My Blessing
Hey this is gonna be the first chapter of the mini series I want to do between (y/n) and Neteyam. This story will diverge from the actual plot of Avatar and have some additional elements allowing me to incorporate (y/n) + her lore into the story. Synopsis: (y/n) is from one of the oldest clans in Pandora, hidden away from the world in far away floating mountains called the Mirit'han Mountains, becoming only legends to the rest of Pandora. Nearly dying at birth, her parents prayed to the divine mother, feeding her the fruits from the goddess' celestial upside tree, which is rooted into one of the floating mountains. She was healed from the fruit, but in return she was forced to carry a blessing, the ability to heal herself and others upon will. This blessing quickly turned into a curse after the RDA made found her exploring the grounds below the floating mountains. After that, she ran to protect herself, her family, and her clan. But after running around Pandora for almost 5 years, she runs into the Sully family, who somehow force her to stay with them. But much to her surprise, she stayed. And now she's a blessing to a whole other family, and a lucky golden boy.
5.6K words (probably the longest it's going to be tbh)
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"What is this Ya'ruk?" sobs carried through the chambers of the mountains. The young tsahik Pe'yali, cried out to her husband, holding her teeny child in her hands.
Her abnormal pale pink skin felt cold against her mothers, and Ya'ruk and the elders followed the path through the path of the caves to the top of the mountain.
A green and blue ikran whipped in front of Ya'ruk against the rain of the night. Ya'ruk grabbed his mate's hand, pulling her and his child onto the creature, "Shh Pe'yali. The divine mother will be able to answer our questions."
Pe'yali's mother squeezed her daughter's hand, a silent message of strength. The newfound mother looked down at her infant, whispering for only her husband to hear, "We prayed so many times for this baby. If we question the mother..."
"We will help her, sevin. She will help her. Do not fret."
The altitude created a strong breeze, making Pe'yali hold her daughter closer. Ya'ruk landed at the top of the mountain, the entrance of the cave glowing warmly, almost inviting.
The elder healer, who had been flying behind them, urged them to follow the light from the cave. "I cannot join you, for this is your journey. I wish you the best of luck, my children."
The couple, interlocking their hands, made their way through entrance, the warm of the caves being drastically different from the cool air. The glow grew brighter and brighter, until the two reached their destination.
The tree twisted out from the ceiling of the cave, hovering over a pool of calm water, only littered by the slowly green leaves from the heavily tree itself. The beauty of the tree was indescribable, every part of the tree was a clean golden hue while the fruits were bright red, standing out against the green foliage. The leaves shifted, moving from the celestial force of the heavenly mother. Fruits hang from the lower branches, right over the pool.
Ya'ruk, slowly letting go of this mate's hand, neared the pool. He wadded in, nearing the lowest hanging fruit at the center. Pe'yali realized the moment they were waiting for was nearing, crouching down, picking up a large leaf and stone from the side of the pool.
The moment Ya'ruk picked the fruit, he tossed it to his mate, who caught it and cut it in half with her dagger. She placed the fruit i between the leaves, crushing it with the rock, allowing the juice to run out from the fruit.
"Eywa. Hear our prayers," Ya'ruk muttered, crouching down next to his mate, who held the leaf of juice in her palm.
Pe'yali, coaxed the juice into the cold baby's mouth, muttering prayers under breath. When the infant inhaled a bit too harshly, the pair froze, Pe'yali's muttering became breathier, "Oh Eywa."
The silence echoed the cavern, the only sounds being the distant rain and the anxious breaths of Ya'ruk and Pe'yali. The two still stared at their daughter, who was still and even colder to the touch. Her pink skin different from her parents' dark blue tone.
Ya'ruk saw the tears spilling from Pe'yali's golden-brown eyes, the accepting pain taking over her body. He felt the scream come from the bottom of his heart, but he held it back. Just in case their daughter was somehow alive, he didn't want to wake her from her still slumber.
Pe'yali, holding her daughter almostly limply in her hands, turned to her mate, "I believe she.. she is with the ancestors."
He pushed his hair from his face, tearing a larger leaf off of the tree. He turned back to his sobbing mate, gently taking the baby from her hands, placing her onto the leaf. Kneeling next to the pool, he held the leaf before turning to his mate.
