Taw'ne begins his ascent after Nöa makes sure the children are secure in the saddle.
Tuk assured her that she has taken plenty of flights with her family members but the warrior still wishes to be cautious. Stormgliders are different from Ikran, and their flight patterns are also unlike the smaller creature.
Higher altitudes also mean lower temperatures for the trio so Ketu'won drapes on his flight shawl and Nöa puts on her own, wrapping the little girl in front of her with it. The cloth is big enough that only Tuk's legs and head poke out from the soft fabric.
Once they break through a cluster of clouds and all of the other flying creatures that glide through the skies are mostly below them, Nöa steadies Taw'ne and begins making way towards her clan with extra speed.
The girl continues telling them about what she remembers, heard and saw during the hours she was captive.
Turns out the child of Toruk Makto is quite the escape artist and was able to get away from the false Na'vi's hands not even a day after she was captured.
They underestimated her and they paid for it.
The ship Tuk was taken in had malfunctioned just a few kilometers away from a human base due to having been under heavy fire from her mother's people.
With the excuse of having to relieve herself, The youngest Sully walked to the edge of a small forest glade they had landed in while inspecting her surroundings in hopes of finding something to help herself get away from her captors.
After a few sweeps of the area, she spotted a group of poisonous fungi. Silently thanking her older sister for being so adamant that she learned all of the most dangerous plant life forms in their forests, she knew these little guys would be perfect for her escape.
She readied herself and after biting the hand of the soldier minding her, she threw herself over to the bright life forms and while being super careful of not getting any on herself, she hurled the spores of the mushrooms in the false Na'vi's way, making the soldier scream in pain when her sinuses came into contact with the heavy toxins.
The frantic screeching of her captor would surely draw the rest of the crew her way so Tuk quickly scampered into the forest, running and jumping over fauna, not stopping or looking back until she reached a thick vine cluster that led to a group of floating mountains she used to hide for a while before making her way further into the forests where she hid until she met the siblings.
No wonder she is so tired, Nöa considers as she feels the Omaticaya girl begin to doze off against her. Judging by the distance of the human base, Tuk must've run for hours without significant rest or breaks for almost an entire day.
Nöa only knew of two human bases that fell into the area Tuk had described. A drilling station and a communications outpost. Both places are heavily guarded and armed. The hunter was glad the little girl had been able to escape before reaching the Sky People's sites.
It would've been almost impossible to rescue her from the inside.
She, of all people, knew that.
Nöa regrets dragging the young girl away from rightful and much needed sleep but she needs more intel. "Do you know if their ship was able to track you from the skies after you escaped?"
"I didn't hear the engines while I ran through the forest. And the Kestrel are loud." Tuk blinks, jawns and answers as clearly as possible. "This group of Recoms didn't have Ikran either, so I don't think they saw where I went."
"Do the false Na'vi usually ride Ikran?" That wasn't good.
Tuk shakes her head, braids clinking. "Not all of them, only the meanest ones. The Coronel." She says, whispering the last part. "But I think Dad and Mom dealt with most of them."
Nöa imagines that the way Toruk Makto and his formidable mate 'deal' with their enemies means they won't ever see them again. "You said you were traveling with a bigger group besides your Sa'nok. Can you tell me how many Na'vi?"
The girl hums. "I think there were twelve? Or a bit more?" Tuk tries to picture the individual Na'vi in her mind. "There were two N'avi for almost each Ikran so I just counted those. There were six of them, uh, seven with me and Mom."
"And what was your destination? Vitraya Ramunong?"
"No. I mean. Yes–" Tuk brushes her knuckles against her eyes. "We were going to stop at the Tree of Souls and then we would go meet with one of Dad's old friends?" She says, unsure of the last part.
The Tipani and Anurai are possible choices for JakeSuli to go to. Nöa muses.
"Do you not remember the name of the clan you were visiting?"
Tuk scrunches her nose, a bit at conflict with herself and her fuzzy memory. "I'm not sure. The grownups never let me hear everything they talk about, but I remember Mom mentioning a clan name with Tonowari."
"Tonowari?" Nöa feels a bit restless now. Important figures like this in search of old allies couldn't mean anything good. "The Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina? Was he traveling with you as well?"
"Yeah. And his son, Ao'nung. But he was in another group with Neteyam and Daddy."
That name again. "Is Neteyam your family too?" Maybe an uncle.
