009,  loss of sight

AFTER A few minutes, Taėlia realised she had begun falling far behind the group. As she looked down, the girl noticing her ilu had previously been shot. She came off of it, arising from the water. By now, all hell had broke loose. Jake Sully had came with an army. "Taėlia!" A familiar voice shouted from behind. She turned around, spotting her father.

"Go back to the village, now!" He shouted over to the girl. "No. I will fight for our people." Taėlia bit back as Tonowari's face dropped, but he knew better than to argue with her. "There are only skimwings in the water." He continued, calling one over. Taėlia'a stomach dropped. "No dad, I can't ride a skimwing." Taėlia shouted. Tonowari tutted, holding the skimwing still. "Nonsense." He responded, helping his daughter got onto it.

At first, the skimwing wouldn't stop moving. But eventually, it calmed down. "You can name her when we return home." Tonowari handed the girl a spear as her eyes widened. She forgot that this skimwing was now her spirit sister.

But now wasn't a time to focus on that.

✧˖*°࿐

Somehow, Taėlia ended up in a 1v1 against an Avatar. She was now down to only a slightly blunt knife as he continued to swipe his knife in her face. She threw her knife, it hitting his arm making him drop his. She pounced forward to grab it when suddenly the Avatar pulled the knife out of his arm, slitting Taėlia's face. She ignored the pain, grabbing the knife as she stabbed his heart.

Tears and blood clouded her vision as she crawled over to a more hidden corner. Her shaky hands rose to her face as she glided a finger along the cut. It began on the left side of her forehead, travelling down through the centre of her eye down to just below it. "Taėlia!" Taėlia let out a sob at the sound of his voice as he rested a hand on her face. "I can't see." Taėlia shakily spoke. Rotxo didn't say anything else as he picked her up, helping her onto his ilu as he sped away from the carnage. "No, Rotxo! The war is not done we can't leave!"

"Your hurt, Taė. Yes we can. They will be okay." responded.

✧˖*°࿐

By the time they arrived back to the village, Taėlia's adrenaline had left her system and she was beginning to feel the excruciating pain. Although she was barley awake, she still heard Rotxo calling out for help. Everything around Taėlia became fuzzy as she felt her body being carried from the water into what she guessed was a mauri. Eventually, she couldn't hear nor see, but she still could feel Rotxo's hand connected with hers. And that was all she needed in that moment.

✧˖*°࿐

Taėlia's eyes fluttered open. Almost immediately she realised she could barley see out of one of her eyes. "Hey." Rotxo whispered. She hadn't realised he was there. He looked very tired, his face stained from tears.

"How long was I asleep?" Taėlia croaked out, hating how dry her voice sounded. "3 days." He responded as she slowly sat up. "Is everyone back?" Taėlia excitedly spoke, the girl excited to see her bestfriend. Taėlia immediately noticed the sadness on Rotxo's face.

"Yes. But Taė, Neteyam died." Rotxo whispered the last part as Taėlis nervously laughed. "What do you mean?" She breathed out, the girl searching for any sign of him lying. But he wasn't. "He was shot. He didn't make it. His funeral is in a few hours."

✧˖*°࿐

Taėlia spent her day reuniting with her siblings and the remaining Sullys as she helped them get ready for Neteyam's funeral. She couldn't name one time of the day where she had smiled. Neteyam was her soulmate. Platonically of course. She loved the boy with her whole heart and for him to get taken from her before she could say goodbye? It broke her.

Taėlia sobbed as Neytiri and Jake carefully went under the water with Neteyam. Rotxo held his girl close as they both watched Neytiri and Jake come up from the water, without Neteyam.

Taėlia tucked her head into Rotxo's chest, the girl not being able to face it. But she knew come tomorrow, she had to man up. Neteyam wouldn't want to see her grieving him. Instead he would want to see her become the strong woman she was meant to be.