Chapter Four: Jake the Specter Warrior of the Marine clan
Jake follows the Na'vi female quickly and efficiently all while gazing around him in wonder. He touches the leaves as he passes, watching the bioluminescence shiver through them. This is an amazing experience, never has he seen such a world of natural beauty.
Jake looks down as they cross a bed of purple moss which reacts to the pressure of their footsteps. Rings of green light, like ripples on a pond, expanding outward from each footfall. He sees exploding rings of light where his feet touch down it is dream-like and surreal beauty.
She begins to run over a large root, across a mirror-like pool at the base of a waterfall; he follows, running along a raised root-trunk.
"What's your name?" asked Jake.
Jake listens to hear her response but instead he hears something coming at him; he snaps to look as a bolo flies at him, spinning end for end and about to tangle around his legs. He topples off the root and crashes into the foliage below, he pulls a knife from his pants and cuts himself free quickly jumping to his feet and scanning the area for danger.
Out of the shadows come out several Na'vi thundering toward him. They are riding direhorses, six-legged, armor-skinned alien Clydesdales.
Jake is surrounded hunting knife in one hand and his body tense waiting to see what his attackers will do. He sees that the riders' queues are connected to the horses' long moth-like antennae, a neural-link with which they can command the horse, leaving hands free for weapons. The riders aim bows and spears at Jake as they approach. Jake turns to see Na'vi hunters melt out of the shadows, weapons aimed at him.
The girl drops to the ground next to Jake and confronts the lead rider. She shouts sharply in Na'vi.
"Tsu'tey, what are you doing? He is my captive!" yelled the girl.
Jake looks at Tsu'tey who is young and powerfully built, with sculpted features and a proud jaw line, piercing eyes. Tsu'tey swings off his mount with fluid grace.
"These demons are forbidden here. I will kill this one as a lesson to the others!" said Tsu'tey angrily.
Tsu'tey draws his bow but the girl leaps between him and Jake a confrontation: warrior to warrior.
"I'm Jake no demon" said Jake in broken Na'vi drawing the attention of all the Na'vi. The girl looks at him shocked.
"You speak our language?" asked the girl quietly.
"I understand you all but I have trouble speaking, my friend Norm hasn't finished my lessons" said Jake with a smile.
"Enough!" yelled Tsu'tey, "He dies".
"Stop! There has been a sign. This is a matter for the Tsahik", said the girl.
Tsu'tey clenches his jaw with frustration; he was obviously frustrated with her as much as with the situation. He turns and angrily remounts his direhorse, barking a command to the hunters.
"Bring him" ordered Tsu'tey.
They try to grab Jake but he uses his knife to cut the bow of one of hunters, the others point there arrows at him. Encircled by spears and bows, he stands his ground, "I can walk need to grab and shove". Jake shoves forward along the trail shocking the hunters and Tsu'tey.
Jake follows the girl and he sees he is entering the village, which is sheltered inside one of the great trees. The tree is at least two-hundred and fifty meters tall, with a trunk four times the diameter of the largest Sequoia, and a base of massive mangrove-pillars. Tsu'tey rides inside the columns at the base of massive tree, shouting an ululating, a warning. Jake is force marched through the pillars into an open central area. The villagers gather to see the arriving hunt party. Jake studies the Na'vi people of the tribe: mothers with babies, old women, and young hunters.
They gawk at him their expressions ranging from curiosity to outright hostility. He can't help but smile at the huge eyes of the children who follow him. Jake is amazed at the size of the Na'vi village. By the light of cooking fires he can see up into a vast cylindrical gallery and the only way to describe it is a living cathedral.
Clear membranes, Sturmbeest bladders, filled with fluttering bio-luminescent insects, act as area lighting. The central space is dominated by the skull of some enormous creature, mounted with much embellishment on a totem. Standing in front of this, awaiting their approach, is an aged Na'vi man and woman.
'Eytukan, clan leader' thought Jake.
Eytukan has deeply chiseled features and a long chest mantle of Thanator claws. His stern features are clouded by anger.
"Why do you bring this creature here?" asked the man.
"I was going to kill him, but there was a sign from Eywa". He growls at her as he responds, pointing at Jake.
"I have said no dreamwalker will come here, to offend our home! His alien smell fills my nose".
The girl answers in a respectful but not submissive tone, "Father, many Atokirina came to this alien".
"Is this about the seeds, they came to me I didn't try to hurt them or anything like that".
"My father is deciding whether to kill you" said the girl seriously.
"Your father!" said Jake while turning to the clan leader, "good to meet you, sir".
