Spirits of Alaruk

Chapter 3: The Lagoon

"So you're a healer then?" asked Siku as she secured her boat and helped Treke climb back onto the docks. They decided to go back to the village before tackling the fish problem.

"Yes, although I only became a ruksala today. I have some skills in making medicinal herbal teas and poultices." Treke stumbled and caught herself, landing on all fours as she pulled up onto the pier.

"Very nice. I'm sure your village appreciates having a healer around. We have a few elders that are good at medicine, but none of them speak with spirits. We're more of a moon revering kind of clan." Siku chuckled, as if it wasn't obvious from all the lunar motifs adorning the village.

Treke was beginning to like how cheerful and good-natured Siku appeared to be, hoping they could become friends eventually. Elder Vrenik did want her to branch out and get to know more fuglans, as she never had any reason to travel beyond the woodland paths of her clan’s secluded village until today. She wasn’t quite sure how to explain the nature of spirits to someone outside of her clan, but fortunately Siku did seem like the curious type.

"Speaking of spirits,” said Treke, anxiously wringing her tail, “I sense there may be something wrong with the giant fish in the lagoon. It may be… possessed.”

“Possessed?!”

“Yes, by a tukra. It’s giving off negative energy, so that might be affecting the other fish as well."

"Huh…” Siku stroked her beak in thought. “That would make sense why fishing has been sparse these past few days. We should catch it!”

“C-catch a big fish like that?”

“Yeah! I'll ask my family about it; I'm sure they would love the opportunity to catch that monstrosity. I bet we could even cook it! A fish that size could feed multiple families!”

Treke smiled, eager to assist the sea fuglans. While she had no obligation to do anything for their fishing woes, the possibility of their situation improving gave her a sense of joy and relief. "Oh! That reminds me, I have something for you."

"For me?"

Siku watched curiously as Treke rummaged through her pack and produced two nangangu fruits.

“It’s not much, but here’s a gift,” she said with a gracious head bow. “I hope we can be friends, Siku.”

"Why thank you, Treke!" Siku returned the bow as she accepted the fruit. "Yes, let's be friends! To be honest, you’ll be my first forest fuglan friend!”

"And you'll be my first friend outside of my village…” Treke smiled sheepishly, a bit embarrassed she had been isolated from other clans for so long. “I don’t really have many friends, actually.”

"Well, I hope that changes soon. You should meet more sea fuglans! Come with me, I want to introduce you to my family."

Gingerly following behind her new friend, Treke found that Siku's house was not far from where she docked her boat. The building was only one story, built mostly from bamboo and thatch, but it was wide enough to house multiple fuglans. Heading inside, Siku placed the fruit into an empty basket that sat among many others filled with various harvested goods. Two older sea fuglans, both female, sat on the floor sorting colorful seashells together, weaving them into the net-like shawls that draped over their shoulders.

"Good morning, Tsasiku,” said one of the sea fuglans, smiling up at Siku. The prefix Tsa, meaning “little”, gave a tone of elderly familiar endearment. “Who is this you've brought?"

"Hello, mother! This is Treke, a friend I made today from Neukrin village. She bought us some nangangu fruit."

"A forest fuglan? How nice. I'm Ianuna, Siku's mother, and this is my sister Teigru. I don't see many of you here in Sivaterin, except for clan elders who come to visit. You're welcome to stay as long as you like." She and her sister gave Treke an acknowledging nod.

"There's a big fish deep in the lagoon we need to catch today! I haven't seen it myself, but Treke assures me it's down there and scaring off the other fish. I need to ask the others if they can help."

"A big fish? Hmm... Your brothers should be coming back shortly. I know they've been having trouble catching fish lately. Your sister and cousins are still out collecting kelp."

"It's been awhile since we've all fished together as a family," said Siku's aunt Teigru. "We used to go out together at sea and come back with a big enough catch that would last us days. Now we don't do that so much since we've settled down in the lagoon. Harvesting kelp and smaller fish tends to be less risky."

"Yeah! I want more adventures!" said Siku, spreading her arms excitedly. "Let’s go hunt a humongous fish!”

"I'm afraid I know nothing about fishing, but it sounds exciting,” said Treke, wondering what it was like. “But I must warn you, I believe this fish may be possessed, so even more risk is involved.”

"A possessed fish? I've never heard of such a thing." Siku's mother gave them a skeptical look.

