I can talk to the trees
But I don't speak Human
Got a heart full of Earth and a head full of sky
I got spirit drum wolf claw raven's eye
Crazy Man - OMNIA
Being encircled by a group of angry hunters with arrows shoved into my face wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I imagined meeting the Na'vi for the first time.
But then again, life rarely played out the way you wanted it to.
I tried to make myself look less of a threat while I kept close to Jake. The Na'vi who surrounded us were beyond pissed that we were in their territory. Just when I began to wonder if these were gonna be our last few seconds alive Neytiri jumped down from above and landed in front of us, coming to our rescue once again.
"Mawey, Na'viya!" She barked at the hunters. "Mawey!"
One of the men riding the direhorses dismounted and stormed toward us. He wore an elaborately beaded choker and his hair was shaved away on the sides of his head. The rest of his hair was braided back with a few smaller braids dangling on the left side of his sharp face.
He looked downright murderous.
"What are you doing, Tsu'tey?" Neytiri asked, taking a stand between us and the man that approached.
"These demons are forbidden here." The man, Tsu'tey, spat like the words were fowl in his mouth. "I will kill these two as a warning to the others."
I gulped.
"Stop! There has been a sign!" Neytiri growled, "It is a matter for the Tsahik."
Hearing this, I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or terrified. They wouldn't kill us. Not yet anyway. I thought back to my studies on Na'vi culture and recalled that the Tsahik was a clan's spiritual leader. Neytiri was going to take us to see their Tsahik, probably to determine what the atokirina meant by landing on Jake and I.
Whatever it meant, I just hoped we got out of this mess alive and unharmed. Our survival depended on what the Tsahik would say.
Tsu'tey glared at us.
"Bring them." He rumbled before turning away and mounting his direhorse again.
Suddenly someone grabbed my queue braid in their fist and brought a dagger to rest against the nape of my neck, the cold blade biting into my skin. A painful sensation radiated into my skull from my neural fibers being pinched, making me wince.
It occurred to me that the Na'vi holding my queue would gladly slice it off if I didn't mind my p's and q's.
So while Jake struggled against his captors, demanding to know what the hell was happening as we were pushed forward, I went along without an argument.
It amazed me how out of shape Jake and I were compared to the Na'vi surrounding us. They were basically pro-athletes. Of course they had to be in order to survive out in the wilderness. Something simple like running around in the forest was a cakewalk for them.
I couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
Sure, our avatar bodies looked fit and toned but they were not trained to run long distances. While the hunters moved along effortlessly, not even panting or breaking into a sweat, we huffed and puffed as we hurried through the forest.
A few of the hunters were annoyed by this.
"They breathe loud!" A young woman's voice from behind me complained. She must have been the one holding onto my queue braid.
One of the younger men keeping tabs on Jake agreed with her. "They stink too."
The hunter in front of us, an older male, looked sharply over his shoulder at them. "Ka'ani, Saeyla, be quiet!"
The young hunters obeyed and fell silent. I tried to dial down my panting so I wouldn't continue to annoy anybody.
The direhorse riders galloped ahead of us. We followed them out of the jungle and over a bridge that stretched above a wide river.
I gawked in amazement when I saw where we were headed.
A gigantic tree loomed ahead of us. And I mean gigantic. I had seen some pretty big trees but damn! This tree was practically a skyscraper. It had to be at least a hundred and fifty meters tall.
This had to be where the Omaticaya clan resided. Kelutral, or Hometree, as they called it.
Once we crossed the bridge, the direhorse riders quickly disappeared into the main entrance of the tree while Jake and I were shoved inside.
All around us were Na'vi.
Men, women and children gathered around as we were paraded through. Some hissed angrily at us, some yipped, but most of the Na'vi stared and muttered as we passed. One male reached out and slapped Jake on the arm. Another one tugged at my shirt. But none of them moved to attack us. Instead they parted to make a path for the group of hunters that dragged us along.
I glanced around at the internal structure of the place. The inside was hollow with many columns that formed a large central area. It looked as though several smaller trees had intertwined together a long time ago to eventually form one massive tree. The branches and limbs twisted at the core to form a natural spiral staircase.