Jake didn't step forward he doesn't know how these people will react to him.
A commanding female voice echoes through the chamber, "Step back!", Everybody looks up.
Another female stands on the second level, looking down. She is a severe woman somewhere in the later stages of her life. Her bearing is haughty, her expression friendly as a hanging-judge. Her outfit is elaborate, denoting her rank as someone of importance.
'Clan Matriarch' thought Jake.
"I will look at this alien" said the older Na'vi woman. There is an expectant hush as she descends the helical core of the massive 'hometree', a kind of natural spiral staircase.
"That is Mother. She is Tsahik, the one who interprets the will of Eywa" says the girl next to Jake.
"Eywa, the all mother right?" asked Jake. She nodded in response. The girl kneels before the approaching woman; she kneels as an acolyte kneels before a master. The villagers stare silently as the Matriarch circles slowly around Jake, examining his tail and the end of his queue.
"What are you called?" asked the older woman with a heavy accent in english.
"Jake Sully and you".
She produces a long thorn between her fingertips. With a flourish she tries to strike his chest. Jake grabs her hand and his knife is instantly at her throat. Hunters draw their weapons while many gasp out in surprise at his actions.
"Not polite to attack your guest".
She is unfazed by his actions, "Calm yourself it is a test".
Jake moves his knife but is still cautious, "When I take a test it usually involves a pen and paper".
She doesn't respond and simply pokes his chest with the thorn, Jake doesn't flinch, red blood wells up and she rubs some between her fingertips. She tastes it.
"Why did you come to us?" she asked.
"I came to learn for my brother and my new friends" said Jake.
"We have tried to teach other Sky People. It is hard to fill a cup which is already full" said the woman.
"My cup is empty, trust me. Just ask Doctor Augustine. I'm no scientist" said Jake with a smile.
"What are you?" ask the woman.
"I'm a Specter, a warrior. I'm the elite of the Marine clan", 'I hope they buy that' thought Jake calmly.
"A warrior! I could kill him easily!" yelled Tsu'tey.
Jake smiled without letting anyone notice he pulls a hidden throwing knife from his belt. In a flash Jakes arm whips past the woman in front of him and the throwing blade leaves his hand: the blade hits the bow in Tsu'tey's hand and pins it a section of the tree.
"I can beat you no matter what" said Jake while glaring at Tsu'tey. The two glare at each other, both warriors sizing each other up.
"No! This is the first warrior dreamwalker we have seen. We need to learn more about him" said Eytukan seriously.
"Daughter. You will teach him our way, to speak and walk as we do" said the woman calmly. The girl looked shocked, then angry.
"Why me? That's not fair! I only-"
"It is decided!"
The girl anger subsided and turned to glare at Jake.
"My daughter will teach you our ways. Learn well, Jakesully. We will see if your insanity can be cured", she turns to her daughter, her expression stern; "He is your responsibility".
The girl nods accepting, but she's not a happy. She grabs Jake's arm and pulls him roughly away.
"So what's next teacher" said Jake as he followed.
"No more speaking".
-Break
The girl is leading Jake up the second level of the tree. He is now wearing only his pants: he will learn but he won't get rid of a place to store his weapons. The entire clan is squatting at dinner in a huge circle. They stop talking and turn to gaze at Jake as he enters the circle.
'Nothing like meeting new people' thought Jake.
She crosses the circle to the cook pit and returns with several large leaves heaped with food. She kneels next to Jake, placing the food in front of him almost defiantly. Jake sits and can't but smile at her stubborn resentment.
"You never told me your name" he said quietly.
"Neytiri te Ckaha Mo'at'ite" said Neytiri.
"Okay, again, a whole lot slower please".
"Neytiri. Nay-TEE-ree" she says slowly.
Jake knows she's baiting him he smiles in response, "Nay-TEE-ree. That's nice. Nay-TEE-ree".
Across the circle Tsu'tey, Eytukan, and Mo'at the matriarch sit together, glancing up occasionally from their food to the stranger.
"These aliens try to look like the people, but they can't" said Tsu'tey.
"He seems different to me. And he is a strange warrior; it is as blades fly from him"
Neytiri motions for Jake to take portions from the serving leaves onto his own leaf.
"Your mom is watching me, I can tell, and so is Tsu'tey"
Mo'at is watching Jake and Neytiri and leans over to Eytukan, "Neytiri will test this "warrior." Hey may learn nothing but we will learn much"
"You speak truth. We must understand these Sky People if we are to drive them out" said Eytukan.
