XXXIX: So frail
Neytiri was not so easily brushed off; as they walked purposely down the hallway Jake found her by his side, silent, but watching him expectantly. Her lips never moved, but her eyes did all the talking. Yawne was directly behind them, still wrapped in his braces and using a kind of rolling limp like a sailor. Peyral kept in line behind them, but Jake saw how she clutched onto Yawne so the distance between the pairs slowly grew as they continued. Not long into finding the airlock, both Peyral and Yawne were mysteriously far behind them. The airlock was a large room with black and yellow warning bars with a heavy steel door in the shape of an oval, an emergency box with several gas masks rested to the right and a control pad to the left though the system was automated. The light flared yellow as the room slowly decompressed to seal in the compound. That at least was fixed. Jake faced the door resolutely, Neytiri continued to watch him. Jake flicked his eyes to her. The lights continued to flash across his skin, giving it an oddly human tinge… Jake looked away, but his eyes wandered back to her; still staring. "I know what I'm doing." he began finally in a low tone.
"I know my Jake." she replied without a hint of being contrary.
"I have to step up to the plate someday; the responsibility of our people is mine to bear as well. I couldn't do much against Kerusey, and I couldn't save Jen or Paul, but I can do this." He continued as if she had.
"I know my Jake." She repeated without being insistent.
"I'm a warrior, or so I thought I was. When I became Toruk Makto I pledged myself to this world and its people, I would do anything to protect them."
"I know my Jake."
"Then why are you looking at me?" He demanded, raising his voice unintentionally.
Neytiri did not answer at first, she simply remained watching him as the counter continued to drop. Finally she answered without any doubts, "You will put the people before you, as I tried to do. You will risk yourself for them, even giving up your body- the life you hold with them, to allow their lives to continue. You will not watch out for yourself… so I will do it for you." Jake looked to her then with softer eyes. "I know your dreams my Jake, I know because I listened as you fought them… and because I dreamed as well. I saw the blaming eyes my Jake, but they were not my father, nor Tsu'tey; I knew they were Jen's eyes. They blamed me because though she had not fallen for us, I could not protect that which she had fallen for. I could not spare that which she had tried so hard to protect. She blames me Jake, because I would blame her were I in her place." Jake felt struck by this. Again seeing the woman he had come to love as something alien, yet so utterly human. Was it the humanity in her he loved? Or was it because he reminded her of something beyond humanity? Something universal, truly universal as to transcend the actual universe; all cultures, all thought. Jake was struck by her, surprised, just as he was struck by the blinding light outside as the door finally opened.
These few breaths he took were hard at first, though he couldn't place why. They felt, heavy… his heart picked up a few paces, but Jake simply wrote it off as finally getting over being bed ridden. With purpose in every fiber of his being Jake marched out into the light of day, but was immediately halted by the hundreds of eyes which suddenly turned to him as all motion stopped. Jake froze beneath the gaze of the Nekxtskxe army. Flittingly he wondered if his stride seemed like a challenge… several of the warriors, male and female, watched him; painted in grey markings fresh and new from pots they carried with them. Some were halted in the middle of making war braids of their hair, some even had pig tails. Others shaped bone weapons upon rock, and more still tended the cook fires. They watched in silent, indifferent scrutiny; did they remember Jake? Neytiri was still beside him, she looked out to the vast crowd and back to Jake without worry. Jake let none of his sudden hesitation show however, a poker face settled by his own resolve. Jake made a quick but silent greeting bow to the whole of them, they in turn politely lowered their heads- but not their eyes- and twice tapped the tip of their tongue on the front of their teeth.
The odd gesture somewhat bothered Jake, despite his steely purpose; was this the Nekxtskxe greeting? It was some relief that Jake heard Peyral and Yawne approach from behind. Yawne was by Jake's side and all the eyes, a sheer fore of staring power, turned to Yawne. "MY PEOPLE!" Yawne shouted in a somewhat proud yet at the exact same time kind of mocking native American accent. The crowd remained in their frozen patience, watching their new leader for his word and ignorant, or perhaps use, to his eccentric method of command. "WE FLY!" this was met with sudden howls and cheers, mimicry of the hunting cries of the beasts of Pandora. The roar was great and vibrated Jake pleasantly, reassuringly. Jake was reminded of his speeches as Toruk Makto, but found it odd that he was not the crux of them, nor the cause. At once with fervor the Nekxtskxe returned to their work and Jake forced a proud smile to his face as he looked at Yawne.
