𝟿
-𝙰𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛-
I spent the morning with Kiri and Tuk in the water. I taught them more of how to hunt with a cross bow. The girls caught in quickly but Tuk wasn't so fast in learning to keep her finger off the trigger when she was pointing it places other than fish. She accidentally shot one that skimmed my tail, but all that was left was a small scratch.
We head back to the shore and find our people gathered around my mother and father. I push my way through the crowd and find Tiseryi. I place my hand in her shoulder, she grabs it and holds it hard.
"My spirit sister and her baby were murmured by the sky people." Mother yells before my hand flies to my mouth.
"We were aware of this hunting, far over the horizon!" Father slams his staff into the ground. "Now it is here!"
The crowd follows my fathers actions as they hiss and snarl, their young's hanging out of their mouths.
"You have to understand how the sky people think." Jake sully Interups. "They don't care about the great balance."
A man in the crowd shouts.
"Listen. Listen to him." I turn to see Neteyam stepping beside me.
I grab his hand firmly and look at his strong expression with tears threatening my eyes. Before I can protest, he pulls me into his side and wraps an arm around my shoulders. I find myself leaning into the small embrace, his comfort weighing more than words can describe.
"Their not gonna stop, this is only the beginning. You gotta tell your Tulcun to leave! Tell 'em to go far away."
"Leave?" My mother gasps. "You live among us yet you learn nothing."
"We will fight to protect our brothers and sisters." A warrior yells proudly.
"No, no, no, no." Jake yells. "If you attack, if you fight, they will destroy you." The crowd yells over him before he grabs a bright orange device and holds it in the air, silencing the people. "You tell the Tulcun that if their hit by one of these, they're marked for death. Saving their lives, that's all that matters, right? Saving your family."
"Tell the Tulcun." Father orders.
"Go!" Mother yells "go."
Tiseryi turns to me and quickly embraces me, burning her tears in my collarbone, pulling me from Neteyam. I shush her and pull her close. I turn my head to see Neteyam storming through the crowd.
"Come. I have a feeling the Sully boys are getting into trouble."
We run behind the boys, loosing Neteyam in the network of pods. We bump into Aoung and Roxlo and urge them to follow. We find them retrieving Ilu saddles.
"No, I am your brother." Neteyam hisses to the young boy.
"Neteyam!"
"Lo'ak." My sister and I call at the same time.
Before we can reach the pair, Lo'ak Dives in the water.
"Lo'ak!" Neteyam calls. "He's going to Piacan."
I call my Ilu, not worrying about a saddle as the others dive into the water. I have ridden without a saddle before but not this fast. My body slips against my Ilu's leathery skin as I hold her ques and hook my legs on her fins. My body burns as we race after Lo'ak. We pass Kiri and Tuk, finding them calling after Lo'ak as well.
"He's going after Piacan." Neteyam says before diving into the water.
"Hold on." Kiri tells Tuk as they dive as well.
I take a deep breath and clutch onto my Ilu for dear life as I order her. Fast. She quickly obeys, she water pushing past us quickly. A few times I feel myself slip, and I grip her harder. I feel her discomfort through the bond but she also feels my burning legs and arms. We exit the reef and follow the boy to Three Brothers Rock.
"Lo'ak!" Tiseryi yells as we surface.
Piacan splashes in greeting to us as Lo'ak pays us no mind as he races towords his brother. We quickly follow. When we reach Piacan, Lo'ak is already on his brother's back, pulling the death mark from his shell.
"Shit!" We hear Lo'ak yell as a ship of metal half the size of the smallest Three Brothers rock appears behind them.
I jump off my Ilu and climb to Lo'ak. He gives me a thankful nod as I begin to help him pull. Soon all of our hands are on the death mark, tugging and pulling.
"Hurry, the ships are coming!" Loaf grand in effort.
"Call dad." Barry am orders Lo'ak. "Call dad. Just do it. Go!"
Lo'ak is replaced my Neteyam at my side and we pull. I hear Lo'ak talking but I can't understand him over the groans of us kids. Suddenly a rope is tied around the mark and Neteyam climbs in his Ilu.
"Go!" Aonung orders.
"Pull!" I yell, using my legs to pull the mark from Piacan's shell. "Come on!"
I turn my head to see two smaller ships coming from the mother ship. I help as the death mark is pulled free and we all fly into the water.
"Come on, everyone go." I say, swimming to Neteyam. "Leave the rope, come on."
"Go that way, I'll draw them off." Berry yells to us all.
"If you go, I go." I say, pulling myself in the Ilu behind him.
"No, A'Kili. Go with them." Neteyam argues.