It was pretty impressive to say the least.
Our guards pulled us to a stop in front of an imposing skull of a monstrous beast. Beneath it stood a man heavily decorated in beads, feathers, and bones. Judging by his ornate jewelry and proud stature, I had to assume that this man was Olo'eyktan - the clan leader. Or maybe even the Tsahik. At the moment I wasn't sure which.
Next to the man stood Tsu'tey. The two of them quietly discussed something only pausing to eye us when we approached. I seized Jake's hand, needing some sense of security since our fate was about to be decided. Jake squeezed my hand back as if to tell me it was going to be okay.
Neytiri stepped forward.
"Father," she said as she brought her fingers to her forehead and pulled them away in greeting, "oel ngati kameie."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Wait a sec, this guy was Neytiri's father?! The clan leader and the Tsahik were always a mated pair and if Neytiri was their daughter... then that meant she was considered a princess among the clan.
Well, I'll be damned. I had been hanging out with a princess all day!
The man moved to walk in front of Jake and I. His lips were pulled down in a frown, his hard expression unreadable as he studied us. Now I knew where Neytiri got her poker face from.
He looked at Neytiri. "These creatures," he said, voice cavernous, "why did you bring them here?"
"I brought them to see mother," Neytiri quickly replied, "there was a sign from Eywa, unlike anything I had ever seen before."
The man's golden eyes narrowed. "I have said no uniltìranyu will come here..."
While he spoke, Jake leaned toward my ear. "What's he saying?"
"Ssh!" I whispered, swiping my tail against the back of his leg in hopes he would get the message to stay quiet.
He grumbled, annoyed that I wasn't going to translate for him.
I turned my attention back to the conversation just as the man remarked, "their alien stench fills my nose."
Laughter rippled among the gathered Na'vi at the man's comment, making me look down at the ground self-consciously. Jeez, Jake and I must have really smelled rank. Sorry, guys.
At this point Jake was fed up with being kept out of the loop. "What's he saying?" He demanded, his tone raising.
Neytiri glanced back at him. "My father is deciding whether to kill you." She quietly explained.
Jake's eyes widened. "... Your father?"
Suddenly Jake moved forward, offering his hand to Neytiri's father. Oh bad idea! Bad idea! I squeaked in alarm as the surrounding Na'vi lunged toward Jake, hissing and snarling, to protect their leader from any offence that he had to offer.
Since I was still holding Jake's hand I yanked him backwards and shot him a warning glare. Any disrespect on our part would have us killed in seconds.
"Stand back!" A strong feminine voice rang out over the crowd.
Chills ran down my back when I saw an older woman wrapped in a beautiful red beaded shawl descend down the spiral stairs.
"I will look at these aliens," the woman said as she walked straight toward us. Her black hair was intricately plaited and I noticed that her queue was braided to the front of her body rather than the back.
Neytiri respectfully inclined her head to the woman. "That is mother," she whispered to us, "she is Tsahik. The one who interprets the will of Eywa."
"Who's Eywa?" Jake asked.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his ignorance. Clearly Jake hadn't bothered to read the textbooks that I had given him about Na'vi culture. Eywa had been chapter one of the avatar training manual.
The Tsahik strode past her daughter and slowly circled Jake and I. If I recalled correctly Neytiri had mentioned to me earlier that her mother's name was Mo'at. She examined us as she walked around, pulling at our queue and tails.
I took a deep breath to try to calm my hammering heart. It was absolutely imperative that we didn't fuck this up and get killed.
"What are you called?" Mo'at asked Jake, speaking in English.
"Jake Sully."
Her golden eyes flicked to me.
"Danny," I said, offering a small smile.
Mo'at regarded us for a moment before withdrawing a thin bone knife from a long necklace she wore. My eyes went wide as she quickly jabbed the tip into Jake's chest, making him grunt. She brought the knife to her mouth and dragged the bloodied point along her tongue. Uhhh...what the hell?
