Avatar: Riders Of The Leviathan (Neteyam x OC)

Chapter 12

In the dim light of the flickering campfire, Pita found herself in the middle of what was left of the Vyrazan council. The air was thick with tension and grief, the council's once formidable presence now reduced to a mere shadow of its former glory.

Taím of the Eylanar sat with a somber expression. Kielwì, stoic and resolute, was there too serve as Pita's council, alongside Na'me, who sat by Pita, reluctantly filling his father's role as Yerikaya, "Shadow of the Commander". Then, there were the four elders – Teyluan, Kiriya, Sylwanin, and Neyhani. The other three elders were dead...murdered, now martyrs.

The clamor around Pita swelled like a rising tide, voices clashing and colliding, creating a cacophony that drowned out coherent thought. Her mind, however, was elsewhere, trapped in a haunting loop. Rayon's gunshot echoed endlessly in her ears, the image of Kael's lifeless fall replaying relentlessly before her. The world around her blurred into insignificance, their words nothing but distant hums against the vividness of her grief.

Suddenly, reality snapped back with Kielwì's voice cutting through the fog of her thoughts.

"Pita?" His tone was tinged with concern.

She jerked back, startled. The council's eyes were fixed on her, awaiting a response she hadn't prepared for.

"What?" Her voice was a mix of confusion and irritation.

"Did you hear what Taím asked?" Kielwì's words were gentle, trying to guide her back to the present.

Pita's gaze shifted to Taím, who, for the first time, looked at her not with the usual stoic detachment but with concern. It ignited something within her – a burning resentment. She didn't want her pity, not now, not ever.

"No. What did you say?" Her words were sharp, a defensive shield against the unwelcome sympathy.

Taím's expression remained unchanged, "I asked... how you would like to proceed, Pita. You are Olo'eyktan, after all."

The tension in the council chamber was palpable, thick enough to slice through with the sharpest of Na'vi blades. Taím's words hung in the air, a bold challenge to the very fabric of their tradition.

"That decision has not been formally made," Neyhani asserted.

"Ekrali made his decision in his final moments." Taím retorted back sharply.

"A decision he made when he was almost dead!"" Neyhani shot back.

Kielwì's warning voice cut through the escalating tension. "Neyhani! Watch your tongue."

Pita, her fists clenched in barely contained fury, felt the heat of her anger coursing through her veins. Na'me placed a soothing hand on her bruised shoulder, which she aggressively shrugged off. His eyes widened, hurt.

Neyhani, undeterred, continued, "I speak only the truth. I am sorry Pita, but it is unheard of! Someone being both Layonton and Olo'eytan. It's not possible to fufill both roles."

"Then we must appoint a new Layontan." Kiriya said. Pita's heat dropped. No. She's been wanting this all her life. Anything but that.

"No! Our home, our people...is on the verge of being completely destroyed. We need a leader now! The only other person that could fufill the role was...would have been Kael. But he is dead." 

Taím paused. Her eyes locked with Pita's, a silent acknowledgment of their shared loss. Pita, unable to bear the weight of her gaze, looked away.

Teyluan turned to Pita. "Pita. What is your decree? The decision rests on you."

The weight of every gaze in the room pressed heavily on Pita, their expectancy a tangible force that seemed to squeeze the air from her lungs. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, a relentless drum echoing the gravity of the moment. The future of the Vyrazan clan, their hopes, their fears, their survival – all seemed to hang precariously on the edge of her decision.