"Would you like to say 'good-bye'?"
She could barely shake her head, turning away. The heartache from even looking was enough to make her sob once again. Ya'ruk let go to the leaf, watching as it drifted out into the pool, their daughter floating with it. Pe'yali joined his side while holding onto her mate's hand. Her head tilted downward, her strength nearly gone. Seconds passed. Minutes passed.
The only thing they could hear was the distant rain, and the faint chatter of the elders. How could they face them? They had lost their only child. Their slow tears mixed into the ground as the couple mentally cursed their fate. Pe'yali's heartache shifted from her heart to her stomach, creating a burning rage within her.
Energy is only borrowed. But their daughter never even got to feel the energy of Pandora.
Her shallow inhales hurt, but the second the quiet cry rang out, Pe'yali froze. Everything in her heart and stomach crumbled into a light of hope.
A cry. A faint, baby's cry.
She dived into the pool without hesitation, swimming to the drifting leaf. Grabbing the leaf, and hoisting it out of the water, she looked down at her baby.
Her now healthy, lovely, purple baby. Ya'ruk saw the sight, making his way to his mate in the middle of the pool. They both watch the infant grab and play with her mother's finger.
"Eywa heard us." He muttered, holding his daughter. "Eywa has blessed you little one."
Ya'ruk placed a kiss to her forehead, hearing the giggling from his baby. He held her closer, Pe'yali leaning against him. "What do we name her?"
"(y/n)."
"Oh, (y/n). Our dear, dear blessing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The forest was quiet, nothing except for the light rustling of trees. (y/n) laid out on a large branch above the forest, her knife in her hand while her other arm sheltered her eyes from the sun.
The soft coos of a yerik and the deep growls of a palulukun woke her up, and as she turned to look down she sees the commotion below her. Sighing, she sits up dusting off her long, tan burlesque panel skirt and beaded top.
A few bold clicks of her tongue and her ikran was by her in seconds, receiving praise from his rider. He was a beauty, with a blue body, pink tail, purple wings, and specific turquoise patterns, differentiating him from forest ikrans.
"Aww, good morning to you as well, Zualyu. I see you slept well." A few pats to his back, making him chitter happily. She sighs, hoping onto the back of her ikran.
A few soft click and they were off, soaring above the forest within the clouds. (y/n) leans back, trusting her ikran to take control. She opened the satchel which was wrapped around his neck, taking out her poncho-like coverup and a large fruit which she had saved as breakfast.
“I don’t think there’s going to be much to do today. Except for gathering some herbs.”
Zualyu only chittered in response. (y/n) heard more wings flapping below her, and as she looked down she saw a group of ikrans flying right below them. She listened to Zualyu coo again to her, and she laughed a bit, “Yes, they are definitely smaller than you. And you’re also prettier, Zu-Zu.”
(y/n) watched the smaller ikrans continue to flying together. She sighed a bit, knowing how much Zualyu misses his home just as much as she missed hers.
She turned back to look out at the view in front of her, seeing how the sky met the trees, and how the light met the world.
“Come on, Zualyu. Let’s see if we can make it to the Hallelujah Mountains.”
—————
“Bro, you’re so slow!”
“Shut up.”
“Guys! You’re going too fast!”
Lo’ak groaned, turning to his older brother, “Why did we have to bring Tuk?”
“Hey!”
“I get bringing Kiri and Spider, but why did you bring her? She’s so-“
“Lo’ak, shut up.”
Neteyam sighed, turning to his siblings, “Can you all just be quiet?! We need to bring home food otherwise dad will skin us for the stunt we pulled at dinner last night.”
“Okay, it wasn’t that bad,” Spider panted, hoping from root to root. “I mean he could have skinned us right there.”
“Let’s keep in mind it was you boys’ fault. Tuk and I were not a part of it.”
“GUYS. Hush. I hear something.” Neteyam motioned for everyone to crouch down, peaking over a rock to try to see what their potential prey could be.
A yerik strutted through the distant clearing, picking its snack from a small bushel of berries. Neteyam raised his bow, aim perfect. He took a deep breath, almost letting go of the arrow.
Once he did, a loud crackling came over the comms.