"Don't worry mother, she's going to take care of it."

"Yes, I just need the fish to be near the surface so I can properly banish the spirit."

"I'm a great swimmer, so I can help!"

"Well, if that's what you need to do, I won't stop you,” said Siku’s mother with a more assured response. “Just stay safe when you go out with your siblings and cousins."

About an hour later, the rest of Siku’s family arrived back home, and Treke came to realize just how large it really was. In total, a dozen family members occupied a single house, twice the amount of Treke’s family. It seemed to be a common practice for sea fuglans to save space by crowding in homes, as they could only build outward along the coast and on the water, unlike forest fuglans who built upward into the trees.

Hearing about the fishing opportunity, Siku’s family was eager to go together right away and gathered up their nets and fishing spears. Only Siku's mother and her two aunts stayed behind, while everyone else hopped into their fishing boats. There were four canoes in all, the biggest belonging to her uncle and his two daughters. Siku's boat was the second largest, accompanied by her sister Talele and Treke herself. The third boat was shared between Siku's two brothers, and the fourth occupied by two more of Siku's cousins. All of them together made a total of ten members of the fishing party.

The Sivate clan usually avoided the center of the lagoon, as the crater below was so deep and devoid of sunlight that no fuglan had any desire to explore it without a good reason. It was the perfect place for a large predatory fish to hide during the day and avoid detection of the sea fuglans. Paddling their canoes, Siku’s family quickly made their way to the lagoon’s center to find the so-called problematic creature.

"So it’s down there, as you say?" Siku's uncle was skeptical of the whole thing, but he seemed happy enough just to have the family out together.

"Yes, this is it,” said Treke. “Thank you again for helping me with this. My magic’s range is somewhat limited, so someone will have to lure the fish near the surface so I can banish the spirit."

"I wanna do it!” Siku turned to Treke, who was sitting behind her in the boat. "You'll be okay up here in the boat, right?"

"I suppose I don’t have much of a choice, as I’m not a good swimmer.”

Siku laughed and readied her fishing spear. "Don’t worry, my sister Talele can watch the boat while I’m down there.”

"That sounds like a good plan."

“I’ll be back shortly!”

“Good luck, sister, don’t die!” Talele teased as Siku jumped into the water with a big splash. A spray of briny water managed to reach Treke in the boat, getting her robes slightly damp. Sea fuglans had no qualms of getting wet, which was something she would not get used to any time soon. She sighed and shook off the water the best she could.

"Tsasiku, it might be dangerous down there, so I'm coming with you," insisted Siku's uncle, climbing into the water.

"All right. We'll be back as soon as we can, everyone! Have your spears and nets ready."

Siku dived into the water with her uncle trailing behind her. As they disappeared into the dark blue void beneath them, the green glow from their bioluminescent lights slowly faded from view.

Treke waited patiently, wondering how deep the bottom of the crater really went, but the more time passed the more her anxiety grew.

"How long can sea fuglans stay underwater?" Treke asked Talele, after what felt like forever in the span of around ten minutes. “Should I be worried?”

"Don't worry," said Talele, "we sea fuglans can dive for a pretty long time without needing to come up for air."

"How long exactly?"

"Hmm… On average, about 15-20 minutes, but if one trains their lungs, they could stay underwater for up to half an hour.”

"Wow..." Treke couldn't fathom how deep the lagoon was, or having to hold her breath for that long. She was certainly not suited for the sea herself and imagined she'd drown under a minute.

Another ten minutes passed and neither Siku nor her uncle had returned yet. Treke began to worry that the fish may have eaten them, or something worse. "Klaiune, are things all right?" she whispered to her ancestor.

"Child, be ready," the spirit replied. "The tukra is getting closer. Once it's within reach, you must brace your mind so that it doesn't take hold of it."

Treke's anxiety grew rapidly, as she feared she wouldn't be able to handle a tukra on her own. The rranha was much stronger now, adding to the negative emotions she was experiencing. Down below, she could spot the glow of the sea fuglans' bioluminescence growing brighter. They were approaching the surface.

"Get ready, everyone!" Talele shouted. "The fish is here!"

An explosive splash sprayed upwards as Siku breached the surface, leaping from the water and gasping for air. Following right behind her was a massive blue fish as big as a family-sized canoe. It tore out of the water and smashed the surface, pushing all the fishing canoes back with a powerful wave. While all the sea fuglans cheered, Treke found herself frozen in terror at the sight of the huge, blue, scaly beast.

