"Ao'nung, quit being a baby and come with us," Kayra tapped her foot impatiently, "Or do you want me to get dad and tell him that you're refusing to help?"

Ao'nung's eyes narrowed, before returning to sharpening the spear in his hands, "You wouldn't."

Kayra looked over at Rotxo who shrugged. Tsireya had already gone to fetch the Sully kids and Kayra's part in their plan appeared to be harder than she'd thought it would be. After breakfast, Kayra and Tsireya had drawn straws to see who got to get the Sully children and who got to drag Ao'nung down to the beach. Kayra had unfortunately drawn the shortest straw. Luckily, Rotxo had walked past them just at that moment and Kayra had pulled him along to their Marui where she knew Ao'nung had gone to sulk.

Kayra blew out an annoyed breath, "Fine," she muttered, "Dad it is," then she turned on her heel, crouching down to crawl down from their pod and onto the walkway. But just as she had suspected, her foot had barely touched the rope before her brother called after her.

"Wait-" he grunted, "Just wait, alright?" Kayra sat down, twisting slightly so that she could look back at her brother and Rotxo, her feet dangling over the Marui's edge. Her brother continued, "I just don't see why the future Olo'eyktan should bother with trivial tasks like this."

"This isn't trivial, bro." Rotxo began, "It's the children of Toruk Makto, there is no higher honor than this." He made his way over to Kayra who looked up at him with a confused expression. No higher honor than teaching some kids how to swim? Rotxo looked at her with a look that said, 'just play along'.

Sure enough, Ao'nung has missed Kayra's confused look because he was busy staring down at his spear with a self-important look, "Yeah. No higher honor than this." He mumbled to himself, then he cleared his throat, "Fine," he dropped the spear by his side and got up, "I suppose I could spare a few hours of my time."

"Yeah, maybe someday someone will even sing songs about you teaching them." Kayra clapped her brother on the back when they had gotten down from their pod and was walking towards the meeting point.

Rotxo elbowed her in the side, shooting her a look that said 'don't overdo it'. But Ao'nung didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in her voice as his back straightened ever so slightly and a smirk appeared on his face, undoubtedly already imagining the chorus of the song.

"I can't believe that actually worked." Kayra whispered to Rotxo as they slipped behind Ao'nung, who was walking with confident strides.

Rotxo grinned innocently as they turned right, closing in on the Marui that the Sullies were occupying, "You won't believe what I've gotten him to do just by playing into his sense of self-worth."

"You're my hero."

"What are you guys talking about back there?" Ao'nung's voice was tainted with suspicion causing Rotxo and Kayra to squeak 'nothing' way too quickly for it to actually be nothing. Luckily, they were saved by Tsireya, who called to them from the edge of the walkway a bit further out, sweetly waving them over to her and the Sully kids.

Kayra smiled at them as they joined the others. The warm rays of the sun bathed the surroundings, casting a golden glow over the scene and played with the turquoise colors of the water, creating a stunning display of shimmering brilliance. The gentle breeze carried the scent of salt in the air, mingling with the sweet fragrance of nearby flowers and plants. The rhythmic sound of crashing waves provided a soothing backdrop to the vibrant scene as Tsireya and Ao'nung asked the Omatikaya kids questions to figure out how good they were at swimming.

Then the moment arrived for the actual swimming instructions. Based on the answers provided by the Sully children, it became clear that while they had experience with swimming in lakes and rivers in the forest, they had never been formally taught the proper techniques. With this in mind, Tsireya and Ao'nung took on the role of instructors, approaching the task with patience and treating it as if they were teaching young children. Or at least, Tsireya did. Ao'nung was speaking slowly, mainly directing his condescending words at Lo'ak. Rotxo stood to the side, smiling politely along.

Kayra had chosen to stand in the back so that she could give her siblings and Rotxo space to be in charge of the lesson. After all, it was them who had been appointed to do the teaching, Kayra had only been asked as an afterthought (granted, she hadn't actually been there when they'd been instructed to do it, so she didn't really have anyone to blame but herself). She had also somehow ended up next to Neteyam, though she had no idea how that had happened.

