Project tiftanglen || Neteyam

13

[250+ reads! damn bro! haha, anyways, enjoy.

I love being the one thats writting this book, cause i can make anything real, I could babygirlify Tarian to infinity, and you would just have to go along with it, mwahahahahaha.]

I listened to the song Blicky by  fresh X reckless, cause i feel like Jake and tarian share the love they have for their guns lmao.

Tarians arms were jittery as they always were, sweat clinging to his body until it was washed away with the sea water, they were treading light waters, walking to the place young warriors would claim a skimwing. He was elated, excitement flowing through his body as he followed Aonung who was smiling. Tarian wasn't dumb, he knew that Aonung thought he would fail, he would do everything in his power to prove him wrong.

They walked up to his dad, the chief, Tonowari, Aonung whispered something into his ear, Tonowari sighed, looking at Tarian.

"Are you sure, boy? You should maybe start with an ilu, like the other kids" two implications in that sentence fuelled the fire burning in him, Tarian shook his head.

"I- Im a warrior, ive trained as long as ive lived, sir." He said and Tonowari sighed deeply, not wanting for this kid to make a fool out of himself. He signed to the men, who chuckled and went to get a skimwing from wherever they get them from. Tonowari's lecture started.

"Tsurak is not like ilu, to bond with it you will need to ride and hold, you need to be strong, tsurak will bond with after the first ride, only then will you be able to control it fully.

Be cautious of when you go back underwater, you have to hold on good." Tarian nodded, this would be easier than ikran.

"I am sure with those flying creatures it is similar." Tarian nodded at him, but opened his mouth anyway to give a better explanation.

"Ikran will attack you and try to kill you, thats how it chooses you, if you manage to make the bond then you fly with it for the first time, if it is stronger than your best efforts it will throw you off of the mountain and you will either die or return shameful, not a true navi." Aonung and Tonowari both looked at him with slight shock, in the sea, if the tsurak throws you off then you get thrown into the light chilly water of the sea, in the mountains you only fail once. Tarian slightly smirked at them, if he managed to tame kreyp he will manage this, those 10 words repeated in his head like a mantra. When the beast was brought out and held down for him to mount his eyes widened, pupils dilating, he checked his arm, making sure it was connected well. He climbed onto the huge beast, whose one breath in shook Tarian's body right to its core, he leaned back, grabbing his Que, connecting it, he grabbed his arms onto the leather handle on the tsurak's head, a wrapped leather band was handed to him, unwrapping it he used it to make his hold on the handle stronger, he leaned forward, his body aligned with the beast which was wriggling in the arms of the men holding it in place, he saw Jake in the distance, looking at him like he was a mad man, he saw Neteyam on the left of Jake, winking at him. He looked at Tonowari and nodded, the man looked at the others holding the beast and nodded himself prompting them to release their hold on the animal. The animal jerked forward, diving underwater so fast that had he not been aligned with it he would have been tossed into the high currants. The tsurak's mind raced aggressively, and it swam forward with no place in mind, Tarians legs clenched onto its lower body harder, commanding the creature to rise into the air, they breached the water, drops flinging off of his hair and running down his body, the tsurak flew up, Tarian changing his position to maintain balance, he whooped, slightly stumbling and causing the tsurak to stumble as well, he was almost knocked off, the whole body rocking as the beasts strong tail continued beating the water, he looked back to Tonowari, who was quite surprised. Tarian smirked, a shit eating grin and prepared to go back down underwater. The water whipped him in the face with the force of two thanators and he was blown back, his right arm flying back with the current and his left arm barely holding, the skin hurting from the leather band chafing it with such force. Tarian snarled, forcing his arm back onto the band, he felt the Tsurak calm down and slow down in the same blink, becoming more easy to control, they turned, both in sync, Ska, that's your name, right? The Tsurak rumbled, feeling a rough but positive emotion through the que. They dove out of the water and quickly dove back in, mimicking earth creatures called dolphins, Tarian let out various traditionally forest navi sounds of celebration, yips similar to that of birds, mixed with english phrases, exclamations of

"Fuck yeah!" rang in his ears, and the tsurak swam through the water quickly, both creatures bonded becoming familiar with each other. After some time both were content, swimming back to the bouncy nets near the marui they would be occupying. Tonowari met him there, giving him a smile and a pat on the back, saying sentences that Tarian couldn't hear from the sheer amount of adrenaline in his body and the blood that had rushed up to his ears.

The only words he finally heard where

"Join your.. Siblings with Tsireya and Aonung, you still need to learn the proper way before fully becoming a man." And that he did.

Walking upon the slightly jagged rock seeing the people he saw as his family on a rock, learning how to breathe.

"-The sea gives and the sea take- hi! You were so cool out there!" Tsireya looked up from her place in front of Lo'ak, hands on his chest much like Tarian and Neteyam only hours prior, he grinned, seeing Lo'ak flustered to all hell. Aonung's face was sour, looking at him like he was a freak, a freak which wasn't supposed to be able to tame tsurak.

"Can i.. Help in any way?" He asked, already knowing how to breathe, Tsireya nodded, a smile on her face as she pointed to Neteyam.

"Teach him." He almost chuckled at the prospect of having to teach Neteyam the way of a tribe he had only inhabited for less than 24 hours, but it's fine. He sat down neft to Neteyam, a meditating position, again, their knee's so close they touched and produced sparks, yet this time they could not get carried away, having people around.

"'Teyam, you must breathe slowly, imagine slowing your heartbeat, like when you aim with a bow. Breathe in through here." He placed hands on Neteyam's stomach and right above his heart, smirking as the tips of Neteyams ears flushed as he continued to try to breathe, the hand warming his stomach and the cool steel chilling his chest was a stark difference.

"Remind you of anything?" Tarian whispered, looking at Neteyam with a chagrin.

"Ofcourse" Neteyam responded both chuckling, but after a stare from Tsireya they stopped, again trying to get the breathing right. This time Neteyam could do it, they both smiled at each other, eyes meeting filled with love for eachother, hell or high water, land, sea, at the hands of humans, or the cold grip of death, they would follow each other everywhere,

He would die if it meant Neteyam would live, such a poetic ending, perhaps too much, but thats the pure degree to which Tarian would self sacrifice, as stupid as it is, its a true testament to the love he held for Neteyam, even if Neteyam doesn't love him half as much, he would drown if it meant Neteyam breathed.