FAN FIC – AVATAR: The Skxawng and his Gaia are soon parted.

By Christopher Paul "Txur`itan" Nelson

Chapter 6 – Aytukanyä aysamsiyuyä fpeio ~ Aytukan's warriors' ceremonial challenge.

Eywa mefohu. ~ Eywa be with these two.

Letxura aysamsiyuyä reypayìri fpi nawma sa'nokhu sleyku, ulte fpi husawnu Eywa'eveng. ~ Strong Warriors's blood for the sake of becoming one with the great & noble mother, and protecting Eywa's children (All life on Pandora)!

My mother explained things in a mix of Na'vi and English. There would be fights on the ground, in the trees, in the air, and on the flying mountains near by. What she told him was he must pick seven members of the Beast People clan to fight, then he must fight that person until one of them can no longer fight, then he must do this again. He must carry on through a new fight each day after each day, a victory after victory until, as the victor, the challenger is ready to face the final warrior. The final warrior he will face, the Olo'eyktan ~ clan leader, in this case, Aytukan himself.

This test was unique, in that only the Beast People did things this way. My mother said their methods have been altered by Mark Wong of the sky people, this was an interference that may have dire results for my father, who until now was known for being exceptional in fight by many clans near our Hometree. It is because of this knowing, none of the Na'vi people have challenged my father, no one has challenged his leadership in a very long time.

Oeyä sa'nok ~ my mother tells Oeyä sempul ~ my father about the first test, "This could be a problem for you Jake, the way my father Eytukan and most Na'vi have learned to fight is not from the sawtute, and the way Aytukan fights is completely unknown to us now. Our warriors who passed this test before, only seemed to know how to kill, this is not going to be as easy for you, now I think you should not do this. These fights can be dangerous, Na'vi have been known to die in these fights. My father thought about how the Na'vi have learned to fight. He began to think of a way he can complete this test without being killed or killing others. He learned that he does not have to win each fight, his opponents only have to loose each fight. If he was hurt, he would not be able to pass the test, since he has to defeat the clan leader at the end of this test. You can't just fight the clan leader, this is about the journey through the other warriors, and learning was part of the test. You have to show a specific skill by the end of each fight. Also, Aytukan may intervene if you are not being fair in your choices of opponents or he has not seen a different skill. Only Aytukan knows what is fair, or which skills are important when he makes his Judgments. Even if you win a match, if it is with the some technique that you use, he may want you to complete the fight again. He may not tell you why, try to win a different way if this happens."

Oeyä sempul takes a deep breath, looks at the stone pit where the ground matches are supposed to take place, and is greeted in the middle by the Beast People Tsahìk. She says a warriors blessing from Eywa, "Eywa mefohu. Letxura aysamsiyuyä reypayìri fpi nawma sa'nokhu sleyku, ulte fpi husawnu Eywa'eveng." and signals the test to begin.

Aytukan sat in a carved stone bench quietly watching these matches in the rock pit.

Oeyä sa'nok tells us, "The first fight, the warriors would shoot arrows from bows at each other, they would have to pick them up, aim, draw and fire, as quickly as possible."

I thought, hopefully, my father would not kill the other warrior, but these weapons are not made for play, they are for hunting and killing food.

Oeyä sa'nok, "To pass this test, they would need to know what their prey felt, when a bow was drawn on them."

I felt my heart tighten as they reached for their arrows and drew. I wanted to close my eyes, but before I could...

My father drew his quickly, and placed a arrow in the drawing shoulder of his opponent, a young male warrior. The match was over very quickly.

Irayo ma Eywa! ~ Thank you Eywa!

Oeyä sa'nok tells us, "The second fight would be fought with open hands, no weapons. This was a test of strength and stamina, the ability of a warrior to last in battle, and carry his commitment out to the very end."

Oeyä sempul wrestled with this warrior for nearly an hour, the techniques he used drew confused looks from the Omatikaya clan members watching this take place. My great uncle studied him during this match, his eyes looking at the hands, the feet, legs, necks, and the backs of these warriors. They twisted, contorted, snaking their arms and legs around each other attempting to gain leverage on elbows and knee joints. The Na'vi warrior managed to get my father into a choking hold of some kind, and my father nearly passed out. I was worried for him, but he awoke strong shortly after, escaped the maneuver then locked his opponent in place, preventing him from doing anything except for shouting in pain. The fight was over, the warriors shook hands and he came back over to where we were.

The next day, Aytukan insisted that my father fight this man again, each fight, lasting longer, different results, but each time my father yielded, and they would begin again.

