Spirits of Alaruk

Chapter 3: The Lagoon

“So, you’re a ruksala?” asked Siku, securing her boat back at the village docks. Returning to Sivaterin, Treke needed a better plan before tackling the giant fish.

“Yes, although I only became one today. I am not very skilled yet, but I know how to make medicinal teas and poultices.” As Treke climbed out of the boat, she stumbled and landed on all fours onto the dock, quickly catching her balance. Switching from water to land was just as challenging as the other way around.

“Very nice. I’m sure your village appreciates having a healer around. We have a few elders that are good at medicine, but they don’t speak with ancestral spirits. We’re more of a moon revering clan.” Siku chuckled, as if it wasn’t obvious from all the lunar motifs adorning the village.

Treke liked how cheerful and good-natured Siku was, and hoped they could become friends. Elder Vrenik did want her to branch out more, as Treke never had any reason to travel beyond the woodland paths of her secluded village until today. Siku seemed like a pretty curious and open type at least.

“So, about before,” said Treke, anxiously wringing her tail. “I sensed a lot of negative energy down in the lagoon, but I was not able to cleanse it. My ancestral spirit believes there may be a giant fish down below, but it may also be… possessed.”

“Possessed?”

"Yes, by a tukra. It might be affecting the other fish as well.”

“A tukra? Huh…” Siku stroked her beak in thought. “I’ve heard of such spirits, but only in stories. Maybe that’s why fishing has been sparse these past few days.”

Treke nodded. “It’s quite possible… Living things don’t like staying near large amounts of rranha—“

“We should catch the giant fish then!”

“W-we?”

“Yeah! It’s been awhile since I’ve caught a big fish. I’ll ask my family about it; I’m sure they would love such an opportunity.”

“Ah… Help from other Asu does sound like a good idea.”

Siku’s enthusiasm grew more as she paced excitedly across the dock. “I bet we could even cook it! A fish that size could feed multiple families even!”

Treke smiled, eager to assist the sea fuglans in some way. While she had no obligation to fix their fishing woes, the possibility of their situation improving did give her a sense of joy and relief. “Oh, that reminds me. I have something for you.”

“For me?”

Treke rummaged through her pack before producing the two nangangu fruits she gathered earlier. “It’s not much, but please accept this gift,” she said with a gracious head bow. “I hope we can become friends, Siku.”

“Why thank you, Treke!” Siku returned the bow as she accepted the fruit. “Yes, let’s be friends! You’ll be my first Vratinsav friend.”

“And you my first friend outside of my village.” Treke smiled sheepishly. “I do not have many friends, to be honest.”

“You should meet more fuglans! Come with me, I want to introduce you to my family.”

Gingerly following behind her new friend, Treke wondered where Siku would lead her, but Siku’s house was not far. Built from bamboo and thatch, the building only stood one story tall, but its width was large enough to house multiple fuglans. In contrast to forest fuglans, who built their homes upward in the trees, sea fuglans built their homes longways across piers.

They headed inside before Siku placed the fruits into a basket sitting among many others filled with various food stuffs. Two older sea fuglans, both female, sat on the floor sorting colorful seashells together. Many of the same shells decorated net-like shawls draped over the fuglans’ shoulders.

“Good morning, Tsasiku.” One of the sea fuglans smiled up at Siku. The prefix Tsa, meaning “little”, gave an air of familiar endearment. “Who is this you’ve brought?”

“Hello, mother! This is Treke, a friend I made today from Nuekrin village. She brought us some nangangu fruit!”

“I don’t see many Vratinsav in Sivaterin. I am Ianuna, Siku’s mother, and this is my sister, Teigu. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.” She and her sister gave Treke a nod of acknowledgment.

“There’s apparently a huge 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 probably 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 are struggling catching fish lately.”

“We should go as a family! It’s been awhile since we went fishing together.”

Siku’s aunt nodded. “Yes, we used to go out at sea together and come back with a big enough catch to last us days. Now we don’t do that so much since we’ve settled down in the lagoon. Harvesting kelp and smaller fish in still waters is less risky.”

