Author's Note: So here we are at chapter 12! (a late chapter, but hell yeah, we're getting somewhere!) woot. Anyway, I wanted to thank you all for the reviews, sorry if I didn't reply as yeah the WORK, it SUCKS and I'm only getting around 5hrs to sleep at night, more if I can squeeze in a nap during the day. So yeah, might not be a chapter next week. But I have some time off coming, and it won't be too long a wait, I hope. Will edit this if I need another week.
Uh, okay. Trying to remember what I was going to write here... Oh yeah! Translations! Almost every review mentioned it, a few don't care about it, but the majority were complaining (which is your right), and a flamer o.o oh noes! Who knew one chapter could cause so much wank? Some were downright rude. Kudos if you managed to tell me what you think without biting my head off.
But, as I said to nearly all of you, I dislike brackets or parentheses as I'm such a nitpick that it looks messy to me, and if I wanted English I'd just write it and then say they were speaking in Na'vi in the following sentence. I'll try in future chapters to not have as many translations, but be prepared for some (I'll give you warnings hehe) to have a little more than usual...
Hope this doesn't cause anymore reviewers to leave me -bye GrayHuntress-! as that made me sad, and no more flames please...
Story Note: I'm thinking this story will be around 30 or so chapters, more or less. We got a ways to go, but we'll get there :) come hell or high water (or cats).
Enjoy this chapter, review, some translations at the bottom, have fun, two days 'til Friday, it's all good :D
As Duri'sen's flanks move in and out with the beast's heavy breathing beneath his legs, Tsu'tey pulls back the arrow currently fitted to his bow's string, the yellow and blue feathered end tickling his ear. He squints his eyes at the medium sized animal below as it shakes its muscular head and sniffs the air, one of its legs pawing at the ground in unease.
He takes a deep breath and straightens, before his right hand lets the arrow go. As soon as it brushes against his bracer, he knows it will not meet its target. Dejected, he watches the wasted arrow sail to the ground where it embeds into the thick pale dirt a good twenty feet from his prey.
Duri'sen looks at it before cawing softly; the ikran knows its rider is the best hunter to ever grace the Omaticaya, and cannot recall a time when said hunter had ever missed a killing shot. The male ikran turns its head to blink at Tsu'tey, confused.
Tsu'tey blinks back and lowers his bow, wondering if he's losing his skill. But that can't be, as he hunts with Jake every other day, sometimes bringing others along as well.
Jake...
He grudgingly accepts the sudden notion that, by Jake not being here in the sky with him, his skill somewhat decreases. Jake being there with his wide smile and curious eyes, impressed by his keen sight and the number of animals that drop from his neat shots, motivated him, made him want to do his best just to see that flicker of awe cross over the other male's eyes.
Now the air to the right of him is empty, and there is no one there to show off to. Tsu'tey's lower lip twitches downward and he sighs, mentally directing Duri'sen in a clean swerve to the left before his thoughts wander, as they seem to do lately, to the Dreamwalker.
Jake always finds some way to play around with his emotions, whether it's at Tsu'tey's expense or his own. Tsu'tey tries to sort out everything, but it's all a mess inside his mind, doesn't know what he should be feeling or shouldn't be feeling. The main emotion right now is worry; it coats his thoughts with its presence and claws at his heart with its talons.
Jake will wake up, he has to. Eywa did not give him a mate just to see him taken away by unknown forces, an unknown illness. No. Eywa's plan is simple. If Jake's life was in danger, She would have to intervene to protect the balance, right? Because somehow, Jake is special, has to live for a purpose Tsu'tey does not know, but there is a purpose. And purpose is not taken away.
Tsu'tey sighs and looks up at the night sky, at the billions of stars that dot the blackness, at the blue and pink striped planet in the distance. Then back down, to the thousands of miles of forest and water, and thinks about the future.
Jake's suddenly aware that he's floating. He opens his eyes to an inky dark pink and black world, waving his arms around like he's swimming because he has a vague thought if he doesn't move, he's going to fall. The darkness wraps around his blue arms and legs like a soft blanket as his limbs repeatedly cut through and displace it and his head is clogged with a haze of numb and wisp.
Then another thought lazily crosses over his mind; he's not swimming, he's flying. He turns in the air and delves into the dark, feeling it touch his skin like a cashmere sweater as a subtle feeling of joy enters his heart. He spreads his fingers and toes and laughs.
Jake is not sure how long he remains suspended like that, minutes or decades, but suddenly a blistering light spears into the dark in front of him, its rays extending out before it seems to swallow this new world, and then he is wrapped in pure light.
