VII: Part five, Strong Hunter and Love
Txewk looked down in shock at the hilt protruding from his tight stomach, he released a pained cry of disbelief and gestured a shaking hand at it, as if afraid to touch it because that would then make it real. "Wow, I didn't expect that to work." Jake said to himself. Txewk clutched his teeth, hissing a frustrated growl and quickly tore the blade from him, he dropped it by his feet. Lifting his great club up to knee level he brought it down on the hunting knife, easily snapping it into several pieces. Placing his other hand over the wound Txewk fixed Jake with a death glare.
"Foul, trickery, knife wielder!" he gasped.
"Sorry, I must have missed that part of the rule book." Jake replied.
Txewk stepped forward, Jake stepped back, hands now outstretched and ready to move in any direction. Jake knew the Na'vi were tough, far tougher than your average soldier in fact, but he also knew they weren't indestructible. He wasn't an accomplished knife thrower, he wasn't even sure it would have worked with the Na'vi' curved blades. He did know that a sucking belly wound would sap the strength from anyone, regardless of strength of fortitude. Now all he had to do was dodge and wait for the club swinger to tire himself out.
"Have you no honor?" he gasped, pressing his hand into the red smear.
"Are you not entertained?" Jake replied mockingly even though it was the wrong film. Txewk glared in puzzled rage none the less and went to lift his club again. He faltered when it reached past his shoulder however, and he doubled over dropping the heavy end back into the dirt. Jake didn't even try to press the advantage. Txewk tried again to lift his club, causing another repressed groan before he finally fell to the ground and spewed a bunch of Na'vi words Jake had never heard. He figured they were curses. Jake relaxed his stance and bit with hands open.
"Look, I don't have any other weapons. Bind your wound, I won't interfere." He offered. Txewk stared at him with bared teeth, breathing heavily now, his other hand clasping the hilt of his club weakly. He was silent for a long while, aside from his hissed breath, but finally he looked away and let go of his club completely.
"The last I saw them, knife thrower, they moved to the west, nearest the edge of the bank." He said with an air of defeat. Jake concentrated on him for a moment, wondering if he told the truth for his pride or a lie for his clan's. Either way, he wasn't going be troubling Jake with the bat anytime soon. Jake nodded to himself and stood relaxed.
"My name's Jake Sully, Toruk Makto."
Txewk looked up at him then, stilling his breath despite the pain. His eyes searched Jake questioningly, suspicious. Another jolt of pain had him grit his teeth, and he looked away, unable to meet Jake's eyes. Whether he believed Jake of not, Jake had to move; saying nothing more he turned and sped off towards the west. He moved swiftly, but carefully this time, he wouldn't be ambushed again, not without a weapon. He ranged far around the banks of the lake, double checking where Yawne supposedly crawled out, was ambushed, and where the battle went from there. Txewk wasn't lying, the trail led to the west. Jake sighed in determination, not even pausing to place soothing cold water on his burning neck, before jogging off after the signs of battle. He needn't have been stealthy. A little ways from the last location Jake witnessed obvious signs of a struggle, War bonnets and other large grasses were bowed or torn completely. Whatever happened here ranged all over the place in sporadic swaths of destruction. What disturbed Jake the most though… was the ash.
There were areas of burned foliage, scorch marks. He couldn't figure what caused them or why, but something must have lit fire to these scattered locations; the smell of burned ozone and napalm stuck his nose, and he again feared for his friend. Jake found his second wind as the thought 'Yawne could be fighting even now' lifted his heels. He followed the path of destruction a great distance before he heard the sounds. There was a struggle up ahead, someone being hurt by someone else. A familiar pained cry made Jake's hair stand on end, but he didn't increase his pace, instead he slowed, and moved silently. Inch by inch, he heard the voices floating his way; he controlled his breath and listened even as he moved.
"This does not have to be painful, Yawne of the Omaticaya, call back your Txan Ikran and the pain will end." A sinister voice spoke in thick Na'vi, like nails sticking out of a broken glass bottle. Jake's heart quickened, but not his step. He moved slowly, pulling with him a seed shell or rock of some heft. There were not many other weapons. Yawne's pained voice spoke next in English with a Scottish accent.
