Kayra squinted through the sunlight, covering her eyes with a hand to block out the sharp rays that beat down through the canopy above her. Ducking her head to avoid being blinded, she crouched down to get a closer look at the footprints in the mud. They disappeared into a lake just before her and they were still fresh, which meant that the creature had just slipped into the water.
Tightening her grip on her spear, she slowly made her way into the cool water, careful not to disturb the water too much. The gentle babble of a nearby waterfall lulled her into a sense of calmness as the water swallowed her, and her feet sunk into the mud-like sand. Drawing in her breath, she dove under, gliding close to the surface to get a better overview of the bottom of the lake.
The crystal-clear water shimmered with hues of blue and green as sunlight filtered through, revealing a myriad of swimming creatures. They swarmed around her, brushing against her body, seemingly unaffected by the spear in her grasp. They moved past it effortlessly, as if unaware that a flick of Kayra's arm could end their lives instantly. But these creatures were not her target today. Only one creature should fear her presence.
Kayra glided through the water gracefully, carefully moving her searching gaze over the bed of the lake. She prodded at a rock with her spear gently, but nothing happened except for the rock tumbling slightly and settling a few centimeters to the right of its original position.
Kayra sighed inwardly. It would have been too easy anyway, she mused. Tsengo, though not rare, proved challenging to find. Their ability to blend into their surroundings, manipulating light and altering their appearance in size and color, made them elusive. Moreover, they only bred during the coldest season, their eggs hatching precisely half a year later on the longest day of the year. The Na'vi had to strike a delicate balance between preserving enough tsengo for breeding and meeting the Tsahik's requirements. Also, they were pretty aggressive, built for killing their prey with a single bite, so that made it slightly difficult as well.
Kayra's mother had entrusted her with the task of hunting the tsengo—a request she had eagerly accepted, yearning to gain her mother's approval. With her twin sister, Tsireya, now chosen as Tsakarem, Kayra's chances to prove herself had become scarce. It hadn't come as a surprise when Tsireya was selected over her. Kayra had never aspired to be Tsahik anyway; she had always been more drawn to her father's way of life—learning to fight, wield a spear, and hunt. Yet, since Tsireya's appointment as the future Tsahik and her older brother, Ao'nung, as the future Olo'eyktan, Kayra had faded into the background, becoming invisible and expendable.
Others might have harbored bitterness in such circumstances, but not Kayra. She relished the freedom from the pressures of leadership and the title of Tsahik. She could indulge in hunting, enjoy her time with friends, and live with the absence of responsibilities. To some point at least: she was still the daughter of the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina. She still had some responsibilities. Her parents – mostly her mother – would have preferred that Kayra took her lessons and responsibilities a bit more seriously though.
But why would she want to please her parents when she couldn't really do anything right in their eyes? So, sure, she had inadvertently become the family's disappointment. But why should that weigh her down when it didn't really matter anyway? Why let the growing distance between her and her parents dampen her spirits? She had a world to see!
Her siblings, on the other hand, were always there for her, showing the love that siblings should. They teased, fought, and pretended to hate each other like all siblings do, and although Kayra would never admit it openly (except perhaps to Tsireya), she loved them.
Her life was comfortable, content. Nothing to complain about. She was the daughter of the Tsahik and the Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina clan. Sure, she sometimes strayed from the expected path, but it didn't matter because her future held no grand or extraordinary destinies.
She didn't envy Tsireya—why would she want to be Tsahik, grinding herbs and assisting in birth rituals for the rest of her life? No, that wasn't for her.
Though at times, she did find herself slightly envious of Ao'nung. He had special training sessions with their father and the warriors, a privilege Kayra could only dream of. Often, she would secretly follow them, observing from a distance as the warriors moved, and listening to her father impart wisdom to Ao'nung about hunting, fighting, or whatever was on the agenda. Afterwards, Kayra would practice those skills alone, in secret.
That was why her mother had entrusted her with the task of hunting the tsengo. A few years ago, Kayra had eavesdropped on one of Ao'nung's lessons on capturing tsengo. Since he was two years older than Kayra, his lessons were always ahead of hers. Over the following months, Kayra had diligently practiced and perfected the art of capturing tsengo, solely to impress her parents and prove that she wasn't just a passive observer—that she possessed valuable skills of her own.
Her father had been impressed. Her mother, not so much. Ronal had reprimanded her for neglecting her other lessons, asking her how she'd ever expect her to choose Kayra as her Tsakarem if she only focused on the hunting activities.
