(Y/n) POV:
The wind here carries the ashes of forefathers. They flow through every crevice of space, brush upon every tent displayed. The ashes flow to Eywa, a journey longer then life itself. When you are reduced to Ash, you are free. The wind is your guide, moving, then stopping, then moving again.
These ashes flow through the Ash Clan, built upon the molten rocks embedded in the ground. This clan is aturu to many people who earn a living by selling, crafting weapons and making maps of the world beyond the volcanoes. The Ash Clan burns with heat during the day and releases lava at the dead of night. This lava comes from the three mighty volcanoes towards the far end that tower and protect us from the outside dangers.
The Ash Clan is my home, I am it's princess. It's queen to be. But high ranks come with a price. A price I may not be willing to pay.
"Tehiti, wake up. We are home."
Tehiti yawns and sits straight. "Sister. This time fly over the clan. Let them see you ride Flames for the first time."
"Showing off would be nice. Flames what do you think?"
Flames excitedly blows out fire in response and I change his direction so we are directly on top of the Ash Clan below. I look down to see them all looking up at us, their mouths open in awe. They begin to cheer and I smile at my achievement.
We fly over the clan until we reach the three volcanoes and Flames lands. Tehiti and I get off and I tell Flames to go. His mighty figure arises and his wings beat rapidly until he takes off and goes back in his volcano. His home.
"Hello (Y/n)! Congratulations on taming your dragon!"
"Thank you Tuntak."
"My boy Tehiti. You've grown so much! Soon you will be the man" Tuntak says joyfully and ruffles Tehiti's hair.
"Hey! I had just brushed it" Tehiti whines and I laugh at their behaviour.
"Tehiti you come with me. (Y/n), Dinraal wants you at his tent now." I nod and head towards the opening in the second volcano. To be honest, i'm scared for my life right now. Like I know I could easily go against him but something keeps stopping me. I can't stop thinking of how afraid of him I was growing up.
I head in and find him standing directly in front of me with a firm look. Shit.
"You are back?"
I nervously gulp and say "yes. Chief Tonowari sent us back after the incident in the forest. He told us to come back in three days."
"That imbecile. I send most of my warriors to dispose of him sooner and he's still alive?"
"What. You're telling me even if they hadn't spied you were going to kill them?"
Dinraal looks completely uninterested by my reaction.
"I'm the reason they are alive." This catches his attention and he looks at me in disbelief and anger.
"I saved them and gave you the credit."
"You stupid girl! Now i'm going to have to waste my weapons on killing them. Once again you have ruined EVERYTHING." Dinraal shouts and I flinch. Dinraal holds his head in frustration and hisses in anger. His skin burns an intense red and I stand still, unsure of what will happen.
What? Dinraal is laughing? Psychotically laughing? I step away, frightened by his behaviour. He comes closer to me, smiling. This shits scary.
"It's my fault. I didn't teach you properly. (Y/n) I will teach you how to be a chief."
He smirks so wide and I frown. Learning from him is gonna be hell itself for sure.
...
Dinraal and I are patrolling the streets of the clan where shops are set up on either sides, selling everything you can possibling imagine. This place is the busiest and is the most alive. I love it here.
"To be a chief you must never apologize, even if you're wrong. You are right. All the time."
That's so stupidly arrogant.
"Stop" Dinraal says and we both halt and listen to the conversation between a man and the shopkeeper happening to our right.
"Please this costs too much. My family can't afford this bread and we are starving! Please lower the cost." The man pleads while holding his daughter in his hands. The girl cries and my heart drops. Why are they starving? The warriors bring back a great supply of food everyday. What is going on?
The shopkeeper than says "yes of course. Please take this for free. Consider it a gift."
I smile warmly. It is nice to know the Ash Clan is capable of goodness.
Dinraal then steps forward.
"Gift? You would stoop so low for peasants who can't afford basic bread?"
I step forward and say "but fath—Dinraal—"
"Quiet."
I worriedly look at the people who stand still, terrified.
"There will be no weakness in my clan. If you can't afford food you don't deserve to live here. Fend for yourself or die." Dinraal slaps the bread out of the man's hand and harshly squeezes his wrist. I step forward and attempt to break his hand loose by yanking it back but he won't budge. He's holding on too strongly.
"Dinraal let go" I say while looking around. Everyone has gathered around and is watching.
"(Y/n) this is your first lesson. Never show mercy to pathetic fools." He grasps on tighter and the man's grey skin behind to pale, the blood no longer rushing into his hand. He begs for Dinraal to stop by saying "sorry chief. I'm so sorry I won't do it again" and the girl in his hands begins to cry more now.
"I said stop" I harshly command and feel fire surround me, threateningly. My eyes turn colourless and narrow is anger.