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

“Your sister and cousins are still out collecting kelp, but they can come along too,” said Ianuna.

“I’m afraid I know nothing about fishing, but it sounds exciting,” said Treke. She wondered what going fishing together was like, as her family did not do much except farming and weaving. “I must warn you, however, that this fish may be possessed by a spirit. It will still be quite risky.”

“A possessed fish? That sounds… rather peculiar.” Siku’s mother gave Treke a skeptical look. “Are you a ruksala?”

Treke nodded. “I am.”

“Don’t worry, mother, she’ll take care of the spirit.”

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

“And I’m an excellent 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.”

As Siku and Treke waited for the others to return, they chatted away to get to know each other. It was mostly Siku who did most of the talking, but Treke was still quite happy to socialize for once. It was only an hour later until Siku’s family showed up, and what a large family it was. In total, a dozen family members occupied a single house, twice the amount of Treke’s family.

Eager of the new fishing opportunity, Siku’s family gathered up their nets and fishing spears. Everyone but Siku’s mother and her two aunts stayed behind as everyone else hopped into their fishing boats. The three sisters promised to cook a good meal if the others succeeded with their hunt.

Four canoes in all, the biggest boat belonged to Siku’s uncle and his two daughters. Siku’s boat was the second largest, accompanied by Treke and Siku’s sister Talele. Siku’s two brothers shared the third boat, while the fourth by Siku’s two other cousins. A total of ten members made up the entire fishing party.

The Sivate clan usually avoided the center of the lagoon. The crater below was so deep and devoid of sunlight that sea fuglans found it foolish to explore without good reason. Such a place would be perfect for a large predatory fish to lurk about. Siku’s family was ready to search for it and paddled their boats to the location.

“So, there’s a giant possessed fish down there, eh?” Siku’s uncle was skeptical of the whole thing, but he seemed happy enough with the family out together.

“Yes, this is it,” said Treke. Even without seeing the fish or spirit, she knew something lurked below. “My magic’s range is somewhat limited. Someone will have to lurk the creature to the surface so I can banish spirit.”

“I’ll do it!” Sitting at the front of the boat, Siku turned back to Treke. “You’ll be okay up here in the boat, right?”

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

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

With a nervous smile, Treke nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.”

“Okay! I’ll be back shortly!”

“Good luck, sister, don’t die!” Talele teased as Siku jumped into the water. With a big splash, briny water sprayed everywhere. Sea fugans had no issue with getting wet, but Treke was no sea fuglan. She sighed and shook off the water from her silk robes.

“Tsasiku, it might be dangerous down there. I’m coming with you,” insisted Siku’s uncle, climbing out of his boat.

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

Her uncle trailing behind her, Siku dived into the lagoon. As they disappeared into the dark blue void, the green glow from the tips of their tails and ears slowly faded from the view of the surface. They would surely need their biolumunescent lights in such a dim environment.

Treke waited patiently. She wondered how deep the bottom of the crater really went, but the more time passed the more her anxiety grew. Perhaps the rranha in the lagoon exacerbated the tension, but it felt like ages already.

“I hope they are all right down there… How long can Asu stay underwater?”

“A pretty long time,” said Talele. “Don’t worry.”

“How long exactly?”

“Hmmm… If one trains their lungs, perhaps up to half an hour. Siku is good at it.”

“Wow…” Treke couldn’t fathom how deep the lagoon was, nor being able to hold her breath for that long. She feared she would only last a minute or two at most.

Another ten minutes or so passed, and neither Siku nor her uncle had returned yet. Treke began to worry. Had the fish eaten them? Did the tukra attack? She had to know. “Klaiune, are things are right down there?” she whispered to her ancestor.

“Child, be ready,” the spirit replied. “The tukra grows closer. Once within reach, you must brace your mind. The tukra will attempt to take hold of you.”

Treke’s anxiety grew rapidly. She began to fear this tukra might be too much to handle on her own. The rranha was so powerful now, fueling her anxiety even more.

“Get ready, everyone!” Talele shouted. “They’re back!”

