Ouroboros Spine salapkiksruk

The boy was reluctant.

He saw the bone filigree'd with the barest light, as if the sun winked down at it, but it sat wedged in Atausiq's mouth with the light at her back; it shimmered green as Malguk approached the items—and as one girl was removed from the collection, it was the ruddy girl that then made her choice. Sisamat did not know what he saw when she took the feather. He knew it was a dark thing, that it was stained. His ears turned towards his sister briefly; he thought he heard a whisper.

( Little brother, are you there? — Why didn't anyone else hear them? )

Mother spoke—and one by one his sisters were made anew.
One became Akmaaksi; Two became Nutuyikruk.

It was the boy's turn, and he did not want to go! Ariadne urged him softly, and he looked to her, then to his father—and Kigipigak's stern expression impressed upon Sisamat that he needed to do this thing. So, he followed the path of both his sisters and neared the items.

( The ice calls you home. )

The bone earned a look. The feather, a sniff. The fur, ignored completely. Something else held his attention up among the green of the trees, as the light shafted through the piecemeal of the boughs. He blinked and squinted, and showed no interest in the ritual or in the toys—and after a few moments, tried to harmonize with murmurs and shy notes, as if to commune with something not seen.

When he was finished with his song, Sisamat remained fixated on something far away, up above.