Oeyä sempul spoke to us about what he was doing, "I can't believe I let him beat me like that. But, they have learned some interesting stuff, this Mark guy taught them the real thing, that last guy has been training for years with some grappling techniques. He had a sparing partner, someone with advanced skills, another member of the clan, and sometimes even your Uncle would train him directly. He told me about some of the Na'vi words they have for these things, norm should take notes and write them down..."

Norm quickly grabbed paper and a pen to begin writing these words...

It seemed as though my father was trying to find out what they knew how to do in a fight, more than just win. My father was in his element, fighting, battle, he was a warrior at his core, and everyone knew this, here is where his mind was strong, disciplined, skillful, in the throws of one on one combat. Every nuance discussed with precisions, and a word for each action and movement. Norman was taking many notes, but it was a while before I knew where he was taking them.

My father speaks many Na'vi words for how these Beast People are fighting my father. "These are the offensive grapple types, named for what is grabbed... Keyur niä, face grab; pxunur niä, arm grab; tsyokxur niä, hand grab; kinamur niä, leg grab; then there are the offensive strike types, named for what is hit, or what is doing the hitting... kinamtilur takuk, strike the Knee, takuk kinamtilìl, strike using the Knee, be sure to keep track of the differences here. Pxuntilìl takuk keyur fu onturu, strike using an elbow to the face or to the nose."

Norman, hearing those last words, halts his writing for a moment, and looks at Oeyä sempul, "That's how you knocked down Tsu'Tey... Why would they say it like that? Do they know?"

Oeyä sempul looks at Oeyä sa'nok with a questioning stare, and she looks away.

Oeyä sempul was always one to question us a great deal when he wanted to know something he did not, and others did. But this time, he knew he was still on a path of earning the trust of his mate again, moving past his mistakes, and errors, trying to amend for so much that he has done so wrong. He returned to reciting the words needed to fill up Norman's notes about the Beast People fighting words.

Oeyä sa'nok tells us, "The next warrior's test, would be a test of stone, the warriors would have letskxea txewk ~ stone clubs they would strike at each other with them, I think this was supposed to be a test of pain, to know what it was like to be crushed in battle by a stronger opponent."

They swung violently at each other, and my father landed a crushing blow on the leg of his opponent, the warrior fell and dropped his hammer.

My father helped carry this warrior out of the fighting place and over to the Beast People Tsahìk. Their Tsahìk, she is a young woman, who looked a bit older than me, and a bit younger than Oeyä sa'nok. She explains in Na'vi what she determines about the injured warrior, "We will bind the leg, and give it medicine to keep it from giving him sickness, it is not broken, so it should heal enough for him to use it again in a few months."

My father comments on the strong bones of the Na'vi and how amazed by it that he is. He and the warrior clasp forearms and Nod in respect to each other. In speaking to us, my father discusses the techniques, "He was able to efficiently, move along six basic strike positions with that letskxea txewk, and his parry techniques were flawless. He could easily crush a human thighbone with the striking force he delivered with that letskxea txewk. He was using a kinetic snap, basically increasing the striking velocity of the letskxea txewk, increasing the connect force of the hit many times over. That takes at least five years to have it be a reflexive technique with both arms like he was doing switching hands with the one. No waisted broad swings, he kept everything in the high pressure zone, right in front, tight guard stance, nearly no openings. He probably can use two letskxea txewk at the same time, ferociously. Mark taught them how to make some primitive but effective weapons. What the hell was Mark thinking? What was he planning? Who the hell was this guy, can we even find out?"

Norman and Doctor Maryann looked at each other, and then Maryann pulled the radio out of the satchel she had with her.

Maryann started speaking back to the Hell's Gate humans. Aytukan saw this and watched Maryann as she carried on a conversation with her back to the fighting pit.

The next fight would be a test of balance, the warriors could fight with which ever means they chose, but would be balancing on a suspended tree branch, the first to fall off the branch looses the fight, and probably their life if they do not know how to safe fall through the canopy below them. The branch chosen by my great uncle for this challenge is very high, and very thin at nearly the width of a Na'vi leg. Oeyä sempul, and this warrior step out on to the branch, and the face each other, my great uncle, displeased, he speaks in Na'vi, "Mengal tsatsengit pängey!" ~ you two WAIT there!

My father looks at him and asks in Na'vi, "What is the matter?"

"You keep choosing males to fight, do you not realize that we have women warriors, are you afraid to face them?"

"Truthfully, yes. You should have seen Neytiri riding Palulukan, I think I am not warrior enough to face someone that brave."

"Interesting response, but this is still unacceptable. You shall fight Silawanin, my daughter and Tsahìk. Good luck."

"Wait, I thought I was allowed to choose?"

"You were, as long as you chose fairly, but you have not, so now, I get to choose for you." He gestures the other warrior to leave the branch, who nods to the Tsahìk who treated the last warrior in the club fight with my father, and passes my father without looking at him, draws her dagger and keeps her back turned to him.

