Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirty-two of "Gone in the Dark." I feel glad to have had Payakan and La continue to play an important part in this fic. I feel they should have gotten more screentime in Avatar: The Way of Water. Stay tuned for chapter thirty-three.
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Chapter 32: Getting It Out
Jake, Lo'ak, and Kiri reached the Sully marui within five minutes. He went to the window while pressing his lips together. The teens stopped close to him. He watched three ilus leap out of the water in the distance. He listened to their playful squeaks and squeals. They headed underwater as he turned around and sighed heavily. He walked up to her, his hands going to his sides. His ears moved back and forth twice.
"Kiri, I am very disappointed in you over what you said," Jake whispered sternly.
"But Nekx is responsible for what happened to Rishi, Dad!" Kiri blurted out angrily.
"I understand your feelings. I really do. At the same time, he had no idea his warriors were going to go after you kids. He has been here for a few days," Jake pointed out.
"That does not negate he gave the order for them to attack any Metkayina they saw!" Lo'ak yelled in frustration.
Jake inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "You are right, Lo'ak. It does not. You must not forget that some Metkayina may have behaved in a similar manner."
"But they were never given an order to attack any Green Spears they saw," Kiri commented.
"That won't stop them from being overzealous in their desire to defeat our enemies. Like Lo'ak said, neither side is innocent in this war. Na'vi have acted like this in the past. Absolute power can corrupt the purest of hearts and souls," Jake explained.
Lo'ak nodded at him. "That is true. Some of those warriors were likely good people at one point. The war has twisted them into people their friends and family do not recognize."
Jake, Lo'ak, and Kiri heard a clearing throat. They spun around to see Tuktiery standing in the doorway leading away from the marui. She perked up her ears before swallowing hard.
"Dad, what is going on?" Tuktiery asked.
"Tuk, come here," Jake responded, waving his hand toward himself. "There is something I need to tell you. It's about Rishi."
She started to become nervous. "What about her?"
Jake came down to one knee. Tuktiery walked up to him, her heart skipping a beat or two. She began to breathe a little heavily. Lo'ak and Kiri clasped their hands together.
"Tuk, your siblings and your friends were the victims of an attack by Green Spears at Three Brothers. Rishi was stabbed when she stopped one from trying to get Rotxo. Her wound was too great. She died there," Jake explained, feeling tears in his eyes.
"No," Tuktiery said, shaking her head rapidly. "No, no!"
Tuktiery began crying hysterically. Tears streamed down her cheeks, some merging with each other. Jake pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. She wrapped hers around him. She buried her face into his shoulder. Her cries became muffled.
"It's okay, Tuk. It's okay, Tuk," Jake said comfortingly.
"No, it's not, Dad!" Tuktiery yelled and pulled back to look at him. "All this bloodshed is affecting the children, including me! This war needs to end!"
"I know it does, but it is not easy to do so when so many Na'vi on both sides are raring to fight," Jake pointed out truthfully.
"We can't exactly point arrows at them and tell them to stop fighting. They will do what they will," Lo'ak added as he and Kiri came up to her and their father.
"Before you say anything about Nekx, he is responsible for what his warriors have become. At the same time, he had no idea they would go after young kids," Jake explained softly.
"What about Payakan and La?" Tuktiery wondered.
"They are here, Tuk. They saved our lives," Lo'ak commented and rubbed his nose. He and Kiri squatted down. "I think they are going to stick around for a while. They would not even let us come home alone."
"They feared we would be attacked again," Kiri added.
"Something tells me those Green Spears were scared shitless when they showed up," Tuktiery said.
"Tuk, you really need to watch your mouth," Jake scolded, raising an eyebrow.
"Dad, you keep saying curse words," Tuktiery said, crossing her arms. She furrowed her brow. "We pick them up from you."
"In other words, you should watch your mouth," Lo'ak added.
Jake rolled his eyes with an annoyed scoff. He didn't like it when his children pointed out what he needed to do. He did feel grateful for them being so wise in spite of their young ages. This was especially true for Lo'ak, who taught him the value of letting someone be themselves. He snapped out of his thoughts when squeaking sounded.
"What was that?" Jake wondered.
"It came from out there," Lo'ak said, looking toward the pier.
Kiri rubbed her hands together. "Let's check it out."