She looked at me and I realized I was up next for this weird test. Oh fuuu-
I flinched as she swiped the knife across the skin of my arm. Luckily it only hurt for a split second like when I had my ears pierced for my sixteenth birthday. I watched as the Tsahik tasted my blood, her eyes narrowing. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
"Why did you come to us?" She demanded as she slipped the bone knife back into her necklace.
"We came to learn." Jake answered, not skipping a beat.
Mo'at wasn't impressed. "We have tried to teach other Sky People," she said, her tone low, "it is hard to fill a cup which is already full."
Jake shrugged. "Well, my cup is empty, trust me," he assured. "Just ask Grace Augustine. I'm no scientist."
"What are you?"
"I was a marine," he said, "a, uh, a warrior of the Jarhead Clan."
Had I been anywhere other than our current situation, I would have facepalmed. Seriously bro? That was the best he could come up with? Jarhead clan, indeed.
"A warrior?" Tsu'tey questioned, taking a few steps forward. "I could kill him easily!"
Neytiri's father, who I had figured out as the clan leader, stopped him.
"No!" He said. "This is the first warrior uniltìranyu we have seen. We need to learn more about him."
Mo'at looked at me curiously then. "And you, girl?" She asked. "What are you among your people?"
I swallowed, my throat dry now that everyone's attention was on me. "I'm a doctor," I replied. Mo'at stared at me, waiting for me to elaborate. "I... study medicine to treat diseases."
"A healer, then?"
I shrugged a little. "You could say that. Yes."
She looked thoughtful for a moment before turning to Neytiri. "Ma 'ite," she said, speaking in Na'vi once more, "you will teach them our ways. To speak and walk as we do."
Neytiri was not thrilled about that idea at all. "Why me?" She complained. "That's not fair. I only -"
Mo'at raised her hand, "Oe pe'un!" She declared with a note of finality. Neytiri hissed in annoyance.
The Tsahik looked back at Jake and I. "It is decided. My daughter will teach you our ways. Learn well, Jhake Sooly and Da'ni. Then we will see if your insanity can be cured."
With that said Mo'at departed, leaving us standing among the gathered clan.
Our fate had been sealed.
I found myself alone in a small alcove just outside of Hometree, next to the river we had crossed over earlier.
Neytiri instructed me to bathe and change clothes. She left with Jake to get his wounds he had earned from the viperwolf attack treated and bandaged.
Peeling off my damp and dirty clothes had been the best thing I had done all day. I tossed them into a heap and stepped into the water. It was cold but not freezing like I thought it would be. Actually it felt kinda refreshing on my skin.
I sat in the river and began to scrub off the dirt and sweat I had accumulated from my adventures in the jungle. I was grateful for the bit of privacy even though I worried that someone was going to pop out of the bushes and see me naked. But at least I had a moment to gather my thoughts on all that had just transpired.
Because holy shit.
I was going to be living with the Na'vi and studying their ways of life. Me and Jake. I almost couldn't believe it. It was a researcher's dream come true!
While I was thrilled that I was going to be learning more about these people I also felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. It was gonna be up to me and Jake to rebuild the bridges between the humans and the Na'vi. It was one of the main goals of the avatar program after all.
It wasn't going to be an easy task, especially since everyone had wanted to kill us until the Tsahik stepped in. We were gonna have to work our asses off to prove that we were trustworthy.
Still I couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's faces back at the lab, Grace's especially, after telling them that we were going to be hanging out the the Omaticaya clan.
I rose out of the water, feeling relatively cleaner than I did before. I took a closer look at the Na'vi clothing that Neytiri had given me; a simple, soft green loincloth and kind of halter bra made from pretty aquamarine beads and woven fibers. A few blue and pink feathers were sewn in for decoration.
My lips twisted to the side. Hmm. The top's flimsiness made me worry. I just hoped it would cover my boobs enough so I wouldn't accidentally flash somebody. Wouldn't want anyone to be scarred for life or anything.
It took me a few minutes to figure out how to put everything on. My tail got tangled up in the loincloth a few times and it took some adjusting to get my "bra" to stay in place, but I managed to get everything tied together. I had to admit the Na'vi clothing felt a whole lot better than my other clothes. They weren't scratchy and irritating against my skin. If only I had a mirror to see what I looked like.
