Golden Hour

VI - Uturu

All of the Sully kids sat outside of their parents' hut, listening to their conversation. Tuk laid on the ground, moving her head so she could look underneath an opening in the hut. Neteyam and I were crouched next to each other, sharing knowing looks.

"I cannot, you cannot ask this." Mom had said, her voice quiet. "I cannot leave my people. I will not." Mom spoke again. Leave the people? What's happening?

"He is hunting us. He is targeting our family!" Dad explained, his voice raising slightly

"You cannot ask this! The children, everything they've ever known is here. The forest. This is our home!" Mom shouted defiantly. The children's hearts broke at the sounds of their mothers' pleas.

"They had our children.... He had them right under his knife. She hurt Y/n." Dad hissed. Mom sat quiet for a bit before getting up and walking over to her bow.

"My father gave me this bow as he lay dying, and he said to protect the people. You are Toruk Makto!" Mom pleaded to Dad, tears sliding down her face.

"This will protect the people!" Dad retorted, sighing before he spoke again. "Quaritch has Spider, and that kid knows everyone! He knows our whole operation." Jake said. I looked over to Kiri at the mention of Spider. She looked down with a sad facial expression. I shuffle over to her a little bit, placing a hand on her knee.

"If the people protect and harbor us, they will die," Dad started before he paused. "Do you understand?" He questioned. Mom sighed, but nodded. She went to speak, but Dad cut her off before she could get anything out.

"Look, I've got nothing, I've got no plan. But I can protect this family...that I can do." Dad stated in a harsh tone as he looked his mate in her eyes. Tears continued to fall from Mom's eyes, rolling down her cheeks as she looked down to the ground. Dad approached her and grabbed her shoulders, making her look back up at him.

"But I do know one thing, wherever we go, this family is our fortress." Dad spoke, his gaze softening.

____________________________________

The Sully children watched Jake's title of Olo'eyktan be passed onto someone new. I watched as the new Olo'eyktan sliced the skin on Dad's chest, making the process complete. Dad was no longer Olo'eyktan and Neteyam was no longer next in line. He walked down the steps and through the walkway the people made by separating. Mom followed him, Tuk in her arms and Kiri by her side. Lo'ak, Neteyam and I followed behind them. Neteyam placed an arm around my shoulder. I grabbed my little brother's hand as we walked over to our ikrans.

Txur'itan purred softly, nuzzling his head into my chest in an attempt to comfort me. I patted his head, throwing him a fish. I jumped onto Txur'itan, the Ikran spreading his wings and roaring. I patted him, muttering comforting words to let him know that I was okay.

I looked around at my family to see them taking in their surroundings for the last time. Dad yipped, his Ikran flapping his wings and flying into the sky. Everyone followed him, flying away from the clan and the forest. Jake flew in the front, the rest in a triangle formation behind him. I moved Txur'itan to the side so we flew next to Neteyam and in front of Lo'ak.

We flew over countless miles of sea, through storms and sunshine. I flew higher above the water than the rest of my family due to my fear of the sea. It's not that I hated it, I love looking at the ocean, it's just the creatures in it scare me.

After many days of Lo'ak and Kiri's arguing and Tuk's consistent question of 'are we there yet', the family finally saw land in the distance. When they got closer to the island, I saw how they made their homes in the roots of the trees that were in the water. Even though everything was surrounded by water, maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.