invisible string ↝ ao'nung

X ; Bigger Than The Whole Sky

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
You were bigger than the whole sky
You were more than just a short time
And I've got a lot to pine about
I've got a lot to live without
I'm never gonna meet
What could've been, would've been,
What should've been you
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Sylwana's body, which had been racked with shivers, went rigid. That's right, she recalled Tsireya telling them Kiri and Tuk were still on the ship. She withdrew herself from the safety of Ao'nung's hold. He didn't object, but he kept a small, and incredibly comforting grip on her. "Where are your sisters?" Jake asked Lo'ak, who didn't react. "I said, where are your sisters?" Tsireya was the one to answer him. "The ship, they are tied up on the ship," she cried, her hands unrelenting on Neteyam's shins, pressing down as if trying to elicit a reaction from him. "They're on the moon pool," said Spider suddenly. Sylwana had almost forgotten he was there. "On the well deck, amidships." Jake stared at him. "What?" Spider stood, taking Jake's arm. "I'll show you, come on! I'll show you."

Her mind raced. All she could think was that she had to save her sisters. Ao'nung seemed to read her mind. "Sylwana, it is dangerous," he protested. She met his gaze, her vision blurred from tears. "I have to," she shakily stood, and his arms darted out to stop her from toppling over. "Stay," he whispered, and carefully, as if his skin was too delicate to be handled, she held his cheek, softly wiped away the tear that fell from his eye. "I have to," she repeated, and wordlessly, she climbed onto her father's tsurak, alongside Spider. Her father didn't object, but when they reached the demon ship, which was both sinking and on fire, he told her to do whatever he said. "I tell you to run, you run. I tell you to hide, you hide. Understand?" She nodded, and whatever she had felt on the rock quickly dissipated and turned into a deep desire for revenge.

Her father removed a trident from a human body, and Spider led the way to the well deck. The ship was burning, and the metal was hot beneath her feet and hands. "Stay here," Jake ordered them, and Sylwana and Spider remained in their spots. "I'm sorry about Neteyam," Spider whispered. She kept her face neutral, trying not to think of her brother and instead on how she was going to get Kiri and Tuk away from the ship. "It means a lot that you came to save me." She moved her hand when the metal beneath it became too hot to bear. "Of course we did. We were not just going to leave you with the demons," she replied. "Yeah well, I was pretty much used to-" But Sylwana had seen her chance. Quaritch was ordering Jake to cuff himself, and he held a knife to Kiri's throat. Her hand shot out to grab Spider's shoulder. "Stay here," she repeated her fathers words, crouching and trying to figure out a way to get them all out safely. Spider had a way out just behind them, and the deck where her family and Quaritch stood had sunk halfway into the sea, giving an easy escape if she or her father called an ilu or tsurak. She could attack Quaritch from behind, his neck was unprotected...

She was too lost in strategy, and before she knew what was happening, Spider had jumped down, begging Quaritch not to hurt Kiri, and her mother had appeared behind him holding a knife to his chest. With a pang to her heart, Sylwana took in her mothers expression. She did not recognise her. Her mother would never hold a knife to a child, not even Spider, whom she held a distaste for. "Release. Or I cut." Spider's chest rose and fell, looking up at Neytiri in fear. "Don't hurt her!" Spider begged Quaritch. "Don't kill him mom!"
"A son for a son." Neytiri hissed, and for a moment Sylwana wondered if she actually meant her words.

Sylwana froze, unsure of what to do and how she could benefit anyone here. "You think I care about some kid?" Quaritch shrugged. "He's not mine. We're not even the same species." Neytiri slashed Spider's chest. Blood trickled down from a shallow but long cut. "I cut," she repeated, and when Quaritch did nothing, she screamed and moved as if she was going to stab Spider. "No!" Quaritch moved his knife away from Kiri, only to find that Neytiri had frozen. She glanced up, and when she saw Kiri was out of reach of the knife, she tossed Spider aside. Sylwana took this as her chance to appear, running to Spider and making sure he was okay. He stood shaking, and had to hold onto her to avoid falling. Neytiri had an unreadable expression as she looked at her daughter. Sylwana could feel the adrenaline pumping in her veins, feel the prickling cold of fear at the sight of her mothers eyes. She looked crazed.