Chapter Three

Confusion

There were no questions. There was no time to explain.
As soon as the adult orcas were gathered, and witnessed the crime, Sage was overwhelmed by sudden outbursts of shouting, anger and grief. The calf heard little more than babbling as he glanced from face to face, seeing seething, disgust and pity in the eyes. His relatives all called out their songs of questioning, fury, revulsion, hurt and shame, with all the eyes staring down as if the haunting eyes of the jury of the Final Judgement were observing him now.
Uton was lost from all sight, along with Bria. Nibiu was continuously nudging the carcass of Aris, as if trying to awaken him from a slumber. Okura and Kiera stared down in a mix of disgust and questioning to the matter that was going on, as Keeki looked on in disbelief. Gol watched with a curious nature, as Elli stared in fury, looking to Sage, although the anger was directed to Uton.
The babbling song, and penetrating, evocative eyes. The faces all around everywhere he turned. The anger. The sadness. The silence. Everywhere Sage looked, he could not escape…
There was only one thing he could do…
In fear, he burst into a howling of tears. Tears of sorrow, panic and anguish. Tears crying out for the reassurance and love he needed and for the fighting to stop.
At once, the sound of the tears gripped the hearts of the parents, causing them to look at themselves in repulsion. They were acting like hungry ones in frenzy, forgetting that Sage understood little of what had been thrown at him so suddenly. They were still dealing with a calf, no matter what crime he had just committed. At once, they quieted down, until all that was left, were the sobbing of Nibiu and the lamenting tears of Sage.
Moving forward, pushing the others aside, the pregnant Keeki nuzzled her face to Sage, reassuring his safety with her love. "It's alright my little one," she whispered softly to his ears. "We will not hurt you. Everyone has quieted down… It's going to be alright now…"
Sniffing and whimpering softly, Sage nodded, returning the nestling to his mother. He was afraid. Afraid of the abrupt persecution that had been dealt to him harshly, as a result of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. He felt the warmth and loving trust from his mother, and did not want to leave from this embrace; terrified of the reality of lies he was thrust into.
But, it was not to last. Kiera, the matriarch, approached the two. Her eyes were cold and hard, but her body language was slightly softened, at the thought of the convicted calf. Usually, an older member in spite or anger executed the murder of another pod member, but never before had a calf ever actually killed another member of the pod.
"Keeki… We must treat this as if he was any other…" she murmured, her voice ashamed at what she had to do. "He must abide with the codes, no matter what the age."
Keeki stared up, her eyes filling of tears and worry. "But… Sage is nothing more than a calf. He cannot survive on his own. There is no way in all the seas of the world would he ever make it alone. There must be another way to this…"
The face of Keira turned away. She didn't know what else could be done. The codes stated that a murder of family rendered the orca banished forever from the pod, and all other pods of the world. One that slaughtered family was not welcome to any pod, every pod being made of strong family bonds. She didn't want to expel Sage, but there was little more she could do.
It was Okura that moved forward. His eyes were darkened and upset. "Sage… You know you have committed the most atrocious sin that an orca can carry out. Am I not right?"
"No…" Sage pleaded, his song faltering in fear. His eyes darted around, looking. "I didn't kill Aris… I would never… I couldn't…"
"The calf speaks truth…" the voice of Gol called out, causing the orca circled around Sage to part as the song-master made his way. The pod all turned to face the master of the songs of the seas approached Sage, his eyes watching the calf. "A song of a calf so young tells of mostly truth. If Sage claims he did not kill Aris, I feel that indeed he did not kill Aris."
The mourning mother, Nibiu cried out to this claim. "But if this… monster did not kill my calf, who did? My son no longer breathes, nor his heart beats. No more shall his song grace our pod, and I want answers to know what has happened, so I can live in the peace of how he died…"
"Yes… Yes…" Gol nodded his head in agreement. He turned back to Sage. "You calves' like to play your games, do you not? I take it, that this is the tragic outcome of a game, is it not? Aris' death was not of hate, or spite, but by accident. The unfortunate result of a game gone wrong… Am I correct Sage?"
