𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐟 || ʟᴏ'ᴀᴋ

015

Lo'ak

A deafening roar sounds its way through the water, I clutch my hands over my ears as the girl next to me does the same. My cheeks flush fuchsia as I remember the kiss she had planted on my cheek moments ago.

I shake the felling off as I turn around and burst through the sea, my Ilu doing all of the work. Tsireya is beside me, her eyes scrunched in concentration as she rushes to the shore, presumably to inform her parents of the large call we had never heard before.

She clasps my hand in hers as she pushes further once more. We explode onto the sand as she tugs faster, we stop at the crowd, noticing my father standing on a makeshift podium, holding a red device in his hand.

"Tell the tulkun, that if their hit with one of these their marked for death!" He demanded to the crowd.

He didn't have to say another word as I disconnected my hand from the girls and ran towards the dock. I'm followed by Neteyam as I rummage around the marui and find a canister.

He holds me by the shoulder, about to whisper harsh and scolding words, but I don't care for them as I dive into the ocean, quickly grasping an Ilu's saddle as I torpedo through the water, my sole focus is on finding Payakan.

But my mind continuously begins to wonder about a certain Metkayina girl, one that isn't Tsireya. Where was Se'aeylwa?

She was right there a few hours ago, and yet she disappeared, and then I was stuck with Tsireya, and nobody can say no to her, she's the Olo'ekytan's daughter. My father encouraged me to pursue a relationship with her, knowing if we had an intimate relationship it would solidify their position in Awa'atlu. But I didn't want that, and I didn't know how to make that clear to the Metkayina girl who continuously tried to pursue me that I didn't want a relationship.

I kept thinking about the small kiss on my cheek, and how I nearly rubbed it off instantly when she was out of sight. Some small part of me wanted it to be someone else...but I ushered that thought to the side as soon as it came.

I'm pulled out of my trance as a hand grips at my ankle, and of course, it had to be the one person I didn't want to particularly touch me, Tsireya. She looked up at me desperately as I slowly became agitated. I kicked her hand off of my leg as I swam faster, the more she tried, the more aggravated and frustrated I knew I would become.

I reached Payakan in no time as he lay amidst the water, floating like he didn't have a care in the world. But as my ears met the cold air I immediately heard the beeping of a machine, and I looked up to find a red device that looked all to similar to the one my father was holding. Payakan was now marked for death.

I jumped up, planting my feet on each side of the device as I wrapped my fingers on the red metal and pulled with all of my might. The dripping of water and panting became prominent as more hands joined mine, harshly tugging with all of our strength. Payakan wailed in the background as I solely focused on my spirit brother remaining safe.

"Wrap this around it!" Neteyam interjected, throwing me a piece of rope. I waste no time, swiftly tying a knot around it and continuing my relentless pursuit to pull it out. I look to my left, noticing a hunk of metal floating it's way towards us. That only made me ty harder.

My brother jumps onto his ilu, the animals fins flapping wildly as it aids in pulling the device out of Payakan. I smile in relief as I feel it slightly budge, and then fly out completely.

"I will lead them away go! Scram!" My brother demands, I stand to the side waiting a few more seconds to run, Neteyam staying with me, I hold my hands to my throat, pressing the communication device my father had given me.

"Dad! Dad! We need help, were with Payakan, and a ship is coming" I say, worriedly looking at the now larger piece of floating metal, that without a doubt harboured humans and dreamwalkers.

"Lo'ak? Lo'ak who's with you?!" He asks quickly. I sigh, a headache brewing.

"It's all of us Dad" I say, I hear radio silence before he responds with a crisp 'Were coming'.

The demon ship had come even closer as I dove, bright lights scoured the ocean, hunks of machinery floating about wanting to catch any na'vi in sight. I hastily called for my Ilu, swimming around and trying to find the others, while narrowly avoiding the human deployments.

I see braided hair, and aquamarine skin in the direct light of a machine as I rush forward, sweeping her onto the back of the animal beneath me.

I have small hope that it's the girl I'm thinking of, but that hope is crushed as I see it's not, she wraps her arms around my waist and I can't help but repulse slightly at the gesture. I knew she had to otherwise she'd fall off but it felt abnormal to do so.

I see an air pocket near as I easily slip into it, a loud scream makes my ears pin to my neck as I prepare to face anything or anyone who was dangerous.

"Tsireya! Lo'ak!"

My eyes snap to a little Tuk, she barely keeps her head above water as she cutely exclaims our names. I reach forward, placing her on my hip and giving her body a small amount of time to rest. She was too young to be experiencing something like this.

I breathe in and out deeply, trying to regain my breath, however it doesn't last long as a bright light comes into our field of vision. I desperately swim away, It wasn't all about me anymore, I had a literal child clinging onto me, I couldn't let her get hurt, my parents would skin me.

As we escape the machine, the girls can't escape the rope that wraps around them, I scream Tuk's name underwater, it being muffled of course as I swim over clawing at my hip for my knife. The other one was lost long ago, during one of the first times I had met with Se'aeylwa, so now my knife was donned with an Akula tooth.

I press down immensely, trying to saw at the material, even if it was small enough to only fit Tuk through. It's too late as the net drops, the metal beneath us feels like nothing but death as dream walkers surround us. I hiss at them, holding my knife close as I stand in front of my little sister, my tail swishing wildly as if it would intimidate them.

They approach us as I quickly slash at one of their arms, little droplets of red blood seeping out before they seethe in pain. I feel a cylindric piece of metal pressed against my head as I hold my hands up in surrender, a gun was pressed to my head, I was in no position to move around freely without consequences.

I smirked slightly as Tuk bit down on a dream walker's arm, only for it to vanish quickly as she's harshly pulled to the ground. I hiss at the avatar who's handling her as I am too brought down to my knees. I look around, searching for any sign of my father as I eventually give up.

The smooth feeling of cool rubber encasing my wrists distracts me from the open sea as I look down with disgust. My wrists are bound together tightly with the help of an orange band. I grunt as I try to pull back, only for my attempts to remain meaningless. I look to my left, seeing my sister with a face of absolute fear.

A gun is still held closely to my head as I look to the ocean once again, praying that help would soon arrive.