Listen to her 🪼 Avatar: The Way Of Water

Something Is About To Happen

    I lean my back against the tree as I watch Kaelen sharpen his spear.

    I can't help thinking about mom, about the face that she made when she left. It hurt to see her face like that, and I know that Kaelen feels the same. It's those people from the clan that hurt her. She told us about the times even before she was banished, they treated her like an outcast, a freak for just being different from them. Despite me not being there, I know the real reason they treated her like that. It wasn't just because she was different, it was because they couldn't stand that she was better than them. They were jealous and jealousy breeds anger. Mom is the nicest, most caring, and most lovable person that either of us had ever known. She made us a home when we had no where to go, when we had nothing. She's cared for us, protected us, loved us. Now it's our turn. I swore the moment she saved me that I'd be there for her. I'll care for her, I'll protect her, I'll love her. I'll kill for this family. I'll die for this family. I protect my people, no matter the cost. She gave me the gift of life, she gave me a family, a home. She taught us the ways of the people, the ways of the forest, the water, and even the sky people, always saying it is better to have the knowledge of all things than to be ignorant.

    She loves us for who we are, not for what we looked like or where we came from. The only people to see me and love me as I am is them. They aren't my family by blood, but they are my family by choice. They are my family because of Eywa and her will.

    I look to Neteyam as I hear movement, Kaelen standing up. Neteyam groans as his eyes slowly open. His glowing yellow eyes move little by little to look around at his surroundings. My heart starts thumping in my chest and my adrenaline starts rising. Images flashing in my mind of Kaelen and mom getting hurt, even dying. All because someone lead them to us. In my anger, I raise my bow and get in position, aiming it at Neteyam. Just as I hear my heart beating in my ears and stretch the last part of the arrow, I hear whispers and my mind clears, all sounds and adrenaline disappearing at the sight of an atokirina landing on the very tip of my arrow and in front of Neteyam. I widen my eyes at the sight. This. . .this can't be. Eywa is protecting him?

    Mom taught us a long time ago to never question Eywa, to respect her always as we respect her. I'm not about to start now, but I can't help the confusion I'm feeling, that weird emotion filling my being once again as I loosen the tension in my string and lower my bow. She clearly wants him alive. I just really hope that this isn't going to cost me my family.

    Kaelen stands with his spear in hand, quickly adjusting his mask before turning to face him, "You are awake, finally."

    Neteyam sits up, alert and looking between Kaelen and his spear, ears flicking back in a nervous way. It makes me smirk. 

    Kaelen sighs before lifting his other hand in surrender. "I am not going to harm you. I am here to take you somewhere safe. Unless you want to stay here out in the open?"

    Neteyam looks around quickly once again before nodding and standing up slowly. He readjusts himself, slowly feeling the scar on his chest, the only proof he had that he was once dead. He looks at Kaelen questioningly, "You speak English very well. How?" Kaelen answers, "My mother taught me."

    He leads Neteyam to the bridge, "Follow me, and try to keep up."

    He nods and does so, being close behind Kaelen. I follow behind the both of them in the trees, quietly jumping onto the next one. They crossed the bridge and land on the white sand, the branch slowly shrinking back into its original place, like it never moved in the first place. Both Kaelen and I say, our eyes closed and pressed onto our trees, "Thank you." I was whispering so as to keep my position hidden, but Kaelen's voice bounces off leaves and echoes in the small holes of the trees.