Neteyam

Tsaheylu: The Bond

Kri was no where anywhere near the village. Ni'ri had been calling for him for hours to the point her voice was beginning to get sore. Merq'ena looked down at her charm, it had finally dried but the ocean salt had caused some disfigurements. The leather had darkened shrivelled lightly which bunched the beads slightly away from the set placed Viryn had sewn them into. But no tears on the wing, thank Eywa for that. The morning was waning as the hit afternoon sun was burning at their backs. "Where could he be?" Kiri asked as they both swerved away from sea stacks.

"I don't know." Merq'ena spoke over her shoulder before looking back forwards. "He's never been one to go off on his own." When Viryn was still around Kri was the best behaved ikran. Even if he misbehaved Viryn could easily distract him with just a hand gesture. Merq'ena narrowed her eyes. The memory of Kri ripping the dream-walker came to mind. He almost didn't look like himself with his maw dripping in blood.

The echo of his vengeful cry reverberated in her skull. "I think have a guess where he went." Merq'ena turned to Kiri as they flew side by side. The billowing wind pushing their hair back. "Lead the way." Kiri nodded and waited for Merq'ena to set the speed. Kri may not usually be aggressive, but he adored Viryn. He was given the most treats and pet whenever he wished which was often. But he was still an ikran, the apex predator if not for Toruk. And something the Na'vi knew very well about their brothers sisters of the sky was that they got angry and got even.

Merq'ena thought back to the dog tags still coated in blood she had stashed under her container for clothes. He must be out seeking blood. Which could be dangerous should he lashed out at an innocent. They flew over to the area of the battle, small tokens of a war still left in the water. With the ocean being so clear the two could make out the sight of the ship still at the bottom.

Bodies were everywhere, an eerie underwater graveyard of sorts. Merq'ena sneered at the Sky People resting at the bottom of the ocean floor. But she could spot few splashes of red in the blue. They deserved to rot and lose their names forever. Ni'ri and Kiri's ikran tilted their heads in sync. "What is it?" Kiri whispered to her ikran and leaned to look in her eyes. Ni'ri let out a loud screech. The call reaching out across the ocean's surface and into the sky. Kiri and Merq'ena's ears lifted to listen out for a response.

There was a distant cry. The two girls exchanged a glance before moving quickly to the call. Ni'ri took the lead as they rose upwards. The sight of dark blue was not easily spotted on top of the deep sea. "He's tracking." Kiri spoke, her tone becoming otherworldly. "He's hunting." Merq'ena agreed and they flew higher up from the surface of the ocean.

Kri let out a roar as he quickened his pace. "What are you chasing?" Merq'ena whispered more to herself as she grabbed the handle of Ni'ri's saddle. She sat up using the foot placements by Ni'ri breathing holes to more easily look down at the ikran. "A boat." Kiri pointed into the distance. A bright yellow floating blur sitting without any sign of movement. "Sky People." Merq'ena squinted her eyes to get a better look.

"He's hunting them." Merq'ena whispered. "He's hunting them!" Merq'ena's eyes widened as her jaw dropped. Kri had been hunting Sky People. "What do we do?" Kiri asked as they watched the ikran make his deadly approach. "I don't know, it could be dangerous to approach him." Merq'ena eyed the oblivious group of humans lounging on the boat.

"Merq'ena!" Kiri scolded. "Ok ok!" The two dove down with an ikran on either side of Kri. Merq'ena let out a low whistle and caught Kri's attention. She lifted a hand in the air and tilted it to the left. It was able to be seen by Kiri on the other side so that the two moved in sync to left. With Kri in the middle and his flock instincts Kri had no choice but to give in the change of direction. He let out a protest and nipped and Ni'ri who was doing most of the pushing.