Chapter Text
As a new day came in Awa’atlu, the Sully children and their teachers went up to a smooth, flat rock formation not far from the beach. Last night, at the communal marui for dinner, many were disappointed not to see the Navi’ka. Neteyam was absent as well. Jake excused his son and the creature saying that they were both already asleep when they went out. Neytiri had retrieved three big shells with a grilled fish on it and some orange algae for later if her eldest son woke up and felt hungry. Neteyam apparently had to eat a lot, since he was feeding the Navi’ka through his own body by his kuru. That was also why he constantly looked exhausted.
Now, while they were walking through the village to arrive at their destination, some Metkayina stepped out of their marui, curious, to observe them. Unluckily for them, Hik’ki had tucked herself in the baby swing below the piece of cloth that covered Neteyam’s chest. They could only see the tip of her tail pocking out and occasional movements but other than that, nothing. Neteyam felt a bit nervous at the heavy attention he was receiving as if it was unnerving to have so many pair of eyes, staring at him, which confused Ao’nung. ‘Wasn’t he used to it by now?’ he thought. ‘Or maybe it was different in the forest?’
“Alright, here we are. Today, we will work on your breathing, please sit” explained Tsireya.
“We already know how to breathe,” Tuk giggled next to Kiri.
“It’s a special technique that will allow you to dive and play in the water for a long time,” clarified Rotxo as he sat next to the little girl.
Rotxo was good with children, he had a large with family and too many sisters to count them. The little looked enrapture as he began to demonstrate how to breath from his stomach and keep the air there, but he stopped when Neteyam let the Navi’ka out. Hik’ki seemed displeased to be taken out of her little cocoon but made no noise.
“Go explore, I’ll stay here for a while” he said.
The Navi’ka patted the volcanic stone suspiciously but began to explore the vicinity of the group. It was the first time that the Metkayinas could clearly look at the Navi’ka since the Sully had arrived in Awa’atlu. Rotxo was the most curious, Tsireya was a bit more cautious, certainly due to yesterday’s experience. and Ao’nung was torn: He found the Navi’ka kinda of cute like this, tumbling almost clumsily, but he remembered the fear he felt yesterday. One thing was for sure, he wouldn’t want to be left alone with a Navi’ka, even if it was a baby.
“Aren’t you scared he might slip?” asked Tsireya, concerned.
“Hik’ki is a girl” Neteyam corrected her. “And don’t worry, she has claws,” he then continued.
“And she can use them,” groaned Lo’ak who sat next to Tsireya.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I just assumed the Navi’ka was a boy,” she apologized.
“Don’t worry, apparently female Navi’kas are rarer than males,” he explained in a sweet tone. “And Lo’ak, it’s not my fault that you’re a restless sleeper” he snapped at the younger brother.
“It’s not my fault either, I am sleeping” he whined as he touched his ribcage that indeed arbored three little cuts.
“You big baby, I already put something on it this morning. Plus, you’re lucky you only have these little slashes, if someone like you had been trying to crush me in my sleep, I would have ripped your head off,” she grinned sadistically.
As she said that, Ao’nung saw Rotxo’s complexion becoming paler and paler with time, and he snickered.
“See, Sis! That’s why you will never have a mate! you are too dangerous to be around,” Lo’ak teased.
She tried to hit him, but he evaded. when she tried again Neteyam sat between the two and looked pointedly at Tsireya. Ao’nung sat between Rotxo and his sister.
“Let’s begin!” she said enthusiastically.
*
They breathed for roughly three hours. Tsireya tried to be subtle with Lo’ak and failed miserably, as the boy couldn’t in the end do the exercise with Tsireya’s hands on him. They changed the way they were seated when Ao’nung was paired up with Neteyam. Ao’nung, out of respect, and also because he could feel the Navi’ka’s eyes on him, asked the permission to touch Neteyam before he took his hands to place them on his body. There was no way he would put his hands on Neteyam’s chest, next to his wound, without the Navi’ka lashing out. He did not have a death wish, thank you very much!
“Do you feel it here? When my stomach expends?” he asked.
“I do, but I won’t be able to keep the air there for as long as you,” Neteyam whispered, as if afraid to disturb the others in their meditative state.
“Don’t worry about that now, you will build up your stamina with each dive you take,” Ao’nung reassured him in a low voice.