The sea fuglans wasted no time and jumped into the water, flinging their nets and thrusting their spears. As Siku’s uncle breached the surface, Siku herself plunged her spear into the monstrosity’s side, holding on with all her might. The great beast flailed about so wildly that Treke could hardly make out what was fish and what was water.

"Treke, pay attention! The spirit is within reach!”

Klaiune’s voice rang inside Treke’s head, snapping her back to her senses. Trying to ignore the frenzy in the water, she squeezed her eyes shut and shifted her focus to the spirit. She could see it clearly in her mind's eye, a dark shadowy entity that emanated agony. "Don't worry, spirit, you'll get to rest soon enough…”

As Siku and the others kept the fish occupied, Treke concentrated on the spirit. She could feel it pushing against her, struggling desperately to escape not unlike the beast it possessed. Treke’s anxiety grew to panic as the tukra snapped at her mind, sending shockwaves of mental anguish through her head. She feared that not only would the tukra win, but that its rranha would devour everything just like the greedy fish.

"You will not get away!" she snapped back, fighting the entangling thoughts. Siku's family cheered again, misinterpreting her cry towards the fish, but it was all the same. The water churned red as spears, ropes, and nets went flying. With a final burst of determination, Treke locked onto the spirit and trapped it with her magic. As she pulled it out of the fish, the tukra wriggled and writhed like an eel, attempting to resist Treke’s magic before it finally disintegrated and vanished from the living world.

The spirit vanquished, Treke fell back in the boat with an exasperated sigh and waited for the sea fuglans off the fish. While she couldn’t see it, she could hear them splashing and screeching furiously. Only until Siku shouted “Iatak!” did the frenzy finally die down. As Treke sat up to check the aftermath, the sea fuglans cheered in triumph with their catch wrapped tightly in a net.

“We did it, everyone!” Siku climbed back into the boat and flopped onto her back in exhaustion. “Is the spirit gone too, Treke?”

Treke nodded solemnly. "Yes, it's gone now. And with the big fish dealt with, I'm sure the smaller fish will return to the lagoon soon."

"Yeah! That big greedy beast must have eaten most of the other little fish. No wonder we were having trouble catching anything these past few days."

“Indeed. I should be more excited, but… I don’t know. Maybe I’m still feeling the effects of rranha.”

“How would you like to come back to my house and help out with lunch? My family would love to have you over.”

“I think I’d like that, thank you.”

The fish was so large that it needed two canoes just to drag it back to the village. Returning home, the sea fuglans celebrated by all taking turns gutting and descaling the fish to prepare it for cooking. Treke decided to help by preparing a sauce made from the nangangu fruit she brought along. There was so much meat on the fish that they were happy to share it with anyone in the village who had been struggling with fishing that day. A couple dozen sea fuglans came, all cutting fillets for themselves to take back home to cook.

As the day went on, the scent of delicious, fatty grilled fish filled the village. Any leftover meat that wasn’t grilled was smoked for later consumption. While Treke's diet normally consisted of vegetables, fruits and tubers, she still enjoyed the occasional savory flavor of grilled fish. The nangangu sauce she helped prepare turned out sweet and tangy, with some wild garlic and lirre juice, a kind of citrus, added to the mix.

Fish steak fillets were served on earthenware platters, placed on the floor for everyone to sit around and help themselves. A side of sesame kelp salad was served alongside the main dish. Siku’s family laughed and talked together as they sat around and ate, recalling several fishing stories to each other.

"So, now that you've taken care of that spirit, do you still need to be ferried?" asked Siku, remembering Treke asked about it earlier.

"Oh... actually yes.” She wasn’t exactly sure where she was supposed to go, but she could feel the faintest hint of rranha coming from one particular direction. "What location is to the northwest?"

"The port of Hulerin is the closest mainland from the island in that direction.”

"I'm not sure if Hulerin is where I need to go, but if that's in the same direction from where I'm sensing rranha, then that's where I'll go."

"Then we'll leave tonight. How does that sound?"

“I think that would be best.”

Siku's mother, who was listening to their conversation, spoke up. "Tsasiku, I know you like to travel, but I'm worried when you leave the village. Your father--"

"Mother, I know. I know... I'll be careful, okay? Hulerin is not that far. It's less than a night's travel away."

