Under an oppression of fog and a dreary sun, a woman in a shroud of pale wash silently approached the Tree of Souls. She had locked herself away in a prison within her mind—a bastion where nothing could enter or escape. In her grief, she was her own consoler, choosing to shut out everyone who could not possibly fathom the extent of the rupture in her soul.

The whole day prior saw the mourning of many. The death of Toruk Makto was felt strongly by all—their champion, their symbol of victory, the embodiment of the Na'vi spirit, slain so easily and without a body to return to Eywa. He would be a single bead on a songcord that a finger would drift over, walking life for all its course, good and bad.

Neytiri joined her queue and let herself stand before the image of her mate, every aspect captured just as she remembered—strong, dependable, mighty and above all, loving. He looked at her stoic face and the tears rushing down it.

|"What's with the crying?"| he whispered.

|"You did not come back from the battle… They tell me you are dead."|

|"And what do you say?"|

Long did her eyes linger on him. |"That you and our daughter still live…"|

Jake stood and patted her shaved head, smirking in the lovable way she dearly remembered. |"Well, there you go."|

She began to break down and mewled, |"Tell me you are not gone."|

"Crazy, Sheila." He hummed. |"I'll always be with you."|

Outside in the mortal world, Neytiri's head tilted for a phantom kiss, only to return to reality with no warmth on her lips, just the memory of what it felt like.

By the people's will, Neteyam te Tskaha Zayksuli'itan was selected to lead, and through palpable sombreness, the feather mantle was placed upon his shoulders. Mo'at sensed he was troubled in ways beyond grief, but he would not confide in her. Neteyam told no one of what took place, not even Lew. He ran off to a corner of his soul and buried the dark secret where no one could find it, thinking that if he left it there, ignored, perhaps one day the burden would go away.

Kiri's loss, on top of Jake's, destroyed all desire to unite. With the home of the Tawkami burned, the Anurai longing for their savannah, and the Omatikaya fearing Bridgehead's reprisal, the leaders came together to discuss what to do for their clans.

|"We cannot remain here,"| Neteyam spoke, readjusting the mantle that felt very heavy on him. |"The Skypeople are sure to come after us for revenge. Food is too scarce for us to all remain together. We must split up."|

Syotxa' was reserved as he nodded to Neteyam's reasoning. |"My people need to rebuild. We will travel south. The lands there are rich."|

|"We will travel west,"| Häku stated. |"Return to our plains and intermarry with our smaller brother clans."|

|"We will go north,"| said Neteyam. |"And seek sanctuary among the Yayak."|

Syotxa' was perplexed. |"The Yayak? I have not heard of such a clan."|

|"I am not surprised. I learned of them through the Skypeople. Explorers stumbled upon this clan many years ago, but because of their remote location, the aliens did not bother with them."|

|"Is it wise to relocate your people to such a region?"|

|"The Yayak are of the wind, rain and raging sea. We are also of the air, so we should find kinship."|

|"It sounds like a risk."|

|"It is, Olo'eykte Häku. But my Omatikaya will be targeted if I don't move them far away. I feel in my spirit this is the right path to take."|

|"Then, Eywa be with you."| The beads of her headdress swaying with her movement, Häku addressed the other leader. |"Olo'eyktan Syotxa'. My father has recovered enough to travel, thanks to you. He will return with us to our plains."|

|"I am glad to have assisted you, Häku."|

There was a lull of quiet before the olo'eykte spoke again. |"Olo'eyktan Neteyam. There is a small matter I must mention to you. My sister does not mean to travel back with us. She has made up her mind to stay with the demoness you captured. I do not want her to burden your clan, and she is my sister, but…"| There was something in the way Neteyam's brows arched that made her pull back and hesitate on her next sentiment. |"I am deeply troubled by her choices and fear she has allowed herself to become perverted."|

|"Perverted? I met her. She is sweet and amiable."|

|"She is also headstrong and foolish and unwise! I love her, but… If she requests to go with you, I must warn you, her allegiance is not with The People anymore, but the aliens."|

In the flash of a second, Neteyam's mind was quickened to Spider. |"Au! That settles it. Do not worry, Olo'eykte Häku. I shall not wait to be asked. I will go right now and tell your sister"|—he stood up proudly—|"that she is more than welcome to travel with us."|

|"Olo'eyktan Neteyam—"|

|"We must never forget our own family, respected leader of the Anurai. We become pawns of the Skypeople when we do."| He then politely dipped his head in farewell to both. |"I'm sorry we did not become brothers in this life, friend, Syotxa'. Perhaps in another? Eywa be with you and your clan."|

|"And yours, friend, Neteyam. May the spirit of your father guide you."|

"Irayo."


