They held us in the rain. Jake and Neytiri will be here soon, hopefully...probably. I was getting tired of my hair getting pulled and it was causing an ache to my head where my injury lay. Stuck in a timeframe of anxiety, Neytiri made her call. We all nodded to each other. Kiri started praying to Euwa and the guy grabbing her snapped " Shut Up!"
Then there was an arrow through his head, that's when everything went crazy.
We were pushed to the floor as everyone shot at the trees.
Using the destraction that Neytiri caused, we bit the arms still holding us. Then there was this green fog all around us, we did the only thing we could do. We ran.
Spider grabbed Kiri, and Lo'ak grabbed Tuk. I ran behind to make sure that Tuk was safe. If she fell I would be there to pick her up, we didn't have time to stop. Not when these things had guns. Many warriors had fallen because of them. Warriors who have spent their life fighting, one hit from those and they were gone.
" TUK GO" I held my hand behind her back as she slipped, Lo'ak looking back at me as we lost sight of Kiri and Spider.
I shook my head at him, for us to get out of here, we needed to believe that they were okay and just using another way. Gunfire was suddenly aimed at us.
" Shit!"
I picked Tuk up and pulled Lo'ak down behind a fallen tree for a cover.
Tuk was crying, and my heart ached for her.
" Tuk.:
She cried into my shoulder, " Heyyy heyyy." I soothed pushing her hair back
" Your so strong, Tuk. So strong. I need you to be strong for me right now. Can you do that for me?"
She nodded her head. I smiled, " Good"
I turned to Lo'ak, who was already looking at me with a warning, " We aren't leaving without you."
" Take Tuk and go, I'll go in the opposite direction, so that they aim fire away from you."
" No way." He shook his head.
" Lo'ak please for once listen to me."
" I am not leaving you behind Riti. We don't leave family behind."
" And as my family it's my responsibility to get you back unharmed." I rested my hand on his arm. " I will be okay."
" You better be or Neteyam will kill me."
I smiled at that and passed Tuk to him, she clung to me " No, Riri don't leave."
I kissed her head, " Strong remember?"
She nodded, "strong."
I looked back to Lo'ak, " On my go."
I pointed in the direction he needed to go in. He nodded hesitantly.
I crawled to the other side of the log, when the shots lessened probably to put more mags in I nodded "go."
" Hey ASSHATS!" I yelled, and ran in the opposite direction. I ducked behind a tree when the gunshots rang out again.
" You got this Riti. Your fast, it's just like running from an angry Manticore."
I closed my eyes, and breathed out slowly.
I crawled in the dirt, camouflaging into the floor. They were still shooting at the tree I was hiding behind, I heard an explosion go off nearby, I refuse to think that Lo'ak and Tuk could be injured.
I threw a rock in the opposite direction and they aimed their fire towards the noise.
They started walking, Shit. I crawled on all fours making sure to tread lightly.
I heard a loud thump and I peered up. It was Spider.
The Skwanxg fell off a tree.
I had to get to him, but they were coming. I ran to him, " Get up, spider Get the hell up." I tried to pull on his arms.
I panicked as I heard them get closer, "Get out of here Riti."
" No, I can't leave you." I don't leave people behind.
" I'm not Navi , they'll kill you on spot." He rasped out
" Kiri, will never forgive me." I insisted, pulling his body but he was heavy and there wasn't any time.I had barley made it a foot away from where he fell.
" Go Riti, GO!" He pushed my hands off his arms.
I looked at his ugly ass one last time and nodded reluctantly.
"Be safe loser."
Then I ran. They had to be close, they wouldn't leave without me...right? No Neteyam wouldn't let them, maybe he would when he found out that I left Spider. God Kiri is going to be so mad at me. I was so distracted that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. A fatal mistake
There was a gun placed to my head. Again. I stopped breathing. Was this how I was going to die?
He tried to pull the trigger but he was out of ammo.
This was my moment , I grabbed the dagger that was strapped to his thigh and stabbed him in the throat. Blood splattered my face, my hands, my body.
I hissed, baring my teeth in his dying face. I watched the light leave his eyes.
There was always more and more. The more they stayed alive the more they were going to kill, they were going to ruin everything in their path. There was no such thing as peace with these demons. Only death. I wouldn't let my family be one of the many to fall.
Blending in with the trees on high alert. I had killed someone, the only time I had ever killed anything was when it was for my survival. I had murdered someone. I would probably do it again. How could I ever look Tuk in the face? Neteyam? I hunted, on constant alert to see if anyone else was there. If there was one there was more, they were invasive.
Pov 3rd person:
" Where the hell is Riti?" Neteyam looked around.
