— 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓.
Early the next morning, the rays of the sun were beaming down as the mood was lifted throughout the village, it was a calm day. Fawns ceremony was tonight and he had been up making sure everything was good, from the dragons being fed and the people having their costumes prepared.
Their plan was in operation as (Y/N) was crouched outside the Sullys home, listening as Lo'ak was explaining to Jake how urgent it was that she needed to see him. "Why does she need to see me?" Jake questioned, but already getting ready to leave and find the other. "Uhm.." Lo'ak blanked, they didn't practice this part. "She— she got hurt, badly! Yes, badly hurt. I mean, blood everywhere. Maybe not blood everywhere— but blood." (Y/N) widened her eyes to stifle a laugh before she took off to her destination, her tail wrapped around his forearm with excitement.
"You are telling me instead of (Y/N) going to get help, she wants to see me?" Jake said one last time as he backed out of their home, his eyes staring at Lo'ak but not at all picking up the awkwardness he was sharing. "Dad, yes. Gosh— I am just the messenger." Lo'ak said before he threw himself onto his bed, letting the hammock sway. "Okay, but remember n-" Lo'ak cut him off.
"No leaving the house, no going to see Tsireya, no exploring, grounded. I got it." Lo'ak said before he continued to sway. Jake gave him a small nod before he took off to find the girl. He wouldn't lie if he said he was a bit worried that she was actually hurt.
After finding her private home, he could see (Y/N) in the distance from the entrance as a smile grew on his face. As he went to take another step, he was stopped by Ay'u, Fawn and even Iwa, all who had no emotions on their face. "Iwa, are you positive?" Fawn said as they began to move Jake away from the home and back towards the village. "Yes! I told you, I heard him talking about it with your dad." He said with a hiss.
Sitting Jake down in a small area close to the village, but out of earshot, the three boys all surrounded him. "Jake." Fawn started off. "Fawn," Jake replied back "Is there a reason you have me surrounded?"
Ay'u gave Iwa a look before looking at Jake, "Iwa told us he heard you talking to my dad about the deal. To use my sister." Jake felt his breath shortened before he looked down, sighing to himself. "Look, it's not like that." Jake said trying to defend himself.
"Do you even love my sister?" Fawn asked, despite the two being at odds, he would go to war for her. "Can you look us in the face and admit you love my sister."
Jake avoided eye contact with the three, he couldn't lie to himself nor the two brothers and her best friend, he didn't know what he felt for the other; but love wasn't close. He cared deeply for her, he liked her, he just didn't know what he felt in this moment. Too lost in his thoughts, Fawn lightly kicked the others foot to break his trance. "You need to tell her, you need to tell her the truth before I do it." Fawn demanded.
Jake nodded, he knew what he was doing was wrong and felt himself move to get up before shooing the three away. "Private, please." The three nodded and left.
As Jake moved back to the home, he felt himself groan as it was empty and not a single sign of (Y/N) was there.
...
"I thought you almost forgot." Lo'ak said as he saw the girl appear, food in her hands. With a toss, Lo'ak caught the food before the other spoke, immediately eating. "Your dad didn't show up, but I doubt he is going to notice for a bit. Come on."
The two walked down a path where the Dragons resided, many of them watching the two with their eyes. "I thought the dragons were leaving?" Lo'ak asked as they found Vhagar. "Not yet, Fawns ceremony is tonight and the heirs, which is us, have to watch Fawn be chosen by a dragon while we also do our sacrifices." She said as the two found Drogon and Vhagar. "Sacrifices?" Lo'ak said as the two mounted Vhagar and took off where Caraxes was.
"Yes, I guess no one really has told you." (Y/N) said as she turned to face the other, leaning back on her hands. "We sacrifice people for Eywa. Most do it on their own, other times we do it when people go against our own values of our tribe." Her tone and face had no expression, but (Y/N) loved ceremonies and being able to sacrifice people. "I picked Eyye and Aw'ita to die tonight." Her words hit Lo'ak very fast before he shook his head.
"No—no, I—" Lo'ak could feel his words tumble over each other, not wanting blood on his hands again. "I don't want that, I don't want you to kill people because of me." His words hit (Y/N) hard before he took the others hands into his own, a plea. "Please."
