Neteyam

Magical Girl

^left is Merq'ena and right is Viryn, I'm not that consistent 😅(also a WIP so have mercy)

Merq'ena held on tightly onto Neteyam and Kiri as her head was fully submerged. She blinked a couple times, trying to get her irritated eyes to get used to the salty water quicker. The ocean was dark. No light thanks to the fire and destruction. But she could see freckles. Kiri squeezed her hand to bring her mind back into focus. Merq'ena turned to her, at that distance Kiri noticed the redness of her scleras and the sorrowful look in her eyes.

Kiri turned to Neteyam, her brother shook his head. Neither wanted to talk about it. The smaller girl looked around. The ship was slowly floating down to the ground without even a glimpse of either parent or Tuk.

There was a series of sonorous trills from the deep. The three Na'vi easily recognized the noise and swam towards it. An ilu. Merq'ena narrowed her eyes at the shape on its back. Tsireya? As it moved closer it moved so it could pick up all for of them towards the surface.

"Lo'ak, what are you doing here?" Merq'ena asked as she wiped the water off of her face. "You're supposed to be with Viryn." Neteyam nearly scowled. "Viryn? What happened to Viryn?" Kiri asked. "Is she ok?" Spider asked afterwards. Merq'ena turned and looked at him. A silent glare that was a threat all on its own. She was never fond of him, but she was tolerant and sometimes even cordial to him.

But not anymore, that tolerance was held on by a thread for Kiri. "Where's dad and mom? Lo'ak looked at each of their faces. "Where's Tuk?""They're in the ship. They haven't surfaced." Neteyam welcomed the change of topic. "We have to look for them." Merq'ena looked over to the now fully sunk ship. "We'll look for mom." Kiri said as she looked to Merq'ena. The tattooed girl nodded. "I'll go look for dad, you stay in case they surface." Neteyam looked at Lo'ak.

When the older boy moved to dive down Lo'ak grabbed his arm. "I'm coming too." "I'll be fine." Neteyam tried to pull away but Lo'ak but his younger brother held on. "She said to watch your back." The two looked at each other, a silent conversation that could only be understood by the two brothers. Neteyam pulled himself out of the water and onto the ilu.

The two groups split, Spider decided to go with Lo'ak and Neteyam on the ilu while Merq'ena followed Kiri as she dove deep into the water. As they got deeper Merq'ena could see the faint glow of life. A group gill mantle. They looked like magical flying wings as the flapped without fear near the ocean floor. Kiri gently pulled two from the group and sent one over to Merq'ena. Tsireya had shown them the gill mantles and said that they gave those who bonded with them a steady oxygen supply. Smart. Merq'ena attached her queue to the centre and watched as the connection made the creature glow brighter.

Merq'ena breathed in the oxygen, it was very different from breathing just air. But she got used to it quickly. Kiri perched onto a ledge of a piece of the ship. The air around her had changed. Merq'ena watched carefully from a slight distance away. Kiri lifted a hand as if she was reaching towards the sky. Her freckles we're glowing so brightly Merq'ena could see her from the distance. They flashed at her like they were all blinking simultaneously.

A school of glowing golden fish swam past Merq'ena from behind like a gust of wind. They pushed past her braids and some brushed against her limbs as they moved to Kiri. They followed her hand movements as if they were hypnotized by the motion. Merq'ena watched it with wide eyes as she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Are you seeing this Viryn?" She turned with a smile on her face. The girl froze. Viryn wasn't there. The smile dropped. Merq'ena quickly shut her mouth and turned back to Kiri. The world seemed to bend to surround them, a little bubble that was its own little world. Merq'ena reached the knife on her back to gingerly run her thumb against the worn leather. Eywa had never felt closer. No matter where she looked she there no owner of the presence she felt.