Chapter 8, eek! Fair warning this chapter gets a little dark, heads up! Anyway, I am spell-checking more chapters and should have them posted soon enough, I just have to figure out where I'm heading with this story before I get past chapter 12 haha, anyway, enjoy. (Don't hate me for Tsu'tey in this chapter, he will come around eventually XD) *Reminder, underlined words are spoken in Na'vi.*
(Sophia's POV)
Not to bash the dead here, but for a guardian angel, Tommy was doing a shit job. I had left Manova about five minutes ago, wanting to head the rest of the way on foot and was doing a fairly good job of not falling to my death. Yet the second I passed over the clearing things went from bad to worse, a group of young hunters had found me, a sticky rope was tossed around my legs and I fell to the ground, five arrows now pointed at my face.
"What are you doing here demon?"
"How did you sneak past our defenses?!"
"Where are the others."
"Please summon Eytukan!" I say in Navi, a blade now at my throat "I need to speak with Eytukan."
"Eytukan is busy!" an angry voice snaps.
We ground to a halt outside home tree, All the males bowing "Commander Tsu'tey!"
I see a larger male, obviously the leader land first, the group of six males dismounting from there… dragons? THEY HAVE FUCKING DRAGONS HERE?! I silence my childish fangirling and stare at the male before me.
The loud slap pulls me from my thoughts "How did she get here?" he growls, glaring at the subordinate he just back-handed before his glare turns to me "You were told no dream-walkers could come within five miles of home-tree."
The younger male to my left bows, holding his cheek "I'm sorry commander. We discovered her outside of home tree."
"Discovered her?" his disbelief wasn't hidden "Would you like to explain to me how she slipped past our defenses?"
"We're not sure." he looks down "The scouts were younger but its like she just appeared out of no where."
I stumble forwards, the hard hit to my stomach.
My knees burn, scraping against the hard earth as I'm shoved to the ground, his hard grip on my que.
"What are you doing in our land demon." he hisses into my ear, his blade at my throat
I wince, breathing through my nose "My name is Sophia, and I've come here because my brother was stung by a Zi'nag and I need the antidote."
"You expect us to help you, you moron." His knee hits my cheek, knocking me to the ground as the others laugh "Your brother will die a painful death like he deserves." he lifts his knife, drawing it across my collar bone, smiling as I scream "Like you all deserve."
(3rd person POV)
The cloth covering the small room lifts "Eytukan," he bows "I'm sorry to interrupt but you are needed down stairs."
Eytukan glances at his daughter, both of them were sitting beside Mo'at. The great Tsahik had collapsed hours ago and had yet to awaken.
"Tiali, can't you see were busy." Neytiri hisses
"Leave us." Eytukan waves his hand yet the male stays
"Apologies Eytukan but I can not." both members of the royal family look at him "Tsu'tey has returned with the hunting party and there are disturbing circumstances."
"I think Tsu'tey can manage his men Tiali." Neytiri snaps annoyed.
The male rubs his hands together, eyes shifting to the wall "They have brought a dream-walker to home tree my chieftain…."
Both members freeze, Eytukan face twisting in anger, Nayteri's in fear. Had the dream-walker been captured? Eytukan was up before Neytiri could stop him, feet moving down the winding staircase with practiced ease.
"Father don't!" she tries, stopping by the male "Stay with my mother."
He nods, sitting beside the monarch.
Eytukan strides into the large throne room, glancing at his people. Most had gathered around the entrance of home tree, the few hunters were trying to keep them back.
"What is going on here?"
A few heads spin to him as a painfilled scream rips through the air "Eytukan," they bow, greeting him properly "There was a dream-walker caught outside of home tree, Tsu'tey has blocked them outside."
"PEOPLE OF THE OMATIKAYA CLAN!" he roars, the massive group jumping in shock "DISPERSE FROM YOUR SPOTS!" surprised yelps echoed around them, people of all ages moving as he makes his way closer "TSU'TEY! BRING THE DREAM-WALKER TO ME AT ONCE!"
Mo'at sat in the clearing, the seedlings dancing around her when a deep sensation of tingles flows through her body. The seedlings start dancing back and forth in a line "Time is almost up Mo'at! Time is almost up!"
"Please Eywa, my goddess I don't understand."
"Choices, choices, hundreds of choices." they giggle
A second one flutters, flickering in and out of sight before it glows brightly taking the form of a small child "Take heed, Prosperity or destruction shall befall the Omatikaya clan."
"Sylwanin…" she whispers, tears rimming her eyes.
The smaller child grins sadly "what happens next will shape the future mother." she places the ghost of a kiss on her cheek "Don't let him make the wrong choice,"
..
..
