Time seemed to freeze completely as Neteyam plummeted through the air. He still couldn't quite comprehend that he wasn't clutching to the net any longer and he felt as if he was outside of his body, watching himself fall through the air in slow motion. He was reaching towards the net as if he was still able to reach it, though from where he was, it felt a thousand klicks away, so far above in the distance, rapidly growing further away and impossible to get to. His eyes were widened in panic and his brain was screaming at him that this was completely wrong, that some mistake must have been made, that nothing was right.
Neteyam plunged into the water, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through his body. His lungs involuntarily expelled all their air as he sank deeper and deeper into the dark abyss. A sick desire to sink to the bottom and never resurface flashed through his mind. Perhaps it would wake him from this nightmare, back to a reality where Tcelia was safe and sound back at the reef. Because surely this couldn't be real life. Eywa couldn't be that cruel.
Alarm set in as he struggled to regain his senses. Him dying wouldn't save Tcelia. He tried to swim towards the surface, but his body felt heavy and unresponsive. Neteyam's mind raced with fear as he fought to regain control of his body. His muscles felt weak and uncoordinated, and he struggled to swim upwards towards the surface of the water.
He could feel the panic rising within him, threatening to overwhelm him completely. But then, a faint voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he was a warrior, trained to face danger and adversity head-on, to persist even when everything looked bleak and hopeless. With a fierce determination, he forced himself to focus, to fight against the overwhelming panic and fear that threatened to consume him.
Slowly, steadily, he began to swim upwards, using all his strength and willpower to propel himself towards the surface. He could feel the cool water rushing past him, the pressure in his ears building as he ascended. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he broke through the surface of the water, gasping for air. The sun beat down on his face, and he blinked, disoriented, trying to get his bearings.
Looking around, he realized how lucky he had been that no one had noticed him falling from the net. The ship was dangerously close to him, no further than a hundred meters away, and the smaller, much faster boat had already made great distance between the larger ship and itself. Something twisted in Neteyam's stomach as he realized that the smaller boat was heading straight for the tulkun herd. But for now, he could only think about one thing: Tcelia.
He quickly dove beneath the surface once again, so that he would go undetected, and called upon an ilu, praying that they hadn't all taken off and fled back to the reef. He squinted, looking around in the water and almost expelled a sigh of relief as he saw a long figure gliding through the water towards him. Neteyam recognized the ilu that approached him immediately. It was Etwin, the ilu Tcelia had bonded with on their first week here and had seemed to prefer her to everyone else ever since. He stroked the ilu as it reached him and Etwin twisted her neck, exposing her queue to Neteyam, almost as if encouraging him to form tsaheylu with her.
As he formed the bond, grasping onto the handle on Etwin's back, something exploded in the water further away, causing a horrible, painful throbbing to ring through Neteyam and Etwin's ears. Neteyam flinched, gritting his teeth, as the noise seemed to pierce through his brain, destroying all his thoughts, his vision turning red with pain. For a moment, he forgot about the terror of falling and the agony of losing Tcelia, his brain unable to construct any meaning behind anything other than pain. Etwin squealed, jerking to the surface to get her ears above the water and Neteyam tightened his grip on the strap by instinct. As they broke the surface, the relief of silence came instantly, the thrum slowly ebbing away. Neteyam shook his head, clearing it and looked over to where the explosion had come from.
His stomach dropped as he watched the smaller boat firing something at a tulkun, causing it to writhe in pain and take off, the boat being strung after it like a flailing tail. The tulkun let out a wail that was even more painful than the awful sound of the sonar explosion beneath the water, and Neteyam watched with a sick feeling as the tulkun slowed down, until finally it lay motionless in the water.
He forced his gaze away, looking up at the large ship. He resisted the urge to swim directly to it and clambering aboard. Pictures of Tcelia's face through the small holes in the net flashed through his mind. He saw her large, pleading eyes, begging him to let go and to save his family. To leave her behind. But Tcelia had to know that he would never do that, could never do that. Neteyam couldn't leave her behind even if he had wanted to, he wasn't capable of it. She was his person, without her, Neteyam's guiding light would be gone.
Although Neteyam knew that Tcelia had wanted him to go back to his family and get them to flee, that wasn't an option for Neteyam. But he also knew that he had to go back to the reef. He couldn't possibly save her alone, without both of them ending up dead; he simply couldn't risk it. He had to go back to the reef, had to inform his father so that they could rally the warriors together to save her. Neteyam felt a sick sense of relief due to the fact that Ao'nung had also been captured; that would mean that there was a larger chance of the Metkayina warriors helping them.
