Seeking Refuge | Neteyam

Chapter Four

I ran through the forest with Kiri, Tuk, Lo'ak and Spider, the five of us exploring. Kiri cleared me to do activities but Neteyam still had to rest.

Lively plants surrounded us, each one more mesmerizing than the last. I smiled contently as I felt free. Tuk kneeled down next to a certain plant as we kept moving.

"Tuk, keep up!" Lo'ak shouted at the girl.

I ran behind the boy as Spider ran beside me. He huffed, "Bro, why'd you bring her anyway?"

"Because! She's such a crybaby!" Lo'ak stopped in front of us, turning and mocking his younger sister. "I'm telling! You're not supposed to go to the battlefield. I'll tell mom if you don't let me come!"

"Don't pick on her," Kiri told the boy.

Tuk stuck her tongue out at the boy in response, but I held her back. Lightly pushing Lo'ak's shoulder, I placed myself between the two siblings. "Hey, don't be so mean to her! Besides, she's not being a crybaby she's just trying to make you stay out of trouble. If anything, you are the crybaby." I turned to the little girl, "And Tuk, don't stick your tongue out. You are just provoking him."

She giggled, "Yes, ma'am!"

Spider laughed and punched Lo'ak playfully, "She just called you a crybaby, bro!"

"Whatever," Lo'ak groaned, turning to keep moving. "Come on!"

We came across an old gunship, its sight sucking gasps from our mouths. Lo'ak immediately jumped onto it, going in to explore.

"Careful, Tuk," I told the girl, grabbing her hand to pull her up with me. Spider followed shortly after.

Time went by as the two boys messed around, pretending they were flying the ship or shooting the guns. But then, my mind suddenly noticed the absence of someone. "Where's Kiri?"

The group all turned to me with wide eyes. In an instant, we were all piling out of the vehicle and calling for the girl's name.

"Ayn'at your one job was to keep everyone together," I groaned, quietly scolding myself. Spider eventually broke off from us as we continued searching. I took Tuk's hand into my own, "Stay close, Tuktirey."

"Kiri!" We kept calling out, before our eyes landed on the girl in question with Spider in the middle of a small grass patch.

Tuk ran over to her, "Kiri! We have to get back!"

As we ran through the forest, following Lo'ak, he stopped again and trailed off. He leaned down towards the mud, noticing tracks. The two girls beside me sighed and subtly hinted to Lo'ak that we needed to leave. We jumped down, kneeling beside Lo'ak and Spider.

"It's way too big for a human," Lo'ak pointed out, looking around to take in our surroundings.

"Avatars?" Spider asked.

"Maybe. They're for sure not ours." The two boys stood up, following the track.

I pulled both of their arms. "Lo'ak, no. Your dad will kill us! You heard Tuk, we're always supposed to be back by eclipse."

He shrugged my arm off of him and kept moving. "Shh, I'm tracking."

Reluctantly, I followed him. "If your dad doesn't kill us, then whoever these people are will." He remained silent, building up my frustration even more. I looked to Kiri for help but she just shrugged. I groaned and ran in front of Lo'ak, stopping him. "Fine, but the moment we see who it is, even if it's just a glimpse, we are leaving. Understand?"

He pursed his lips and nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

We continued moving, hiding behind the bushes and leaves as we gazed toward the area. My heart skipped a beat once I realized where we were.