The Breath of Water | Neteyam

85 • Rejuvenescence

"Liya...! Liya, wake up!" Tsireya yelled, shaking her sister. Liyanin had collapsed on top of Neteyam, her freckles lit brighter than normal; she was knocked out cold. "Liya! Sister!"

Before she passed out, she had her hands over Neteyam's wound, the waters around them rising and spinning, creating a strong breeze. The winds got stronger, almost blowing Tsireya off the rock. Then suddenly, they stopped and Liyanin's body fell.

"Sister, please, wake up—!"

"Ghhouhh!!" she heard a gasp, but it wasn't from her sister.

It was from Neteyam.

Seeing him breathing again, Tsireya jumped backwards in shock.

"Hhoh, hhoh, hhoh—" he panted heavily, his eyes widened. He hurriedly sat up, feeling for the wound he had—but it was gone. "Hhoh, hhoh, what the—hell—hhoh—"

He looked down, seeing Liyanin passed out on his lap, blood covering her hands and legs. He grabbed her arms, pulling her face closer to his. "Liya? Liya...?!" he held her in his arms, holding her cheek. Her freckles were still very bright, and her eyes closed. He put his ear up to her mouth, and fortunately she was breathing. Then suddenly she gasped, her eyes bursting open. When she came to, she saw Neteyam looking right back at her. Her left hand shakily reached up to touch his face.

"...o-oh...Ma Eywa..." she stuttered. She then suddenly attacked him with a hug, squeezing him tightly. "...Nete, Nete—oh my gosh...!"

He was still in shock from just being dead, so he was still kind of absent-minded. His arms hadn't wrapped around her, for he was trying to make sense of the whole situation. Tsireya sat back in shock, a hand over her mouth.

"H-how..." she voiced.

"How am I—?" Neteyam started, staring at his hand. Liyanin clung to him, looking at the hand he stared at. She then grabbed it, holding it close to her face, kissing his knuckles. He then looked at her, breathing heavily. "...Yawne..."

"...You're going to...to be so happy..." Liyanin spoke; she seemed to be out of breath. Her eyelids fluttered, and she looked exhausted. "...I'm...I am..."

"...Yawne...? Liya...!"

She passed out, her hand falling to her side. She breathed normally, and the luminosity of her freckles had returned to normal. Tsireya, worried about her sister, still couldn't wrap her head around how Neteyam was alive again and speaking. She literally watched him die. The light in his eyes was blown out. He stopped moving.

But here was now, holding her sister in his arms and calling out her name.

"...Tsireya!" Neteyam shouted, snapping her out of her daze. "...where are my parents and my brother?"

"O-oh...t-they...um..." she had a hard time articulating her thoughts, the recent events making her brain become a muddled mess. "...the ship...they went to go rescue your...your sisters...!"

He turned his head towards the sinking ship that was burning, the embers and flames reflecting in his golden irises. He instinctively held Liyanin closer to him, eyeing the destruction. He then turned his attention towards his mate, caressing her cheek. Seeing the blood on her made him concerned, but he quickly realized that it wasn't hers. Well, some of it was, he remembered her arms had gotten cut, but the blood on her hands and legs—it was from him.

"...what did you do...?"

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4 days later...