Neteyam and y/n (fem)

chapter 17: capture

It was a rainy, overcast day. The sky was heavy, dark clouds swirling ominously, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. I stood still, my eyes scanning the heavens as a sense of unease settled over me. The atmosphere thickened with tension, as though the very air itself was holding its breath.

Neteyam stepped beside me, his presence grounding but still laced with worry. "I feel like something is about to happen, Teyam," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of the rain, not daring to meet his gaze.

"I feel it too, my love," he murmured, his voice steady but laced with concern. His hand rested gently on my back, tracing soothing circles up and down, trying to calm my racing heart. That's when we heard it low and ominous, the horns blared through the air, shattering the stillness.

We turned to each other, eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. Without a word, we took off running toward the gathering of villagers. The sound of panic rippled through the crowd like a wave, people murmuring in distress. When we arrived, I saw Ronal, her face twisted with anguish, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stood with Tonowari behind her, his expression hard as stone. Jake and Neytiri were nearby, standing with their children Tuk, Kiri, and Lo'ak all of them tense and bracing for what was to come.

Ronal's voice cracked as she spoke, "My spirit sister and her baby have been murdered by the Sky People!" The pain in her voice was palpable, her grief so raw that it silenced the crowd for a moment. Gasps echoed around us as the realization sank in, panic spreading like wildfire.

"This war has come to us," Tonowari said, his deep voice filled with a grim certainty. His words felt like a physical blow to my chest. We had brought this war to their homes. My ears pinned back in guilt, but I forced my face to remain calm and serious.

"We knew about the hunting of the tulkun far off on the horizon," Tonowari continued, his voice rising as the village erupted into anger. "But now it is here, upon us!" The people began to shout, their tongues flicking out in a display of defiance and rage.

Jake stepped forward, trying to reason with them. "You don't understand how the Sky People think. They don't care about balance, about the sacredness of life," he pleaded, but his words were barely making a dent in the growing fury of the crowd.

Neteyam, ever the voice of reason, stepped up beside his father. "Listen! Listen to him!" he called out, his voice strong as his hair swung with his movements, trying to command attention. "The Sky People won't stop. This is only the beginning."

Jake nodded, his voice urgent. "You have to warn your tulkun. Tell them to leave go far away!"

Ronal's eyes blazed with anger as she stepped forward, her voice shaking with fury. "You live among us, and you have learned nothing!" she spat, her hand on her chest as though to steady herself from the pain.

A warrior from the crowd shouted, "We will fight to protect our brothers and sisters!" He slammed his fist against his chest, rallying the villagers as their anger surged once more.

"No! No, you don't understand!" Jake's voice rose in desperation. "If you attack them, they will destroy you. They will destroy everything you love! Do you hear me?!" His words were urgent, his frustration mounting as the crowd seemed ready to erupt into chaos.

Neteyam stood firm beside him, his voice calm but commanding. "Stay calm! Listen to my father. He speaks the truth," he urged, holding up the tracking device they had found. Jake took it from him, raising it high for everyone to see.