"Wait a minute, this is not right, surely you have other warriors?"

"Everyone in my clan is a warrior, even me, even the children... you can fight now, or leave now, you do not have to continue fighting, this is not your world, these are not your people, and you are not their leader, we would all understand if you walked away."

I think this was also the test, a very different one, one of honor, or one of sacrifice, or one of bravery... It could have been all of them, and a crewel version of any.... I do not know the minds of warriors, I am not one yet... A woman with my mother's sisters name, who my father must kill to save his people? This was horrible. How could my great uncle do this to him? He was going to cause pain not just for my father, but for his own daughter, for my mother, and now for me. What was he trying to do? Was he trying to test my fathers Na'vi side, or his human side? Was he trying to see how my father would fight this young woman who could very well be his own daughter. My father's mind was alight with unpleasant thoughts, how can he continue, he musts stop this, he can not face Neytiri if he kills the woman named for her sister, it would destroy her.

"I quit." My father turned around and started to walk off of the branch, and my great uncle stood in his path.

My great uncle spoke again, "You shouldn't. That is the one thing a clan leader must never do, not ever. Turn around, face her."

My father looked at him, and then looked at me, and then looked at Neytiri and his eyes dropped and his ears fell back, and his tail dropped lightly on the branch, I could feel it, his heart was sinking so very low. That was when my mother spoke, "She is not my sister. Finish what you started." And nodded at him.

Oeyä sempul inhaled deeply, turned back, drew his blade, and they both began to slash at each other. She slashed quickly from a point that would have cut his right shoulder to a point near where she would have split his gullet. He deflected and stepped away from the edge of her blade, and slashed right to left near her abdomen, drawing her arms low, he then punched with his free hand at her face, and deflected the punch and slashed at my father's forearm cutting it. He made a figure eight slashing repeatedly, causing her to back up on the branch, she caught his blade hand, twisted upwards, struck his hand knocking his blade loose, and he caught it with his other hand and did a stabbing thrust at her neck. She evaded the stab, shifted footing, pulling him further forward to land chest first on the branch and off of his feet. As he was attempting to get up, she tumbled at him, kicked at his ankles and hands, knocking him off his feet, he rolled around avoiding a stabbing strike from her they clashed blades, he flipped her over his shoulder, brought his elbow down onto the side of her face, and she dropped her knife. He then flipped her over, and was about to strike her when she knocked him off of her and him over the side of the branch, he was now hanging on with one arm, with the other, he sheathed his knife, and swung his body around to get back onto the branch with her stomping on his fingers making him shout in pain. The fight seemed to tumble about on the branch for a while, exchanges of blows, and parry strikes, deflections, bunches, and uses of their knives. A kick, a punch, a knee in the gut, and then a hard blow from my fathers closed right fist to the left side of Silwanin's cheek, and she fell down, and almost off the branch, when he grabbed her unconscious body and yelled for help to pull her back up. Everyone rushed in to grab her, and pull her to safety.

My father was impressed, "She is fast, and skilled, and every bit the warrior you said she is." he did not look my great uncle in the eye when he said this, and walked past him to climb down out of the tree.

My father was not dealing with this well. He sat for hours by himself shaking and unsettled. He let many tears, and could not bring himself to stand.

Norman once said to me, a soldier is not able to live in peace, they are always a fighter, always a warrior, ready to fight, ready to kill, it is what they are trained to do, it is what they are payed to do. They are never ready for a quiet life, a peaceful existence. My father was not like he was, he was on a journey, something that was to lead him to his true self, far from the life he left behind. I was watching this happen, and I could barely understand it then, but now I knew this is what must happen. He had not fought against other Na'vi since he struck Tsu'Tey down, and never laid a hand on any of our people in anger. Throwing a chair wildly, it hurt his friend Norman, and now he is fighting a people he gave up his old life to protect from his own people, and it was confusing for him, and very uncomfortable, he did not want it to continue, and I could feel it very strongly after the fight with Silawanin. Some how, Aytukan simply convinced him to continue, and Oeyä sa'nok telling him that it was OK for him to continue was not enough to rid him of his guilt. Something about this fight bothered him very strongly, and I had to know why...

I spoke to him, "Oel ngati kamänge ma sempul. Ngaru lu fpom srak?" ~ It bothers me seeing you this way father. Are you well?

He looks at me smiles faintly, and then gestures to a rock for me to sit. "Let me tell you about my twin brother."