"Th-" he began.
"Thank not the day until night has come; a weapon until it is tried; land until it is crossed; life until death has come." Yawne said in a deep voice reminiscent of James Earl Jones.
Jake raised a single eyebrow. "Nekxtskxe proverb?"
"Naw I stole it from a book." Yawne pursed his lips thoughtfully.
Jake didn't have to force this next smile, "You ready?"
"Press start." Yawne grinned back feraly.
"We will be leaving in an hour…" Peyral said realistically from beside Neytiri. "Save your bravado for the battle field."
Jake looked to her in surprise, "Where'd you hear that?"
Peyral crossed her arms, "I blame my mate." Jake had to laugh at that. Neytiri continued to watch him, though she did smile slightly. The hour it took for them to prepare seemed no more than minutes as Jake himself was swallowed in the Nekxtskxe frenzy, painted somehow, and prepared. Yet he was not painted as a Nekxtskxe, Neytiri had with her a Pa'li to ride and it too was painted, for some of the Nekxtskxe were indeed joined by the Omaticaya. They were a small band as many were made to protect the Omaticaya themselves and serve as scouts in case the Old Order decided to attack the new hometree, but they were enough to pose a sizeable hunting party- eight to be exact. Jake felt a slight pang as to leave Neytiri on the ground, but such was her fate to loose her wings… she rode a horse better than him regardless. Lawtaw was painted in the most intricate of fire designs, thought it's face was not traditional. It seemed Yawne had painted a grey skull himself upon its massive crown. Thought it was not in fact the largest of the Nekxtskxe Cave Ikran, it was the mount of the Olo'eyktan and therefore was adored more than the others making it seem the most impressive.
Ean'taw was there too of course, painted as his bullying branch mate was. Quar too was painted as the others, even now he came to rest on Yawne's shoulder impressively- though Jake swore he caught a small wince from Yawne for the weight on his shoulder. Jake took this time to come to Yawne and whisper to him. "Are you sure you're good for this?"
Yawne seemed slightly insulted, "My left shoulder is blown out, my left knee creaks, my chest muscles trick me into thinking I'm having a heart attack every time I have gas and there is this funny kind of pressure in the back of my skull that only goes away when I blow my nose but I ain't turning into a human." The violence in this startled Jake, doubled by the contrast- where Neytiri had suddenly seemed more human to Neytiri, Yawne now seemed more alien. "This has to be done fast Jake, so you can be watched properly. I know you will be by my side, because the Omaticaya are strong; you are strong, but don't think for one second you're going to be dieing or changing on me. You're not going to be some freaky kinda Giger monster." Jake wasn't sure suddenly, about Yawne. He seemed like his old self, but, changed… hardened in fires of change Jake didn't think could change him. Yawne was becoming more wild, more… blood thirsty… Yawe turned back to his people and shouted once in a hoot of confirmation like some kind of Spartan king. Jake wondered were the silly dreamer who wanted nothing more than to hold Peyral went too…perhaps he was lost somewhere, still deep in the Nekxtskxe caves.
With a sudden thought Jake's eyes flickered to Peyral, it was there too, she saw it in her mate and even now watched him with a kind of distant pining worry. Yawne placed his knuckles into his hips and posed like a general… and Jake knew he wasn't the only one at risk of becoming something else. The Old Order came first though. Jake tried to throw himself into their hungry cries and battle fervor, tried to loose himself in the adrenaline of anticipation. Oorah. But it didn't quiet get there… Neytiri kept watching him. Jake allowed Yawne to take to the skies first, it was more or less his show and Jake was only helping, besides he wanted to speak to Neytiri before they were separated by physical distance. Firmly Jake took her by the elbows and brought her close. "Listen, I'm not going to say this is the last we'll ever speak to each other, or the last we'll ever see of each other. We have comms, and to think we won't meet again is silly bordering on stupid. But, be careful…"
Neytiri looked to him tenderly, and gripped his forearms with hook like fingers, "It is you in the most danger Jake, from within. I can not watch you all the time as I wish, but I will always see you My Jake." Jake leaned into her, parting her lips with a kiss that felt new, like the first time all over again- he told himself strongly it was not a goodbye.