There is a moment of pain in his body, Jake is sure, but it is gone just as he realizes it as he basks in the joy of the light, the peace of it.
Suddenly, it is taken away. His fingers are touching something and he tries to look at what it is but there is nothing. Then the feel of breath in his body and a rushing sensation, swimming to the surface. He gasps just as he's swooped up in the current and-
Jake opens his eyes.
Automatically his mind tries to remember the events previous and they come back gradually from murky gray depths. He recalls pain, lancing agony within him, a voice...Tsu'tey!
"Tsu'tey," he murmurs groggily, bringing a hand up to covers his eyes as the bright fire makes him squint. "Shit."
"Jake, Jake, oh you are awake!" A female voice says, and he looks over to find Asuy'ri smiling at him before she walks over and kneels, tilting her head as she looks into his eyes. Her long braids fall over her shoulder and the red feathers brush against his skin.
"Hey Asuy'ri," he says, sending her a half-smile and is about to ask her where Tsu'tey is when he hears another voice come closer, speaking in concerned Na'vi.
An old Omaticayan kneels as well, using a no-nonsense hand to push at Asuy'ri's shoulder to move her out of the way as she runs another aged hand over his stomach, her middle finger pushing at a soft spot over his naval.
It doesn't hurt, but he pushes her away anyway, not exactly pleased at her poking and prodding him just as soon as he opens his eyes. "Who's this?" He asks Asuy'ri, scooting away a little as her other hand reaches for him.
Asuy'ri lets out a small laugh, "This is the olo'toktor! She is the clan's—"
"Doctor?" Jake says, recognizing the similarity between the words as he stops moving and lets the old Na'vi examine him, awkwardly pushing one of his braids out of his face.
He's suddenly brought back to twenty-six years ago, sitting in the doctor's office with Tom laughing in the corner at something he says as the doctor asks him to breathe in and out.
Some things never change.
Asuy'ri nods and looks curious at the way he smiles knowingly, tilting her head at him and he turns his eyes to the ceiling. "Where's Tsu'tey?"
Out of the corner of his vision he sees the olo'toktor raise her head to look at him, but he keeps his eyes averted to keep her from catching anything that might have given secrets away. His ears twitch nervously.
Asuy'ri snorts softly and looks at the mouth of the cave, waving a dismissive hand as she says, "I think he has a lot on his mind. Went hunting, I imagine, as he always used to tell me it helped clear his thoughts."
"Oh," Jake says quietly, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He fails, and says it again in a way that implies he doesn't care, "Oh, right."
Asuy'ri furrows her brow and mumbles something indistinct under her breath as she catches him, rolling her eyes as well.
The olo'toktor takes the break in conversation to say something to Jake, but the sentence is filled with words Jake doesn't understand, "What'd she say?"
The younger female shifts her stance to sit with her legs folded as she translates for him, "The olo'toktor says you seem to be in good health, and she does not know much about your..." She licks her lips and struggles to pronounce the next word, "Con...dishin. Your illness. Yes that is correct," she mutters at the end, reassuring her knowledge of English.
Some of the blue drains from Jake's face, "Condition, illness? What? I'm fine," he sits up, rubbing his stomach. "See, no pain anymore. This is just some kind of flu—"
Even though the clan's doctor does not understand him, she sees where he's going and interjects in mid-sentence, "Ftang! Nga kehe tslam," she says loudly, shaking her head, causing some strands of white beads in her hair to fly around her face.
Jake growls softly, "Kehe, nga kehe tslam, frawzo," no doubt surprising the old Na'vi with his knowledge—though limited—of the language. He sniffs and gets up, careful of his tail. As to demonstrate, he takes a few steps in every direction, spreading his arms wide. "It doesn't hurt anymore, okay?"
The olo'toktor mumbles something under her breath and leaves Asuy'ri's and Jake's side of the fire to walk with the gait of the pissed off to the other side.
Jake sighs loudly and plops down onto the ground again next to Asuy'ri, flicking some dirt at her leg absently as he says in a soft but steady voice, "You know, before I passed out, after the prayer, I tried to pull my hand away from Tsu'tey's and felt this...thing. Like, it felt really good. He told me that it's called...well, I can't pronounce it but—"
"Tìprrte'txepvi," she exclaims in a loud exhale, putting a hand over her mouth just after she says it. Her wide yellow eyes turn towards him and then look away. When she speaks again her voice is a whisper, "Did he tell you?" Her eyes look around the cave in the same way Tsu'tey's did, as if checking to make sure no one overhears.
