Neteyam

If I Could Stop Time

"Come on." Neteyam pulled Viryn's hand to go see the tulkun. One after the other the Sully kids dove into the water. Eagerly mounting ilus. Viryn was instantly swept up to sit behind Neteyam to get to the tulkun as quickly as possible.

She knew the description of one but she had never seen one up close before. From the distance she could hear the subtle calls. It was fascinating to her ears to listen to songs that she had never heard before. The melody unlike and tune she had ever heard before but there was a familiarity to it that warmed her heart. Viryn closed her eyes to feel the song in her head.

Distracted she nearly loosened her hold on Neteyam which made her slide back for a moment. Luckily Neteyam was still focused and reached back to the bend on Viryn's knee to pull her back against him. He checked over his shoulder and smirked at her. Viryn gently pushed his head back forward with a roll of her eyes.

As they moved closer she could see the massive shapes appear from the blue. Giants that even dwarfed the titantheres of her home. Viryn placed her hands on Neteyam's shoulder to almost stand up to lean closer to the tulkun.

With a steady hand to hold her down she lifted one hand up towards one of the tulkun. The gentle giant slowly swam towards her before banking away. Its fin brushed against her fingers before it gracefully turned away with a whistle.

Neteyam tightened his hold on Viryn as he urged his ilu to rise out of the depths. So many shapes together from the tulkun and the Metkayina made even the ocean seem small. Viryn sucked in a breath as her head lifted from the water. The wonder did not end as they surfaced. Tulkun and Metkayina on ilus were breaching above.

It was joyful, everything about the reunion was joyful. Viryn looked down at Neteyam, an open mouth grin on his face. Tulkun breeched from the water and when they fell back down the colossal splash that was made sure that there was not a moment of silence.

Merq'ena also surfaced close by. A look of delight on her face as a tulkun swam next to her. "Merq'ena." Neteyam called out. The tattooed girl turned and swam over to them. "They're so big." Merq'ena laughed out. "Bigger than even a small mountain." Viryn agreed.

"You guys!" The trio turned to see Heryl moving over to them on her own ilu. The Metkayina girl gave them the traditional greeting with the gesture from her forehead towards them. "Come, I want to introduce you to my soul sister." Heryl grinned and placed a hand over her heart.

"Really?" Viryn grinned as her ears twitched in excitement. Heryl nodded with a giggled and gestured for the three of them to follow her.

Neteyam waited for Viryn to suck in a breath before diving after Heryl. Merq'ena swam closer to the leading girl as they went deeper into the ocean. Viryn looked around to see so many happy reunions. Some of the Metkayina had even brought their children into the water to introduce to the tulkun.

"Stop." Heryl signed before dismounting. Following her example the other teens got off their ilus. Heryl swam down towards a less crowded part of the ocean. Viryn's eyes widened as a pair of horns appeared out of the deep blue.

"This is Valkren." Heryl signed to them with an ecstatic smile. "My soul sister." She swam down a few more feet, using her strong tail to propel her towards the tulkun. Valkren let out a squeal that sounded just as happy to see the Metkayina.

"I see you." Heryl gestured to the tulkun as she moved towards the tulkun's eyes. "These are new friends." Valkren looked at the three forest Na'vi. A series of whistles and squeals began. Heryl chuckled. "They are from far away." Viryn appreciated how Heryl signed slowly and while facing them so they could understand.

Valkren slowly approached the three. She was smaller than the tulkun near the top which indicated to Viryn that she was one of the younger members of the pod. "She is around our age." Heryl confirmed Viryn's guess.

Valkren rolled over with a happy whine. "She likes you guys." Heryl translated. Even though they knew sign language they had not a clue when it came to understanding tulkun.

Merq'ena moved first and approached Valkren. "Hello." She greeted the massive creature. Valkren let out a bellow in response. Neteyam followed soon after waved to Valkren. "You guys are much larger than I thought you would be." Viryn signed awkwardly, her hands moving slowly to be sure she got each little movement right.

Valkren's eyes turned into crescents the way Na'vi faces did when they smiled. Heryl laughed and turned to Valkren. "They have come a long way." Valkren let out a squeal and waved her fins in a rowing motion.

Heryl turned to the group with an excited smile. "Have you ever swam like a tulkun before?" Of course the Omaticaya teens never swam like a tulkun before. Viryn hadn't even seen a tulkun until that day. "Grab on."

The Metkayina teen demonstrated by grabbing onto one of Valkren's fins. Viryn swam over to the other side with Neteyam while Merq'ena already settled next to Heryl. Neteyam had reached the fin first but he offered Viryn his hand which she took. He pulled her over to inner side of the fin to keep her farthest from the outside. Once they held on firmly Valkren let out a loud rumble. She began to move and swam upwards.

The force a tulkun could move with was astounding. Viryn had to pulled her body closer to the fin and gain a tighter grasp on the limb as the water pushed against her. Her hair almost pulling her head back.

Valkren quickened her pace and began to swim past the other tulkun. With the visual comparison of how quickly they moved past the others Viryn knew they were moving quickly as the light from the surface hit her eyes. Valkren let out a whistle as she breached.

It was like they were floating. Viryn could hear Heryl giggling as they hovered in the air for a moment. Neteyam next to her looked as if he was in zero gravity with his hair going up.

"Let go!" They all crashed down into the ocean, no graceful dives just cannon balls for all four of them. Viryn surfaced first. Her eyes wide and her heat pumping. It wasn't like her flights with Kri but it was a thrill. Merq'ena popped up next to her with an equally adjusts but excited smile on her face.

"Where's-?" Viryn was interrupted by something grabbing her ankle and tugging. A small shriek left her lips before she realized it was a hand. Neteyam surfaced soon after. Viryn scowled lightly and splashed him.

"How was it?" Heryl asked as she also surfaced. "The best." Merq'ena grinned. "I've never moved so fast." Viryn added with a smile. The adrenaline still rushing through her. "Valkren is so fast." Neteyam chuckled.

Heryl smiled proudly. "Valkren wants to be the fastest, she's going to be the first racer of her pod." Viryn tilted her head curiously. "Racer? Is that role you can have?" Heryl shrugged. "Not right now. But when she's an adult and gets her first tattoo she's going to speak to the elders and ask."

The tulkun were truly creatures worthy of their renowned reputation. To be able to communicate with another of Eywa's creations so freely seemed like a dream come true.

Valkren surfaced. Spraying a glistening sheen of water drops into the air. "Thank you." Viryn signed to the tulkun. "I pray you will succeed with your goal." Valkren let out a giddy squeal in response.

Heryl happily swam over to Valkren. "They are our friends." She gestured to the tulkun excitedly.