CHAPTER 17
A'nityra POV:
I woke up to the sound of a groan. Heavy weight fell upon my legs and arms as I couldn't sit up. I looked down and saw the very obvious presence of my siblings. I rested upon a solid chest as Aonung sat behind me, sitting up with his back against a wall. It was no use trying to wake him, he slept like the dead.
Neteyam groaned once again as he tried to shift comfortably along my leg, his hand had brushed up against my side and I couldn't help but hiss loudly at the contact, moving away from him as much as I could when I was pinned down.
Tuk was curled on my chest and groggily lifted her head. She murmured my name cutely before dropping her head into my neck, snuggling in as deep as she could.
I tried to nudge Kiri awake, moving my hand lightly to tap her on her elbow. I began to get more frustrated as the minutes flew by. None of them seemed to be waking up any time soon and I knew I wouldn't fall back asleep.
I managed to slowly dismantle Neteyam's grip from my arm as I continued to do the only thing possible that would make sure I wouldn't be alone for the next hour.
Aonung's braid rested next to mine as I slowly connected the ends. The nerves weaved between one another, illuminating a pink glow as they where once again covered by our hair.
Aonung's eyes snapped open, his pupil's widening at the intense feeling of one another. I went to quickly separate our braids but he nudged my hand away. I felt his chest rise and fall rapidly beneath me, his trembling arms beginning to steady.
"It's been a long time since we've done that" He sighs, leaning down to nuzzle into my hair.
"I needed you to be awake, because they don't look like they will be anytime soon" I whisper. He nods understandingly as I feel him slowly slip from behind me. Our braids are separated as I make a confused noise. I watch Aonung gently pick up Neteyam, he places the boy across from us, definitely out of arms reach.
I chuckle quietly as Lo'ak hits my mate in the head once being picked up, Aonung makes a displeased face, rolling his eyes as he set's the boy down next to his older brother.
Kiri is next, she just flops into his arms, happily being transferred compared to Lo'ak. Tuk is next, she grips onto my skin as her body refuses to let go of me, I raise a hand and softly stroke her skin as her hands loosen around me, she is soon taken off me and put into the new pile as Aonung helps me stand.
I'm slightly dizzy, wobbling slightly as he helps me steady.
"What is this for?" I whisper to him.
"This is so we can talk" He says. Fear strikes me through the heart, I knew it couldn't be that bad, but the anticipation of his words left me anxious. He guided me into the water from the back of our home, swimming us out slightly so that we where out of earshot. Before I could ask him what he meant, his arm wrapped around my hips, resting his hand flat on my stomach as he wrapped my legs around the middle of his torso. My hands naturally rested on the sides of his face as leaned forward and stole a breathtaking kiss. The other palm of his hand rested on the back of my neck, pulling me impossibly closer.
My shoulder had gone into a fit of tingles, numb to any kind of pain as he made sure not an inch of water could travel between us. I felt my lungs burn with the need of oxygen but I couldn't find the strength to pull away.
Luckily Aonung noticed my struggle in keeping up as he departed his lips from mine. We rested our foreheads against one another, both of us breathing heavily.
"I don't want you going beyond the reef unless you're with me." He says, turning serious. I understood his reasoning but I couldn't fight the urge to rebuttal back.
"Well, I don't want you to touch my stomach" I say. Crossing my arms along my chest, and looking the other way. It was the only thing I could think of in the moment that would actually rile him up slightly.
It proved affective as he all but growled, slithering both of his palms to cover my stomach and ribs. I turned my head to look at his, he was staring down at my abdomen furiously. His entire face was covered in rage as I placed a finger under his chin, forcing him to look up at me.
"Aonung. What I'm trying to tell you is that you can't just ban me from doing things, while you can remain doing whatever you want. If this happening, which it is, we need to do it together. If I'm prohibited from something, so are you" I declare, jabbing a finger in between his pecks and straight above his heart.
My message gets across as he sighs, staring into my eyes.
"I understand. But, it's a little problematic, I'm a hunter, I have to go beyond the reef" He said. I knew he was right as I took a moment to think.
"Well, when you go, you have to have two other hunters with you. Otherwise you're staying. Got it?!" I say, emphasizing the last part. He nods an amused smile on his face as he watches me get riled up. His hands still rest on my stomach as I try to take them off. His amused smile turns to a slight frown as I look up at him once again.
"The only rule I will break is touching your stomach" He says, pressing his hands further into my skin gently. I roll my eyes at his adamant nature and wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He returns the gesture as he treads water for the both of us.
"You didn't mind me touching your stomach the night we mated." He grumbled into my skin, I gasp as I lightly slap the side of his head, my cheeks flushing warmly.
He chuckles at my embarrassment, only wrapping his arms tighter.
"I was only joking Ma'tyra" He tries to console me, stroking an arm up and down my back.
The blissful moment comes to a end, like all things do as we hear various splashes.
