Deep in the Violet | Neteyam X fem OC

Chapter nine

As the very first light of morning began to seep into the heart of the Floating Mountains, a new day had arrived to the camp. Naveah had been awake for a while, the pain from her shoulder starting to creep back into her awareness. She reached into her bag for another batch of leaves, which she had chewed on during the night to alleviate the pain that kept waking her.

She considered getting up, however, her injuries prevented her from exploring the forest below, leaving her with nowhere to go. Instead, she chose to stay, resting beside the still-sleeping Neteyam.

During night, they had unconsciously drawn closer to each other. Neteyam's face was now so close that she could easily count the individual eyelashes framing his peaceful expression. Their hands that remained entwined for the most of the night, now rested next to each other, with their fingers lightly touching.

She turned her gaze towards him, studying his features as the soft morning light revealed their details. His lips were exquisitely shaped, gently parted in the relaxation of sleep. Small drops of sweat formed on his forehead, glistening on the pronounced markings and stripes adorning his face. It was something she had admired and wished for herself, given that her's were just faint stripes, barely recognizable from a distance.

Her eyes trailed down, following the curve of his neck to his strong shoulders, then to his chest rising and falling rhythmically with each deep breath. For a moment, her gaze lingered, and her mind painted a vivid image of resting her head there, imagining the comforting warmth radiating from him. A sudden rush of heat flushed her cheeks, and she silently thanked the fact that Neteyam remained in slumber, blissfully unaware of her vivid daydream.

Neteyam's hands suddenly tightened into fists, and his eyes started restlessly moving from side to side behind his closed eyelids. His ears and expression twitched intermittently, eyebrows forming into a faint frown as he found himself among a wild nightmare.

His mind was transported back into the scene that had unfolded the previous evening: Raxtan's confrontation with Naveah. But in this distorted version, instead of just grabbing her by the shoulder, Raxtan's hands were wrapped around her neck, his fingers tightening with malicious intent. Neteyam's feet felt as if they were trapped in the thickest tar, unabling him to rush to her aid, to release her free from Raxtan's grasp.

"Let her go!" Neteyam screamed, approaching the scene slowly, every movement weighed down by an oppressive force. Raxtan turned towards him, an evil grin spreading across his face as he spoke. "As you wish." In a sickening twist, he showed Naveah off the edge of the camp.

Naveah plummeted towards the forest floor, her lifeless form landing motionless on the ground. In an instant, the perspective shifted, and Neteyam found himself lying on the ground beside her. Her face was inches away, worry etched in her eyes as they blinked in confusion. A wave of relief surged through him as he realized she was unharmed. He reached out to her, pulling her into his close embrace. It took him a moment to fully comprehend the situation, to understand that he was indeed beside her in the dining area by the fire, and that the nightmare was a mere figment of his subconscious mind.

A sudden rush of embarrassment flowed through him as he realized what he had just done. He quickly released Naveah from his arms, his heart racing as he wanted to explain the awkward situation. As he drew back, Naveah's face froze in surprise, her widened eyes locking onto his. He watched as her cheeks flushed with subtle pink, the color gradually deepening into a bright red.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered, quickly sitting up, his fingers scratching his head anxiously as he tried to briefly recount the dream to her. "I had a nightmare where Raxtan threw you off the camp's edge, and as you fell down, I found myself lying next to you, not realizing that the dream had ended. And then, I guess, I was just so happy to see that you're not hurt...," he chuckled nervously, feeling a blush heat up his own cheeks.