Lo'ak sneaked back into High Camp, his thoughts as twisted as the vines of Pandora's jungle.
That strange kid, Kit, and the mysterious girl lurking in the treetop were like an itch he couldn't scratch. This wasn't just some weird coincidence—it felt like the universe had pushed him to follow Kit. Like Eywa had pushed him.
Tawtì landed softly on the edge of camp, and Lo'ak hopped off, giving her a grateful pat.
"Good job, girl. You didn't drop me. I appreciate that."
He shot her a thumbs-up, which she ignored completely because, well, she's an Ikran.
Lo'ak tiptoed through the sleeping camp, doing his best to avoid the sentries. He wasn't in the mood for another one of his dad's "responsibility" speeches or Neteyam's classic big-brother stare of disapproval.
He slipped into his family's tent as quietly as possible. The soft glow of the dying fire made the woven walls flicker. His parents were asleep, Tuk was snoring softly in the corner, and Neteyam—probably dreaming about catching Lo'ak doing something dumb only to bask in the glory of scolding him—was out cold.
Lo'ak lay down on his mat and pulled the blanket over his head, but sleep wasn't coming easy.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Kit's nervous face, heard that girl's stern voice, and felt the urge to bang his head against the nearest tree.
Who were these people? And what the hell were they doing out there on their own?
The questions swirled around in his mind, refusing to let go.He needed answers.
But there was no way he could figure this out alone.
He needed someone curious, brave, and, most importantly, someone who wouldn't immediately rat him out to their parents. Kiri was the perfect candidate.
As dawn broke and the camp began to stir, Lo'ak finally drifted into a restless sleep, the last echoes of his thoughts fading into dreams filled with shadowy figures and unspoken secrets.
The next day, after getting up at midday with a pounding headache, Lo'ak found Kiri by the river, gathering medicinal plants. He approached her with all the seriousness he could muster.
"Kiri," he said, trying to keep his voice casual, "I need to talk to you about something. But you have to promise not to freak out or tell anyone."
Kiri didn't even look up. "Lo'ak, what did you do this time? And is it flammable?"
"Nothing!" Lo'ak protested, though the "flaming arrow incident" was still fresh in both their minds. "This is serious. Yesterday, when we were in the forest, I saw this boy. He looked kind of like a Na'vi, but not really. His skin was blue, but, like, lighter. And his face—more human than Na'vi. He was watching us while we were playing.''
Kiri finally looked up, eyebrows furrowed. "Light blue? Lo'ak, are you sure you didn't eat any of those funky mushrooms again?"
"I'm serious!" Lo'ak insisted. "So, I followed him—"
"Of course, you did," Kiri muttered.
"—and he led me to this tree where he met up with a girl. I think they're staying there. I didn't get a good look at her, but they definitely weren't from any clan. They were talking about survival training and moving like an Ikran and other weird things, conversing in the language of the demons. That boy ran into Nantang while I was following. And here's the kicker—he didn't die! Although he did use rocks to scare them off and he didn't even hit them once.''
Kiri frowned, now fully interested. "That's strange. They sound like Avatar, but why would they be out in the forest alone? And how come no one's mentioned them?"
"That's what I want to find out!" Lo'ak said, leaning in like he was sharing top-secret gossip. "Will you help me?"
Kiri hesitated, biting her lip. She was curious, but she also knew this had "disaster" written all over it. Then again, what Lo'ak said really caught her interest. "Alright, but if this goes sideways, I'm blaming you."
"Fair enough," Lo'ak grinned. "But hey, what's the worst that could happen?"
Several hours later, as they crouched in the jungle, surrounded by glowing plants and suspicious noises, Lo'ak realized he probably shouldn't have asked that.
They had slipped away from camp as soon as it got dark, the plants lighting their way like nature's own nightlights. They made their way back to the spot where Lo'ak had seen Kit scramble up the tree and settled in to wait, staying as hidden as possible.
For a while, nothing happened. The jungle buzzed and chirped around them, and Lo'ak was starting to think they'd have to come back another night. Maybe they had moved on already. Just as he was about to suggest they pack it in, Kiri nudged him and pointed.
--
Kit dropped down onto the ground, looking around nervously as he stepped a few feet away from their basecamp. He was more on edge than before, jittery like grass in a strong breeze.
When he returned to their hide-out yesterday, after being scolded by Ava, she seemed to notice something.
As Kit ran back home last night, he felt it too.
Prying eyes, all the way back to their hammocks.
But he played it off as the Nantang just chasing after him, this time more hidden, scared of being (almost) hit by rocks again.
But as Ava had touched her hand to his lips after she was done patronising him and he was preparing some shitty comeback, she gestured to her ears and to the forest floor.
And there it was. Kit barely heard it over the sound of his beating heart.
Scurried foot steps.
He was being followed after all, and not just by his six-legged foes.
--
Lo'ak and Kiri hunkered down, watching as Kit moved to the center of the clearing, clearly waiting for someone. Lo'ak's heart pounded. This was it—the moment they'd been waiting for.
Suddenly, a figure dropped from the trees—literally dropped, like she was a ripe fruit ready to picked up off the floor by a hungry herbivore.
She was taller than Kit, lean, her skin a duller blue than the Na'vi. But what really caught Lo'ak's eye were the glowing veins running along her arms, neck and chest, pulsing faintly. Not only did the spots on her body make her shine, those lines looked like faint rivers of metal.
She was not half an not whole, she looked familiar but..otherworldly as well. As strange mix of familiar and entirely alien, if only those raggedy human clothes didn't take away from the vibe.
Kit looked relieved. "Ava! Did you find something? Tracks?"
So Ava was her name, funny. Just like Eywa, only harsher.
Lo'ak's ears pointed up in interest. Tracks? What were they looking for?
Ava rolled her eyes, the veins in her arms flashing a bit brighter as if to emphasize her frustration.
"Nothing. Whoever followed you back last night left literally nothing. Damn it Kit, I told you! And you were all like ,I'm no child Ava, I can handle myself, I'll hide so well while stalking those Na'vi they won't know I'm there.'' Well surprise surprise - they found us. We need to relocate. Tonight."
Lo'ak and Kiri exchanged wide-eyed looks. Kiri's expression was a perfect blend of "I told you so," while Lo'ak felt a sinking realization that maybe—just maybe—they'd underestimated these two.
He sank down even lower behind the rock they were hiding behind, suddenly wishing he'd picked a better plan for tonight than amateur espionage.
Yeah, he saw how this situation could turn south now.
Kit flattened his ears, looking down at the ground. ,I'm sorry.'', he mumbled. It clearly wasn't his first time being chastised by his companion.
,Like sorry's gonna fix anything.'', Ava muttered, however suddenly real interested in the rock Kiri and Lo'ak were cowering behind, locking her gaze onto it.
Kiri felt a jolt of panic as the light running through Ava's veins started burning brighter,her gaze transfixed in the direction Lo'ak and Kiri were sitting.
,Damn it Lo'ak! Why do I even bother with you anymore?'' Kiri hissed through clenched teeth.
Lo'ak was helpless. Honestly, he didnt even know what he expected when he was heading to spy on those two, but it definitely wasn't this.
Kit seemed to pick up on Ava's tensed posture, noticing her change in mood.
,What is it?'', he whispered.
She blinked, snapping out of her trance.
,Nothing,''she said far too quickly.
,But we better leave, fast.''