But Kayra had since that become the Tsahik's go to person when they were low on tsengo blood, and Kayra had felt victorious. Her mother was a proud woman and would never admit that Kayra had done well out loud when she had reprimanded her for it. So she did it by asking Kayra to perform the task.
Kayra poked at another stone and then examined the plants growing further from the shore, but still, nothing happened. She preferred catching tsengo without agitating them too much or using herself as bait. Unfortunately, such lucky encounters were rare, and she would likely have to resort to that method today.
Swimming for another ten minutes, she scanned the water, hoping to catch any glimmer of something unusual or a disturbance in the play of light beneath the surface. Yet, there was no sign. Kayra knew she had already spent too much time away from the village. Her mother needed the tsengo today to complete a tattoo she had been working on, and Kayra had delayed her return by aimlessly wandering the mainland first, dragging out having to go back to the village.
Diving down to the lakebed, Kayra pushed aside the plants and swept her free hand over the sandy floor, disturbing it and creating a cloud around her. She patted the ground, sending vibrations through the water, and waited, observing.
Seconds ticked by as the sand settled, but then it erupted into a flurry once more. Reacting swiftly, Kayra lunged to the side, simultaneously thrusting her spear into the space where the disturbance had occurred. Instead of effortlessly gliding through the water, the spear met resistance, piercing through flesh and tissue. The light flickered, and a creature the size of a small ilu shimmered into view, Kayra's spear protruding from its scaly side. Its elongated mouth was open, revealing menacing, razor-sharp teeth ready to sink into Kayra's arm.
The tsengo shuddered, writhing its small legs, and before the creature could snap its jaw shut and enclose Kayra's upper arm, she grabbed her knife from her side and jammed it into the roof of the animal's mouth, careful not to pierce herself on the sharp teeth.
She had once been bitten by one of these creatures and it hadn't been pretty. Tsengo venom was not something anyone should mess with. A small dose could make any Na'vi delirious, and a large enough dose could completely kill and wipe out any brain activity.
The first time that she had gone to hunt for a tsengo, she hadn't been quick enough, and the creature had managed to wrap its jaw around her thigh. She'd stabbed at it in a frenzy until it at last had let her go. Somehow, she had managed to kick her way to the shore of the lake and pull herself up before everything had gone black. For two whole days, she had drifted in and out of feverish sleep, her mind fractured and her recollections muddled. It had been a grueling ordeal. Eventually, she had awoken, still lying on the muddy shore, her leg throbbing with pain, and her head heavy and hot.
She had managed to drag herself back to the village and bandaged herself without being spotted by her mother, which Kayra had taken as a win. There was no way she had wanted pity from her mother, especially because she had wanted to learn how to catch Tsengo to be of help, not to come crawling, half dead, and becoming a nuisance.
She had later learned that Ao'nung and Tsireya had looked for her everywhere, but since Kayra hadn't told anyone where she was going, they hadn't been able to find her. Her parents had been worried too, but it wasn't unusual for Kayra to disappear at times. Most of the time, her parents didn't even know where Kayra was - her mother had already chosen Tsireya as her Tsakarem and her dad was busy leading the clan - and so they hadn't thought too much of it.
The scars from the tsengo's teeth remained, forming a circle of small, light blue spots raised around her left thigh. Kayra found herself somewhat fond of them—they looked pretty cool.
Twisting the knife around in a precise and swift manner, the tsengo stilled immediately. Kayra kicked against the floor of the lake, grabbing onto the tsengo and hauled it to the shore. On her knees, Kayra grabbed the small pouch she had tied around her waist and stuck her hand into it, grabbing a handful of the paste her mother had given her. Readying herself, she grabbed the wood of the spear close to the creature's side with her other hand, then, in a fluid motion, yanked the spear out and covered the wound with the paste.
Tsengo blood was extremely valuable; the Metkayina had used it not only for ink for tattooing, but also for medicinal purposes ever since the first songs. The paste she applied effectively halted the bleeding from the tsengo's wound.
"I See you, Brother, and thank you," Kayra muttered as she once again yanked out her knife and smeared more paste into the creature's maw. Leaning back on the balls of her feet, she wiped her hand across her forehead and looked at her work with satisfaction. Then she began the grueling work of hauling the creature back to the village.
It took her way longer than it usually did to get the tsengo back to the village. Mostly because she didn't want to go back. She enjoyed spending time on her own, exploring the forest and lakes that lay behind their village, and so Kayra often found herself spending as much time as she could on these small excursions, exploring underwater caverns, cenotes, and hollow trees. This time though, she'd had to admit to herself that she had wandered too far in. The tsengo was extremely heavy and it was not fun dragging it all the way back to the village.
