You will fall (Neteyam x Oc)

CHAPTER 42

CHAPTER 42
SURVIVOR

The girl felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the heavily tattooed Na'vi man in front of her. With his newly braided hair framing his slim face, he smiled warmly and rushed towards her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. "I missed you, Nae-Nae," he said, his voice husky from the emotion in his words.

Sao'Nae smiled, appreciating the warmth of the man's embrace, when she noticed Neteyam's presence. The Omatikiya man stood next to them, staring at Kol with a hint of suspicion in his eyes. She nudged Kol's arm with her chin, gesturing towards Neteyam with a nod. The man seemed to relax his body and opened his hand wide, offering a greeting to Neteyam.

"That's Neteyam," she said, gesturing towards the Omatikiya man, "The boy with eyes like a sunset." She added with the corner of her lips lifting up in a small smile. Kol's face lit up with excitement as he reached out to offer his hand to Neteyam. "I'm Kol," he said with a wide grin, "I'm a good friend's with your mate."

The two men carefully shook hands and chatted for a short while. They both seemed to have come to an understanding. Kol's facade seemed to faltered for a moment, a look of sadness filling his expression like water in a container with holes. He hesitated, "I wish it were just that, Nae-Nae," he admitted, "The humans...they..."

His voice trailed off as Sao'Nae's heart sank in her chest. The sudden realization of what he was about to say set her nerves on edge. The humans had burnt Ta'unui to the ground. "I'm sorry," she whispered, barely able to speak.

Kol sighed and sat on the edge of her cot, his shoulders sagging as if he were carrying the weight of the world on them. "No one died," he said, his voice low, "My mother and father were held at gunpoint, the demon shot Pope's Ilu---"

Sao'Nae flinched at the mention of the demon, the memories of the demon's attack flooding back into her mind. Neteyam's hand tightened around hers, offering a silent form of comfort.

Kol hesitated, but Neteyam spoke up, acknowledging the horrors that had taken place. "It is wrong what the humans have done," he said, his voice filled with anger. "The destruction of lives, of homes, it is something no one should ever have to experience," he continued, his eyes hard as he stared into the distance. He clenched his fists at his sides, and tears began to well up in his eyes. It was clear that the events had deeply affected him, and that he still held a great deal of pain over the suffering that the humans had caused.

Kol looked at Neteyam with an understanding, but heavy expression. The loss of a home, of a loved one, was something they both understood very well. They had both experienced the raw destruction of a community at the hands of the humans, a pain that would never fully heal. But knowing they weren't alone in their suffering offered some sense of solace, as if the weight of the world was just a little lighter with someone to share it with. Neteyam's words of comfort and understanding lifted a burden from Kol's shoulders, a burden he didn't even realize he was carrying until that moment.

Sao'Nae rested her hand softly against her abdomen, "I see you, Kol'Zaro."

Kol looked up at her, his eyes filled with wonder as he took in her words. Sao'Nae's gentle touch to her abdomen seemed to have a calming effect on him, as if her simple gesture carried a weight of reassurance that no words could ever convey. He felt a sense of hope and purpose in that moment, a feeling that had been missing from his life for far too long.

Kol'Zaro opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He wanted to tell her everything, to let her know that she wasn't alone, that he was there for her. But the weight of the pain and suffering he had endured was too heavy to bear. It was as if all of the emotions he had been carrying around with him for far too long had suddenly become too much to hold.