AVATAR TWOW: Torn between the 2

Chapter x| Eyes of Ikran

N E T E Y A M
Eyes of Ikran
PT 1

THE FOLLOWING WEEK I am occupied with hunting and the training of Lo'ak. I barely have time for Ao'nung anymore. My visits are brief, giving his food and leaving as swiftly as I come.

Today, my family and I are at the Hallelujah mountains, peering from below and yelling at the top of our lungs.

"The bond!" I urge, my shout dispersing into the blowing gale of wind. Lo'ak struggles to keep on, his legs seeming tense even from afar. I hear his groans and curses. His fingers keep slipping, the wind almost tearing his face off—an awfully familiar sight that makes my insides quiver.

The Ikran dives; its colors blurring into the waterfalls and its screeches drowning Lo'ak's deafening shouts of fear. Tuktirey and I run to the edge, peering over the grand space below, searching for a sign of Lo'ak. We are almost afraid. Seconds pass, and the mountains are still. Quiet even.

"Sir—" As I'm about to turn to father, Lo'ak resurfaces fast and my braids sprawl all around, covering my field of sight.

He's laughing loudly as his Ikran spreads its wings into the highest point of the sky, peering with triumph over the glimmers of daylight.

We clap, grinning brighter than ever. Baby bro has made it, I only think, my chest widening with pride. I had forgotten how fulfilling taming an Ikran feels—and I grow more than eager, looking forward to Kiri's a few years or maybe months from now. I am fortunate.

"You're next," I whisper as I face her, but I'm met with the keen and pondering eyes of hers. She blinks and her expression changes. It's too quick, and it makes me wonder whether I had imagined it. She has a serious expression now.

Lo'ak lands and we quickly run up and engulf him with a tight hug. He almost stumbles back. We congratulate him with our happy cries.

"Everybody meet Dex!" He beams, looking over his shoulder and onto the Ikran that now sits obediently and shrieks friendly in response, no longer showing hostility as it had just over a week ago. "I told you guys I'd catch him!"

Mother and I pull back with haste, our ears twitching, "Dex?" we ask.

Lo'ak shrugs and lists out his five fingers as he says: "It was either Jed, Ugo, Rex, Sky, or Wimmy."

"Wimmy?" I raise my eyes, "Like wimpy?" I almost chuckle at bad my joke, and Lo'ak only rolls his eyes.

"Funny. But it's better than Bob," He shoots my father a look that's meant to be discreet, but my father catches on and puts his hands on his hips, looking offended as his ears lower.

"Bob is something I made on the spot. It's got essence that you young ones don't know about. Back on Earth, it would've been a glorified name," He says. I exchange quiet glances with my mother and my siblings.

Mother looks blankly, Lo'ak stares at him like he's grown two extra arms, Tuktirey simply turns away and stills as if she's facing an invisible wall, and Kiri's lips pull like a wince, her eyes seeming to disagree with the foolish statement.

But none of us have the heart to crush his bubble and tell him he's wrong. Dead wrong.

__________________

We decide to honor Lo'ak's manly achievement with a small celebration of our own. As a family. It's no different than what we usually do: sit together and dine, and share stories about our day, concerns, and wonders.

But this time it's different; we're more cheerful, more eager, and more comfortable. We strive for ongoing conversations, not wanting them to end.

I smile fondly and sit back and listen. I'm typically quiet and just like to listen. My family are no strangers and they know I'm not the talker type. Lo'ak cackles loudly at whatever is said. The air is light and bouncy—almost like a cloud.

My head sort of feels like it's stuck up in Cloud9. I feel elated.

"You should've seen me, dad! I almost died!" Lo'ak shouts humorously. His eyes are wide and his arms are hectic, flailing all around as he explains what he had felt with his Ikran. He explains it as serene and harmonious, saying that Tsaheylu feels like a bite to the sensitive brain. Like a second consciousness within your own that you gotta learn how to tame.

Father pats his head tenderly and coos at him with rare praises that I know make Lo'ak sink to his abdomen from warmth and rejoice.

As the time irises to clean up, I sneak glimpses from all sides, trying to find an opening. Kiri walks up to me, her calm tail swaying elegantly behind her. Her yellow eyes glow in the dark and are fixed upon me, pryingly.

"Looks like you wanna leave," She says, crossing her arms.

"Can you cover for me?" I ask her as I organize the messy piles of logs, stacking rows upon rows. "I'm in a hurry. It won't be long, I promise."

She laughs. "Who's got you smitten lover boy?"

"Lover boy?" I turn to her.

She cocks her head and sighs, "I know about your boy."

"My boy?"

"Yes, your boy," She nods, "Unless..."

My mind goes blank for a minute. Then I frown as my mind replays the little rustling of bushes I had heard almost two weeks ago. It all adds up, as Kiri's intentions are brought to light and why she had kept a watchful eye on me.

"He's not my boy," I say irked, though I can't deny the broiling feel of my chest and the stutters of my heart.

"Do you like him...?" Kiri asks, her voice fading in my ears, and suddenly I have a headache. We are silent for what feels like passing days, both of us scared to say anything.

"No," I say, and I know it with the deepest of my soul that I have lied.

My fingers are already attached to him, the strings I hope to be Eywa's bonding us together like glue. Ao'nung is all I see.

When I awake, before bed, as I eat, as I hunt—it's scary. He swirls and runs, and I chase.

But that's something I sink with pity because owning up to it means enduring tough bends.

10