"Listen, Lo'ak." She started off, "Eyye and Aw'ita tried to kill you, murder you even, the rules we have here is the only time death is allowed by another is when the great mother brings it to you by her; not someone else. They broke the rules, they tried to kill you. Besides, this isn't the first incident they did something like this. My brother is their best friend, so, they get away with everything." Her words stuck with Lo'ak as he felt himself nod lightly. "I hate Eyye and Aw'ita, they tormented my friend to the point her and her family left. They are cocky kids, annoying even. So, I wouldn't mind—" She could see the other have a tense look on his face, so she went quiet.
"Doesn't matter, let's focus on now. Your first lesson will be easy, I'm going to teach you how to trust Caraxes." She said, shifting the conversation away from the tension. As the two finally arrived to where Lo'ak said Caraxes was, he immediately jumped off and greeted him, a smile on his face. "Brother!" Lo'ak said, wrapping his arms and tail around the dragons neck, who in return replied by some chirping noises.
"Vhagar and Caraxes used to be friends, best friends even." (Y/N) said as she got closer, Vhagar immediately moving over to Caraxes as the two nuzzled against one another in a hello. "Why did they stop?" Lo'ak questioned as he mounted Caraxes, (Y/N) doing the same with Vhagar. She shrugged at the question. "I am not sure, I just know Vhagar has missed him, but he can't come see him, so it's a risk."
Lo'ak nodded before he followed (Y/N) who took off into the sky. Lo'ak pressed the microphone on his neck so he could speak to (Y/N), having took Kiris ear piece for her, (Y/N) listened. "What do I do?" He asked.
(Y/N) pressed down on the microphone as well, struggling a bit but managing, "It is like flying with an Ikran, tell Caraxes where to go inside. Trust him, he knows what to do. Go to the Volcanoes." Y/N) said.
Lo'ak nodded before he took a deep breath. "Okay, buddy. Let's take this nice and easy." He said as he held onto the back of Caraxes, gently lifting himself up so he could see. Moving side to side to guide Caraxes, he felt it become easier and easier, the movements and trusting him. It was like this was second nature to him, guiding Caraxes to do a few turns and loops in the air. "You are doing it!" (Y/N) said after about twenty minutes of the two flying above the volcanoes. "Follow me!"
As he watched Vhagar and (Y/N) go higher into the air, he positioned himself to go that far up, taking his chances to be better. The higher he got up, the more he felt alive and free, like he could do anything. Breaking through the clouds, Lo'ak felt himself gasp as he could see a plethora of dragons hiding amongst their own world, some holding onto the thundering rocks of Pandora, while others were roaming around going to and from their home. "Don't worry about them being mean to Caraxes, these dragons are neutral." (Y/N) said once more through the microphone before Lo'ak nodded. The two flew for hours after that.
Lo'ak didn't want to go, he wanted to stay up here with the dragons and hide away in his own world; but he knew he needed to go back down to the real world, back to the life he didn't want for the time being. As the two landed near the grounds, Lo'ak jumped off with excitement radiating all through his body. "That was so cool! The volcanoes and the hidden world?! Why didn't I know about that!" He said as be got closer to the girl, throwing an arm over her shoulders as he motioned out with his hand. "There were so many dragons, I felt like I was on a whole new world."
(Y/N) laughed loudly, shaking the others arm off of her before she nodded. "That's where some of the dragons go when they leave here, they—" she stopped mid sentence as she saw tracks leading the opposite way of her village—thankfully. "What is it?" Lo'ak asked as he heard the girl go quiet.
"These tracks, they are big." She said with a whisper, motioning for Lo'ak to follow the tracks with her.
...
The two walked for what seemed like an eternity, the trails leading towards an opened and abandoned village. As the two hid behind some trees, Lo'ak was the first to lift his head up to observe many of the Avatars he seen in front of him. They were setting up a camp. "Who is that?" (Y/N) asked, staying behind Lo'ak incase she needed to take off with him behind her this time. "I don't know, they look like Na'vis, but—they look different." Lo'ak went to get closer but was stopped, (Y/N) shook her head with a worried look on her face.
"They have those things your dad has." She said as she pointed to the guns, "Are they bad Na'vis?" She questioned, seeing as Lo'ak knew more with this. "I don't know, I gotta tell my dad." He said, but was stopped again. "No! Don't tell him." (Y/N) said with a hushed whisper, "They are just passing by, lets just get going. I doubt they'll find us."
The two quickly left, not bothering to watch their six. "We gotta hurry back anyway, the ceremony starts soon." The older girl said as they arrived to their dragons. Bidding Caraxes a goodbye, Lo'ak jumped onto Vhagars back with (Y/N) before they took off back into the air and back home.