Blood and Water | Neteyam

Burdened by Unknown Secrets ∼ 19

"What!" Tcelia hissed through gritted teeth as Ao'nung finished up his story, "What were you thinking?"

When Lo'ak had come to apologize to him, Ao'nung had not wanted to lose face in front of his friends. Ao'nung had therefore goaded Lo'ak into going hunting with them outside the reef and promptly left him there. Ao'nung had found it funny right up until he hadn't – Lo'ak hadn't returned shortly after as Ao'nung had thought he would.

She was about to give Ao'nung a piece of her mind but surprisingly Neteyam beat her to it, seizing Ao'nung by his shoulder rather roughly and dragged the boy towards the Sullies' Marui pod.

Tcelia hurried after them, concern churning throughout her entire body. Neteyam's body was tense with silent anger as he walked Ao'nung towards his dad, who sat on a Metkayina kayak accompanied by Kiri. Night had fallen and the bioluminescent wonders of the ocean had awakened. Jake and Kiri looked back as they heard the three teenagers approaching them.

Neteyam pushed Ao'nung away from him, "Tell him what you told us."

Horns sounded and the entire village was alerted that Lo'ak was gone. Adults rode out on ilus and skimwings in search of Lo'ak. Tcelia suggested that she could look for Lo'ak on her ikran and Jake had nodded but kept back Neteyam when he had said he would join her.

"I need you with me, boy." Jake had responded when Neteyam had given him an inquiring look. Not having time to explain why – probably out of his mind with worry - Jake had hurried off. Neteyam had squeezed Tcelia's hand swiftly then ran after his father, not wanting to lose him in the chaos of the village.

Tcelia called for her ikran and shortly after, Niwin landed on the walkway, brushing her face against Tcelia's raised hands. Despite the desperation of the situation, Tcelia couldn't help a small smile from forming on her lips as she climbed atop Niwin, connecting her queue to hers – she adored the animal. She hadn't had much time with Niwin the past week, but she made sure to visit her at least once a day, not wanting to have the animal think that she was being neglected.

Tcelia's long hair whipped back as Niwin took off and a surprised cry escaped her lips. She had forgotten how wonderful it felt to feel the cool air weave through her unbraided hair as she shot through the sky. She scolded herself for thinking of her hair when Lo'ak could be in danger, and she focused her eyes on the water below her that whizzed past.

Tcelia cursed Ao'nung as her mind unwillingly pictured all the things that could have happened to Lo'ak by now. Tcelia's mind flashed back to all the stories of warning that Tsireya and Rotxo had told them about the ocean. There were dangers lurking outside of the reef that only adults who had completed the warrior ritual were allowed to face, like multiple different vicious sea predators.

And then there were the Tulkun hunters, better known as sky people. Tcelia shook with rage at the thought of Lo'ak being found by the invaders who were brutally murdering those magnificent creatures. Ao'nung had better hope that Lo'ak was found safe and sound or Tcelia would personally make sure that Ao'nung wouldn't live to see the next light of day.

As she scouted the ocean, Tcelia kept replaying the look on Neteyam's face as Ao'nung had told them the story, and then later how Neteyam had looked at his father when Ao'nung had told Jake what he had done. Neteyam's face had been filled with anger and concern, so far from how he had looked, not even an hour before, as they had sat by the beach, chatting, and fixing up Neteyam's wounds, teasing each other. He had gone from being a boy spending time with a girl, straight into his job as an older brother. There was nothing wrong with this, of course, but it only made Tcelia that much angrier with Ao'nung.

It was not often that Neteyam got time to be himself, without having to worry about his siblings or what his parents thought - he had a duty to perform after all. Being the firstborn son of the Olo'eyktan came with a responsibility, and Neteyam often tended to become so swept up in the need to be the perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect everything, that he completely forgot to live a life for himself. Tcelia knew that Neteyam would blame himself for not having been there for Lo'ak, and she felt a stab of pain go through her at the thought of Neteyam thinking that he had failed Lo'ak and Jake.