CHAPTER 20
"We are here," Tsireya announced. Erìhe and the Sully children - minus Lo'ak - were following her and Rotxo on their ilu. After lunch, Rotxo had suggested they go out to see - as he said it - something cool. "This is the cove of the ancestors. Our most sacred place."
Erìhe swam beside Tuk and Kiri as she looked around in awe. The place was simply stunning. The sun shone down on them as they looked around at the floating mountains. Though they had floating mountains back in the forest, this was so different compared to them.
They could see as animals flew high in the sky and Erìhe wondered if her ikran would like it there. She probably would.
"Eclipse is the best time of day to be here," Tsireya explained as the Omaticaya held their hands before their eyes to look up at the disappearing sun. Due to the late hour, Tuk had to beg her mother to let her come - and had been so happy when she was allowed to go.
The group carried on as the place became dark. Erìhe's eyes got used to the dark soon enough, and she marveled the bioluminescence that was evident in the water below them.
"This is it," Tsireya said as they all swam above a particularly bright spot in the water. Erìhe looked down and could see a large tree like plant in the water. "This is the spirit tree," Tsireya told them, motioning to the tree below.
Kiri smiled as she looked at the sight below them.
They all dove under the water, leaving their ilu behind on the surface - they would not require them while visit the spirit tree.
As they made their way lower, Erìhe grew happier of the fact that she had successfully learned their breathing technique. When they reached the beautiful leaf-like branches of the tree, Erìhe reached for her queue from over her shoulder and saw from the corner of her eye as Neteyam did the same beside her.
As she connected to the tree, a sense of relief and belonging washed over Erìhe and her eyes fluttered shut. Maybe it was sad, but the only time she ever felt that she belonged, was when she was directly connected to one of the spirit trees.
It was also the only time that she got to see her parents.
Today she saw her father.
Erìhe had never really met him - even as a baby - and perhaps it was why she visited him so often.
A large smile crept on her face as she took in her surroundings. They were home. Back in the forest by a stream where she often found her father.
Apparently it had been her fathers favorite place.
"My daughter."
Erìhe whirled around, her smile growing as her eyes met her fathers. He was a strong man who always wore his warrior attire. Not once had Erìhe visited him and there was not bow in his hand - no matter when she visited him, he always has it on him. Aa if it were a part of him.
"Dad," she happily ran into her fathers arms and hugged him tightly. Every time she visited, she wished that it could be real.
That is not to say that this was not true - her father was real. But he was no longer alive. She wished dearly that he could still be there - watching her grow up.
"You have grown since last time I saw you," her father chuckled as he pulled away to inspect his daughter. Erìhe blinked back tears as she felt his hand on her cheek.
"It has only been a month," she chuckled.
"It feels like so much longer than that," her father responded.
Erìhe grinned, and would have responded but she felt herself be pulled back. Without even getting to say goodbye she brought back underwater, where she had been.
Her sense of calmness was disrupted when when she noticed the commotion in front of her. When Erìhe looked around, she could see Neteyam swimming ahead of her. Once she looked past him her eyes widened at what she was seeing.
Kiri was having a seizure, her whole body was twitching and the bioluminescent dots on her skin were going haywire - flashing on and off. Tsireya was quick to disconnect her from the tree and start to help Neteyam with getting her to the surface. When she pulled her queue off the leaf the whole tree lost its light - it was terrifying.
As soon as Erìhe had registered what was going on, she swam toward the surface after making sure that Tuk was following. When her head was above the water, she hurried to swim over to Neteyam who was already pulling Kiri onto his ilu.
"What is wrong? What is it?" Tuk asked as she tried swimming over.
"It was a seizure," Neteyam told her.
"Is she okay?" Erìhe asked, a look of concern on her face.
Neteyam did not reply to her, he merely pinched Kiri's nose shut and leaned down to breathe air into her lungs. Erìhe's eyes widened in fear and her mouth hung open, "Is she - isn't she breathing?" She asked in panic as she drew closer, holding onto his ilu to keep herself in place.
"Is she breathing?" Rotxo asked - almost demanded to know.
Neteyam blew air into his sisters mouth once more, and let out a sigh of relief when Kiri gasped. He offered his hand to Erìhe without a word and she accepted it, allowing herself to be pulled up onto the ilu right behind him.
