Skipping Stones | Lo'ak

19

CHAPTER 19

       "Tuk, this is not a good idea," 'Kanu said quietly as the two of them lifted themselves up onto the ship. They had swam around the large craft to find a spot where it would be easy to enter from, "Tuk," she repeated when the little girl entirely ignored her words and started sneaking deeper inside the ship. 'Kanu followed closely behind, looking around fearfully. Every noise she heard over the blaring sirens was enough to make her flinch. She was convinced someone would find and catch them.

The two remained in crouched positions as they made their way through the ship, taking a few steps at a time and hiding behind large objects to look around and think about their next move. 'Kanu was annoyed that her dagger had been taken from her - now she felt utterly helpless.

"She's there," 'Kanu whispered, placing a hand on Tuk's shoulder and pointing at Kiri who was cuffed to a railing. They were now inside the ship in a place that had a moon pool.

"Kiri," Tuk hissed as the two girls hurried over to her.

'Kanu leapt over the railing to see better how she was bound to the metal. Kiri and Tuk began pulling at the restraints, desperately looking for a way to break her free. 'Kanu held Kiri's hands out of the way and showed Tuk where to cut it with her knife, "Cut it here."

None of them had been on the lookout and were startled when Tuk suddenly yelled when she was lifted into the air. 'Kanu did not have time to react when her hand was suddenly grasped by the man who had first captured them. She yelped when the man let go, dropping her into the pool below. As if time slowed, she could see Tuk being handed to the female Na'vi impersonator. Fear and panic rose in her chest once more as she fell through the water, unable to hold onto something to prevent her fall.

Desperate to find a way to save her friends, 'Kanu turned her head when she heard the cry of an ilu and she quickly called for it, taking her queue and connecting it to the animal as it swam by her.

For a while, all that 'Kanu was able to do was circle the ship from under the water. Any time she believed she heard or saw anything unusual, she would race to that point - only to fall back as she would see it had been nothing.

After minutes of time seeming to tick away without anything happening, 'Kanu decided she would climb back aboard the ship and do anything in her power to get Kiri and Tuk back to safety. She had not a clue as to where Neteyam and Lo'ak were - just that they had left her and Tuk to save that kid.

Suddenly she could hear it. Gunshots so loud that they rang in her ears even through the water.

Concerned and filled with adrenaline, 'Kanu turned her ilu right back around and sped off to where she believed the gunshots came from. When she neared she could make out Lo'ak and that human boy with Neteyam. They seemed to just have escaped the ship.

"Come on!" She urged them as she came to a halt beside them, motioning that they grab onto the ilu.

"Come on, bro!" Lo'ak called behind him at Neteyam, swimming closer to the ilu. 'Kanu held his hand to prevent him from coming any closer and Lo'ak looked back up at her with confusion written across his face.

She had noticed that something was terribly wrong.

Neteyam was struggling to swim.

"You skxawng," Neteyam said, "I'm shot."

Lo'ak's eyes widened and he immediately drew closer to his brother, "Shit!" Neteyam was barely keeping his head above the surface. 'Kanu quickly slid off the ilu to help him get onto the ride.

Her hands shook as she reached for the boy struggling to swim. Around him the water dyed red from where his blood mixed with the water.

"Keep him up!" Lo'ak said.