"Why aren't you beside your siblings, openly assuming that we've never swum a day in our lives before?" Neteyam's low voice sounded by her ear, sending a tingle down Kayra's spine. She felt her stomach curl in an unfamiliar and exciting way, as if her body had a mind of its own.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Kayra's lips as she maintained her focus on Tsireya, not wanting to betray her slight nervousness. She leaned in closer to Neteyam, the warmth of his presence enveloping her. "They are way better teachers than me, trust me. You'd probably end up at the bottom of the ocean if I took over."

Neteyam laughed quietly, "This isn't you trying to get out of those private lessons we talked about, is it?"

"We talked about? Pretty sure you ambushed me into agreeing to that," Kayra retorted, her tone laced with mock incredulity, still keeping her focus on Tsireya.

Neteyam's smile widened as he dragged out the 'o' in his response, a touch of mischief in his voice. "No," he countered, his gaze fixed on her, "I definitely don't recall it happening like that."

Rolling her eyes playfully, Kayra couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "Well, you certainly have a selective memory then," she teased, a spark of amusement in her voice.

Before Neteyam could respond, Ao'nung cleared his throat, asking if anyone had any questions.
Lo'ak raised his hand politely but began talking before he was called on, "Yeah, so when we're underwater, can we breathe that stuff in or how does that work?" he asked with mock confusion, obviously making fun of Ao'nung for talking to them as if they were complete idiots.

Kayra, not having expected Lo'ak's boldness, let out a burst of laughter but clamped her hand over her mouth as Ao'nung head snapped over to glare at her in betrayal. At the same time, Neteyam hit his brother on the shoulder, hissing at him to be nice. In front of Kayra, Kiri turned to the side, rolling her eyes at her family.

"Alright, smartass," Ao'nung turned his attention back to Lo'ak, "Go on and give it a try then, prove me wrong." Then he dove into the water without waiting for a response.

Tsireya sighed, looking over her shoulder and followed their brother with her eyes for a second before she turned back to the group, then smiled sweetly at them, "Just follow us, alright?" She waited for the Sully kids to agree, then dove into the water gracefully, quickly followed by Rotxo, who managed to mouth 'good one' at Lo'ak before diving headfirst into the turquoise water.

Lo'ak smiled, a little too smugly, at his brother before slapping his chest gently, "Come on, bro," then jumped – not so gracefully – into the water and followed after Tsireya and the others.

Beside them, Kiri sighed and looked at Kayra with an apologetic look, "He's such a skxawng." Then she jumped into the water, following her brother.

"Don't worry about my brother," Kayra held up her hand to stop Neteyam as he began apologizing for Lo'ak, "He deserved it. Now go on. The water's waiting for you!" Neteyam hesitated for a second before he nodded, smiling softly. Then he turned and followed his siblings into the water.

A small hand gently touched Kayra's arm prompting her to look down and meet Tuk's wide, curious eyes. The little girl's face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to recall the instructions given by Tsireya and Ao'nung moments ago. "I'm confused," Tuk admitted, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Do I kick with my feet and then use my arms? Or is it the other way around?"

Kayra couldn't help but chuckle softly at Tuk's adorable confusion. She crouched down to be at eye level with the younger girl, her warm smile reassuring. "Do you know how to swim from back home?" she inquired, genuinely curious.

Tuk's face lit up with pride as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! My dad taught me."

Kayra's laughter grew, her voice filled with a gentle reassurance. "Well then, for now, forget everything my siblings have told you," she advised. "Just do what your dad taught you. We'll worry about the rest when we're actually in the water, alright?"

Tuk's face lit up with excitement as she eagerly bounded into the water, her eyes widening in wonder at the vibrant ecosystem beneath the surface. Kayra couldn't help but chuckle at Tuk's contagious enthusiasm.