Jake, Lo'ak, Kiri, and Tuktiery headed out to the pier. They found Payakan lifting his head slightly. He blinked three times as they stared at him in a bit of surprise.
"Payakan, what in the heck are you doing here?" Tuktiery asked while pointing down at the water. She patted her chest. "Where's La?"
"She is spending time with Tsireya, her siblings, and her father. I thought I'd come see you all here," Payakan squeaked calmly.
"Thank you for coming," Tuktiery responded and curled her hand into a fist. She pressed it against her chest before uncurling it. "Thank you for saving Lo'ak and Kiri's lives."
"You are welcome," Payakan responded.
"Payakan, let me ask you an honest question," Jake said, getting down on one knee. His children mimicked him with theirs. "Do you blame Nekx for what happened to Rishi?"
"I believe Nekx is responsible for what his warriors have become, but he is not to blame for Rishi's death. They made the decision to go after her and the other kids on their own," Payakan commented honestly. "Even if he never gave the order to go after any Metkayina they saw, I believe they would have attacked the kids, anyway. Some people become overzealous in their desire to achieve their goals. They do not care who they hurt as long as they reach them."
"That makes a lot of sense," Kiri admitted.
"It sure does," Lo'ak agreed and sighed heavily. "I am sorry for blaming Nekx for what happened. I was so angry over her death."
"Me too," Kiri agreed.
"It is all right," Payakan assured. "You two were emotionally devastated over losing a close friend. You had to find someone to blame."
"That is true," Jake said with a nod.
Payakan turned his body to where he was parallel with the pier. He rolled on his side to expose his flippers. He laid the back flipper on the edge of it. Jake, Lo'ak, Tuktiery, and Kiri petted it gently. Payakan squeaked in pleasure.
"Tulkuns have rubbery skin just like whales and dolphins," Lo'ak whispered with a soft sigh.
"It peels right off," Kiri murmured, looking down at the flecks of skin on her hand.
"It is nice to be able to get this close to someone who was said to be a killer," Tuktiery commented.
"This guy was never a killer. He just went against his kind's religion in order to protect his loved ones. Sometimes, it requires killing," Jake said, his tail going up and down twice.
Kiri bit her lip. "That is never an easy decision to make."
Lo'ak exhaled. "That's for sure."
Jake, Lo'ak, Tuktiery, and Kiri continued petting Payakan. They whispered inaudible words as he blinked three times.
00000
Nekx sat in a chair next to Keye'txon as he ate eel broth from a bowl in the marui he was staying in an hour later. Keye'txon was in an inclined position. He dipped the spoon into the broth in which he got a decent amount on it. He placed it in his mouth and swallowed. He couldn't help but smile. He glanced at his friend.
"This stuff is really good. It reminds me a lot of the eel broth we eat back home," Keye'txon said.
"No two reef clans make the same kind of eel broth. That's for sure," Nekx said while folding his hands and laying them in his lap.
"Since I woke up just a few hours ago after being out cold due to my infection, it is best I take it slow with food for now," Keye'txon murmured, his ears moving back.
"Yeah," Nekx agreed and glanced at the heart monitor. He could hear its steady beeping. He focused his attention on the IV bag. "Max said penicillin should be used only as a last resort because constant use can lead to bacteria developing resistance."
"It sucks I have to have this needle in my arm for several days," Keye'txon grumbled, glancing down at the tube sticking out of his arm. "It is still necessary for the infection to get out of my system."
"I am sure the infection set in rather quickly," Nekx commented and stroked his chin.
"It did," Keye'txon admitted and gave the bowl to him. He observed him setting it on a table next to the cot. "I do not remember a whole lot after that. I do remember laying on the ground praying for help to come."
"It came in the form of Aonung, Riri, and Rotxo," Nekx responded, a small smile crossing his lips. "They are good kids."
"They sure are," Keye'txon agreed and touched his throat. "Their parents raised them well."
"If only Julay's parents did that," Nekx grumbled with a roll of his eyes. "They spoiled her to no end. They taught her it was okay to spread rumors about others."
"Rumors can easily destroy people's reputations," Keye'txon pointed out matter-of-factly. "She just doesn't care."
"Her constant complaining does not help either," Nekx said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to catch a fish and stuff it in her mouth to stop her from talking."
"Maybe I should be the one to do that," Keye'txon suggested and smirked somewhat. "After I get better, that is."