"My big brother, the oldest!" So it's an Olo'eyktan. A reef one at that. A former Leader, their respective mates and sons, their possible heirs.
In search of old friends. Allies.
Nöa thinks back on the frazzled nature of her own father during the last couple of weeks. And it all falls in place.
Oh, Sempul, the Ni'awve warrior thinks with a sigh. Her father and his tendencies to not tell her of important events surrounding their people will be his and her downfall. The insistence of the tailors about making new garments for her makes sense now. That, and the incremented recollection of food, the frequent hunt parties and increase on patrols.
"Were you going to the Ni'awve?"
Tuk twists her head so fast to look at the older girl that her braids and beads clash and clank against Nöa's chest. "Yes! That's the name! Daddy said he had a friend there and that a Big Meeting was gonna happen at his home!"
Of course she's right. Nöa feels old beyond her years all of the sudden.
Ketu'won gasps and turns to look at Tuk. "You're going to our home?" He then looks up at his big sister for confirmation and Nöa's weary eyes look back at him with a nod. His voice raises, almost to a screech, filled with enthusiasm. "That is great! I will introduce you to my Eywi!"
Her brother's excitement seems to be contagious because Tuk is now plastering herself against his back. "Who is Eywi?" She asks in a little scream, matching his tone instinctively.
"Eywi is my bonded!"
Tuk lets out a sharp screech. "A Slotsyal? You have your own Slotsyal?!"
Taw'ne grumbles a bit and Nöa thinks it might be due to the high pitches the children are talking in right now. Slotsyal's hearing is very delicate after all.
"No! Eywi is a bond that Sa'nok left me." Ketu'won laughs. "She's—"
The Stormglider suddenly roars and through tsaheylu Nöa knows that it is the clang of metal closing on metal that made him react. The sound of alien engines firing up and getting closer, and she can hear it clearly now.
Sky People.
"Tawtute! Bellies down!" Nöa orders and both children startle but do as told, Tuk following in her brother's example, smothering herself against his back and the hard leather of the saddle. Ketu'won grabs Tuk's smaller hands and crosses them on his belly, signaling her to hang on tight.
Nöa lifts herself and positions her body in a battle stance, grabbing Taw'ne's antennae and quickly maneuvering them to a side tilt to go behind a small cluster of very high floating rocks, bigger boulders further down north might've been a better hiding spot, but she wants to be out of sight of the enemy immediately.
The warrior turns to see two Human ships rapidly closing on a small group of Ikran below them.
Tsahey.
Her companion's eyes are sharper than her own and it is through their bond that she is able to see the outline of Na'vi on top of the Ikran. Maktoyu.
She could intercept them. Taw'ne would be able to take one of the ships down with a swoop of his claws and her bow is strong enough for her arrows to pierce through the glass of the second ship. But Nöa looks at the children holding onto her companion's neck.
She can't risk them.
Nöa manages to shelter them behind a big rocky cluster, Taw'ne's claws grapple to get a grip on the vines running through the rocks. She clicks and coos at her mount once he settles down in a safe position.
The trio holds firm to the saddle with their feet pointing towards the lush forests below, their hearts begin to settle when they all hear the usual clapping blasts that come from bullets being fired by human weapons. Her ears twitch, heart on her throat for a second, but Nöa knows they were not seen by the enemy.
Tuk's head lifts and tries to get a look at the source of the sound, but their hiding place prevents her from it. "Are humans chasing someone? It could be my family!"
The warrior thinks it might be so, but she will not engage in direct battle with the children on board. She knows better.
The little Omaticaya looks at her pleadingly. "Please, can we go help them?" She asks with tears beginning to fill her eyes. "Please Nöa!"
"Tuk—" She begins and looks up to catch how her brother also lifts his head to look her in the eye.
"Sister, we must help! What if it's her Sa'nok?" He asks and Nöa feels a pang in her chest. "What if it were me asking a stranger for help to save you or brother?" The warrior internally softens at his willingness to help others, but Nöa would want her little brother away from harm's way, no matter the situation.
She imagines the family of the little girl would agree with that.
It is simply too dangerous. Taw'ne hisses under her, itching for a fight. She admonishes him through their bond. "I cannot keep you both safe and focus on a fight at the same time. It is too dangerous and I won't put you at risk. We wait until they are far away and then we go home."
She sees them both open their mouths to voice their dissent and she snarls before they can say anything, her tail trashes behind her.
