Ma Neteyam

2

" She's your cousin? How?" Lo'ak asked.

Tsireya smiled softly, " No one knows what really happened, but there is a tale that is shared between the clan, so listen closely."

With that, the Sullys gathered closer, eager to hear more.

" My Father had a brother once, younger, his name was Kantú. Our father has told us little about him because of his reputation. Even though the brothers loved each other dearly, it was said that Kantú was always jealous of Tonowari since he was the next destined leader of our tribe. So he would rebel a lot, constantly fought with our grandparents, and sometimes disappeared for days beyond the reef. No one knows where he went, and no one ever bothered looking, except my father."

Neteyam stayed focused on Tsireyas story, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't wondering how any of this had to do with Vareya. Of course though, he stayed quiet.

" My father also failed to catch him, no matter how hard he tried. Until one day, he never came back. My father would spend as much time as possible beyond the reef, although his duties made it very difficult. Soon enough, Tonowari knew Kantú would never come back and gave up. Then years later, something unimaginable happened." she said looking wide eyed at the group.

" During one of the worst storms, a mysterious woman with strange skin came to the clan, that was all that was shared from those who witnessed it. She showed up on a creature no one had ever seen before, one so terrifying they claimed it wasn't of Eywa. They both crashed in the water, help came quickly and they were able to save the woman, but her creature did not make it. He was already badly wounded and drowned." Tsireya looked down solemnly, " They say as they swam to shore, they could hear the creature crying out to his rider on his last breaths, the woman also cried but nothing more could be done."

Tuk moved closer to Neteyam, and he held her tightly.

" The woman was badly injured, the wound marks on her body were something my Father had never seen before. Tonowari said it looked as if she had gone through torture beyond imagination, with markings of weapons so brutal, burns on her face and body...he didn't understand how she was alive yet there she was, breathing yet slowly dying, with a baby held tightly in her arms."

They all let out a breath on disbelief as she took a break, biting her bottom lip tightly.

" Ronal went to take the baby away, yet the mother held on so tight, she wouldn't let go as she cried softly. Then finally she spoke, her first words were hardly a whisper but they heard. She said Kantú's name while looking right at my father. He bent down to where they had layed her down and she used the last of her breath to explain. ' Kantú and I beg you to raise our daughter, your niece. Protect her and never let them find her. Never let them get a hold of her, they will ruin her just as they did with me. My beautiful daughter will live as a Metkayina just as her parents wanted, away from the chaos and despair. Protect her, do not let your brothers death go to waste, do not let my mates murderers find her, do not let them destroy her gifts.' "

Tsireya said, clearly having it memorized. After a pause of the story to take a breath, she continued, the whole group quiet with their heads held low, " My father was in disbelief, he had so many questions running through his head. He wanted to know more about his brother, about the family he somehow started, the danger of this woman's clan. But Tonowari knew there was no time for that, so he asked where she came from, who had hurt her. It was too late. As her eyes began to glaze over he final words were, ' Tell my Vareya to be strong.'"

The Sully kids stayed speechless from the story they just heard. Neteyams eyes turned to look towards the lonely hut that sat perched deeper in the island, hardly visible due to the amount of trees surrounding it. Aonung must've seen the direction his focus turned to and broke the silence that fell over the group,