VIII: Part six, drifting feather on the Wind
Jake felt his feet move; He remembered vaguely that the Na'vi had a poison that didn't kill but slowed prey, he had to recover faster. Jake concentrated, but even this was difficult in the haze of whatever poison lined Taronyu's blades. None of that mattered though, the other one, Txur was approaching Yawne and Jake knew it would be impossible for Yawne to fight him in his tortured lost state. He was grieving openly for Txanhuf, exhausted from torture, and lost in the rolling sea of whatever mental instability sometimes took him. Jake had to recover faster. Txur stretched his shoulders and arms, a frame larger than Yawne's own. He must have been an expert at unarmed combat, and he had to have helped subdue Yawne before, how else could they have captured him?
"Now mad one prepar-" he began to say, but the moment he got close enough Yawne lunged forward with his teeth. Txur leapt back as the wooden spears snapped from the massive strain. Yawne collapsed, his drenched silver hair becoming tipped in red. Yawne lifted his head, growling savagely yet crying at the same time. Txur readied himself, and Jake tried to stand. Despite his every effort, Jake's arms only flopped weakly; Yawne jumped again, hands clawing for Txur's throat. Txur wove back and shot his hands forward like a cobra, interlocking his fingers with Yawnes' own. Yawne screamed raggedly as Txur bent him down to his knees. Jake felt his forelegs move, he panted steadily, and strained to move again and again. Yawne bit back his hoarse choked cry and fought back, pushing against the unnatural bend of his wrists. He pushed upwards, growling, then would sob once and fall back again.
Txur scowled at him darkly, back muscle rippling, and shoulders hunched. Yet Yawne did not give up, he kept alternating between pushing against the pain to almost rising into suddenly falling back again in rough sobs. It tore at Jake's heart and redoubled his determination. Yawne was suffering before his eyes and he was helpless; Jake hated this feeling more than his own pain. Jake forced himself over onto his belly as the deadlock continued between the massive Na'vi. Jake propped himself up on numb arms and knees only to fall forward again, which made him crawl instead. Yawne screamed again as something gave out followed by a sickening popping sound. Yawne launched forward with bared teeth at Txur's forearm even as his voice shredded his throat. Txur was too fast however and kicked forward, tossing Yawne back with such force he slammed into a tree and lay still. Jake yelled in fury and by some will threw himself limply forward, Txur turned catching Jake by the arm and neck easily.
"You should not interfere. I don't want to hurt you any more than is necessary." Txur said calmly.
Jake gasped and struggled, "You're, murders, you betrayed, Eywa…" Txur's brow furrowed dangerously and slowly Jake's feet left the ground. Txur lifted him like a doll.
"I would not say such things if I were you." He said lowly, Jake felt his windpipe being crushed, and the strain on his already pained neck made black stars appear in his eyes. He gagged, unable to even lift his free arm, but then suddenly Jake's body was falling back to the ground, a high angered chirping filled his ears. Quar was scratching at Txur face and forearms, his little voice high and shrill. Jake barely lifted his head as he coughed harshly, Txur shouted in annoyance and pain before deftly snatching the tiny Ikran from the air. He wrestled with the ball of snapping teeth and claws, trying to bring his braid around.
"It, won't work! Yawne already, bonded!" Jake said viciously. Txur continued to struggle.
"The little one may have imprinted, but he will grow older yet and only then be ready to truly bond. It will take some training, but I will be his master!" Txur said strongly before finally getting Quar balled together and tucked beneath his arm, with his hand over his mouth. He then strapped a small cord around Quar's face and wings and sighed in accomplishment. "This is the best option for all; who would care for the Txan Ikran once he reached bonding age? The Silver one already has a mount, it is better that I take him; I will give him a grand home, and truly appreciate him for what he is."