Treke felt it was rude to ask, but she couldn't help her curiosity. "What about your father?"

"He, uh... he went out fishing by himself, out at sea. It was about a year ago... He never came back."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"There was a storm that night," said Siku's mother. "We think he might have..." Her voice trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"It must be terrible losing a family member." Treke bowed her head, hoping her question didn't upset them too much.

"The sea is harsh," Siku's uncle added, grabbing some fish from the large dinner platter in front of them. "Siku, you best be careful going out there. I wish you good luck, but don't die."

"Yes, uncle Grahralauk. But umm, you know, mother..." Siku fiddled nervously with her hands. "I think I may consider living in Hulerin one day. There's someone I met there, and she's very nice."

"Oh? This is the first I'm hearing about this. What's her name?"

"Lasranu. I've been trading fish with her whenever I travel to port Hulerin, but I want to live there with her one day! Hopefully soon..."

Siku's mother sighed. "I see. I was wondering when this day would come, starting your own family..."

"Mom!"

"You're old enough to live your own life now, Tsasiku."

"And this house isn't getting any bigger," Grahranauk chuckled.

"Oh stop!" Siku's mother gave him a light smack on the arm before turning back to her daughter. "I love you very much, Tsasiku, remember. And I'd like to meet this Lasranu soon. I hope she considers visiting Sivaterin."

"I hope so too." Siku gave her mother a hug, even if she was a little embarrassed, and smiled at Treke. "Considering you're a friend of the family now, I want you to meet Lasranu when we reach port Hulerin!"

"Yes, I'd like that. I'd like to meet many new fuglans. To be honest, I don't have any friends outside of my village, besides you."

"You've got a lot of catching up to do for your social life then, friend!" Siku said with an excited smile.

Treke ate her fill that afternoon and took a two hour nap at Siku's house before returning to her village to speak with her own family. Saying her goodbyes, her family was happy to know where she’d be going, even if she didn’t know for how long. As a newly appointed village rranha, they understood how important her journey would be. She also couldn't wait to tell Elder Vrenik about the lagoon and the tukra. The old fuglan lived alone in a small hut of his own, just on the edge of the village. It seemed he was just waking up for a midday nap as Treke knocked on his door.

A faded periwinkle break poked out from behind the door as it creaked open, followed by the rest of Elder Vrenik’s head. "Ah, Treke, back already? That was quick,” he chuckled, as good natured as always.

"Well, not exactly, but I think I've found which direction Ludaru has gone. I’ll be leaving the island later tonight.”

"Good, good. Come inside, I'm preparing some sahuan tea." He opened the door further and invited her in to sit down. Resting on the floor in front of a wooden table, a familiar cushion that her family weaved and gave to Elder Vrenik himself was available.

"I went to Sivaterin, just like you said. I even made a friend,” said Treke, perching herself on the cushion.

"That's good!"

"I also found a tukra in the lagoon. It was inside a giant fish..." She continued with her story as Elder Vrenik poured her some tea. Treke accepted the cup with both hands and allowed it to cool for a moment.

"Very good, Treke. I'm impressed you were able to handle your first tukra with no problem. How does it feel?"

"I feel... like it isn't real. I've done so much today that I've never done before in my whole life."

"You're learning new things from experience! I don't know if there's much else I can teach you at this point."

"Are you certain, Elder Vrenik? I feel like there's still so much I need to learn."

"Of course, but we're all going through life and learning new things. You need to experience more from life before I can teach you more. It seems you have a knack for these sorts of things, however, and that's quite promising."

Taking a drink from her earthenware cup by tilting the spout into her beak, Treke enjoyed a soothing minty aftertaste of sahuan tea. "I'm not sure, but thank you. I'll continue to do my best."

"You'll soon get more accustomed to it with more practice. I trust Klaiune will guide you as you adapt more to using magic. I've dealt with many tukran in my life, but my old age makes it much more challenging these days."

Taking another sip of her tea, Treke was unsure of what else to say. She had done everything well so far, but she still had a long journey ahead of her. "Is there anything else I should know before leaving the island?"

"Make friends along your travels and listen to them. Treke. As they share more knowledge with you, your view of the world will expand.”

It was wise advice, as she had already met Siku and her family, and soon she would meet Lasranu as well. The prospect of meeting new fuglans and making more friends gave her hope. Finishing her tea, she thanked Elder Vrenik and prepared to leave her village once again.

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