Finally emerging onto the beach, she stopped and dropped the heavy creature from her shoulder, drawing in the smell of salt water. Her back had started hurting and she could almost hear her mother's scolding words for not having brought something that she could have carried the creature with. Rolling her eyes at her mother's imaginary words, Kayra bent down once again and hauled the creature over her shoulder, before making her way into the village.
The second Kayra stepped up into the weaved walkway strung between the giant water roots over the ocean, she knew that something had happened. The Metkayina seemed to be murmuring between themselves, their eyes darting over to the empty Marui by the edge of the village. The air was curious and perhaps slightly warning and Kayra immediately wondered what she had missed.
"You're not very popular right now; you know that right?" Kayra startled out of her thoughts as someone appeared by her side. She looked up, already knowing who it was.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She furrowed her eyes as she looked at the boy walking beside her.
He smirked, reaching over and snatched the tsengo from Kayra's shoulders, draping it over his own. "I think I'd much rather watch you find out. It's more entertaining that way."
Kayra rolled her eyes, flexing her shoulders in an attempt at getting rid of the kink that had appeared halfway back to the village. "Or, you know, you could just tell me now and spare me whatever awaits me when I find out."
"But my way is so much more fun, Kay." Teol's smirk widened as he watched Kayra's scowl up at him, "Wow, you got me all weak in the knees with that look, I hope I'm not blushing-"
Kayra smacked Teol over the arm, "You're such a skxawng, just tell me!"
Teol laughed, throwing up the arm he wasn't holding on to the tsengo with in defeat, "Fine, fine. But only because you asked so nicely." he looked at her with a sarcastic smile which Kayra chose to ignore. Kayra absentmindedly steered them into the Tsahik's supply pod as she crossed her arms.
"What's up with everyone?" Curiosity burned inside her, and she couldn't help but glance out of the pod as Teol dropped the creature on the floor. A mother was walking with her child, yanking them away from the edge of the village. Strange. "Everyone seems so... on edge." She looked back to Teol for answers, who was dusting off his hands.
Teol grinned as he joined Kayra by the opening of the pod. He took a deep breath, clearly relishing the suspense. "You are not ready for this. Maybe you should sit down."
Kayra sighed exasperatingly, her impatience evident, "Teol, as fun as I know you think this is, I'd appreciate it if you could get to the part where you tell me what's going on and why I'm not popular just a bit quicker."
Teol's grin widened even more, "We have visitors from the Omatikaya clan. And not just any Omatikaya. Toruk Makto and his family."
Kayra's eyes widened, "What?" she exclaimed, "Are you serious? THE Toruk Makto is here? In our village. Right now?" She was speaking way too fast and asking way too many questions in one sentence but she didn't care. Everything was reeling. She had grown up with stories of Toruk Makto, how her dad had fought along side him as they had won over the sky people. He was a legend, Kayra's biggest inspiration. When she and Ao'nung were younger, they had always fought over who would get to be Toruk Makto when they played.
Teol nodded, a mix of excitement and amusement in his eyes, "Yeah, they've moved into the pod by the edge of the village. No one knows how long they're staying but it sounded like it was pretty permanent."
"Okay maybe I do need to sit down," Kayra murmured, earning a chuckle from her friend. Then something else crossed her mind, "Wait a minute. These news shouldn't exactly make me unpopular."
He blinked as if he had completely forgotten the way he had greeted her earlier, "Oh right. Your mother is annoyed that you weren't there to greet Toruk Makto's family."
Kayra's eyebrows furrowed, and she crossed her arms in disbelief. "What?" she exclaimed, her voice laced with frustration. "She was the one who sent me to hunt for the Tsengo in the first place."
"Hey, don't shoot the messenger! And anyways, why are you surprised? Doesn't your mother always find a way to be annoyed at you?" Teol meant it playfully, but there was a tinge of bitterness in his voice. He had never liked the way Kayra's mother treated her, and he didn't hesitate to express his thoughts, even in front of Kayra, which sometimes wore her down. She didn't want pity from anyone, and though she knew Teol's intentions were caring, it still bothered her whenever he brought it up.
"Drop it, Teol," she murmured, her voice tinged with a touch of weariness as she looked out over the village. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I'll go find my mother. No point in putting it off."
Teol placed a hand on Kayra's shoulder, shaking it gently, "Want me to come with you? I'm pretty good at diffusing situations." He grinned at her.