Nekx rubbed the back of his neck with both hands. He looked toward the window, seeing three banshees fly past it at a distance. He observed them flapping their wings in almost perfect unison. He shifted his attention back to Keye'txon, who twitched his nose.
"I can't stop thinking about what happened to Rishi," Nekx mumbled, emitting a soft sniffle. "Lo'ak and Kiri are right. I am responsible for what my warriors have become."
"You couldn't have known they were going to attack those kids," Keye'txon said comfortingly.
"But I did give the order for them to go after every Metkayina they saw," Nekx said truthfully.
"You never told them to go after kids," Keye'txon commented firmly.
Nekx snorted. "I may not have, but that does not negate the fact they have become overzealous in their efforts to fight our enemies."
Keye'txon ran his tongue all over the inside of his mouth. "I can't deny that."
Nekx picked up the bowl and took hold of the spoon. He got some broth on it and placed it in his mouth. He proceeded to stir the broth in a slow manner. He glanced at Keye'txon.
"I have to say Payakan and La rescued the kids in the nick of time," Nekx whispered in relief. "The kids would have been dead if it hadn't been for those tulkuns."
"That is the first time you have said something positive about Payakan," Keye'txon commented.
"For the past four years, I was convinced Payakan was a vicious killer. His coming to the aid of the kids at Three Brothers proved me wrong," Nekx said. "He's not going to leave this area. Neither will La. They want to be near their spirit siblings."
"I don't blame them. Some tulkuns are like magnets. They are drawn to their spirit siblings. They will be near them if possible," Keye'txon said and cupped his chin in his hand carefully.
"Yeah," Nekx agreed.
"Payakan and La would be a good line of defense if there were to be an invasion of the village," Keye'txon murmured, his ear and tail twitching a bit.
Nekx winced quietly. "Please, don't say that."
Keye'txon held up his hand. "Sorry."
Nekx and Keye'txon heard footsteps. They turned to see Julay coming their way. They groaned in a bit of irritation. Nekx placed his hand on the back of his neck as she stopped next to him.
"Hello there, Nekx, Keye'txon," Julay greeted with a smirk.
"What in the hell are you doing here, Julay?" Nekx demanded and laid the bowl on the table.
"Can't I just stop by and say hi?" Julay wondered while perking up her ears.
"No one said you couldn't. That does not mean we want you around," Keye'txon responded firmly.
"Hmph," Julay said and snorted softly. "I heard Rishi was killed in an attack on her and her friends at Three Brothers." She chuckled to herself. "That is one less Metkayina we have to deal with."
Nekx jumped to his feet while growling angrily. "How dare you say that, Julay! Rishi was just a kid! She did not deserve to be killed by our fellow Green Spears! She just wanted to spend time playing with Payakan and La alongside her friends!"
"What has gotten into you, Nekx? You would have attacked any Metkayina on sight before this happened," Julay pointed out truthfully.
"I would have done that, but the war has reached a turning point. Rishi's assailants have become overzealous in their efforts to fight the Metkayina. I hold myself responsible for what happened because I gave the order for them to attack any they saw," Nekx explained, tears coming to his eyes.
Julay scoffed. "Don't cry over that kid. She is not worth a damn."
"Yes, she is!" Nekx screamed in rage. "She should be here right now telling everyone about playing with Payakan and La! She gave her life saving Rotxo from being killed by one of our comrades. I am grateful I made peace with her before she died."
"That is a stupid thing you did," Julay commented.
Keye'txon hissed fiercely. "It's not stupid, Julay. Nekx did the right thing. He felt bad about pushing Rishi away from our injured comrade. She never deserved that. You are so selfish that you can't see the forest for the trees."
Julay growled and turned on her heel to walk off. Nekx and Keye'txon looked at each other and shook their heads in disbelief.
"She has been insufferable ever since she was brought here!" Nekx yelled, frustration lining his voice.
"It's no wonder Lo'ak didn't like treating her wound," Keye'txon replied with a scoff.
"That kid didn't deserve to be called a freak by her," Nekx commented and emitted a soft snort.
"Do you think she will try to pull something?" Keye'txon wondered, cringing somewhat.
"I do not know," Nekx admitted and pressed his lips together. "She has caused so much trouble for others. I will keep an eye on her."
Keye'txon touched his cheek. He began talking about being injured by a Metkayina while he was searching for a comrade.