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17.0

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ONE YEAR LATER

"Bro, we have got to get down there!" Lo'ak yelled to Neteyam who were both scouting a raid against the Sky People.

"No way! Dad would skin us!" The older child refused, not wanting to get into trouble on behalf of his brother.

"C'mon, don't be a wuss." The younger boy then flew down to the ground, resulting in his older brother to follow reluctantly.

Cely was currently flying alongside Neytiri, who had taken her under her wing over the last year. The older Na'vi saw potential in the younger girl, so she promised to teach her everything she knew.

Jake and Tsu'tey were on the ground, coordinating the forces to raid all of the weapons. Everything was going smooth until the Olo'ektan spotted two certain scouters... on the ground.

But before Jake could do anything, the humans had sent reinforcements. His attention shifted for only a few seconds to instruct everyone to drop back, but by then the enemy had already struck the ground with several blazing shots.

After his ears stopped ringing and his vision cleared, Jake ran after where he saw his sons last. Finding Lo'ak, he made sure he was ok before sending him back. Jake's heart stopped seeing the body of a Na'vi, but quickly realized it wasn't his eldest son.

Finally finding Neteyam, he silently thanked the Great Mother and carried him back to the Omaticaya camp.

During the year that the Sky People returned, the Omaticaya clan had to flee the ground forest Village and take cover in the new camp located in the Hallelujah Mountains. Not many were keen on the idea, but they knew the quicker they got rid of the sky people the quicker they could return to their previous Village.

Cely and Neytiri had taken down the enemy airship after it fired its first few shots. Working together, the two women warriors were a effective and skillful team.

After a seemingly successful raid, the two women shouted in the air and flew back to join everyone else back at camp.

"You did great, Cely. Your aim and focus was sharp, but you need to remember not to get too close. Distance is key as well." Neytiri spoke with the younger girl about her part in the raid.

Cely drank in every word, knowing she had Pandora's greatest huntress as her mentor. "Yes, of course Neytiri. Thank you."

As the two concluded their talk, their attention was brought to a nearby scolding.

"You're supposed to keep an eye out for bogeys— from a distance!" Jake didn't hold back his frustrations onto his two sons who apparently didn't obey their fathers rules.

Cely shook her hold, unsurprised about the outcome of their consequences. Neteyam made eye contact with the girl and grimaced, slightly embarrassed that he was getting yelled at.

Not wanting to intrude on their conversation any longer, Cely went to visit Kiri and Tuk in their grandmothers healing hut.

Tuk was the first to notice her presence, "Cely! I missed you!" She jumped into her friends arms, squeezing a hug out of her.

Cely laughed, "I missed you more, Little Tuk. Are you in here learning?" She motioned towards the Tsahik teaching Kiri— maybe even the other way around.

Tuk pouted and crossed her arms. "No, I wanted to check on my brothers but dad said no! He's so grumpy today."

Cely nodded, "Well once your brothers stop getting into trouble, your dad might be less grumpy."

"Yeah. My brothers are stupid heads." Tuk nonchalantly said, which Cely had to hold back her laughter.

"No, no, Tuk. We don't say that." Cely tried to tell the girl, but she was already skipping around chanting, "Stupid head! Stupid head!"

Hopefully neither of the little girls parents would find out what she just let their sweet Tuk say.

Kiri came to look over Cely after Tuk left, checking for any injuries. "How did it go scouting with my mother?" The younger girl asked.

Smiling, she replied, "Great. I'm so lucky to be learning from her. And you, how is learning the ways of a healer?"

Kiri rolled her eyes. "Could be worse things to do."

"I heard that!" Mo'at shouted from the other side of the tent, making the girls giggle.

After a few minutes, Neteyam, Spider and Lo'ak appeared. Cely learned the two boys had been on the ground during the raid, thus their fathers colorful talk.

"Ouch! Ouch!" The eldest Sully boy winced as his grandmother worked on his cuts. Spider began teasing him with Lo'ak instigating.

Cely sat by Neteyam, hand resting on his knee for comfort. Now knowing how serious the position he was in, she felt lucky he was alright.

"You okay?" She asked quietly, making sure no one else could hear. He looked up to her, shrugging and nodded. "Always am."

Cely didn't like that answer, knowing his fathers words meant a lot to him. So she put off questioning him further for now, instead reaching to hold his hand.

"Gross, you two can't go five minutes without being all lovey." Lo'ak scrunched his nose at the sight of his brother and friend being very cozy.

Cely lightly hissed back. "And you can't go five minutes without getting your ass grounded."

"Language!" Their grandmother shouted. Cely's ears flattened for a second, feeling remorse before looking back at Lo'ak's smirking face.

Spider spoke up this time, "She kind of got you there, bro. Didn't you just get in trouble?"

"Seriously? You're taking her side? I thought you were scared of her—"

"I'm not! I'm totally not. I'm just saying..." Spider wouldn't make eye contact with Cely, worried she'd sense his fear.

"Well don't. Besides, we should go. Clearly we're not wanted here." Lo'ak sighed dramatically, before making Spider leave the hut with him.

"You know, maybe you should start being a little nicer to Spider." Neteyam told Cely, now being the only two left in the tent.

She narrowed her eyes at his comment. "And why should I?"

"He's actually pretty nice once you get to know him. If you gave him a chance—"

She shook her head. "No. And I'm not changing my mind. He's a Sky Person and always will be."

"Cely..." The boy tried to reason once more, clearly losing this argument already.

"I said no!" She abruptly dropped his hand and stood, leaving the tent. He hurried after her.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, tìyawn." Neteyam caught up to the girl, turning her around to face him.

"You can't make me like him. But... I don't hate him." Cely sighed, not wanting to argue with the boy.

A smile crept up onto his face. "You don't?"

"Shut up." She instantly said before he could say anything else on the matter.

Taking the slight win, Neteyam smirked as his hand went to rest on the girls neck. He wanted to pull her in for a kiss, but a voice broke them apart.

"Neteyam! Come, there's much to discuss." Jake shouted from his tent, making the boy instantly pull his hand away.

Neteyam grimaced. "Sorry. Talk later?" She nodded.

"Yeah. Don't miss me too much, skxawng." She winked, leaving him to meet with his father.

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