Taking a moment to savor the anticipation, she took a deep breath and dove into the water, immersing herself in its pleasantly cool embrace. As she descended into the depths, a sense of weightlessness enveloped Kayra, the world above momentarily fading away. The vivid underwater world greeted her with an array of colors, exotic fish gracefully swimming by, and the mesmerizing play of sunlight filtering through the water. The sun's warm rays danced through the water, creating a beautiful interplay of light and shadows around her.

Kayra reveled in the tranquility of the underwater realm, the peacefulness and serenity washing over her. Here, in the embrace of the ocean, she felt a deep sense of belonging. The water seemed to caress her, guiding her through its depths, as if it recognized her as one of its own. It was a feeling she would never tire of, an indescribable connection that ran through her veins.

Kayra might long for more, might go on adventures in the forest behind the village and wish to soar through the air like Toruk Makto, but she couldn't deny her love for the ocean any more than she could deny her need for air. For Kayra, and for all the Metkayina, the ocean was more than just a body of water. It was a sanctuary, a second home that held a piece of their souls. It was a place of solace and wonder, where they found comfort and a deep sense of kinship with the world around them. It was life.

With grace and ease that could only come from having spent countless hours swimming every day of your life, Kayra glided through the water, effortlessly overtaking Tuk who paddled along, her eyes wide with awe. As she swam, Kayra's gaze swept the underwater world, taking in the magnificent sights around her. In the distance, she spotted her siblings and Rotxo swimming further out, waiting for the Sullies in the depths near the ocean floor. With a swift flick of her tail, Kayra propelled herself downward, diving deeper into the realm of the sea. She flipped onto her back, her body floating effortlessly as she gazed upward, the Sully boys swimming above her.

With a warm smile, Kayra glanced up at the Sully boys as she passed them, a silent greeting exchanged between them. Even from under the water, Kayra could see Neteyam's eyes flashing as he watched her swim beneath him, and she had to restrain herself from not waving at him like a little girl with a crush. However, their swim was momentarily interrupted when Lo'ak urgently grabbed Neteyam's arm, signaling a need to resurface for air. As Kayra reached her siblings the Metkayina children exchanged puzzled glances, their confusion mirrored in their eyes.

As the Omatikaya brothers stuck their heads back into the water, Kayra and Tsireya attempted to communicate through sign language, urging them to join them. However, the boys looked just as perplexed as their counterparts, unable to decipher the meaning behind the gestures. Sensing the futility of their efforts, Tsireya's sweet smile remained unwavering as she waved them over. Kayra caught Ao'nung looking at Rotxo exasperatedly whilst Rotxo returned his look with a confused gaze.

It was pretty clear that the Omatikaya kids weren't great swimmers, and they were even worse divers. They kept lagging behind due to the fact that they had to go up for air a lot more than the Metkayina. Kayra had just begun to wonder if maybe they should have started with some breathing lessons before actually pushing them into the water when Rotxo tapped her on the shoulder.

"What is with them?" Rotxo signed to Kayra and Ao'nung who was on Kayra's other side, his bewilderment evident the fourth time the Sully kids had to go up for air.

Ao'nung, with a smug smile on his face, took the opportunity to assert his superiority. "They're bad swimmers," his body language practically screaming, 'I told you so.'

Behind Ao'nung, Kayra watched as Tsireya frowned and firmly hit Ao'nung's shoulder, drawing everyone's attention to herself. Her signing was sharp and forceful as she rebuked him, "Stop. They're learning." Casting a disproving glance in Rotxo and Kayra's direction, which Kayra thought was rather rude seeing as she hadn't said a thing about them being bad swimmers, she pushed off against a large coral to join the Omatikaya kids above the surface. Rotxo met Kayra's eyes quickly, panic evident in them, before following after Tsireya, probably eager to prove to her that he hadn't meant his comment in a mean way.

Kayra grabbed Ao'nung's arm before he could follow Tsireya and Rotxo. As Kayra kept her brother from returning to the surface she could see the expectation in his eyes, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. She signed to him, urging him to be nicer towards the Omatikaya children.

