~~~Superstes~~~UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING

Sephora

There was sweat bleeding through the tightly wrapped bandages across his chest, along with smudges and stains of dirt, mud, and other debris from his wander inside the forest. He rolled his eyes, tired of hearing constant warnings of things that weren't safe for him. "I'll be fine."  

She didn't seem convinced, but she nodded anyway. "Alright, then." 

                                                                                                ~~~

After about half an hour they found a fresh hunting spot behind a cluster of leafy, lush bushes that surrounded a small grassy clearing. Late afternoon was rapidly turning into late evening, as eclipse began to set over the sky. Neteyam positioned himself behind the bushes, Feya at his left side, and readied his arrow and bow. 

"It is getting late," Feya commented, her pupils round and big as a planet. Neteyam gave no sign that he heard her other than a flick of his ear, his focus glued on a trio of hexepedes, each one mildly different in size as they mindlessly chewed on the foliage.

Making not a sound, Neteyam pulled back his arrow, his back straightening upwards, his aim perfect, and released his grip. 

The arrow stuck itself in the chest of the hexepede and it instantly crumbled to the ground, its lifeless body completely silent. The other two wasted no time to escape their downfall as they leaped off into the distance, whining and cooing. Neteyam rose up from behind the bushes and crawled over to his kill, removing the arrow, and giving it the proper send-off to Eywa in a hushed voice. 

Fey'atsi followed closely behind him, her hair glistening with sweat and her tail swishing in the air. "That was fast," she breathed, smiling. 

"I'm glad." Neteyam stared up at the dark forest that was now shimmering with bioluminescence, providing an eerie light among the blackness of the night. The dots across Feya's face and body were glowing in their own unique pattern. Neteyam suspected his star-like freckles were glowing, too. "We should head back now, probably." 

Feya nodded in agreement. Together, they tied up the hexepede's legs and Neteyam slung the body over his shoulder, letting it dangle behind his back limply. Once they were finished and ready to go, he called his ikran, Paysiy with a few distinct hollers and waited. 

Eventually, Paysiy came out of nowhere and landed a few feet away from Neteyam and his female accomplice. Feya had called hers, too, and soon a pretty blue ikran arrived in the clearing, both creatures squawking in excitement. 

Gradually Neteyam and Fey'atsi were flying miles above the forest that was now far, far below them. The scenery was beautiful from the view among the starry, cloudy skyline, and Neteyam couldn't get enough of it. He felt as if he were flying years back in time, when he was much younger, soaring over the mountains with his dad and mom. The wind blowing in his face, the scent of nearby rain filling his nose. His head was in the clouds. His conscience was floating upward, and this was what he loved.  

But Feya didn't look so happy. She kept glancing at him, then back ahead of her, before switching back to him. Her voice seemed far away from Neteyam's ears when she spoke, "Are you... alright?" 

"Yes...?" He realized his hand kept wavering and breaking into different little hazy projections, like there were three hands. There was a ringing in his ears that he didn't notice before, and he felt as if he were drifting away from his body. Butterflies tickled the lining of his stomach. Before he was aware of what was happening, the saddle he was sitting on vanished, and he was no longer being supported by anything.