Jake refused to hear the logic in his words; instead he tried to pump his limbs, a constant repetition, "-move, move, move, move-"
Txur looked around himself, and nodded. He bent down once and lifted his grim trophy from Txanhuf. "It would be a shame to waste this; it will make a fine and honored addition to my seat." Jake stared, breathing through his nose furiously, calming himself, forcing action into his limbs. His hands reached out, taking Taronyu's blades in each hand, his knuckles gripping the handles strongly. Txur turned his back and began to walk away. Almost in slow motion, Jake watched his back recede. Yawne lay motionless to the side, not even breathing. "-no, no, no, no-" Jake's neck bulged, his face shook, he would. not. let. this. happen! Jake ripped himself to his feet, screaming, he jumped, soaring through the air with both blades raised like daggers. Txur dropped both his prizes and turned to catch Jake by the wrists, but Jake led with his knee and landed in directly into center of Txur's collar. Txur's eyes nearly popped from his head as his tongue shot out. He collapsed easily into a back roll, but Jake didn't relent, still screaming he slashed at the moving larger blue body; Txur gagged, holding out his hand with the other to his throat.
He tried to keep Jake at bay but Jake had enough; again and again his knives flew forward, Txur spun, tried to weave, tried to duck, but Jake was a berserker chainsaw, digging the hooked blades in again and again without stopping. Txur had no chance to recover from the assault, no chance to breathe. He stumbled, slipped on the dark pool, and Jake leaped on top of him with one blade at his neck and the other raised high to dip into his heart. Only then did he pause, breathing hard, teeth bared in a death mask; Txur was one breath away from being ended, but Jake looked into him. Looked into his panicked eyes, gasping for breath and begging for mercy without words. Jake felt his hands shaking with his anger, felt the purest desire to end these intruders who hurt his friends and robbed Yawne of happiness. Jake had every reason to kill this man… but one.
It wasn't right.
Jake suddenly roared and lifted both blades high, Txur's eyes widened and Jake drove both down beside his head. Inches away from his skin. Txur froze, terrified. "By your honor, leave my lands, and tell your people never to return." Jake growled. Txur couldn't answer at first, his skin was deathly pale, even for a Na'vi; then Txur nodded weakly, and Jake stood himself up. Breathing heavily. He turned and moved as quickly as his tired limbs would let him. "Yawne." Jake rasped, kneeling down beside his friend. Pushing his hair from his face Jake was sickened again to see Yawne's dead stare. "Yawne?" Jake said softly, feeling for a pulse.
"Jake…" his weak voice replied, Jake felt waves of relief flood him.
"I'm here Yawne, Quaritch's safe, they're all gone."
"They took my finger nails Jake…" Yawne said distantly. Jake felt his eyes tighten, memories of friends surviving prison camps bringing fresh emotion to his temples.
"It's alright now, just stay still, I'm going to get you some help." Jake held his face, his fingers digging into Yawne's face. "You just stay with me okay? Stay with me." Yawne looked off into the nothingness as Txur stood, taking up Taronyu's body and knives. He spoke not a word nor disturbed either of the Txan Ikrans as he melted back into the green… his dark eyes staring hard into Jake's back. "Just breath Yawne… everything going to be alright…"
…
It was much later that more of the Omaticaya found them. They had heard a great shrieking from the forest, and been led to Lawtaw defending Neytiri and Peyral from a pack of Viper wolves which feasted upon an unknown Na'vi near them. They formed a war/search party after rescuing both women, and came upon Jake and Yawne, but they found no trail of Txur, Tukru or Txewk. Txanhuf's body was buried with great ceremony in the clearing where she fell defending her family. Lawtaw and Quaritch circled the area high above, screaming lamenting shrieks which added to the Na'vi's own songs of honor and grief. Jake, Neytiri and Peyral were there… but Yawne was not. They had done… terrible things to Yawne… there were some kind of strange powder burns on his legs and back; telling the tale of how they found and subdued him. He was missing all of his nails and his tail had been broken in two places; his Queue was bruised, a rib broken, and worst of all… his… he was punctured; below.
The healers worked many hours to fix what had been done to him, but they could do nothing for his mind. The, insane amount of suffering had caused an insane reaction. Yawne withdrew into his mind and had yet to come back. Peyral bonded with him but was quickly shunted out, forcibly disconnected by the pain. As if she were ejected. It wasn't fair that everything bad seemed to happen to Yawne, and Jake mused disgustedly on the notion of Karma and fate. Yawne had done things no Na'vi had, taming three Txan Ikran where some could not tame even a normal Ikran. But he had paid for this in the difficulty keeping them, only to loose one, and be tortured for it. It was as if he was being punished, constantly, for the mistakes and cruelties of others. Why did it have to be Yawne who found them? Why on the day of his ritual had they chosen that cave to rest in? What events led them, from being driven by the hunters, to being chosen by Yawne, to being fought over tooth and nail?