"They can take our lives, but you can never take, our freedom." There was a delirious tint to it, and Jake knew it was a defense mechanism. This was followed by a pained cry.
"Enough Taronyu, he is lost in the pain, he speaks words we can not understand." A second voice said, a deeper voice, calm and steady but tinged with disgust. Jake's eyes widened, he had not seen any sign of the fifth person. Did he miss it in all the carnage? Or was he simply really good at hiding his tracks? Then Jake shook his head; it could be the one with the nail voice that was good at hiding his tracks, but the point was, Jake was out numbered and weaponless. If the trend of these Burning Rock Clan members continued, each of them would have a unique weapon which they were masters off. Jake's hard seed pod seemed a poor weapon indeed. Even Yawne was ensnared by them and he was pretty good at fighting bare handed. Jake licked his lips, he had two choices… run in there and help Yawne or, run in there and help Yawne.
Jake grinned, clutching the seed pod, "Oorah."
With a roar Jake flung himself through the foliage; a Na'vi with a oddly dyed Mohawk and hatful eyes turned to him, he wore come kind of claw necklace, beside him a Na'vi taller and broader than Yawne stood in stoic silence; he wore some kind of skull on his shoulder. Yawne was tied with his hands over his head attached to two crossed spears. All eyes went to him as he entered and slammed the seed pod in his hand against the temple of the claw wearing Na'vi. The second reacted quickly by jumping back out of range, Jake was relieved to see he wasn't holding a weapon, which then struck him as something to worry about. The larger Na'vi pulled back and looked ready to spring when the first one, named Taronyu Jake recalled shouted in command. "STOP! He is mine." He said angrily. The larger Na'vi relaxed his massive shoulders. Jake took a moment to look over his shoulder and whisper back.
"You alright buddy?" he asked lowly in English.
"Made a mistake, kissed a Jake, how many doctors will it take?" Yawne answered with a shrill giggle that rolled from his tongue. Jake flinched at it; Yawne was in no way trained to withstand torture, the pain must have triggered whatever his Storms were; he wouldn't be able to help Jake in this fight.
"You, what did you do to him?" Jake said dangerously in Na'vi.
Taronyu touched his temple and looked at the trickle of red on his fingers in disgust. He spat to the side, and turned to Jake fully. "First blood, weakling, I shall repay you in kind." Slowly he reached his hands behind his back and withdrew two curved blades the length and width of Jake's forearms.
"Is it safe?" Yawne asked distantly in English.
"Mighty Warrior, torturing a gentle soul… have you no honor?" Jake chanced, tossing away his seed pod. Taronyu froze. His frown was deeper than any Jake had seen, his eyes burned, he looked like he wanted to tear Jake apart. His hands shook from the effort, and reluctantly he cursed and threw his second weapon to Jake. Jake caught it, and looked to the second Na'vi.
"Txur will not interfere tree dweller; I, Taronyu, will bleed you without interference. Tell me your name!" he shouted forcefully. Jake had heard the tone only once before, it was like facing Tsu'tey again. The blade in his hand was larger than a regular knife by a fair amount, but the balance was the same. Jake darned not imagine throwing it would work. He also realized names were important to them, and because of that, Jake had an edge.
"You'll have to earn it." Jake smiled, bringing his single long knife up two handed. Taronyu seemed to grow a darker shade of blue, perhaps from anger; Jake could use that, if he lost his temper he'd be sloppy… and maybe Jake wouldn't be gutted.
"Ha ha ha, that's not a knife… that's a knife." Yawne said with a strange accent.
Taronyu leapt with surprising ferocity, Jake barely got the edge of his blade up. He was familiar with this at least, from his previous battles. Taronyu attacked one handed, and circled beneath him with a sweep kick. Jake leaped up and brought his blade back down against Taronyu's with both arms. Taronyu ducked with the impact and brought his free hand up in an uppercut, Jake side-stepped and Taronyu followed with his knife in a wide swipe. Then he rolled forward upper cutting again at an angle this time with the blade, Jake swatted it aside two handed and tried a snap kick which caught Taronyu in the shoulder. Taronyu spun with the hit and brought his blade around with him, Jake deflected again, but Taronyu was expecting it. He slid his knife along Jake's blade vibrating his grip and slipping under the stroke, a neat line of red traced Jake's upper thigh, but it wasn't deep. Jake gasped in pain, and leaped back, swiftly followed by Taronyu who growled in anger, staying very low between bent knees.
