Perfect//Neteyam

Punishment

POV: Ke'Koa

When I returned home I put my spear down quietly trying not to catch the attention of my father. I was very late to get back and he is sure to notice, every night I have great nightmares. Nightmares of the future, I have had them since my last connection to eywa which was a few weeks ago and after that, I haven't gone back. I know something is coming, last night I dreamt of fire, a ship. They are just glimpses but ever since the second dream I would go out and circle our home for any sign of danger.

"Ke'Koa!" a loud yell from behind me sounded. I turned around to see a red-faced father staring back at me. "Sit," he said, I didn't move out of fear. "Get Here. NOW!" He said pointing to the ground in front of him. I sat quickly with my head lowered, "Where were you?" he questioned. "WHERE.WERE.YOU?" he said louder.

Scared I said quietly, "On the beach."

"WHY?" he said getting his spear.

"I had another nightmare," I said whispering. I told him about the nightmares but he told me that I wasn't to say anything about it. That no man would want to hear about dreams of the possible future. That I would be labeled as crazy and locked up for it. He told me that I wouldn't ruin his good name. "I'm sorry," I said swiftly hoping to defuse any possible anger.

POV: Neteyam

"I said I was sorry, mum," I said to my worried mother.

"Ma Eywa give me the strength not to scratch the eyes out of my oldest son," she hissed and then engulfed me in a big hug.

"Listen, boy. You need to be more responsible, and set an example for the younger kids." my father said to me with disapproval.

"Yes, Sir," I said with my eyes on the ground. He lightly tapped me on the face and said, "Get out of here. Go learn something."

I walked out in shame to look for my siblings. I walked to the hut of Tsireya to see her mending someone.

I knocked on the wood framing of the hut, she looked at me with paste all over her hands. The person being mended had tattoos down her back with bruises being covered with the white chunky paste. The bruises are long and straight like from a stick. the girl was looking opposite from him but had beautiful curly hair.

"What happened?" I asked Tsireya. In a hushed tone, she said," She is sleeping."

"Who is she?" I asked curiously. "Her name is Ke'Koa, she is my friend and I'm afraid she might have gotten into trouble again," Tsireya said.

"In trouble? How?" I asked.

"It is not my story to tell," Tsireya said putting on the last of the paste. "She will join us later today."

POV: Ke'Koa

It was sunset when I woke up. I dreamt of the ships again, ships sinking in blazes of fire. I swung my long aqua legs off the bed. On the floor were a cooked fish, my knife, a body wrapping, and a note.

Koa.

Please eat. Wear this wrapping and come to me at the ocean I will clean the paste.

Tsireya.

I got up from the bed and the pain radiated through my body. My father is a great man but he says I'm too much like my mother. I deserved it though I was being disobedient to him. After he yelled he dragged me to the training hut, like the day before he had the spear and I, my hands.

I ate half of my food because every time I ate it felt like it wouldn't go down because of the tears streaming down my face. I placed my knife in my hold across my chest. I looked at my shirt, it was netting from my mother. It had shells and seaweed woven through it. It wrapped around one shoulder. I had a band around my arm and another knife holder attached at my hip. I put the wrapping around my pasted back, I don't like to draw attention. I went to the part of the ocean Tsireya love the most, it was open and calm there. I saw her there with her brother, Aonung and the forest children.

They were sitting on the sand in a circle. Aonung saw me and ran toward me, he looked at my wrapping and said, "I guess you got in trouble again." he laughed.

"If this is your sad attempt to flirt with me then you are failing miserably." I told him as we reached to the group.

Tsireya smiled at me and got up and held out her arm, "Koa, your here. Come." I took ahold of her hand as the group looked at me with a funny face. Tsireya led me to the ocean and had me sit. Tsireya was my only friend, she always took care of me. She sat me in the ocean facing out she took of the wrapping and took the water and carefully wiped it away. " It looks like most of them are gone."

"Great, that is good." I said with a relief.

"So, I know you don't like most people but could you help me teach the newcomers."

"Skxawng, nooo. I don't want to." I said with dread.

"I'm out numbered and Aonung is mean to the older ones. Please Koa." She gave me her sad eyes and I folded.

"Fine. But never again, Skxawng." I got up out of the water and sat next to Tsireya in the sand. "What are we doing."

"We are learning to breath."  She turned to the boy next her. She put her hands on his stomach and chest, "Breath in. Breath out slowly. Lo'ak, your heart beat is fast. Try to focus."

Lo'ak said blushing, "Sorry."

Quiet snickering sounded next to her. She smacked the chest of the boy next to her. The girl across from her also looked annoyed at it.

"Koa. Could you help, Neteyam." I looked to the boy next to her and suddenly realized it was the stalker boy.