As he turned Etwin's snout away from the ship and towards the reef, every muscle in his body, every fiber of his being, screamed at him to turn around, to not leave Tcelia behind on the ship surrounded by cruel enemies and merciless tulkun killers. But this was the only way that Neteyam knew that they would stand a chance, so, leaving his heart behind, he dove under the water, shooting forwards in a blur of swirling panic and sickening terror.
It seemed as if Etwin could sense the urgency of the situation through their bond as the creature shot through the water, carrying Neteyam along faster than he thought was possible on the back of an ilu. As they swam, horrible silence pressing in on him, memories flooded his mind: Tcelia's laughter as they soared through the sky together on the back of their ikrans, her gentle touch as she had tended to his injuries after their fight with Ao'nung, the way her warm body had felt against his as he had fallen asleep on the beach.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shut out the memories. They seemed to press down on him, squeezing his lungs tightly, weighing him down as if the memories were taunting him. He hadn't been able to save her, he hadn't been able to get her away. It was his fault they had gone outside of the reef, if he had only told her no. He had failed her. And now he was going to fail her again, disobeying her last wish: to keep his family safe. Which also meant that he was failing his family, his parents.
The tightening in his chest intensified as he got further away from the ship. He barely got up for air, not wanting to waste the time. Only when his lungs burned and his consciousness threatened to slip into blackness did he surface, heaving for air. He had heard stories of traumatic things happening to people and how they sometimes blacked out, unable to recall how they had gotten from A to B. He found himself envious of those people. The ride back to the reef was agony, stretching out into eternity and Neteyam's mind kept showing him different horror scenarios of Tcelia on the ship; Her lying dead in a pool of blood, or mid-torture to reveal where Jake's location was.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the reef came into view. Neteyam urged Etwin towards the entrance, his heart pounding, and his ears roaring. Relief flooded through him as he spotted his dad conversing with the Olo'eyktan by the woven covering at the main part of the village. He steered the ilu to the walkway where he clambered up, stumbling towards his dad and the Olo'eyktan. They looked up as he approached, concern etched on their faces.
"What happened?" his father asked, immediately alert as Neteyam came hurrying towards them.
"They took her dad," Neteyam's voice was trembling, and he stumbled on his words as he tried to speak as quickly as he could, "The sky people, they took her. We need to rescue her!"
"Slow down, boy." Jake placed a hand on Neteyam's shoulder, trying to calm him down, "Who is gone?"
Neteyam tried heaving in a long breath, but it felt as if the air wouldn't enter his lungs. "Tcelia," He croaked out, "The sky people took her," Neteyam looked over at the Olo'eyktan as he felt his father's hand tensing on his shoulder, "And Ao'nung too. They're on a ship. They killed a tulkun as well, I saw it with my own eyes."
Both the Olo'eyktan and Jake seemed to freeze, disbelief flickering in their eyes. Neteyam vaguely noticed that other Na'vi had started forming a ring around them, listening to their conversation.
"Why were you outside the reef?" The Olo'eyktan demanded, fury calming his voice.
Neteyam shook his head, frustrated. Why were they not leaving right this second to go and get her? Why were they wasting time questioning him when she was in trouble, when she might die at any second?
"We need to go, dad." Neteyam pleaded, looking up at his father, "Now, before it is too late," His voice almost broke as he spoke.
Jake grabbed a hold of Neteyam's other shoulder as well, speaking firmly, eyes unwavering as he looked at Neteyam, "They are not going to kill her, boy, you hear me? That would ruin their plan. They want us to attack."
That was exactly what Tcelia had said, Neteyam thought bitterly, but it had the exact opposite effect on him than what his father and Tcelia had wanted.
"Then let us give them what they want." Neteyam's voice shook. Tcelia was worth it. She was worth everything.
The Olo'eyktan turned to his people. The Metkayina were making a commotion, having heard all of what Neteyam had said, and they were furious. Beating their chests, hissing, and sticking out their tongues, they all seemed ready for war. Neteyam noticed Lo'ak standing by Neytiri. He looked dumbstruck, shaking his head in denial as if he didn't want to believe what he had heard Neteyam say. Their mother had covered her mouth with her hand in shock, the other placed on Lo'ak's shoulder to bring him a sense of comfort.
