𝐎𝐞𝐥 𝐍𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐢𝐞 || 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦 𝐗 𝐎𝐂

𝐈𝐗

𝟿
-𝙰𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛-

I spent the morning with Kiri and Tuk in the water. I taught them more of how to hunt with a cross bow. The girls caught in quickly but Tuk wasn't so fast in learning to keep her finger off the trigger when she was pointing it places other than fish. She accidentally shot one that skimmed my tail, but all that was left was a small scratch.

We head back to the shore and find our people gathered around my mother and father. I push my way through the crowd and find Tiseryi. I place my hand in her shoulder, she grabs it and holds it hard.

"My spirit sister and her baby were murmured by the sky people." Mother yells before my hand flies to my mouth.

"We were aware of this hunting, far over the horizon!" Father slams his staff into the ground. "Now it is here!"

The crowd follows my fathers actions as they hiss and snarl, their young's hanging out of their mouths.

"You have to understand how the sky people think." Jake sully Interups. "They don't care about the great balance."

A man in the crowd shouts.

"Listen. Listen to him." I turn to see Neteyam stepping beside me.

I grab his hand firmly and look at his strong expression with tears threatening my eyes. Before I can protest, he pulls me into his side and wraps an arm around my shoulders. I find myself leaning into the small embrace, his comfort weighing more than words can describe.

"Their not gonna stop, this is only the beginning. You gotta tell your Tulcun to leave! Tell 'em to go far away."

"Leave?" My mother gasps. "You live among us yet you learn nothing."

"We will fight to protect our brothers and sisters." A warrior yells proudly.

"No, no, no, no." Jake yells. "If you attack, if you fight, they will destroy you." The crowd yells over him before he grabs a bright orange device and holds it in the air, silencing the people. "You tell the Tulcun that if their hit by one of these, they're marked for death. Saving their lives, that's all that matters, right? Saving your family."

"Tell the Tulcun." Father orders.

"Go!" Mother yells "go."

Tiseryi turns to me and quickly embraces me, burning her tears in my collarbone, pulling me from Neteyam. I shush her and pull her close. I turn my head to see Neteyam storming through the crowd.

"Come. I have a feeling the Sully boys are getting into trouble."

We run behind the boys, loosing Neteyam in the network of pods. We bump into Aoung and Roxlo and urge them to follow. We find them retrieving Ilu saddles.

"No, I am your brother." Neteyam hisses to the young boy.

"Neteyam!"

"Lo'ak." My sister and I call at the same time.

Before we can reach the pair, Lo'ak Dives in the water.

"Lo'ak!" Neteyam calls. "He's going to Piacan."

I call my Ilu, not worrying about a saddle as the others dive into the water. I have ridden without a saddle before but not this fast. My body slips against my Ilu's leathery skin as I hold her ques and hook my legs on her fins. My body burns as we race after Lo'ak. We pass Kiri and Tuk, finding them calling after Lo'ak as well.