Sitting on the large rock near the reef was uncomfortable for Esmyrie. She kept having to adjust her skirt and legs, as she was getting divets into her skin from the roughness of it.
Lo'ak saw her movements and instantly stood up, grabbing her arms so she would stand and moving her to sit where he just was. When she sat down at Lo'aks previous spot, it was a lot more comfortable, it being smooth instead of rigid. She gives him a grateful nod, which he returns, before taking his place where she was just sitting, it also being uncomfortable for him but shrugging it off as if it is nothing.
The atmosphere was weird, the kids being so close to eachother. Roxto, Ao'nung, and Tsireya seem like naturals sitting on this rock, while the forest teens are moving every few seconds trying to get comfortable.
Finally, once the kids all sat still, Tsireya started her instruction, telling them how to sit, how to keep there posture, Roxto and Ao'nung helping demonstrate.
"Breath in...." Tsireya instructs, the only sound being the gulps of breath, the waves hitting the beach and coral that sticks out, and the wind blowing through Esmyrie's hair. "Then breath out." She directs her breathing with her hands, moving them downward to show the motion.
It isn't a simple up and down, the breath. It's slow, caculated. It's like a feather that is flying in the wind, going up, up, up until the wind stops, and it glides down to the ground slowly.
"Imagine a flickering flame. You must slow down your heartbeat." Tsireya explains, before putting a hand on Lo'aks chest and another on his stomach.
Esmyrie see's the movement, and see's the clench of Lo'aks abs when the girl puts her hand there. She sees the way Lo'aks eyes widen for a split second, before going back to there natural state, now staring off right in front of him.
What frustrates Esmyrie isn't the fact that Tsireya is touching Lo'ak, it's the fact that her thumb is unknowingly rubbing along one of Lo'aks scars on his stomach, one that Esmyrie helped heal.
"I don't understand why you won't listen to me Lo'ak! It's dangerous after eclipse, and neither of our fathers have taught us how to hunt properly!" Esmyrie says, trying to encourage Lo'ak to go back to their home, but Lo'ak shrugs the idea off, wanting to prove himself to his parents.
"I don't know why you are so worried, nothing bad is going to happen. I'm just trying to show dad that I in fact, can take care of myself, and can hunt."
"This isn't even hunting Lo'ak this is fishing! Hunting would involve a land animal, this is fish! We have been fishing since we were four!" Esmyrie groans out, trying to get it through his thick skull that it is best to go home.
"You're right, this is fishing.... we should hunt a land animal. I have my bow and arrows, so.... lets go!" Lo'ak exclaims, quickly running into the forest, causing Esmyrie to follow him.
"Lo'ak please! I don't like this! It's scaring me!" Esmyrie cries out, losing Lo'ak in his mission to find a land animal to hunt.
During Esmyrie's search she thankfully finds Lo'ak, yards away, his bow prepared as he sees the leaves in front of him shift from movement.
"Lo'ak!" Esmyrie whisper shouts, which causes her to receive a glare from the boy.
"Shhhh I'm hunting." Lo'ak says, turning back to the leaves.
However, his hold on his bow lessens, especially once the creature is revealed, poking out of the leafs and bushes. A Thanator, and not any Thanator, a mother Thanator.
"Lo'ak...." Esmyrie whimpers out, her hands starting to shake in fear of this predator looking at them like its next meal.
"Run! Run!" Lo'ak yells, dropping his bow and grabbing Esmyries arm, quickly dragging her away as the Thanator chases them. "Go! go go go go go!" Lo'ak urges, making sure the girl is infront of him so he is in line of the immediate danger.
The kids run, branches scratching at their skin, leaves getting into their vision, the growls of the predator closing in. When Esmyrie see's a hollow tree stump with overgrown roots she instantly dives into it, knowing it isn't big enough for the Predator to fit in. Lo'ak follows her lead, sliding into it and landing onto of the girl in a not so kind manner.
"Sorry, so sorry." Lo'ak whispers, getting off the girl, the growls now being heard just outside where they are hiding.
The Thanator can sense their fear and smell their blood, which is what causes it to dig its claws into the hollow tree. Lo'ak pushes Esmyrie behind him, so he faces the entrance. His hands are shaking and all he has on him is a small dagger, but if it comes in there Lo'ak will try his very best to kill this monster and protect the girl.
During the Thanators attemps to get the Na'vi one of its claws catches Lo'aks skin, digging into it and pulling away, causing the boy to groan out in pain and see blood start to leak from the scatch.
They were hidden in there for an hour, until Nilar and Jake showed up, seeing the Thanator digging for something. When they heard the whimpers of their kids, the two fathers instantly went into attack mode, taking the Thanator down.
The kids got in quite a bit of trouble, neither one being able to be outside of their parents eyesight for a month. Once there talking to was over with, Esmyrie went and visited the Sully's, a cup of tea she made and some leaves with ointment on it to help heal the wound.
She gave the tea to calm down Lo'aks nerves, and put the ointment on his cut skin before wrapping the leaf around him, leaving it there as a bandage.
Esmyrie shakes at the memory, seeing that his scar is faded as the cut wasn't super deep. But it's skill there, and it holds a lot of memories and emotions for the boy.
They haven't talked about that night, not since it happened, as it was a sour subject for the boy. As he wasn't able to protect her, or himself and ended up needed saved by his father.
Lo'ak tries to relax under her touch, but with her hand touching his scar, memories come back of that fearful night, and his heartbeat begins to rise, anxiety prickling at his skin where his scar lays.
"Your heartbeat is fast." Tsireya says, causing Neteyam and Ao'nung to share a look, Neteyam never knowing that event every happened or that his brother had a scar there.
