𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒚𝒂𝒎'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗
"Nete.. please! help me!!"
"Ma'Vi?! where are you?! i cant- i cant see you!"
"help me! i cant breathe!"
"My love tell me where you are! i'll find you! please!"
" the s-.."
"Vi?.. Vi! someone fucking help me! Eywa please!"
"NO!"
My entire family crowded around me, waking me up from the hellish nightmare of losing my heart. Coughing & getting choked up as they sat me up straight, my grandmother then wiped my forehead with a damp cloth.
"Neteyam! what's wrong my son? speak to me!" my mother cried out, pushing everyone out of the way.
My throat was closing up, the hut was spinning & heads hovering over me turned into a spiral.
"He's delirious, he needs air! we need to bring him outside!" my dad panicked, picking me up.
Taking me out to face the forest, i brought my hand to my chest. Tearing up over how careless i was in leaving her behind. How did i lose her just like that? what if she's-
"Fuck!" i punched the tree bark.
My siblings stood behind me, afraid to touch or speak to me. I've never let any one witness this sight of me before but this time it was too painful to hold it in. I have to find her. I will find her & never let go. So i stood up, calling out to my ikran,
"Just where do you think you're going?" my dad pulled me back by my shoulders.
"Dad, we weren't looking hard enough, i need to search again" i said.
"My boy.. you've been flying for 2 days & 2 nights, you're beyond restless son" he said turning me around to face my worried family behind him.
"I know dad, but my heart will not rest easy even if i try to sleep. Please let me-"
"I will look for her" Lo'ak said.
"We will all take turns to look for her" my mother stepped in. Cupping my cheeks before giving me one of her tender hug.
My sisters grabbed my hand, as Lo'ak & my parents went ahead. They pulled me back into the hut to lay me down on soft mat this time. Hoping i would fall asleep instantly but-
Her screams filled my head. I hated not being able to see her in the void, not being able to feel her touch. It was like she was there, close enough to grab hold of me but far at the same time. She was about to say where she was but she faded, for the past 2 nights its been the same thing over & over again each time i fall asleep. Its fucking killing me.
"Arggh! i cant fucking sleep!" i sat back up. Hands over my head, sweating profusely & growling to the floor.
"Brother! what do you need?" my sister Kiri rushed to me with a cup of water.
"I need to know that she's okay Kiri. H-how can i be so irresponsible..how?" i shakily asked.
"Theres no way it is your fault brother.." she said while she rubbed my back.
"I hear her voice every time i close my eyes. Screaming for help.. for me. Telling me she cant breathe. What if-.. what if shes.."
"Nonsense! Violet is fine brother! she probably passed out or is finding a way back home as we speak!" Kiri smacked my arm.
My head continued to hang low, wondering about all the horrible things that could be happening to her right now. I closed my hands in a fist, hitting my head to get the thoughts out. It's impossible to get in a positive note knowing that she's desirable to any man out there.
"Neteyam.." my little sister Tuk was tearing up at the sight of her troubled big brother.
"Hey no no, come here Tuk. See? Everything is okay" i said, forcing a decent smile.
While cradling my little sister, Kiri's ears suddenly perked up. Looking around the hut like someone was present & speaking to her as the wind picked up, shaking the forest trees.
"What is it Kiri?" i asked.
"I know you might think im crazy- but something spoke to me. A voice, saying that what we're looking for isn't.. here" she said heedfully.
My sister was certain of this 'voice', & this isn't the first time it's happened. She would occasionally go silent when she wanders off alone into the forest, weird things would happen like the plants moving on its own & large predators befriending her.
"Brother.. i think we've been looking for Violet at the wrong places" Kiri said.
"If so then we must tell mom & dad immediately!" i said, already pressing onto my headset.
After informing my parents & my baby brother, i felt a little calm knowing that there was finally a sign. The only problem is, where on Pandora could she be? Theres no way she could've disappeared to the outskirts just like that..
My family flew back in an hour later, rushing to the hut to check on me. Kiri explained to my parents about the situation & they exchanged distraught looks.
"Ma'Jake, i was right" my mother whispered to him.
My father faced down with his hand on his hip as his greatest fears came true, one of his love ones finally got lost in the big bad orbit of Pandora. It took years for us to adjust to the Forest, let alone out there.
None of us had the stomach to tell Norm about this. Lo'ak did on the first day, but when he came face to face with him, my baby brother couldn't bear to imagine the emotions that was about to burst. It was wrong but if it means protecting Norm's sanity, then we shall remain silent.
