𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐄; Neteyam.

viii -

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"We will protect our brothers and sisters!"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"If you attack," his father turned to the other metkayina "if you fight.. then they will destroy you! They will destroy everything you love."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎They hissed in response.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎His father held up the orange tracker for all of them to see "You tell the tulkun, that if they're hit by one of these they're marked for death. And call for me, I'll silence it.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"Saving their lives, that's all that matters." He turned to the two leaders.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Tonowari kissed the hand of his mate as she closed her eyes "Tell the tulkun."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"Go." Ronal approved.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎They all scattered, and Neteyam made his way towards his brother when he saw him heading towards where they held the saddles.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"Baby brother," he greeted casually taking the object from his hands "no way you're rolling out of here baby brother."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"I have to warn Payakan about the pingers."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"No," he simply shook his head "you've gotta keep your skxawng ass here."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"He's outcast," Lo'ak took back the bottle from his hands "there's nobody to warn him but me."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"I'm your brother." Neteyam held him by his arm.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"Lo'ak!" Tsireya and her siblings appeared, his brother taking the chance and immediately setting himself free, jumping in the ocean right after.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"He's going to Payakan!"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Neteyam and Kew shared a look. They all called for the ilu.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"It's three brothers!" Kew pointed ahead of them at the rocky peaks, in the ocean Lo'ak was already on top of him.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎The skin of the tulkun was rough under his hands and feet as they climbed on top of it, Neteyam seeking the ship driving towards them as they tried to pull out the beeping tracker.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"It's getting closer!" Tsireya warned as they groaned while trying to pull out the metal needle.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎"Tie it to a rope and pull with ilu." Kew ordered "Hurry!"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Neteyam climbed his ilu, waiting for the signal before setting off in the water begging the ilu to pull as strong as he could.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎The rest of the teens fell into the water when the tracker detached, Neteyam tensed when he heard the happy squeal of his youngest sister.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Neteyam fell off his ilu when a sonar bomb exploded next to his ear, its frequency so high it was only a bust of air to him but the creature whined and buried deep into the sand to shield herself from the sound.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎He dropped the tracker and hid in the corals, trying to steady his heartbeat as best as he could, watching the banshee fly above him.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎He heard the familiar chirp of a tsurak right beside him, he turned and saw that to his surprise it was Eko, Kew's tsurak had come to his aid. He heard a familiar whoop over his head above the water. His mother.