"Enough! I will not hear more about this. One of our patrols must be close by and they will take notice and help. My responsibility is to keep you safe and get you home."
Nöa hears the calls the riders make to try and get out of their situation, to either evade or attack. She winces when she hears the screech of pain of an Ikran and the subsequent screams of anger and hurt from the riders. They are getting louder as they approach their hiding spot.
Turning her body towards Nöa and letting gravity help her, Tuk grabs her tunic and pleads with her again after she hears some of the calls too. "I think that is my brother! Please, please help them!" She fully sobs onto the older girl now. "Please, Neteyam was shot very bad a few months ago, I thought he would join Eywa. We all did! I don't want to lose him again!" Damn it.
Ketu'won's own eyes shimmer as he stretches down and puts his hand on top of Tuk's, securing her hold on the shawl. "Sister, please." The screeches of the Ikran and the thunder of the tawtute ships are fully below them now.
Grinding her teeth, Nöa growls and curses her weak resolve when it comes to children's pleas, especially her brother's requests. Eywa, help her. Looking around her, she quickly makes up a plan and fervently hopes she is making the right decision.
Scowling, she nods at the two in front. "Grab onto Taw'ne's head fin and climb through the vines to the top of the rock. Take food and water." There is enough vegetation on the upper surface to keep the children out of sight.
She feels the human ships and the Ikran riders make their way to the mountains north of them.
Nöa shushes them when they begin to cheer through tears. "You will hide, and you will not move or make a sound until I come to get you back, only me. Do you understand?" She looks at them both in the eye and huffs, smiling lightly when she only sees fiery determination reflected back at her.
"Let's do this."
This trip is cursed.
It has to be.
Neteyam yips and calls to the other riders. "Fly up!"
Reaching the edge of Ni'awve territory had given Neteyam a brief moment of respite before his ears caught up onto the two Kestrel ships tailing them, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The damned things are the most silent and fastest of the RDA gunships and the continued flight without rest from Vitraya Ramunong was finally catching up to them.
The Sully looks behind him and sees movement on the weapons systems by their wings. He curses.
Outsmarting the humans in aerial combat within the cover of floating mountains is their best prospect since diving to the forest below would only leave them at the mercy of tawtute bullets.
And carrying out evasive maneuvers is almost impossible during a clean nosedive.
"Ao'nung, hand me my bow!" He extends his arm back to receive his weapon, but an array of bullets make him violently steer Zeseri to the side and do a bit of a summersault to avoid getting hit.
The screech of the Ikran and the warrior to his side tells him that the others were not so lucky. "The Ikran is hit! Their wing!" Informs Ao'nung.
Neteyam quickly surveys the Maktoyu to his side. Eka'gan. A warrior from his mother's generation. He sees the male snarl, touching his arm in companionship to the pain of his Ikran.
The flying beast has a few holes running through the iridescent membrane at the edge of their wing and Neteyam also sees an injury crossing through the first upper joint of the secondary smaller wing. It will restrict their movement in small spaces.
"Move up! Move up!" Screams their third rider, Vayìr, covering Eka'gan's back until the injured rider and Ikran stabilize themselves on steady flight again. The warrior shoots arrow after arrow in quick succession towards their enemy, successfully cracking the frontal glass of one of the Kestrel. "Neteyam, by Eywa, get your bow!" Being one of the Senior hunters who taught him for his own Iknimaya, she remains fierce and stern with him.
Feeling chagrined, Neteyam finally grabs the bow that Ao'nung hands him, making sure to keep moving in irregular intervals to avoid being shot while twisting back and aiming towards their weapons systems, trying to damage something that might hopefully blow up the gunship. His arrows are true and hit the places he intended, but nothing lights up as he needed it to.
He and Zeseri begin to reach the cover of the first cluster of floating boulders. "Spread out and find cover! They won't be able to follow us there!" He screams to the other riders, who holler in ascent.
Ao'nung, who has been steadily holding onto the saddle as he counterbalances his body to flow with the Ikran's moves, looks back at him with incredulity. "But they can blow us up there too if they want to!" He says as they twist and turn behind the boulders.
True to what the Omaticaya thought, the ships are unable to reach them in the midst of the thicker clusters, but they can feel the strikes of the human weapons against the rocky surfaces shielding them. Some boulders begin to fall and crack under the continued assault.
He sees the other two riders taking cover behind nearby rocks.
