Worlds Apart: Volume I

The During: New Training

Ney'ite was woken up by the gentle sound of water against wood. She groaned as she pulled the thin blanket over her eyes and rolled into Neyetam. Well, where Neyetam once was.

"Get up," Neyetam said as he pulled the blanket away from her.

"We're going to go in the water today," Tuk said as she jumped on her.

"How long have you guys been up?" Ney'ite huffed as she pushed Tuk off of her.

"Don't let them fool you," Kiri said as she handed Ney'ite some food. "They woke up just a few minutes before you did." Her eyes flitted to the left. "And one of them is still asleep."

Ney'ite looked where Kiri was. Lo'ak was still sleeping peacefully. She looked at her siblings with a raised brow. Tuk and Kiri nodded with big smiles. Neyetam didn't express approval or disapproval of the plan, but his eyes said that they should definitely do this. Ney'ite just nodded at her sisters. Kiri ripped off the blanket as Tuk jumped on him. Ney'ite laughed as she ate her breakfast. Lo'ak was unpleased as he tried to jump up.

"What the heck!" Lo'ak said as he pushed Tuk off of him. "I was sleeping."

"Bro, Tsireya and the others will be here soon," Neyetam said as he tossed Lo'ak some fruit. "We can't let them think that we sleep all day."

Lo'ak groaned and fell back down. Ney'ite and Kiri just pulled him back up.

"All right," Lo'ak said as he set on his feet. "I'm up." He took a bite of the food. "When are they suppose to be here anyways?"

"Tsireya said they would be here first thing in the morning," Ney'ite said as she finished off the fruit. "So, whenever you think that is."

"Very helpful," Lo'ak said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"I got woken up in the same way so don't be so bitter," Ney'ite said as she stretched. She picked up Tuk and swung her around. "One day when you're big, you'll get woken up the same way."

Tuk just giggled as Ney'ite spun her around. The siblings woke themselves up and finished breakfast for a few more minutes before they heard a knock on the outside of their home.

"Hello," Tsireya's voice floated into their home.

"Come in," Neyetam said.

Tsireya, Roxto, and Aonung all walked into their home. Aonung looked significantly less happy to be here than Roxto and Tsireya. Ney'ite examined Aonung's stares at her family. His eyes seemed to be drawn to Kiri's hands and Lo'ak's eyebrows. Neyetam placed a hand on Ney'ite's wrist. She glanced at her brother. He gave her a look that told her to calm her anger and not start anything. Ney'ite nodded.

"Are you all ready to go?" Tsireya asked.

All the siblings nodded as they followed the Metkayina teens. Ney'ite's fingers found her song chord once again. She watched as the three in front of her dived into the water gracefully. She felt her heart hurt. She knew that that was how she looked in the forest. Her brothers jumped into the water like a bunch of skxawngs. She jumped in with her sisters. Tuk held both her and Kiri's hands. As they jumped into the water, Ney'ite took a deep breath.

The water was not cold. It was warm. It felt like it was welcoming her into the depths. She let go of Tuk's hand and started to swim forward. The water felt different on her skin than the rivers of her home, but it didn't feel harsh or rough. Instead, all she could focus on was the beauty that lived beneath the ways. Everywhere she looked, there was something new to see. Colorful fishes. Bright corals. Lively creatures with saddles racing around. The only thing that distracted Ney'ite from the sights in front of her was the burning sensation that was starting to form in her chest. She needed air and she needed it now.