THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 275: 275. TOLI

”I want to go to the sea and watch father fish.” Toli Said.

”No, you won’t, you have one year before you can become a full man,” Veve said to his son. After all, for their tribe, only men who were initiated to become true men could be allowed to go into the sea. Noraya is a small tribe on Neshiro Island, south of N’kara.

”But big brother Ayiko is down there with dad,” Toli said.

”He is two years older than you, so he can go fishing with the men,” Veve answered. Toli was bothering him in the cooking area yet again. Men went to the sea, and women raised the clan, yet Toli did not always follow the tradition of following the other boys to learn the ways of the sea. He was always in the cooking area near the pots with Veve, asking him questions from morning till dusk.

Toli was only ten, almost turning eleven, but he would have to wait until he turned twelve so that he could officially join the men of Noraya in their sea expedition. He was, however, a very untamed child, going out of his way to do whatever he liked, and even Veve knew she would not be able to keep him tied for long.

Toli, after all, was named after the falcon. the fastest bird. He was meant to fly over oceans and mountains and distances without restraint.

It was the way of the small tribe of Noraya. Fishing, making ornaments from sea stones and shells, and even hunting for valuables from deep in the sea. It would be shameful for a man to be unable to swim in Noraya and hunt deep in the sea, even in parts where there were deep-sea beasts.

Toli’s father, Mawi, was one of the best swimmers and sea hunters of Noraya. To show it off, his hands were marred with the marks of the teeth of a sea beast. He even wore a huge tooth on his neck to show his valor and his achievement. He had killed one of the biggest sea beasts in his youth. woka. The deadliest fish. He always told Toli stories of how it bit through his hand gear made of sea stone and dragged him under the sea. Not only did he manage to hold his breath underwater for almost an hour, but he also managed to kill it. He emerged from within its remains when its dead body floated.

The whole tribe had gotten at least a piece of woka to cook. How treacherous, right? A fish so deadly also has the sweetest meat. Mawi then took the tooth that Woka had used to bite him and wore it as a souvenir. He gave one to his father, brothers, and the older men of the clan. Mawi had always told Toli that if he ever managed to swim to the bottom of the sea and touch the centre stones, then he would give him the tooth hanging on his neck. He also said the same to Ayiko.

To swim to the centre stoned always takes years and years of diving in the deep seas to be able to achieve such a feat.

”But Mom, won’t Ayiko get a leg up on me. He might be able to grow stronger and touch the centre stones of the seas before me and get Dad’s woka tooth.” Toli whined.

”If he gets it, then won’t my brave Toli kill a woka and take one for himself?” Veve said with a laugh. Toli’s eyes widened with joy.

”You think I can kill Woka?” Toli was beside himself.

”Of course. You are Mawi’s son. Ayiko is, too. You can kill your own woka. You don’t have to wait for dad’s.” Veve said.

”I will grow stronger than my father. I will swim to the deep seas and touch the centre stones, then I will go to the nest of Woka and kill the beast. No, I will kill two and have many teeth and use one to make you a beautiful ornament.” Toli’s face lit up.

”Won’t you make one for your wife instead. Your father makes ornaments for me, so you make those for your wife.” Veve said he was still moving around the cooking area, while Toli followed her, almost walking over her skirts.

”I won’t marry. I will stay with you, Mom, forever. Who will protect you if I get married?” Toli said. He always said that.

”Your father will protect me. Don’t you think he’s strong?” Veve teased, and the bot pouted.

”Well, when you and father grow old...” Toli started, and Veve laughed. It was impossible to win that.

”A man has to marry. You can stay with me together with your wife. Don’t you like that girl of the Kama clan?” Veve asked, and Toli blushed.

”She... She is very beautiful but already betrothed,” Toli whined.

”But she will only marry the strongest man. Look at me. I married your father because he was the strongest. I was already betrothed then. Girls are always betrothed so that more prospects can fight for the position.”

”You think I will be the strongest?” Toli asked.

”I know you will be,” Veve said. ”Now go to the clan school and learn ways of the sea.

”But I already know everything...” Toli whined.

”Go then learn something you don’t know,” Veve said. She already knew it was futile to tell Toli to learn something he already knew. The boy was smart and easily bored. If he had to pretend to learn something he already knew, he would just cause trouble.

Toli lit up before leaving. He had finally gotten permission from his mother. Veve knew the boy’s errands. He always went to swim in the many deep places of the island with the older boys who were yet to turn into men, but who were almost there. Toli, being big for his age, always fit in.

So was the life of Toli, but soon he was able to touch the deep ends of the spots they went to swim. They are shallow, considered to be the sea itself, but after you touch the bottom one too many times, it becomes boring. Toli was easily bored with things he already knew.

That is why, as the next fishing and sea hunting season began and the men of Noriya were ready to take their ships and go into the deep sea for days, weeks, or even a month at most, Toli did something he had been desiring to do. He knew they could not throw him into the seas if they found him too late.

Toli snuck into his father Mawi and his men’s trap box. It was so heavy that it required at least four men to carry it. It was meant to carry traps and nets used to capture the fish. Toli already regretted it as soon as the box was put in the lower deck with other boxes, but it was too late to go back now. He could breathe, but he was lying in a fetal position.

Of course, after the ship set sail and it was a good distance away from the island, Toli crawled out of the box and hid in a better place under the deck where he could watch Mawi and the other men.

He had not thought of how he was going to eat yet and hide for the whole week, but... just as the ship was deep enough into the seas that the men could let down their nets and dive in to hunt, even Toli had not expected it to take such a twisted turn.

He saw the new arrival as they jumped into the boat and then...

The gore that followed had Toli frozen so much that he was not able to move. The savages of that day did not stop until every last man on the ship was dead, even Ayiko. Blood flowed like water into the deck. Toli watched as the Woka tooth was stripped off his father’s neck and the other smaller beast teeth from the other men’s necks.

These things don’t break. They will indeed make our master a non-breakable weapon,” one of them said, and Toli gasped.

The slaughter of his people was to make a weapon?!

”Find all the other ships of Noraya and strip them of the sea beast teeth!!” The man ordered, and Toli froze.

Was he dreaming? Was this a bad dream? But then he soon realized it wasn’t when the man gave the last order.

”Burn the ship and all the Noraya ships at sea!!”

Toli did not move even long after they were gone, and the ship was covered with flames. Long after his father and brother were covered with flames. Until the place he lay started burning. Yet even then, he did not have the strength to move.

END OF BOOK THREE