Jake barely had time to retake his feet before Taronyu came up again with the blade, Jake let it pass, barely moving his arms out of the way before swinging his blade like a batter at Taronyu's face. Taronyu twirling beneath the cutting edge and brought his blade around in a stab for Jake groin. Jake spread his legs and shoved his knife downward horizontally to block it, and breathed a sigh of relief as the cutting curve missed. Next Taronyu capitalized by using his free hand to land a right hook on Jake's jaw, distracting him enough to land a zig zag of red on Jake' right chest and arm. Jake cried out, flinging Taronyu back with a reckless kick. Taronyu landed and dove forward again, but Jake had had enough. He leaped forward too, spinning like a drill with his blade forward. The unconventional move halted Taronyu in his tracks, he roared with his ears back and did a spiraling leap out of the way. Jake landed on his belly as Taronyu landed on his feet.
By this time Jake was breathing heavily; his cuts burned as did his neck from before, and all his running and dodging was starting to wear on him. Taronyu looked at ease though, his face calm if not set in stone. His chest was level, and tail hardly lashing. Jake recognized the battle focus most soldiers set into when they had a long fight before them, something he had not needed in a long time, if this battle continued he was sure the more skilled Na'vi would gain an advantage sooner or later and there was the problem of the other Na'vi who was bigger than Yawne, if that was possible. Jake would have to come up with some kind of tactic before things went any furth- Taronyu was leaping again, Jake tried to dodge him completely and hold off from engaging until he had a better plan, but Taronyu gave him no breathing room.
Jake thought furiously as he deflected the deadly blade again and again. He cried out in pain as a searing line moved across his shoulder, then his forearm. Jake lashed out as best he could, stabbing, parrying, and turning with his full body weight to strike. It wasn't much compared to the skill of the other Na'vi, but Jake was use to learn fast or die. Eventually though, Taronyu's speed equaled Jakes ability and now he was barely able to even deflect. Taronyu began simply pushing, or hitting him aside where a blade would have ended him. Jake felt the humiliation of being played with like a mouse… Jake faced Taronyu with bared fangs and flat ears, but he couldn't do much else, barely able to lift his knife now. He was bleeding in too many places and already tired from fighting and running earlier. Taronyu saw his weakness and seemed to be even more disgusted with each passing second. Jake held up his blade Taronyu knocked it aside and slapped Jake.
"You are nothing, nameless fool." Jake reeled, bringing his blade up with effort. Taronyu slapped it away again, "You are not worthy of being added to my song!" Jake shouted and bright his knife around with full force, Taronyu stopped it with his single hand and stared at Jake. "Hmph."
With a flick of his wrist Taronyu spun Jake's knife around and disarmed him to take the blade in his other hand. Jake gasped in obvious fatigue, steadying himself to move out of the strike that was to come. His head was pounding for some reason; his vision blurring. Jake absently touched the small cuts on his leg. He remembered Neytiri's words, each clan had its own poison… Jake felt his legs give out and found himself on his knees. Taronyu stood over him, sneering in disgust. He spat on Jake's chest. "Your heart blood was paint my blades, farewell nameless one." He growled lifting both blades high. Jake's eyes widened, but he literally didn't have the strength to save himself… time slowed… Taronyu's knives were raised, Jake lifted his hand weakly and a massive shadow descended. Toruk? Jake thought…an ear piercing cry answered his thought as Txanhuf fell upon them. Taronyu's eyes widened as he spun away without looking. Txanhuf slammed down over Jake protectively, roaring in beastly rage.