An explosive splash sprayed upward as Siku breached the surface, leaping from the water and gasping for air. Behind her, a monstrous blue fish emerged. As big as a canoe, it tore out of the water and smashed the surface with a wave powerful enough to throw everyone off balance in their boats. Despite all the excitement, Treke found herself frozen at the sight of the huge scaly beast.

The sea fuglans wasted no time and jumped into the water, flinging their fishing nets. Siku’s uncle, finally breaching the surface, signaled to his niece to attack. Hold on with all her might, Siku plunged her spear into the monstrosity’s side. The great beast flailed about so wildly that it was difficult to make out what was fish in the churning waters.

“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 onto the spirit. She could see it clearly now in her mind’s eye—a dark, shadowy entity that exuded agony.

As Siku and the others kept the fish occupied, Treke concentrated on the spirit. The miserable tukra pushed against her efforts, struggling desperately to escape her purging magic.

Treke’s anxiety shifted to a panic as the tukra retaliated, attacking her mind with shockwaves of mental anguish. Doubt began take hold. But she knew if this tukra wasn’t stopped, its rranha would devour all sense of tranquility. It was not unlike the greedy fish it possessed.

“You will not get away!” she snapped back, fighting the entangling thoughts. Siku’s family cheered at her words, misinterpreting her cry towards the fish, but it was all the same. The water churned red as spears went flying.

With a final burst of determination, Treke locked onto the spirit and trapped it with her magic. The tukra wriggled and writhed as she pulled it out of the fish. Despite its attempt to resist, it had nowhere to go before it disintegrated, vanishing from the living world.

Treke fell back in the boat with an exasperated sigh. The tukra was no more. Sounds of splashing and screeching filled the air as the sea fuglans continued to attack the fish in a frenzy.

“Iatak!!”

A cry of triumph, then all stood still. Treke sat up again to check the aftermath. Wrapped tightly in a hempen net, the fish no longer struggled.

“We did it, everyone!” Siku cheered. She climbed back into the boat and flopped onto her back, exhausted. “We got the fish.”

“The spirit is gone now,” Treke sighed, just as exhausted. “Thank you for your help.”

“Yeah, no problem! 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’m feeling a little strange. Maybe the effects of rranha is affecting me.”

“You probably just need some rest and food. How would you like to come back to my house for lunch? My family would love to have you over.”

“We’re gonna cook that fish!” said one of Siku’s cousins.

Treke nodded. “I think I’d like that, thank you.”

The fish was so large it needed two canoes just to drag it back to the village. Returning home, the sea fuglans took turns gutting and descaling the fish. Treke decided to help with lunch by preparing a sauce from the nangangu fruit she gave Siku. There was so much meat on the fish that Siku’s family was happy to share it with anyone in the village who struggled catching fish recently.

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 prepared turned out sweet and tangy, with wild garlic and a bit of lirre citrus juice, added for extra flavor.

No tables could fit inside the house, so instead everyone sat on the floor. Fish steak fillets were piled onto earthenware platters, placed on the center of the floor for everyone to help themselves. A side of sesame kelp salad was served along with the fish, which Treke also enjoyed despite the slippery texture. Siku’s family laughed and talked as they sat together and ate, recalling several fishing stories to each other. The giant fish was certainly a great experience to remember.

“So, do you still need to be ferried, Treke?” asked Siku. She recalled Treke mentioning she had to leave the island.

“Oh… Yes, actually.” She still wasn’t sure where she was meant to go, but she could feel the faintest hint of rranha coming from one particular direction. “What is to the northwest?”

“The mainland is in that direction, the closest being the Port of Hulerin.”

“I am not sure if Hulerin is where I should go, but perhaps that is where I should start.”

“I’ll take any excuse to go to Hulerin. We could leave tonight!”

Treke nodded. She needed to leave as soon as possible to catch up to Ludaru. “I think that would be best.”

Siku’s mother, listening to the 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…” Siku sighed. “I’ll be careful, okay? Hulerin is not that far. We’ll be fine.”

Maybe it was rude to ask, but Treke 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…” Treke bowed her head. “How tragic. I am sorry to hear that.”