"Lo'ak. Neteyam. Get you and your sisters back here. Now."
The yerik didn't even look behind her, but she was off before the arrow even had a change to graze her. The arrowing landed in the truck of a large tree, making Neteyam sigh.
Lo'ak touched his comm, answering his father, "Yes, sir."
Spider smiles, laughing at Lo'ak's mistake. Kiri and Tuk had already gone ahead to the clearing where the yerik once was, gathering the same berries the creature had be enjoying.
The eldest brother, sighing, turned to Lo'ak, "Next time, shut the comm off."
The second Neteyam turned away, Lo'ak started mocking his brother until he was hit in the head with a bow.
"Come on, skxwang. Dad's probably waiting for us to go scouting again," Neteyam looks up to where his sisters are, "Tuk, Kiri, come on!"
"Aww noooo."
———
"Come on, bro! It can't be that dangerous."
"Dad told us-"
But Lo'ak was off.
The two brothers along with their father, as well as a handful of other soldiers, were circling above an abandoned mech suit which had been reported to Jake by a gathering group earlier that morning.
Lo'ak and Neteyam were meant to be lookout. To make sure there are no incoming threats within the area. But the discreet dive downward by the two teens were not noticed by the others.
"It's too close to the Home Tree, there could be others." One of the solider's said, turning to Jake.
"It doesn't seem active, but we can't tell from here. We need to get a closer look."
But as the soldiers continued to discuss what their approach would be, Neteyam and Lo'ak had already reached the mech.
"Whoa. Bro, look at this!"
"Don't touch it. We should wait for dad."
"It'll be fine." Lo'ak said, already starting to climb onto the pile of metal. "Wow, this thing is huge."
"Lo'ak. Get off of i-"
"Neteyam. Lo'ak." The comms crackled with their dad's pissed voice. "Get. Off. That. Thing."
"But sir-"
"NOW."
Both of them nodded at one another, climbing back onto their ikrans. The second they were back at their father's side, Jake sighed deeply and signaled the others to head down to investigate the machinery.
"What were you two-"
Before Neteyam would even try to defend him and his brother, Lo'ak had already started to describe what he saw, "Dad, there are-on that thing- there are a bunch of scratches. I mean a lot. They seem like ikran talons, but a bit larger."
Neteyam nodded, recalling the scratches covering the mech, "It could be a palulukun. If so we need to be more careful."
—————
“Ugh, I can’t believe that metal monster hurt you. Oh, Zu-Zu. Does this hurt?”
(y/n) placed her hand on the wound, making the ikran scream out in pain.
“Shhh shh. It’s okay, it’s alright.” The girl grabbed a large leaf from a nearby tree, placing crushed herb paste on it. “This will burn for a few seconds, Zu. Then it will feel cool, now stay still.”
(y/n) placed the leaf over the cut, holding it there with both her hands. The creature below her shifted, moving away from the slight burning sensation.
After a few seconds the cooling sensation started to settle in, allowing the ikran to relax. (y/n) sighed, looking up at the ikran’s eyes. She looked back at the leaf, and breathed in deeply.
A faint humming surrounded her along with the sounds of the forest around her. As her eyes shut, the forest around them started to turn to them. The flowers and leaves all started to shift naturally towards her, almost as if they were leaning into her. A faint glowing emerged from the edges of the large leaf against her palms, and the humming grew stronger.
Her freckles started to glow, brighter than a normal Na’vi. Her tattoos along her back and arms started to glow a bright blue color as star shaped patterns, representing the constellations against her dark indigo skin.
The moment she let go of the leaf, her surroundings silenced immediately. The flowers and leaves of the forest stopped, the glowing from her body dimmed, and her breathing returned.
As (y/n) removed the leaf along with the herb paste, she heard her large ikran shuffle as his head guided down to her. The girl chuckled slightly, washing off the paste with water as she placed her free hand on Zualyu’s snout.
“There, fully healed. Not even a scar.”
Zualyu chittered to her, nudging her as a thanks. The girl smiled, packing her things before turning to mount her ikran.
Before (y/n) could motion for Zualyu to fly, she heard something. A loud something.
It came from her left, terrifying and distant. The sounds were sharp and painful. Gunshots rang throughout the forest, and they were not stopping.