The son of Sully was ambling through the camp, constantly having to remind himself where he was heading. When he finally reached his objective, he arrived to a commotion.

|"Stand aside!"|

|"I will not let you harm her!"|

Neteyam hurried to wedge himself between his mother and the knife-wielding Anurai barricading the tent entrance. |"Mother, what is going on?"|

Neytiri did not shy from roaring her displeasure. |"You tolerate a demon in our camp?"|

|"She's our prisoner, and she's fallen ill,"| he argued.

|"Then end her now, and let her join her leader."|

|"Mother, I'm the leader of this clan now,"| he reminded; he didn't want to say it so blatantly, but she was leaving him little choice.

Neytiri was taken aback by his tone and eyed him, casting a disapproving look at Säro before turning away.

The newly appointed olo'eyktan sighed, rubbed his head, and went to help the woman up. Säro sheathed her blade, something she started carrying when she saw how much she was going to need it. Neteyam then guided her into the tent, where they looked upon CJ, who was lying on a mat and trembling in her sleep. She had succumbed to an infection that had taken a turn for the worse.

|"How is she?"| he asked.

|"Her temperature is hot, and she shakes constantly. None of the Tawkami wish to help her."|

|"Do not fear, Säro. I will ask my grandmother to tend to her. As tsahìk, her knowledge of medicines is most profound."|

|"Our deepest gratitude,"| she replied with a weary bow.

|"Is it true you will not be returning to your clan?"|

Her face went grave. |"I cannot go back."|

He watched as her fingers cradled the limp, pale ones. |"Säro, acting on my father's behalf, I will extend sanctuary to this rekom. However, I plan to migrate my clan far away to escape the Skypeople. I will do my best to look after her, but… I cannot guarantee her safety without you. Would you consider travelling with us?"|

|"So far away from…?"|

|"I'm afraid so."|

Säro went quiet as she ruminated on what he was proposing. For a long while, her eyes remained on Ly'il's brother, shivering in a cold sweat and pallid as death. The answer was clear.

|"I will travel with you."|


A grand gathering. An electric mood. The denizens of Bridgehead, who were privileged enough, attended the esteemed event. There, on the stage, stoic and brave, stood the patriotic young man who, as Serrano beamed over the megaphones, "single-handedly took down a terrorist." The spotlighted figure was so humble in his achievement that rather than relish the honour, he wore a fearsome scowl as the governor hung a solid gold medal around his neck. Hundreds of hands raised in cheer at the living symbol of man's endurance.

Once the obligatory after-party curtseys were distributed was the Pandoran finally allowed to return home—just so long as it wasn't the home he had in mind. He was escorted to an armoured limousine stationed outside the dome. A trooper opened the vehicle's door, and the abstracted man ducked inside. He slid onto dark glossy seats, then removed his EXO pack to hang on a hook, determined to keep his unobstructed eyes glued to the tinted world that started to crawl by. "Is riding with you also supposed to be considered one of the honours?"

Ardmore's mouth stretched. She kept her back straight, despite the cushy seats, and head up with eyes keenly forward as she, too, tolerated her driving companion. "You really impressed the city, kid. I should be careful of what I say to you from now on."

"So why don't you stop talking?"

"I was asked by Miss Vandervelde to pass on a message. 'Quaritch has been incarcerated for when you change your mind'—whatever that means."

His grim eyes remained firm on the passing scenes. He didn't say anything.

"As for that Kiri girl—"

Instantly, he broke from his thoughts and bared down on Ardmore with a murderous stare. This was the second time he heard that name on a blasphemer's lips; he wanted an answer then and demanded one now. "How do you know about her?"

Her head turned, slightly bobbing from the vehicle's motion, and she leered at him. "You really haven't figured it out, have you?"

"What has Quaritch said?" he boomed.

"Not Quaritch. You." He didn't understand, so she gestured a little finger at his EXO pack. "Covert listening device. Everything you ever said near that mask went directly to me. That's right. We have the 'magic' to do that. Don't worry. You'll learn in time what other sorcery we can pull off. Maybe it's you who should be careful of what you say from now on?"

A feeble hand plucked up the visor, and the man stared numbly at the acrylic bowl, reflecting his face.

"We did capture her, thanks to your blabbering lips, but there was an unfortunate accident."

The life vanished from his eyes.

"Compound flooded. She drowned in her cell. Too bad, huh?"

His breathing skipped, his mind went red, and when his fingers wrapped around the EXO pack, the tightening cinch wrenched the shell until it cracked.

"Fpeio."

"Hmm? One of your Na'vi words again? Yeah, I had to get a translator for all your gibberish. Some kind of voodoo curse?"

There was no harshness in the return gaze; on the contrary, it was actually civil. "'Fpeio' is Na'vi for 'fair challenge.' It means no matter what it takes me to get there, I will kill you."

The general sized him up in a single pan. Though she knew he could do nothing to her now, that was only for the present—the teeth of Quaritch's cub would ultimately grow into fangs.

"Looking forward to it."


Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the individuals over at the Learn Na'vi Community who offered the Na'vi translations and to our genuine supporters who took their time to read this labour of love. See you again in Recombinant Wild Lands.