Jake munches on a white shrimp-like creature all the while looking at his three on lookers.
"These are good. What are they?" asked Jake.
"Teylu. You call beetle larvae" said Neytiri
Jake looks at his serving and shrugs it off, "Better than some rations I've had in the past", She heaps some more onto his leaf and Jake meets her eyes, takes a handful, and starts eating, "They taste like shrimp but more tangy".
Tsu'tey is warily eyeing Jake from across the circle, "I say she will kill him".
Dinner goes by quietly and every moves higher into hometree. The sleeping level from what Jake can tell, he watches families nesting in groups on woven hammocks the size of trampolines. The hunters sleep along spokes joining the inner trunk to the tree's outer shell. Jake lies awake in a hammock, people rustling in the darkness around him. Neytiri is nearby, curled up like a little girl. She stares at him for a moment, and then closes her eyes.
Jake watches the glowing bugs fluttering inside a night-light, a pulse of life energy. A strange peace spreads through him. He closes his eyes and prepares to wake up in his link unit
-Break
When Jake wakes up he sees Grace over him in the Link unit, slapping him, as Max and Norm
hover.
"Come on back, kid, that's it" said Grace
"Wha? Oh" said Jake he looks around, blinking. Reality crashing in.
"Damn, you were dug in like a tick" said Grace as she helps him sit up "Is the avatar safe? Are you in one peace?"
Jake has a huge grin, "Yeah, Doc and you are not going to believe where I am"
-Break
Jake sits eating breakfast with Grace, Norm, Max and the other drivers who were leaning forward, hanging on Grace's re-telling of the tale.
"So the kid's out there one night and he's got the Queen herself offering him the spare room and the car keys. Unbelievable" said Grace.
"It's not something you can teach Grace, its called charm, something Norm and me have". Some of the other scientists clap Jake on the shoulders in congratulation.
"That's awesome, Jake" said Max.
Norm sat next to Jake, "Jake this is great, with you we can hopefully gain their trust".
Grace turned to Jake, "For reasons I cannot fathom, the Omaticaya have chosen you. God help us all".
Jake grins at her and turns to the others retelling them of his first night amongst the Na'vi people.
"Marine clan?" said Max skeptically, "And that worked?"
"Yeah. They want to study me. See if I can learn to be one of them" said Jake with a shrug, "I'll learn to fight but I'll talk to the big guy to let Norm stay: he's the brain I'm the brawn".
"That's how you seize a bad situation and turn it into something good" said Grace, "I just hope this turns out well".
"Look, Jake established a connection with the people and that's good" said Norm, "We can learn so much about them and the planet".
"One problem" said Jake, "Their village is sitting right over the richest Unobtoniun deposit for a hundred clicks in any direction. Which sucks for them because Quaritch and Selfridge want it real bad and their willing to do anything for it".
"How do you know about that?" questioned Grace while glaring at Jake.
"I broke into Parker's office" said Jake, his simple response shocked everyone.
"That doesn't matter" said Max, "What are we going to do about those two?"
"Killing the indigenous looks bad" said Jake, "I'm no business man but there's one thing shareholders hate more than bad press and that's a bad quarterly statement. If the RDA loses money then they'll use force".
"Than we have a time limit" said Grace, "I think we've got three months".
"I'm on it" said Jake, "and so is Norm".
After breakfast Jake walks across the lab, flanked by Grace and Norm. Grace holds stereo still pictures in front of him, one at a time images of clan members she has shot over the years, this is kind of flash card drill.
"Tsu'tey" says Jake as Grace moved to the next photo, "Mo'at and Eytukan"
"He's the clan leader" said Grace as she pointed at the pictures of both Mo'at and Eytukan, "but she's the spiritual leader. Like a shaman".
"Got it and Eywa is there goddess" said Jake.
"Remember she is their only deity. The Great Mother. The goddess made up of all living things. You'd better treed lightly about that topic" said Norm
Jake sits in his link unit and prepares to link up, "I've got a date with the chief's daughter" said Jake with a gin, "I'll try to find a nice girl for you Norm unless you want to tell Trudy you like her".
Norm looked down in embarrassment, Jake had pieced it together that his new friend had a thing for their pilot.
"Knock it off. Jesus, it's like kindergarten around here" said Grace. As Jake settled into the soft embrace of the link, Grace inputs commands at the control station.
"Neytiri was my best student. She was the fastest learner among the young Na'vi", Grace smiled as she remembered her school, "Okay, let's go, village life starts early".
"Link is ready" announced Max's voice through the intercom.
