The air was thick with the scent of salt and the gentle hum of the ocean as Tonowari stood at the edge of the Metkayina village, overlooking the turquoise waters that stretched far beyond the horizon. His gaze swept over the coral reefs below, where his people moved with grace and purpose, their movements like the flow of the water itself. The weight of leadership rested upon his shoulders, but he bore it with quiet dignity. He could feel the ebb and flow of the tides, the rhythms of the world around him, and it grounded him in this moment of peace.

His mind, however, was not at rest. There were whispers among his people, concerns over the growing tensions in the world beyond the oceans. The presence of the Sully family was a new weight on the Metkayina, and though they had taken refuge among them, Tonowari could not ignore the threat of what was to come. His people were not unfamiliar with conflict, but this felt different. The sea itself seemed to hold its breath in anticipation.