Ao'nung's response was a roll of his eyes, a display of his frustration with his younger sister's plea for kindness. He defended his previous comments, asserting, "Come on, Kay! You can't deny that they're bad swimmers. I'm just calling it as it is."

Kayra's expression hardened as she countered his argument. "They might be bad at swimming but that's why we've been assigned to teach them, remember?'' She signed with determination, emphasizing the importance of their role in guiding and supporting the Omatikaya children. When nothing changed in Ao'nung's expression, she sighed inwardly, "Think of the songs they'll sing about you."

Ao'nung paused for a second, then, "Fine, I'll be nicer." He conceded, "But if that Lo'ak tries to start something again, I'm not going to hold back."

Kayra grinned at her brother, happy with the small victory and mentally thanking Rotxo for being a genius, "I wouldn't expect anything else, brother."

As Kayra and Ao'nung surfaced from the water, their previous conversation fresh in their minds, they found themselves immediately engaged in a new exchange between the Metkayina and the Omatikaya kids who seemed to be complaining that they had been going too fast. However, to Kayra's disappointment, Ao'nung's first words, the second his head was over water, contradicted the promise he had just made to be nicer.

"You are not good divers," Ao'nung began, his condescending tone reemerging. "You may be good at swinging through trees but-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kayra's patience wore thin. She swiftly interrupted him, hitting him over the head, her glare filled with accusation, causing Rotxo to let out a laugh though Kayra didn't know if he was laughing at the fact that Kayra had hit Ao'nung or what Ao'nung had been saying.

Ao'nung returned her glare shortly before speaking quietly, his words directed at her, with an innocent smirk playing on his lips, "Starting right now." Kayra rolled her eyes, exasperation with her brother filling her.

"Come on, bro," Lo'ak complained, and Kayra tore her burning glare away from her brother, her eyes meeting Lo'ak's briefly before they flickered over to Neteyam.

"We don't speak this finger talk, guys," Neteyam explained, his hands mimicking the signs Kayra and Tsireya had used underwater. "We don't know what you're saying."

"I will teach you," Tsireya responded quickly, her determination evident.

Kayra contemplated offering her assistance but was interrupted by Rotxo, who suddenly turned his head and inquired about Kiri's whereabouts. Kayra looked around, suddenly realizing that they were, in fact, missing Kiri. She tried to recall the last time she had seen the girl, but she shamefully had to admit to herself that she hadn't thought much about Kiri the second that she had jumped into the water.

"Who?" Ao'nung's clueless question hung in the air, but it was swiftly disregarded as everyone else repeated Rotxo's words, their gazes scanning the water in search of Kiri.

"Did you see her?" Tsireya's question was directed to no one in particular, the concern evident in her voice.

It was Tuk who at last spotted her sister, luckily not lying dead on the bottom of the ocean as Kayra had begun to fear, but swimming around, lost in the wonder of the ocean. Ao'nung had called it a day as soon as Kiri had been found, mumbling something about having more important things to do than looking for weirdos in the water – something that luckily only Kayra heard - and left to find their father to ask for something else to do.

Kayra was standing closer to the shore now, water to her hips as she watched the Omatikaya swimming further out. Tsireya had figured that it was best to go back to the basics and to teach the Omatikaya the swimming techniques a place where they could reach the bottom. This, Kayra thought, was a good idea.

"It's easier if you don't move so much in the water," Kayra heard Tsireya telling Lo'ak as he resurfaced further out, "It's the larger and stronger strokes that'll get you further under the water."

Kayra stood with her arms crossed, watching the Omatikaya innocently. A little further down the shore, Rotxo was speaking gently to Tuk and Kiri, demonstrating the proper strokes as he encouraged Tuk to try. As Tuk disappeared under the water, Rotxo followed her, walking above the water from a small distance so that he wouldn't get kicked. Kiri stood patiently, watching her sister as she waited for her turn.

Closer to Kayra, Lo'ak resurfaced once again, looking expectantly back at Tsireya. She was standing further out, water to her chin. Neteyam stood beside her, though he was much taller, the water only reaching his chest. Lo'ak and Neteyam had been taking turns swimming back and forth between Tsireya and Kayra so that the girls could scrutinize their moves.

