EXPECTATIONS | Neteyam

SKXAWNG

It was early morning - the first day of the Sully's training. The sun was just rising, and there was a hint of heat in the wind. Though Tefiti would never admit it out loud, she was mildly excited to train the forest people. Would they really be interesting?

She dived into the water, weaving around the coral that dotted around the ocean floor. Beams of sunlight shone down onto the fish and ilu infront of her; she couldn't help but smile. It was better than the rain they had experienced the past few weeks before the arrival of the 'Sullys'. Upon reflection, Te'fiti had no idea what 'Sully' meant, and nor why the Toruk Makto's family wish to be called 'Sullys', but she had heard Tonowari speaking of him walking home that night, and JakeSully is a name passed down, passed down from the Skypeople. She could not seem to get her head around it, yet she brushed it off as something rather unusual and began to lazily paddle through the sunlit reef without another thought on the matter.

After swimming a while infront of her, she spotted Aonung in the distance, she swam accross the ocean floor, flicking her tail as she called for him with a clicking noise. His head spun around, and he rolled his eyes, swimming over using the flat of his tail.

"You're late" He signed, an agitated look gracing his face. She shrugged.

"Where are they?" Her eyes scanned around her, flicking her hair out of her face. Rotxo pointed upwards.

4 cobalt blue Sully's bobbed at the surface, looking down into the water before throwing their heads up above the surface. Tefiti giggled.

"What are they doing? Tell them to get down here!" She signed.

"They cannot dive." Aonung shook his head, attempting not to crack a grin. Not knowning how to swim in the Tribe is almost being like a newborn child, and even then you learn almost immediately after being brought into the world.
Pulling a face, she nodded them to the surface. The 3 others swam up to the Sully's, Tefiti following.

"What are you doing? You were down there like 30 seconds." She exchanged a smirking glance at Aonung, who smirked back at her.

"You're too fast, wait for us!" A young voice squeaked. A young girl - six or seven bobbed on the water. Tefiti immediately cringed at the way she spoke before. She sighed, running her fingers through her curls that lay long and flat falling down her shoulders now from the water.

"Just breathe." Tsireya smiled comfortingly at her. Tefiti snuck a glance at the eldest sully boy again, who was already staring at her, his chin bobbing on the water.

"You are not good divers. Maybe good at swinging through trees but-" Tsireya clapped Aonung across the back of the head who's face changed instantly into a childish frown.

"Come on bro. We don't speak this - finger talk." The eldest Sully boy held up his hands, mimicking sign language as he glanced at Tefiti again. "We don't know what you're saying."

"Tefiti will teach you. Sign language is her specialty." Tsireya nodded promisingly towards the boys who glanced at the Tefiti.
"Yeah, speciality in being pretty vulgar." Aonung mumbled, and began to snigger at his own comment.
She scoffed, shaking her head looking back to the village.

"Sully boy." Tefiti called out to the eldest omatikayan. She waved him over, nodding towards Ma'tu, her ilu. He approached her, wading though the sandy shallows towards her ilu.

"Come on then. Hop on."
"Like a pa'li?"
She nodded, not having a clue what a pa'li was. Was it an ilu on land? She shook her head and She held the ilu's head gently, ignoring the pair of eyes piercing her as the boy shakily clambered onto the ilu.

"What do you call that - um- the thing you flew to my village." Tefiti scratched her forehead, thinking.
"My ikran." The boy smiled proudly, holding his head up smiling slightly.
"You do not, and I mean never, ride Ma'tu like you ride your ikran." She stared at him, narrowing her eyes. He held his breath silently.
"Omatikayan- other clans. They ride their ikran like a weapon. There's no bond, just a need for the animal to follow a command. Ilus are very compassionate creatures." She shook her head to herself.

"My ikran is my other half. She also happens to be my weapon." Neteyam smiled, and stroked the side of the ilu with his legs.

"Your ilu is not. You feel his power? Feel his strength, his love, his trust." She motioned to the ilu. "Make the bond, Sully. Trust Ma'tu and he will trust you."

The forest boy studied her face for a second, before sliding his braid onto his chest and gently making the bond. Tefiti glanced over at the bigger crowd where the other Sully kids and Aonung was. The younger boy was paddling above the water, the others laughing at him.

Turning back to Neteyam, he was nowhere in sight. Dipping her head under the water, she spotted him, flapping around like a baby as Ma'tu yanked him through the water. He resurfaced to the sound of the girl cackling, wading back to the larger group.
"skxawng!" She cackled nodding towards Neteyam as she looked as Aonung. He smiled softly at her.

She spun around the face Neteyam, who was inches away from her.
"Again." He panted.
"Hold your horses skxawng. What's the rush?" She began to walk to the shore.
"Please let me go again."

The girl turned around In surprise, examining his expression.
"What is with you?" She let out an agitated sigh. The boy glanced over to his siblings, the youngest surfing around on Aonung's ilu. Aonung glanced over to Tefiti, then to Neteyam, who he rolled his eyes to.
"Like I said you wouldn't understand." He looked away from her.
"You won't get it first try. Your sisters - they're just getting beginners luck." She shrugged. "I don't even know what that little girl's on. Now come on, they're gathering on the rocks."

"..breathe in.." Tsireya sucked in a deep breath of air.
They group sat in a circle. Tsireya had obviously taken up the 'leader' role - not that Tefiti minded. Opposite to her sat Aonung, next to him Neteyam.
"...and breathe out." Tefiti copied Tsireya silently, watching her as she actioned the air leaving her body.

"Imagine a flickering flame." She said, staring at the youngest boy. "You must slow down your heartbeat."
She reached out to the boy - Lo'ak was his name - touching his chest.
"Breathe in - from down here." She touched his abdomen, watching him as the boy panicked. His breathing faltered slightly.

"Lo'ak- your heartbeat is very fast." Tsireya commented, concern strung in her voice.
"Oblivious" Tefiti signed subtly, side-eyeing the Metkayina boys who snickered, sharing a glance with Neteyam who did the same silently. Though he had no clue what the girl had signed, he could sure take a guess.

(More interesting sAuCy chapter coming up ;))