We had to tell him that Violet was in heat & she requested to be locked away from everyone on a secluded rock mountain-
"No.." i mumbled
"Whats wrong big bro?" Lo'ak placed his hand on my shoulder.
"H-her heat cycle, its arriving in a few days" i said, turning to my family in distress.
"Pack your things kids, & bring along some extra headsets. Its going to be a long journey & we need to reach her before the cycle starts" my dad ordered.
My mother on the other hand, was almost tearing up, avoiding my eyes as she walked passed me. Its like she knew what was about to happen & she refused to speak on it.
*ೃ༄
Tsireya held me in her arms for the next few hours, making sure that i went back to sleep every time i woke up in a pool of tears. She had prepared a cup of water & healing incense sticks to help me recover from the toxic herbed liquor i inhaled.
Apparently the Metkayinas are used to this as they often have this ceremony at least twice or thrice every week, already immune to as what others would call 'The poisonous drink'. On earth we just call it Bourbon.
She coo'ed me, stroking my hair & humming a sweet tune as my twitching body slowly came to a halt. I was fully awake at this point, sitting up lustreless to have a sip of water.
"There there, whats been bothering you Vi?" she asked unwary of her brother who walked by her earlier.
I was hesitant to tell her. She didn't need to deal with my state & i didn't want to taint her opinion of her brother in an unpleasant way. I just got here & immediately i became a liability. But she insisted,
"Come on Vi! aren't we friends?" she said with a pure smile, sweet as a blooming flower.
"Your brother.. h-he.."
It was hard to pull out the words my lips, Tsireya is my only friend here & i didn't want her to get the wrong idea of me.
"What about him?" she asked, tilting her head.
"He was the one w-who brought me back home after the ceremony ended" i said.
"Mhmm?"
"He was on top of me & we kissed.." i said, searching her face for a form of expression.
Her smile faded, everything dropped to a cold silence & her eyebrows furrowed. In disbelief, she was recollecting her thoughts & speechless as i explained the fortuitous moment i had with her brother. She shifted herself towards me, cupping my hands together to warm them up as she met my teary eyes.
"I-im sorry.. i should've took you home minutes after the ceremony started, i s-should've known bett-"
"No Tsireya, this was my fault. Apparently i asked Aonung to kiss me first-"
"Vi, you were high off the toxic air! you weren't in the right headspace! He should know!" she started to tear up too.
She hugged me, holding me tightly like there was someone else in the room with us. With the both of us sobbing loudly, it soon attracted some commotion outside my pod. Sounds of feet shuffling & murmurs started to annoy us after a few minutes,
"It sounds like Rotxo & the boys" Tsireya said.
"I c-cant Reya, i cant deal with any of them. Not now, not like this" i pleaded her.
"What do you guys want?" she yelled out to the door in curiosity.
Tsireya walked over to the entrance to peep her head out, squabbling with the boys & attempting to shoo them away from my pod. But it wasn't easy. Between the bickering, i heard Aonung's name & mentions of sweet fruits.
She then shut the curtains tight, rushing back in panic to wrap my body up with the cloth. Asking me to hold the incense sticks closer to my chest,
"Vi..? when was your last heat cycle?" she asked unexpectedly.
"W-wha..t?"
"The boys.. they have sensitive noses & they have picked up on your pheromones scent from a few pods away. We need to get you as far from here as possible!" she said.
"But- i don't feel anything yet" i said as i scratched my head.
"Your scent will grow as your heat comes closer, even if its days away. Thats when you have to prepare yourself. But do not worry! im right here" she huffed.
Fear & anxiety shot through my veins as Tsireya packed my belongings. It was still dark outside but we had to leave before the entire village wakes up to find the sweet fruity scent coming all the way from my pod. She reassured me that it wasn't something to be greatly concerned about,
Some of the girls would leave in the middle of night to a secluded pod near the roots the minute any young men from the village would start reacting the a certain scent. Tsireya's first time was exactly the same, but she had her mother's help in driving away the boys with her daunting glare.
"Im sorry Reya, for the messed i've created. I owe Aonung a thousand apologies" i said gripping onto the cloth.
"Its okay sweetie. I know my brother & he wouldn't misbehave with any woman like that. But in this case, we now know why he was drawn to you" she said calmly & kissed my head.
She gently picked me up, covering the rest of me with her forearms. The both of us cautiously sprinted out of the pod, disappearing into the roots. Judging from the way things are going; until Neteyam or the rest manages to even find me, i'll have to deal with my heat alone. Which i heard, can be excruciatingly painful.
*ೃ༄