...
They flew for hours, Jake didn't bother with keeping time as he was too lost in thought to really keep track. He constantly checked and doubled checked below to make sure they weren't out pacing the riders on the ground though. They flew in loose formations, octagons if possible with Yawne and Peyral in the center. They branched and swooped sometimes, keeping eyes open for any sudden change in their surroundings, a tactic to startle enemy scouts into thinking they had been spotted and in their panic suddenly give away their position. They were not only tracking, they were making a show of force to flush out their foe. It was broad daylight as they went, and Jake felt a sting of guilt he had not consulted Mo'at for this. He was taking his people into battle, what few their were, and Mo'at should have had a… no, Jake screwed up his face, if he was going to be Olo'eyktan he had to make the hard decisions just like Neytiri. He had to be confident, and second guessing himself or seeking assurance wasn't his style. It never had been. Jake idly wondered why he had ever gotten into military life then… perhaps he joined to train himself to become someone who followed orders… maybe that would make it feel like he wasn't responsible if someone else was making the decisions he followed.
Jake shook the thought and the feeling he was going somewhere beyond his depth. He still had a job to do, and he would do it. Forcefully Jake tried to conjure up that feeling of, right, he had when he brought the combined clans down on the RDA. Righteousness? This wasn't some holy war to eradicate the human race from the face of Pandora in Eywa's name. No crusade to remove the evil from the lands of his people and reclaim their sacred ground… it was… Jake found himself frozen in this thought as the wind pulled at his ears, high here above the ground on his Ikran. He looked down upon his shadow and saw the shape of a demon. Religious? Was Jake religious? Was he a true believer and defender of Eywa? like Yawne was? Jake found his mind drift to Yawne again, this time in shining armor… it was the perfect character for Yawne, the knight errant knowing he was right and venting out furious justice, divine wrath from above. Jake could see him now, raining fire and brimstone like some kind of archangel. But. Jake was practical. Jake was a soldier. Not a holy warrior. Just a soldier.
He was defending his home, and all he loved; not for glory, not for an ideal, but… because it had to be done. That was Jake, and in that simplicity Jake found a certain truth, and it was this truth which guided him and lightened the load on his shoulders he had been unaware was there. Suddenly calls flowed through the flight of Cave Ikran, the scouts had spotted their destination. Yawne barked a few orders in Na'vi and the Nekxtskxe widened into the ribbon again; some trailing behind, some coming along side Jake not forcing him into a position, but adapting to his. "Looks like we got contact." Jake said in the comm. to the Omcaticaya below.
"We see it Jake, a shadow in the trees ahead." Neytiri replied.
Jake squinted, were his eyes weaker? Before him, past the blurred wings and tail tips of the Nekxtskxe ahead he saw it. It wasn't a hole, nor, really burnt patch… it was darkness. A visible cloud of, congealed smoke. Jake shook his head, rubbed his eyes and looked again. Again his eyes told him before him was a pit of tar, then the Nekxtskxe began their circling and Jake could see clearly.
Destruction.
That was the only way to describe the absolute devastation. The trees, grass, flowers, even the ground- ended. They had not clear cut, they had not burned, they had sucked the very life from the area like a gigantic leech mouth had landed and detached. Jake felt it too, the… indescribable, non-presence. The forest cried around the border of the blackness, cried out in loss and pain, this wasn't a landing site… it was a wound. A wound on Eywa herself. The Nekxtsekxe stifled their battle cries, silent now in the hunt. Because what startled Jake most was the emptiness, and that emptiness included a lack of drop ships. "Sweet mother of Eywa…" Jake whispered. "What the hell happened here?"
"Jake! Is this some new weapon?" Neytiri's voice practically howled to him in anguish for the death before her.
"I don't know, it could be some kind of chemical or bio-weapon we don't know about, but, why would they use it on the forest and not us?"
"Also-" Yawne's voice cut in with barely controlled rage, "Where are they?" Jake blinked, but found no answer as his eyes were continually drawn to the miles wide stretch of, poisoned land. "Could they have known we were coming? Set up an ambush? Or ran for that matter?" he didn't even use his customary archaic 'over'.
Jake ground his teeth, "It's possible, but attacking during the day would be far sounder, they would know that, and if it was an ambush it'd have started by now."
