CHAPTER 19
"Tuk, this is not a good idea," 'Kanu said quietly as the two of them lifted themselves up onto the ship. They had swam around the large craft to find a spot where it would be easy to enter from, "Tuk," she repeated when the little girl entirely ignored her words and started sneaking deeper inside the ship. 'Kanu followed closely behind, looking around fearfully. Every noise she heard over the blaring sirens was enough to make her flinch. She was convinced someone would find and catch them.
The two remained in crouched positions as they made their way through the ship, taking a few steps at a time and hiding behind large objects to look around and think about their next move. 'Kanu was annoyed that her dagger had been taken from her - now she felt utterly helpless.
"She's there," 'Kanu whispered, placing a hand on Tuk's shoulder and pointing at Kiri who was cuffed to a railing. They were now inside the ship in a place that had a moon pool.
"Kiri," Tuk hissed as the two girls hurried over to her.
'Kanu leapt over the railing to see better how she was bound to the metal. Kiri and Tuk began pulling at the restraints, desperately looking for a way to break her free. 'Kanu held Kiri's hands out of the way and showed Tuk where to cut it with her knife, "Cut it here."
None of them had been on the lookout and were startled when Tuk suddenly yelled when she was lifted into the air. 'Kanu did not have time to react when her hand was suddenly grasped by the man who had first captured them. She yelped when the man let go, dropping her into the pool below. As if time slowed, she could see Tuk being handed to the female Na'vi impersonator. Fear and panic rose in her chest once more as she fell through the water, unable to hold onto something to prevent her fall.
Desperate to find a way to save her friends, 'Kanu turned her head when she heard the cry of an ilu and she quickly called for it, taking her queue and connecting it to the animal as it swam by her.
For a while, all that 'Kanu was able to do was circle the ship from under the water. Any time she believed she heard or saw anything unusual, she would race to that point - only to fall back as she would see it had been nothing.
After minutes of time seeming to tick away without anything happening, 'Kanu decided she would climb back aboard the ship and do anything in her power to get Kiri and Tuk back to safety. She had not a clue as to where Neteyam and Lo'ak were - just that they had left her and Tuk to save that kid.
Suddenly she could hear it. Gunshots so loud that they rang in her ears even through the water.
Concerned and filled with adrenaline, 'Kanu turned her ilu right back around and sped off to where she believed the gunshots came from. When she neared she could make out Lo'ak and that human boy with Neteyam. They seemed to just have escaped the ship.
"Come on!" She urged them as she came to a halt beside them, motioning that they grab onto the ilu.
"Come on, bro!" Lo'ak called behind him at Neteyam, swimming closer to the ilu. 'Kanu held his hand to prevent him from coming any closer and Lo'ak looked back up at her with confusion written across his face.
She had noticed that something was terribly wrong.
Neteyam was struggling to swim.
"You skxawng," Neteyam said, "I'm shot."
Lo'ak's eyes widened and he immediately drew closer to his brother, "Shit!" Neteyam was barely keeping his head above the surface. 'Kanu quickly slid off the ilu to help him get onto the ride.
Her hands shook as she reached for the boy struggling to swim. Around him the water dyed red from where his blood mixed with the water.
"Keep him up!" Lo'ak said.
"I got him!" The human boy replied. The three worked as a team to lift Neteyam onto the ilu's back and the human lifted himself to sit atop the animal so that he could hold Neteyam in place. 'Kanu swam from underneath the ilu so she could hold him up from the other side. "Holy shit."
"Pull him up!" Lo'ak told the human and the boy strained as he pulled Neteyam into a sitting position. Lo'ak slid onto the ilu's back and immediately they were off. 'Kanu barely had time to wrap an arm around his waist before they had left.
Keeping one comforting hand on Neteyam's shoulder, 'Kanu refused to look at him as they sped through the waters, desperate to get him to dry land. It wasn't until she felt Neteyam's shaking hand on top of hers that she reluctantly looked back at him, blinking tears out of her eyes.
Neteyam seemed to be struggling to get even one word out of him as he opened and closed his mouth, trying to get out a sound.