“There was a terrible storm that night,” said Siku’s mother. “We think he might have…” Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“It must be terrible losing a family member.” Treke bowed her head again, hoping her question didn’t upset them too much.

“The sea is harsh,” Siku’s uncle added. He grabbed some fish from the large platter in front of them and ripped a chunk off before swallowing. “Tsasiku, you best be careful out there.”

“Yes, uncle… But you, mother… Umm.” Siku fiddled with her webbed hands. “I think I may consider living in Hulerin one day. There’s someone I met there, and she’s very nice.”

“Oh?” Siku’s mother cocked her head. “This is the first I’m hearing about this. What’s her name?”

“Lasranu. I’ve been trading fish and kelp with her whenever I travel to Port Hulerin, but I want to live there with her one day! Hopefully soon…”

Ianuna sighed. “I see. I was wondering when this day would come, starting your own family…”

“Mom..!” Siku looked away, trying to conceal her embarrassment.

“You’re old enough to live your own life, Tsasiku. You’re the oldest child here, after all.”

“And this house isn’t getting any bigger,” Siku’s uncle chuckled. “I mean, we could expand for another generation, but there’s only so much space on the pier.”

“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 that. I would love 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, before smiling back at Treke. “And 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 would like to meet many more fuglans, if possible. Elder Vrenik said it is important for me to make more friends.”

“You’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” Siku said with a laugh.

Treke ate her fill that afternoon and took a two hour nap at Siku’s house before temporarily returning to her village. While she didn’t want to mention the tukra and fish to her family, she was still excited to tell them how successful her first rranha purging went. But most of all, she couldn’t wait to tell Elder Vrenik about everything.

The old fuglan lived alone in a small hut of his own, just on the edge of the village. He was having his own midday nap as Treke knocked on his door, but her tale couldn’t wait. A faded periwinkle beak eventually poked out from behind the door as it creaked open, followed by the rest of Elder Vrenik. “Ah, Treke. Back already? That was quick,” he chuckled, good natured as always.

“Well, not exactly, but I may have found a lead on where Ludaru has gone.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“A trail of rranha leads to the mainland. I will be leaving the island later tonight for Port Hulerin.”

“Good, good! Come inside, I’m preparing some sahuan tea. Your uncle gave me some fresh leaves the other day.” He opened the door further and invited her in.

Next to a wooden low table, a familiar cushion that her family weaved for Elder Vrenik looked comfortable and inviting. Treke perched herself on the cushion and waited for Vrenik to seat himself across from her.

“I went to Sivaterin, just like you said, Elder Vrenik. I even made a friend today.”

“That’s good! Do they have a name?”

“Siku. She’s willing to take me to Port Hulerin. 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 before setting it down to let it cool.

“Very good, Treke. I am impressed you were able to handle your first tukra with no problem. How does it feel, mm?”

“Surreal… I have done so much today that I never thought possible.”

Elder Vrenik nodded and took a sip from his cup, tipping the cup’s spout to his beak to prevent spilling. “Experience is one of the best teachers. I don’t know if there is much else I can teach you at this point.”

“Are you certain, Elder Vrenik? I feel like there is so much I still need to learn.”

Elder Vrenik chuckled. “Of course, we’re all still learning. But you now have the means to improve yourself. I can’t do that for you. Besides, you seem to have a knack for this ruksala thing.”

“I am not so certain, but thank you. I will continue to do my best.” She took a small sip from her own cup, enjoying the minty aftertaste of the sahuan tea.

“You’ll get more accustomed to it with practice. I trust Klaiune will guide you as needed. A ruksala must adapt to unique situations.”

Taking another sip of her tea, Treke was unsure of what else to tell him. She had done everything well so far, but she still had a long journey ahead of her. “Before I leave, is there anything else you can tell me, Elder Vrenik?”

“Make more friends along your travels. Listen to their wisdom, and your view of the world will expand.”

It was sage advice. Treke 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 of succeeding. Finishing her tea, she thanked Elder Vrenik and prepared to leave her village once again.

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