"They might, but this way–" Neteyam grunts, suddenly lifting them, Zeseri's nose looking directly at the sky above. Ao'nung's stomach twists, still not totally accustomed to such sudden maneuvers. "We can surprise them instead."
He hears the whoops and battle cries of his two flying companions who catch up onto his move, familiarized with this tactic that Jake had instilled on them.
Speeding up and hearing the ships still hitting the same area they had just left, Neteyam and Zeseri reach an appropriate height and scramble over the top of a boulder, promptly jumping over the edge and launching themselves straight down, directly over the Kestrel hellbent on obliterating them. Ao'nung has to bite his tongue to keep from screaming into the wind.
'Baddest cat in the sky' is how his father calls this aerial move, much to his mother's exasperation. Neteyam vaguely remembers Jake explaining what a cat was to him as a young child. A form of apex predator back on earth, prone to stalking and pouncing on their prey from high positions.
The young male also recalls his father using this analogy the first time he told them of the way he became Toruk Makto, right after Tuk had been born.
After his parents had finally told them the story of Kelutral, of their struggle to survive, and of their grandfather.
Neteyam knows the magnetic field that fluctuates in floating rock formations messes up with human instruments, but the tawtute must've figured out a way around that, because right after he manages to pierce the front glass of one of the ships below with his arrows, their guns suddenly turn up and point right at their position. As if they were waiting for them.
Time seems to slow down. He sees the blast coming out of the ship farthest to him, shooting upwards, and from the corner of his eye he is aware of the other two riders trying to stop their descent when they realize the same thing he did.
The humans had spotted them beforehand.
Without any type of cover, and nosediving down, they are utterly defenseless.
The first array of bullets hits Vayìr's Ikran, who protects her rider from harm by taking on most of the bullets to the torso, a couple manage to escape and graze the rider's arm as well.
Neteyam's old trainer screams in shared pain and horror, her fading mount topping onto its side and to the abyss below. The son of Toruk Makto numbly thinks he is currently witnessing the death of his mentor when Eka'gan swoops in and snatches Vayìr up onto his saddle. The male quickly dives to the side, trying to find shelter behind more floating rock formations, human ship hot on his tail.
After a millisecond to shake the fright away, Neteyam growls and faces forward again, braids whipping madly over his face. "Hang on tight, Ao'nung!" In the wake of avoiding a new bullet shower, he quickly launches another arrow towards the cockpit of the gunship and this time, he sees it hit a human square in the chest. But the ship remains stable on air, the second pilot taking over her dead companion.
"Neteyam!" Ao'nung screams, seeing how they are getting closer and closer to the gunship and Neteyam's quiver only has two arrows left. Eyes filled with hatred look up at them through broken glass and a hard plastic of a rebreather mask.
Zeseri opens her talons and strikes directly onto the nose of the ship, angrily scratching every surface within her reach. Ao'nung grunts, crashing against Neteyam's back. The Omaticaya warrior snarls in tandem with his mount, who is trying to reach the second pilot through the broken window, but the driver of the gunship begins to tip the back of the aircraft up, trying to drop them and get a clear shot.
Amidst the twists and quakes of their grapple match, Ao'nung sees the second ship retreating from the search of the other two warriors after they notice their partner struggling with the snarling Ikran who is currently trying to slaughter the human inside of its broken cockpit.
Their scramble to end each other puts the front of the human ship close to a boulder that Neyetam has yet to notice due to his mad struggle to knock down the gunship.
The young Metkayina also notices this but he is more worried about being gunned down than squished against a hard rock surface. Ao'nung shakes Neteyam's shoulder. "The other ship is coming!" He cries, looking anxiously back at the second Kestrel who is readying their weapons and looking for a clear shot that won't accidentally hit their fellow pilot.
Neteyam's braid beads click when he finally looks back and his ears pin down. They're right on the target lock of their enemy. "Shit."
He won't be able to get away from their firing radius on time.
The faces of his family and clan flash through his memory and he fiercely hopes to Eywa that getting Ao'nung killed alongside him doesn't break the alliance his father has made with the Metkayina.
Time stops.
I'm sorry. He closes his eyes. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
A beat and then, he hears it.
His ears swivel when the incredibly loud roar of an unknown creature booms through the air. The low tones reverberate inside of him.
Neteyam opens his eyes in time to see an enormous wing block the light of Polyphemus off, massive talons and diamond shaped tail take over his vision.