I heard footsteps and turned to see Neytiri.
"How do I look?" I asked her, doing a small spin in place to show her my ensemble.
Her golden eyes scanned me up and down before nodding once in approval. "You look acceptable." She stated.
Satisfied that I looked alright by Na'vi standards, I bent down and picked up my other clothes. "What should I do with these?" I asked.
She held out her hand. "I will take them."
I handed her the clothes and followed her back to Hometree. Jake was standing outside waiting for us. He had changed clothes too, wearing nothing but a plain blue loincloth. A few large leaves had been plastered onto his arms and chest to cover some of the deeper viperwolf cuts he had gotten.
I could tell he felt uncomfortable wearing close to nothing. Hell, I know I did. Still I couldn't pass up an opportunity to poke fun at him.
"Hey Tarzan," I said, smirking when we approached. Neytiri gave me a confused look, not understanding my reference.
Jake rolled his eyes. "Hey Monkey Girl,"
I stuck my tongue out at him.
Neytiri shook her head. "Come," she urged, "it is time for the evening meal."
My stomach rumbled at the mention of food, getting a little excited to try some authentic Na'vi cooking. I realized that I had hardly eaten anything all day and man, I was starving!
We accompanied Neytiri back inside Hometree and climbed up the spiral steps to where most of the clan had gathered for dinner. Sweet and spicy scents wafted through the air while everyone crouched around a flickering fire. My ears perked up at the soft sound of someone singing and drumming, giving praise to Eywa for their food.
But the music abruptly stopped the moment we arrived and everyone turned to glare at us.
Well, this was...awkward.
Jake, in his glorious wisdom, thought it'd be a perfect time to crack a joke. You know, break the ice and all.
"Good evening," he greeted the silent crowd, "please, don't get up."
My face burned wildly in embarrassment. Right about now is when I wished I had a cloak of invisibility.
Swallowing, I nudged for Jake to keep moving forward before he could make more of an ass of himself. Not that he trying to be. But sometimes my brother had an unfortunate talent for putting his foot in his mouth at the worst times.
He lowered his head and followed after Neytiri but not before accidentally stepping on an elderly woman's tail.
The woman yipped painfully and turned to hiss at him.
"Ngaytxoa," I murmured to her, apologizing on Jake's behalf.
She scowled at me in response.
Gradually the music and conversation resumed among the Na'vi. We picked a spot near the fire and crouched down while Neytiri got our food. Next to us sat a man and a little girl who I assumed was his daughter.
"Hey, how ya doin'?" Jake casually asked the man.
He was, of course, ignored.
The little girl, however, eyed us in curiosity. I smiled and winked at her, making her duck shyly behind her dad. Aww! So cute.
Neytiri returned with three large leaf rolls in her hand, one for each of us. I thanked her and unraveled the leaf, revealing a heap of little brown nuggets that looked akin to silk worms.
"What are these?" Jake asked before shoving a handful into his mouth.
"Teylu," Neytiri replied, glancing at him.
"Taayloo?" He repeated after swallowing his mouthful.
She nodded. "Yes. What you would call 'beetle larvae'."
For a second I thought Jake was gonna spit his food back out. Thank god he didn't 'cause that would have been super disrespectful.
I held a teylu between my fingers, looking at it warily. I had never eaten a bug before, but since I was hungry as hell I wasn't going to complain.
So I took a bite.
Actually, it wasn't that bad. Kinda reminded me of potato chips - really crunchy and a bit salty.
"Do you like it?" Neytiri asked us.
I nodded while Jake answered, "Oh yeah, this is some damn good teylu." He wagged his eyebrows at her as he popped another grub into his mouth. Was he trying to flirt with her? "Just like grandma's teylu."
I snorted, ever so softly.
Pleased with his answer, Neytiri scooped up some of the teylu from her leaf plate and plopped onto Jake's, smiling a little.
"Have more," she said.
Jake glared down at the bugs while I covered my mouth to hide my laughter.
Dinner came to a close and the gathered Na'vi went off to do their own thing, most of them heading further up the tree to go to sleep.
"Come," Neytiri said as she disposed our empty leaf plates into the fire, "I will show you the way."