"Better," her sister shouted back, "But your strokes still need to be more powerful, so that you won't have to exhaust yourself by moving your arms all the time."

Lo'ak gave a thumbs up to Tsireya before he turned to catch Kayra's eye, his smile immediately turning into a grimace of pain as he looked away from Tsireya, "I'm not sure my strokes can be much stronger," he grumbled, "My arms are exhausted."

Kayra laughed, "Your arms are not used to the motions yet. Give it time."

"Time won't help me if I have to amputate my arms because they're seizing from effort tonight."

Kayra regarded him for a moment, a smile playing on her lips, "You know, you're not this..." she uncrossed her arms to do a circular gesturing movement at Lo'ak's chest, "...Complainy around Tsireya. Why do I get the honour of knowing the grumpy Lo'ak?" She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Hey, first of all: I'm not complainy," he grinned as he splashed water at her, "I'm being real. And secondly- hey, don't give me that look- and secondly, Tsireya is the teacher, not you."

Kayra's narrowed eyes shut up in confusion as she moved her hand to wipe water from her eyes, "Why should that matter?"

"Well I need to complain to someone. Can't complain to the teacher so I gotta complain to a friend."

"Awe, you see me as a friend already?" She teased.

"Yeah, don't make me take it back though." Lo'ak rolled his eyes in response but his voice was light. "Alright, I better swim back before our siblings get annoyed," he flashed her a grin before he turned and dove under the water, swimming back to Tsireya.

She grinned after him. She felt like she had resonated with Lo'ak in a way that had happened almost instantly, as if they'd known each other for a long time, and she was glad that he seemed to feel that way too. It wasn't something that happened often for her, that she just clicked with people. But Lo'ak was easy to like with his sarcastic comments and his rebel streak. She didn't doubt Neteyam's words about Lo'ak being able to push his parent's buttons, but Kayra found herself liking him even more for it.

Further out, Lo'ak reached Tsireya and Neteyam and resurfaced to face his judgment. Kayra could see Tsireya's mouth forming words but she couldn't hear what her sister was saying.

Kayra turned towards the shore when someone called her name, trying to get her attention. Teol was walking along the beach, carrying a basket undoubtedly filled with fish, heading towards the village. He raised a hand to wave at her, carrying the basket gracefully with one arm as he did. "When are you free?" He called, "I wanna show you something!"

Kayra grinned, "After dinner maybe?" She called back, squinting against the sun.

"You're on!" He yelled back, then his gaze flickered past Kayra, focusing on something behind her, "Stronger strokes, forest boy." Then he flashed Kayra a smile and took off towards the village.

Kayra turned to see who Teol had directed his last comment at. Neteyam stood behind her, water droplets dripping off him, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Your friend's a bit of a prick sometimes." His voice was light, joking, but Kayra had no doubt that he meant it.

Normally, such comments about her friends would annoy Kayra, but thinking back to the only two interactions they'd had, it made sense that Neteyam would assume Teol was a prick.

"Yeah but he means well," Kayra shrugged, "And your strokes do need to be stronger," she flashed him a mischievous grin, taking a slight step back in case he wanted to splash her like his brother had done.

But Neteyam was not his brother. He didn't splash her and she found herself wishing she hadn't taken the step back so that she'd be closer to him. Which was a strange feeling and definitely not something she was used to. It excited her a little.

He regarded her as his smile grew into a smirk, "Oh so that's how it is, huh?"

"Yeah," she smiled, crossing her arms again almost as if in challenge, "That's how it is."

"But you're not my teacher, are you now?" He grinned, lowering himself into the water so that it reached his upper chest. He looked up at her with an innocent smile, "You could've been, but it doesn't seem like you wanna do those private lessons."

Kayra rolled her eyes, her gaze flickering to Tsireya and Lo'ak. They were talking further out in the water, not seemingly bothered by the fact that Neteyam was taking such a long time to return.

