck - it would not even budge. Desperate, 'Kanu looked around to catch sight of the others. But her eyes landed on something else, "Lo'ak!" she yelled. Lo'ak looked up at her when he heard the panic in her voice. "Look!" She lifted one hands off the device to point in the other direction.

Lo'ak turned his head to look at what she had seen. His eyes widened as his breath hitched.

It was a human ship headed in their direction.

"Shit!" Lo'ak yelled and turned back to the device, ignoring his panic as he attempted to pull the tracking device off Payakan.

"Help us!" 'Kanu called to the others as they neared.

Neteyam was the first to jump off his ilu and onto the back of Payakan. The others followed closely behind and scrambled to reach Lo'ak and 'Kanu, who were still desperately attempting to get the device out. Neteyam's eyes widened as he laid his eyes on the scene before him - the ship was coming. Quickly, he turned around to help pull Ao'nung onto the tulkun and together with the others they used all their might to tug at the tracker.

"Call dad!" Neteyam said suddenly. Lo'ak stopped pulling at the device to look up at him. Immediately 'Kanu pushed his hands away to give room for someone else to help. "Just go! Do it!" Neteyam told his brother.

Lo'ak stood up and stepped away so he would not be in the way.

'Kanu's breathing was frantic as she grit her teeth and placed her feet on either side of the device, pushing with her legs while pulling with her entire upper body, "It won't - come - out!" She cried as everyone attempted to help her.

"Dad!" Lo'ak called when he got a connection, "We - a tulkun is under attack. Killer ship's inbound - it's about two clicks out."

"Who's with you?"

"It's all of us!" Lo'ak said urgently, "Ao'nung, Tsireya and Kanu are with us too! We're at three brothers rocks!"

"Get to cover and do not engage," Jake commanded, "Alright? You hear me? Do not engage - we're coming!"

"Yes, sir," Lo'ak replied.

"It's getting closer!" Tsireya yelled as she looked over her shoulder at the ship.

Tuk climbed on top of 'Kanu so that her back was against her stomach. The little girl placed her feet on the tulkun identically to 'Kanu's as she held onto the device as well. "Three, two, one - pull!" Neteyam called and everyone simultaneously yanked the device, desperate for it to budge.

"The warriors are coming!" Lo'ak told everyone as he hurried to help them with removing the device, "Lets get this out and take cover!"

Neteyam let go of the device and slid into the water. He hurriedly took out a rope which he tied to the saddle of his ilu by one end, "Ao'nung!" He yelled and threw the opposite end of the rope at the boy once he had looked up.

Ao'nung knew what to do with it and he hastily tied it around the device, "Go, go, go!" He said once it had been tied.

Neteyam clambered on the back of his ilu and looked back at them, pulling on the rope for more power, "Pull! Now!" He called.

'Kanu and Tuk pushed with their legs as everyone used all their strength to pull the device out. Lo'ak and Rotxo pulled on the rope and Tsireya tried pushing the device out with her foot, "Everyone together!" She said urgently.

'Kanu refused to look back at the ship as she knew it would only create more panic within her. "Pull! Harder!" Tsireya yelled when she did what 'Kanu could not and stole a glance at the ship.

"Pull!" Neteyam repeated.

"Hurry!" 'Kanu cried. Finally the device released its grip on the tulkun and everyone fell into the water with gasps and startled yells. There was no time to celebrate their success - 'Kanu turned around in the water to see many smaller boats heading in their direction, "Go! Let's go! Everybody!" She told everyone as she reached for her ilu.

"Go that way!" Neteyam pointed to his right, "I'll draw them off!"

"Okay!" Lo'ak agreed and started swimming toward Payakan, "Payakan!"

"Lo'ak! Come!" 'Kanu pulled on his hand desperately but he reached for the tulkun. With a frustrated groan, she dove into the water, holding onto her ilu as it swam by.

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A/n:
It's not a cute chapter at all <33