"No, please no, not after the last time," She didn't want to go into too many details of what had happened the last time Teol had tagged along when Kayra'd had to face the music for something she'd done. Let's just say it ended in Teol accidentally admitting another thing that Kayra had done that she hadn't been allowed to and Kayra being grounded for two whole months. "It's probably best I do it alone. See you at dinner?"
Teol nodded, an encouraging smile playing on his lips, "Yeah sure. Dinner."
She left the pod behind, heading straight to her parents Marui, already planning out the argument in her head. She knew she was going to lose - not even her father could win an argument over her mother when she was in a mood – but that wouldn't stop her from trying.
It was difficult to focus though, when the thought of Toruk Makto being in the same village that she was in, that she had spent her whole life in, kept swiveling around in her mind. Toruk Matko was here, and she had missed his arrival. This was something that their village would sing songs about, remember forever, and she hadn't been there. She mentally cursed all Tsengo in existence.
Suddenly, she collided with something solid, jolting her back to the present. She stumbled backward, on the verge of falling, before strong arms wrapped around her, providing stability.
"Hey, are you alright?" A concerned voice sounded, and not one that Kayra recognized, though she didn't think much about it right at that moment.
Flushed, she pushed away from the guy who had caught her, "Yeah, I'm fine," her words came out defensively, maybe a bit harsher than she had intended. Though her defensive stance shattered the second her eyes found the boy's face. His skin was a dark blue, a contrast to her own turquoise tone and his hair was braided back in long braids that hung down his upper back. But the most striking part about him was his eyes, like liquid amber sun looking down at her.
Startled by her defensive reaction, the boy took a small step back, his concerned expression turning into an amused smile. He seemed unfazed by Kayra's initial response, his amber eyes radiating warmth. "No need to snap, I did just save you from falling in the water."
"You're Toruk Makto's son, aren't you?" Kayra asked bluntly, ignoring the boy's comment, but secretly thankful for not tumbling into the water in front of her hero's son. Even just the thought of it made her toes curl with embarrassment.
"I am," he chuckled as he signed 'I see you' to Kayra, "I do have a name though, it's not just 'Toruk Makto's son.'"
Kayra eyed him skeptically, not in the mood to be nice with the thought of her mother's punishment looming above her like a dark cloud, "I'm sure you do, but I kinda have places to be," she pushed past him, suddenly desperate to put some distance between the two. This boy made her nervous, which wasn't a feeling Kayra enjoyed feeling. Also, she was getting more and more worried that her mother would catch her with him and scold her in front of him for not having been there earlier. Plus, she desperately wanted to make a good impression on Toruk Makto and his family and she suspected her mother yelling at her wouldn't quite do the trick.
But the boy wasn't easy to shake off. Kayra heard him chuckle to himself before he followed after her, appearing by her side, "What, you smash into me and tell me you've heard of my dad, but you're too busy to introduce yourself?"
Kayra let out an exasperated sigh, her frustration mixing with a hint of amusement at the boy's persistence. She slowed her pace, but only slightly. "Look, I'm not exactly on the greatest terms with my mother right now, and I'd rather not prolong the inevitable any longer."
The boy smirked down at her, his lips curling up in a mischievous smile. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes glinting with playful amusement. "Why?" he began, his voice tinged with a hint of mischief, "What'd you do?" His gaze lingered on her, waiting for her response.
She looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowing in mild annoyance. A small sigh escaped her lips as she crossed her arms over her chest, a subtle gesture of defiance. "You sure are nosy," she retorted, her tone laced with a touch of sarcasm. Her eyes narrowed slightly, challenging him.
He tilted his head, his expression innocent but his eyes betraying a sense of curiosity. He raised his hands in a casual shrug, as if to dismiss any ill intent. "Simply curious," he replied nonchalantly, his shoulders rising and falling in the shrug. His gaze momentarily flickered away, as if lost in thought, before refocusing on her. "Besides, I have a brother who could probably rival anything you did to make your mother mad."
"I doubt it." She smirked a little, allowing herself to indulge in the conversation, "I have a way of pressing my mother's buttons without even trying."
The boy chuckled softly, a glimmer of intrigue in his eyes, "I think you underestimate my brother."
"Or maybe you just underestimate me," Kayra shot back, a challenging tone in her voice.
"Yeah," he said, his smirk growing into a lopsided smile, "Maybe I did." He paused for a second, and Kayra could feel his eyes on her, "I'm Neteyam by the way."
"That's a shame. 'Toruk Makto's son' has a much nicer ring to it," she playfully remarked, attempting to maintain her composure. But as she glanced up at him, finding him already gazing down at her, a genuine smile broke across her face as she replied.
