Blood and Water | Neteyam

Beautiful, Ever-changing Pattern of Light and Shadow ∼ 25

Tcelia looked to the village where shouts of excitement sounded from, and soon the water was filled with Metkayina that were hurrying out into the open waters to reunite with their spirit brothers and sisters. Tcelia quickly stuffed the half-finished necklace into the pouch and crammed the shells and pearls into it as well that lay in the sand.

Ao'nung stood impatiently, bouncing up and down on his feet. Tcelia laughed up at him, "Go, Ao'nung, we will catch up with you later."

Ao'nung didn't have to be told twice, calling for an ilu instantly and racing out in the water. Tcelia could vaguely see the large creatures swimming through a gap in the water terraces into the reef where they were met by the Metkayina.

Neteyam got to his feet and dusted the sand off him. Then he extended a hand down towards Tcelia who accepted it joyously. She grinned up at him as she slung the pouch over her shoulder.

"Why are you so happy?" Neteyam raised an eyebrow at her. In reality it was because she had just spent the better part of the day with Neteyam and Ao'nung who seemed to be getting along. The two boys were far from proper friends, but it was nice to feel as if they could get there someday.

The Omatikaya were spending all their time at the reef trying to adapt, learning how to swim and hold their breath and such, but that would all be for nothing if they could not be friends with the Metkayina. So Tcelia took it as a massive win that Neteyam and Ao'nung had been able to spend hours together today without tearing each other's throats out.

"Do I have to have a reason to be happy?" Tcelia teased, "Can I not be happy just because?"

Neteyam chuckled, taking the pouch from her, "I love it when you are happy just because. It makes me happy too." Tcelia stuck her tongue out at him as he slung an arm around her shoulders and guided her into the water. Secretly, her insides had turned warm and fuzzy as he had told her that seeing her happy made him happy too. "Now let us see what all the tulkun talk is about."

They passed Tuk in the water who was heading towards the beach. She quickly told them that she was going to see if Kiri had seen that the tulkun had arrived, and Tcelia's heart burst with love for the little girl.

Neteyam clicked his tongue onto the roof of his mouth, and almost immediately, an ilu swam up to him. He connected his queue to it and placed himself in its saddle, then he extended his hand towards Tcelia.

"Get on." He demanded, smirking down at her.

"No way, I can call for my own." Tcelia smirked at him, crossing her arms almost as if to challenge him, then she opened her mouth to call for her own.

She barely got one click out before Neteyam was beside her again, picking her up as she let out a shriek of surprise. Grinning, he placed her on top of his ilu as she made sounds of mock-protest, and climbed on it as well, forming tsaheylu with the ilu once again. He twisted in his seat and grabbed both her arms in one fluid motion, placing them around his abdomen. "Hold on tight," she could hear him smile as he spoke, and the ilu lurched forwards, which forced Tcelia to grab onto him as tightly as she could so that she wouldn't fall off.

"You skxawng!" she laughed, placing her mouth close to his ear so that he could hear her. Maybe it was the cool water or the excitement that affected her and clouded her judgement, but she could have sworn that Neteyam had shivered as she had spoken so close to him.

Neteyam turned his head so that he could look at her, a smirk playing on his lips, "Is it such a crime to want to experience this with you?"

Butterflies erupted in her stomach, and she felt herself flush. In panic, she used the only defense mechanism she could think of; she rolled her eyes. Truth be told, she wanted to experience this with him too.