I WANNA BE SAVED, neteyam

Ch 30: Golden Slumbers

When they all arrived back at the village, it seemed like everyone had been awaiting their arrival.

The people weren't shocked at the fact they all were beat up and bruised, but they were sent into shock when Neteyam's lifeless body was being carried in his fathers arms.

The family's loss was heavy and the village acknowledged it.

The people carved a path as they let them walk through, revealing Ronal and Tonowari at the end. Their eyes were solemn at the sight of such broken parents who had lost so much, now including their eldest son.

Jake opened his mouth, first unable to form words as he looked down at his sons resting face. Closing it, he composed himself before trying again.

"Can we ask for a proper burial for our—" His voice broke, trying not to let the tears fall. "For our son..." Jake finished.

Tonowari looked to his mate, Ronal already bowing her head in approval, not even questioning the grieving father's request.

That post war morning, the family spent it treating their wounds before attending to the dead. Jake and Neytiri had taken Neteyam to another hut farther on the other side of the village to clean and prep him for his funeral, which would later happen tonight.

Ayatney was in the process of undoing her hair, until the phantom feeling of Neteyam's fingers was weaving through her strands. Recalling the memory of him redoing her hair.

It was like she was finding out he was dead all over again, the multiple feelings of emotions washing over her like a tidal wave. Something she had learned to keep at bay was suddenly flooding her senses.

Spider, Kiri and Tuk were with Tsireya and Lo'ak who sat on the other end of the marui pod. They were helping her grind the shells into a paste that they were meant to paint their skin with later.

The sound of a knife cutting through something alerted the small group, all turning their heads to see that Ayatney was cutting her hair off frantically.

Braids fell to the woven floor with a soft thump, weighted by beads and feathers.

Afraid she was going to hurt herself, Tuk ran to the older. Wrapping her arms around Ayatney's torso, digging her face into her back.

"Stop it!" The little girl begged, only to get shoved off by Ayatney as she continued to cut braids off in chunks. Lo'ak and Kiri stood in alarm, both now rushing over to protect their little sister.

"Are you crazy?!" Kiri screamed at the girl, brows furrowing when she realized that she was in some sort of trance like state. Lo'ak grabbed the hand that held the knife, and tried to pull it out of her grasp.

"Ayatney, stop it!"

She elbowed him with the other, knocking him to the floor with his sisters. He jumped back onto his feet, deciding to just wrap his arms around hers to bound them to her sides.

"No!" Ayatney screamed in protest, alerting villagers around them. "Let me go!"

She tried to wiggle out of his hold, but the devastating feeling she had in her chest sapped out all of the strength in her knees. He lowered them onto the floor, now pulling the knife out of her hands.

Lo'ak tossed it to the side, out of reach if the girl was to go after it.

Ao'nung and Rotxo had been on their way to deliver more funeral wear for the family when they heard the commotion. Arriving at the entrance of the pod, they took in the sight of Ayatney sobbing in Lo'ak's hold, the human boy, Kiri and Tuk sitting to the side as Tsireya sat in the back with silent tears running down her face.

Ayatney had soon calmed down and allowed for Tsireya to cut the rest off, trying her best to even out the ends. The Metkayina grabbed the last braid closest to the Omatikayans left ear, her hand coming to stop the other.

"Not that one..." Ayatney whispered. His beads were on that particular braid and she was not ready to part with it. Tsireya nodded, sheathing her blade as she began to untangle her hair.

Now that her braids were undone, besides the one she had not cut, her hair which once reached the middle of her shoulder blades, sat at the end of her nape. She had decided to leave it, beyond exhausted to sit through the process of getting her hair redone.

Neytiri and Jake had returned and the pod grew silent as everyone prepared themselves for the worst night of their lives.

Ayatney let Neytiri paint her face with the white paste, closing her eyes as she felt them sting and her nose burn. The image of Neteyam laying still stuck in her mind.

Neytiri wiped the tears away from the girls cheeks, resting the palm of her hands on each side of her face. Ayatney allowed a sob to escape her lips when the mother pulled her in for a hug.

They stayed that way for a while, unmoving as they both cried in funeral garbs.

The journey to lay him to rest forever was anxiety inducing. She was unable to pull her eyes away from him as he laid bound in the leaf filled with flowers that slowly slipped away. His bioluminescent patterns never lit up the way theirs did in the night any longer, and his eyes were to never open again to see the world with his family.

They had reached the drop off point, Jake getting off of the ilu to lift and lay his son to rest. As they removed him from the leaf, everyone was desperate to touch a part of him one last time.

Ayatney held back a sob, exhaling as she brung her fingers to her mouth. Pressing the pads of her fingers to her lips, she brushed them over his.

Their last kiss was only a day after their first.

She and Tuk backed away as the parents took a deep breath, pushing their son further down into the water. The bright tendrils gently wrapped around him, pulling him into their grasps.

Tuk held onto the girls arm as they watched Neteyam's body be engulfed by the bright yellow color.

Ayatney only hopes that as he rests, he will forever dream of her as she has of him.

Kuvlub's Thoughts...
Please comment your thoughts and questions as I will be writing a final note containing my thoughts and answering any questions you may have about Ayatney, the bonds she has w/ the Sully family, or anything general. Just nothing inappropriate please!

Thank you for reading!