The signs from Eywa were clear; it was all simple cause and effect, not truly directed by her will aside from survival and balance. She had not forced the Txan Ikran or hunters to do anything. Their interpretation of her will had simply been skewed by generations of struggle and tough choices in the lands of Burning Rock. They were not evil in this, just, fanatical… driven to extremes by the extreme environment there. Jake didn't care though, because his friend was laying in a cave, unable to mourn or move on because of someone else's culture, ceremonies, and tradition. The Omaticaya were a peaceful gentle people, all about togetherness and community. The Nekxtskxe were almost barbaric in comparison, brutal and harsh, and Yawne had bared the full brunt of that culture shock. Even well into the days passing, when Yawne's body had fully healed, his mind remained far away. Jake knew the so called Prometheus project would allow his hand selected genes to give him a physical edge, in healing and recovery… but that didn't apply to his mind.
His mind was still that of a normal human being, extraordinary only in imagination and depth… he wasn't a soldier, nor a hardened warrior of many wars. He had been shielded by Eywa during the worst of the Battle for Pandora. But something else had brought him back… now he was on his own, and no one could say whether or not he would ever be the same. By necessity Peyral moved him to their sleeping place to care for him; Lawtaw had tried to sleep beside him in the healing enclave, disturbing and casing many problems for the healers and sick. So Peyral moved him, and cared for him herself, nearly a vegetable. Cleaning him, feeding him, sleeping by his side- bonded constantly- she felt only the echo of senses and emotions, as if shouting into a vast emptiness. Yawne was there, she knew, but she could not find him no matter how she searched. Quar and Lawtaw slept by his side, and hunted for them both.
Jake and Neytiri visited when they could, but each time it was the same. Peyral looking haggard and always on the edge of tears would speak with them kindly enough, a brave front… because behind them all Yawne's still body remained a constant reminder. Sometime into the three weeks, Yawne slipped into a Coma. His body finally reacted to the mental distress and he was unresponsive to anything. Peyral felt nothing from the link then; no feelings, not even her own. It was as if connecting to him deadened the mind. Mo'at forbade her from making the bond for her own safety when they found her unconscious beside him one morning. From there a pall fell on the Omaticaya. There was talk of revenge against the Nekxtskxe, talk of taking Yawne to tree of souls to speak with Eywa, or the human base for medical scans and after the fourth week; all options were exhausted, except for revenge.
Eywa and Yawne did not speak when connected, though there was a warmth of feelings spreading from her- they emptied into a black hole that was Yawne's mind. Brain scans showed zero brain activity, though it was impossible, because it would have meant Yawne was dead. Not brain dead, but dead. Yet his body still lived on. Mo'at finally revealed her thoughts by the fifth week; she felt it was some kind of spiritual cocoon. That Yawne's spirit, his very soul, was recovering itself. He was on some deep deep dream hunt where none could follow. It would be up to Yawne and his spirit animal to return. Many nights Jake and Neytiri talked about it; Jake blaming himself and Neytiri easing his mind. There was a real seed of thought burrowing into Jake's mind; he seriously contemplated leading the tribes against the Nekxtskxe and wiping them from the face of Pandora. But of course, these were always challenged by the reality of genocide. Jake wouldn't become like the RDA. He would not.
It became routine for Jake and Neytiri to visit Peyral. Life went on. The Na'vi felt sad for them, but they could not stop living, nor could Peyral. Hunting, ceremony, all of it continued, passing the slumbering Yawne by. It became common place, accepted as sad but true. There was nothing anyone could do, so they could not sicken themselves with worry for it. Neither could Jake or Neytiri. Peyral flew with Lawtaw and Quar, hunted with them, but spent all of her social time in their home- weaving, cooking, all of it she did beside Yawne's still barely breathing body. She spoke to him, openly, telling him of the events of the day, though tears fell when she thought to much about it. …years went by… and finally Yawne simply ceased fighting… …It was an unusually cold day when the people found out. Peyral shook him, bonded, but his shriveled body had faded into even less than a shadow of his strong and vital former self. She wept, more than she had ever wept, that day.