Just then Tuntak, Tehiti and Noatak come up. I sense them taking in the situation and Tuntak steps forward.
"Brother please. Stop this." He rests his hand on Dinraal's shoulder and I take in a deep breath.
Dinraal let's go of the man's wrist and he stumbles back, wiping his daughter's tears. Tuntak then says "everything is alright. Return to your duties."
Murmurs and whispers spread through the clan as they go back to what they were doing. The crowd slowly fades and I look at Dinraal who remains unaffected and scarily calm.
"That was lesson 1. Meet me tomorrow for the second one" Dinraal states and leaves, walking towards the volcanoes behind us.
I calm my shaking breath. The way the other girls were looking at me when I released fire made me feel as though they feared me. I do t want them to think that. Just another chief that can hurt them even more than the previous ones. That's not who I will be.
I look over to see Tuntak giving a bundle of food to the man and his daughter. He smiles at them and says "if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me." I smile at his kindness. I really like Tuntak. I'm surprised he's the brother of my father.
Tuntak, Tehiti and Noatak come up to me and just pause.
"Say it boy" Tuntak states and nudges Noatak in the shoulder.
"(Y/n) I apologize for my behaviour towards you." My eyes widen and I can tell these words are killing him to say. Men are so egotistical.
"Don't repeat yourself and we'll be good."
I see a hint of a smirk forming on his lips but it doesn't look wholesome...
"(Y/n) and Tehiti. I suggest you go rest. You have had enough for a day."
"You are right. Tehiti go home i'm coming." Tehiti walks away with Noatak who won't stop staring at me weirdly and I patiently wait for them to be far away until it's only Tuntak and me in between this ongoing rush of Na'vi.
"Tuntak. I am glad you are to take care of the people. Now tell me, what has Dinraal done ever since I left?"
"Promise me that you will control your anger when I tell you. We don't want this place to burn down now would we?"
"We wouldn't" I reply and immediately breathe in deeply. My anger reinforces the fire's presence. Usually anger is easy to control but this is Dinraal we are talking about.
"After you left, the food that the warriors bring in from hunts was taken away from the people. Dinraal hid and stocked up all that food for himself and refused to give it to any of us. Then he increased the prices of the food that was left and took all the money from the shopkeepers. Now we all struggle to survive."
This b*tch.
"I know it's bad and worst part is he won't say why he did it."
It is taking everything in me to control my anger. Deep breath in (Y/n)...deep breath out...
"(Y/n). I want you to play the part."
"What?"
"In these two days, train with him to be the chief he wants you to be. Act like him, be like him. Gain his trust and get him to tell you the reasoning behind this. Then convince him to stop it."
"You have got to be joking."
"I'm not. Please (Y/n). You and I both care too much about this clan and it's people." He's right. And his plan is a good one but just thinking about being like Dinraal is making me shiver. But my people are suffering. I have to help them. Neteyam would have wanted me to.
"Fine. Just keep Tehiti away from all this. Show him a good time." Tuntak smiles and nods.
"I will send part of my dinner to you tonight just like I do for these Na'vi." He then squeezes my shoulder lightly and walks away. I watch as his silhouette disappears in the crowd.
You know, I wish Tuntak becomes chief for a while before I do. He has more experience with this stuff and would make a great chief. But that's only possible if Dinraal were to die. Highly unlikely, he has the warriors to protect him. But can they protect him from me?
...
"Tehiti tike for bed. Go lay down."
"I miss my home, my nice bed, the sound of the volcanoes humming me to sleep. Home sweet home."
"Home, so much of it defines who we become."
"Sister, why are you becoming all poeticy and depressed?"
"Poeticy? That's not even a word."
"It is now!" Tehiti replies and I giggle at his enthusiasm. We both lay down in our beds and I melt in the comfort of my blanket while looking above.
"(Y/n), I miss them."
In an instant tons of flashbacks rush into my mind. All of them include Neteyam, that handsome boy I encountered. He has made me feel things I haven't felt in years of my life. I'm trying to control, push them away from the surface but they push back, growing stronger at every minute.
It is one thing to like someone and indulge in the sexual tension but truly loving someone means you think of them at every moment, how they are, what they are saying, what they are doing. You dive deep into the persons soul, knowing that if you were stuck there infinitely the love would only grow, never perish.
That is what Neteyam feels like.
If only the world were more accepting of us, that I may indulge deeper in these feelings. But happiness is something I can't afford.
At least not now.
...
That's the end of the chapter!
Guys I am so sorry for my ferocious inactiveness. I went into a long writers block and had this moment where I thought my story was flopping😭
But i'm back now and have begun to write more chapters!
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See you soon...