𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐟 || ʟᴏ'ᴀᴋ

001

Se'aeylwa

Stones below me illuminated a soft glow as I swam under the water. My tail swished along with my hips as I quickly swerved around a corner, picking up a rock that would soon become the hilt of my new blade.

Creatures bustled around me as I placed the item in the satchel that slung around my waist.

I grazed my hand along an ilu's fin, smiling as the creature circled around me and made a few satisfied noises.

I softly kicked my legs, slowly rising to the surface, only to duck back down as a swarm of boys rounded the corner.

I hid behind a large structure of coral, peeking my head around, just so that my eyes could watch them.

Boys weren't supposed to wander this far from their homes. They where either lost or utterly idiotic.

My gaze snapped to the odd one out of the group. His arms where much thinner, and he had trouble keeping up with the others. He held a harpoon in his arms as he aimed to strike down a fish.

As he set his sights on the creature he struck it down with ease. My eyes shifted away as rapid movement caught my attention. The metkayina boys where swimming my way, their smiles lit with mischief.

I ducked under a new sea structure as they rounded the corner, playfully hitting one another as they laughed. My face scrunched with confusion as the strange boy turned his head, only to realise he had been left behind.

The others quickly rode away on their ilu's, making sure he was left stranded. How could they do such a thing? He was obviously not a child of the sea.

He held the dead fish in his hands, looking down with an expression that could only be explained as regret. His hand gripped the arrow and pulled it out of the fish, letting it's blood spill into the ocean.

The blood must've attracted something else as a large blur of shadows swam overhead.

The stranger must've noticed the same as he swum down, the blur following him. My eyes squinted, concentrating on the creature, only for them to widen and for a muffled gasp to escape my lips.

Akula.

The boy swam as fast as he could, viscously beating his arms and legs as he weaved through coral cages that could only keep him safe for so long.

His body began to tire quickly, not used to the resistance of water. The Akula hid behind him, swirling in the water, waiting for him to run out of air.

I saw his head peek through a crevice, his eyes full of fear. He slowly began to rise to the surface, only to get half way and notice the beast that had awaited this very moment.

I don't know what had overtaken my body as I swam out of my hiding place. The akula rushed towards him as he held a knife in his arms, ready to attack.

My limbs burned at the speed I was swimming, I flew through the water as our bodies connected. I closed my eyes pushing him out of the way as the side of the akula knocked us with its charge.

It began to recover turning around, ready to charge once again. Before it could get remotely close a large body slammed the Akula into a rock pillar. I sighed, smiling as Payakan came to the rescue.

The boy in my arms fell limp as I rushed to get his head above water. We broke the surface quickly, Payakan joining us as he extended his fin. I gratefully accepted it, hauling the heavy body onto the tulkun.

I pulled myself up, squatting next to the stranger as I cautiously flicked hair out of his face. The slightest movement caused me to jump back, cautious of the danger he posed.

I took this moment to inspect his body. Everything between us was different, even the patterns on our skin. I made sure to take the knife in his hand, tucking the blade into my satchel as he began to toss and turn. I quickly ran along Payakan's back and to his nubbed fin. Perching myself on the non tender areas. My hands rested on the tulkuns body as I slowly lifted my head.

He rested on all fours, holding a hand to his heart as he coughed out large amounts of water. He soon rested on his knees, calming his breathing. His chest rose up and down erratically at first, soon slowing down to a much normal pace.

Once he was calm he scrambled up to Payakan's face, I reached down and held his dagger concealed in my satchel, prepared to make a move. He began to messily mimic our metkayina sign language to the tulkun. My hand relaxed on the hilt of the weapon as I realised he had no intention of harming my friend.

I snuck to the other side of Payakan's face, I signed my thanks as I smiled, happy that my friend had saved us.

We had gone through thick and thin with one another. My spirit sister was his lover and they where destined to soon have a calf of their own before the attack of the sky people. The demon's had killed off every tulkun and na'vi except for the both of us, we had narrowly avoided death.

I rested my forehead next to his eye, needing a moment to myself as he let out a wave of sound. I separated us as I stood confused.

"Hey!" My face paled at the sound of a teenage boy, I had given away my position.

I tried to dive back into the water but the tulkun had a different idea, he flicked the fin I was standing on, throwing me into the boy, our bodies collided once more as I hurried to separate us once again. I hissed in his direction as he tried to approach, reaching at my waist and pulling out his dagger, holding it towards his neck.

"Woah, woah,woah! What did I do?" He exclaimed, holding his arms up in defence.

"You are ignorant like a child! You should know that only danger lies beyond the reef, you are lucky that it was an Akula, much worse swim along our currents!" I hiss, slowly backing away.

I tilt my head in curiosity as his brows furrow. He had actual hair along his face, no other na'vi I had known had such a thing.

"Why is it always my fault" He groans to himself, rolling his eyes lightly. I begin to slowly descent in the water, my stomach was fully submerged as his arms gripped mine and pulled me back onto Payakan.

I dropped the knife in shock as I felt the warmth of his skin.

"Let go of me!" I scowl, tugging my arms away from his grasp.

"No! You can't leave me here, if you're so mad at me why did you save my skxawng ass?" He grunts as he tries to reason with me.

I sigh.

"No one deserves to die at the fate of an Akula." I grumble, snatching my arm from his grasp.

"Even skxawng's"