They were getting closer.
As she heard a familiar ikran cry from above her, she saw the large group of ikrans circling around in evasive maneuvers. And as far as she could tell, they all had riders.
“Zualyu, hide.” (y/n) knew that her ikran’s distinct, colorful patterns will make him easier to find within the forest. She took the deep green paint from her satchel, coating herself in messy and rushed green lines to help her hide herself within the forest. Before the ikran could even try to defy her she had already turned to scale the tree.
She just needed to find a way to hide from those sky-freaks and the riders.
If only it was that simple.
—————
Neteyam and Lo'ak were told to dive into the forest. Jake had told them he would find them the second this was over.
Of course, perfect Neteyam listened, but both brothers were internally pacing about what to do.
Their father's life was at risk.
Their people's lives were at risk.
And they were hiding in the middle of the forest. Lo'ak was about to open his mouth and pitch the idea once more to go back to their dad to help, but a rustling in the forest made him halt.
Both of them froze, turning to listen. Heavy footsteps, metal clanking, loud discussion. It was the sky people, and they were close.
—————
“Lo’ak, where are you?”
A voice emerged from the small rock around the boy's neck. Magic stone.
"Sir, we're near the south lake. There are people- sky people and they're-"
"Where's your brother?"
"We... we split up."
"What?"
"Yeah, Neteyam said we should separate and meet back up at the Northern sap tree. They can't follow both of us at the same time."
The magic, black stone sighed.
(y/n) changed her footing, trying to balance on the branch. A small snap made her freeze. He heard it, he definitely did. (y/n) watched as the boy's head whipped towards her direction, panic and wariness in his eyes.
She stayed silent, absolutely silent. She didn't even breath too hard, knowing if she did he'd absolutely shoot her there and then. But that's when conversation started in the distance, along with metallic clanging. The demon freaks were on the way, and fast by the sound of it.
The blue boy realized this too, immediately bolting past her. (y/n) followed the boy, for some reason only Eywa knew. She felt it was the right decision, that she would live to appreciate it.
They had continued to run, but a slip from Lo'ak allowed for him to be targeted from the freaks. (y/n), who was above in the foliage, was watching as the demon people closed in.
They're close. Too close.
Bullets rang across the forest, followed by a pained cry.
Oh, Eywa.
------
(y/n) had gotten him away. Somehow.
She doesn't even know how, honestly. All she knew was that she is now, dragging an almost unconscious Na'vi boy through the forest, while running from the demon freak people.
"What on Pandora ugh did I get myself into? Saving a random boy?" She muttered not so silently to herself. A habit she developed from being alone with her non-speaking ikran all of the time.
She had hauled him into the side of the huge tree, trying to ignore the stickiness of the tree’s bark.
Tree sap. One of the most ideal natural healing ointments, due to the cooling and disinfecting properties.
(y/n) analyzed the cut along the boys side, grabbing the closest leaf before rubbing tree sap all along the side. As she hover the leaf over the cut, she felt him twitch.
He was waking up, and she needed to hurry. She placed her healing hand against him, using the same mystical force as before to heal him.
The second he had woken up, he shifted, jumping out of her touch. But the second he felt her hand leave his side, pain rushed down his side.
“Don’t move.” She grabbed his arm, holding him still. He didn’t move, noticing that she wasn’t with the sky people.
He noticed how out of place she seemed though. She was different from the forest Na’vi, her appearance making her stand out from the forest more.
“This will not hurt. I promise.” She slathered more onto his side, noticing his eyes on his own wound, which only resembled a harsh bruise now. She used her fingers to shift his view to the empty forest next to him. “It will seem more painful. If you watch.”
Lo’ak thought that this was just a way for him to stop squirming so much, but the heat from the area started to cool instantly.
“Stop breathing so hard. It’s annoying.”
He hadn’t even realized how hard he was breathing. It was from the pain, and the flight fear of this unknown Na’vi girl. The second she pulled back, she nudged him to turn back.
“You will be fine. Able to return to normal activities.”
He just nodded hesitantly, thinking about thanking her, but before he turned to check on the magically painless wound.
“Thank you.” He breathed out.
His gratitude was only met with silence.
“Lo’ak.”
