bound | jake sully

CHAPTER 030 : payakan

"We have to hunt Quaritch down. Trap him, kill him." My breathing pick up as I grow more frustrated.

Why us? Why our family?

"We have to be smart. If we hit Quaritch, there gonna know where we are and then there gonna come here with everything they've got." Jake puts a hand on my bent knee.

"Then what's our plan?"

"You disappoint me, daughter." I hear Tonowari scold. I nudge Jake and we quickly walk over as we see our kids also standing around.

"You, son of great warriors, have been taught better." Tonowari points at Lo'ak.

"Payakan saved my life, sir. You don't know him."

I almost gasp at Lo'ak's disrespect towards Tonowari.

"Sit... Sit down!" All the children drop to the floor at his order. "Hear my words boy, in the days of the first songs Tulkun fought amongst themselves for territory, and for revenge. But they came to believe that killing, no matter how justified, only brings more killing. So killing was forbidden. That is the Tulkun way.-"

I share a look with Ronal and she gives me a look that says 'your son did something he shouldn't'.

"-Payakan is a killer. So he's outcast." Tonowari tries to explain kindly.

"I'm sorry, sir. But your wrong." My eyes widen in shock at Lo'ak.

"Lo'ak! You do not speak to Tonowari like that-"

"I know-"

"That's enough!" Jake interrupts Lo'ak lame apology. We all wait to see what he says next.

Lo'ak shakes his head. "I know what I know."

My jaw drops. Ronal scowls. I look at Jake pleadingly and he grabs Lo'ak by the arm.

"That's enough. We'll deal with this one." Jake pulls him away and I give the best apologetic look I can to Tonowari and Ronal.

Later that day, a few scouts spotted a large strange creature with bright orange fins floating in the water.

Tonowari, Ronal, Jake, myself and a few hunters said that we'd scope it out.

As we get closer we see that it's no strange creature at all.

It's Ronal's spirit sister and her calf. They had been killed.

The so called 'orange fins' were just big balloons that had been blown up.

All that can be heard was Ronal's strangled cries of her loved ones.

"Her name, is Roa." Tonowari frowns.

"She was my spirit sister. She was the composer of songs. We would sing together, she waited many breeding cycles to have this calf. The clan was so happy for her. What is this Tonowari? What is this?!"

I look down at my hands as I remember the loss of Lyd, Neytiri...my mother.

I beeping sound attracts my attention and we spot a bright red tracker, it takes both Jake and I to pull it out. We decide to bring it back with us to show the people what it means.

We obviously checked if it was still tracking.

Which it wasn't.

"My Spirit Sister and her baby have been murdered by the Sky People!" Ronal shouts to the Metkayina who surround us.

"This war has come to us! We knew about this hunting of our Tulkun people but it was over the horizon! Far away! Now it is here!" The People around us all shout war cries and hiss.

Jake runs forward before it could get more out of hand. "You've gotta understand how the Sky People think! They don't care about the great balance!"

"Listen! Listen to him!" Neteyam urges.

"The Sky People are not gonna stop. This is only the beginning, you've gotta tell your Tulkun to leave! Tell them to go far away!"

"Leave? You live among us yet you learn nothing." Ronal grasps at her heart.

"No! No, if you attack, if you fight, they will destroy you! They will destroy everything that you love!" People start yelling over Jake so I grab the tracker and hold it high into the air for everyone to see.

"Hear my words!" I shout. "You tell the Tulkun, that if they're hit by one of these, they're marked for death. Call for us, we'll silence it. Saving their lives, that all that matters, right? Saving your family." I look to Jake and he nods approvingly at me.

Silence hangs over us all. Tonowari finally gives in. "Tell the Tulkun! Go!"

I follow Jake as he walks away. "We have to fight, Jake. My Jake, I will not stand and do nothing!" He stops me.

"It's a trap, they want us to hit back. They're not hunting Tulkun, they're hunting us."

"Jake! I can't find the kids! No one has seen them either-"

"Dad! Mum come in! A Tulkun is under attack! There are killer ships in bound. We're two clicks out." I gasp and turn to my mate.

"Whose with you?!" Jake asks.

"It's all of us! Aonung is here too! We're by the three brothers rocks!" I cover my mouth with my hand.

"Get to cover, you do not engage, I repeat do not engage we're coming!"

"Hurry!"

"Go warn Tonowari and Ronal! I'll meet you out there, I love you Jake!"

"And I love you, always." He gives me one last look before he rushes away.

With that I let out a loud call for Tiri. Within seconds she's perched at my feet waiting for me to chump on.

Below me I see Jake on his Tsurak and I scream out another loud war cry while holding my bow in the air.

As we approach the Spy Peoples ship, Jake signals me to hide behind one of the three brothers rocks.

"They've got our kids, Tsireya, Tuk and Lo'ak." Jake says through the comms. I resist the urge to kill the vile demon standing over my Lo'ak.

"Hey Jake? Where's Mrs Sully? I'd like to see her pretty face while I kill you and your kids, right in front of her. Tell your people to stand down. You know better than to test my resolve." I watch from far away as Quaritch pulls a gun out and hold it's against my youngest sons head.

I hear Jake scowl through the comms.

"I took you under my wind Jake, you betrayed me. You killed your own, good men, good women, I will not hesitate to execute your kid."

"Just wait-" A long pause comes from Hakes end.

"Your offers about to expire, what's it gonna be?" Quaritch asks through Lo'ak's piece.

"Hold your fire, I'm coming out."