Grace lowers the bio-sensor array over Jake's chest, "Don't do anything unusually stupid and try not to kill anyone". She closes the clamshell and she sees Jake grinning from ear to ear at her last remark.
-Break
Jake wakes up in his avatar body blinking awake and staring up at hometree, like a gothic cathedral overhead. Sunlight streams down through gaps in the towering vault. He gets up and walks among the villagers, who go about their daily tasks. Young girls sit together, weaving and singing. They look up as he passes and then go back to work. Two men clean the fish they've caught. A young mother pounds seeds into meal, while nursing an infant. Children chase each other and climb like monkeys. One bold little girl runs up to Jake, stops, staring, and then shrieks with laughter as she runs back to her playmates.
Jake grins at the children and turns around to see Neytiri cantering toward him on a direhorse. She leads a second horse, an old sway-backed mare, his grin drops and his expression becomes serious.
"Let me guess I learn to ride first". Neytiri smiles and nods at him.
The two walk away from hometree into a near by clearing were Jake will try to ride and Neytiri will watch to see if he does it correctly. Jake nervously grips the surcingle of the mare. Neytiri holds its nose-ring while Jake clumsily mounts. Jake bends one of its antennas down to the tip of his queue. He hesitantly touches them together and links with the direhorse.
Jake's pupils dilate and his mouth drops open. The horse's eyes also go wide and it honks nervously. Neytiri touches her fingertips to the neural interface.
"This is shahaylu: the bond. Feel her heartbeat, her breath. Feel her strong legs".
Jake closes his eyes, nodding at her instructions: he clears his mind and slowly lets himself become one with the horse. The experience is strange but he does his best to remain calm, if a direhorse is anything like a normal horse than it can pick up on his feeling and if he feels nervous it will be nervous.
Tsu'tey and another young hunter come out of the forest leading two direhorses. The magnificent animals drink from the edge of the pool. Tsu'tey watches Jake's riding lesson with disdain.
"You may tell her what to do" says Neytiri as she touches the direhorses head, "For now, say where to go".
Jake focuses his mind and tells the direhorse to move forward and at a steady pace. The horse launches into a gallop. Jake flops around but promptly tells the horse to slow through the link before he is thrown off. He would have landed painfully in the mud if he didn't react fast enough. Jake commands the direhorse to take a few lamps but to be calm.
"Good but your hesitant, that can get you and her killed. Practice try more command and to move faster".
Jake gives various commands through the bond; he is testing what he can and can't do, all the while trying to move faster. It is hard to use his thoughts to guide the direhorse and it is a strain on his already labored mind: he is not only linked to his avatar but another sentient being.
As Jake continues to practice Tsu'tey and another hunter come thundering across the shallow river on their direhorses.
Jake stomps, weary of Tsu'tey and his follower, Tsu'tey stops his horse next to him, looking at with disdain.
"You should go away"says Tsu'tey harshly.
"I knew you could speak English" said Jake unimpressed by Tsu'tey, "are you here to say something important or are you going to waste my time".
Tsu'tey turns to Neytiri, who is trying to hold back laughter.
"This alien will learn nothing. A rock sees more" said Tsu'tey
She sighs and shakes her head: uncertain of what to say. Tsu'tey and the other hunter guide their horses around and thunder off into the woods.
"Again" said Neytiri as she looked at Jake.
-Break
After his second day at hometree Jake unlinked from his avatar and returned to his human body. He is now sitting with Grace, Norm, Max and few scientists. Jake is talking to them about Hometree's inner structure and life among the Na'vi.
"You've got outer columns, then a secondary ring here, and an inner ring. Then a core structure, it's like a spiral, that's how they move up and down" said Jake.
"I though as much" said Grace, "We weren't aloud inside but thanks to you we've got the gist of were at what they live on".
At the stairwell stands an unseen figure he's been watching Jake talking rapidly to Grace and the other, but can't hear him them or understand them. Frowning the stranger backs away, down the stairs. As he leaves Jake, Grace and Norm are packing science gear and supplies.
"I'm not about to let Quaritch and Selfridge micro-manage this thing" she looks pointedly at Jake, "We're going up into the mountains. There's a mobile link up at Site 26 that we can work out of and were Parker and Quaritch can't try to listen in"
"Your welcome for the warning" said Jake as he sat back in a chair.
"The Hallelujah Mountains?" asked Norm excitedly.
"That's right" said Grace while ignoring Jake.
"Yesssss!" says Norm while looking at Jake, "The legendary Floating Mountains of Pandora? Heard of them?"
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this move" said Jake.
-End Chapter