"Why are you so obsessed with getting me alone?" Kayra's voice was teasing but the meaning behind the question was real enough. She wanted to know. She submerged herself into the water as she spoke, leveling her gaze with Neteyam's, her heart speeding up slightly as she did so.

"Maybe I wanna get to know you," Neteyam shrugged, moving his hand absentmindedly through the water, creating small ripples in the otherwise calm ocean, "Maybe you intrigue me."

Kayra couldn't help but snort, "Intrigue?"

That could either be a good or a bad thing. The water was intriguing with its bioluminescence like tiny fireflies of the ocean, illuminating the waters with an ethereal light, painting the seascape with an otherworldly shimmer. But so was a beetle; the iridescence displayed by some beetles when light hit their exoskeletons just right, creating a mesmerizing play of colors - it was interesting and definitely intriguing, but in a way that you'd regard as an everyday occurrence, something unimportant and maybe slightly gross in a cool way.

She found herself wishing she was intriguing like the ocean.

"Yeah, intrigue." He cocked his head to the side, a smirk playing on his lips, "Is that okay?"

Kayra felt her heart flutter and she prayed to Eywa that the flush she could feel creeping across her cheeks was imaginary or that Neteyam wouldn't notice it if it was real.

"That depends," she responded coyly, trying to play off the nervousness she was feeling buzzing just under her skin.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "On what?" He asked, an amused tone to his voice.

"I still need to figure that out."

His laugh filled her with warm sunshine, stirring something in Kayra that she'd never felt before. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad to give into his wishes. Maybe they'd have fun.

"Fine, I'll give you those private lessons that you're so eager after." She held up a hand to indicate that she wasn't finished speaking when he began to talk. He shut his mouth immediately, looking at her with an expectant smile. Kayra continued, "But it's not for free. I want something in return."

His expectant smile grew into a lopsided smirk, "And what's that?"

"I still need to figure that out too," she said as she stood up in the water again, water dripping off her body. He watched her as she did so, absentmindedly catching his bottom lip between his teeth. She felt her body shiver and she had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't because of the cool water.

"As long as I don't end up dead at the bottom of the ocean, I'll give you anything you ask." His voice was laced with amusement as he recalled what Kayra had said to him earlier that day, but his eyes flashed with something Kayra couldn't quite place.

"That's a dangerous promise," Kayra responded, hating how she sounded slightly breathless as she spoke. He suddenly seemed a lot closer to her than she had realized, looking up at her with his eyes like liquid sun.

His voice was low as he responded, a careful smirk tugging on his mouth, "I'm starting to think you're worth the risk."

Kayra's heart skipped a beat. Okay maybe several beats. She opened her mouth to respond even though she had no idea what she was going to say. Luckily she was spared the embarrassment of stumbling on her words as Tsireya called to them, asking if they wanted to take a break and get something to eat.

As they waded towards the beach and towards the bonfires, Ao'nung's voice flashed through her mind. They come from war, and destruction tends to follow that family like a shadow.

Maybe she was getting herself into something she shouldn't - something dangerous. The forest clans had been at war with the humans for a year now ever since they returned, but Toruk Makto hadn't fled until now. What had happened that had made him want to run? And would that affect anyone that got involved with their family?

She thought back to the way Neteyam's burning gaze had felt on her: exciting and addicting, as if she never wanted him to look away. And yet she barely knew him. But surely it couldn't hurt to spend time with him, maybe return his flirting a little here and there. As long as nothing serious happened she'd be safe, right? Besides, she didn't even know if Neteyam was interested in her like that and she also found herself slightly presumptuous for just assuming that he was interested in her just because he flirted with her a little. Maybe he just had a flirtatious personality.

He was already affecting her way more than she'd like... she shouldn't even be thinking these things about a boy she'd only known a couple of days.
Maybe she should tell him that they couldn't meet alone, that they should only spend time with each other when there were other people around. It was what was best for everyone, for the clan, for her and - though she hated to admit it - her heart.

But even as the logical part of her mind screamed at her to step away, she knew that wasn't going to happen. After all, she had never been the logical one in the family.