We stood up and began to follow her in the direction most of the Na'vi were headed. As we walked out, I noticed Tsu'tey standing off to the side and speaking with a young woman. Actually it looked like they were having an argument. He scowled, ears pinned back and tail flicking in irritation, while the girl stared back at him in defiance with her hands balled up by her sides.
I felt sorry for the girl. If I had learned anything in the last few hours, it was that Tsu'tey was not someone you wanted to piss off. Bad things would totally happen if you did.
The girl caught me looking at them, her eyes widening with interest when she saw me. She took a step forward like she wanted to talk to me but Tsu'tey stopped her.
"Ma'rali!" He barked warningly.
The girl's shoulders slumped and she turned in the opposite direction, walking away. Tsu'tey shot me an annoyed look before following the young woman.
Um...
Shrugging, I trailed after Jake and Neytiri.
We climbed higher up into Hometree, where the branches were thicker and the leaves rustled softly in the evening breeze. All around us Na'vi were climbing, leaping, and lowering themselves into hammocks that hung from the branches.
We watched as Neytiri gracefully swung down from the branch we were standing on, effortlessly sliding into an empty hammock.
Jake followed suit, choosing a hammock beside Neytiri. He clumsily climbed down and landed precariously into his new bed.
I gulped nervously as I eyed a hammock next to Jake. Well this should be fun, I thought as I carefully began to lower myself down. But of course my hand slipped on the wood and I ended up tumbling into the hammock.
"Eeep!" I squealed as the hammock swayed beneath me. Man, Neytiri had made it look so easy!
To my left, I heard Jake snickering at me.
"Shut up," I grumbled as I pulled the protective covering of the hammock into place. The woven materials beneath me were soft and warm yet surprisingly durable. It eased some of my anxiety of falling out in the middle of the night.
I sighed and relaxed into my hammock's embrace.
"See you on the other side Danny," I heard Jake say me.
"See ya," I murmured as I closed my eyes, allowing my consciousness to travel back into my other body.
"Danny? Danny, can you hear me?" A voice floated to me through the darkness. I forced my eyes open, wincing as the bright lab lights above flooded into my eyes, and saw Norm's worried face peering down at me.
"S'up Neville?" I croaked.
Relief flooded his features. "She's awake. Guys, she's awake!" Before I knew it Norm pulled me out of my link unit and into a bear hug.
"Norm, give her a moment to breathe for goodness sake!" I looked over Norm's shoulder to see Cassie and Shawn standing behind him, both of them looking glad that I was okay.
"Hey guys," I greeted when Norm let go of me. Man, I was thirsty. And starving (again). Not to mention my body felt super sore and tired like I had ran a marathon to hell and back.
Cassie placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. In her human form, she had dirty blonde hair, grey eyes, and a fair complexion.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Exhausted," I yawned.
Shawn, who had tousled dark hair and the beginning stages of a beard, crossed his arms and gave me a sympathetic look. "I bet. You gave us quite a scare there, girly."
I smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry we worried everyone. But wait 'till you hear what happened. Where's Grace?"
"She's checkin' up on Jake."
I nodded and stood up from my link mod, my legs wobbling slightly. The four of us made our way over to Jake's link mod. I got to him just as Max was helping him to sit up while Grace asked if our avatars were safe or not.
"Yeah doc," Jake laughed, "and you are not gonna believe we are."
"Where are you?" Grace demanded, her voice tight as she looked at the two of us. "What happened to you out there?"
Jake nodded his head at me. "Tell 'em, Danny."
Like I expected everyone's mouths dropped open in shock when I announced, "The Omaticaya took us in."
Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you enjoyed this update! Leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the story so far :)
Na'vi translations:
Mawey, Na'viya! - Calm, you Na'vi!
Kelutral - Hometree
Tsahik - Matriarch, High Priestess, Interpreter
Olo'eyktan - Clan leader
Oel ngati kame - I see you
Uniltìranyu - Dreamwalker / avatar
Ma 'ite - My daughter
Oe pe'un - I (have) decided
Ngaytxoa - Sorry, my apologies