Hik’ki had come around to see what they were doing, then came next to Kiri. Rotxo who was checking on Tuk stopped mid-sentence. Kiri slowly opened her eyes to meet the silver pools of the Navi’ka. Then the creature opened her small hand and let fall on Kiri’s thighs a tiny blue crab.
“Huh, thank you?” said the forest Na’vi girl hesitantly.
Hik’ki kept looking at her expectantly.
“Huh, Neteyam?” she yelped when she realised that the crab was alive and trying to hide.
“What’s happening? Oh! Is that a gift, ‘baby’?” the eldest Sully child cooed as he sat in front of his sister.
To answer, the Navi’ka clicked several times her tongue making different noises in the process.
“Oh, I see! the crab is sick, and you thought Kiri could help.”
How Neteyam interpreted those sounds in full comprehensible sentence was beyond everyone else’s knowledge.
“It’s sick?” murmured Kiri as carefully cradled the tiny creature in her hands to have a better look.
Some more clicking sounds later, Neteyam learned that the crab had a missing leg, to which unfortunately Kiri couldn’t do much.
“It’s okay, ‘baby’, the crab can live like that, it will adapt, hm? It’s nice what you did. You wanted to help, and you did your best,” he praised. “Come on, let’s go home, it’s time to feed you,” he added just on time to hear her stomach rumbled.
She yawned and made grabby hands toward Neteyam to be picked up. Neteyam placed her back into the baby swing and readjusted the piece of cloth above her.
“I’m coming with you, Teyam, I’m tired too,” Tuk jumped to her feet and waited.
Neteyam gestured his hand and the little girl squealed happily.
“Where will you be in the afternoon?” asked Neteyam as he was heading to the village.
“Here as well but probably in the water to test your breathing technique, Pähem,” she indicated politely.
She saw the Pähem’s body stiffened, and a sour expression painted his features as soon as she finished her sentence. She watched him go hand in hand with the youngest Sully sister. Once they were far enough, Tsireya’s brother spoke.
“Stop calling him that.”
“What?!” she asked, surprised and confused.
“Pähem, stop calling that, just Neteyam is fine,” he elaborated.
“Why? I just wanted to be polite,” she sighed in a defeated tone.
“He doesn’t like it” Ao’nung answered.
“And who are you to decide what my brother like or not?” Lo’ak hissed angrily at seeing Tsireya down.
“Are you telling me I’m wrong, Twig legs?” the Chief’s son groaned.
He really didn’t like that one. The girl was weird but okay, the littlest was just a child, sweet and lively, and Neteyam… well he had to wait a bit more, but he can already say that he liked him.
“No, you’re not. But how do you know that?” asked the weird girl, her tone was not aggressive like her brother, just genuine curiosity.
“He told me so himself,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders.
After a short pause and some glances exchanged between the two forest Na’vis, Kiri continued.
“Just be careful when you speak with him.”
Ao’nung thought about the lash out that night, or the exhaustion digging deeper and deeper in Neteyam’s face as days passed.
“Why?” asked Tsireya curiously.
“The Navi’ka considers Neteyam, and Neteyam only as family. Hik’ki is very protective of him, especially since…” she hesitated, turning her face to Lo’ak who lowered his head in shame. “Since the incident, when he was shot,” she pursed her lips in a fine line.
“Can we talk about something else, please,” groaned frustratingly Lo’ak who seemed uneasy with the topic.
“Yes, just let me finish my explanation. So, even us, his family, cannot touch Neteyam whenever we want to. Forest Na’vis are very tactile, it was hard not to hug him or just slap his shoulder. We all had to adjust our behaviour around him. Before his injury, Neteyam would always carry Tuk in his arms, but now… Even if it’s a friendly gesture, the Navi’ka will take it as an aggression. So, be careful around him,” she finished her explanation, looking at Ao’nung.
“But the Navi’ka seems so cute, she just handed you a tiny crab because she thought it was hurt,” stated Rotxo.
“DO NOT!” yelled Lo’ak. “Do not think just for a second that this creature is cute, she is not! She -”
“Let’s dive!” loudly spoke Kiri over her brother.
