Surface| Neteyam

16.

The large creature bowed its head, extending its wing out so I could climb onto it. Instead I backed up, clearly I wasn't a forest Na'vi, I knew nothing about Ikran or what it could do to me.
It twitched its head impatiently which made me stagger back.

"Neteyam what are you doing?" I hissed, placing my hand back over my knife.

"Do you trust me?"

I glared at him, not particularly. Before I could say my thoughts the Ikran scooped me up and I was thrown onto its back. I tried to position myself so I could jump off, but then the ground began to sink below us as we soared higher and higher into the air without warning.

"AHHH NETEYAM LET, ME, DOWN!" I screamed, holding desperately onto its tail. It was nothing like the water, all of a sudden I felt completely helpless. The breeze slowed down and we eventually came to a smooth glide. Slowly, I turned myself to face Neteyam and sat down more comfortably.

"I'm serious Neteyam let me go" I wrapped my legs tightly around the sides of the Ikran so as not to fall. I didn't even want to know or see how high up we were, I couldn't imagine living in the sky like this.

"It's nice, just let me show you" He replied, patting Na'ue on the neck, the creature understood him and began to climb higher, picking up speed. I knew what he was playing at and I refused to hold onto Neteyam until I felt myself lifting off the oversized bird. Quickly I folded my arms over his trimmed waist as my legs were practically dangling in the air.

I let out a muffled scream as I dug my face into his neck, trying not to think about my situation. He placed a hand over my arms and held on firmly. Na'ue hovered in the air for a few seconds, I opened my eyes and let out a small gasp. I had never seen the island like this, with so many colors. The three brother rocks were in view and I forgot everything in that bliss moment, my mother, Fe'ui, the fire, the sky people, nothing mattered. Without thinking I loosed my arms, placing one on Neteyam's shoulder and the other stretched out freely. I entangled my hand in the airy clouds, smiling widely to the point where he could see my small fangs. Neteyam looked over at me, he couldn't help but smile himself.

Just then we began plummeting down, feeling a bit risky, I let both my arms flail out in the open sky. Neteyam lifted one of his hands, keeping the other one fastened tightly to his Ikran.

"Hell yeah!" he yelled as we drew closer and closer to the ground,

"Hell yeah!" I mimicked, letting the words tumble out of my mouth without a single worry.

Na'ue shifted vertically as we made our way to the ocean, I reached out, splashing the water with my hand as we flew by.
The Ikran began flying in a straight path, quickly I cupped my hands, scooping a bit of water before splashing it at Neteyam.

"Hey!" He turned around, playfully grabbing my arm. In return, I tugged on his tail which made him flinch hard,

"Aonung was right, you do have a baby tail" I laughed, Neteyam, almost completely facing me now, pushed me lightly. It caught me off guard and I began to flap my arms trying to rebalance myself, just as I felt myself tipping off the Ikran,I grabbed onto his hand. We both went tumbling, still tugging onto each other while we fell, finally crashing into the vast sea.

"Sey- tira" Neteyam choked, as he rose to the surface, he watched as Na'ue flew off. I swam up beside him and we looked at each other with wide eyes before bursting into laughter.

We spent the rest of the morning just enjoying eachothers company. It was refreshing but I knew we had to go back before anyone noticed we were missing.
He dropped me off at my house and just as I was about to head inside I heard him call my name
"Look Seytira.." he began, "I've actually been thinking for a while and you're just- well I think, maybe it's best if-" In that moment everything went away, I pulled him in for a small kiss which he returned.

I stepped back from him, studying his expression, then it hit me, what did I just do?
"Neteyam" I gasped, "I didn't mean.." he held his hands up,

"It's fine, I just, I'll see you later?" He smiled shyly. I nodded and watched him hurry off.
Oh Eywa what had I done.

I stepped inside my home slumping down on the floor. A thousand thoughts at once, all of them were about him.

"Sira" My dad called out as he saw me in my bewildered state, he put down the coconut he was drinking from as he walked over to me.

He held out a hand and heaved me off the floor,

"I know you are tired but I can't excuse you from all the work you've been missing"

"Auuugh" I groaned, at least this meant I didn't need to do training with Neteyam, the way he reacted to the kiss, I mean he kissed me back but what if he just felt bad for me? What if he is just hanging out with me because he pities me? All of this overthinking completely fogged my thoughts and I couldn't even hear what my father was trying to say.

"Seytira Ma'uole!"

"Yes!?" I jumped up at my name being called, he only ever used my full name when it was serious.

"Stop daydreaming skxawng, I need you to go fishing, and not those tiny flavorless ones you keep catching, get something that we can bring to the bonfire tonight."

Right, the bonfire, every now and then my dad and his friends got together bragging about their heirs and other dumb stuff. My dad's biggest competition was between Riuwe's father, despite being such good friends they acted like common enemies to one another during the bonfire.

"You mean you want me to get something for you to show off to your friends?"

"Go before the biggest fish leaves the bay, now!" He tossed me his trident-like spear, it was his favorite hunting tool as it was embroidered by little pearls my mom used to wear around her neck.

"Aye, okay okay" I retorted knowing I won the argument.

I did a quick spin with the spear, it had a lethal point at the end but it somehow still felt like it weighed nothing.

"Hey, I told you to not play around with that!" My father called after me but I was already out of the house.

I sprang on the trampoline floors until I got to the edge, making a "tic tic whoop" sound as I did a delicate flip into the water. I stretched out the hand that wasn't holding onto the spear to catch onto Feui's reins as she would swim under me whenever I called out for her.

I stayed underwater for a few seconds, repeating the sound but there was no reply.

Oh, how could I have forgotten.

I swam back up to the surface to take another breath, I guess I would have to just swim.