Blood and Water | Neteyam

The Storm ∼ 37

Tcelia had thought that she had known true fear. When she had been forced to the ground back in the forest and the Avatar's knee had pressed the air out of her lungs, when Lo'ak had been missing because of Ao'nung and she'd had no idea if he was okay or not, when Ao'nung and her had been captured just a day ago.

But as she had been dragged up to the deck and cuffed to the railing, fear like nothing she had ever experienced before filled her veins like ice, restricting her breath and stopping her heart completely. Everything silenced as she clenched her hand around the metal railing, watching as Quaritch ordered his soldiers to bring them back alive. She couldn't hear anything over the roar in her ears as speedboats were released, crashing into the water, and speeding towards the spot where a tulkun had dived under the surface of the water mere seconds ago. Where Quaritch had said that they had spotted six kids, four of them who looked awfully a lot like Jake's offspring.

Tcelia's mind raced as she tried to process what was happening. It couldn't be her friends. Because Neteyam had listened to her. Because Neteyam knew better than to bring his family, whom he treasured above anything else, into this mess. But the nagging doubts in her mind refused to be silenced. What if he had come for her anyway? What if those were really the kids they were hunting down?

It was horrible not knowing whether it was them or not, being tied to this railing, completely and utterly unable to help. Tcelia had never been one to sit back and watch as others took up the fight. She'd usually be right in the middle of things, too stubborn and proud to back down. Being forced to sit here, forced to watch as the enemy hunted down six innocent kids strode against everything in her nature, everything that she stood for.

"Tcelia!" Ripped out of her daze, she looked to the side. Ao'nung was looking at her, eyes wide and eyelashes still sticking together from the water an Avatar had splashed at him to wake him up. He was breathing hard, eyes searching her face desperately, silently questioning if she was alright.

"I am fine," she said through gritted teeth, "We will be alright."

Just then, Tcelia's eyes fell upon an ikran that was directed straight into the water further out. Tcelia's stomach dropped as it resurfaced, batting the water away from its wings, claws wrapped around a net. Beside her, Ao'nung seemed to freeze completely.

"No." she whispered, "no, no, no." Lo'ak was hanging from the net on the outside, clutching on for dear life with one hand as he tried to cut open the net with his knife. Inside the net was Tuk and Tsireya, scrambling in a desperate attempt to escape.

Everything stopped as Tcelia's mind caught up to what her eyes were perceiving. He hadn't listened to her. Neteyam hadn't listened to her. And they were going to die because of her. She felt her heart sink, her eyes welling up with tears. She could hear her own breathing, fast and shallow. The world around her had turned into a blur as her mind raced with fear and despair.

For what felt like the millionth time, Tcelia jerked her hands upwards in an attempt to escape her restraints. She barely registered the pain of the cuffs against her open wounds as the ikran flew over the ship and lowered the net to the ground. All her senses were filled with worry as she heard Tuk and Tsireya's cries of distress. Lo'ak jumped from the net just before it landed, readying his knife in fight. Tsireya and Tuk scrambled out of the net, Tuk ready with her knife instantly. Tcelia's heart clenched with pride at seeing the bravery of the little girl, but there were too many soldiers, and they were on the Na'vi instantly. Tsireya's hands were wrenched behind her, another soldier caught poor Tuk by the hair, a third forcing Lo'ak to the ground as he tried to swing for three soldiers at once.

Tcelia spotted Spider coming running out of the control room, exclaiming not to hurt his friends as he was caught by two soldiers who had been chasing him.