"My people," Tonowari bellowed, "The sky people have brought their war to us, kidnapped my son and killed tulkun," as the Olo'eyktan spoke, the clan quietened, looking at their leader with determination, ready to follow him anywhere, even to death. "We will gather by the bonfire to discuss a plan of attack. Tomorrow, at first light, we strike!"
The Na'vi around them broke out into war cries to show the Olo'eyktan that they were with him. Neteyam noticed his father flinch beside him.
"No!" Neteyam hadn't even realized he had yelled before everyone was looking at him. He lowered his voice, focusing on his dad, trying to convince him, "We have to leave now, we cannot wait for tomorrow, it might be too late."
"Son, listen to me," Jake tightened his hold on Neteyam, "We are going to save her but we need time to plan, to-"
"No," Neteyam shook him off, "We cannot – I cannot leave her there!" he backed away slowly, but Jake stopped him, grabbing his arm forcefully.
"You need to calm down. It won't help her if you get yourself killed," Jake urged, trying to make his oldest son see reason, but Neteyam was far past the point of reasoning. All he could think of was Tcelia's scared eyes as she looked through the small holes in the net. He could not lose the person whom he searched for in every place full of people, in every situation, at every meal, at any celebration. Without her, he would be left searching forever, his gaze never settling, never resting until it at last met death where he finally would be allowed the relief of finding what had been missing.
Another memory also kept pushing up to the front of his mind, one he had kept forcing away, too painful to recall; a memory of Neteyam and Tcelia sitting on the edge of the flying mountain, Neteyam murmuring promises into her hair as she cried.
"You do not understand dad." He snapped, shaking his head in frustration, "It has to be now."
Neteyam was aware that the whole clan was watching the scene unfold intently, but he was too wrapped up in his panic to care.
"Listen, I understand why you are reacting like this, okay? I really do," Jake insisted, his eyes showing nothing but sympathy for his son, "But we need time to devise a plan so that we don't fail. This isn't just about Tcelia, alright? They have Ao'nung as well. And we cannot afford to lose more warriors than necessary, which will happen if we just tackle this head on."
Neteyam couldn't care less about the warriors. If they wouldn't help, he would go himself. "I am going, dad. I cannot leave her there." He tried to shake his dad off again, but this time Jake held on, tightening his grip on his son to the point of pain.
"Why won't you listen to me, boy?" Jake hissed, frustrated at his oldest son for disobeying him.
The small hold that Neteyam still had on himself, shattered completely. How could his father stand there and ask why Neteyam was so adamant on saving Tcelia. His father, who Neteyam had thought had known him better than almost anyone else, except for the girl who Neteyam had seen been dragged away by the enemy, was denying him the right to save that girl, to make up for having failed her.
"Because I love her," Neteyam shouted, glaring at his father, not even caring that he had just announced his love for Tcelia to the entire Metkayina tribe. "And I promised her," he managed to choke out, "I promised her that I would keep her safe."
Jake's eyes softened and he opened his mouth, though no sound came out, as if he was lost for words.
It was Lo'ak who broke the silence. Lo'ak, who so often ran headfirst into everything without stopping to think, who so often acted instead of using his words, whom Neteyam so often had to calm down and stop from doing anything stupid, stepped towards his older brother and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, speaking softly.
"I know bro. But this is Tcelia we are talking about – she is tough. She will make it to tomorrow." Lo'ak reassured him, not once breaking eye contact with Neteyam. For a second, Neteyam forgot that the whole Metkayina clan and his family were listening, it was just him and Lo'ak and their shared fear for Tcelia. "She is worth too much just to wing it, alright? She would never forgive you or herself if you got yourself killed trying to save her. You know that bro." Lo'ak squeezed his shoulder, "Please, just wait till tomorrow, then we will go and get her back." Lo'ak's eyes bore into Neteyam's. Lo'ak's hand was trembling, and up close, Neteyam could see that Lo'ak was holding back tears, but Neteyam had no doubt that from afar, Lo'ak looked every bit the strong warrior he had the potential to become, that he already was underneath the rebel façade he put up.
"I promise," Lo'ak lowered his voice so that only Neteyam could hear him swearing to him, and Neteyam found the gesture incredibly profound.
Neteyam nodded his head slowly, placing his own hand on top of Lo'ak's, grasping it tightly. "Tomorrow." He said to Lo'ak, feeling for the first time since Tcelia had been taken, the air rush into his lungs entirely, clearing his cloudy mind slightly.
"Tomorrow." Lo'ak echoed in promise, squeezing his brother's shoulder once again.