Jake feels as if he's just stumbled upon taboo. "Yeah. But I don't understand, how long do we have?"
Asuy'ri lowers her hand from her mouth but keeps her voice quiet, "The pleasure spark lasts about four months in your Earth time. At the end of that time you would have to leave, as you would put Tsu'tey in...well, then it would be pain," she says, a brow raising as she rubs her hands together.
Jake tightens his lips. Four months seems like such a short time. But there is no way he is leaving the Omaticaya. And so he is left with only one option. He sighs and rubs a hand over his face, his eyes darting between the flames of the fire. "So that's it then? Eventually I'll just have to...to—"
"Yes," Asuy'ri says in a quiet, absolute voice. "There is not much of a choice."
The Dreamwalker lets out a groan of frustration and puts his head in his hands, "I hate you," he murmurs in a frustrated voice, his tail furling against the ground, obviously not talking about her.
"Who do you hate?"
"Eywa." He nearly spits out the name, he says it so harshly. His fingers curl into fists, suddenly angry. "Why did She do this?"
"She has reasons; She put you back in this body, yes? You have a—"
Jake doesn't appear to hear her, "And now I have to fuck with Tsu'tey? God, that might as well be rape, that fucking—"
Asuy'ri hisses sharply and slaps her hand over Jake's mouth, "Do not speak of Eywa that way. You say bad words in your language about Her, that is very disrespectful."
Jake's nostrils flare and he's about to let himself fly off the handle when there's a loud cawing outside that makes him and Asuy'ri jump, the type of sound that only one animal could make.
Jake's up in a flash, knocking Asuy'ri's arm away and stepping on a few tails on his way to the cave entrance, not knowing why he feels he should be some kind of greeter to Tsu'tey, not knowing why he wants to see him.
He doesn't know anything anymore.
As the braided vines slip over his shoulders, he sees Tsu'tey rubbing Duri'sen's snout, smiling lightly and mumbling in Na'vi. His eyes are a glowing green in the dark.
Jake stops and decides not to interrupt, leaning against the wall, folding his arms and watching silently. It is always...endearing, to see the other male smile, to see him happy. Jake frowns and is suddenly sad, though he doesn't know why. A sudden weight on his heart.
Tsu'tey disconnects their bond, his queue snapping back over his shoulder and one of Duri'sen's neural whips resuming its place on the back of his head, and lets his ikran fly away, the leathery flap of his wings carrying him into the sky. Tsu'tey watches the winged form and crosses his hands at the wrist, tilting his head further upwards, either looking at the stars or praying.
Jake shifts his stance and steps on a stick.
Tsu'tey turns sharply and spots Jake immediately, his eyes widening almost comically, "Jake, you are awake? Are you feeling well? What—"
"I'm fine," Jake says, as if he passes out everyday. "Probably just the flu or something, heatstroke maybe. I don't think the olo'toktor knows anything anyway."
"Flu..." Tsu'tey murmurs under his breath, wondering what that word means, a Sky People illness? "I do not think it is that simple."
Jake makes a noncommittal noise and presses his hand into his abdomen, "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. Still tired though." He yawns widely. "Hey, where's the grub? Didn't you go hunting?" He says as he notices the other male is empty-handed.
"Could not find any prey that was worthy," Tsu'tey snarks lightly, his eyes shifting downwards for a moment before he moves past him without—thankfully—brushing against him. Jake flattens himself against the wall anyway in a safety measure to make sure they don't touch.
Asuy'ri's eyes almost seem to penetrate the olo'eyktan as he walks to the front of the large fire, her brows furrowed at him. Tsu'tey tilts his head at her, the furred end of his tail twitching as they communicate something unspoken with their eyes.
Jake watches the silent exchange with a certain hint of jealousy; these two have known each other before Jake was old enough to count to ten, and just by looking at them it's obvious their history is a long and difficult one. It is just another factor that makes Jake feel like an outsider at times.
Eventually Tsu'tey's eyes leave hers, the muscle in his jaw twitching. Asuy'ri's own eyes flash for a moment with a certain victory before she looks away as well, nonchalantly grabbing an orange and yellow fruit from the basket-like container on the floor.
Jake licks his lips and joins the other male by the fire, his arms crossing over his legs in a companionably imitation of Tsu'tey. The sharp whistle of a Viperwolf resounds, nearly drowned out by the noise of the clan.
The fire dances merrily.
Four more months.
Glossary:
Ftang! Nga kehe tslam - Stop! You don't understand
Kehe, nga kehe tslam, frawzo - No, you don't understand, I'm fine