She hesitated. Her ears pushed back, a million thoughts going through her mind. But, seeing him tired and a bit achey, she found him as no threat.
“..(y/n).” She tied off the vines used as bandages, “You are lucky Eywa had me save you. Otherwise those demon freaks would have gotten you.”
“Demon freaks.” Lo’ak looked at his hand quickly, before tucking it away. “You mean sky people.”
“No, freaks. They come and ruin and destroy when no need for it. It’s a cruel way, and Eywa wants them gone.” The notices his hesitation to look at her and she straightens her back, placing her hand on his head to face her.
A familiar motion she used to do to her own siblings back home. She looked down at Lo’ak, seeing his eyes. So similar to her brother To’ian, the boldness, bravery, and stupidity. A quiet, longing sigh escaped her as she realized what he feels, “You are true Na’vi.. Lo’ak. You have heart. Love for Eywa and her land. Those demons... Sky people don’t have heart for the divine mother.”
He smiled softly, her words filling something he didn’t know needed to be filled. These words, even from this stranger he had just met, meant something.
Before their formalities could continue, an arrow shot right in front of him, into the bark of the tree. (y/n) jumped back, hissing at the arrow, turning to the foliage where it was from. There stood Neteyam, his bow drawn and aiming at her. He watched her, noticing everything about her. Her indigo skin underneath the green paint, her curly hair rolled over her back.
“Get away from him.” His stance was firm and practiced, and his eyes whipped to his brother for a second, slightly fearful for the life of his brother in the moment. “Come here, Lo’ak.”
“Bro, what are you-?”
(y/n) looked at Lo’ak, then back at Neteyam, realizing the similarities, quickly coming to the conclusion that they’re brothers. She stood up straighter, but not pronounced, her hand tucking under her coverup to pull out a small bone dagger from it.
“What do you want?”
She scoffed, changing her grip on the knife. Her eyes darted around for a possible exit, but she was cut short when he stepped closer.
“Who are you? Answer.”
She hissed once more, turning to Lo’ak with fiery but pleading eyes. She watched as he whispered to his brother, allowing them to converse in some strange dialect she didn’t understand.
Neteyam lowered his bow, seeing his brother’s healed wound. Lo’ak whispered to his brother, trying to convince him that this strange girl was an ally, because deep down he knew. Someone who wasn’t wouldn’t try to save him.
“Let her go. She saved me, bro. She’s not with the sky people.”
“We don’t know that.”
“But look at her! She’s Na’vi! Look at her hands.”
“That doesn’t mean anything, Lo’ak. Last I checked, Na’vi aren’t purple.” His brother hissed at him turning to look back at the girl, but she was already gone.
They hadn’t even heard her leave. Not even a footstep.
“Damn, she’s quick. And quiet.”
Neteyam turned, starting to walk away from the clearing. “Come on, Lo’ak. Let’s get back to dad.”
The moment he heard a soft shuffling, he turned to look behind him once more. “We won’t tell dad about this. Understood?”
---------
It’s been weeks since the encounter with the forest girl, and Neteyam was almost sure the Lo’ak had basically forgotten about it. Or he just chose to not bring it up, Neteyam wasn't entirely sure but her face stuck with him every day.
She was different definitely. Her appearance, her clothes, and even how she carried herself. It was all different compared to what he has learned in his life.
But after seeing her, everything has slowed Neteyam. He trained sloppier, his focus was clouded, he slept later, and stayed alone in the forest for hours.
Right now he’s hunting. For what, even he wasn’t sure. He wanted to bring back dinner, but something in him wouldn’t believe what he was telling himself; he was here to find that girl.
He’s been doing it for the past week, going out to “hunt” and coming back hours later with a single kill, fruit, and a tired brain.
His hunt for this Na’vi girl was--in his eyes--endless. He hasn’t heard or seen her since that interaction weeks ago. But something in him needed to know what she really was—a threat or an ally.
There are many things that could make her both. She saved his brother, which means she is possibly an ally.
She looked as if she was ready to kill Neteyam that day, possibly an enemy.
She hadn’t killed him that day, possible ally.
She doesn’t look like any Na’vi he’s ever heard about from his parents, that’s suspicious enough to make her the enemy.
