Chapter two
Norm was trembling in rage, "What do you mean you won't be taking them anymore? They're the only thing keeping you alive!"
Max shook his head, "They make me tired and I can't think clearly when I take them. No, Norm, if I've to die I want it to be my way!"
Shaking in grief Norm replied, "You can't die! You just can't, Max…Please don't leave me."
Swallowing his own tears Max thought about the life he had on earth and now on Pandora. How much he rally wanted to stay with Norm, to see Jake become a true Omaticaya and to see Jake's and Tsu'tey's child when it grew up. But he knew he couldn't. Max had taken this place on the expedition to gain the cure for his inoperable tumor, a really damned expensive drug that would simply destroy all the tumor cells when injected in his bloodstream. But now that they had rebelled against the humans the dream of the cure had been destroyed. 'But you'd do it again, if the choice had to be made!' Sighing Max took the weeping Norm in his arms, "Shh, Norm. I knew that I would probably die from this damn tumor. I don't want to be on drugs while out here, it's just not safe!"
"Fuck safe! We can stay here or with Jake…just please take your meds!" Norm begged.
"You know I would do everything for you, Norm, but I decided this after thinking hard and this is the way I want it. Please try to understand…" Max leaned forward and gently kissed those trembling lips.
Now loosing all inhibitions Norm threw his arms around Max and pulled him in a tight hug, weeping for their relationship and the future they would never have together.
Neither noticed the shadow beneath the window, sharing their grief and grieving the loss of a new friend.
Kel'ris had been disgusted when the Omaticaya had formed an alliance with those demons. They did not belong here, they did not belong to Eywa and they sure did not belong to the Na'vi.
This had changed abruptly when he had met the one called Norm. Suddenly all had seemed clear, Eywa's plans for his future and destiny laid out in front of him. Then the battle had taken place and they had lost not only Eytukan but also Neytiri.
It had been a hard loss. Eytukan had always been like a father to him and Tsu'tey. Not because Tsu'tey had been chosen as the next clan leader, but because they were close friends with Neytiri.
The loss of Neytiri, practically his sister, had been even harder. His grief had doubled when he thought of the loss Tsu'tey had experienced, first loosing her to a demon and then to Eywa.
Kel'ris looked on in disbelieve as the hate for the demon had changed slowly to respect, kinship and later, due to Eywa's intervention to love. Sure he had been impressed like all Omaticaya when Jake Sully had come to them riding the great toruk, but that did not mean he had to like or respect him.
Now seeing them together, gentle and loving, made Kel'ris long for the arms of one of the other demon's remaining with them. Harsh pain flooded him as he remembered the overheard talk between Jake Sully and his friends. Never would have Kel'ris have thought that his beloved could already belong to another. But hearing and seeing it had been too hard and the warrior had gone the while way and avoided the humans from then on.
'You are a coward, Kel. Running away instead of fighting for what you know, or rather hope, Eywa intended to be yours!' Kel'ris scolded himself.
Quickly coming to a decision he went over to his pa'li and mounted it, directing it to the human settlement.
Shortly after arriving Kel'ris tried to enter the strange building just to find it locked. Calling himself a fool as he knew that humans couldn't survive within their atmosphere, Kel'ris walked around the building searching the windows for shadows of people who could help him find Norm.
Voices led him to a window. Looking inside he saw just the human he had been searching for and tensed when he saw him crying. Was the other human hurting him?
Listening to them Kel'ris had to concentrate to hear them through the tightly closed window and understand what was being said. It seemed that the other human was dying and refused to take care of himself, while Norm did not want the other to die.
'If he dies Norm will be free to take!' Possessive thoughts ran through Kel'ris and made him feel really bad. He did not want Norm to grieve, to see him broken because of the loss of a loved one.
While the humans embraced each other and grieved together, Kel'ris pushed himself back into the shadows, keeping watch and promising himself that he would take care of Norm, if not as his mate than as a friend to both of them.
Tbc