*
As the group was swimming and exploring, Ao’nung noticed on the surface that Neteyam was back, alone. The forest Na’vi also spotted him and grinned, but his smile faded away when he saw Ao’nung sign to him. Neteyam dove in the water but quickly gesture to the surface. Ao’nung followed with a hint of irritation. ‘What is it with these forest Na’vis and their constant need of air’ he thought as he rolled his eyes. Just as he arrived, Neteyam’s grin was back on his lips, and there was a glint of amusement in his vibrant golden eyes.
“You know I still don’t know anything about that finger talk of yours, right? he remarqued.
“Huh? Oh, shit! I forgot… wait, that’s why you wanted me to go back to the surface?” he asked, his cheeks still purple from embarrassment.
Neteyam hummed his agreement then added.
“I think it’s important for me to understand what you’re saying. I mean, maybe you were saying that there was something dangerous and that I shouldn’t jump in the water, or the opposite, that you needed help.”
“Like I would ask a baby like you for help” scoffed the reef boy. “You can’t swim, you can’t hold your breath for long, you can’t fish-”
“I can fish!” interjected Neteyam.
Ao’nung rose a hairless eyebrow, clearly not believing that.
“In a river… with a bow, not with a spear, like you do not here,” he elaborated, not sure if it still counted.
“With a bow? I still have a hard time believing it,” said Ao’nung.
“I can show you if you show me how to fish with a spear” tried to bargain Neteyam.
“Are you trying to ask for extra lesson, forest boy?” ‘Are you trying to spend more time with me?’ he thought. As Neteyam was opening his mouth to answer, he added. “Fine, I’ll show you how real men hunt,” he grinned.
He wanted the impress him, he didn’t know why, it was stupid but the urge to do so was there. While they were speaking, Neteyam sat on a rock and Ao’nung was floating toward him, getting closer and closer with each wave.
“Did you pass your Ikinmaya as well?” Neteyam asked excitingly.
“Huh, no, not yet,” he deflated a bit. "Wait, did you?" he asked incredulously, searching for the specific tattoo, but he couldn’t really see well, since Neteyam was still wearing more clothing than any normal Na’vi.
“I did! When I was twelve,” he stated proudly as he revealed the cummerbund around his waist. “Then I had my Uniltaron at thirteen. It was not really pleasant but that’s when Eywa gifted me with a vision.”
“A vision?” asked the reef boy, enraptured.
“Yeah, it took me some years to understand but in the end I did,” he smiled.
“What was it about, your vision?”
Ao’nung had heard from his mother that sometimes the Great Mother needed to speak directly to the people, so she chose to one to be a messenger. To be a messenger was considered to be a blessing, to be so close to the Great Mother. He was impressed by the forest Na’vi in front of him. He didn’t realise how close he had gotten from the other boy, nearly touching his legs that were still in the water.
“If it’s not too personal” he blurted then, self-conscious.
Neteyam’s head shot up and he laughed. Ao’nung got a glance at the beautiful necklace he was wearing. Omatikayan were known for their weaving and for their beaded jewellery he had learnt from his father last night. When he lowered his head, Neteyam’s gaze flickered to something behind Ao’nung. When the reef boy turned around, he saw the others and specially Lo’ak swimming angrily toward them.
“Let’s go swim, I’ll tell you later about it, okay?” he suggested nicely.
Ao’nung nodded and, as the other boy was about to dive, Ao’nung extended his hand.
“Here, let me help you in. The waves can be strong sometimes,” he stated.
Neteyam looked unsure for a second but grasped his hand. Ao’nung was amused to see such a small hand in his. Neteyam must have thought the same, because he took his hand back quickly, as if he had been burned by the touch. They swam to the group, meeting Lo’ak mid-way through. He started a conversation with his brother and Ao’nung couldn’t help but eavesdropped.
“What were you doing?”
“Talking, Lo’ak.”
“About what?”
“It’s none of your business,”
“Was he bothering you?”
“Eywa, Lo’ak! We were talking about rites of passage. There! Are you happy, now?” Neteyam looked annoyed by his nosy little brother.
“I’m sorry, bro… it’s just that…” he tried but couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Hey, no, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that, but please don’t make me feel like I’m suffocating, dad and mum are already doing that since the incident, it’s unbearable,” he explained softly.
They joined the others, and they practiced their breath holding inside the reef for the rest of the day.