Family

Joey

1 year later

Today, me and Neteyam undergo Uniltaron. It's a right of passage. I'm currently being painted with white stripes from head to toe. We are going to swallow a glow worm, to go on a Dream Hunt, and find our spirit animal. I'm excited to see Neteyam, but also a little nervous. Up until today, I had always just assumed we'd be inseparable forever. But once he becomes a man, he has a right to choose a woman. And what if he doesn't choose me? Do I want him to choose me? Very rarely had I thought about my future with him. The thought of him choosing me, in being mated for life, gives me butterflies. But I don't know if it's in a good way or a bad way. He is very handsome. That's for sure. I don't think I'd be upset if he chose me. But what if he doesn't feel for me like that? There are plenty of beautiful women he could pick.

I sigh, and the woman painting my chest glares up at me.

"Sorry." I mutter quietly. I am nervous about the ritual as well. A dream walk has been known to kill Na'vi. It takes you to the brink of death. The glow worms we will swallow will make us hallucinate. I wonder what animal is my spirit animal. I wonder what Neteyam's is.

"You're done." She leans back and admires the intricate design she has painted on me.

I am led down to the base of the soul tree, where Dream Walks are held. Neteyam comes soon after. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of him. It's very rare that two people are chosen to undergo Uniltaron at the same time, but it does happen occasionally. Since we did everything else together, everyone figured, why not?

"Are you excited?" He asks me expectantly, a huge grin on his face. He doesn't seem to have a worry in the world. Of course he doesn't. He probably hasn't been thinking about these things as deeply as I have. That's something I envy him for. I'm always considering every possible scenario.

"And nervous." I reply. "You're not scared?"

"I am a little, of course. Who wouldn't be? But after this, we are fully members of the clan."

Before I can respond, we're instructed to sit. Side by side, we sit cross legged underneath the enormous tree. The clan is all sat in circles around us, ready to sing and help us embark on our journey. I do feel a bit self-conscious. I've known these people my whole life, I want to do well.  don't want to embarass myself. 

Mo'at places a glow worm in my hand. It's kind of gross that we have to swallow this. I look at Neteyam, and the look he gives me says he's thinking the same thing. We can't help but chuckle a little at our reactions, but we're quickly scolded. She goes on about the meaning of our ritual and the history with our ancestors. I have heard it many times, having witnessed many Dream Walks in the past.

When we're finally commanded to, we swallow the worms. Neteyam's hand finds mine, and I grip it tightly, my eyes closed as the clan sings and sways. The effects don't take long to kick in, and suddenly, I'm in the jungle. I can still faintly hear the sounds of the songs, but they sound far away. 

I scan my surroundings quickly, keeping an eye out. I forget I'm dreaming. It feels so real. I can feel the soil beneath my feet, the cool of the night. I have my bow in my hand, but I somehow know I shouldn't use it. There's a chittering nearby. It sounds almost like a giggle. I've heard it before. Viperwolves. They approach slowly, their glowing green eyes stalking me as they creep closer. But when they arrive, they don't attack. Instead, they surround me and almost nod their heads, chittering, as if they want me to follow. They're leading me somewhere. I run through the forest with them, surprisingly able to keep up easily. I have to stop very quickly when I realize we're at a cliff. I almost fall, but am able to catch myself just in time. It's about a twenty foot drop into the ocean. When I peer down, I see there is a direhorse in the waves, trying to swim.