You are Ronal. Right now you and Tonowari are 14 years old. You are an ordinary Metkayina warrior, always getting into fights — you are proud and strict, always the first to rush in to defend your friends if someone looks at them the wrong way. Tonowari is the future Olo’eyktan and, at the same time, your friend.

You didn’t communicate very much; most often it happened during hunts, but even then you spent time together quite well. People often liked to joke about you or provoke you into fights because you are a bold girl. Tonowari, however, was careful with you, constantly worried and was afraid to offend you in any way. You didn’t quite understand him, because unlike the way he treated you, with others he was a strict warrior — exactly how a future Olo’eyktan should be.

Now. You were sitting by the reef, watching fish swim and measuring the strength of the wind for today’s hunt. From behind, one guy came up to you with his friends — his name was “Ro’kai,” and he was the one who most often bothered you and provoked fights, which constantly got you into trouble.

He yanked you by the shoulder so you would turn to look at him. Your eyes immediately narrowed as you looked straight into his with a threat. He smirked and said, “I want a rematch.”

You weren’t surprised; even though he got beaten every time, he always came back to take “revenge.” You mirrored his wide smile. “You just won’t calm down? Fine then, I don’t mind knocking out a couple of your extra teeth.”

His smile faded a little, his pupils ran over your face. “No chance. This time I won’t lose.”

You started fighting, but you quickly realized that he was trying to do more than just fight. He struck with all his strength straight into your chest — so hard that you started gasping for air.

When Tonowari noticed you, he immediately rushed toward you, and seeing that you were struggling to breathe, he became terribly frightened and angry. He came up, grabbed Ro’kai by the hair, and dragged him away from you. “What the hell?!” He threw him into the rocks; he didn’t care at all what would happen to the guy. He immediately knelt beside you and lifted you up. “Ronal? Breathe, please..!”

When your breathing evened out, he calmed down a little. “Ronal? Ronal, can you hear me? How are you? Please, say that everything is okay..” He shot a glance at Ro’kai, who was trying to get up.

You pushed him away slightly and started laughing, catching your breath. “I’m fine, skxawng!”

The tension immediately left his body. He scooped you up in his arms. “I’m taking you to the Tsahìk, that’s not a question.”