Flashes of blue and white are the only thing engulfing his night view. A huge beast is grabbing the tail of the ship that was about to end their lives. The creature snarls and its angle allows Neteyam to see the telltale signs of a Na'vi on top of the huge form. Blue hands grasp a visible antler connected in tsaheylu and Neteyam feels like his breath has been stolen from his chest.
Maktoyu.
Another roar makes him flinch and he sees how the strength of the bigger animal allows it to swing the Kestrel around. The ship alarms blaring and screaming while their weapons systems launch its missiles in a desperate attempt to defend themselves. But it is futile, none of the weapons find their target and they are left at the mercy of the bigger creature who waves them in a wide arch, increasingly gaining momentum.
Neteyam has to drag his eyes away from the battle at his back when the ship they are still grasping pushes them on top of the big flat surface of a floating boulder. The crash sends him and Ao'nung flying away from Zeseri who rolls to a stop just a few hairs away from him, unharmed. The gunship they had been attacking disappears from view just as an explosion by their side shakes them all and makes the young Na'vi pair cover their heads instinctively.
"What was that?!" He hears Ao'nung scream in the midst of the chaos, and Neteyam wishes he knew. Zeseri titters at his side.
What remains of the Kestrel that had been about to shoot them down is now just a ball of fire, smoke lifting to the skies, and its destroyed parts falling onto the forest below.
Neteyam hears the racket of metal blades, signals of human ships, and realizes the aircraft he had attacked is still functional and flying somewhere below them. The young warrior grabs Ao'nung's arm, and begins to drag him up so they can scramble onto Zeseri and take flight again when he hears the same unknown roar thunder in the air below.
Both young males look at each other and run towards the nearest edge of the boulder supporting them. The whistle of air one usually overhears with objects passing through at great speeds fills their ears as they see a blast of white and blue flash under them.
"By Ewya…" He hears Ao'nung murmur and not even a second later, a new shockwave makes their boulder tremble. They both turn in time to see another plume of fire go up in between floating rocks.
There goes the last Kestrel, Neteyam thinks.
His mind is pulling him in too many places at once. Was that a Toruk? No. This creature was somehow shorter from the Last Shadow he had been able to see at a distance during a patrol with his parents, but he is unsure about the wing span. The color is different.
He stands and looks around, trying to catch another glimpse of the beast and their rider. Zeseri chirps beside him, agitated and looking around as well.
The air whistles by his side and he turns, his Ikran hisses, but the only thing he is able to catch is the end of a diamond shaped tail.
Was that a stinger?
Suddenly, he hears Ao'nung scream. "Hey!" Neteyam whirls to see him standing and looking up, waving his arms around and yapping in recognition. Eka'gan's Ikran pops out from one of the Rocks that float on top of their own and relief fills the system of the young Omaticaya.
Vayìr sits right behind Eka'gan, cheeks glistening with the shed tears for her dead mount, but her stare is sharp when she zeroes on the young pair below. "Are you unharmed?" She calls.
Neteyam nods. "We are. Just shaken up."
The banshee with the two Na'vi drops onto their spot. The warriors jump off and Ralu, Eka'gan's bonded, sits beside a nervous Zeseri. Neteyam reaches and touches his dear companion's neck while Ao'nung gets checked by Vayìr. The younger squeaks when she finds a gash on his tail.
"It is nothing!"
"Your tail is thicker, it might take longer for it to heal, come here and let me apply healing salve on it."
"You were literally shot! Look at your arm!"
"It was merely a scratch and I already treated it, see? It does not bleed anymore—"
Their chatter calms Neteyam's frantic mind and Eka'gan's hand on his shoulder encourages his heart to settle into a decent rhythm. "I am very glad to see you well, Neteyam. I will make sure to relay to your father how proud both Vayìr and I are of your response to the enemy." And even though he feels that his tactic almost got them all killed, he doesn't have the heart to contradict his senior so Neteyam lowers his head and murmurs a demure thank you.
The older warrior then frowns and looks around them. "But first, we must continue our flight to the Ni'awve if we don't want to come across that big creature again. We must've stumbled into its territory and very close to their nest to warrant such an attack. It got the humans and we might be next."
Neteyam blinks. "But they helped us."
Eka'gan looks down at him. "What?"
The younger male nods. "The beast had a rider. It had a Maktoyu. And they saved us." He relies and presses on when he feels the incredulity radiating off of Eka'gan. "If it wasn't for them, Ao'nung and I would've been shot."