"Stop arguing, now go." I say, pointing to the opposite direction everyone else swims.
Neteyam groans before ordering his Ilu under the water. We swim quickly and efficiently entry through the open water. I look bahind up to see two small wakes on the surface and I know the boats are close behind us.
Suddenly my ears begin ringing as Neteyam and I are blasted from the Ilu. The blast stubs the three of us. I scramble to Neteyam as my ears ring and my body vibrates. The shock happens twice more before Neteyam pulls me back onto the Ilu and we swim again.
Neteyam drops the death mark into the deep waters and I clutch onto him as we circle back to the others. I tug on Neteyam's braids and he slows the Ilu to look back at me. I point to the cove that they headed to and find the seaweed forest riddled with small crab like machines.
"Leave the Ilu. He will make us more noticeable." I sign quickly. "Follow me."
I tug his hand and pull him quickly to the depths. We reach the sand and quickly begin searching for the others. I turn to see Neteyam's throat bobbing and his body jolting. I feel my lungs begin to ache for air and don't hesitate to bring Neteyam to a pod with an airpocket far under the water, away from the eyes of the machines.
As we enter the air bubble, we gasp for breath. I clutch onto the side and breathe slowly. I am suprised when Neteyam grabs my arm and pulls me to him. I can't help the fear that creeps into my face as one of the monsters lights hits our pod.
"Shh. It's alright." Neteyam says.
His hands reach for my face as he pulls our foreheads together. I clutch his arms as his thumbs circle my cheeks gently. We take deep breathes together before Neteyam tries to duck back below.
"Neteyam, Wait." I say, pulling him back to me. "Whatever happens today, I want you to know that I. . ."
The words get stuck in my throat but I don't have time to dislodge them before Neteyam crashes his lips into mine. I inhale sharply before pressing my arms around his neck. One of his hands circles my waist, pulling me to him, the other rests at the side of my neck. My body relaxes against his touch. I feel as though this is all I ever wanted, him and the sea.
When he pulls away my body is cold and a sob threatens my voice.
"Let's go save our families." Neteyam says before pulling me under the water.
When we look around the feild, no metal crabs riddle the water. There is an uneasy silence, untill crashes sound from a near reef and the wails of Piacan can be heard.
I tug Beteyam behind me as we near Piacan's angered form. I look up to see the shadow of the mother ship above us, three distinct shadows visable from beneath the waves. Piacan crushes the feed with his fins. I blow into my conch and he turns to us.
"Piacan, help us. The demons have Tuk, Tiseryi and Lo'ak. I beg you." I sign and Piacan responds with a wail before swimming full speed towords the surface.
For a few moments, his form disappears entirely, causing the ship to jolt farther beneath the water as Piacan lands on top of it. Neteyam clicks his tongue to call his Ilu and I do the same.
"Wait." Neteyam signs.
We bind with our Ilu and slowly circle one another, listening to the commotion above. Large Ikran shadows are seen flying away from the ship and Neteyam brings his hand down in a sharp ark. Go.
We race to the surface. As out Ilu reach the air, we push off and fly higher into the air, and onto the ship. I unsheathed my knife as I tuck my body, my shoulder landing hard against the metal ship. Neteyam pulls me up before we spot three smaller blue figures tied to the railing.
"Neteyam, A'Kili." The three shout in unison.
"Shh." I urge as Neteyam and I cut them loose.
Tiseryi quickly embraces me as Neteyam cuts Tuk free. I pull away quickly and tuck a strand of hair behind my younger sisters ear.
"Take Tuk." I say. "Stay safe, okay. We'll be right behind you."
I watch the Pair dive into the water and turn to help Neteyam and Lo'ak.
"Who's the mighty warrior?" Netey asks his brother. "Come on, say it."
"No." Lo'ak laughs.
"Let's go." Neteyam says dragging me to the end he of the ship before we turn to see Lo'ak grabbing a weapon similar to Jake Sullys. "What are you doing?"
"They've got spider. We gotta get him." Lo'ak says desperately.
"Spider?" I ask.
"A friend." Neteyam explains.
"Neteyam, we can't just leave him." Lo'ak says.
"Damn you." Neteyam hisses.
Neteyam grabs one of the weapons and turns to me. He places a hand on my shoulder with a pleading face.
"Go with Tiseryi and Tuk. We will be right there, okay?"
"No, Neteyam. I will go with you. I can't just-"
"Ma'Kili, please." Neteyam begs, placing his hand on my cheek. "Please."
"I am not going to leave you." I hiss. "Not now, not ever."
Neteyam groans and tugs at his braids. He hisses before wordlessly grabbing my hand and leading me inside.