"Get her to the village!" Tsireya hurried, patting the ilu to make it go.
"Let's go! Let's move!" Neteyam said, taking a hold on the ilu as he willed it to move fast over the water. Erìhe was forced to hold onto his shoulders so as to not be swept off the ilu.
The ride back to the village was short and neither Erìhe or Neteyam spoke at all. Erìhe wore a frown the whole way, and she was quick to leap off the ilu's back once they arrived near one of the paths. Landing softly on her feet, she turned and held her hands out to take Kiri from Neteyam so that he could get up.
Neteyam helped to gently lift Kiri into Erìhe's arms. He knew that she was strong enough to even carry him - so he knew he could trust her with holding his sister without dropping her.
Erìhe held Kiri bridal style as she waited impatiently for Neteyam to get onto the path as well. She looked down at Kiri's face. Even while unconscious, her eyebrows furrowed - displaying discomfort and sadness.
"Come on - let's go!" Neteyam said once he was on his feet. He ran a few feet ahead of Erìhe as hurried to stay close to him while carrying his sister.
When they entered the pod, Neteyam took a step toward her, holding his hands out to take Kiri from Erìhe. She obliged, handing her off before running across the room to grab Kiri's mattress and place it in the floor.
"What has happened?" Neytiri got to her feet. She and Jake had been sitting beside each other in front of the fire, laughing and talking without a care in the world.
Her eyes widened as she saw Kiri unconscious in Neteyam's arms.
"She had a seizure at the tree of spirits," Erìhe explained as she placed a hand on Neteyam's arm, beckoning him to place Kiri on the mattress that she had sorted out. When he did that, the both hurriedly backed away so that both Jake and Neytiri could take a look at her.
Neytiri looked immensely concerned as she kneeled beside Kiri, placing a hand on her head as she looked her daughter up and down to see any visible injuries.
"Okay," Jake said. He seemed shocked and scared. "I - Well I should call Norm," he murmured before turning and going toward his belongings. Everyone in the pod could easily tell that he was doing his best to hide his panic.
Erìhe bit her lip as she stood beside Neteyam, watching Neytiri fussing over Kiri.
When Tuk had arrived, things became so much more chaotic. Neytiri could not leave Kiri's side and Jake was immensely stressed as he spoke to Norm. Erìhe had sat beside Tuk, stroking her hair until she fell asleep. She did not know what else to do, so she figured she should help Neytiri by taking care of Tuk.
Tuk had luckily fallen asleep relatively quickly despite the situation.
When Erìhe stood up, she looked over at Jake who seemed to be at the verge of biting his nails in anticipation. "Where is Neteyam?" She asked him.
Jake only shrugged, not looking away from Kiri and Neytiri.
Erìhe nodded and turned, walking out of the pod to look for Neteyam who had slipped away without anyones notice.
She felt like she had looked everywhere - high and low - in the village and by the shores - yet she could not find Neteyam.
Erìhe thought about where he could have gone, and the only place she had not checked was the forest. More specifically the tree where she had taken him.
Deciding that it was her best shot at finding Neteyam, Erìhe headed over to where the ikran rested. Conveniently, the last time that she had flown she had left her riders mask in the small saddle pouch of her ikran.
She smiled as she approached the animals - indeed Neteyam's was gone. Erìhe figured that it was only a short distance and she would manage without her saddle, so she left it by the small shelter which Jake had built for them.
Connecting her queue to the ikrans, Erìhe took off - heading straight toward the mountain.
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A/n:
I have no authors note today so I'm just gonna tell y'all something funny
I watched avatar when it when it came out as a dvd when I was a child like maybe three/four years old and I have loved it ever since (my dad was pissed at my mum for letting me watch it but oh well)
I loved it sm that I wanted to be Neytiri every Halloween but like then I chose not to - because I did not want to be blue LMAO so instead I forced my baby sister to be Neytiri every Halloween for at least four consecutive years. So yeah that's just some of my little sisters older sister trauma
And I was going somewhere with this like I had a point but I have now forgotten said point
I'm publishing like an hour earlier because I am not the most patient person and I want to