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They didn't have much time.
Stress levels were rising, Imala's heart beating faster the more she watched the large ship approach the teeangers.
Their attemp to release Payakan from the tracker was failing, their grip too wet to pull it out.
"C'mon!" Imala yelled, ignoring the pain on her palms from pulling harshly.
It would've been easier if someone had a dry cloth, though they weren't strong enough to pull it out alone so they had to do it together.
Imala watched Tuk walk along Payakan's back, worry expressing on her face as she watched the gunship swim closer to them.
"Tuk, come here," Imala said, holding onto Tuk's back and dragging her behind her figure — she didn't want Tuk to be scared as she watched their danger inch towards them all, "It's okay. We'll pull it out and go, okay?"
Tuk nodded her head, placing her hand above Imala's to help pull the tracker out.
"It's getting closer!" Tsireya warned.
They all began to pull again.
And, finally, the tracker fell out. "It's out!" Tuk exclaimed excitedly, happy to get the tracker free from the tulkun.
But that happiness didn't last long, Imala watched as Neteyam held the tracker in his hands and urged them all to go.
"No, Neteyam, no! You cannot— it is dangerous," Imala warned him, holding tight onto his thigh after swimming towards him. Neteyam looked down at her, face scrunched in admiration, before placing his hand onto her cheek, "I have to do this. Go, get them out of here."
Imala nodded, kissing his palm.
His face broke into a small smile, watching as Imala called for her ilu and broke the surface of the sea — diving deep down.
Imala watched with widened eyes, immediately calling her ilu to move as she saw subs fall into the same water.
She followed Ao'nung, trusting he knew the way around due to this being their home.
Her lungs were burning for a breath, this scarce and worry she felt not helping.
The constant panic, the warmness and sickly feeling within her stomach only made Imala more breathless in the water.
She tried to clear her mind, and focus.
However, nothing was working.
She was slacking, being caught up behind everyone. "I can't!" Imala tried to capture Ao'nung's attention as she moved her hands, body twitching as she struggled to hold her breath.
Looking behind her, Imala watched a net latch onto her body.
'No, no,' Imala said to herself, releasing the ilu from her queue and trying to swim from the net that captured her body.
"Neteyam!" Was the first thing that fell from Imala's mouth after feeling the familiar, warm breeze hit her flesh.
She didn't even care to allow her lungs air, "Teyam. Oh, Eywa! Help!"
After her body was threw onto the gunship, Imala winced in pain. Looking down, she saw the large cut amongst her arm from the nails of the ikran that had carried her.
"Mala!" The voice of Tuk was heard.
Imala looked at Tsireya, Lo'ak and Tuk all tied against the railing of the boat — her wrists soon joining them, but not without a fight, "Keep fighting and watch me cut that queue right off your little head."
That made Imala quick to stop retaliating.
Could they even survive without their queue?
"Mawey, I am okay," Imala told them all after noticing their concerned expression towards the wound on her arm, "I am okay." She repeated, wanting to believe her own words.
