𝐈 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 | 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦

Chapter 8: Remembrance

I hadn't left my bungalow the entire next morning. I didn't know if I could handle seeing Neteyam after last night. I knew I would eventually have to venture out and pull my weight around the village. Maybe I could fly around the other islands and hunt, try to find something other than fish to eat.

I laid circled up on my side, watching the clouds move by outside when a shadow passed over the entrance.

"Äeya?" Tuk's little voice carried inside and I took a deep breath. The last thing I wanted was for her to worry about me or put any more strain between her and Neteyam. So I plastered a smile on my face that didn't quite reach my eyes and sat up to great the littlest Sully.

"Good morning Tuk!" My voice was a little too cheery for the emotions that were brewing inside me. "Is everything okay?"

"It's afternoon." She giggled. Shit, I hadn't meant to lay in her for that long.

"I must have been day dreaming again, how silly of me." I smiled and stood up and stretched my arms above my head. "Why are you here? Where's Kiri?"

I looked around for the girl and she was no where to be scene.

"We're going to the spirit tree!" She said grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door, "Aonung and Tsireya asked me to come get you, so let go! We're going to be late!"

I shook my head and laughed at her enthusiasm. She was taking all of this surprisingly better than the rest of us. I knew she missed her home, but she was young and bounced back pretty quickly.

We made our way to the beach where the others were waiting, my eyes unconsciously searching the group until they landed on Neteyam.

He was already staring at me, but look away the moment my eyes landed on his own. Maybe coming was a bad idea.

"Now that everyone is here, let's get moving." Aonung smiled at me and walked into the water, but I couldn't bring a smile to my face.

I waded into the water but stopped when I saw the number of Ilu that had been summoned. I still hadn't gotten down the whole clicking thing that they did to summon them. My heart very much still belonged to my Ikran. However since we were trying to learn the way of the Metkayina people, I would have to chose someone to ride with.

Aonung smiled at me and patted the spot behind him, making Neteyam's nostrils flare angrily. I didn't want to cause another fight so I just walked over to where Tsireya was waiting on her Ilu.

"Can I ride with you? Or can you call me another Ilu? I still haven't gotten it down." I looked between the two warriors and sighed.

"Of course." She smiled gently, then scooted a bit higher on the Ilu, allowing me to sit on the back.

I hadn't spent much time outside of lessons with Tsireya but from what I had seen she was gentle and kind. Someone I could call a friend if I made the effort.

I spaced out during the ride over to the spirit tree, not paying much attention to anything except to hold my breath when we submerged beneath the surface.

The rock formations around their spirit tree resembled our own in the forest. Curving rock formations crafted by Eywa jutted out of the island that surrounded the spirit tree under the water.

The floating rocks hovering above the water reminded me of home and I frowned deeply, missing my mother more than ever.

I didn't pay much attention to anyone as I slid off the Ilu, and dove under the surface, swimming to the spirit tree. I connected my braid to it and closed my eyes, I didn't know who I was wanting to see but I just needed a familiar face from home.