" She told us to go while she distracted them." Lo'aks ears went back in concern
"She saved us ." Tuk said still embraced by Jakes arms
" You left her?" He hissed his eyes alive with fury.
"They got Spider so what if they got Riti?" Kiri said tears rolling down her face
" No way, They would kill her on spot." Lo'ak said
Neteyam hissed again, " She's not dead." He anxiously rubbed his neck.
" I didn't say she was." Lo'ak raised his hands submissively.
Neteyams eyes flickered the tree's searching for his best friend. Jaw clenched so hard it could cut grass.
" Riti is a tough kid, just like Spider." Jake said but he clenched his fist, he knew that if they caught her she would be dead. They didn't need two intel especially when one was Navi.
"She wasn't captured, we would have seen it." Neytiri placed a hand on Neteyams shoulder. Thats how they knew spider was captured, because they brought him up into the demon ship.
" I'm going to look for her." Neteyam started walking to the woods
" I'll help" Kiri said, Lo'ak and Tuk agreed.
Jake shook his head, but before he could say anything Neteyam grounded " She is family."
Neytiri looked at Jake and nodded, "Common MaJake."
" okay okay fine but-"
There was a sound in the trees, they all drew back thinking it was another threat.
They weren't wrong, it just wasn't the threat they were expecting.
" Riti?" Neteyam asked hopefully. He dropped his bow and arrow and ran to her.
But Riti wasn't in her right mind. She was in survival mode, she was the hunter and anyone who came across her path was the prey.
Neteyam was caught off guard when he was suddenly under her with a dagger to his throat. There was his best friend. Orange eyes glowing, Hair dripping in front of her face looking midnight blue in the light, the face he thought was beautiful, was full of rage, and blood. Blood was splattered. Even under her knife he felt concern for her safety.
" NETEYAM!"
His family didn't know what to do. They could shoot an arrow at her and get her off of him but they didn't want to. They knew she cared deeply about Neteyam, she just wasn't in her right mind.
" Riti." Jake stepped forward but She hissed, her eyes wild.
Feral.
" Dad its fine." Neteyam said but winced when she pushed harder on the knife drawing blood.
" Ma Jake." Neytiri recognized her rage. She felt it when the sky people came and ruined everything she's ever known.
" Okay, okay."
" Riti." He tried,
She snarled in his face.
" Riti, it's me."
She hesitated, orange eyes staring into his yellow ones.
He raised his hands hesitantly, brushing the blood off of her cheeks. Caressing them, she froze.
"It's me Riti, It's Neteyam. Come back to me." He whispered.
" Neteyam." She whispered back, and he saw when she came back.
He relaxed as she removed her knife quickly. Throwing it away from her in disgust at her actions.
" I'm so sorry Netty."
"Second time you've almost killed me Ri, I would say it's a record."
He ignored her body still on his. He examined her face and noticed a split lip and a bruise.
" What happened to your face?" He stepped in front of her and touched her lip with his thumb. If you had listened close enough you could hear Riti's breath catching.
"I'm fine Netty."
" Obviously you weren't." They stared into each other eyes, relieved that the other was okay.
" Are we interrupting something?" Jake asked, as everyone snickered.
" No."
She hurriedly got up clearing her throat. Neteyam got up with a smirk and a blush on his face.
He ignored the directed looks that were aimed at him.
" What happened Riti?" Neytiri examined every inch of Riti making sure the blood on her body was not hers.
She looked down ashamed, " don't ever make me do that ever again." Lo'ak croaked.
She tried to smile " Aww were you worried about me?"
" I wasn't." He exclaimed
" Sureeeee."
Neteyam shook his head at her, upset by her actions too.
Tuk shouted, " Riti Your okay!"
She jumped into Riti's arms, and she smiled, " You were so strong. My little Ftia fko."
Tuk nodded fast. Everyone watched on with a smile, " Are you hurt anywhere?"
Kiri asked Riti concern all over her face.
" I'm sorry Kiri."
" for what."
" Spider. He was with me."
Everyone held their breath. Riti placed Tuk down and casted her eyes down.
" I tried to drag him with me, they where close. Too close. He told me to leave him."
She clenched her jaw, not looking at anyone, too ashamed and not wanting to see the disappointment on their faces.
" He told me that they'd keep him alive because he isn't Na'vi. He said they would kill me."
Her voice cracked. " I left him." Tears started streaming through her eyes.
" I was trying to find Lo'ak and Tuk. And I was attacked " Her eyes got lost in memory, and she held herself.
Kiri wrapped her into a hug, " It's okay I don't blame you.It's okay." She cried into her chest and everyone joined in on the hug. The horror that they could have lost Riti was apparent to everyone but Neteyam more so.
"We're going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay" Jake whispered, as he was the person holding them all in his arms.