Kali stayed with the outsiders until they began to hear distant wing beats. She grimaced. Since coming to the water village, only one of the Sully family had yet to pick an aquatic animal as a mount. "Oh boy. Mom's on the way."
Sure enough Neytiri's toruk dotted out the sun when Kali glanced up. However it was her father and the Metkayina tsahik who got off. Jake kept his gun clutched tight, pointing it right at the human first. He didn't even look at the others. "What unit are you with, soldier? Because it sure as shit isn't the scientists the military left behind."
As calmly as he'd been speaking this whole time, the human replied again. "My name is Anduin Wrynn. I'm not from here." Glancing at his friends, he then pointed slowly at Kali. "Although I think something definitely intended for us to meet her. We've all had dreams about her. About the water."
Kali began to grow uneasy, moving aside so the tsahik could take stock of the injured man. "This man needs to be taken back to the village and kept a close watch on, but for now there's little else I can do." She looked confused. "It is as if Eywa herself has slowed or halted whatever this is." Speaking to Jake now even if rather reluctantly, she asked for help. "Call for your toruk to be brought. We won't all three fit back on this one."
Jake's eyes flicked over to where Kali stood. "Kali, go back to the village. I will deal with this when Tonowari gets here."
"Dad maybe-"
"I said go." It was nearly a growl, and the ears swiveling to fold flat to his head left no doubt she had upset him somehow. Except Kali knew exactly how. They weren't supposed to go this from the village alone with Quaritch out looking for them. "We'll talk later." He hesitated. "Can you take the skinny one on your ilu? He doesn't look too threatening. Even for you." That stung and Kali had to hold back a retort. She wasn't amazing like Kiri, nor was she strong enough to learn the same tactics as Neteyam yet. She turned to her quarry and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you going to come willingly?"
"I do not like splitting from my friends, no. But I'll do as your father has asked." He shot a nervous glance at the figure he'd been holding and rose to join her.
"Good. I hope you're decent at scaling and descending cliffs."
x
The girl wasn't as warm as Zekhan had been lead to believe; and he was growing more confused by the moment as they sped along at the top of the water. "I do not understand your quiet sense of discontentment. Are you not quite the shaman? In the dreams I saw-"
Kali, as she'd introduced herself gave a huff of a laugh. It was almost enough of an answer all on its own. "I am no tsahik. If you want a miracle child, you should ask Kiri. My twin." Twins, of course. It might explain her attitude as well.
"I am quite certain that my dreams were of you, at least part of the time. You have importance as well." He tried to soothe the situation, despite not knowing what awaited them at the village.
"What's that accent in your voice?" She changed the subject, abruptly.
Zekhan fought back a sigh. Of course as outsiders they would be treated with suspicion. "It's Darkspear. I'm a Darkspear troll. We're mostly coastal."
Kali gave another non-laugh. "You'll fit right in."
"Like you." He said, adamant in the knowledge of his dreams.
"Again, it had to be Kiri. I'd much rather be back in the jungle. The forest is my home." Ah, so she is the one I see in the trees. This Kiri must be the one with powers over the elements.
"Maybe, but dreams have immense weight where I come from. That you are within them at all, despite there being so many of your tribe means you have a role to play in whatever reason we were brought here." She was quiet for a moment and Zekhan could sense her about to speak, about to open up to him when the head of another mount broke the surface. On this mount was another blue person. A Na'vi. Zekhan learned fast.
"Tuk was looking for you, Kali. She said you promised to see the trick she'd been working on with her ilu." It was a boy who looked just as old as Kali. The boy's eyes flicked over Zekhan. "Is this some kind of visitor from one of the other tribes?"
"I guess you could say that." Then they began chattering together in another language and their speech was lost to Zekhan, who instead focused on studying every detail of the girl in front of him as seen from the back. Sure enough, it became clear to him that his dreams had not always been about her, but they also sometimes had. She did not seem to believe her own worth and he could not help but wonder what sort of shadow her twin must be capable of casting to cause such an uneasiness. Kali was clearly teeming with spiritual potential. If only she'd believe it for herself.
x
Kali was told to stay with the outsider and keep him company while the tsahik dealt with his friend. He kept staring at her so she speared him with her eyes. "What is it?"
"Do you feel the spirits of nature all around you? You must. You're listening so devoutly."