"You're awake!" Tuk cutely screams, splashing towards us, Neteyam follows her, still rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes.
She reaches us and throws herself onto Aonung's back. She made sure she wouldn't fall as she wrapped her legs around his waist, effectively forcing him to piggyback her.
"We have to go home, Mum and Dad will be worried" Neteyam said once he reached us. He gave a consoling pat to Tuk as she whined, going limp in Neteyam's arms.
I giggled at her antics and tickled her exposed stomach, she crunched into our brother as she laughed. I stopped once I was satisfied and waved her goodbye.
"Bye!" She smiled, waving enthusiastically, I returned the gesture as I was once again pulled further into my mates arms.
"Don't tell me you're jealous" I tease, he refuses to meet my eyes as I gasp.
"You're jealous!" I yell, splashing him with a bit of water. He turns his head to the side.
"She always takes up all of your attention" He grumbles hiding in my uninjured shoulder.
"That's what it's going to be like when he's born" I remind him, patting his hand that rests on my stomach.
He sighs and closes his eyes momentarily. I tap the side of his head.
"You have duties you need to attend to, don't forget Tonowari asked for your help today" I tell him. He groans loudly and flops backwards floating on the water spread like a star.
"You have to go, it doesn't matter if you want to or not" I say, circling my finger around one of his curls. He returns back to treading water as he leans forward, holding my jaw and giving a long kiss to both my cheeks.
"I'll see you in a few hours" He said before giving me a chaste peck on the lips. I wave him goodbye as he speeds off, calling his Tsurak from under the water, and exploding out of it to fly swiftly towards the hunters region.
"That's your Daddy" I whisper, patting my abdomen lightly while looking down upon it. I slightly smile as I begin to swim back to our dock behind the marui. Aonung would be much faster, but I took my time, gliding my hands through the water and searching the sand.
A bioluminescent shell caught my attention as I dove down to collect it. I wiped the sand away and admired the shell for a small while before surfacing. It would look perfect on Aonung's arm as a band.
I dove down once again and dug around, finding similar colours and shapes that matched. They where all smaller than the first one I found, making them background pieces. I continued to swim along the currents, picking up shells I thought would look good on my husbands arm.
Once my hands where full I tried reverted back to my original path. I look up hopefully, my face slightly faulting as I didn't realise where I was. I begin to panic, I'm all alone and in the middle of no where, and the storm clouds above don't look promising.
I fiddle with my necklace, dropping half of my shells. My finger strikes a piece of metal as I realise I still have the communication device along my neck. I hold both ends, hoping either Neteyam, Lo'ak, or my father have their ear pieces in.
"Dad! Lo'ak! Neteyam!" I scream into the earpiece. As the device only screams out static noise I place the rest of my shells in my satchel, keeping them safe as I call out once again.
"A'nityra?"
"Dad!" I cry out in relief as my Fathers voice flies into my ear.
"What's wrong? The communicators are only used in emergencies." He questions.
"I'm in the middle of no where and a storm is approaching, I can't even see the village Dad" I breathe out, my heart racing.
"Who's with you?"
"No one Dad, it's just me." I sob. Wiping under my eyes, I gasp as a ship comes into view, quickly ushering to hide behind a rock. I hear him curse under his breath as the line goes silent.
"There's a demon ship approaching" I whisper to him, scared if I spoke any louder they would find me.
The giant piece of floating metal came closer and closer as I began to lower myself into the water, trying my best to hide the glowing spots on my skin.
"We're coming A'nityra!" Dad yelled into my ear before I heard a splash on his end. I'm left alone again as the ship comes so close I could extend my fingers ad run it along the edge.
Lights suddenly beam into my face and I cover my eyes as they burn from the brightness.
"We got one! I knew the heat signal wasn't lying!" A gruff voice yelled. I tried to swim away but the sharp edges of rope grazed my skin as a net flew over me and captured my body. I was tangled in the material as I kicked desperately, trying to escape. I tried to use my teeth to cut the material but it was re-enforced with something unknown.
It was too late as I was released from the rope, landing on my uninjured side as I fell from the net. I groaned, sitting up as I was surrounded.
Na'vi dressed in military clothes all stood with their arms crossed, a few with weapons in their arms. I tilted my head, confused for a moment before I hissed viciously. Dream walkers.
"What do we have here" The leader hums, circling my body as I stay crouched.
"Show us your hands" He demands.
I did what Lo'ak would in a moment of crisis and show them, extending my middle finger with both my hands and hissing.
"Oh, you're his alright" He chuckles.
I'm grabbed by the back of my neck and lead to the rails, where orange cuffs are placed around my arms, keeping me on the piece of metal.
My communication device is ripped from my neck and ear as he holds it to his mouth.
"I have your daughter Sully"
Words: 2104
A/N
I'm nearing the end of this book, so my real question is, what's next?.
Neteyam or Lo'ak Fic?