These are the thoughts that have consumed him for the past couple weeks. But part of him just believes it was a dream of some sort. But it couldn’t have been, because every day he felt like he was closer to finding her. But even then, it still felt like a dream. Because Eywa, no Na’vi could ever look as beautiful as she did.
And beyond her beauty, there was something that pulled him to her. This force from the forest and in him which only made him even more intrigued and inclined to find this girl.
A small snap of a branch to his left made him jump and hold his bow with a tighter grip. Neteyam pulls and arrow, aiming it to where he heard the noise. Small, snaking breathings mingled with the sounds of the forest.
“Come on out.” He announced to the trees, “Show yourself.”
A shift in the forest startled him further, as he did not expect to actually have something reply to his request. His grip on his arrow became tighter and he gritted his teeth together.
Another shuffle. And as the trees moved, Neteyam had to refrain himself from shooting the thing right on the spot.
It was just a yerik. A stinking yerik.
“Oh.” Neteyam lowered his bow, watching as the creature bolted off. He scratched the back of his neck. “Heh. That’s embarrassing.”
He sat down on a large root, feeling his heart slow down but the internal feeling of embarrassment flood his stomach.
He chuckled to himself, “At least no one saw that.”
But in the dark trees above, a slender purple Na’vi watched him adjust his weapons and laugh to himself. Her quiet snickers making her quick attempt at hiding even more entertaining. What a skxawng.
But after watching him seat himself on the roof, the girl hissed to herself, ready to leave. “Why is he always here? He’s basically hunting me. Ugh, I just wanted some herbs.”
She watched him hold his stuff, preparing for his departure.
Yes, he’s leaving.
A loud crackle came from the boy’s talking neck rock.
“Bro, where are you?”
“I’m on my way back to Home Tree, don’t worry.”
“You better be, Tuk has something she wants to show you.”
“What is it?”
“I can’t tell you. It’d ruin the surprise.”
He sighs, “Fine I’ll see you soon.”
---
The rock goes quiet, and (y/n) starts shifting her weight on the branch to allow her to dash if needed. She couldn’t be to loud, or she’d risk getting shot by the Na’vi boy.
The boy took two steps, and a dangerous growling rose from behind one of the trees. This definitely wasn’t a yerik. A palulukun stalked its way out of its hiding spot, seeing the blue boy as a mid-afternoon snack. Probably not enough to hold him off until dinner, but he’d have to suffice.
Oh, come on stupid boy, run!
Neteyam didn’t run. He scaled right up the closest tree. The creature snarled, trying to claw its way up to retrieve his snack.
Neteyam panted, his adrenaline pumping through his body as he watched the creature growl louder and louder. There were attempts made to climb the tree, but the large animal was too large to climb up the branches.
The palulukun realized this quickly and stopped its efforts to climb, and now just waited for his prey but pacing below the trees. Neteyam cursed to himself, seeing the danger remaining below him. He’d like to report back to his brother or father, but any loud noise may attract even more attention than wanted.
The final decision was to sit there and wait it out. Neteyam leaned back against the tree, looking up at the sky while trying to ignore the growling below him. Besides that, he made note of the incredible color of the sky, the smaller forest animals rushing away, the soft humming from the flora around him, the bright brown eyes watching him, the shuffling of leaves from the wind-
…
Neteyam stood up straight, his hand reaching for his bow. But the girl had beaten him this time, grabbing her knife and holding it in her left hand with carved wooden daggers in the other.
He looked at her, seeing nothing but the same mysterious girl from before. Her purple skin wasn’t covered in green paste, and her hair was tied up by vines, leaving only a few curled strands to frame her face. Her tail whipped slightly, aware of her surroundings.
Her eyes only narrowed at him, the growling below almost faint now. She tucked her knife back into its place, holding a finger to her lips to quiet the boy.
She narrowed her eyes further, whispering to him from her tree. “Shoot, and you will be dinner for the palulukun. Understand?”
He nods slowly, looking down at the danger and back at the possible new danger. She was watching the creature with her knife still pointed at him, well aware of the situation they were in.
“Stupid. Skxawng.” She muttered, mainly to herself. “If you had shut your rock up, nothing would have happened.”
“Rock?”
