𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 ˚𖦹° ᴀᴏɴᴜɴɢ x ᴏᴄ

Chapter 11.

"Koy! Come on!"

I feel the tug on my arm before I really start to see. I open my eyes to a haze of sunlight and a face ridiculously close to my own. 

"What, Neteyam?"

"Tonowari wants to see me. To show me something about warriors, and I thought you might want to come," my brother says, tugging on my arm.

Reluctantly I allow him to pull me up, and we walk out of the hut and along the beach. I see the crowd of Metkayina, and sense the suspicious and amused glances they shoot at my brother and I as we approach.

"What is this?" I whisper to Neteyam, so the others can't hear. 

Everyone is gathered around what I had thought was beach, but as we draw closer I realise it isn't. A massive stone area lays half across the sand and half in the forest, shelftered from the wind but also recieving plenty of warm sunshine. It's massive, enough for the whole village to stand in, and smaller shapes are carved into the colossal stone, some circles and illustrated barriers. Like an arena.

"This is where warriors train-" Neteyam is cut off as Tonowari approaches.

"Welcome, children of Jake Sully. Your father tells me you are warriors, and we thought it may be a good idea for you to trial the ways of a Metkayina warrior."

Neteyam and I glance at each other. All eyes are on us now, the only two forest na'vi in a crowd of about forty. I scowl at all the glances, and several look away. The only familiar faces are Aonung and his friends, and they hardly bring any comfort.

"A Metkayinan warrior uses a spear and rides a tsurak, or a skimwing."

"Human idiots," someone scoffs at the english term, and I scowl even fiercer. I hear the several giggles, and I curl my hands into fists so my fourth finger is hidden. Tonowari frowns as well, and the giggles are silenced.

"You will train in our ways, but first we will observe your fighting customs, and see how you should adjust."

"Who do I fight then," I say, and I hear chuckles and oohs from the crowd at my fervour. I look at Neteyam, who shakes his head quickly.

"Is the forest boy scared to fight his little sister," I hear a voice say from behind me, and I realise it's one of Aonung's weird, goofy-looking friends.

"Is fish-lips scared to get beat up by a little girl again?" I retort amusedly, and his smile dies quickly.

"Is there a volunteer?" Tonowari offers instead, gazing around at the smirking, watchful crowd. Several hands go up, followed by some laughter, and Tonowari selects a boy to come forward. 

He is about half a head taller than me, much broader and stronger than I am, and not because of his Metkayina build. I study him as he approaches, my eyes roaming from the way hsi shoulders are held and the way his tail moves behind him.

Confident. Assured. Probably a good fighter, because everyone seems very amused. His ankle looks a little weak; he walks with a slight list to the right. Doesn't look very flexible or nimble.

I end my analysis as Tonowari clears his throat.

"Zei'ke and Akoya will fight. Both use whichever techniques necessary. Akoya, use your natural style, and we'll see how to build on it."

He backs away, and I realise I'm already positioned in a carved circle as Zei'ke steps in as well. He is very broad and tall and admittedly good looking as he smirks down at me. I return the grin, flicking my hair back and correcting my stance. Everyone falls a little quiet as he approaches in the circle, which is around my height and a half in diametre.