Out Of Time ✹ Neteyam Sully

𝒊𝒙.

009,  the war

      "PAYAKAN! BROTHER!" Lo'ak shouted towards Payakan as he came closer towards the group, the tulkun whining in pain. "What is wrong?" Lo'ak signed, noticing the distressed look in Payakan's eyes. Lo'ak's heart dropped as Payakan turned around to reveal the red tracker injected into him. "Shit! Stay calm, stay calm!" Lo'ak shouted, jumping onto Payakan as he tugged at the tracker. "Shit!" Lo'ak repeated, noticing two ships in the distance.

          Sky people.

          The group jumped onto Payakan, hurrying to Lo'ak's side. They was all quick to act, pulling at the red tracker. But it was no use. "Call it in! Call dad! Go do it!" Neteyam shouted to Lo'ak as the youngest sully boy let go of the tracker, Neteyam taking his place. "Dad do you copy? It's eagle eye do you copy?" Lo'ak breathed out, his voice full of worry. Lo'ak and Jake shared a short conversation before the outcast boy hurried back over to the group, jumping back in to help.

          "It's getting closer!" Tsireya exclaimed. A groan left Åstelieha's body as she put all her power into pulling it. Åstelieha let go of the tracker, having an idea. She called her ilu back over before, looking up to Neteyam who was already looking at her. "Get on the ilu." She ordered. He was quick to follow her orders as he hoped into the ilu. Åstelieha grabbed the rope they was using to pull the tracker, wrapping it around Neteyam's hands. "Hold it tight."

          "Pull!" Åstelieha shouted over to the group as ilu started pulling the opposite direction. Åstelieha quickly swam back over to Payakan, helping the group pull. They all groaned as they fell into the water, the tracker falling into the water with them. Neteyam pulled it out of the water, holding it close to him.

                   "Go that way, i'll throw them off!" Neteyam shouted, pointing in the opposite direction. Åstelieha watched as Payakan and the others quickly swam away. "Stelie, go! What are you doing?!" Neteyam exclaimed, panicking as the ship edged closer. "I'm not leaving you!"

          "Please go, my love!" Neteyam begged, sharing a desperate look with his girl. Åstelieha bit the inside of her cheek. She knew the last thing Neteyam needed right now was an argument, so she complied. "You best return unharmed." She ordered before swimming away. Neteyam wasted no time as the ilu set off in the opposite direction. The sky people began sending vibrations into the water, trying to attack Neteyam — who they thought was a tulkun.

          Åstelieha could see the group in the distance as she watched Aonung, Kiri and Rotxo swim the other way to Tuk, Tsireya and Lo'ak.

          Suddenly, a net dropped over Tuk, Tsireya and Lo'ak. Åstelieha frantically swam over to them, but it was no use as two ikran's dived into the water, pulling the net out. Åstelieha knew it was no use as she arose from the water, watching the net being dropped onto the boat. Åstelieha looked around for Neteyam, the girl feeling slightly relieved as she saw him in the distance. He instantly spotted her, speeding to her side. "I was gone 5 minutes and you still have not moved? Where are they?" Neteyam couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that Åstelieha still hadn't moved very far. I was gone 5 minutes and you still have not moved? Where are they?"

          Åstelieha pointed towards the ship as Neteyam's face dropped. He quickly pulled Åstelieha onto the ilu as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Neteyam began speeding forward, but he lost his focus at the sound of several skimwings edging closer. Åstelieha and Neteyam looked up in sync, watching as atleast one hundred skimwings flew over their heads.

          Åstelieha grinned as the duo slowly swam forward, noticing the skimwings had stopped.
Åstelieha could hear the small murmurs from Neteyam's head piece. She felt his body tense, alerting her that it probably wasn't a good conversation. "What is happening?" She whispered. "The sky people have Tsireya, Tuk and Lo'ak. They are going to kill Lo'ak if my dad doesn't go onto the ship." Neteyam darkly spoke. "And what happens if your dad does go onto the ship?"

          "The sky people will kill him."