She used her still pointed wooden daggers to point to his comm, “Neck rock. The talking neck rock.”
“This? It’s a-“
“I do not care.” She huffed, starting to stand slowly. “Now hush, or the palulukun will follow us.”
She started to jumped from branch to branch, trying her best to remain silent amongst the branches. Although she wasn’t perfect, she was doing well enough to not get the attention of the palulukun.
She turned, feeling the wind, and then motioned for Neteyam to follow her. Although his brain told him not to, he did.
She perched herself on a tall branch, directly above the creature. She made sure Neteyam was behind her before pulling out a satchel of powdered herbs, which she sprinkled onto the creature below them.
The palulukun quickly drifted off to a light sleep, making her sigh. She turned to look at him, glaring slightly, “He will wake easy. Remain silent.”
She clicked her tongue rhythmically, making her way to the top of the tree. Neteyam felt obligated to follow her, and so he did.
At the top, he felt the breeze from the wings of the abnormally large ikran. As the Na’vi girl climbed on she motioned for Neteyam to get on. And he did. At this point, mystery girl had made him lose every ounce of self preservation he had been taught.
He held onto the creature as they flew above, the screech from the ikran waking the palulukun below them, which soon realized his snack plans had been spoiled.
As she rode above the trees, barely acknowledging him, he looked as her body relaxed. Flying above the world and away from danger. Neteyam shifts, drawing her attention back to him. This made her tense up, keeping her guard up against him.
A sharp bank to the left made him reconsider all his life’s choices and he held on tighter while praying to Eywa. The girl realized this and chuckled, silently enjoying the moment. But after his adrenaline settled down he watched as she leaned forward to land her ikran on a large flat rock in the middle of the forest. Smaller creatures saw the flying monster and scattered immediately, making space for Zuaylu to land.
The purple girl jumped off her ikran, landed on the hard ground beside it. Immediately she turned to her ikran, praising its help in saving her. Neteyam jumped off as well, the height difference between his ikran and abnormally large one behind him causing him to trip. He turned back to look up at the creature again, noticing its different patterns and noticing it's size once more.
Before he could even turn to look at the girl, a swift force had shoved him against the rock, pressing his back into the sharp edges of the stone.
"What are you doing?" The girl glared at him, her short knife held over his neck. Close enough that if he breathed too deeply, the knife would cut him.
Her other forearm was keeping him down, her surprising strength scaring Neteyam. She seemed like she was shorter--possibly by a foot--and it hardly indicating the strength she possessed.
"Why are you following me?" She hissed, moving the knife away from his neck, but still holding it fairly above his jaw.
Neteyam clutched his throat, panting as he tried to register what was happening. He stared up at her, watching her eye him. Damn, she's like a hostile nantang.
"Neteyam." He panted even more, "My name in Neteyam."
She glared at him once more, judging him. "Arrow boy. I remember."
He remembered the day he had been just as hostile towards her, drawing his weapons against her. But in all fairness, his baby brother was in danger. Well, he could have been in danger.
"H-hey, I'm sorry about that. I was just trying to help my brother."
"Lo'ak? Ah, yes. You two are similar to one another."
Silence followed her statement, only ikran chittering in the background. She looked at her creature, and then back at Neteyam. Her eyes flashed in anger, and her grip tightened once more, "And why are you following me? For weeks, you have been doing it. Why?"
"I-I don't-"
"Tell me."
"Thank you. I wanted to say thank you for helping Lo'ak."
She froze, "What?"
"You got him away from the sky people right? You saved him."
She paused, looking back down at him. She shifted, moving off him before placing her hand over his heart. He felt her eye his hand to observe his fingers.
"Strong heart." She got off of him, returning to her ikran. "(y/n)."
"What?"
"My name is (y/n)." She hissed once more, her patience wearing thin already.
"(y/n)." Neteyam repeated.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
nantang - viperwolf
yerik - hexapede
palulukun - thanator
ikran - flying banshee
skxawng - idiot/moron
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Okay this is the first chapter! I'm sorry if it's rushed (especially at the end) or is in need of work. Let me know what you think please, I need some form of feedback!
I've already started on the second part, so I'm not sure how long it will take but hopefully not as long as this one.