(Quaritch's POV)
Sophia's pod alarms are going crazy, causing doctors fingers to fly across the screen with speed and it was taking everything in me not to punch someone.
(Four hours ago.)
While I was happy to get Sophia out of the base I had this sinking feeling in my gut. Something was going to happen. When doctor Augustine had return not only having lost Jake but Sophia and the other scientist Norm I was beyond pissed.
I slammed Lyle against the chopper, my fist swinging against his cheek "WHAT THE HELL DID I TELL YOU CORPORAL?" I roar
"Quaritch!" Grace tries, but I send a hard kick into Lyle's leg, knocking the male down.
"DON'T LEAVE HER SIDE EVEN FOR A MOMENT! WHAT PART OF THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GOD-DAMN SUGGESTION CORPROL WAINFLEET?!"
"ENOUGH!" Grace yells, her larger Avatar easily yanking me back "I told him to stay with the chopper Ranger Rick! If you want someone to blame then blame me."
"OH I DO!" I roar, looking between the three people on the chopper "WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO EXPLAIN TO ME HOW YOU GOD-DAMN MORONS MANAGED TO LOSE NOT ONE BUT THREE PEOPLE ON A ROUTINE EXPODISTION?!"
"I was about to say the same thing." a new voice adds, all of us turn to see an annoyed Parker. "Augustine! Quaritch! Meet me in the link bay, now!"
We had moved into the link bay, hoping by some miracle that the others would be okay and I was at my wits end. We'd done nothing the last four hours and it was only getting worse. Sophia's monitors jump again, warning lights flashing across the screen.
"Damn it Augustine, get her out of there!" I growl
Grace snaps me an annoyed look "For the last time you stupid ape! I can't!"
"Why not!" the monitor snaps again, red warning lights flashing between the screens as the picture of Sophia's face coughs up some blood "I'm not fluent in geek Augustine but I can tell when there's a problem, and we have one!"
Grace jumps between me, stopping my steps "Its very dangerous!"
"Well its your stupid project!"
Grace slams the tablet on the table as other scientists rush between the three pods "Oh don't blame this on me! You were the one that said we should send her off the damn base!"
"Only because she never leaves! She just stays in this damn building!"
"Okay! This isn't helping! We need to calm down!" Parker yells
"Calm down! Don't tell me to calm down! I'm about seven seconds away from sending the whole damn battalion into that forest to find her Parker!"
This time Parker actually steps between us, pushing Augustine back "Look! I get it! Sophia's special to all of us, but this squabbling isn't helping anyone."
"Sophia's lost Parker! My seventeen year old daughter is lost out there clearly being beaten with in an inch of her life! And this bitch is telling me that I can't do the one thing I can to get her home!"
"This isn't some gun Quaritch! We created entire bodies, another living creature that feels, thinks and acts like we can. Your brain is literally meshed with another body, you can't just rip them out like your pulling teeth."
"The only person not showing signs of distress is Jake, if we could pull him out we would. But somethings not right here." A male I'd seen with Sophia sighs, Maximus I think, hits buttons for Sophia and Jake, loud error beeps echoing around us "We've never had anyone in the link this long. This isn't just a link anymore, they are all dug in there like ticks. I don't think we could break them out if we tried…" he turns, looking at the three pods and the people sleeping in them "For now, all we can do is wait."
(3rd persons POV)
The conversation had been going in repeat for the last four minutes. Eytukan was less than pleased at the results.
"How did you get past our guards." he growls the hard slap echoed around the room, causing Mo'at's head to twitch upstairs.
The younger woman was on her knees, blood dribbling from her lips. Yet no matter what they did, she kept repeating the same lines.
"Please, I just need the antidote..."
A firm hand grasps her throat "Answer the question demon!"
"Please…" she gasps "my brother is dying."
Upstairs Tiali notices Mo'at's fingers twitching "My Tsahik?"
"Why would we help him!" Tsu'tey growls
"Because he's not bad! He's kind, he cares for the forest and the Omatikaya!"
"Do not lie!"
She buckled forward from another hit to the stomach. They let her fall, coughing up more blood. Mo'at's face scrunches.
"I'm not! Please... I wouldn't come here if I had another choice... I know you hate us and you have every right!"
A hard fist hits Sophia's face, causing Mo'at's head to snap to the left blood splatters across the bed. Both Mo'at and Sophia cry out when a hard kick hits the girls side, her thinner body sliding across the floor.
"My Tsahik!" he stands "Hey! Get them to Stop!" he signals a few others around him "Whatever they are doing down there make them stop!"
When a loud roar rips through home tree Mo'at gasps awake.
(Sophia's POV)
My vision spins as a hand grabs my que, yanking my aching body off the floor. A sharp knife kisses my flesh, angry breathing in my ear.