"THEN WHERE ARE THEY JAKE?" Yawne seethed through the link.
"I don't know." Jake answered calmly, Yawne's emotions were carrying him away. "We should land and search, wait, if it was a bio-weapon we don't want anyone to be contamina-" without warning a Cave Ikran descended. "Yawne!" Jake said angrily.
"I gave no order!" Yawne said defensively, then Jake noted him branch off personally, shouting behind him. The rest of the Nekxtskxe remained circling slowly as the scout's Ikran landed and he jumped off with weapon ready. Lawtaw hovered above him, Yawne shouting down at him. Jake was further disturbed to note there was were no ashes stirred by this. However the scout was shouting back now, prodding the ground with his spear. Ignoring Yawne? With a suddenly cry of triumph he hefted his spear strongly and turned a black splotch over revealing the gleam of metal. "Aw crap Jake, I think he's fine, its just mush… but he found a piece of a Drop ship. He says he spotted it from above, said the ground didn't look right…" Yawne paused as the scout then pointed left and right and then in several areas. "…holly crap, he says he sees more of them, and more… I think… I think…" Yawne spoke fearfully.
"What is it Yawne?" Neytiri prompted unable to see herself.
"I think all of the drops ships are still here…"
Jake felt it then, a sudden premonition earned in him by countless fire fights and sleepless nights waiting for ambush. Eyes. Watching. "Yawne get out of there now!"
Too late.
Without even the slightest hint of warning a black tendril lashed itself from the ground and cut the scout in half. It moved so fast and was so well camouflaged by the pitch tar Jakes eyes couldn't follow it, he saw only the scout stumble as a black line washed over him and then he doubled over and his chin met the ground where the base of his tail hit the other side. "YAWNE!" Lawtaw screeched fearfully and powered upward, again the black line lashed outward, but it was the scout's Cave Ikran, closer, and larger that folded next. However it was muscled, armored, and had all the instinct of a true creature of Pandora. Furiously it lashed out with wicked teeth upon the strange line which wrapped powerfully around it. However even as Yawne gained altitude, the Cave Ikran's skin turned a molted black, its wings withered, and suddenly it began to vomit. Its eyes went blank, its massive body shook, and as that it crumbled like a burnt paper bag. The Nekxtskxe shouted war cries, Jake's heart pounded, the blackness around the Ikran slithered away and the murk below them began to move. Tossing, turning, boiling a form emerged. A, colossal figure, like some kind of molten guardian- like a demon giant, a thing emerged from the tar.
Jake felt his pulse race as he realized the scale, the Cave Ikran easily dwarfed a regular Ikran which easily dwarfed Jake. Jake was easily ten feet tall. This thing, which rose from the black sluggish mud, as if from the fifth circle of hell, could fit the dieing Cave Ikran upon its shoulder as if it were Quar. It neared two stories tall, a basket ball half court wide- but its form was human. Jake felt his breath stop, felt his heart leap as the body of the giant rose. The long lash was its tail, and pointed ears swiveled upon its head, it was a Na'vi, but unlike any Na'iv Jake had ever seen. It had natural plate armor, with skin as grey as ash and where there was supposed to be gentle lights like stars across a blue galaxy- there burned yellow suns. The body continued to rise from that primordial murk, and finally it lifted its head to the sky of circling demons. Jake gaped as he recognized long night blackened hair… and a goatee. Blazing orange eyes opened, starring almost directly at Jake- had to be- hating, cursing eyes, blaming eyes.
Neytiri's horror filled, awed, sobbing voice supplied that dread known; "…P'all…" The giant opened its mouth and unleashed a challenging, hollow roar, which vibrated the air with a pounding vibration and a whispering scream.
Without warning, it began.
Swiftly Yawne's army moved in to defend him, orbs of orange glass fell like rain, the giant remained motionless as the orbs crashed around and upon him in uncountable waves. The smoke began to rise and the stench of napalm, only then did the giant react in a manner to defend itself, raising its arms to ward off attack. It unleashed a shrill chatter like electric violins and pulled away from them. Still they came, falling in and around his useless arms, his action much slower than the airborne vengeance of the Nekxtskxe. Yet still for all the smoke and the parts of his body covered in orange glowing goop, the giant made no counter attack nor fled. Jake was still too astonished to speak even as the Nekxtskxe formation sped around him, spiraling, dropping their missiles in waves; Jake could barely hear Neytiri's voice shouting in his ear over the racket of the fight. One sided as it was, he still couldn't believe it… Paul… but, how? For god's sakes, how?