The calf stared up at the song-master, unsure if he had seen the event, or was simply covering for the calf, to protect his life. Sage stammered, unsure if he should attempt to condemn Uton, or if he should accept this lighter conviction. Gol stared down at Sage, a fierce look in his eyes, not of anger, but what seemed as determination to keep Sage in the pod.
Realizing defeat, and knowing that trying to convict Uton would be a futile gesture as a calf simply trying to shift the blame to another, Sage bowed his head, "Yes. It was a game, and he died accidentally as part of the game…"
There was a revered silence as the pod digested the information. Suddenly, "How did it happen?" Nibiu wept, her eyes full of tears. "How did he die in this game? What went wrong?"
Before Sage could even think about some excuse, he was cut off once more. "Let the calf alone," Okura bellowed out. "He has seen enough today, and to explain what he has seen even in the future causes the mind to be scarred again by memories that are tried to be forgotten." Okura observed the solemn faces of the pod, as they listened to the words, and agreed.
"No!" a thunderous voice barked out. "You can't accept that! Aris is dead because of him! You can't just let him away with this!" Parting again, the pod revealed Uton, who floated, seething rage and disbelief as Sage was getting let off from one of the eldest traditions of the pod. "A member of the pod is dead because of him! How can you simply let him float on by, without punishment?"
"Uton!" Kiera barked, her voice brash and hard. "Sage's actions indeed warrant punishment, and a fit penalty shall be decided for his actions." Her eyes stared hard at the brazen calf, a keen interest to their aggressive glint. "However, it does interest me, how you speak so fast, for a punishment for another. Can it be that you are hiding some guilt to this act your-self?"
Sage looked up, about to add the truth to the story, but a harsh glare from Gol caused him to fall silent once more. Instead, Uton back-finned, his eyes darting nervously. "No… not at all. I merely was claiming that once a crime has been committed, a sentence is all but fitting."
"Indeed that may be Uton," Keeki spoke out, as she floated beside Sage, gently stroking her worried calf with her pectoral to assure him of her undying love and the lack of fear that was necessary. "But had you been the one who had inadvertently caused the demise of young Aris, you would be begging for a lighter sentence would you not?"
Uton continued to back-finned, stammering, "Y-yes… Who wouldn't?"
A smirk in her eyes, Elli piped up, causing all eyes to swivel to her position. "Sage does not grovel. Sage does not beg. Sage does not plead. Sage accepts he has done wrong and accepts that actions reap repercussions."
"It is true," Gol nodded, his eyes glancing from orca to orca. "Sage has not once pleaded for innocence, nor has he requested a hearing. He has admitted to his crime, and is willing to accept the consequences of this act of misfortune. His grief for the loss of his friend causes him to accept whatever punishment you deem worthy of his fault, for he wishes to honour the ancient traditions."
There was a silent whispering between the pod, as members began to chatter between one another, all curious and listening to the words of the elder whales. Sage glanced about fearfully, as other members watched from the corners of their eyes, talking about him. He felt slight assurance as his mother's pectoral fin continued to gently stroke the side of his body, calming his restless soul, although it still chewed at the back of his mind, the words that they spoke about him.
Finally, "We shall decide tonight. The pod shall discuss a fair sentence for Sage, and as of first light tomorrow, that punishment shall take effect." Kiera, who'd made the announcement, turned to Sage, her eyes slightly melted in their frozen hardness. "You will get to swim with the pod for at least one more day, my young friend. Enjoy while you can."
With a low and long blast of song, the entire pod launched into a hymn of commemoration and passing, to tribute to the lost Aris. Each voice mourned a croon, a separate note to remember the young one, who was taken too soon.
As he sung along, feeling troubled and worried, Sage cast a glance to Uton. The male floated there, alongside the defiant Bria, not singing in grief, but glowering in revulsion. Sage did not need to hear any songs to understand the message Uton was telling him… The body language of the narcissistic cousin told a story all of its own…

"I hate you more than you will ever know… I will kill you my-self one day…"