"Sorry." Lo'ak mumbles, trying his best to cover up his anxiety as teenage hormones, which seems to work as he hears snickers come from the group soon after.
They stayed there for quite some time, trying to learn the way of breathing, and soon it was time for dinner. The two families going in different directions.
They were all walking back towards their hut, Neteyam and Kiri in a heavy debate about whether Ilu should be colorful like Ikran or not, Tuk holding onto Neteyams hand as they walk.
Lo'ak was following behind them, but Esmyrie grabs his forearm, stopping his movements before he can get too close to their new home.
"Are you alright?" Esmyrie asks, seeing that ever since the breathing activity there has been a glaze in Lo'aks eyes, as if he is there, but not fully there.
"Huh... Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Lo'ak mumbles out, grabbing onto Esmyrie's arm that holds his.
"Lilac...." Esmyrie whispers, not believing the boy for a second.
"Really I'm ok-"
"-No you aren't. Something is haunting you. I can see it. I can feel it...." Esmyrie says, interrupting the boy before he says another lie. "Is it because of this" She then asks, pointing towards the scar.
Lo'ak looks down, his eyes instantly closing when she points to it. It wasn't ugly, per se, but it is still there. A reminder he will have to live with for the rest of his life, that he isn't strong enough to fight off enemies to protect the ones he loves.
"Lilac, I see your pain... Please, tell me what is troubling you." Esmyrie says, placing her hand on his abs, right over where the scar lays.
Lo'aks eyes widen. For a second he though she was going to say the phrase he has never once heard in his life. A phrase that holds such meaning for being three little words. I see you. Something so small but so big at the same time. But instead no, she didn't see him, no one did, she just saw his pain.
She can feel his muscles instantly tense under her touch, before relaxing after a second.
"Ma Lo'ak, please." Esmyrie whispers, her thumb running over the lighter skin.
"I hate it... It's ugly. It's ugly and an ugly reminder that I am not good enough. That I am not strong enough." Lo'ak says, finally cracking open the wall that has been up since they were at the rock.
"You are strong enough Lo'ak... Yes, Yes." Esmyrie urges when she sees that Lo'ak is shaking his head in disagreement.
"I'm not like mom, or dad, or Kiri, or Neteyam, or even Tuk! Even Tuk does somethings that I cannot. I'm not them! I can't live up to them and it's exhausting." Lo'ak whispers out, tears building in his eyes but never letting them fall, for he would just feel more weak if he let it leave his eyes.
"You're right. You aren't Neytiri, or Mr. Sully, or Kiri, or Neteyam or Tuk. You aren't Nilar, or my mother. You aren't Ao'nung or Rotxo. You are Lo'ak te Suli Tsyeyk'itan, and you are my bestfriend. You have a strong heart Lo'ak. One of the strongest I have every seen. You have to realize that incident was when you were just a boy. You were nine Lo'ak. Nine, I highly doubt anyone that age could take a Thanator down. You are my bestfriend, and I won't allow this to upset you, not anymore. It is in the past Lo'ak, and it has made you stronger. If anything you should see it as a reminder that you protected me. You took the scratch so I didn't have to. You are a protector Lo'ak. You're my protector."
The confession is like light entering the darkest cave. It's like an animals dam being destroyed by the rapids of a river. It's like peace in all the chaos.
Lo'ak puts his hand above hers that lays on his abs, and slowly moves it to lay on his chest, right above his heart. It beats slow, a constant thump thump reminding Esmyrie of the drums that would be played back at home. It's calm and consistent, like the tide coming into the beach. It's there, soft and quiet and perfect.
"You are the only thing that calms my heart Esmyrie El'a Musek'i, and you are the only thing that makes me feel. Without you I would have no meaning in this world. Without you I wouldn't care to feel the breath on Ewya on my neck when the wind hits just right. I wouldn't feel the grass beneath my feet when we would run as kids. I wouldn't feel the oceans hug as it surrounds my body. I wouldn't feel anything, if you weren't here. I may be your protector but you are my saving grace." Lo'ak whispers, the words coming out of his mouth like the praises he does to Ewya at night.
It's true, and real, and all consuming. And yet, it's how he feels. He feels because of her.
Esmyrie looks into his eyes that hold such sincerity, and he returns her gaze. Their eyes locking as if its just them in this world. As if all the troubles could go away by simply just seeing the other.
"Lo'ak I-"
"Lo'ak! Esmy! Come on! Food is ready and mother doesn't like waiting!" Neteyam shouts out, yelling to the two who stand yards away, still on the beach, never reaching it close enough to the village where the hut resides.
Esmyrie turns back to Lo'ak after she hears the eldest brothers yells, and a blush forms on her cheeks before she is giggling. As if Lo'ak has just said the funniest joke in the world.
"Come on, we don't want your parents to find another reason to yell at you." Esmyrie says, moving her hand from his chest and walking away, a skip in her step. When she reaches Neteyam she jumps onto his back, ordering him to walk her the rest of the way, which Neteyam gladly does.
Lo'ak still stands there however, watching the girls departure, his hand resting on his chest where her hand once laid.
Esmyrie is right, he isn't Neteyam or Jake or Neytiri. He is Lo'ak te Suli Tsyeyk'itan, and he is hopelessly falling in love with his bestfriend.
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Okay but this is my favorite chapter yet. I love adding little moments between them. Like when Lo'ak switches places with her so she is comfortable, or the way she just knows when something is uncomfortable for him
I like writing Lo'ak and Emsyrie flashbacks too, it adds emotion and story to their characters.
What did you think Esmyrie was going to say before they got interrupted?
Any guesses on whats going to happen when Esmyrie finds out Neteyam tolds Ao'nung about her parents?
Please comment and vote.
See you all soon :)