Seeing him like this only brought more tears to 'Kanu's eyes. What if this was really it? What if he was truly going to die there - right in front of her? What would she do then? "It is okay," 'Kanu sobbed, closing her eyes as she inhaled a shaky breath, "You will be alright," she told him, reaching up to place the human boy's hand over Neteyam's wound, wordlessly advising him to keep pressure on it.
In the midst of this situation, something important came to her mind and 'Kanu turned her head to look at Lo'ak, "They have got Kiri and Tuk."
Lo'ak threw a glance over his shoulder, "We can't go back."
Neteyam pat her hand that rested on his shoulder. 'Kanu turned her eyes on him, a worried frown on her face. "Thank you-" Neteyam breathed - his voice barely audible over the waves. He took in another shaky breath, "-thank you for being our friend," he attempted a smile before he let out another pained, shallow breath. In this situation he was letting her know how much he valued her friendship. How thankful he was that she had befriended his siblings so that they would not be completely alone in this new environment.
'Kanu smiled though she could not control the flow of tears running down her face, "Of course," she told him, "Of course I would be your friend."
She was not sure if Neteyam had heard her, he was too busy focusing on breathing in and out. Eclipse had happened in the time that the group had raced toward land and their surrounding were lit by the fire caused from all the explosions.
"Dad!" Lo'ak called and waved. 'Kanu looked up and saw the warrior running forward to help. "Dad help! Neteyam!" 'Kanu dove into the water to get ahead of the ilu so that she could help them get Neteyam to land, "Here! Take him!" He said hurriedly as he slid off the ilu's back.
'Kanu helped hold Neteyam's head above the water as Jake crouched down by the edge of the water, "No," he said disbelievingly.
"Neteyam! He's hurt!" Lo'ak yelled, "Hurry! Please!" They stood up in the shallows and lifted Neteyam to get him onto the rocks, "Bro, Watch his head - watch his head!" He told the human boy, "Come on!"
Together they all helped pull Neteyam onto the rocks and 'Kanu saw the difference. Previously Neteyam had attempted to hold his hands to his wounds, keeping pressure. Now he did not have the strength to even do that. "Watch his head," Jake said as they placed him onto the ground. 'Kanu fell back as soon as Jake had taken over for her. The rocks were sharp and she had grazed them by doing so - but it did not matter. Not now. Not one bit. Neteyam coughed uncontrollably as his eyes wandered around, looking for his father
"It's okay, bro," Lo'ak told his older brother, "We got you."
Jake turned Neteyam to the side to reveal that the bullet had gone all the way through his chest and exited his body. "Pressure - put pressure on him," Jake placed Lo'ak's hands on the wound and Lo'ak pressed down as if he could will the blood to stop spilling.
"Dad - dad I-" Neteyam spoke between gasps.
"It's okay. I'm here," Jake spoke, his voice cracking.
Just then Neytiri landed beside them on her ikran. She quickly disconnected her queue from the animal and raced toward them, "No, no, no, no!" She crouched down beside her son, "No.."
"I want to go home," Neteyam told them between his gasps for air.
Jake and Neytiri seemed at a loss for words. They could not take him home. They could not do anything but be there with him at his final moments. 'Kanu could not watch.
She averted her gaze, knowing she would regret not seeing the life in her friends eyes for even a second longer.
"I know, I know," Jake answered Neteyam's request to be taken home, "It's okay. We'll go home."
Lo'ak looked from his brother to his father. The fear in his father's eyes was something he had never had to see before. Seeing this made it all so real.
"Hold on," Jake whispered, "It's okay."
"Dad I-"
Neteyam looked up at his father but he could no longer see him. His eyes lost focus as he gazed up at the sky unseeingly.
Time passed as it always did. But in just a few seconds everything had changed. Everything felt different.
Neteyam was no longer there.
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A/n:
Now I kind of feel bad- uhh-
Is this even sad? I literally cannot tell since I wrote it.
Anyways don't forget I love you guys so much <33 please do not be too mad at me.