"What do you know, she does smile." Neteyam quipped, his own smile growing wider. She rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance, but her smile remained. "But does she have a name or do I have to keep calling her she?"
Kayra finally uncrossed her arms, her guards lowering slightly, "I'm-"
"Kayra!" a voice bellowed from ahead of her causing Kayra to wince and freeze in her tracks as she turned her head to see her mother emerging from a Marui and heading towards them. The expression on her face indicated clear displeasure.
"Wait, your mother is the Tsahik?" Neteyam whispered through a polite smile towards Ronal, his voice sounding surprised.
Kayra had managed to plaster a somewhat pleasant looking smile across her face as well, "Yep," she confirmed. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the situation, aware of how silly they must look, smiling widely while her mother approached with an air of intimidation. Despite her pregnant waddle, her mother still exuded a formidable presence.
As Ronal drew closer and recognized who Kayra was chatting with, her mother's angry expression morphed from anger to surprise, and finally settled into a strained neutral look in an instant.
"Hi, mother," Kayra greeted, her voice maintaining a pleasant tone. "I was just giving our new visitor here a nice and warm welcome."
Her mother's eyes bore into her, suspicion etched across her face. Then she turned her face to stare down at Neteyam. Kayra wasn't sure how her mother managed to stare down at a boy who was significantly taller than her, but it looked intimidating nonetheless, "Is this true?" she questioned, her voice laced with an underlying intensity.
"Yeah," Neteyam chimed in, "Yeah," he repeated with a bright smile, not showing any signs of being affected by Ronal's glare, "I've never felt more nice. Or warm for that matter." He paused for a second, looking down at Kayra, "Your daughter even offered to be my personal tutor."
Kayra's mouth fell open at Neteyam's words, her mind racing to catch up. Neteyam flashed his eyebrows at her, an amused smirk playing on his lips, before he looked over at the Tsahik again.
Kayra quickly managed to regain her composure again, forcing her lips upward in an overly modest smile as her mother turned her head to scrutinize her with suspicion. Inside her head, Kayra's mind raced. Would this mean that she would be stuck tutoring Neteyam now? She anxiously awaited her mother's response.
Kayra's mother maintained her piercing gaze, her eyes narrowing as she studied her daughter's expression. The silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the sounds of the village life bustling in the background. Her mother's piercing gaze lingered for a few more moments that seemed to feel like forever – though it was probably only three seconds tops – before her mother let out a long sigh, her expression softening ever so slightly.
"Well, I suppose it is commendable of you to offer your assistance," her mother finally responded, her tone still tinged with caution. Then: "And what of the tsengo? Since you took so long acquiring it, I hope you have brought something to show for it."
Kayra bowed her head slightly, then looked up at her mother once again, a small smile playing on her lips. "It's ready for you and Reya in the practice Marui."
Her mother nodded, satisfaction shining through her eyes, which sparked a hint of pleasure in Kayra's pride. "Your father has already instructed your siblings to help the Omatikaya children learn our ways. You will help them as best as you can."
Kayra folded her hands behind her back, shooting a glance over at Neteyam who was studying the mother daughter conversation intently, "Of course, mother."
Ronal nodded a final time before she moved past Kayra, walking away with purpose, her back straight. When her mother was out of earshot, Kayra swiveled to Neteyam, "How did you do that?" she asked incredulously.
"Do what?" his eyes scrunched in confusion.
Kayra scoffed in amazement, "You saw how she completely changed! She was ready to give me hell and then two sentences from you and she actually praises me!"
"You call that being praised?" Neteyam raised his eyebrows as he looked after Ronal, then he whistled and turned his amber eyes back to Kayra, "She's a little..." he let the words hang in the air, perhaps waiting for Kayra to chime in.
"Scary?" Kayra decided to be nice and finish his sentence.
"I was going to say intense, but yeah, scary works too." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck with a hand, exposing the underside of his upper arm.
Kayra actually laughed at that, surprising herself a little, and apparently, Neteyam too. His lips tugged into a smile, his eyes lighting up slightly as he searched her face.
Kayra suddenly felt very self-conscious, "Anyway," she coughed, "I gotta go find my sister. She's probably bouncing up and down with excitement right now, eager to tell me about your arrival." She patted him once on the arm before walking backwards the same way her mother had appeared, "I'll probably see you at some point soon, seeing as I'm your personal tutor now." She gave him a half grin to show that she was joking before she turned around and left in search of her sister.
"I'll definitely take you up on that, Kayra." Neteyam called after her, causing Kayra to hide a smile as she walked away.