"I'm no one special." Kali shrugged it off. Zekhan approached, holding out his hands for one of hers. Kali hesitated before taking it, noting his lack of hesitation at her fingers. The Metkayina had treated her and her siblings with suspicion over their extras. It was nice. He rotated her hand so it was palm up and he was supporting her, unrolling her fingers gently.
"All are special in their own way." Kali had to fight a blush at this, unused to such interactions from the opposite gender. "You...are no different." With one his hands he conjured sparks above her own. They danced and Kali was too stunned to do anything but stare into them. "See? You indeed have the power to channel the elements."
Kali felt awe, listening to his voice as he continued to speak. "Though, it does seem like lightening isn't your first element..." He pulled back. "That said, please do not think so little of yourself. I liked that look on your face just now more than any of the others so far." He smiled at her and Kali's blush deepened. She looked away.
"Your friend..." She changed the subject again. "You shouldn't worry about him. The tsahik has the skill and faith to save him even if she does seem prickly."
"Thank you." He said in that thick accent. Still turned away, Kali heaved a sigh. "I-"
The chief of the Metkayina appeared in the entrance. "Your father wants to speak to you, young Sully. I have questions for this man and his friends." Said friends were behind him, minus the unconscious one.
Kali shrugged at the boy who'd introduced himself as Zekhan and left, ready to get this chewing out over with. Jake was waiting in the space the Sully family had made their own and he didn't turn to look when she entered, working on something on the bench he had crafted out of mangrove roots to function as a table. "Kali, you've broken a couple of our rules today. And the tsahik is furious with you as well."
Annoyance began to bubble in Kali. "What reason could the tsahik have for being angry with me?"
"We're still seen as outsiders Kali and you went alone to their spirit tree. That's their holy ground." He turned, showing the bow he held in his hands. It was hers, left behind in their scramble of an exodus.
The annoyance turned to anger. "I am not allowed to seek Eywa when I feel upset now?" Her ears folded flat, not in anger but upset. "That doesn't sit right with me, dad. I'm still a Na'vi. I have the same belief system as everyone else who loves her."
"I don't like it either, but I already had this talk with your brothers. We need to fit in right now, and that means not ruffling any feathers." He handed her the bow and she saw that he had fixed it to look more the part of a Metkayina. "Please...until we endear ourselves a bit more. Stay out of their holy grounds. Alone at least."
"Thanks." She said blankly, wondering if she could go now.
"Tonowari is going to let the outsiders stay. They've already proven their usefulness. Apparently the green one is rather good with herbs. He's helping the tsahik." Jake cocked his head at her. "The purple one with that red hair personally asked to learn from you, so Tonowari allowed it for now. Please don't teach him to break the Metkayina's rules." She left, not willing to hear anymore; shoving last Kiri on her way out and speed walking to the ilu paddock. She leapt on it and sped away under the water. She couldn't go back to the clan she was born to, but surely the edge of the forest...right at the coast would be okay. She needed a bit of home right now.
x
Zekhan watched her go, standing next to Thrall as he attempted to read something he been given by the tsahik. It was a list of commonly herbs, he believed. "She's not the calmest." He remarked.
Thrall remained silent, locked in his studies. It was Anduin who answered him. "I sense that the light within her wants to be seen, but she is unable to let it out. She's just repressed and hasn't gotten a chance to discuss it with anyone, Zekhan. Homesick, I think."
"Unfortunately that's not all." They turned to see a Na'vi eerily similar to Kali. She had a sad smile on her face. "We used to share everything, until I started to notice that I was different and she couldn't match it no matter how she tried." Kiri sighed. "Kali is heartbroken for many reasons. The least of which is homesickness, bad as that is. She's afraid for the first time that maybe our futures don't lie with one another and she is beginning to realize I think that being my twin is all she knows."
Thrall finally spoke, looking up in mild irritation. "Well, she just took off when there's an apparent mad man hunting your family. Is that smart?"
Kiri shook her head. "No, but I still wouldn't stop her. She needs time to do what she will or I fear she might snap. Leaving our home has nearly destroyed her mental security."
Thrall was already standing, grabbing the axe he usually kept at his side. "C'mon Zappy. We've got to go stop someone from making a mistake. Anduin said to make ourselves helpful, after all. And she reminds me just a little of Durak." He began to walk down the coast, fully intending to catch up on foot. Zekhan sprang upon from where he had his toes in the water.
"I'm right behind ya."