"We will never help you alien scum... Now you die…. For Sylwanin…" Tsu'tey hisses
I feel the burn of the cut when a familiar roar rips through the room. Screams rip through the room as a black form tackled my attacker. I hit the ground, watching the blurry outline of two figures. I hear the war cries of the other hunters, bodies dashing around the room as my vision begins to clear.
"Manova…" I whisper, coughing blood onto the ground.
Tsu'tey scrambles for his knife, Manova scratches it away, her claws inches from his face. They struggle, her larger frame kicking him across the room before spinning. As the group of hunters draw their bows I force myself up.
"MANOVA!" Her yellow eyes flicker to me "STOP!" I wince, trying to force myself up "Please…"
I fall, face lying on the ground. her body circled around me in a protective motion. Had I been looking I would have noticed the arrows turn to us, confusion on everyone's faces as they glance between Eytukan and Tsu'tey.
Manova shakes her tendrils towards me, using her teeth to force an link "We need to leave."
"I can't without the medicine."
"You foolish child! You won't get the medicine. They want to kill you!" she snarls back
"ENOUGH!" A feminine voice yells and I feel that pulse "What is the meaning of this?"
Despite the tense situation I cant help but stare, the queen looks back at me.
"Mother, you should not be up!" a younger woman says, clear worry in her tone. Mother? This must be Neytiri then.
"I'm fine my child." She places a hand on her face
"Mo'at," Eytukan whispers, I watch the two of them touch, so much love and trust between them "You had me worried, my heart."
She smiles softly "I'm alright, I'm here." her eyes flicker to me "People of the Omatikaya clan, hear my words. I know you are scared, but you can not kill her."
"Why? I have said no dream-walker could come here." Eytukan sighs
"There has been a sign." She hisses back "My visions, they were always just out if my reach. Hard to read but they pointed me towards the east." Her eyes flicker to me "let her come to me."
Manova lets out a low growl, her tail flicking around me in a show of dominance. I lift a hand, gently brushing her head. Those eyes flicker to me.
"It's alright Manova. I don't think she'll hurt me."
Her eyes flicker to the others, another growl leaving her lips
"It's not her I'm worried about."
I watch the hunters tense, arrows still drawn and pointed at us.
"I will come, just promise you're people won't hurt Manova."
The male that tried to kill me snorts "You're making demands here?"
"Tsu'tey!" the chief hisses "You're Tsahik has given an order!"
"Tsu'tey." her voice was firm, like an annoyed parent "Let her come to me."
I see his eyes flicker to me, anger boiling in the yellow orbs, so much that Manova lets out another growl, her claws digging into the ground. Three seconds pass before his hands lift, two fingers flicking in the air. Moments later all the arrows drop.
Wincing at my tender stomach and I force myself to my feet with Manova's help. Each step drew more guards and I spare a second to look at the small army behind me.
She does a slow spin around me, touching my hair, my arms, lower back while tutting in disappointment as she sends her mate a disapproving look. I cant stop the shiver that runs through me, Icy claws scraping down my back and my eyes find hers. There was something about her, this uncontrollable energy that drew me too her, made me feel connected to her. Her left hand lifts ghosting over my arm and I can't help but lift mine, my hand followed hers like it was second nature. To the left, right, in a small circle before coming together.
"Who are you child?"
"My name is Sophia."
"Why have you come here?"
"Because my brother was stung by a Zi'nag and I need the antidote to save his life."
"Where did you learn our language?"
"With the dream-walkers." I follow her eyes.
"Are you a sky person?"
"Sort of."
"Sort of?"
"I was born here on Pandora." She lifts my chin, looking down my face "I care about the forest and the people in it, but I also care about the sky people."
"That is why…" she trails off. Her hand lifts moments later, fingers snapping together loudly "Bring me the items for the trial of souls."
"What?!" Tsu'tey snaps
"Mother!" Neytiri says, glaring at me as Manova steps up beside me.
I lean on her gratefully, sitting on her long frame with a wince.
"Mo'at, you can't be serious!" Eytukan hisses.
"She is showing the signs!" Mo'at hisses back
"She is an outsider! She can not take the trail!" Tsu'tey hisses
"EYWA HAS SPOKEN!" she roars, glaring at all three "You cannot ignore the wishes of our great mother." she smacks Eytukan upside the head "Are you trying to bring destruction to our clan."
"But mother-" Neytiri tries but she lifts a hand
"It is decided." the younger woman hisses in anger "Bring me the items I require." she spins back to me, face now tense "Sophia, you show signs you are gifted by Eywa. As you know everything in life has balance. If you pass this test, we will save your brother." she circles around me slowly "But be warned, should you fail, you will die." Three sets of eyes turn to me "Are you willing to take the test?"
Read and Review, peace.