Land Walkers
Solo or RP Format
Counts as 5 RP growth Points
Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7
Prompt
It couldn't be possible. Walkers of land, scale-less and gill-less. Covered in stones and of all sorts of colors. Bringers of creatures never seen before. Unable to venture in the waters, and unaware of your people who resided below.
The stories spread across the lands quickly of the land-walkers who explored the grounds above. At first, the menehune were the watchers of the waters, letting others know of the movements of the Earthling and Alkidike party. But soon enough, they made way to the beaches and rivers, and soon caught sight of those that watched.
Were they friend or foe? Why were they here and what did they want? And why could they walk on land but little else?
So many questions, so many rumors, so many unknowns.
What were your character's initial thoughts when they heard about the Earthling/Alkidike visitors? Were they afraid, or did they want to be the first to meet them? This prompt takes a look at the first-observation prior to contact with the other species. Explore your character's feelings around this monumental moment in Kahikinan history.
"Invaders," Rewi's father rumbled out between gritted teeth as his old hands paused in the binding of their farm's reeds, sharp gaze lifting to pin on the younger man who drifted before him.
And they were, Rewi supposed, but he'd only mentioned it as a point of conversation, not so much as a hope to get some sort of rise out of his father. Being that the young Menehune was a bit of a bystander in most matters, of course he'd seen the large shadows that crossed the top of the water. There'd been something moving along the edge of the swamp, and since he'd been present and unoccupied, Rewi had watched.
He'd watched as colorful strangers wandered the land. They'd poked at the foliage, tested the waters, and hunted small creatures that had crossed their path. They were odd and foreign, unlike anything Rewi had seen even during his journey to the reefs, and he'd wanted to share the unusual news with his family.
He'd wanted to try harder to please his father after all the traveling he'd done. Rewi still enjoyed the peace and serenity of having few expectations of himself, but the detour he'd taken after being sent to Noelani hadn't sat very well with his parents. He'd been gone too long, off doing nothing of use to them. He was selfish. They were sharper with him, more impatient, more demanding. He was a stain on their way of life! A disgrace to their business and family name. He should do something with himself, make something of himself!
And Rewi was still figuring out what. He didn't want to be rushed, and the standard chores of their farm didn't fill him with anything besides loathing and dread. It wasn't work he enjoyed or wanted to do...
But maybe his family would appreciate this new information he'd uncovered by not working, and it would earn him some respite from their scathing disdain.
So he'd shrugged off his father's sharp tone and said breezily, "It sounds like they can't stay in the water for very long at all. Maybe they won't even bother us."
None had shared his sentiment. Instead, knowledge of strangers had only roused suspicion and wariness. How had land walkers gotten here? And why? What did they want? If they had only come to enjoy the fruits of Kahikina's land, then they were more of a threat then an asset... Rewi's whole family thought like that. Their settlement was small and secluded, filled with people who didn't like- and even feared- change, and their way of life was hard enough without having to compete with those who could move freely on the earth.
He wanted to agree with them, to be on his family's side, but...
Rewi found it difficult to muster up the same concern as his parents and older siblings. As underwater farmers, their way of life wouldn't be threatened as long as the invaders stayed out of the swamp. There may even be more trade opportunities available, if any of the land walkers were interested in this sort of thing... Even if they weren't interested, they would still need garments and tools better suited to Kahikina, and there was no better place to get them from the Kahikinans, themselves.
There had been... mistakes, of course. It was to be expected of new encounters. Rewi could hardly blame them. Early on, when the land walkers saw a shadow flitting through the water, they would hunt it. If a Menehune was unprepared, they could find themselves speared by a land walker looking for a meal, and without clear vision into the water, accidents could happen. Or even if they looked for meals out of the water, that could leave little left for Kahikina's residents to hunt. The land walker party wasn't huge, but they weren't used to the terrain, and they could easily scare prey away from hungry Menehune hunters.
It wasn't their fault, Rewi thought. They just didn't know any better. If someone approached them, maybe they could be taught-
But his father was adamant. Stay away from the landwalkers. They were careless, dangerous invaders with unknown motives. If the Menehune were very lucky, the landwalkers wouldn't find what they'd come for, and they would leave with no interference from the Kahikinans.
Even so, Rewi couldn't help but watch. He stayed under the water when he heard them or saw them, and he watched how the interacted. The land walkers were all so different from one another: different skin, hair, eyes... Some with antenna, some without. Some with fins like those from Haukea! Rewi only watched. He didn't want to further incite his father's upset, but he couldn't help but think that if the landwalkers had so many different people among themselves, maybe they wouldn't mind meeting a few more different people, as well...
(WC: 810)