Opening his mouth to question him further, Eka'gan then flinches alongside the other three Na'vi. There it is again, that strong growl, coming from below. Their Ikran stand, bare their fangs and circle around their boulder in search of the source of the unknown cry.
Then, a tiny rustle of vegetation has Neteyam, Eka'gan and Vayìr whirling around to point their bows and arrows towards their collective back. There, the outline of a Na'vi can be seen casually standing by the edge of their boulder. Polyphemus's light shines directly behind them, making it slightly difficult to discern their features.
Neteyam startles when reflective purple eyes fixate on him before moving onto the others in his group.
The unknown visitor clicks their tongue and a mighty roar makes the group flinch again. The three Omaticaya warriors and Ao'nung have a hard time standing their ground when massive wings that span the entire ground they stand on, lift and move the body of the unfamiliar creature directly behind the stranger.
A stinger at the end of its tail points at the four Na'vi, clear in its intent.
Fierce and fearless Vayìr snarls. "Who are you, stranger?!" She moves to place herself in front of Ao'nung who is still too shocked to move.
"I should ask you that, trespasser." Says the unfamiliar Na'vi. Neteyam's ears swivel and twitch at the young voice. "You are standing on my tribe's territory." They say, not moving a muscle. The creature maintains its altitude behind their supposed rider and the gusts of wind the beast lifts move long tresses of unbound Na'vi hair to and fro.
The three warriors look warily at each other and slowly begin to lower their bows, although with the two Ikran at their backs snarling and hissing at the bigger flying creature, Neteyam is unsure of his next move.
"Then, we must apologize for infringing upon your lands without warning." Eka'gan says, swiftly putting his bow on his back. Neteyam follows his example and Vayìr only lowers hers, the arrow still knocked onto the bow. "But we carry an important missive to the Olo'eyktan of the Ni'awve"
The other Na'vi stays silent, observing them.
Ao'nung finally moves, sidestepping Vayìr to take a look at the stranger more clearly, still very aware of the beast in front of them. "Can you get us to your village?" He asks as politely as he can, which is not much by regular standards, but enough for him.
Purple eyes go over his form and stay a bit longer on his tail and arms. Standing still under the scrutiny, Ao'nung tries to observe more of the other Na'vi in turn but his eyes are not as keen in the darkness as the forest dweller's.
The Metkayina is clearly ignored when the stranger asks "Are you the one called Neteyam?" And their chin points directly at the young Omaticaya.
There's a moment of silence.
And then Neteyam feels Eka'gan grabbing his arm, pushing him behind his stouter form. "What business is it of yours?" He asks, fangs glinting in the night. No one should be aware of Neteyam's name in these parts and they had spoken too softly to have been overheard moments ago.
The other Na'vi lets out a tongue click and finally steps forward. Their tail, longer and thicker than the Omaticaya's, Neteyam notes, swivels in annoyance. "You demand passage into my village yet you refuse to answer my question."
The large flying beast doesn't follow its rider and stays in the same position, threatening but not outwardly aggressive. The stranger goes around the group, bypassing the Ikran, who are still fully focused on the other flying creature, snarling and growling in an act of defiance towards the bigger predator who pays them no mind in return.
The group observes the Na'vi, taking in their attire and other features now that they are more visible as Polyphemus's light washes over her. Long tresses move in tune with her steps and hard leather leg guards crunch almost imperceptibly with every move she makes. Vayìr eyes the large hunting knife strapped to her leg while also taking notice of a trace of blood flowing down the back of the other limb.
The unknown female cocks her head to the side once she stands before Eka'gan. "I thought the Omaticaya would be more polite than this."
Neteyam exhales sharply and steps from behind the older warrior, who in turn grabs his arm in alarm. "How do you know my name?" He asks, looking down to the Ni'awve. He doesn't step closer to her due to the grumble he hears roll from the beast's mouth in the distance.
Purple eyes clash against his own. Neteyam would've expected to feel like prey under the eyes of someone who commands such a great beast as a mount, but he is surprised when he only finds neutral curiosity reflected back at him. The female in front of him moves her head jerkily to the side. "Come." She says and promptly steps away from his group to skip towards her flying companion. The creature chuffs and extends a leg for her to climb on.
She hops onto the saddle and looks at him, expectant.
"Come." She repeats and extends her arm towards him. "There is someone waiting for you."