imbalance I neteyam sully

chapter nine . the beginning

that night was spent with both of my boys, it was so peaceful yet so full of pain. lo'ak loves too hard, it is his great weakness and great strength, he means only good but sometimes it leads to hurt. 

neteyam is so pure, so golden, there is no fault but that could be my blinded love talking. he is similar to lo'ak but in the sense of his family, he continuously is risking his life for his family to make sure they're safe and nothing happens to them. he doesn't care if he dies. 

"they're back!" tuk yelled out, i walked towards the docks and looked out into the ocean to see them. their faces didn't look happy by what they had found. 

"listen," jake says as he jumps onto the docks, "you must stay calm, this is exactly what they want," jake is looking around at the people, tonowari didn't listen.

chants of war, dances of war; it has began.

i stand behind neteyam and hold his hand tight, "please listen to my father," neteyam begs the metikayina people.

jake snatches the tracker from neteyam's hands and stands up on something so he is towering over everyone, "tell the tulkun if they're shot by this, they have a death sentence," everyone went silent.

"tell them," tonowari agreed.

i heard foot steps and i turn around to see lo'ak running, "neteyam," he turns and watches his brother, "LO'AK!" he yells and we chase after him.

"where do you think you're going?" neteyam asks his brother, "i need to go warn payakan," lo'ak continues to suit his ilu, "it is not safe out there, he's not safe," lo'ak looks his brother in the eyes, "he's my brother! i'm going!" lo'ak turns away and begins to walk, neteyam follows after him, "oh he's your brother-," he grabs onto lo'ak's arm and turns him around, "no i'm your brother," lo'ak pushes neteyam off him and jumps onto the ilu. 

"LO'AK!" i scream, "what is the matter?" tsireya and her brothers stand before us, "he's going to payakan, to warn him," neteyam jumps onto an ilu and pulls me on it with him.

"come on!" aonung yelled to his siblings and they follow after neteyam. 

we are chasing after lo'ak, it's still semi-gloomy from the day and night before, the waves are hard.. the pressure of the water is hard to travel in. 

"where are youse going?" kiri yells out from an ilu in the ocean with tuk, "after lo'ak, he's going to his tulkun, payakan," i hear tsireya respond. 

the waves keep pushing me off neteyam and the ilu, neteyam held his grip on me as i was barely hanging on, i've never been so scared, not for myself but for the people around me.. for lo'ak.

"he's been hit," i hear lo'ak cry out to us, neteyam jumps off the ilu and onto the tulkun. "quick guys," he tells us, i jump onto the tulkun and help pull it out with everyone else.

"lo'ak, call dad," neteyam tells his brother, "now!" he orders. 

lo'ak quickly stands and holds onto his neck piece.

"tsireya, pull here," i tell her, "neteyam, get on the ilu."

i'm looking around and notice in the distance a boat, "NETEYAM," i yell, he turns to me with concern, "the boat, get it out, NOW," i get down on the tulkun and continue to help rip it out. 

"PULL," we all yell in sync, the tracker came flying out and neteyam grabs ahold of it, "quick, ill distract them. get away!" he yells at us. 

"ma-neteyam, let me come with you, please," i put my hand out, he grabs onto it pulling me onto the back of the ilu. 

i wrap my arms tightly around him, "go," i say softly and we dive straight into the water.

when you're in a moment like this, close to death yet so far, nothing is circling through your mind correctly. all i can think about are the memories of the people i love the most, the memories which have impacted me the most, the memories of my beloved and the memories of my best-friend, the memories of my people. 

4 years ago

the soft noises of the forest animals echo throughout the sully home, i have been sitting on the ground of the tent drawing patterns, designs, animals, flowers for hours with my thumb against the dirt. during those hours of quietness when most of the sully family had left, i found peace.. quiet. 

"that looks like dad," a soft young voice spoke, "which one?" i question, neteyam got down on his knees and pointed to it. "that is your dad," i say, "he looks so happy," neteyam observes the drawing, "he's happy because he is with you guys in the forest," i smile down at the drawings. 

the young neteyam points at the drawing of him, "that's me?" he questions and turns with a smile on his face, i give him a small nod and point at the rest of them, telling him who is who. 

"where are you?" he questions, "you have everyone in the family but you? you are apart of the family," he tells me and looks back down at the drawing, "put you, right there," he points to a blank spot between himself and lo'ak, "because, you're both of our favourites," he smiles down at the drawing.

"i'm your favourite?" i question, "you always knew you were," neteyam giggles like a child and jumps onto me, "little white princess, miss akari na'van," he mocks jake and begins to tickle me. 

"you have called me your white princess before, don't start mocking jake," a big grin crosses my face and neteyam looks at me with wide eyes; he pulls himself up and begins to walk away, "you will be my white princess one day akari," the boy turns around with a big smile and his tail begins to wag. 

i turn back down at the drawing, "akari na'van, the white princess," i whisper quietly and begin to draw myself while softly humming the words to neytiri's song about her two oldest children. 

i turn when i hear the sound of movement, it's neytiri with a camera.. recording? i smile at her, "cheese," i say with a bright smile. 

"don't let go akari," neteyam tells me interrupting my thoughts, "i won't let go, i promise m'love," i whisper and notice we are by rocks above the water, "hold your breath." 

holding my breath.. 

3..

2..

1..

we dove headfirst into the water and i turn to the noise of something hitting the water as i do waves project off it, powerful waves causing me to slip off neteyam.

oh no