"Ha! The prey returns!" Taronyu shouted excitedly, the large Na'vi behind him tensed. Txanhuf roared again and leaped forward. Jake's fingers slipped along her weathered skin, trying to hold her back… he saw the stroke coming. Taronyu rolled forward with his blades crossed, Txanhuf's furious roar cut off as Taronyu passed beneath her and came to a kneeling stop with arms outstretched- severing Txanhufs head from her neck in a single swift cut. In dim horror Jake watched as Txanhuf's body fell forward heavily, he tried to scream but his tongue was numbed by whatever burned through his veins. But Yawne saw. and screamed.
"NooOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!" he roared which bled into a moan; he strained once against his bonds, but fell back weakly. Taronyu turned and smiled in victory.
"I have done it! I've slain the Txan Ikran! With this prize I shall be Olo'eytkan before the next moon!" Taronyu shouted.
"MONSTER! I'll kill you! I'll kill you… kill you…" Yawne cried in agony, his sweat drenched hair hanging from him as he jerked forward and hung limply.
"Monster? I am a hunter! And this is my prey!" he moved forward, placing his foot on Txanhuf's shoulder in an arrogant pose. Yawne unleashed a very fowl curse, the darkest words Jake had ever heard him utter, and he didn't even know what it meant. Taronyu must have, again he burned and strode quickly over and dug his knife blade into Yawne's throat so hard blood poured over the blade. "Hold your tongue fool, or I will cut it from your mouth and hang it upon my rack!" he seethed.
"Taronyu, enough! We have our prize, we must gather the others and return before more Omaticaya find us." The larger Na'vi said solemnly. Taronyu turned, bold in his glory.
"Let them come! If they are even twice as strong as these we shall defeat them easily! How our forefathers lost to these, these…things, is beyond me." He snarled.
"You blind, dumb, soulless, child..." Jake forced from his mouth. Taronyu turned to him, hands on his knives dripping with a dark stain.
"These never shut up…" he sighed, "Shall I add two tongues to my collec-" he should not have turned his back to Yawne. He did not see Yawne rear his head back, mouth fully open, as he brought his fangs down into the base of Taronyu's Queue. Txur tried to leap forward, tried to cry warning, but Yawne lashed out with a sorrowful rage that mirrored a grieving madness in his eyes. He shook his head like a rag doll as Taronyu's eyes went black and his mouth dropped open, throat unable to scream from the sheer pain that flooded his nervous system. Yawne growled and thrashed like a wolf shaking a rat, the violence was terrible, and the ripping sound of hair sickened Jake even as he knew Taronyu deserved it. Txur stared on in awe as Taronyu came to a stop, fell forward to his knees, and then onto his face in the pool of Txanhuf's blood.
Yawne spat loose hairs of the long braid from his mouth, even as the trail of red gore marked a twisted trail down his chest mixing with his own blood. He turned his attention to Txur and hissed the same dark curse in ragged Na'vi and English, his eyes blazing with the same fever madness. Txur did not move, locked in place by shock. Then, a haggard voice rose from the ground.
"Txur, help me." Taronyu whispered weakly. Jake's eyes widened in surprise, just like Txur's. Txur came to his sense however, and stood starring. "H-help me!" he said again. Txur stared with a cool calmness, and drew a small knife from his lower back. "Txur, take me to my father… take me back… we must… burn them… all…" he rasped. But Txur did not answer, he advanced slowly, methodically. "Txur, what are you doing? Save me…" he said, his frail voice rising in panic. Txur knelt beside him, "Txur!" and ended him with a swift unseen stab. Taronyu squirmed slightly, then lay still… dead. Jake and Yawne watched in confused disbelief as Txur whispered the prayer for the dead and cleaned his knife.
"He was a fool who did not respect the old ways, he was not worthy to become Olo'eytkan… it shall have to be me." Txur said. "Go to Eywa old friend, and come back a true hunter." Jake felt feeling slowly return to his hands, and he blinked harshly. Txur stood then and turned to Yawne. "I will bind your wounds and then we shall fight." Jake tried to raise his voice, but nothing came out, not yet. Yawne only glared at him in that confused shell of his emotion. "I will unleash you, mad one, and we shall see who is right to raise the little Txan Ikran to adulthood; he will make a fine mount and symbol for my ascension to leadership."