ᴀʟʟɪᴀɴᴄᴇ | ᴀᴏɴᴜɴɢ

╰•★★ chapter 11 ★★•╯

'I hate you.'
'I love you.'

Growing legs was a tiring and painful task. Vida had to make sure she was out of the water completely before even starting the transformation.

In just over an hour, her fish-like tail dried up and split down the middle, the fins were replaced with three little toes and one larger toe. Accompanying her legs was a new limb.

A tail, not a tail like a fish, but a tail like Aonung's.

Vida was over the moon. She let out an exited squeal after her legs had finally taken shape.

Now, she just had to make sure no one saw her legs other than Aonung.

In her culture, it's traditional that your soon-to-be mate is the first to see your legs.

From then, it's is okay for anyone to get a look.

At first, Vida is wobbly. Like if a baby viper wolf was freshly birthed and was trying to stand for the first time.

But she quickly began getting the hang of it.

It's dark now and Vida had finally stumbled over to the village. The fire torches shon in the night, providing her the perfect beacon to light her way.

Through the darkness, she hears a laugh. Aonung!

Vida, still fresh on her new legs, takes a couple more wobbly steps towards the sound, only a few large leaves concealing her hiding spot.

She leaks out from behind the large plant and spots her soon-to-be mate chatting with a friend.

The shorter male has a curly head of hair that spikes up at the top, adorning a tipsy look on his face.

Aonung chuffs with laughter and stumbles around quite a bit, also looking pretty drunk...

But Vida smiles anyway at the sight of her first love.

She goes to call out his name but quickly silenced herself when she hears her name being mentioned in their conversation.

"—yeah, I hate having to look after it. It's a whole other chore that I have to complete to become chief." Aonung says with an eye roll. His friend snickers too.

"At least you can get rid of it now, I'm sure your dad won't want it around for long." The shorter boy laughs. "How much information have you gotten out of it?" He asks.

"Soooo much, bro. Aonung lays an arm around the other boys shoulder. "I have it wrapped around my finger. It practically tells me everything—"

Vida had heard enough.

Vida's POV

Eywa I'm so stupid. Thick hot tears run down my cheeks as I slowly back up from the bushes.

How could I have fallen in love with that. Eywa, why did I have to fall so fast and so hard.

I accidentally step on a twig and it snaps under the pressure of my foot.

Probably capturing the attention of villagers. I have to get out of here...and fast.

If what Aonung is as saying is true, then I don't have much time. I've got to get to the shoreline.

My sore legs push through the plants and kick up loose sand as I run as fast to the beach.

I hear a voice yell from behind me and I quicken my pace. My heart beats rapidly in my chest as I look behind me to see a single male following me. I can't tell who it is, since I am running so fast.

My legs slowly turn numb as adrenaline kicks in. The smell of salt water fills my nostrils as I approach the beach.

So close!

So close!

So—

I'm tackled to the sand in an instant but I continue to stuggle, there's now way I'm not going to put up a fight if freedom is so close.

Beside me, I see a shell, it's sharp.

It will do.

I curl my fingers around it and slash at whoever is wrestling me.

I manage to cut the back of their knee and they groan loudly.

I skurry to my feet and face my attacker. My heart drops and the tears threaten to spill once more.

Of course it's him. Who else would it be.

He's squatting down to one knee since I slashed the other with a pained look on his face.

He looks completely sober now.

"Vida? What are you doing out here. You have legs! Wait... what are you doing out here..." His questioning cease as he puts two and two together. "You heard..." He swallows thickly.

"I hate you! I never want to see your face again! You think I'm some kind of animal, eager to dispose of me at any time! I hate you, Aonung." I spit with venom, hoping my words hurt.

He stands for a moment only to drop to his knees before me, grabbing hold of my wrists. Placing his head on my belly. "I love you, Vida please. I promise it isn't what you think. I love you."

I shake my head, trying to pull my arms away. "How can I ever trust you? After what I heard? I can't, I cannot trust someone who is so two faced."

"Vida, please I'm begging you. Please don't go baby. Please. Just let me explain." My hands slip from his.

"I hate you." I hiss.

"I love you."

I pull off his claiming band and throw it at his feet. He stares at it numbly.

I turn away from his kneeling figure and stubbly wipe away me fresh tears.

Without another word I walk into the ocean, disapearing from Aonung's field of view.

Anguish takes over me as my legs link together to create a tail.

My mother always used to tell me to not fall in love with something we cannot have. And that's exactly what I did.

I guess she was right.