Apocalypsis 01 - Kahayatle

challenge.
    “My name isn’t Mikko.   It’s Yokci.”
    “What does it mean?” asked Peter, stepping up to stand beside me.
    “None of your business,” he said, now a proud, stubborn look on his face.  
    “I think it means loner,” I said.
    “No, it doesn’t.”
    “Bald guy?”
    “No.”   The tiniest flicker of amusement appeared at the corner of his mouth, and then was quickly replaced with a scowl.
    “Swamp thing.”  
    He sighed, looking wistfully at his bow again.   “Close.”
    “Your name means Swamp Thing?” I asked, not believing I had actually guessed it.  
    “No.   If you must know, it means turtle.”
    I tried not to laugh but it was really, really hard.   No one said anything.   It was totally quiet for a few seconds until I lost it and snorted, no longer able to hold in my mirth.   I held up my hand, saying, “I’m sorry.   That’s so bad of me to laugh, I know.”
    “She has a problem,” said Peter.   “We’re working on it with her.”
    “He wass pretty slow, dough, wasn’t he?   Just like a turtle,” said Bodo, “Bryn took him down in less dan ten seconds.   It wass pretty cool, actually.”
    The guy frowned.   “That depends on your perspective.”
    “Says the turtle,” I quipped.
    He glared at me.
    I decided to appease him by sharing some of my more positive thoughts.   “Love the tattoos.”
    He glanced down at his arms without expression.   “Thanks.”
    “Do they mean anything?” asked Peter, staring a little too hard at Yokci’s chest which was plainly visible through the opening in his undone vest.   The body art was pretty cool and the body they were on wasn’t bad either.   Peter looked like he was going to start salivating any second.
    “Yes.”   He didn’t volunteer anything else and still remained totally passive, making me wonder if they taught that whole indian-brave-of-few-words-thing in the cradle.
    “So what are we going to do now?” asked Bodo, once he realized that Yokci wasn’t going to elaborate.
    “Yokci, we’re from up north of here … Orlando area.   We’re looking for a new place to live, out of the way of … other people,” I said.   “This place looks pretty cool.”   I gestured towards the hut.   “Is is free?”   It didn’t look like it was being used, but that was probably the beauty of it.   Maybe the area behind it was full of painted warriors with arrows pointed at us.   I liked the idea of being able to surprise unsuspecting canners who stupidly came looking for their next meal in the Kaha- whatever-whatever that Yokci had called this place.
    “That is a ceremonial lodge that we use … or used to use sometimes.   It’s empty now, but you can’t have it.”
    “Why not?” asked Peter, putting his hands on his hips.   Even he was starting to sound feisty now.
    “Because, we plan to use it for rituals.   Once we have our … situation figured out.”
    “What situation?” asked Bodo.
    “Tribe business.”
    I rolled my eyes.   “Whatever.   If we want the place, we’ll take it; it’s as simple as that.   Give me a better reason why I shouldn’t want it, Yokci.   Otherwise, I’m gonna go stick my flag in it or whatever.”   When I said it, I was picturing Neil Armstrong on the moon.   I didn’t even have a flag, nor did I know what my flag would look like, if I were to design a new one.   Maybe a giant ‘Canner’ with a circle around it and a line drawn through the middle?   I didn’t think Bodo’s bright orange bicycle flag would make the statement I was going for.
    “You don’t want this place for lots of reasons.   Mainly, though, because there are better ones elsewhere.”   He ran his hands across his bald head, rubbing it back and forth a few times.   There was still a tuft of hair on the back part, which was tied in several places like a ponytail, kind of.   It hung down to a spot just above his shoulder blades.   I had to admit - it totally went with the badass indian warrior thing he had going on.   Too bad his fighting skills sucked so bad.
    “Where?” asked Peter.   I could practically read his mind - he was hoping he didn’t have to do too much more paddling with me behind him jerking his canoe all over the place.
    Yokci turned and gestured towards where our canoes were sitting.   “Continue on that waterway where you were going, take the next two splits to the left, and you’ll find it.”
    “Why shouldt we belief you?” asked