Jake too, excused himself from the wailing to cry alone in the height of Hometree. Wood sprites circled through the tops of the branches, whispers in the breeze as Yawne was laid to rest. The Omaticaya sang of his great deeds, his life, and his unfortunate end. Many tears were shed, and the sorrowful song spread for miles through the jungle of Pandora. The drum pounded, the people lifted their voices, and the rains came… as if Eywa herself cried. Jake would never forget this day, the day he truly felt alone and cut off from earth. He had lost so many people close to him, so many people he had loved. He vowed to himself, as he stood atop Hometree and his tears fell into the rain, he would never loose another person ever again… even as the monster with the death grin of Palulukan, voice of Quaritch, laugh of Nantang, legs of Angtsik, wings of Toruk, neck of Ikran, crown of Yerik, and a tail of Riti stared down at him.
…
"I said breath Yawne! Breath!" Jake shook him, Yawne's eyes locked onto Jake's, feeling the confused spiral of emotions and strong determined beacon of Jake's heart… through the bond. "There you go, come on, you and me." Jake said, still breathing hard, his free hand holding up the silver and black braid connected between them.
"Jake…?" Yawne whispered. Jake smiled in relief.
"Hey buddy, I thought I lost you there…" Jake wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands stained darkly and shaking with exhaustion. Txanhuf laid lifeless to the side, Quar sat beside him. Yawne's entire body lit with pain and agony, all of which Jake shared and fought back with him; using his will and determination to keep Yawne locked into his eyes. "Don't go away on me again, it's hard enough tracking you physically…" Jake smiled, though he looked strained. "Do you always escape into fantasy like that? Imagining the worst scenarios?" He kept Yawne talking.
"Sometimes…" Yawne slightly smiled, "…it makes me want to come back to reality… if the fantasy is worse…" Jake nodded encouragingly.
"Just stay with me buddy, I know it hurts, but I ain't letting go." Yawne breathed, crumbled in a heap amid the blood and grass as the trees swayed gently. "Can you hear them? They're coming for us now, just hang on…" Jake said, holding their intertwined braids because he could not hold his hand.
…
It took three days for Yawne to really recover, during which a time of sadness fell as Txanhuf was laid to rest. Everyone attended in solemn silence and respect as she was sent into Eywa's arms. They grieved and celebrated her passing… she was truly noble… and life went on. Despite the terrible wounds on him, Yawne was outstandingly fit, as if his mind was lit by a fire for life. He overdid his first exercises and was right back in the sick bed, complaining, and made to rest for three days more. Peyral stayed by his side to keep him from moving, sometimes physically restraining him with her own body, much to Yawne's blushing and her chagrin. Lawtaw became Ean'taw's "roost friend", going so far as to chase him around until he finally gave up and slept beside her as snuggle buddies. Quar slept at the head of Yawne's bed or with Lawtaw, much to Ean'taws annoyance, which he could do nothing about. Jake and Neytiri visited Yawne and Peyral daily, bringing them evening meals and joking about Yawne's stubbornness to recover too fast. They talked cheerfully, putting the painful past few days behind them.
"So you really think we should introduce board games?" Jake wrinkled his nose.
"Why not? I bet the Na'vi would love checkers, using colored stones and a woven mat and just imagine playing Chess! Dire horse knights, Titanothere rooks, Banshee bishops, Toruk King, and Palulukan Queen! The pawns could be viperwolves!" Yawne said enthusiastically. "Or maybe Tree of Souls King, Trouk Makto Queen…"
"Whose a Queen?" Jake smirked. They both looked at Neytiri, who only raised her eyebrow; they snickered.
"Is this the 'Po-kur' you spoke of?" Peyral asked.
"No no, that's with cards." Yawne answered.
"Cards, stones, sky people have a lot of games." Neytri remarked.
"Aw come on, I'm sure you'd love strip poker." Jake smiled, then he looked to Yawne who of course caught on and they said at the exact same time. "Short games!" and laughed. Making Yawne sputter in pain as his ribs pained him again.
"Do not make yourself laugh so!" Peyral scolded.
"I can't help it!" Yawne giggled, "Pain tickles my funny bone." Peyral fixed him with a dull look.
"That is not where you have said you are ticklish." She stated. Neytiri gave them both an open mouthed gasp and then they were both laughing. Jake shook his head, smiling, Yawne looked way overtly. Laughter filled the small healing alcove as the friends sat together, loss and sorrows chased away by the closeness of good friends.