Another volley fell upon him, the Nekxtskxe now conserving having overcome their previous sudden panic. They seemed to be winning, too fast for the large bulk. The liquid fire continued to smash against him and the strange sound so like a soft violin, continued. Jake couldn't understand it, his head was being racked with the noise until altogether he also was able to sort out the constant base… he then realized neither noise had ever truly stopped. Paul was still reverberating that strange noise unleashed when he roared, only now it was being added to in pitch, like some kind of ghostly orchestra without words. The sound roved and swept across him, but was always constant, so constant he missed it until he recognized the fact he couldn't hear Neytiri though he knew she was speaking, more, shouting to him directly into his ear. Interference? Was this some kind of aural attack?
Jake tried to come around, locate Yawne, they had to stop. He tried shouting but his own voice was swallowed, hand signal! The Nekxtskxe responded to hand signals! Even though they continued to fly closer and closer in the spiral sending more and more of the orbs into the giant which now seemed covered, he could feel a build of tensions and fear. They seemed to be winning. Jake banked, dove, trying to gain position in the spiral and get near Yawne at the head of it. He had to make them stop, had to tell Yawne before they were drawn in too close! Faster, faster, though it was difficult with the Cave Ikrans and Nekxtskxe fumbling around him to make room. Close, faster, he had to make it in time. He was already within arms length of Paul, the giant, the burning liquid now a water fall on his shoulders and head. He had to pull them back.
"YAWNE!" The sound came out a mere hum, as if distorted by some great amp. Yawne was glaring madly, his face alright from the near glow of the fire orbs. Jake banked hard nearly sailing directly into Yawne who finally looked at him. "WE HAVE TO GET OUT!" he tried, Yawne made a face, unable to understand his words. Jake cut his throat with his hand. Yawne nodded, pulling out more orbs, Jake reached out and grabbed his wrist. Yawne turned ferocious eyes, their Ikran's nearly collided, scraping into each other and hissing into the air that was now fully filled with a vibrating pulse like sound waves given form. Yawne understood.
Too late.
The giant cast out its arms, splashes of the orange fire flew outwards, it was impossible to dodge them all. Jake felt a hot copper shell, a cigarette end touch his skin in a dapple pattern on his left shoulder and back. Yawne's own face was touched near his eye, their Ikrans were struck with wet lines and all of it burned. It burned more terrible than Jake had ever felt anything burn him, building so to make the skin around the area almost feel frozen. The great spiral formation, so perfect, broke into a jumble rush of barely escaping bodies. Ikran and rider fell from the sky screaming soundlessly. Falling into the black tar; Jake lost sight of Yawne. He wheeled, tried to regain altitude, tried to gain his bearings, he slammed into the ground before he could even get his hands down. The jar didn't knock him out, but took the vision form his right eye for several seconds; all the while the sound continued, now coming from everywhere. Jake quickly got to his feet, feeling the black tar stick to him and at the same time slide off yet it seemed to suck the moisture from his skin leaving it grayed. Bodies feel around him in silence, like some kind of beautiful ballet.
Jake scrambled, slapping at the fire which ate him from behind. Digging, throwing the mush upon it, in the thought- the black pitched sucked moisture, the orange fire was liquid- somehow, though it burned and his hands brought back blood, the burning lessened. Numb stabs, holes, in his skin like a pencil stuck through cloth. Jake ripped his head upwards, others rolled in the mush as he, some too far gone to be helped. Jake ran to them, smearing the black onto their wounds, grounding it in even when he saw the white flash of bone. Yet he heard nothing, only that strange sound become more and more like a song. The distinct tap of hollow tones, almost like a piano- Jake remembered the giant and raised his head… it was unburned. Jake saw the orange liquid fall from him, leaving unblemished plate, untouched, completely. Untouched. The Giant screamed a hollow roar once more, overriding even the music- ripping Jake from his feet in a vain attempt to cover his ears as his head shook. Hs felt his brain might liquidate. He rolled now, unable to help anyone, unable to help himself. Neytiri, where was Neytiri?
The sound drifted, once again those violins… and ceased.