[ chapter one ]
SHE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN OLDER THAN 14, a dark storm swirled around the village with the monsoon season approaching closer. Even with barriers of reefs, blessed by their great mother, couldn't stopped the rigid, powerful winds. When other children were ushered to find shelter within their Marui pods, a quietly sneaked off to the opposite direction.
The only person going against the harsh, strong current. Whistling sounds, going deaf to the ears of the people but manage to be picked up from an Ilu- her fellow buddy approaching as the young girl took her chance to take off, drying her irritated wet cheeks.
Not from the heavy rain water where droplets crashed onto her darker skin like small pebbles, they hurt much less from the heaving chest that burdened a cursed weak heart.
Arwani rode to sea, against the harsh currents and she goes nowhere for a peace of mind. Even with tides begin to drown her down, the young girl stays afloat. And with each harsh dives of the waters does not rid Arwani of her swollen face and prickling eyes that flowed with emotion no matter what. Arwani didn't want to cry. She wanted it to stop. Why couldn't she stop it?
She couldn't.
And she never felt so weak up to this moment.
Hot tears streaming down her face, her lips downturns and her teeth biting her inner cheek in an failed attempt to stop herself from expressing. She felt bare, strip to her core even with no one around did she hold back and choked on her sobs of frustration and sadness all alone in the middle of the ocean. With clouds shielding the sun and pouring, with a gray sky that was painted bleak- a similar color to her eyes.
In the first time of her life, Arwani has no idea how to react. No idea with how to settle down her emotions and soothe herself- she screamed as her body tilted with the harsh waves. Her Ilu underneath was whimpering with its weak croaks.
Even with all of her crying fits, even with all the sounds she used up- Arwani never felt more angry, and she never felt more empty and hopeless. Exactly at that, the crying stopped and thunder rumbled. It's light flashing with luminosity and it's sound bellowed from the pits of Eywa's stomach- but that didn't drive Arwani away to go home and find some warmth.
Her body shivered and skin was covered in goosebumps with harsh weather conditions, the tides rippled with more strength now. The young Metkayina was heaving despite of the circumstances of having high lung capacity. Her breathing was erratic, and her chest burned.
She almost fell down as another wave pushed down, but her chest burned too much for any attention to be payed to her situation. The sweet and scared animal squeaked but Arwani couldn't think of anything else.
Her father's bow was broken, and it was her fault.
Arwani grew scared, she could never succeed in life then. And a final wave came at her, taller than her height. Staring at it with a bleak face, watching as her reflection pooled closer within the clear waters- it was going to suck her in. And, she gladly accepts.
Her chest burned, the bond was long disconnected as she lay lifelessly in the dark ocean. Bright orange fishes coming around to swim circles around her, a distinct memory she still feels. The white specks of pearlescent shone back in brilliance for moments later, as her heart began beating again as she fleetingly swam back up. After the miraculous incident,
Her heart grew stronger.
GROWING UP meant Arwani had to complete her rite passage to signify her stage of entering adulthood. And all was done for her, since a girl with her role in the village not much was needed from her. Alas, believing she could achieve more- Arwani is tasked with taming a skimwing.
The girl unmounted herself from her Ilu, jumping to the dock near her home. The weight of the bouncy pathway changing as it carried her whilst checking back for the grassworts she picked earlier in the morning. As she entered her home, silent within the greeting with her mother and her buzzing patience who winced over the stinging the applied paste had brought him.
Judging the scent that flared the air and the wound size, Arwani would guess it to be self-made cut.
" Ow! " The bystander winced with his friend, watching as the woman casually a damp kelp to seal and cover his wound. " Shouldn't you be more careful? "
" Oh, I know what I'm doing, " she paused to look at him with a glint of cockiness, " Unfortunately, your friend does not. " The mentioned winced further to prove Anaera's point. Arwani glanced at the man with pity, a victim of her mother's hard love.
" You wanted the grassworts don't you? " Dissolving the tension of pain, the daughter pulls out the material and hands it to her mother. " Good, I need red algae now. Pass the three brothers are better. Actually don't go, I have a feeling. Where's Wira? "
" At the weaver's spot. "
" You let your daughter go that far? " The wounded man remarked, and the other was just shaking his head for the friend to not say anything. Of course, too late. Anaera just slapped his uninjured hand with brute force. The man now caving into himself for a different pain.
" She takes after me, not foolish- "
" I'll go get it for you. " She quickly takes her leave, nodding in acknowledgement for the other friend. Lucky enough to not follow with the same fate as his buddy- who's pain only gotten stronger.
Diving back into the ocean, the warm yet cooling waters engulfed her skin before she bonded together with the underwater creature. Arwani's pupils expanded at the bliss she began to feel upon moving the flow of it all. Rushing with speed, casually passing by other Metkayina's before going further where the population of her people were decreasing. And only left with wildlife as she ventured further, the depth of the sea only getting larger as travelled.
And when getting to a spot, where both her mother and aunt had showed her- Arwani approached closer to the island yet still stayed underwater as she paddled her tail. Her hands gripped onto the rocks where bright, flaming-coloured algae rippled with the waters. Tugging each one with patience then folding back into her slingsack, she stopped.
The reef girl's heart jumped when there was a shadow that lingered over her, on top of the surface Na'vi were swimming at the surface. Arwani tilted her head, ears twsiting with confusion- they didn't look anything like her people nor any other reef people- she didn't anything about them.
With their floating figures, Arwani tried to swim closer yet remained hidden behind a tower of coral. She stalked, observing as they struggled compared to everyone she knew. Their limbs and tail oddly skinny, with a different skintone- tayrangi people?
What were doing here so far from their home, looking again. Arwani unconsciously swam closer to get a better look not knowing she's been spotted, not knowing a pair of observant eyes had spotted her. As he dipped his down with a frown etched on his face, and a drawed bow. That was a really big fish, must've been a carnivorous one.
Their clothing was different, ah! Forest people. Again, why were they here-
Immediately did her hands go to her daggers, narrowing dodging an arrow- looking at the trimming, she was right. Forest people. Making a signal for her Ilu as it rushed to her, the person grew confused and swam deeper with a prepared bow.
She hurriedly directed her Ilu at the person -as she inches closer would Arwani realize it was only a boy- , growing panicked; he tried loading another arrow underwater but she accidentally got him stucked as she tires to redirect herself and dragged him down across the reef, because of the net hanging around her Ilu's fin. Having him take impact from branches of harsh corals.
And he began to choke as bubbles escaped his mouth like underwater volcanoes, Arwani's eyes widened.
He could drowned.
Realizing her stupidity of action, did her grabbed his arm again and undertangle it from the net ( cutting it too ) and sent him back up to the surface. As panicked voices approached his floating body, barely registering what happened.
Her figure was still underwater, camouflaged safely as the other boy grabbed the boy before she fled the scene. She looked back, and saw an adult swimming to the scene- a heavy feeling settled in her chest, most probably worry and guilt.
Shit.
author's note
- I'm aging people up a bit.
So Aonug and Neteyam are around the same age, 16-17 maybe. Rotxo, Loak, Tsireya and Kiri being around 15-16 like that. And, Arwani ( 17-18 ) And tuk would be ( 8-9 ) while Wira would ( 9-10 ). HIHIHIHIHIHIHH
Arwani running from her problems, like she didn't just try to drown Neteyam :
sora.