Unity

Chapter 12: 1 hour

"I can't lose you." 

"You won't, I wouldn't let biggest gorges and oceans keep me away from you, understand?"

Kolanan nodded, taking his hand.

But before they could keep moving Jake slapped their hands apart, "Try not to do that when you're convincing people you find one another barely tolerable."

Kolanan looked at the floor, she felt incredibly embarrassed and guilty, she was the reason Neteyam was arguing with his family, no wonder Jake and Neytiri hate her, but especially Jake. To them, she was just a big mistake, a terrible decision that ruined Neteyam's life and his relationship with them.

But she shoved these thoughts down, focusing on creating a lie so great she herself would believe it.

.

.

.

.

"WE FOUND THEM, THEY WERE IN THE FOREST." Neteyam had cut himself on the arm to make their story more believable.

"I wanted to go to the forest, I was missing my home, Kolanan warned me not to go by myself but I didn't listen, when the storm started she came to get me, I had fallen down a waterfall and cut my arm on a rock." Neteyam spoke with confidence

"I didn't want the next chief of the Omaticaya to die on my watch, so I went to go get him." Kolanan shrugged, her tone laid back to try and deescalate the situation and make people believe it wasn't a big deal.

And the clans did believe it.

But Kokoam didn't.

He himself made up a lie.

"Daughter, I have decided to have you and Matembo wedded tonight, right now at the Spirit Tree in the village, his concern for you and the leadership he has shown in looking for you has fully convinced me this is the only man worthy of marrying this clan's strongest warrior. There is no point in waiting, we must celebrate your love as soon as possible." He fake smiled, everyone's jaws dropped, but the rest of the clans began cheering at the thought of a wedding, Matembo (although shocked himself) grinned at the compliments and began walking over to Kolanan.

"I mean it is very obvious the two of you are in love, I have been watching your promenades of the mountains and you seem to get along perfectly." Her father pushed further.

Kolanan felt like she was about to be sick, the cheers of the crowd, Matembo pulling her into his embrace, it all went over her head, she could feel the bile rising in her throat.

No no no no no.

Neteyam, her first instinct was to look at him but she had to uphold their lie and find a way out of this, so she held firm, falling into the role she has been playing for the last few weeks during her time with Matembo.

But Kokoam knew his daughter too well, he knew she wouldn't be the weak link in the lie, it was the Sully child he was watching, and the boy was livid.

Kokoam watched as Neteyam's eyes burned the hand on Kolanan's waist, he saw the clenching of his jaw, the cracking of the knuckles, all these subtlties no one else saw, but he did, the question wasn't if the Omaticaya boy would break, it's when he will break.

"Perfect! It looks like everyone is happy with the plan." Kokoam smiled, his eyes now turned to the crowd. "To the tree everyone!"

"Father, I don't feel to well after being out in the storm, may we wait until morning?"

"Nonsense, trust me when I say all your sickness will be forgotten in a few minutes to come." Kokoam patted her on the back and left to guide the crowd.

Kolanan looked at the Sully family, the siblings were distraught and clearly panicked, but when she looked at Jake, she met his eyes immediately, and she found something she didn't think she would, love, not the romantic kind of course, but he saw care and affection, his eyes were comforting her, telling her it would be ok, they would find a way out of this.

Matembo dragged her further into the crowd, allowing her to only catch a fleeting glimpse of Neteyam.

The Tree of Spirits was towering and beautiful, it glowed deep purples and blues, but instead of bringing her peace, the tree sparked nothing but fear.

"TODAY MY DEAR PEOPLE, WE WITNESS THE MATING OF MY DAUGHTER, THE GREAT WARRIOR KOLANAN KANAKO WITH THE BEST OPTION OUR MEN HAVE TO OFFER, MATEMBO S'UTEYAN." The collection of tribes cheered for what they thought was a beautiful union of two souls.

Kolanan's breath quickened, her heart dropped to her stomach, that acidic nervous feeling bubbling inside her.

Matembo took her hands, kneeling in front of the tree with her, and she just sat helpless.

The noise of the crowd died down as Matembo took out his queue, but Kolanan was too zoned out to realise.

"Kolanan." He whispered, grabbing her attention, she turned to face him, her throat drying out as he reached behind her taking her queue.

It happened so fast, she turned her head to look at Neteyam only to find he wasn't there.

She turned her head back to see Neteyam tackling Matembo, throwing him to the side before crouching in front of Kolanan dagger held in front of him, hissing violently at the now angry Kanako warrior.

"WHAT IS THIS DEMON BOY, YOU DARE INSULT BOTH KOLANAN AND I, INTERRUPTING OUR CEREMONY?" The dumbass was clearly still oblivious.

"I knew it." Kokoam said, sneering at the couple, Neteyam turned to face him, a guttaral growl coming from the back of his throat.

"Warriors, seize this boy and take him to the peak, Chief Sully, your son has greatly offended our tribe." The tribes elicited gasps as a group of soldiers approached Neteyam, the Omaticaya boy put up a good fight knocking the first groups down at first, but they swarmed him all at once, pinning him to the ground as they bound him.

"Neteyam!" Kolanan called for him, drawing her own dagger, staring at the soldiers, the crowds murmured with confusion. "Let him go. Don't make me kill you."

"Bind her too and take her to her house, lock her in." 

"FATHER NO! DO NOT TO DO THIS." She begged as Neteyam was picked up, his struggles being futile, the Sully family was soon bound too as they tried to protect the eldest son.

Kolanan tried her best to get to him, but there were too many, they blocked her again and again, there were too many.

The Omaticaya and Metakayina had now begun to get rowdy, protesting at the treatment of their leaders.

Even some of the Kanako people turned to question Kokoam, "UNFORTUNATELY I BEAR TERRIBLE NEWS, DESPITE BEING AWARE OF HER BETROTHAL TO THE MIGHT MATEMBO, NETEYAM, SON OF JAKE SULLY, HAS PURSUED A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH MY DAUGHTER AND AS IT APPEARS, HAS ALSO MATED WITH HER." Gasps came from the Na'vi people, many had seen Neteyam as a good man and an even better warrior, they were confused at this villainous image Kokoam had painted. "AS A RESULT, NETEYAM TE SULI TSYEYK'ITAN WILL BE EXECUTED BY SUNRISE."

"NO! FATHER I BEG OF YOU." Kolanan tugged at her restraints, still pinned to the floor, Kokoam walked to his daughter, kneeling down and grabbing her face, "you have brought this upon yourselves daughter, you knew what I would do when I found out, and you knew me finding out was inevitable, I had my suspicions of that boy from the beginning, count yourself lucky I don't make you watch. You have brought shame to this family and to this tribe, if Matembo will not mate with you now, consider yourself banished." He forcefully pushed her head to the ground, disgusted by his child.

"Take her away." Kokoam order the guards, they lifted her, and she thrashed and thrashed and kicked, but it was useless. She felt useless. It was only an hour until sunrise. 

One hour.

She had one hour.