The next fight is in the water of the rushing river. This test is a show of ingenuity, the ability of the warrior to defeat an opponent in the relentless onslaught of the river current. Oeyä sempul did not get to pick his opponent any more, so he never knew who he was fighting. The next warrior was a very elderly woman, one who looked like she was easily in her 70's by human standards I was told. This was very old, but when she was in the water, she glided to where she wanted to be, and did not have any trouble getting into the middle of the river. She was completely still like she had found her roots, and dug them deep into the riverbed. It was so surprising, everyone of the Omatikaya thought she had been using some kind of magic. When my father climbed into the river he kept slipping, falling, trying to swim, he could not even get close to this woman, he spent minutes trying to fight the current, and move to where she was, and was fighting the river more than her. She started to giggle a bit, in the way a raspy voice from an aged grandmother might laugh at the silliness of a small child. She spoke in Na'vi to him, "The water is not going to change what it is doing, why do you try to make it do things your way?" My father thought for a moment, swam to the shore walked up the bank, upstream from the old woman, climbed in, floated to where she was, and was stopped by the old woman. "I suppose we should fight now?"

"I don't want to fight you, I would like to ask you something."

"Alright then, ask me what you want to ask me."

"Who has been teaching your people how to fight?"

"Olo'eyktan."

"Has anyone ever defeated him?"

"No."

"How long has he been teaching your clan?"

"Many years."

"Thank you."

"You may not wish to thank me yet."

"Why not?"

The old woman punches my father in the ontu ~ nose knocking him out, but effortlessly carries him to shore. Smiling, and laughing in her raspy voice as she drops him at our feet.

The next fight is done riding on Pa'li, the riders are positioned at ends of a valley, and are facing each other, they are supposed to fight until one or the other is off of the Pa'li. They ride at each other, going very fast, my father leaps off of his Pa'li on to that of his opponent, and forces him off very quickly. The match was probably too quick, my great uncle did not seem very happy about the way that match went.

The next fight is done with ikran, the warriors mount their ikran, and fly at each other, and try to defeat the other. They do this over large leaves, so that if they fall, they can catch themselves.

My fathers opponent, is very young, she looks to be about Norman's Uniltìrantokx ~ Avatar size. I did not think someone so young could subdue an ikran, to make the first tsaheylu. This child was not ordinary, she had to have learned how to do something that most Na'vi did not learn at such a young age. If this child survived, Norman and I would want to ask her questions, maybe Norman could get his ikran after all. Now was not the time for these thoughts though.

This Na'vi girl, and My father are in the sky over the forest, and the way they must fight is strange, she flies past my father striking at him, clawing at him with her ikran, using the ioang ~ beast as a weapon. She is having it bite at him, claw at him, whip its tail at him, she is not fighting him her self.

When she flies from above him, he rolls his flight movement around to allow him to be in arms reach... He manages to swing his fist, and connect with her shoulder jostling her enough to make her worry, she grabbed her shoulder, and began to fly up, higher and higher into the sky, my father chased her, they flapped, and climbed until the air was so thin that they were having trouble breathing. She dived past my father and tail smacked him on the way past, but it was not a controlled tail smack, she was free falling, her dive was out of control, my father noticed this and started diving after her. For what seemed like an eternity, they were diving at the rushing ground. She was spinning in her free fall, out of control, unable to wake her ikran, even though she was awake.

My father gained on her fall speed with a controlled dive, reached out his hand and managed to grab hold of her arm, swing her around to the back of his saddle, and extended his ikran's wings to pull out of their dive, and finally slow their decent, barely skimming over the tops of the trees. Her ikran was not as lucky, it strikes the forest ground with a very final thud, we on the ground could only look away.

At night, the forest is glowing, and we have started a fire to cook the meat from the days hunt. The warriors from the previous fights, all have come to join us by the fire. We welcome them silently, and begin singing the hunt songs together. My favorite is the one I always lead as taught to me by my father...

"Txaykx mi owìtx txew txe pxawl kxame,

Txaykx mi owìtx wìtx txe kxaroutx;

Pxay mi sume pinutx sì kxuräkxìr tsakx,

ay txonìtx kxärì txo ay ngeviru nget pxäkx,

letx mi 'rrta, 'rrta, 'rrta fpi txe kelutral,

txo txey txonìtx win, itx ay tsäme,

fpi itx 'aw, mune, pxey takuk, ngaru lolu wrrpa,

ätx txe olìtx pxawl kxame."

All of the other Na'vi don't sing this one, they just give me strange disapproving looks, while at the same time, Norman cackles maniacally at me.

Norman says to me, "I think if you sang that at a real baseball game, people would be very interested in hearing you sing it... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..."

I looked at him, and realized, that the Skxawng had managed to turn me into a moron for the night, I wonder how long he had planned for me to think I was singing an important song.

Tomorrow was the night of Oeyä sempul ~ my father and Aytukan's fight.